RICHARD SAYS
2024 Freya and Jules Riesling 11.5%, Clare Valley, South Australia RRP $10
First up – the price is not a misprint. Aldi is not where I usually get my wines, but this wine came recommended by a reliable source, who proved correct with their assessment.
It’s young, fresh and vibrant. It’s crystal clear and bright, with aromatic perfumes of lime, lemon and passionfruit. Deliciously textured, the wine is zippy, talcy and beautifully refreshing. It goes with a stack of foods, and the price is compelling. No apologies, the wine is terrific for quality, and the value sets it apart. The label is not shamefully bargain-basement either. A winner.
Quality Riesling in Australia consistently comes from South Australia’s Clare, and Eden Valleys; plus remarkable outposts in Tasmania, and southern Victoria. The memorable ones combine freshness with assorted citrus notes, sometimes exotic tropicals, and with age, some honey. Riesling doesn’t need oak, and represents its site best when grown properly and little interference in the winery – let the fruit shine!
Goes with? A lot! Fish ‘n chips; pasta with a creamy sauce; chicken marylands; tonight it’s leftovers of roast pork with pumpkin, potatoes, and steamed broccoli. Another quick meander to Aldi is on the cards.
GRANT SAYS
Aylesbury Estate ‘Pater Series’ Chardonnay 2023 Ferguson Valley WA ABV 14.2% RRP $60
The Ferguson Valley is situated inland from Bunbury WA, just a few hours drive south of Perth. It’s a lesser known wine region with fewer cellar doors than its southern neighbour Margaret River. Having visited there a few times, I can certainly vouch for its hot summers over peaceful undulating hills. I remember enjoying buckets of rosé and tempranillo. But when this chardonnay came across my desk and its aromatics wandered into my senses, I certainly paid attention.
This is the type of chardonnay I like to drink over the cooler winter months, more so than any other white variety. It’s a monster. Full bodied, powerful, loads of flavour and a very persistent finish. If your nose is anywhere near a glass of this, you’ll pick up stacks of nut butter (due to its partial malolactic fermentation), vanillary oak, fleshy melons, charred stone fruits, wafts of gun smoke and a surprising saline note keeping everything in check. Over the palate is caramel, roasted walnuts and toffee while the oak profile (30% new french by the way) leans more towards the spicy realm. That saline note kicks into a mouthwatering minerality which once again, provides poise and balance.
It’s worth noting too that even though this is a 2023 vintage, and still in its youth, it shows maturity in the settled combination of bold flavours that just work. It’s a whole lotta wine in the glass!
