March already, hey? Well, here’s wishing an awesome autumn to you all!
New Zealand leads the way this month, with the 2018 Burn Cottage Moonlight Race Pinot Noir out now. It’s the first estate-grown version of this wine that’s been a winner since making its debut in 2014. The new release is layered, complete and balanced, with superb density and finesse. Then there’s biodynamic duo Jason and Anna Flowerday of TWR with Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer joining Toru on the 2020 vintage. Coincidentally, Anna used to work with Rob Mann of Corymbia, whose Swan Valley red blend has just rolled to 2019 and garnered a pair of stellar reviews straight out of the blocks. And their former boss, Stephen Pannell, has come up trumps with an everyday Nebbiolo from his new Protero vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. Also in South Australia – by way of the Mosel Valley! – is the second edition of the very special Wolta Wolta Riesling grown in the Clare Valley and made in collaboration with the Dr Loosen estate. The 2018, like its spell-binding predecessor – is not to be missed.
In import news, we shine a light on the exceptional appeal of southern Rhône wines, where Pierre Amadieu makes use of high-altitude sites with cooler exposures to grow ripe, seductive and refreshing Grenache-based reds. Other refreshing reds in the news come from Monterustico and G.D. Vajra in Piedmont, and Pittnauer and Rosi Schuster in Austria’s Burgenland.
And last but not least is some mind-blowing Pinot Noir. We have another look at the 2017s from Jean Tardy of Vosne-Romanée with the help of Jasper Morris MW, and James Halliday has released a set of adulatory tasting notes on the Bernhard Huber estate in Germany.
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