- AFR Magazine
- Nov 23 2018 at 12:15 AM
- Updated Nov 23 2018 at 12:23 PM
The best wine, beer, gin, whiskey and more for summer
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Another year, another 5000 bottles of booze. At least. Considering all the wines I've tried at trade tastings, regional master classes and vineyards, plus all the new beers, whiskies and gins – not to mention six fabulous boozy weeks sloshing through England, Scotland, France and Spain – it's probably more.
Which makes the following 24 bottles pretty special. It's also a handy snapshot of the many trends flowing through the world of drinks in 2018: from continued innovation and experimentation in gin and whisky to the revival of aperitif culture; from an increasing focus on the uniqueness of single vineyards to the embrace of wild fermentation and a return to ancient winemaking techniques.
Finally, a disclaimer: some of these drinks were first tasted a while ago and they might now be scarce, so I've included a producer/importer website for each, to help you track them down. Check stockists on wine-searcher.com, too. It's an invaluable tool for the good-booze hunter.
STARWARD TWO-FOLD WHISKY
Melbourne $65
This very good, new double-grain whisky, distilled from wheat and malted barley, and aged in Australian wine barrels, is Starward’s attempt to move the local whisky category beyond the small-batch, high-priced connoisseur market and into the mainstream. I tasted it at the distillery just before its launch: aromas of fresh toast, some dried fig, a hint of ripe banana, then a soft, pretty, creamy vanilla texture on the tongue, finishing with a little tannic grip and savoury complexity. starward.com.au
HURDLE CREEK PASTIS
Milawa $95
It was early winter when I arrived at the small Hurdle Creek distillery in a paddock near Milawa, north-east Victoria, and the smell of warm mashed grain billowed out from the shed door. All the spirits here are made from scratch, by hand, including this outstanding pastis. As well as the usual botanicals used to impart the distinctive anise flavour in French pastis, this version includes two Australian natives, aniseed myrtle and mintbush, which ramps the flavour up to 11. hurdlecreekstill.com.au
BENROMACH 15-YEAR-OLD SINGLE MALT
Speyside $145
It was a thrill to taste the new-make raw spirit as it flowed from the still into the barrel at the Benromach distillery on a crisp Scottish summer day. The crystal-clear liquid already had so much character – heather and grain, and a hint of smoky peat. Add 15 years of maturation in old sherry barrels (15 years of flavour-layering), and no wonder this finished product is so good: rich, spicy, with an overtone of dark raisin. Imported by albawhisky.com.au
CILLAR DE SILOS GOLFO VERMUT
Ribera del Duero $74
On my trip to Spain, every evening started with a glass of fragrant, bitter vermouth – or vermut, as the Spanish call it – over ice, with a strip of orange and a green olive. To pretend I’m back in San Sebastian, I pour a glass of this particularly delicious vermut from one of the top wineries in Ribera del Duero. Dark herbal aromas, deep red wine richness and fine powdery astringency leave the mouth refreshed and ready for the next sip. Imported by thespanishacquisition.com
WEST WINDS WILD PLUM GIN
Margaret River $85
The Australian gin craze showed no sign of slowing down this year. Every week, it seems, yet another distillery sent me a sample of its fancy new spirit (not that I’m complaining). This, released in time for summer, was one of the stand-outs. Flavoured with native Davidson plum, sloe berries and banksia honey, it’s gently sweet, tangy and spicy, unlike anything I’ve tasted before. Lovely sipped neat, over ice, but good, too, as a base for creative cocktails. thewestwindsgin.com
HERNÖ SLOE GIN
Sweden $90
Another great new gin released this year was Dry Island, a collaboration between Four Pillars distillery in the Yarra Valley and Hernö distillery in Sweden. When Hernö founder Jon Hillgren visited Australia to make the gin, he also showed his own range of spirits. This was my pick: made by steeping purple sloe berries in spirit for four months, it has wild hedgerow fruit flavour, and almond-like aromatics. Again, gorgeous on its own, but also versatile in mixed drink concoctions. Imported by vanguardluxurybrands.com.au
BENROMACH 15-YEAR-OLD
SINGLE MALT
Speyside $145
It was a thrill to taste the new-make raw spirit as it flowed from the still into the barrel at the Benromach distillery on a crisp Scottish summer day. The crystal-clear liquid already had so much character – heather and grain, and a hint of smoky peat. Add 15 years of maturation in old sherry barrels (15 years of flavour-layering), and no wonder this finished product is so good: rich, spicy, with an overtone of dark raisin. Imported by albawhisky.com.au
HERNÖ SLOE GIN
Sweden $90
Another great new gin released this year was Dry Island, a collaboration between Four Pillars distillery in the Yarra Valley and Hernö distillery in Sweden. When Hernö founder Jon Hillgren visited Australia to make the gin, he also showed his own range of spirits. This was my pick: made by steeping purple sloe berries in spirit for four months, it has wild hedgerow fruit flavour, and almond-like aromatics. Again, gorgeous on its own, but also versatile in mixed drink concoctions. Imported by vanguardluxurybrands.com.au
HURDLE CREEK PASTIS
Milawa $95
It was early winter when I arrived at the small Hurdle Creek distillery in a paddock near Milawa, north-east Victoria, and the smell of warm mashed grain billowed out from the shed door. All the spirits here are made from scratch, by hand, including this outstanding pastis. As well as the usual botanicals used to impart the distinctive anise flavour in French pastis, this version includes two Australian natives, aniseed myrtle and mintbush, which ramps the flavour up to 11. hurdlecreekstill.com.au
CILLAR DE SILOS
GOLFO VERMUT
Ribera del Duero $74
On my trip to Spain, every evening started with a glass of fragrant, bitter vermouth – or vermut, as the Spanish call it – over ice, with a strip of orange and a green olive. To pretend I’m back in San Sebastian, I pour a glass of this particularly delicious vermut from one of the top wineries in Ribera del Duero. Dark herbal aromas, deep red wine richness and fine powdery astringency leave the mouth refreshed and ready for the next sip. Imported by thespanishacquisition.com
STARWARD TWO-FOLD WHISKY
Melbourne $65
This very good, new double-grain whisky, distilled from wheat and malted barley, and aged in Australian wine barrels, is Starward’s attempt to move the local whisky category beyond the small-batch, high-priced connoisseur market and into the mainstream. I tasted it at the distillery just before its launch: aromas of fresh toast, some dried fig, a hint of ripe banana, then a soft, pretty, creamy vanilla texture on the tongue, finishing with a little tannic grip and savoury complexity. starward.com.au
WEST WINDS WILD PLUM GIN
Margaret River $85
The Australian gin craze showed no sign of slowing down this year. Every week, it seems, yet another distillery sent me a sample of its fancy new spirit (not that I’m complaining). This, released in time for summer, was one of the stand-outs. Flavoured with native Davidson plum, sloe berries and banksia honey, it’s gently sweet, tangy and spicy, unlike anything I’ve tasted before. Lovely sipped neat, over ice, but good, too, as a base for creative cocktails. thewestwindsgin.com
FULLER’S LONDON PRIDE
Chiswick $8
Whenever I go to London in summer, I always find time to fit in a pint or two at a riverside pub on the Thames in Chiswick, my old stomping ground just up the road from Fuller’s brewery. Fuller’s beers are available in Australia, and while I like the Past Masters series based on historic recipes and the rich, intense Vintage Ale, I have a soft spot for London Pride, the brewery’s classic bitter. One sip and I’m back in Strand-on-the-Green. Imported by empireliquor.com.au
WILDFLOWER AMBER
Marrickville $22
I caught up with brewer Topher Boehm at GABS, the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular, in May and was impressed with his adventurous ales, fermented using wild yeasts and bacteria. Most Wildflower beers are ephemeral small-batch releases, but this, along with the lighter, more floral Wildflower Gold, is part of the permanent core range and it’s lovely: fine burnished amber colour, nutty and yeasty to smell, mouth-filling richness balanced by a touch of refreshing sourness and funky complexity. wildflowerbeer.com
WILDFLOWER AMBER
Marrickville $22
I caught up with brewer Topher Boehm at GABS, the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular, in May and was impressed with his adventurous ales, fermented using wild yeasts and bacteria. Most Wildflower beers are ephemeral small-batch releases, but this, along with the lighter, more floral Wildflower Gold, is part of the permanent core range and it’s lovely: fine burnished amber colour, nutty and yeasty to smell, mouth-filling richness balanced by a touch of refreshing sourness and funky complexity. wildflowerbeer.com
FULLER’S LONDON PRIDE
Chiswick $8
Whenever I go to London in summer, I always find time to fit in a pint or two at a riverside pub on the Thames in Chiswick, my old stomping ground just up the road from Fuller’s brewery. Fuller’s beers are available in Australia, and while I like the Past Masters series based on historic recipes and the rich, intense Vintage Ale, I have a soft spot for London Pride, the brewery’s classic bitter. One sip and I’m back in Strand-on-the-Green. Imported by empireliquor.com.au
2016 RANGE LIFE GARGANEGA
King Valley $25
Most of the thousands of wines I taste throughout the year are made by well-known producers from familiar grape varieties. So it’s always a thrill to stumble across obscure gems I haven’t encountered before – gems like this utterly delicious white made from the rare (in Australia) Italian grape, garganega. Full-flavoured and textural, with candied citron intensity and a touch of chewy grip, it’s crying out for creamy, garlicky pasta dishes. Great value at this price. rangelifewine.com.au
2014 EMIDIO PEPE TREBBIANO
Abruzzo $160
Emidio Pepe produces cult-status wines in Abruzzo from humble grape varieties using traditional techniques. When his granddaughter Chiara visited Australia this year, she said her “nonno” believed his trebbiano needed a decade in the bottle to show its best. Tasting the 2014, I can see what she means. At four years old, it’s still fresh, lively and chalky, just beginning to pick up some of the golden, sun-kissed grape-pulpy richness and complexity to come. Imported by mondoimports.com.au
2018 GROSSET POLISH HILL RIESLING
Clare Valley $60
The 2018 vintage produced fantastic rieslings, and many were vying for a place on these pages until this one from Jeff Grosset elbowed its way to the top of the pile. It is extraordinarily intense and concentrated, deeply satisfying to drink, with a bottomless well of flavour: kaffir lime, warm slate, an almost tonic-water-like twist on the finish. If you’re into dry riesling that has the potential to age for decades, you need to buy some of this. grosset.com.au
2016 HEYMANN-LÖWENSTEIN UHLEN
BLAUFUSSER LAY RIESLING
Mosel $110
Heymann-Löwenstein winemaker Kathrin Starker was one of a group of German producers who poured some stunning wines at the Riesling Downunder Masterclass in February. This wine was entrancing: exotic, almost cologne-like aromas, intense yellow fruit flavours all served up with amazingly pure, crystalline focus. Great now, but will grow in complexity for years in the cellar. Imported by cellarhand.com.au
2016 MARK HAISMA SAINT ROMAIN LE JARRON
Cote de Beaune $95
Australian winemaker Mark Haisma has spent a decade working in Burgundy. When I caught up with him during a visit back to Australia, I was impressed by all his wines, but this was the one I wanted to drink most: very fine, entrancing aromas of honeysuckle and wet stones, beautifully poised and balanced, with a shower of mouth-watering acidity. Really lovely chardonnay, from an underrated appellation. Imported by etherealwines.com.au
2018 GIANT STEPS OCARINA CHARDONNAY
Yarra Valley $60
It’s great to see so many Australian makers this year embracing alternative techniques such as fermenting and maturing wine in big, ceramic, egg-shaped vessels. As the Giant Steps crew discovered, it can produce wonderful results. This wine, bottled unfined and unfiltered after a few months in the eggs, is ravishing: a thrilling tension occurs between citrusy, youthful fruit characters and a refined, textural maturity courtesy of the vessels. It will age well in the cellar, too. giantstepswine.com.au
2016 HEYMANN-LÖWENSTEIN UHLEN BLAUFUSSER LAY RIESLING
Mosel $110
Heymann-Löwenstein winemaker Kathrin Starker was one of a group of German producers who poured some stunning wines at the Riesling Downunder Masterclass in February. This wine was entrancing: exotic, almost cologne-like aromas, intense yellow fruit flavours all served up with amazingly pure, crystalline focus. Great now, but will grow in complexity for years in the cellar. Imported by cellarhand.com.au
2018 GIANT STEPS OCARINA CHARDONNAY
Yarra Valley $60
It’s great to see so many Australian makers this year embracing alternative techniques such as fermenting and maturing wine in big, ceramic, egg-shaped vessels. As the Giant Steps crew discovered, it can produce wonderful results. This wine, bottled unfined and unfiltered after a few months in the eggs, is ravishing: a thrilling tension occurs between citrusy, youthful fruit characters and a refined, textural maturity courtesy of the vessels. It will age well in the cellar, too. giantstepswine.com.au
2016 RANGE LIFE GARGANEGA
King Valley $25
Most of the thousands of wines I taste throughout the year are made by well-known producers from familiar grape varieties. So it’s always a thrill to stumble across obscure gems I haven’t encountered before – gems like this utterly delicious white made from the rare (in Australia) Italian grape, garganega. Full-flavoured and textural, with candied citron intensity and a touch of chewy grip, it’s crying out for creamy, garlicky pasta dishes. Great value at this price. rangelifewine.com.au
2016 MARK HAISMA SAINT ROMAIN LE JARRON
Cote de Beaune $95
Australian winemaker Mark Haisma has spent a decade working in Burgundy. When I caught up with him during a visit back to Australia, I was impressed by all his wines, but this was the one I wanted to drink most: very fine, entrancing aromas of honeysuckle and wet stones, beautifully poised and balanced, with a shower of mouth-watering acidity. Really lovely chardonnay, from an underrated appellation. Imported by etherealwines.com.au
2014 EMIDIO PEPE TREBBIANO
Abruzzo $160
Emidio Pepe produces cult-status wines in Abruzzo from humble grape varieties using traditional techniques. When his granddaughter Chiara visited Australia this year, she said her “nonno” believed his trebbiano needed a decade in the bottle to show its best. Tasting the 2014, I can see what she means. At four years old, it’s still fresh, lively and chalky, just beginning to pick up some of the golden, sun-kissed grape-pulpy richness and complexity to come. Imported by mondoimports.com.au
2018 GROSSET POLISH HILL RIESLING
Clare Valley $60
The 2018 vintage produced fantastic rieslings, and many were vying for a place on these pages until this one from Jeff Grosset elbowed its way to the top of the pile. It is extraordinarily intense and concentrated, deeply satisfying to drink, with a bottomless well of flavour: kaffir lime, warm slate, an almost tonic-water-like twist on the finish. If you’re into dry riesling that has the potential to age for decades, you need to buy some of this. grosset.com.au
2015 CLOS CIBONNE CUVEE TRADITION
Cotes de Provence $45
When I reached for a bottle of Clos Cibonne rosé on the shelf in Antic Wine, a treasure-trove cave à vin in Lyon, the owner murmured his approval. “Ah, the best,” he said. And it was: Provence rosé with complexity and richness, yet such amazing freshness too. This, the 2015, is the current vintage of the Cuvee Tradition available here, and it’s beautiful: layers of redcurrant and cream flavour, floral prettiness and a chalky, almost saline savoury finish. Imported by realwines.com.au
2017 LAS VINO ALBINO PNO
Margaret River $55
Fast building a reputation as one of this country’s finest pale dry rosés, this gorgeously textural, creamy, savoury wine is a result of judicious blending. It’s mostly pinot noir juice, plus some pinot that was fermented on chardonnay skins, chardonnay juice, and chardonnay fermented on pinot skins. Winemaker Nic Peterkin kindly sent me a bottle of each of the components to taste and it was fascinating to see how each contributed to the whole. lasvino.com
2017 LAS VINO ALBINO PNO
Margaret River $55
Fast building a reputation as one of this country’s finest pale dry rosés, this gorgeously textural, creamy, savoury wine is a result of judicious blending. It’s mostly pinot noir juice, plus some pinot that was fermented on chardonnay skins, chardonnay juice, and chardonnay fermented on pinot skins. Winemaker Nic Peterkin kindly sent me a bottle of each of the components to taste and it was fascinating to see how each contributed to the whole. lasvino.com
2015 CLOS CIBONNE CUVEE TRADITION
Cotes de Provence $45
When I reached for a bottle of Clos Cibonne rosé on the shelf in Antic Wine, a treasure-trove cave à vin in Lyon, the owner murmured his approval. “Ah, the best,” he said. And it was: Provence rosé with complexity and richness, yet such amazing freshness too. This, the 2015, is the current vintage of the Cuvee Tradition available here, and it’s beautiful: layers of redcurrant and cream flavour, floral prettiness and a chalky, almost saline savoury finish. Imported by realwines.com.au
2007 CASTILLO YGAY GRAN RESERVA ESPECIAL
Rioja $140
Wine-geek birthdays often entail opening plenty of special birth-year bottles. Sadly for me, 1968 was a dreadful vintage in most wine regions – except northern Spain. Luckily, you can still find some bottles of great old Rioja in cellars there at reasonable prices, so I managed to indulge in a few, including the ’68 vintage Ygay, which was magnificent. The ’07 is still a baby: dense dark fruit swaddled in layers of sumptuous oak. It’ll easily live another four decades. Available from danmurphys.com.au
2017 NEW CERTAN PINOT NOIR
Launceston $95
In a year filled with really excellent pinot noirs, this caught my attention because it is so distinctive, and quite unlike any Tassie (or indeed Australian) pinot I’ve had before. Made from a number of different clones of the grape variety grown in a vineyard on the southern outskirts of Launceston, it has uncommon finesse, an almost ethereal quality to its pretty, precise, red-fruit flavours, and amazingly fine but persistent tannins that drape themselves across the tongue. Outstanding wine. kreglingerwineestates.com
2017 FELTON ROAD CORNISH POINT PINOT NOIR
Central Otago $92
Winemakers from the Family of Twelve, a group of top family-owned Kiwi wineries, hit town recently conducting masterclasses. The pinots they poured were particularly strong, as this brilliant wine from Central Otago demonstrates. It starts out all tight, focused and tart, maraschino cherry-juicy when you first pour it, but as you swirl it in the glass it relaxes and reveals fleshier qualities, darker fruit, more suppleness. Very seductive pinot. Imported by redandwhite.com.au
2015 KOOMILYA JC BLOCK SHIRAZ
McLaren Vale $110
Nothing works up a thirst like a walk around a vineyard. By the time we got to the top of the JC block at Koomilya, where 80-year-old shiraz vines stand in shallow ironstone-riddled soil, I was ready for a good red. Made from those vines, this is a very good red indeed: restrained perfume of red fruit and black olive, tightly structured but translucent at the same time, tinged with the dusty taste of the bush that fringes this special vineyard site. koomilya.com.au
2017 TAR & ROSES TEMPRANILLO
Heathcote $24
A brilliant testament to co-founder of the Tar & Roses label, Don Lewis, who died during vintage last year. Lewis was a big fan of tempranillo, and his winemaking partner Narelle King has produced a great example of the grape: succulent black fruit framed by firm, long, tongue-hugging, lamb-friendly tannins. It’s amazing value at this price, too (I’ve even seen it as low as $20), which makes it appropriately accessible: Don had a famously laconic, down-to-earth approach to wine and life. tarandroses.com.au
2016 ALAIN GRAILLOT CROZES-HERMITAGE
Northern Rhône $70
Travelling through the northern Rhône in summer, I visited Alain Graillot and his winemaker son Maxime for a tasting in the cellar. I’ve been a fan of the Graillot Crozes-Hermitage syrah for many years, and the 2016 is on top form. More structured and “classic” than the super-ripe and fleshy 2015 vintage, the wine has dark bramble fruit sprinkled with black pepper and wrapped in firm, meaty tannins. Lovely now, but needs a few years in the cellar to show its best. Imported by bibendum.com.au
2017 TAR & ROSES TEMPRANILLO
Heathcote $24
A brilliant testament to co-founder of the Tar & Roses label, Don Lewis, who died during vintage last year. Lewis was a big fan of tempranillo, and his winemaking partner Narelle King has produced a great example of the grape: succulent black fruit framed by firm, long, tongue-hugging, lamb-friendly tannins. It’s amazing value at this price, too (I’ve even seen it as low as $20), which makes it appropriately accessible: Don had a famously laconic, down-to-earth approach to wine and life. tarandroses.com.au
2007 CASTILLO YGAY GRAN RESERVA ESPECIAL
Rioja $140
Wine-geek birthdays often entail opening plenty of special birth-year bottles. Sadly for me, 1968 was a dreadful vintage in most wine regions – except northern Spain. Luckily, you can still find some bottles of great old Rioja in cellars there at reasonable prices, so I managed to indulge in a few, including the ’68 vintage Ygay, which was magnificent. The ’07 is still a baby: dense dark fruit swaddled in layers of sumptuous oak. It’ll easily live another four decades. Available from danmurphys.com.au
2017 FELTON ROAD CORNISH POINT PINOT NOIR
Central Otago $92
Winemakers from the Family of Twelve, a group of top family-owned Kiwi wineries, hit town recently conducting masterclasses. The pinots they poured were particularly strong, as this brilliant wine from Central Otago demonstrates. It starts out all tight, focused and tart, maraschino cherry-juicy when you first pour it, but as you swirl it in the glass it relaxes and reveals fleshier qualities, darker fruit, more suppleness. Very seductive pinot. Imported by redandwhite.com.au
2017 NEW CERTAN PINOT NOIR
Launceston $95
In a year filled with really excellent pinot noirs, this caught my attention because it is so distinctive, and quite unlike any Tassie (or indeed Australian) pinot I’ve had before. Made from a number of different clones of the grape variety grown in a vineyard on the southern outskirts of Launceston, it has uncommon finesse, an almost ethereal quality to its pretty, precise, red-fruit flavours, and amazingly fine but persistent tannins that drape themselves across the tongue. Outstanding wine. kreglingerwineestates.com
2015 KOOMILYA JC
BLOCK SHIRAZ
McLaren Vale $110
Nothing works up a thirst like a walk around a vineyard. By the time we got to the top of the JC block at Koomilya, where 80-year-old shiraz vines stand in shallow ironstone-riddled soil, I was ready for a good red. Made from those vines, this is a very good red indeed: restrained perfume of red fruit and black olive, tightly structured but translucent at the same time, tinged with the dusty taste of the bush that fringes this special vineyard site. koomilya.com.au
2016 ALAIN GRAILLOT
CROZES-HERMITAGE
Northern Rhône $70
Travelling through the northern Rhône in summer, I visited Alain Graillot and his winemaker son Maxime for a tasting in the cellar. I’ve been a fan of the Graillot Crozes-Hermitage syrah for many years, and the 2016 is on top form. More structured and “classic” than the super-ripe and fleshy 2015 vintage, the wine has dark bramble fruit sprinkled with black pepper and wrapped in firm, meaty tannins. Lovely now, but needs a few years in the cellar to show its best. Imported by bibendum.com.au
2015 CHÂTEAU D’YQUEM
Sauternes $500
A very generous old friend opened this to drink with dinner one balmy summer evening in London. It’s impossible to even attempt to describe what it tasted like without overflowing into hyperbole. Even then, “exquisite concentration of pure apricot nectar wreathed in shimmering acidity dancing languidly across the tongue” doesn’t come close to capturing the ineffable experience. This is sweet wine perfection, a thing of poetic beauty, and without doubt one of the greatest wines I have ever drunk. Imported by negociants.com
DE BORTOLI 20-YEAR-OLD BARREL-AGED BLACK NOBLE
Riverina $90
De Bortoli celebrated its 90th anniversary this year by releasing this special 20-year-old bottling of Black Noble, a luscious, intensely flavoured fortified wine that normally spends “only” about a decade in barrel. The inclusion of wines in the blend that have spent extra time in cask results in a dark syrupy tincture that combines the powerful marmalade-y flavours of botrytis-shrivelled semillon and the deep, roasted coffee and molasses complexity of barrel ageing. debortoli.com.au
DE BORTOLI 20-YEAR-OLD BARREL-AGED BLACK NOBLE
Riverina $90
De Bortoli celebrated its 90th anniversary this year by releasing this special 20-year-old bottling of Black Noble, a luscious, intensely flavoured fortified wine that normally spends “only” about a decade in barrel. The inclusion of wines in the blend that have spent extra time in cask results in a dark syrupy tincture that combines the powerful marmalade-y flavours of botrytis-shrivelled semillon and the deep, roasted coffee and molasses complexity of barrel ageing. debortoli.com.au
2015 CHÂTEAU D’YQUEM
Sauternes $500
A very generous old friend opened this to drink with dinner one balmy summer evening in London. It’s impossible to even attempt to describe what it tasted like without overflowing into hyperbole. Even then, “exquisite concentration of pure apricot nectar wreathed in shimmering acidity dancing languidly across the tongue” doesn’t come close to capturing the ineffable experience. This is sweet wine perfection, a thing of poetic beauty, and without doubt one of the greatest wines I have ever drunk. Imported by negociants.com
