François Villard Cornas L'appel des Sereines Syrah 2011

We have a new club house leader folks. The François Villard Cornas L'appel des Sereines Syrah 2011 is quite simply sexyasnuts!!!! Tart concentrated blackberry, grippy black olive tapanade and subtle salty soy sauce are all the hallmarks that make cool climate Syrah/Shiraz the sexiest beast around. If this wine was a rockstar it would be a combination of Jeff Buckley, Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix and Madonna; just oozing sex appeal. Thats it. Thats all I've got on this beast.

Drink with lust
Drink till empty, or 2016
98
Quality cork 13%v/v $28

Punch Bannockburn Friends of Punch Syrah 2010

A couple of Mondays I shuffled on down to the Imbibo annual everything-on-show day at the Fitzroy Bowls Club. I got there early so I could get away earlyish. Yeah-Nah. After all was said and done I was the last one to leave at 7.30 where a group of us went down to The Builders Arms on Gertrude Street and well, you know - dusty the next day.

Anywhoo, there were wines aplenty and this was one of my picks; the Punch Bannockburn Friends of Punch Syrah 2010. Everything about this wine rocks, and I'm loathe to say it cos Bannockburn has its own terroir, but this is very Cornas; slate, earth, blackberry, black olive tapanade and soy sauce. Yep, soy sauce. Its delish!!!

And Cath and Beth, youse ace!!!

Drink with bloody lamb

Drink till 2018

97

Screwcap 12%v/v about $38ish

Paradigm Hill Mornington Peninsula Col's Block Shiraz 2007

A truly captivating wine this one. The Paradigm Hill Mornington Peninsula Col's Block Shiraz 2007 is one of those new world wines that would fit very neatly alongside Northern Rhône gems; Ghislaine Fumat and Allemand Reynard from Cornas were two producers that spring to mind straight away.

One thing that always jumps out in this wine is the long and intense mineral line, once again drawing comparisons to Cornas with its ever present Massif granite that lies just below the top soil. The nose in this wine has certainly developed with a soft coffee note coming through as well as retrained black olive tapanade. The palate sits very cool in the mouth with the acid still holding court along with soft grainy tannins that are followed by even notes of black licorice and black olives. A wine that has got better with age and will again benefit with more cellaring to follow.

Seriously, this wine is so good, if Thom Yorke wanted to make wine he'd want to make this.

Drink with crusted slow roasted lamb
Drink till 2022
97
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $50ish if you can still find it