Winetastic

Last Saturday Gem and I attended the Good Food & Wine Show at the Sydney Exhibition Center. It was crowded, noisy and the wines ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous, but I figure it is worthwhile giving a plug to the wineries who stood out above the crowd.

Di Lusso Estate
We have written about Di Lusso previously, a Mudgee producer that focuses on Italian varietals and food friendly wines. I am pleased to say that their current releases are excellent and good value to boot. The 2005 Sangiovese ($25ish) is a medium bodied red with great fruit and acid balance, the ideal pasta wine. Meanwhile the 2005 Barbera ($25ish) was darker and bolder and just cried out for some grilled or roast meats. Special mention also to the dessert style Picolit which starts initially sweet on the palate before the acidity cuts through leaving you longing for more…

Murray Street Vineyards
Most of the Barossa producers are the show were either disappointing, overpriced or a combination of both. Murray Street Vineyards however stood apart from the majority of their South Australian brethren, both in location on the show floor and in the quality of the wines. Winemaker Andrew Seppelt was manning the stall and was obviously passionate about his wines, many other exhibitors should take note. Although the entire range was good, the standouts were the 2005 Gomersal Shiraz ($50ish) which was rich in fruit and chocolate flavours and the 2004 Benno Shiraz/Mataro ($75ish) which really opened my eyes to how great wines from the Barossa can be, it has excellent fruit as you would except, however it stood out thanks to the textured mouth feel, chalky tannins and balancing acidity. Special mention goes to the 2005 Shiraz VP ($40 1/2 bottle), a fruit lovers fortified of the highest quality.

Mount Pleasant Estate
Mount Pleasant never fail to impress, I will be brief and suggest that the 2005 Philip Shiraz ($14ish) and 2003 Elizabeth Semillon ($14ish) are must buy wines that represent excellent value for money. The 2003 Rosehill Shiraz ($27ish) was a touch overripe however the 2003 OP&OH Shiraz ($40ish) is sublime.

Pirramimma Wines
I have been meaning to try the range from this McLaren Vale producer for some time, sadly they always managed to slip through the cracks. Their “white label” reds are available at Dan Murphy’s and other retailers for around the $20-25 mark and definitely punch above their weight in quality. The Grenache and Shiraz were both very good, however the current release Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot were standout wines at the show. The super premium ACJ Cabernet/Shiraz/Petit Verdot blend was most impressive and worthy of its place amongst other $50+ reds.