It’s that time again. Time to inspire me to spend more money on drinks, even though the WineArk cabinet can’t be closed properly and the Amex is maxed out.
So what have you been buying and drinking this August 2023?
Given that I spent the first few weeks of August in Bali, where I wasn’t tempted by the local Balinese wines enough to bring any home, the buying has been a little sparse. However, I’ve been eyeing some of Josh Cooper’s 2021 Cabernets, with the 1970 Block Balgownie Block Cabernet (below) very much my thing (especially as an unabashed Balgownie fan)…
Beyond that, I’ll be laser focussed on filling my suitcase next week in Italy (hello 2019 Barolo) as I leave for a week in Conegliano immersed in Prosecco Superiore from Sunday (more on that next week).
But hey, what about you? What would you buy in Italy?
There has been a considerable amount of drinking this month, however, with the most recent adventure coming last Friday at the Wine Communicators of Australia Sydney Royal Wine Show Lunch.
Among the chats with all sorts of wine industry peeps I haven’t seen in years was a fascinating discussion with William Dong (owner of Handpicked Wines), who also distributes Moutai around the world. Apparently, 25,000 people work seven days a week at the Moutai factory! Baiju, like sake, is on my list of ‘drinks I would like to understand better’, but I just need more days in my week/month/year/life.
Anyway, of the trophy wines poured on the day (check out the second panel of the Instagram post above to see the list), there were just two I found myself unconsciously drinking – the Evans & Tate Redbrook Chardonnay 2021 and the Montalto Pennon Hill Pinot Noir 2022.
It’s a round of applause for the Sydney Royal judges this year for picking that E & T Chardonnay as the Wine of Show too, as it’s a high-class modern Margaret River Chardonnay. Very much in the grapefruit-meets-leesy layered style, there is a wonderful sense of vitality and complexity in it that I really like. For $40 it’s an unquestioned winner. 94-95 points, no probs.
The Montalto Pinot Noir also slides in for $36, so we’re in *comparatively* affordable territory here too. It’s a surprisingly gutsy Montalto Pinot, tbh, with a little bit of bacony grunt that I wasn’t expecting, especially from Mornington in 2022. Would I buy it? A big yes.
After the luncheon celebrations had finished, the whole party sojourned up to the rooftop bar of the Hyatt Regency, which was this ridiculous windswept hellhole. Who has a west-facing rooftop bar with the walls all open on a freezing Sydney August night?
Luckily I had some of these Range Brewing WCIPA in the fridge to come home to. Easily my favourite beer consumed this month, the classic, life-affirming crisp energy was a nice change to the overpriced Menabrea at the hotel bar too.
What about you? What have you drunk (and loved) this August?
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12 Comments
Hi Andrew,
Josh Coopers Old Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 has been quite a find for me personally. So different to anything else Cabernet wise out of Central Vic.
I’d be curious to know in your discussions with wine retailers if there’s been a change in people’s spending habits in the last 12 months?
Are sales down?
Are purchasers lowering the cross hairs to lesser $ wines in general?
Thanks
Colin
From the retailers I work with, spending is definitely down. The top end is reasonably unaffected, but lots of people cutting back on spending in the $20-$30 bracket. Speaking of Cabernet, it’s a VERY hard sell at the moment.
Hayes ’22 vintage launch in Bne – Deery’s under Storybook Bridge.
Prayer Garden Grenache and Block 15 Shiraz were stunningly good despite being relaitively young.(Block 14 goes into Runrig)
Got back from Tumbarumba a month ago with enough chardonnay to sink the Pacific Fleet.
What was great in Tumby?
Just back from a short stay in Barolo and suspect you’ll find that the 2019’s may not be as widely available as you would hope. Some, such as Massolino not yet released (September) and others released and already gone. For those that are available (and there is a reasonable selection) the price advantage of buying local seems to have eroded over the past few years.
Yes I found the same thing when I was there in early July – one 2019 that was available in a couple of stores in Alba was the Cavallotto Bricco Boschis which was the best Barolo I tasted on our trip (while available to taste at the winery, it wasn’t available for purchase). Worth seeking out Andrew.
Needless to say I couldn’t find any 2019s yet. Though I barely got an opportunity as too much Prosecco…
Get on the Josh Cooper bandwagon that 1970 vine cab sav was a lovely drop (tasted last year).
Tried too many barolo between PWS and PNV this week (if that’s possible). 2019s definitely feel better than the 2018s on average but plenty of dispersion to be had too imo. 2021 does seem like a vintage to watch closely based on how good some of the Langhe nebbiolos were looking. I’d say Borgogno, Vajra, Monchiero are good shouts to visit while over there. If you can somehow sacrifice your first born for G. Rinaldi best of luck too!
Tasting highlights were the G. Rinaldi Tre Tine, Giovanni Cannonica, Vietti Perbacco (beat out a few barolo imo too!). The surprises were probably a 2018 Giaconda Pinot (the length of that finish was brilliant) and Domaine Naturaliste’s 2018 Cab Franc as a reminder of how good straight Cab Franc can be (tannin, drive, flavour just gorgeous).
Bought – a few barolo, some Boveri Timorasso and got on the serrat bandwagon this week too (learned there are multiple lists for priority apparently, just wild).
Aside from my go to drink, Clare Riesling
Pooley Pinot Noir 2022
Otronia 45o Rugientes Pinot Noir 2018
Scintilla Mountain Pinot Noir 2021
Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie Amphodium 2020
Yangarra Estate King’s Wood Shiraz 2019
Seppelt Mount Ida Shiraz 2017
Saintes Pierres de Nalys Ch N duP 2019
Vanguardist Grenache 2021
Parley ‘Into the Night’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Praeter Stronage Fog Nebbiolo 2019
Ossa Chardonnay 2020
Agnes & Didier Dauvissat Petit Chablis 2020
Guillame Vrignaud Les Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume Les Vaupulans 2018
That’s quite a haul. I haven’t had a Rene Rostaing for ages either (and I like alot)
All of it but especially the Chardonnay. If a Martian landed in my back yard and said ‘take me to your leading chardonnay region’ I’d fly him to Tumby.