This wine has been examined a couple of times in MW exams in recent years and is famous due to its celebrity ownership. It is actually a lovely rosé, with very saline bath salt aromatics and a medium-full bodied palate with some viscosity in its expression. Ready to drink now, this is an easy to recommend Provence rosé albeit somewhat expensive. Rating: Good. Abv: 13%. Price: $40s. Website: https://www.miraval.com/en/home/. Reviewed: January 2020.
This merlot is from the Ferguson Valley, north of the Margaret River. It is a ripe and balanced expression of merlot, with aromatics of clove, smoke and eucalytpus. The palate reminds of red fruits and has a fresh tomato character. Ready to drink now, this is pleasant drinking. Rating: Good. Abv: 14.8%. Price: $23. Website: Source: Sample.
From the Var IGP (indication géographique protégée) in Provence and Domaine de Cantarelle, this is a rather delicious rosé with saline and herbal characters. Ready to drink now, it suits uncritical summer drinking and is well served chilled. Rating: Good. Abv: 12.5%. Price: low $20s. Website: www.domaine-de-cantarelle.fr. Reviewed: January 2020.
The 2012 Burgundy vintage continues to provide very enjoyable wines that have sufficient fruit and charm to be approached now. From Domaine Faiveley, the 2012 Échezeaux grand cru has ethereal aromatics of cherry, blackcurrant and undergrowth befitting of this esteemed appellation. The palate is also delicious, with firm tannins and good length suggesting a long life ahead. I would cellar this wine for a further 5 to 8 years, but certainly I would not hesitate to drink now if you would prefer not to wait. Rating: Very Good to Outstanding. Abv: n/a. Price: high. Website: https://www.domaine-faiveley.com. Reviewed: December 2019.
There aren’t too many gamays in Australia, but the climate suits it in the Yarra Valley. From Punt Road Wines, this gamay is fashioned in a varietally correct style and has enjoyable aromas and flavours of raspberries and fresh red fruits, rounded by 9 months in old oak. Ready to drink now, this is a lovely medium bodied gamay with immediate appeal. Rating: Good. Abv: 13%. Price: $20s. Website: https://puntroadwines.com.au. Reviewed: December 2019.
This is a fairly basic Soave from Monte Tondo in north eastern Italy. Made entirely from garganega, it has a herbal aroma with lemon undertones. The palate is dry with no oak and is ready to drink now. Rating: Acceptable. Abv: 12%. Price: <$20. Website: https://www.montetondo.it. Reviewed: December 2019.
Rosé is just right for these hot summer days. Here’s another one, this time a blend of garnacha (aka grenache) (70%) and viura (a white wine grape commonly known as macabeo outside of Rioja) (30%). This rosé is an easy to appreciate with a full bodied and dry expression of strawberries, some refreshing acidity and no oak. An on trend salmon pink in colour. Ready to drink now. Rating: Acceptable to Good. Abv: 12.5%. Price: $16. Website: https://valdemar.es/en. Reviewed: December 2019.
Curly Flat’s “white pinot” is a very high quality, rosé style expression of pinot noir. A decidely pink hue in colour, evidencing time on skins, the wine has an attractive aroma of strawberries and white peaches. The palate is dry, medium bodied and has fresh racy acidity. Ready to drink now, this is an enjoyable wine that straddles the intersection between rosé and red wine and has more substance and interest than most rosés. Rating: Good to Very Good. Abv: 12.7%. Price: $26. Website: https://www.curlyflat.com/. Source: Sample. Reviewed: December 2019.
I recall listening to a really interesting Guildsomm podcast with Rodolphe Péters of Pierre Péters Champagne and it wasn’t obvious what he didn’t know about Champagne. It’s worth a listen. His wine here proved to be very good indeed and was tasted blind. In the glass, it has firm acidity, good length and a restrained, citrus like cut through. The palate is minerally and steely with an attractive brioche character. Overall, this is a very good to outstanding wine that can be approached now or over the next decade. Rating: Very Good. Abv: n/a. Price: n/a. Website: https://www.champagne-peters.com/en/home. Tasted: December 2019.
This is a sound Soave Classico from Zeni, and a blend of garganega and trebbiano. In the glass, there are aromas of peach and cedar which gives a chardonnay like impression. The palate is medium bodied and dry, with some residual sugar. Pleasant enough, this wine will suit current drinking. Rating: Good. Abv: 12.5%. Price: $16. Website: https://www.zeni.it/en/. Reviewed: November 2019.