An Informed Opinion… Number 10

These are showstopper wines worthy of their price tag, and something to invest in.

“The wave of supreme fine wine collectability has finally caught up with the Northern and Southern Rhone putting the region’s top appellations like Chateauneuf-du-Pape back into the investor’s spotlight. But nevertheless, collectors and afficionados alike still retain their discerningly selective preferences for top quality, seeking out the most elegant, structured and balanced expressions produced. If it’s a hearty, warming fine wine you are after, it is time to rekindle your passion for the sumptuous reds of the Rhone.”- Greg Sherwood MW. 

94 Points – Greg Sherwood MW
“Some Chateauneuf du Pape reds can be a little brutish at times with overt ripeness and high alcohols, but this sophisticated example from a very fine vintage is wonderfully sleek, full-bodied yet elegantly silky and soft textured offering up complex notes of pressed rose petals, lavender, earthy raspberries, sun dried strawberries and savoury notes of red peppercorns, fresh bresaola and gentle garrigue nuances. The tannins are soft and supple, and the acids cool and harmonious allowing exotic notes of peach skins, tinned apricots, red plum, cherry cola and pink musk to shine brightly on the dense, finely weighted palate. This is undoubtedly a characterful wine that shows plenty of refinement without losing any of its hearty, rustic, earthy Southern Rhone charm. Drink now and over the next 5 to 8+ years.”– Greg Sherwood MW.

A wine to elevate any random Tuesday without breaking the bank.

“One of the greatest attributes of Alex Milner’s wines, whether made from Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon or Chenin Blanc, is the wines’ ability to present a clear liquid illustration of the terroir within which the grapes were grown, always showing wonderful purity and clarity, or as Alex says… ‘wines with minimal interference and pretence.’ This is a deliciously unique Bordeaux blend created through the eyes of a winemaker with his own very individual vision and expression, and best of all, it won’t break the bank!”– Greg Sherwood MW. 

94 Points – Greg Sherwood MW 
“This impressive red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot represents this philosophy perfectly with perfumed aromatics displaying delicate notes of crushed violets, green leaves, peppermint crisp chocolate, menthol mint leaf notes with undertones of eucalyptus and black currant pastille candy. The alluring raspberry herbal tea notes follow from the nose to the palate where the wine reveals a textural complexity and intricate mouthfeel that far exceeds its price point. The bright mulberry and cranberry fruit acids bristle on the palate making the intense fruit concentration float almost weightlessly around the mouth, leaving the drinker salivating for yet another sip. This P.O.W. red blend was aged for 12 months in 225 litre barriques and then for another 24 months in 500 litre barrels ensuring the wine is deliciously mellow, supple and elegant once finally bottled, but certainly never dominated by any oak characteristics. A truly majestic masterpiece from Alex Milner that deserves a special space on your drinking rack.”– Greg Sherwood MW.

A story wine worthy of its salt, and your cellar. 

“Greek whites and reds are currently experiencing a seismic revolution in quality, style and precision viticulture in a similar way that South Africa did in the late noughties during the Swartland Revolution. Led by a bold and worldly group of Greek young gun winemakers, the quality of wines being produced today is almost unrecognizable compared to what went before. The Diamantakis Winery, founded in 2007, is located southwest of the city of Heraklion, outside the village of Kato Assites in the centre of the island of Crete where the region has a very long history of vine cultivation for the production of wines and spirits. This eclectic expression will leave you spellbound by its classical styling and its impressive quality.”– Greg Sherwood MW. 

90 Points – Greg Sherwood MW  
“The Prinos Syrah 2020 is a thoroughly enticing expression that shows expressive perfumed aromatics of earthy violets, pressed rose petals, burnt wood embers, cured meats, black currant jam, sweet black peppercorns, kalamata olives and freshly smoked cigars. While the nose of this wine is very much a Southern Rhone lookalike, the palate is incredibly cool climate and lithe in appearance with a restrained stony minerality and a delightfully fresh vein of translucent acidity that invigorates the wine in the mouth. This is a fabulous, high-class expression of Syrah that draws on all the very finest features of this seductive, savoury grape variety to deliver a wine packed with soft fleshy black fruits, mineral tannins and a long, juicy, velvety mouthfeel.” – Greg Sherwood MW.