ALTA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2010

- Adelaide Hills, SA

- $12-$23

- Screwcap (Stelvin-Lux)

- 12.5%alc

Maybe it's just me, but it seems Alta's Sauvignon Blanc has seen a steady rise in prominence since its initial 2005 release. This pleases me for two reasons; firstly, I think it's one of the Adelaide Hills' better (restrained) sauvignon blancs, and secondly, its competitive pricing (often reduced to under $15) sits in the exact range I usually have in mind when buying a wine of its type.

A clear fragrance of apples and limey minerals immediately clarify the refined edges of Alta's 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, aided by supporting notes of lychees and tropical fruit that do become fractionally more pronounced as the wine sits in the glass. In the mouth there's a real purity of leaner sauvignon blanc fruit evident, which amalgamates with a very crisp finish to produce a refreshing and summer-food friendly white. Beyond that initial assessment lies an effortless, natural flow of crisp green apple and citrus flavour, culminating with slightly crunchy, almost bitter-edged acids not too unlike that of the forbidden fruit itself.

ü Savvy fashionistas may want a bit more tropical fruit nuance here, but Alta's moderately fruited, ably structured sauvignon blanc has ticked the right boxes and missed all the wrong ones for me, especially for $13. Drink to 2012.

89 points

www.altavineyards.com.au

MITCHELL HARRIS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009

- Pyrenees, VIC

- $24.95

- Screwcap

- 13.5%alc

John Harris won me over with his grown up, sophisticated approach to the consumer friendly styles of rose and sauvignon blanc recently, so it's only natural my expectations sit high before sampling his take on the rather more classical drink of Pyrenees cabernet sauvignon.

Initially, Mitchell Harris' 2009 seems a touch ripe and meaty to me, but patience and deeper inspection reveals it to be a level playing field of rich Pyrenees cabernet sauvignon, sitting on the more open and generously fruited side of the fence. There are clear, regional whiffs of eucalyptus leaf and mint casting their scents across a dark, rich nose loaded with bursting blackberries, dark plums and light cedar with a hint of licorice. Its oak influence is clearly a passenger along for the ride (18 months in 5-8 year old French), so any impression of cedar is equally as likely to be from cabernet fruit as it is wood. Throughout the palate it's medium-full bodied, sumptuous and velvety, with a persisting presence of joyously ripened, juicy dark regional fruits that tighten up with real grip through the finish, courtesy of a pleasingly assertive extract of dry, dusty tannins playing a timely counterpoint to its inescapable richness. And all this achieved at less than 14% alcohol...

ü+ For a tidy $25 this considerately oaked red provides some of the richness of dark, regional quality I've come to expect from more feted Pyrenees' cabernet labels, yet with the balanced ripeness and dry tannin structure that has evaded many throughout the drought years. Like Mitchell Harris' other new releases, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon is a pleasure for serious winos. It's good now, better in 10 years. Drink to 2019.

91 points

www.mitchellharris.com.au

TRY THIS WITH A DRY, RICH PYRENEES CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Grana Padano cheese.

Like the similar, longer matured Reggiano Parmigiano, Grana Padano is a dry, hard, sharply flavoured cheese, often labelled under the generic Parmesan name. Genuine examples from Italy can be breathtaking with a good Aussie red.

BANNOCKBURN CHARDONNAY 2008

- Geelong, VIC

- $50-$60

- Cork

- 13.5%alc

In addition to being one of the key wineries behind Geelong's modern day renaissance, Bannockburn was also among the first names associated with truly great Australian pinot noir. However, some of Bannockburn's recent outings have polarised critics and consumers alike, a concern which might have lead to the declassification of Bannockburn Chardonnay from Langton's 2010 classification. Personally, some of my own experiences with Bannockburn wines over the last few years have enforced the benefits of screwcap closures...

From first sniff Bannockburn's 2008 Chardonnay continues the run of fine form set by the label. Tight and funky, like an ambidextrous drummer playing Funkadelic, its classically refined nose expresses both sweet and savoury suggestions through a fragrance of ripe nectarines, green melons and creamy cedar oak, with cheesy/leesy tones and a touch of wheat adding further complexity to an intriguing scent. Medium-full in weight, equal parts rich and viscous; its palate does a stellar job of pushing through a persistent flow of bright fruit meshed with savoury/leesy influences, coating the mouth from front to back with soft nectarine, vanilla and yeast flavours heightened by a dash of nutmeg. An attractive acid balance completes the package; it's beautifully offsetting, bright and penetrative, but the key feature is the way it just cruises alongside its rich core of flavour, creating a wonderful synergy of opulence and discipline to draw out a long, lingering finish.

ü+ Like others, I haven't been terribly enthused by some recent Bannockburn pinot noirs, but I have absolutely no qualms with their 2008 Chardonnay whatsoever. A fine combination of richness and tightness, savoury and fruity; it's my kind of chardonnay. Great stuff. Drink to 2015.

94 points

www.bannockburnvineyards.com

MT JAGGED SINGLE VINEYARD RESERVE CABERNET MERLOT 2007

- Southern Fleurieu, SA

- $36

- Screwcap (Stelvin-Lux)

- 14.0%alc

Located south of Mount Compass on the main road to Victor Harbor, Mt Jagged is arguably the most prolific producer in South Australia's Southern Fleurieu Peninsula; an emerging region from where I've yet to experience a cabernet truly deserving of the 'Reserve' tag. Mt Jagged's 2007 Reserve is a single vineyard, co-fermented cabernet merlot aged in French oak (20% new) for 12 months.

Even with the back label's recommended decanting, Mt Jagged's Reserve smells about as evenly balanced and settled as the Australian cricket team XI. Its poor form is played out by a soupy, stewy, thinly scented fragrance bowled over by dehydrated olive and herb high notes, with whiffs of raspberry and date expressed in a sticky, jammy fashion. Any hopes of the palate making a second innings comeback are quickly dismissed once the wine hits the mouth. It's thin as can be, showing no signs of mid-palate stuffing or textural interest, while its poorly ripened, stressed fruit component goes on to finish with an imbalanced, acid dominated aftertaste underlined by salty, soupy flavour. Jagged by name, jagged by....

X Very, very difficult drinking at the price. Rest assured I won't be seeking out any 2007 Southern Fleurieu cabernets in a hurry. Drink now.

82 points

www.mtjaggedwines.com.au

OZ WINE TOONS

SCOTT FIANO 2010

- Adelaide Hills, SA

- $22-$26

- Screwcap

- 13.5%alc

There are a number of good fiano emerging from South Australia at the moment (think Coriole, Oliver's Taranga, Fox Gordon) but one that really has the local cognoscenti buzzing is Scott's 2010 Fiano, a wine whose name sounds like the product of Anglo-Italian lovemaking.

An air of grigio-like pear breezes its way through Scott's leanly scented 2010 Fiano, with additional notes of lemon zest and minerals raising their heads in what is essentially a tight nose of clarity and restraint. Its palate is also clean and clear, perhaps too clear really, as its dainty flavours of juicy white pears and minerals do show a faint watered down aspect, like grapes soaked in H2O. This leads me to categorise Scott's Fiano in the 'will benefit from further vine age' category, because its human inputs have judged a seamless balance of pleasingly soft texture and uncomplicated yet refreshingly crisp acidity, making it an ideal summer food pairing wine already. A touch of dry spice in the finish adds further interest.

O A clean and clear, easy drinking and food friendly fiano whose expression straddles the line between minerally and water-like. You be the judge. I'm still liking the potential for this variety in both McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills though. Drink to 2011.

89 points

www.scottwinemaking.com.au

DANDELION VINEYARDS WONDERLAND OF THE EDEN VALLEY RIESLING 2010

- Eden Valley, SA

- $22 -$30

- Screwcap

- 12.0%alc

Dandelion Vineyards is a spectacular new entrant to the South Australian wine scene. Inspired by old-vine fruit material and guided by the talented Elena Brooks, Dandelion has already turned heads by successfully blending shiraz with riesling, but it was their stunningly pure, dry, chalky and impressively structured 2009 Riesling (95pts) that really grabbed my attention.

Although quite tight and slatey, the 2010 Dandelion seems a bit more juiced up than its ultra-lean predecessor at first, yet its floral, gently spiced limey/citric fragrance remains just as compelling in both regional and varietal senses. There's a strong, gorgeous scent of wet stone that makes a clear statement as well, before its palate of stunning purity, length, shape and structure takes centre stage. A limey undercurrent underlines the wine's spotless progression from start to finish, accompanying its initial burst of mineral and white pear juice flavours into a very taut, dry acidic backbone that'll please any Eden Valley riesling enthusiast. To finish, its lime juice flavours gather momentum and surge to the end, with distinct minerals playing a complementary role yet providing greater interest. Together with its glistening structure, these two departing notes leave the mouth dying for more.

ü+ I'm particularly excited about the number of small, boutique producers making classical Eden Valley riesling at the moment, not the least of which is Dandelion Vineyards. Superb. Drink to 2022.

94 points

www.dandelionvineyards.com.au

IS THIS THE ANSWER?

The International Riesling Federation scale, as found on the back label of Dandelion Vineyard's 'dry' riesling.

LINDEMANS RESERVE PADTHAWAY SHIRAZ 2006

- Padthaway, SA

- $11-$19

- Screwcap

- 13.5%alc

A couple of fine releases from 2008 might have eased concerns over the immediate fate of Lindemans Coonawarra, but what about little old Padthaway? Although the region has yet to scale the heights once hoped for by some of the larger companies, I've always found pleasure in Padthaway's pungent chardonnays and minty reds. Still, it interested me to see Lindemans' 2005 Reserve Padthaway Shiraz won 'Top Gold' at the '07 National Wine Show.

For a relatively affordable 'Reserve Shiraz', Lindemans' 2006 smells raw, oaky, under-fruited and to put it bluntly; unpolished and jagged. It's been a while since I sat down with a wine like this. Its fruit seems diminished; barren if you will, with fledgling aromas of prunes and varnish showing no signs of the choc-mint/menthol characters I find appealing in Padthaway reds. The palate follows suit with a hard blockiness that envelops its docile, thin, dead fruit character, but rather more surprising is the emanating presence of alcohol given its stated 13.5%, in what is a very thin, altogether vacant conclusion. The words 'vibrancy', 'life' and 'character' are about as relevant here as the word 'under-exposed' is to an Oprah tour of Australia.

X The 2008 of this is already out and given the high praise afforded to Lindemans' 2008 Coonawarra releases, I'd hedge my bets on that instead. That is of course, if this is your kind of thing. 'Yuck', she said. Drink now.

80 points

www.lindemans.com