Precipice Yarra Valley Hyde Park Vineyard Syrah 2012

The coolest of cool climate Syrahs; cool label, cool wine maker, cool cool. SuperCoola!!!

The Precipice Yarra Valley Hyde Park Vineyard Syrah 2012 is the first solo outing by Oakridge stalwart Marty Singh and what a first outing indeeed. The wine is jam packed with concentrated blackberry, black olive tapanade and soy sauce; all classic cool climate characteristics I reckon. The wine is just off the charts and keeps getting cooler with the lookalike Brunswick Barista hipster on the label. C'mon, you know you've seen a bloke like that making coffee in Brunswick somewhere!!!

Just so smokin hot!!!

Drink till 2018
Drink with BBQ lamb chops
98
Screwcap 13%v/v $33 Seddon Wine Store

Melbourn Gin Company - Too much too Good!!!

One of the finds for 2013 for me is this belter; The Melbourne Gin Company out of the Yarra Valley is so smokin hot that my liver, and that of my partner and two very good friends this summer has taken quite a beating. But remember, the liver is evil and must be punished.

Distilled from rain water run off from the Gembrook Hill winery where man-about-town Andrew Marks for the past few years has been tinkering with batches and has quite simply nailed it with this bad boy.

All aromatics, five native I believe, are stilled individually giving this blend a purity of spice and fruit that I have not come across before; clean white pepper, subtle citrus and gorgeous white spice all play a part in delivering a smooth, elegant and compelling mouth feel that one bottle just doesn't cut it.

And the garnish? citrus by all means but instead of the lemon/lime flesh, try grating the zest in to the gin - with tonic - or something different would be the above picture; peppercorn flowers and leaves found in many parks and near train stations all over Melbourne. As Split Enz said many years ago, 'why don't you give it a whirl...' Go on!!!

Available at all good independent wine retailers for about $70

Brumont Gascogne Gros Manseng-Sauvignon Sec 2011

As summer whites go, this is it. The Brumont Gascogne Gros Manseng-Sauvignon Sec 2011. And yes it has a lick of Sauvignon Blanc in it so those Savvy B poopooers stop reading here... ya flogs.

Smokin hot nose of dried grass clippings and tropical fruit - guava comes through. And once again, Savvy B is here and is all class giving the Gros Manseng bright acid and structure. This one is a winner.

Drink till 2016
Drink with mango chicken salad
95
Diam cork 12.5%v/v Seddon Wine Store $23

Sutton Grange Bendigo Fairbank Rosé 2013

The best Rosé In Australia. That's pretty much it. Sutton Grange Bendigo Fairbank Rosé 2013. Red fruit - tart; Acid - bright; Freshness - there. But the big winner is a flavour that you just don't see in Rosé, be it here or the old world. The flavour is French fermier cider.  I cannot explain it, its just there. And its great. Smokin Hot Great.

Drink with ouzo cured smoked salmon, made by me and cold
Drink till 2015
97
Screwcap 12.5%v/v $25 Seddon Wine Store

Artigiano Sicily Grillo 2012

There is so much to do...

It is now 2014. Usually I will post my top wines of the year either at the end of that year or the very start of the next. Right now there are just too many good wines waiting to find their way on this site and all while I am setting up the Brunswick East Wine Store; this blog must feel like the unwanted mistress right now.

So this will be the first of many short sharp and succinct look at some beauites before I compile the best of 2013.

The Artigiano Sicily Grillo 2012. Bright and briney with layers of preserved lemon and limestone. Its just $15 and quite simply stonkingly good and gluggable. Just get it.

Drink with BBQ baby sardiners
Drink now
95
Screwcap 13%v/v $15 Seddon Wine Store