So much happening this September to put a spring in your step. Where to start? How about 2015 – that seems like a theme. Absolutely fantastic vintage, this is shaping up to be. Onannon’s Pinot and Chardonnay from Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland are out and awesome, as is Pip Farr’s Gippsland Pinot, while Matt Harrop and Shadowfax are reaping rewards from their focus on these two varieties in Macedon. From the Adelaide Hills, Stephen Pannell made one of his very best wines in 2015 – a Syrah that is at least the match of his Jimmy Watson-winning 2013 – while gentleman farmer Geoff Weaver is basking in the glow of his Halliday award for Sauvignon Blanc of the year. Other spring-like wines come from the Chalmers sisters and their line-priced Vermentino, Rosato and Nero d’Avola, plus the team from Punt Road, whose inaugural Gamay will get the masses slurping madly – as will their Franc and Blanc III bottled under sister label, Airlie Bank. We’ve also placed the spotlight on Paul Scorpo, because the critics are clamouring over the quality of the Mornington Peninsula quiet achiever and we thought we’d make some noise, too.
On the imports front, well, we done gone and found us some burgundy at ProWein, and we’re pretty pleased with ourselves. Let us introduce you to Matrot of Meursault and André Bonhomme of the Mâconnais. The former arrived in August, the latter’s here as of mid-September, both high quality and great value. We also have a wide range of the clean, pure, precise 2014 Chablis of Domaine Louis Michel. A couple of cheeky essentials have rolled vintage – Pierre Amadieu’s Côtes du Rhône and Dr Loosen’s ‘Dr L’ Riesling. And finally, to take you back to 2015, we have a very cool Veltliner Doux Naturel from Domäne Wachau. This, one of the world’s finest co-operatives, is operating at the highest level. Its latest single-vineyard releases are your passport to the promised land on the banks of the Danube. What are you waiting for? Click here to catch up on all the news.