Welcome to the CellarHand newsletter for May 2021.
A bit of a short-and-sweet edition this month, it nevertheless includes three urgent and mouthwatering releases. The most complete of these comes from the Smith Cullam clan of Frankland Estate, whose suite of single-vineyard wines is out now. From 2020, that means Isolation Ridge and Poison Hill Riesling, while the Syrah success story continues with Isolation Ridge and SmithCullam 2019s. Rounding out the review is the benchmark Cab Franc blend, Olmo’s Reward, from 2018. From Victoria, we have Philippa Farr (pictured) breaking the great Farr Pinot drought of ’21 with her 2019 Pinot Noir from both Gippsland and Mornington Peninsula. And from across the ditch, Burn Cottage‘s 2018 Pinot Noir has landed to great acclaim.
Elsewhere, it’s climate change-proof grapes that are making the headlines, with a host of vintage rolls from S.C. Pannell including Nero d’Avola, Aglianico and Tempranillo Touriga. And Australia’s champions of multiviticulturalism, the Chalmers family, have a new vintage of their Dott. Malvasia Istriana, Pavana and Schioppettino out now.
And in import news, Zorah has been justly celebrated in a great piece on Armenia in Gourmet Traveller WINE, plus we shine a light on the great Heymann-Löwenstein estate. The family’s 2018 Schieferterrassen was named Germany’s Estate Wine of the Year, and their range of grand-cru Riesling from that same year is not to be missed.
Click here to read the newsletter in full.