Extraordinary UK wine columnist Matthew Jukes is regarded as one of the world’s leading wine writers, having worked in the wine trade since 1987. He hosts corporate and consumer wine tastings all over the world as well as writing a weekly column for MoneyWeek and the Daily Mail. Matthew writes the most keenly followed wine column in the UK – he entertains 9 million readers each weekend. This year he has partnered with Essentials Magazine to launch his best-selling wine report as an app that’s compatible with just about any device. Matthew Jukes’ 100 Best Australian Wines for 2015/16 is the result of exhaustive tastings held in the UK and Australia over the past 12 months and represents the finest Australian wines available on the shelves in the UK for the coming year. It is designed as a balanced, modern collection of all styles of wine, including sparklers, whites, one rosé, reds, sweet and fortified wines.
Having a great passion for all wines, and therefore not a ‘wine snob’ focused only on high price tags, Matthew chooses to cover all price points and as many Australian wine regions as possible to present a definitive Australian wine list for the next 12 month’s worth of entertaining, cellar-building and championing.
Matthew’s 100 Best is now available as a digital PDF download from his website. Additionally it is now presented in convenient app form compatible with Apple iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Kindle Fire and PC via the internationally available Magzter newsstand (see details below).
The 100 Best Australian Wines 2015/16 is Matthew’s personal snapshot of what is happening in Australia right now in the highest echelons of winemaking. Matthew further celebrates the talents of Australian winemakers abroad by touring the UK each year to present his 100 Best Roadshow events, where he introduces his 100 Best booklet at some of Europe’s most anticipated tasting experiences.
Essentials Magazine is proud to partner with Matthew in launching the 100 Best Magzter app. Of course, we highly recommend you buy a copy! It’s a wonderfully entertaining document to study and explore, a much more youthful and upbeat take on wine selection than other Australian wine guides. We love Matthew’s choices and heed his words, and urge you to put him to the test.
To get your tongues wagging and your tastebuds on track, we’ve listed a short selection of some of Matthew’s favourite wines. For the complete list, please visit the links below.
www.matthewjukes.com
Matthew Jukes 100 Best Australian Wines 2015/16 Magzter App
2014 Fox Gordon, Princess Fiano,
Adelaide Hills, SA | 13% | $22.95
Australia’s fledgling Fiano prowess moved up a few notches with the arrival of the devastatingly impressive 2014 vintage of FGPF. I can, hand on heart, say that I have tasted only two Italian versions of this exquisite grape in my life that posses a score of only one half a point higher than this wine. I am completely taken aback by its accuracy, deliciousness and complexity. The vines are now 15 years old and this is, in part, responsible for the delicacy and intricacy found in this wine. But more important than this is Tash Mooney’s innate sense of balance and poise. Unfiltered and with the fittest lees in the district this wine needs no oak to build decadence and charm – and that is where the Italians get it wrong. I would love to open this wine at the poshest restaurants in Positano. The only reason why I wouldn’t dare is for fear that this wine would cause such seismic ructions that all of the lovely houses would tumble down the hill into the sea. It is also worth bringing your attention to the other glittering jewel in Fox Gordon’s crown – 2013 Fox Gordon Eight Uncles Shiraz, Barossa Valley (S19.95). A perennial favourite on the Roadshow, not least because it whispers, not screams, the Barossa Shiraz message with such conviction and class it puts legions of other, lesser wines in the shade. Balance and tenderness is the key here and in the 2013 vintage you can add a crunch of cherry stone acidity to the mix too, which makes it all the more inspiring.
2014 Tahbilk, Marsanne,
Nagambie Lakes, Vic | 12.9% | $16.95
The Marsanne Lords of the Universe have kindly given us yet another wine to marvel at and no doubt it will taste as enthralling as it does today for the next 20 years because this is what this wine is undoubtedly able to achieve. I will never forget tasting some of the Purbrick family’s ancient Marsannes and coming to the conclusion that they are the most underrated, inexpensive, white wines in Australia. Well, nothing has changed because this 2014 is spell-binding. There are hints of waxiness, but the main thrust is one of pineapple husk and lemon zest and the acid is so tense and invigorating I felt as if I had been electrocuted. Moving up the ladder, the 2008 Tahbilk Museum Release Marsanne*($22.95) is always thin on the ground in terms of stock, but it is a dreamboat with masses of wild honey and a regal air. If you fancy one of the great Tahbilk reds then look no further than 2006 Tahbilk ESP Cabernet Sauvignon* ($60.95) and its menacing, dark fruit and crepuscular tannins. This is a wine to perform rituals with – the ritual of a decadent dinner with A-grade pals is where I would start!
2014 McWilliam’s, Appellation Series Tumbarumba Chardonnay, NSW 13.0% | $25
After last year’s landmark, inaugural Appellation Series Tumbarumba Chardonnay I was petrified that this enlightening cuvée might suffer from ‘second album syndrome’. This was a wine that lit up the Roadshow with its crisp, icy lines and refreshing twerky palate. For some reason I still get nervous opening bottles that I am willing to be great. I needn’t have worried because 2014 ASTC is even more polished and transcendent. This wine will inevitably be classified as ultra-modern, but if you think about it, it is in effect the original recipe for this rarely scintillating variety. Nice that the price remains the same, too! (You can’t say that for white Burgundy.)
2013 Giant Steps, Sexton Chardonnay,
Yarra Valley, Vic | 13.0% | $45
This vineyard continues to give us exemplary fruit and in 2013 I am certain that this is an even finer wine that last year’s spectacular 2012. The texture and tenderness of the Sexton Vineyard fruit is the key to its success. This is a plush wine with some tropical notes overlaying the creamy core and it is allowed to express itself on account of only 20 percent new oak being used for only nine months. This is a genius decision because any more oak would neuter the exuberant character and joie de vivre which is unmissable in this wine. A favourite of experts and novices alike, this can only be attributed to the glorious fruit which makes up this heavenly wine. Forward, juicy, friendly and all-enveloping this is fast becoming one of the most reliable top end Australian Chardonnays in the UK market. The everyday, overarching brand within this Giant Steps portfolio is Innocent Bystander with its shadowy, brooding label. 2014 Innocent Bystander Pinot Gris ($20), 2014 Innocent Bystander Chardonnay ($25) and 2013 Innocent Bystander Syrah ($25) are all wickedly enticing this year. The PG is a favourite of mine not least because it is as far removed from a Grigio as can be. With smooth, sultry fruit, employing some textural assistance from old, inert oak this is a real treat with sophistication and control. The Chardonnay is long, quiet, modest and soothing and the spicy, damson and clove-scented Syrah is a true Victorian model with Pinot-esque succulence.
2013 Ten Minutes by Tractor, McCutcheon Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula, Vic 13.5% | $65
TMBT is another portfolio that is smoking with excitement right now. McCutcheon is the finest white wine in their armoury and it is a very exotic creature indeed. I wrote the word ‘sexy’ twice in my notes which clearly shows that it made an impact! With pungent fruit and a haunting scent this is a wine which takes control and you are foolish to resist its charms. Let the abundant fruit wash over your palate and you will find your taste buds swaying to McCutcheon’s beat. I am certain that this wine will age well, but I cannot see my readers exercising the restraint required once they have fallen under its hypnotic spell. It is encouraging that the estate wine, 2013 Ten Minutes by Tractor 10X Chardonnay* ($30) is also such an accomplished figure. With the same sort of build quality that you find lavished on wines twice the price, this regional blend manages to sing the TMBT song but with more volume and heartiness. Full, ripe, creamy and augmented with brioche-scented oak this is an all-round winner allowing you to pour this for friends and family while saving my featured wines for those you fancy most!
2012 Giaconda, Estate Vineyard Chardonnay, Beechworth, Vic
14.0% | $130
You might think that Leeuwin’s Art Series Chardonnay would have the last word in the white wine section, but no. Giaconda returns with a fanfare and I must say that this vintage reminds me of the very first Giaconda I bought in 1990 to list on my Bibendum Restaurant wine list. The late, great Adam Bancroft was the first person in the UK to find this wine for our market and I was lucky enough to be the first person to buy it. I am sure that Rick Kinzbrunner will tell you that everything has changed since those early days but I can tell you that the 2012 vintage Chardonnay had the same effect on my palate as this wine did a quarter of a century ago. The cortège of flavours roll across the palate respectfully firing up every neuron with rapture and detonating minute electrical pulses throughout your whole body. The monumentality of this wine is easy to comprehend. Visceral and spectral this is a wine that has the weight and temporal control of a mighty red, and you have to keep your eyes open to keep checking its colour, and it leaves you juddering as the shock waves subside. The devil inside says, ‘have another sip’, while the angel says, ‘sit down first’.
Before I move on I must alert you to another wine in the Beechworth constellation which craves attention. With one of the most amazing aromatic displays in the country 2011 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Shiraz ($85) is a wine that should be served alongside Chave, Clape and Lelektsoglou such its iodine, pepper and vampiric appeal. In spite of its youth, this is a wine which is drinking perfectly and yet you have to pick your dish with immense accuracy. Steak au poivre, cooked by anyone who worked under Simon Hopkinson, is its ideal date.
2013 Circe, Pinot Noir,
Mornington Peninsula, Vic
13.5% | $40
It is no surprise that 2013 Circe Hillcrest Road Pinot Noir pre-sold before it even reached our shores. This is Victoria’s most sought after Pinot thanks to Dan Buckle and Aaron Drummond’s consummate skills. It is, however, a genuine pleasure to taste the estate wine from Circe because this shows their talent more clearly and concisely than the single vineyard wine. With a little more warmth in the season than the delicious 2012 this vintage has more depth than any wine yet released under this label. The confidence required to involve 40 percent whole bunches in this ethereal creation is enviable. With only 20 percent new oak the tension and drama is clear to see. Aromatically this is the most enchanting wine of the year with crisp herbal notes jousting with cranberry and shiny red cherry fruit. This is a seductive wine too, thanks to its slightly bolder mid-palate. I venture that it will appeal to Pinot scholars the world over.
2012 Ten Minutes by Tractor, Judd Pinot Noir*, Mornington Peninsula,Vic 13.5% | $75
All of the current release TNBT Pinots are wondrous, starting with the indulgent 2013 Ten Minutes by Tractor 10X Pinot Noir* ($32). This is always a showy, braggadocious number but it backs up its claims with great flavour impact and considerable succulence of fruit. 2012 Ten Minutes by Tractor McCutcheon Pinot Noir ($75) is a more considered beast with an air of belligerence and some fair density loading the nose and palate. This seems like a gruff wine, but it is merely indicating that patience is required. I venture that this will be a mellifluous, billowing diva in five years time and you won’t be able to dampen its ardour no matter how hard you try. My featured wine is the most expressive and flamboyant of the range. The fruit here has an extra dimension of delectability which seems sweeter and more toothsome than stern McCutcheon. It is impossible not to fall for Judd and given its plummy irresistibility it is by far the most important wine to flag up in 100 Best because once tasted forever smitten and this will then compel you to investigate the rest of the range.
2013 Jasper Hill, Georgia’s Paddock Shiraz, Heathcote, Vic | 14.5% | $87
With incredible potential buried in the heart of this wine this is one of the few listings this year which shows active tannins and firm dryness on the finish which should prevent you from opening a bottle. I estimate that 18 months should do it though, because the 2012 Georgia’s Paddock is fast-approaching conviviality. The reason why I have made this wine the headliner though is because the stocks are tiny and you simply must put up your paw if you want to be assured of owning some bottles. I urge you to do so because this is the finest red wine in its region and it is completely different to every single other wine in this tome. The iron-rich Heathcote soils give this densely packed Shiraz a gory, crimson hue and the spice and intensity of fruit is staggering. While this is no shrinking violet, with 14.5 percent alcohol on board, it is not a massive wine on the palate. It is certainly muscular and fit but there is not an ounce of flab to be seen and that means it has energy and momentum. The directness of flavour accuracy means that the wild herb and liquorice notes are not lost in translation. They serve to freshen the menacing fruit and the result is a thoroughly ravishing experience.
2010 Henschke, Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon, Eden Valley, SA 14.0% | $138
There are three Henschke wines this year that are 100 Best-worthy and, would you believe it, in common with the Pinot-resurgence which we find ourselves in, 2012 Henschke Giles Pinot Noir*, Adelaide Hills ($55) is a feisty, proud wine with a Chambolle-perfume and curious Nebbiolo-like savoury tannins. It is a challenging wine but one which excites the palate, another candidate that helps to keep the Adelaide Hills in the Pinot game. 2014 Henschke Julius Riesling, Eden Valley ($32) is also a thriller with a svelte 11.5 percent alcohol and a jittery lime juice chassis. More forward than usual this is a wine which already excites. Cyril Henschke doesn’t just excite, he brings the house down! This CSMCF possesses an extraordinary calmness and there is an uncharacteristic kick of tannin on the finish which nearly made me stand up and applaud it. This is a firm, long, enigmatic Cyril with raw power and intent and it is nice to see him bristling with energy and attitude and itching to show you his kaleidoscopic array of talents.
The vagaries of the international export market mean a few of these excellent vintages (marked with an asterisk) have largely sold out in Australia. If you cannot find them at your specialist wine merchant, try the next vintage. Their track records are all excellent. – Editor.
www.matthewjukes.com
Matthew Jukes 100 Best Australian Wines 2015/16 Magzter App
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