If alternative whites are your jam, butter up! Here's a selection of 6 slippery suckers with nary a Chardonnay or a Sauvvy Blanc in sight. All tasted and retasted by our panel and all given the thumbs up. Langmeil’s gold medal winning blend of Rhone varietals Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. A couple of superb Fianos from McLaren Vale. a 95 point Sem from the Hunter and a couple of gorgeous PGs- one from the Clare and the other from the Adelaide Hills. All drinking beautifully, right now!
Perfumed, with tropical and citrus notes, bath powder, lime, apricots and more. The palate is similar and offers a mid palate creaminess and a hint of oyster shell. One of the best Aussie examples of this 3 way Rhone varietal blend we've come across.
Florals, orange blossom. honeydew melon,and rose petals which lead into moving citrus and jasmine as the wine opens. Excellent acidity here and a lovely mouthfeel making for a wine which is both strident and charming in equal measure. Will cellar well, revealing a honeyed character as it ages.
Aromas of stone fruit, a hint of vanilla bean, and ripe honeydew melon. A little salinity here too and some grip on the palate. A delightful Fiano that will absolutely improve with cellaring.
95pts James Halliday, 95pts Sam Kim, 92pts Wine Front
From a Lovedale vineyard, the JKD offers green apple and lemon, bath powder and lemongrass, sustained across a long and powerful palate. Kinda like a Semillon that thinks it is a Riesling. More textural than your typical young Sem, and therefore lovely already. Can also be cellared for about a decade if you prefer the pendulous lanolin notes that come with patience.
Superb small batch single vineyard PG from Keeda Zilm. Fruit is sourced entirely from Glen Kelly's vineyard in Sevenhill. Pears, spice, crisp green apple and an underlay of lime zest. Plenty of acid here to provide drive and a lovely mouthwatering aspect. The palate is just beginning to show the texture which develops so appealingly as PG ages.
A little riper than most PGs, this definitely a nod towards the style of Alsace. Gorgeous ripe pears and musk on the nose and palate which is already creamily textural. This mid-palate mouthfeel will continue to develop with time as the wine grows into itself. Only free run juice from whole bunch pressings were used and a small percentage of the wine spent time in old French oak. The result is a mixture of freshness and texture. This is a wonderful Pinot Gris
