This is first class sangiovese from Conti Constanti, Brunello and the 2013 vintage. 2013 is a top vintage in Brunello. A pale ruby-garnet in colour, the wine opens to complex aromas of anise, lavender and for the Australian reader, vegemite. The palate is dry and medium bodied. Its key characters are its high, chalky and textured tannins, long graceful length and complexity of sour cherry and earth flavours on the finish. This complex wine can be approached now and provides outstanding drinking. Review Rating: Very Good to Outstanding (★★★★☆, 94 points). Website: Conti Costanti. Tasted: April ..read more

You don’t see many Châteauneuf du Pape blanc wines in Australia. White wine is however increasingly a focus for the Rhône Valley with the region facing the challenge of declining consumption of its red wines. For those interested in wine market dynamics, there is a great article here explaining the current difficult market for southern Rhône reds and strategies to overcome it. Expect to see more whites from this region, although Australia is not I expect a relevant export market in value or volume terms, but may be a niche opportunity. The blend here is of mostly unfamiliar grapes for the inte ..read more

2017 was a mixed, lighter vintage in Bordeaux. This showed in my recent review of Château Sociando-Mallet’s 2017 vintage, another “go to” choice for high performing left bank Bordeaux that is not a cru classé. Château Labegorce from Margaux is the better of the two wines in this vintage. It opens to aromas of cedar and smoke. Blackcurrants emerge in an “underneath” way and cloves too. The palate is decidedly medium bodied with firm tannins, dark fruits and dried herbal undertones. This wine is not a fruit wine, but rather has sufficient fruit in the context of its structure. Its most attractiv ..read more

This is an interesting Valpolicella Ripasso from La Dama and the Veneto region in Italy. Made from corvina and rondinella, its name, grape varieties and unusual method of production present a certain inaccessibility for the non wine engaged. Its point of difference from a regular Valpolicella is contact post fermentation with pressings from Amarone production, which adds texture and alcohol. I suspect this explanation however won’t help much. The key stylistic points might though: Valpolicella is a lighter, savoury style of red and the ripasso versions have some more weight, texture and dried ..read more

This is a good value Beaujolais-Villages wine from Patriarche and the gamay grape variety. It has aromas of red cherries and pastille red fruits. The palate is medium bodied and the alcohol is modest at 12.5%. Its distinctive feature is that, for Beaujolais, it has quite grippy and fruity tannins that remind of savoury red cherries. This wine suits immediate drinking. Review Rating: Good (★★★☆, 88 points). Website: Patriarche. Tasted: April 2024. The post Patriarche Beaujolais Villages Gamay 2022 appeared first on Grape Observer ..read more

This is an outstanding wine from Alexandre Brault, the Monthélie appellation in the Côte de Beaune and the 2020 vintage. Sadly I read that Alexandre is no longer with us. His wine here is a fine testament to him and his family, whom I wish well. His Monthélie has etched aromas of minerals, gun flint and cedar. The palate is between medium and full bodied, with fine acidity and elegant long length on the finish. The delicacy combined with true stone fruit characters are at the core of this wine. This is wonderful drinking. Review Rating: Very Good (★★★★, 91 points). Website: NA. Tasted: April 2 ..read more

From the Paul Mas L’Artisan label from the Pays d’Oc in the south of France, this is a good quality dry rosé.  It is salmon in colour, with aromas and flavours that are saline, spicey and remind of dried herbs.  The palate is medium to full bodied and finishes dry.  Ready to drink now, this wine will find favour as a good value Provence rosé substitute.   Review Rating: Good (★★★, 87 points). Website: Les Domaines Paul Mas. Source: Sample. Tasted: March 2024. The post L’Artisan Le Rosé 2020 appeared first on Grape Observer ..read more

This a good pinot gris from Stockman’s Ridge and the high altitude Orange region, a region that is able to produce European styles of Australian wine.  In the glass, the wine is a pale lemon in colour, with aromas of pear and pear skins.  The palate finishes dry and has saline characters and some texture from time on lees and a portion of the wine having spent time in barrel.  The alcohol is a modest 12.3% and its medium-full body is supported by fresh acidity. In style, it is more serious, and has more primary fruit intensity, than a typical pinot grigio from the Veneto. Ready ..read more

From Rioja and a blend of tempranillo and grenache, this wine presents as a traditional oaked Rioja. In the glass, the wine has aromas primarily of coconut and vanilla. The palate is medium bodied and its plummy fruit is medium in intensity. The coconut oak characters supplement its ripe red and dark fruits, not quite overwhelming them. I think this Rioja will appeal to those who enjoy Australian warm climate styles of oaked shiraz, although it does not have the same heady intensity of fruit nor, at 14% abv, elevated alcohol. This Rioja provides a good value option its price, and will suit cur ..read more

From the south of France, this is a good value sauvignon blanc from the L’Artisan label, the Pays d’Oc and the 2020 vintage. Its quality is higher than comparable NZ sauvignon blancs around this price (circa A$19) and its labelling could not be much clearer for English speaking markets. In terms of style, the wine sits between the gooseberry, grassy style and high intensity of the typical Marlborough sauvignon blanc and the austerity of Sancerre. I think this style will find consumer interest. In the glass, the wine has medium intensity aromas of grass and lemons. The fruit character shows a s ..read more