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RRP: $16
ABV: 13.2%
Region: Hunter Valley
Fruit for this approachable and easy-sipping style cabernet was sourced from both the Hunter Valley and from vineyards in Orange. Rich, ripe fruit aromas of dark blackcurrants and some herbal aromas, followed by a texture of plush fruit and a soft, smooth finish which lingers. A good, affordable red to go with pizza or pasta. – Katrina.
RRP: $45
ABV: 13%
Region: Mudgee, NSW
The labels on these beautiful new-range ‘Ridge of Tears’ shiraz wines from Mudgee producer Logan Wines are eye-catching, but thankfully the appeal doesn’t end there. The old clan war cry of winemaker Peter Logan’s ancestors, ‘Druim nan deur’ is Scottish Gaelic for ‘Ridge of Tears’. There’s currently two NSW shiraz wines in the range – one from Mudgee and the other from Orange. “Blood, sweat and tears would also have been an apt name,” said winemaker Peter Logan, who wanted to showcase the textural and style differences between the two regions.
Both wines were elegant expressions of shiraz, each with perfumed and savoury elements. The Mudgee shiraz has ripe red berry fruit flavours with bursting floral notes of violets, lavender and herbs, as well as dark black cherries. A long finish with drive – powerful yet elegant at the same time with a fine tannin structure. Meanwhile the Ridge of Tears Orange Shiraz 2010 (RRP: $45; ABV: 13%) is medium bodied with spicy pepper and clove, mulberry and an earthy complexity with cigar box and dark chocolate aromas. Loads of powerful spice and earthy complexity, with a great texture.
The labels display hand-drawn images of an elderly gentleman’s face, paying homage to Peter’s ancestors and to symbolise the ageing of the winemaker during the creation of these wines. The story of the Logan ancestors wraps around the bottle. I can’t bring myself to dispose of the empty bottles – using them as vases for single-stemmed flowers! – Katrina
RRP: $16.50
ABV: 14.5%
Region: McLaren Vale, SA
With a ‘splash’ of fragrant red wine variety petit verdot in the mix, this wine has beautiful aromatic jumping out of the glass with violets, raspberries and cherries with layers of spice too. In the mouth, there’s plush, juicy, vibrant and bright red fruits – concentrated flavours with a very long and memorable finish. The new labels for the Scrubby Rise range feature artworks by Andrew Baines, drawing inspiration from a viewing ‘platform’ over the vineyard which was christened by the Wirra Wirra folk, ‘The Jetty’ (never mind the fact there’s no sand or sea in the vineyard). And of course the Wirra Wirra team couldn’t help but bring a rendition of this artwork to life, so if you visit their McLaren Vale vineyard, you’ll see a bowler-hatted chap ‘rowing’ across the Scrubby Rise vineyard! – Katrina.
RRP: $25
ABV: 14%
Region: Great Western, Victoria
With some of Australia’s oldest shiraz vines, the Best’s Bin 1 is a fine introduction at an approachable price, to some of the iconic Best’s shiraz wines priced further up the tree. A medium-bodied shiraz with white pepper and spice characters, the blue and dark fruit flavours in the mouth are soft and round with fine tannins and a long, powerful yet elegant finish. – Katrina
RRP: $30
ABV: 14.1%
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
One-hundred-year-old McLaren Vale winery, d’Arenberg, pride themselves on their quirky names for their wines and behind the ‘Feral Fox’ Pinot Noir is another fun story. The feral foxes of the region have developed an appetite for the pinot grapes, which give the foxes a laxative effect, which in turn provides natural organic fertilisation for the soils! This pinot is known in the winery as the Funky Feral Flatulent Fox. Happy to report it has no such effect on humans – rather, it’s a soft, fleshy pinot with cherry and raspberry flavours, silky tannins and subtle spice. Can be cellared but drinking very stylishly now too. – Katrina.
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