Looking for a warming tipple to keep the chill at bay? Michael Andrewartha, of East End Cellars and The Tasting Room, shares his thoughts on what’s hot in winter wines and spirits.
Which spirits are exciting drinkers at the moment?
Aside from the perpetual favourites of Armagnac and single-malt Scotch, what’s really happening is Japanese and Australian whisky.
Aussie whisky has been setting the world on fire and some are now fetching big bucks. Tasmania is the heartland of production and Hellyers Road Distillery is leading the charge down there; it’s making benchmark whiskies for the Tassie style at a great price.
Our favourite from the range is the Pinot Noir finish, aged in American white oak and finished in ex-Tassie Pinot barrels – this adds a little touch of the other drink they do so well down there, with some gentle spice and citrus characters.
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The next up and coming wine brand is …
Corduroy Wines.It is produced by passionate young winemaker Phil LeMessurier, making single-vineyard wines from the Adelaide Hills.
Phil’s driving focus behind his brand is quality, fun and origin. Corduroy Wines prides itself on fruit-expressive wines, which comes about through attention to detail in the vineyard and winery.
Expressing the origin of the fruit is the cornerstone of the business. A minimalistic approach is taken in the winery, encouraging the wine to speak of place. Basket pressing, wild ferments, fruit purity and tannin structure are a few of many words that dominate the conversation with Phil.
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He has taken his time developing relations in the Hills with specific growers and specific sites, and building a core understanding between the grower and himself on quality. This is Phil’s first vintage from the Adelaide Hills and, having seen his wares from barrel, there are some exciting things to come.
Get in quick for this one …
Iconic Barossa producer Pete Schell has been sniffing around the Adelaide Hills for some time now, looking for parcels of high-quality Shiraz. His latest wine, La Colline (meaning “the hills”), is sourced from three different vineyards around the Mt Torrens area. Pete sees this as a natural extension to his Eden Valley vineyards.
The wine has been matured for 18 months in a mixture of new and old French oak. The 2010 vintage was a particularly ripe vintage, exhibiting dark savoury overtones with white pepper and red berries.
Pete’s ability to produce finely balanced wine which will drink beautifully now or cellar for the next decade is unique; his wines should always be decanted, young or old.
With 120 cases produced, it’s not going to last too long on the retail shelves and in fine-dining restaurants.
Michael Andrewartha is owner of East End Cellars, in Vardon Avenue, and the recently opened Tasting Room.
InDaily’s regular wine writer, Philip White, has been unwell and unable to make his usual weekly contributions to our pages.
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