If you’re in need of a top-up to the wine rack this month – take a look at the last few reviews I’ve done of wines from the world’s biggest wine subscription service, who have been supplying the world of winelovers since 1973, and have been in New Zealand as well for the last few years.
As more producers cotton on to the bank of customers that they have, the range of wines that are available just gets better and better. The scores I’ve been giving to the last sets are testament to how the quality has soared. You can still get your excellent quaffers, and from across the globe… but something like the Schild Estate Reserve below, is top-quality gold medal standard. Have a read and then go online to their website. There’s a money back guarantee too.
Sevenhill Cellars Inigo Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
A Cabernet from the first winery in Clare Valley – named in honour of Inigo of Loyola who was co-founder of the Jesuit Order whose members built Sevenhill. On the nose you’ll get an elegant mix of blackberry, plum, cassis, green herbals, vanilla, graphite and a lavender floral note. Densely juicy on the palate, with very silky tannins and a playful acidity. A warm note of oak peeks through discretely. Some savoury elements – bay leaf, sandalwood and cigar box are there too, slowly emerging deeper in. The finish sweetens and has good length. 91pts
Monasterio de Santa Cruz Jumilla 2023
The grape variety here is Monastrell (also known as Mataro or Mourvèdre elsewhere) with a touch of Tempranillo in the mix. The wine comes from the sun-drenched southern plains of Spain. Black cherry, strawberry, elderberry, toasted spices and pepper, plus a savoury note of pumpkin and smoked meats on the nose. A velvet smooth mouthfeel is offset by some bright acidity, whilst the tannin is substantial and grippy. Put that together and you have a wine with great personality and primary appeal. Will be a great one to match with robust winter-warming meals. 88pts
Schild Estate Reserve Single Vineyard Barossa Valley Shiraz 2021
From the Angus Brae vineyard in the Barossa comes a wine that Laithwaites have discovered that is step above the average. It has the dark, brooding purple colour you’d expect – but the palate has a different tale to tell. There’s a lightness of touch here that never strays into over-ripe. Soft extraction leads to smooth, long tannins, and the fruit is juicy, not jammy. Oak frames the boysenberry, cherry and plum flavours that radiate across the tongue. The finish is dry, peppery and seamless. 93pts
Trentham Estate Chardonnay 2024
Trentham Estate’s vineyards sit on a winding riverbank in the Murray Darling region in New South Wales. Their Chardonnay is a pale green-golden colour in the glass, with peach, lemon peel, mandarin, cashew nut and baking spices on the nose. A generous style, with plenty of weight and texture in the palate. Oak is well-judged, adding depth, and there is enough acidity to carry those plush fruit flavours along. A straightforward, varietally-pure, expression that offers great food-matching possibilities – roast chicken, pork belly anyone? 88pts
Lobo e Falcao Reserva 2022
From the 17th century Quinto do Casal Branco estate north of Lisbon, in Portugal, comes Lobo e Falcao (it translates as Wolf and Falcon). Perfumed with plum, mocha, mulberry, blackberry and a smoky spice note. However, the palate is lighter than that boisterous bouquet might lead you to think, with a glossy smoothness too. Tannin plays a part in the core structure, and there are equal parts of acidity and oak, adding up to a very palatable sum. Some herbal flavours mingle with the ripe fruit in the deep, juicy finish. A good – exotic, even – alternative to what is produced in our part of the world. 90pts
Redman ‘Bill & Arthur’ Coonawarra Shiraz 2022
Harvested from vines over 100 years old that were planted by the legendary Bill Redman – and now made by the 4th generation of the family. An intriguing mixture of sweet and savoury aromas rises from the glass. Give it a good swirl and find bramble, damson, clove, bitter chocolate, redcurrant and mint in the complex perfume. Medium-bodied and quite tightly structured (for now) – there is finesse and generosity aplenty in the balanced palate. A glossy, ripe finish with plenty of promise of more to come with a few years cellaring. 92pts
