It’s that time again.
After a long weekend – and with another one on the way – the Graham wine fridge needs a top up, and I’m looking to you for inspiration on what to buy.
Truth be told the fridge doesn’t need more wine in it, but given that I’ve just sent a bunch of wines off to auction, I’m looking now about what to put in the last hole in my WineArk cabinet.
So far this month I’ve added some Massolino Barolo, Montbourgeau Chardonnay & Yeringberg Cabernets to the selection, so we’re off to a good start. Still keen for some Chablis but the prices are now boggling for current releases. Droin AC Chablis for $70 a bottle? I love it, but will just wait to get back to Europe to buy that…
Meanwhile, on the beer front, I’ve bought some of the new Tallboy & Moose x Carwyn Cellars Wet Hop Black IPA for a cooler night drink, and more of the White Bay Coastal Viewpoint WCIPA, with the smashable 355ml White Bay cans a real friend in the (beer) fridge.
Speaking of friendly beers, we had a very rare date night on Friday at St Alma in Freshwater (would recommend +++) and before dinner wandered down to the park for a beer. It was a rare sunny Sydney weekend (just check out the beach in the image up the top of this page to see some recently endangered Sydney sun), it was still warm, the park was full and the sip of Deeds Brewing Input Strata WCIPA I had was delicious. Indeed, I might need to order more this week – what a fully complete beer. Deeds, you’ve done it again.
Then, over dinner, a bottle of McHenry Hohnen Hazel’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 was a delight. 13.3% alcohol and clearly ripe, with nutty golden fruit and oak held together with that classic Margaret River Gingin clone grapefruit acidity, partial malo giving both crunch and flavour.
I dip my lid at producers who realise that Chardonnay should have generosity of flavour, yet without flabbiness. There’s this nutty leesy edge here too which just ratchets up the flavour even more. Yes yes. I haven’t seen much McHenry Hohnen gear lately, and now I want to try it all. 18.5/20, 94/100, nudging 95/100 even.
Also in the ‘recent drinks’ category was a little half of Deutz (how good are half bottles) that looked correct, drinkable and reasonably complex if not profound. I wouldn’t pay the $89.99 full bottle, price, but it’s a solid ‘big house’ NV. I’d rate it above the Pommery I had at Xmas, but well below Bollinger in the NV hierarchy at this price.
Oh and this Range Brewing IPA went down very nicely too:
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Enough about me, what about you? What have you been buying and drinking this month? What’s floating your boat lately?
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