Aussie wine ain't the best?

[Nick Wine Guy]

Honestly surprised at what people's cellars are made up of here. Maybe I've been totally off the mark but never had a French Pinot Noir that compared to an NZ kickass one, or Yarra or Tassie. Likewise, WA cab sauv (and SBS) are awesome, again maybe I'm wrong. I feel like the best Pinot Noir easily comes from ANZ and Cali. South American wines, in South America, were flavourless compared to Aus.

I feel like foreign wines take a real beating by the time they get here (and you all talk about cellar temp and provenance), please educate me on why Aussie wine isn't the best for most varietals (except Champagne, only one that I'll say is untouchable).

Teach me!

[Polymer]

Best is really subjective...which, IMO, is heavily influenced by what you drink on a regular basis. But that can flow in both directions. The style you like to drink or the style that you're more biased towards, go a long way in influencing what you think of a wine.

What you see in Australia from overseas, at the same price point, is generally not an equivalent quality wine because of all the extra taxes..taxes on the transport, etc. The exposure and breadth of wines is also not the same...For example, the few US producers brought in from the importers, I often wonder why they bother because the quality is so poor..so I have to assume it is because it hits the price point they want to hit. Also, because often the best wines are in demand, it is difficult (and expensive ) to even get a chance to try. Most AU wine in AU is relatively accessible...

So if you feel Australia is the best, then that's your answer...you prefer it best...

As far as why people might like wine from other regions...for example...why do many people like Burgundy...Or why Rhone or why Germany (Outside of just general style preference)...generally because you can get it all. You get the great balance and depth, intensity, complexity and acidity...and while New World wines can come close in some areas...or achieve much of that....the highs aren't as high...Knowing that, it also makes for a lot of disappointment as well as expectations are always so high and the reality is, not every wine (from any region) is going to be fantastic.

My only recommendation would be to try more overseas wines if you get the chance..hopefully with people that are more familiar with them so you're able to try better examples...Doesn't mean it'll change your mind but it is always nice to try...

[Wizz]

Hey,

AS one of the Matthew's from the Wine Show says - Wine has one job only - to bring you pleasure. If it doesn't - it has failed.
So drink what you enjoy, for whatever reason it brings you pleasure.

A lot of my cellar is European, and most of my cellar is white (thank you Germany ). Iv'e tried a fair bit of Burgundy. To me the very top end of Burgundy are the most sublime wines on the planet. But I'm not prepared to spend that money and the wines lower down are too much of a minefield so I'm buying Aus Pinot again. Chardonnay too. Yarra Mornington and sprinklings from Tassie.
All my rielsing is German.
All my Syrah is Australian.

Whatever brings you pleasure. Even if they are shitty oxidised skin contact whites, or dirty bretty Rhones.

[Ian S]

Great answer from Polymer, which I will echo entirely

To extend that final paragraph, the tasting of those wines gives you the chance to find out earlier whether the [s] foreign muck [/s] overseas stuff appeals, as many find their cellar becomes too concentrated in 3-4 particular wines styles / grapes and once they discover their tastes are broader (or they become broader in time) they now have a cellar too heavily weighted to a sub-set of their interests.

Aussie/NZ pinot noir can be a very different beast to French red Burgundy, though it's more a spectrum than a hard and fast line. Ditto Aussie Shiraz vs. French Cornas or Hermitage, Aussie Chardonnay vs. French white Burgundy and so on. On the whole the Aussie and NZ wines often have more immediate charm, but many gravitate to the more savoury complexity of the old world. Often the key to enjoying old world wines is to have them with appropriate age... but by god is that an appalling over-generalisation. Hopefully taken with a pinch of salt it's a useful thought though.

If you do want to explore overseas wines, then I'm sure we could help suggest some fairly priced gems from Gavin's selection on this site. Before that though, I do find some of the following can have more immediate charm:
Rioja (Reserva or a good crianza)
Amarone - no lack of intensity (or alcohol these days) here
Moscato d'Asti (dessert wine, semi sparkling, tastes of 'grapes' like no other wine, low alc so can be very useful)

Also worth exploring Aussie wines made in a European style, from the Amarone like 'Joseph' from Primo Estate, through to old school wine with backbone like Taltarni, to the new wave of the last decade or so who are really ripping up pre-conceptions.

and I'm sure we could suggest others

... and to close on a different note - Wizz is right to say enjoy what you enjoy and let no-one tell you that is wrong. We're only allowed to suggest alternatives to try, but if you don't like them, then your palate is the important one.

Regards
Ian

[Mahmoud Ali]

Great answer from Polymer, which I will echo entirely.

Me too.

I also concur with Ian's comments.

Cheers ............ Mahmoud.

[Ozzie W]

I think a lot also depends on the varietal in question. Some are easy to grow in many parts of the world, including Australia. For example, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet. Australia makes great examples of these varietals in many different styles. Which country makes the best version is up to personal preference, as others have said.

I do love Aussie Cabernet and the good examples can challenge the best from Bordeaux at times. But when it comes to Pinot Noir, Burgundy wins hands down for me. There is no substitute for a Grand Cru.

Other varietals only seem to grow well in a certain place and nowhere else. I've yet to have an Aussie Nebbiolo that comes close (in quality terms) to one from Barolo. Maybe that will change with time. Sometimes the varietal isn't even grown in Australia at all. I have to buy Nerello Mascalase from Sicily (or Sardinia) because it isn't grown anywhere else in the world.

[phillisc]

NWG, doesn't really matter what your preferences are...there are wines which I think are top of the tree, but others consider as garbage (at least privately).
My exposure to old world wines (apart from some German and French Rieslings in the cellar, some champagnes and a smattering of purchases when overseas of Rhone, Bordeaux and Italians) is incredibly limited.
For Australians, access and price are strong considerations, top shelf Yarra Valley Cabernet for example is a beautiful drink, however, a comparable Bordeaux in most instances is likely to cost much much more, and equally harder to get.

Yes taste as much as you can, but simply, stick with what you like.

Cheers Craig

[winetastic]

Honestly surprised at what people's cellars are made up of here. Maybe I've been totally off the mark but never had a French Pinot Noir that compared to an NZ kickass one, or Yarra or Tassie. Likewise, WA cab sauv (and SBS) are awesome, again maybe I'm wrong. I feel like the best Pinot Noir easily comes from ANZ and Cali. South American wines, in South America, were flavourless compared to Aus.

I feel like foreign wines take a real beating by the time they get here (and you all talk about cellar temp and provenance), please educate me on why Aussie wine isn't the best for most varietals (except Champagne, only one that I'll say is untouchable).

Teach me!

The wines that excite me the most these days are mostly made from grapes such as Nebbiolo or Nerello Mascelese. There are quite a few producers of very good Nebbiolo in Australia, however in general they are completely different wines from those made in northern Italy. At the top end, on average, they lack the complexity of their European counterparts.

When it comes to Nerello Mascelese, there is none grown in Australia to my knowledge, however the closest local analogy would be Pinot. Although I buy and enjoy Pinot from various local producers, if you put a $60 aussie Pinot and a $60 Nerello in front of me, I will take the Nerello every time. Why? Once again it comes down to complexity and interest, where I find the Italian wines on average come out ahead, even after the shocking import duties we pay.

I have similar feelings on German Reisling vs equivalent wines from say the Eden or Claire valley. Although the local wines are often excellent and outstanding value, the German ones on average have a more interesting texture and depth.

In general, I think that most Australian producers struggle to achieve the acid balance that the better European producers can. Conversely, if you care about fruit richness and power, many European producers may struggle to achieve what you are looking for. I care more about finesse and many of the wines I enjoy drinking come from grapes which make acid driven wines (or hybrid acid/tannin backbones such as Nebbiolo).

All that being said if I am drinking Cabernet, its not Bordeaux is Margaret River. If I am drinking Pinot its probably from the Yarra valley and not from Burgundy, though this is more a reflection of the pricing of the latter. Horses for courses.

There is a lot of high quality wine made in Australia which is fundamentally boring (Penfolds and the like) - its wine made to a formula which tastes like most other wine made to a formula. The wines which an importer would bother to bring into Australia tend to either be iconic or very interesting to a wine enthusiast, so to overall quality of imports available for purchase here in Australia tends to be skewed higher. Caveat: You wont really find this if you shop in chain stores, which by their nature are skewed toward carrying international wines made to a formula, however independent retailers such as our fine host offer all manner of exciting wines.

[brodie]

Hi Nick, as others have said, what you like and prefer is the only question that is actually important. If you like lots of fruit and early accessibility then Aussie and Kiwi wines have plenty to offer.

But you asked a slightly different question. The best is a superlative; by definition nothing can be better than the best. Do you mean best according to widely perceived wisdom and experience OR best for you? If the former, then for each grape variety your question could also be framed as "where is the best expression of that grape found"?

Also,to respond meaningfully to your question, the following are relevant as they place your query into context. But no you really don't need to answer these questions.....

1. How old you are
2. How long your have been drinking wine
3. How long have you been cellaring wines under proper conditions
4. What your annual wine budget is
5. How many properly aged higher end European wines you have been been fortunate enough to drink

When I was 30 and had only been buying and cellaring wine for a couple of years, my cellar (such as it was) was 100% Aussie wines. But now 30 years later and after drinking a lot of wine from all over the world, Aussie/NZ wines make up about 20% of my cellar. My tastes and preferences changed over time and the styles of old world wines from France and Italy appealed a lot more.

My personal view is that there are very few Aussie wines that are truly world class and "best". I reckon that Hunter Semillon is a great example of where the Aussie version can legitimately be called the best.

The truly great wines of the world pretty much all come from Europe and have proven themselves over long extended time frames. The best Cabs come from Bordeaux, the best Pinot Noir comes from Burgundy etc etc.

"Best" means many things and obviously contains an element of subjectivity - but nonetheless there is a very broad global consensus among experienced wine drinkers that supports the idea that the best wines mostly come from Europe. There are elements and features of these wines not found anywhere else and Polymer's 2nd to last paragraph does a good job of describing them.

This is not to denigrate Aussie wines in any way - merely an attempt to address your challenge "please educate me on why Aussie wine isn't the best for most varietals"

But ultimately you palate is the only one that matters.

Brodie

[Matt@5453]

if you can take wine show results as an "indicator" (without opening a can of worms on the merit of wine shows etc), Australian Wines tend to perform well in International Wine shows / World Stage across a diverse range of palates.

[winetastic]

if you can take wine show results as an "indicator" (without opening a can of worms on the merit of wine shows etc), Australian Wines tend to perform well in International Wine shows / World Stage across a diverse range of palates.

Counterpoint: Bigger / richer wines tend to perform well in wine shows and the best producers in their class often have no need/desire to enter wine shows.

Your point is well made though, lots of great wine is made in Australia.

[Mark Carrington]

Seriously?

[JamieBahrain]

Last night this was our line-up in a Californian Zinfandel tasting and they comfortably outperformed Australian zinfandel. These were great wines and world leaders. If I lived in Australia and only had access to Aussie zin' I'd have a narrow perspective however highly one values their own opinions.


I've included my other tasting group events ( except the A Rousseau at month's end as details not out yet ) and I can comfortably say the French pinot will outperform Aussies as will Italian nebbiolo.

Australians don't get access to the world's great wines at a fair price. A foreign wine that costs $100 in Australia costs $30-$40 if well bought abroad.


Tasting wines
Ridge Carmichael Zinfandel 2006
Ridge Dusi Ranch Zinfandel 2005
Ridge Dusi Ranch Zinfandel 2006
Ridge Lytton Estate Zinfandel 2006
Ridge Mazzoni Home Ranch Zinfandel Ridge Nervo Zinfandel 2006
Ridge Old School Zinfandel 2005
Ridge Old School Zinfandel 2006
Ridge Oltranti Zinfandel 2005
Ridge Buchignani Ranch Zinfandel 2007
Ridge Mazzoni Home Ranch Zinfandel 2004

Dinner wines
Ridge Estate Chardonnay 2013
Byron Chardonnay 1996
Ridge Lytton Springs 1994
Ridge Lytton Springs 1995
Ridge Lytton Springs 1997



Tasting Wines
2014 Dujac Clos de la Roche
2014 Dujac Clos St. Denis
2014 Dujac Echezeaux
2014 Dujac Gevrey Chambertin Aux Combottes
2014 Dujac Morey St. Denis
2014 Dujac Vosne Romanee Aux Malconsorts
2014 Dujac Vosne Romanee Les Beaux Monts
2014 Dujac Morey St. Denis Blanc
Dinner Wines
2014 Dujac Morey St Denis Blanc Monts Luisants
2014 Dujac Morey St. Denis
2014 Dujac Gevrey Chambertin Aux Combottes
2014 Dujac Echezeaux


Tasting Wines:
2 bottles each of 6 Barolos, from 1971 to 2014, from Brovia, Cavallotto (Bricco Boschis), Cerretto Bricco Rocche (Brunate), Domenico Clerico (Pajana), Aldo Conterno (Romirasco) and Francesco Rinaldi.
Method A: Decanting for 3-4 hours
Method B: Slow-Ox for 3-4 days

Dinner Wines:
1) 2016 Claudio Mariotto Timorasso Pitasso
2) A third bottle of the 6 Tasting Barolos, Slow-Ox for 4 hours (Original Audouze Method).
3) 2006 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo (Magnum), 2006 Giuseppe Cappellano Barolo Pie Rupestris, and 2006 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia.

[dave vino]

Drinking wine is a journey.

Don't do it straight away, become familiar with Australian wine, the nuances, the characteristics, the regions, the vintages get to the point where you are almost 'bored' and ho-hum with it, and then have a world class Hermitage. Then you will understand

It is one of those truly 'holy fsck' moments you can have in your wine journey. (how fundamentally different it is, where it ticks the boxes in all the different places, how the emphasis on its characteristics changes - it Shiraz Jim, but not as we know it)

Then do the same for Pinot Noir and Burgundy, Cabernet and Bordeaux, Riesling and Rheingau...

[Ozzie W]

Drinking wine is a journey.

Don't do it straight away, become familiar with Australian wine, the nuances, the characteristics, the regions, the vintages get to the point where you are almost 'bored' and ho-hum with it, and then have a world class Hermitage. Then you will understand

It is one of those truly 'holy fsck' moments you can have in your wine journey. (how fundamentally different it is, where it ticks the boxes in all the different places, how the emphasis on its characteristics changes - it Shiraz Jim, but not as we know it)

Then do the same for Pinot Noir and Burgundy, Canbernet and Bordeaux, Riesling and Rheingau...

+1

I can relate to this on so many levels.

[Mahmoud Ali]

Interesting discussion here and, as I mentioned earlier in another post, this forum has matured and grown. The Auswine forum used to be a forum about Australian wines - nothing wrong with that. Today it is an Australian forum about wines, any and all wines. In fact I used to only post about Australian wines but now I feel comfortable posting about other wines knowing that people on the forum would know something about them. I recall a fellow on this forum, from my hometown as a matter of fact, who quit the forum because often there would be no response to his tasting notes if it wasn't Australian.

About the matter of "best" wines I agree with a previous poster that Hunter Semillon is in a category which can claim to be the best overall, but there are examples of Australian wine that are very good and wouldn't be out of place amongst fine wines from around the world. I generally don't like the term "world class" but I will say that there have been a number of wines, young and old that, in my estimation, really do belong:

- Old Tahbilk Marsannes are probably in a category all by itself, my bottle of 1992 at almost 20 years was lovely,
- Some excellent sherries by Yalumba, Lindemans, and McWilliams (Griffith) rivaled the best (unfortunately no longer made)
- 2003 Giaconda 'Nantua Les Deux' at a dozen years of age, and almost Rhone-like with the Marsanne component,
- Castagna Syrah, tasted at the Sydney Wine Show and very northern Rhone-like (can't remember the vintage),
- 1990 Balgownie Chardonnay 'Premier Cuvee' Series 1, at 18 years of age was very Burgundian,
- 1987 Sevenhill VP, at about two decades old was mistaken for a Portuguese vintage,
- 1975 Lindemans 'Auburn Burgundy' Bin 5220, at 25 years of age was simply delightful, in a class by itself,
- 1996 d'Arenberg 'Custodian' Grenache at about 16 years of age was mistaken for a Rhone/Rioja,
- 2012 Devil's Lair Chardonnay was superb and would not be out of place among top flight chards,
- Dandelions Vineyards 30 Year Old PX, a superb dessert wine of outstanding quality,
- 1998 Rockford 'Moppa Springs' at 18 years of age was mistaken for an old world wine, France and Italy being the guesses.

These were wines that would not be out of place at any fine wine tasting. If I were you, Nick the fine wine guy, don't feel too disheartened by all the foreign wine talk, there are plenty of Australian wines that can hold their own, and if my experience is any example, do age them and allow their "old world side" to come through.

Cheers ............... Mahmoud.

PS: I almost forgot, last year a 2001 Coldstream Hills was delightful and only the slightest hint of sweetness made my friend the pinot guru opt for the new world. However, because of what people find in typical Aussie pinot (at least the young ones) he never guessed Australia.

[TiggerK]

Drinking wine is a journey.......

Then do the same for Pinot Noir and Burgundy, Cabernet and Bordeaux, Riesling and Rheingau...

Nailed it Dave.

the list goes on... Chardonnay and White Burgundy, Sauvignon Blanc and Sancerre, Chenin Blanc and Loire, Gamay and Beaujolais, Sparkling and Champagne....

No, Aussie wine ain't usually 'the best' on a world scale, but we produce a lot of great wine, and it's certainly the best for you right now, given where your tastes and experience currently lie. That may or may not change as your journey progresses. It's normally the best priced though!, top examples of international wine are getting into extreme price points. But quality and value in Old World doesn't have to be an oxymoron, you just have to try try try and see what excites you along the way. Look for the good aspects of any wine, and decide what of those aspects most floats your boat, be it great big plush ripe fruit, or higher acid, think about if you prefer red fruits vs dark fruits in your Pinot, stalky/green elements improve or distract, all those kinds of thing. It's a fun journey!

It's certainly a very good time to be trying Aussie wine at the moment, more diversity, alternate styles and experimentation now than I have ever seen in the past, most of it good drinking too!

Cheers
Tim

P.S Don't let cheap or poor examples of a region's wine put you off that region for good. For example there are a lot of different Jura wines, in differing styles. One or two wines should never be considered definitive of an entire region.

[Dang]

I would echo Mahmoud's feeling, but only add that you can list a few more Aussie icons, the like of beside Grange, Rockford, HoG, my '94 Show Sparkling Shiraz etc... The one that most people do not know is Hunter valley Verdelho, try the simple Cockfighter's Ghost 2010 edition, earning the accolade of Aussie true grapes.

[Ian S]

Dinner Wines:
1) 2016 Claudio Mariotto Timorasso Pitasso

Hi Jamie
Have you got a taste for Timorasso? I certainly have, and especially enjoy the way such a white wine can offer flexibility at the dining table, covering some bases where instinctively we might reach for a red (albeit a lighter one). If you've not tried it, worth hunting down a bottle of Vigne Marina Coppi's Fausto, which is a very substantial wine indeed. Often I'll prefer a lighter wine, but it really is impressive/complex.

Regards
Ian

[mychurch]

i used to think the same way about Auz red wines when I was just starting to collect. From the late 80’s until the end of the 90’s it was the best in the world for me. At that time though my wine world was pretty small and now, 20 or so years later, I can say that Australia makes the very best Australian wine, just like Italy make the best Italian.

The biggest problem for me with Auz wine is the lack of diversity. It’s an enormous country, but if i compare it to France, then there is just not the incredible depth of styles, grapes and terroirs. Obviously wine has been cultivated in Europe for 1000s of years and maybe Australian wine will be just as diverse circa 3019, but until then I would expect non Auz wine to form a large percentage of the cellars of most collectors.

Personally though, having been here just over a year, I have only bought 2 non Auz wines in that period.

[Polymer]

Australian wine actually has pretty good diversity in style and a lot of that is because they're not tied to tradition. They don't have an AOC telling you what you can or cannot do, when you have to pick, etc, etc, etc...or even what grapes you can grow...

But I know what you mean by that...there is a flood of the same same....Look at typical Aussie beer...all a Lager...and all tastes the same...but within the overall scope of beer, you have hundreds of craft beer makers....and the same goes for wine.

A vast majority of Australian wine is same grapes..same style...similar formula..that does change..but they all change it at the same time....The other challenge is the $$$. When your family has had vines for many generations, it costs you very little to grow what is already there. For Australian producers, they have to find the land and plant..or uproot existing vines and plant...and then wait for years to get anything that might be able to produce a wine. And even then, if it is a relatively uncommon grape variety in AU, you don't know if it'll sell. I think this challenge applies to all of the New World...

So on one hand you have the freedom to do what you want how you want..and there is this big flood of young winemakers not tied to making the same formulized AU wine...but you also have the challenges of trying to introduce a new grape variety into an area where others haven't proven it'll grow..or even if you'll have a product that will sell in the end...

I'm with TiggerK in that it is a great time to be trying AU wine at the moment...You have so many more producers making a wine they want to make rather than a wine that follows a trend...and the results are really amazing.

[Ian S]

i used to think the same way about Auz red wines when I was just starting to collect. From the late 80’s until the end of the 90’s it was the best in the world for me.

and it has to be said, that value for money could be truly exceptional at the time - the difference over time being especially stark over here, as the pound lost c. half its value versus the Aussie dollar from then to now. I always think back the Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz Mourvedre when it was in the Burgundy shaped bottle. Just £3 a bottle for a brilliant wine. Then they doubled the price, and the quality slipped, but c.1990 it was stupendous value for momey

[mychurch]

I remember when Oddbins put Bin 707 up from 9.99 to 12.99 and then 14.99...happy days

Do wine makers really have the freedom to do anything they want ? You definitely can’t pick up a few vines from any old grape variety in an obscure part of Europe and just bring them back on the plane. That has of course been done in the past. Hopefully someone out there has some Romorantin or some Aubin they are testing with.

[Polymer]

Do wine makers really have the freedom to do anything they want ? You definitely can’t pick up a few vines from any old grape variety in an obscure part of Europe and just bring them back on the plane. That has of course been done in the past. Hopefully someone out there has some Romorantin or some Aubin they are testing with.

In Australia? Yes...I think from an export standpoint there are a few rules around things like VA, etc...but from a winemaking point of view, they don't have an concept of AOC or the like.

Which means they can make wine from whatever grapes they want in whatever style they want...They of course consider the climate and soil, etc..I'm sure there are a dozen other factors they consider...but there aren't restrictions on it per se..

If you just mean it isn't that easy to get the vines into AU...Probably..but that's probably not the biggest obstacle..

[Mahmoud Ali]

I remember when Oddbins put Bin 707 up from 9.99 to 12.99 and then 14.99...happy days.

I remember buying Rioja gran reservas from the 70s for under $10 back when I first started buying. Happy days indeed!

do wine makers really have the freedom to do anything they want ? You definitely can’t pick up a few vines from any old grape variety in an obscure part of Europe and just bring them back on the plane. That has of course been done in the past. Hopefully someone out there has some Romorantin or some Aubin they are testing with.

You're right, the quarantine laws probably has something very strict to say about bringing in a grape variety into the country.

Mahmoud.

[dingozegan]

A major (if not the major) influencing factor in the perception of "best"/preference is, IMO, the atrocious wine taxation regime in Australia - it's one of the worst in the world. As others have mentioned, this skews Australian's perceptions significantly. Access to foreign wine is also a factor in Australia, although that has changed enormously in the last 15 years or so - as also reflected in the focus of posts on this board (which others have mentioned). I do think that if imported wines were sold in Australia at an equivalent price to what they sold for in their country of origin, there would be a massive levelling of Aussie wines and I think we'd see the preferences of the average drinker shift.

That's because so many of the best examples of particular wine styles are from Europe (and by "best", I don't mean most expensive, or even most revered, necessarily). Having said that, there are some wine lovers who will always prefer a certain style/taste, which is fine.

If you prefer Aussie/NZ Pinot Noir to Burgundy, then maybe you just prefer a richer/riper style of Pinot Noir (all power to you if so, you'll save a fortune!). But I think that the best wines of Burgundy provide the most complex, intriguing, elusiveness, balanced, harmonious, ageable Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays on the planet (again, my use of "best" here doesn't mean most expensive / lauded).

Nevertheless, Aussie wine remains one of the most interesting and dynamic wine markets in the world IMO. There is a huge diversity of styles, and winemakers/growers are continually experimenting and pushing the boundaries, and it has been this way - relative to the rest of the world - for at least 40 years.

[felixp21]

Hi NWG,
If you prefer ANZ pinot to Burgundy, then that is fabulous for you!!! In the long run, you will save yourself $$$$$$$$$$ by a life-time of drinking them instead of the stuff coming out of the Cote d'Or. I must say, your personal preference is something I suspect most wine-lovers like myself would love to have!!!

[JamieBahrain]

Dinner Wines:
1) 2016 Claudio Mariotto Timorasso Pitasso

Hi Jamie
Have you got a taste for Timorasso? I certainly have, and especially enjoy the way such a white wine can offer flexibility at the dining table, covering some bases where instinctively we might reach for a red (albeit a lighter one). If you've not tried it, worth hunting down a bottle of Vigne Marina Coppi's Fausto, which is a very substantial wine indeed. Often I'll prefer a lighter wine, but it really is impressive/complex.

Regards
Ian

Hi Ian

I like Timorasso with a bit of age. Drink an aged bottle every 6 months or so as friend imports.

[Ian S]

Hi Jamie
Agreed, moderate age (a handful of years) often seems beneficial, with this one the oldest in my cellar: 2010 Claudio Mariotto Timorasso Pitasso and last tasted showed no sign of a downslope.
Regards
Ian

[JDSJDS]

I agree with those that have mentioned the impact of the high price of 'foreign' wine in Australia has had an incredible effect on the public's view of Australian and 'other' wine. The wine prices where I live are incredible, but they are nothing compared to your country. I guess you could say that the high taxes have done their job: they protect the domestic market in an extremely powerful way. But they also shape the tastes and preferences of wine drinkers in Australia in a very significant way. The perception of German riesling (non trocken) for Australians is always interesting to me: the sweetness of the former often seems to be an uncomfortable shock after the usually bone dry domestic versions. But the reverse happens too: I grew up with Mosel 'fruity' versions and the Eden Valley versions were a shock to me at first.