Wine of the Week: August '11

August 7th

Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz 2008 RRP $21
One of the most underrated, and often underpriced, wines on the shelves, this is a little beauty. Packed with vibrant fruit notes on the nose, it's like falling into a bramble patch without all the prickles. On the palate, it's a dark, brooding beast, with plum and pepper notes and a gentle tannic grip. Lovely stuff; buy a caseload.

August 14th

Cypress Terraces Chardonnay 2009 $30-$32
The 2008 version of this garnered great plaudits. To me, this is even better. It has all the Hawke's Bay influence you could want, with sweet grapefruit and tropical notes on the nose. But the palate is a soft explosion of silken, honeyed peach with lovely acidity and a long, elegant finish. Superb wine, and becoming one of the classics.

August 21st

Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2009 RRP $40
Okay, this isn't cheap, but it is gorgeous. A brilliant dark purple in the glass, the nose is a knockout, with rich dark fruit and a hint of flowers and even tea. The palate is seductive, with an elegant, silky mouthfeel and layer after layer of beautiful sweet black cherry and plum notes, backed by smooth tannins and a juicy acidity. A bottle of sheer class.

August 28th

Vidal Reserve Series Merlot Cabernet 2008 RRP $20
With all the hoopla over pinot noir and the hype about syrah, it's easy to forget that we do some lovely Bordeaux-style wines here, too. This is warmth in a glass, with generous brambly fruit on the nose and a meaty mouthfeel. The flavours are all about rich fruit, but with fine tannins to keep it from being top- heavy. A gorgeous little wine at an affordable price; what could be better?