We’re starting to feel those first tingles of the sunny season as this latest missive goes out to the wine-loving universe. Exciting time to be picking up a glass of something fresh – like the wine leading the domestic headlines this week, the 2017 Pinot Noir from the buzzy, beautiful, biodynamic home vineyard belonging to Central Otago’s Burn Cottage. That’s winemaker Claire Mulholland pictured above, taken from her recent trip to the east coast. She had a blast, and so did those who tried the latest wines. We also have a suite of new wines from Joe and Lou Holyman of Tasmania’s Tamar Valley. These include a diverse range under the Stoney Rise label, as well as the highly sought-after Holyman Chardonnay. Elsewhere on the home front, there’s news from Farr siblings Nick and Pip, with the former’s 2018 Farr Rising Pinot Noir arriving at the same time as the 2017 Philippa Farr Mornington Peninsula Pinot is receiving well deserved plaudits. We’re also celebrating Frankland Estate with a 2009 museum-release Riesling from Isolation Ridge – in tantalising juxtaposition to the current 2018 edition. What a vineyard that is! And, from Marlborough, we’ve got just about the prettiest sparkling rosé you’ll have seen, the result of a collaboraton between Mike and Claire Allan’s organic Huia estate and New Zealand fashion designer Kate Sylvester.
The import news has a decidedly Piedmontese flavour, with G.D. Vajra’s inaugural Barolo from the Coste di Rose cru arriving amid a varied shipment from the Vaira family, including new Riesling and Dolcetto alongside wines under the Luigi Baudana banner. Under-the-radar jewel Cigliuti of Barbaresco has a youthfully exuberant set of wines arriving, too, while La Spinetta’s Langhe Nebbiolo (effectively a baby Barbaresco from the Staderi cru) is about to hit these shores. From a little further afield – Armenia, no less – we have the new vintage of Zorah’s Karasí Areni Noir (available in magnum, too!) as well as top red cuvée, Yeraz. Also in the range is the fresh, mineral Voskì blend of indigenous varieties Voskèat and Garandmak. Rounding out this week’s international offering are a couple of new Kremstal Grüner Veltliner wines from Stift Göttweig and Stadt Krems, and a startlingly good value Beerenauslese from their near neighbour in Dürnstein, Domäne Wachau.
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