April 1st
Buller's Fine Old Muscat RRP $34.95
Almost the perfect fortified wine, this. The nose is outstanding, a complex blend of sweet fruit, oak, spice and syrup. It's hard to describe exactly how good the flavours are, but rich fruit, cinnamon, nutmeg, Demerara sugar, vanilla and hazelnut notes all feature heavily; an extraordinary wine by any standard. I can't work out why the Aussies are still trying to make a substand- ard version of Port when they can knock out spectacular fortified wines like this.
April 8th
Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2011 RRP $20.95
A lively and very fresh wine from Marlborough that displays all those Marlborough characteristics we know and love. It's full of citrus overtones and has a dollop of gooseberry on the nose. The palate has all that surprisingly sweet richness that good sauvignon provides, with just a hint of sweaty armpit (which really isn't a bad thing, regardless how it sounds). Excellent wine for everyday drinking at a sharp price.
April 15th
Taylor's Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 RRP $33.90
This is why I love Aussie wines — honest, packed with flavour and they do what it says on the tin. This little beauty is packed with warm cassis, violet and mint aromas, with touches of cedar underneath. Pronounced blackcurrant flavours on the palate, backed up with lifted mint and even a whisper of black cherry. Warm, approach- able and enticing, a lovely partner to pretty much any dish you can think of.
April 22nd
Palliser Sauvignon Blanc 2011 RRP $26.59
A lovely, mid-gold- coloured wine, with a rich, ripe sauvignon nose, full of gooseberry, grapefruit, citrus and a more-than- acceptable level of sweaty armpit in the background (and that's a good thing). Over the tongue, it broadens out wonderfully, with lemon and grapefruit characters and a lovely crisp, clean finish. Elegant and archetypal; it isa great wine.
April 29th
Willy Gisselbrecht Pinot Blanc 2010 RRP $28
A stunning little wine from Alsace that is all about clean fruit flavours. It starts off with a fruit-driven nose, full of ripe apple and nashi pear notes and a touch of spiciness, but it's on the palate that this little beauty really goes to work. The apple-and-pear flavours are still there, but are balanced by glorious, mouthwatering acidity. Classy, clean and completely elegant, this is not so much wine of the week as the wine of the month.
