February WinesWines of the Month

For the wine snob: All of the grapes are fermented in small batches to retain their sub-regional characters. After destemming, the wine ferments for 7 days on skins in small open fermenters and is hand plunged twice daily. This encourages maximum extraction yet retains the dense, spicy fruit flavours that Shiraz is renowned for. The wine is gently basket pressed before spending up to 18 months in a combination of new and seasoned French and American oak barrels in our cellars.

For the rest of us: Grand Barossa Shiraz epitomises the premium international reputation for Shiraz which has made the Barossa Valley famous. Lifted aromas of blackberry, plum and black pepper are accompanied by spicy, dark berry fruits on the palate.

For the wine snob: Though not certified, the grapes are organically farmed, including dry-farmed. The grapes picked by hand. The wine was aged in steel tanks for 6 months and in the bottle for another 6 months.

For the rest of us: Light yellow color with silvery highlights. On the nose it has apricot and tangerine with a floral, herbal touch. The palate is generous, unoaked and driven by white fruit and warm citrus with a fruit driven yet clean.

For the wine snob: This wine is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with 15% Petite Sirah. It is aged for  15 months is 60% new oak and 40% neutral oak.

For the rest of us: This wine has a dark purple hue that extends to the rim of the glass with flavors of black licorice, dark currants and hints of mocha. It pairs well with red meats, poultry or red sauce pastas.

For the wine snob: This is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdelho and Grenache Blanc. Smith Story teamed up with Meeker Vineyards to select a small batch of these grapes from the 2021 North Coast Harvest.

For the rest of us: A light to medium bodied wine with notes of orchard and stone fruit. This wine pairs best with… a sandwich!

For the wine snob: Whole bunches are destemmed and pass through an optical grape sorting machine and then crushed to a closed fermenter. After a period of cold soak, the grapes are inoculated with a preferred yeast. Temperatures are then managed to reach about 30°C. Malo-lactic conversion takes place during maceration in tank which can take up to 35 days. They aim for about 40% new French oak barriques, elevage in barrels can take up to 18 months with final barrel selection and blending prior to bottling. This wine was bottled without fining after a light filtration.

For the rest of us: A deep ruby red color, with complex and dense aroma of, cassis blackberry blackcurrant, wild forest berries with fine cedar notes, oyster shell and graphite vanilla, baking spices, some cigar box notes and dark chocolate.

For the wine snob: Trays with whole bunches are placed in the winery coolroom for overnight chilling. Pressing takes place the next day in a basketpress. The juice is taken straight to barrel for fermentation. The wines are lees stirred after fermentation weekly for 3 months. The total time in barrel is 11 months. The wine is blended and bottled early in the year following harvest.

For the rest of us: An enticing aroma of passionfruit, citrus blossom, honeysuckle, lime, and green rock melon, with hints of quince and vanilla pod. The palate is refreshing showing passion fruit, lemon, lime flavors and subtle oak. There is a linear influence of mineral notes and crisp acidity which give the wine structure and length. It is an elegant and well-structured wine.

For the wine snob: This is a blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon from Coma d’en Romeu and 20% Merlot from Mas d’en Cacador, a north-facing slope at 1500 ft. Then 20% Syrah and 10% Garnacha from Mas d’en Pubill. Finally, 10% Carignan from the village of La Vilella Alta, another north-facing vineyard at about 1500 ft. The wine is vinified in open vat, then assembled and aged for 16 month in new and used 225-lt French Alliers oak barrels.

For the rest of us: The wine is deep ruby with great minerality on the palate. Silky with elegant tannins. Perfect with grilled lamb.

For the wine snob: The grapes for this wine come from a small parcel of 6 acres in the village of Puligny-Montrachet, resulting in wines of exceptional quality. The same viticulture and vinification methods are applied for all the wines from the Domaine.

For the rest of us: The wine offers an expressive nose of white flowers, stone fruits and buttered bread notes. The mouth is mineral and elegant, and delicate toasty nuances bring extra length in the mouth alongside a fresh acidity and a good balance.