A COA STA L W IN E LIST (may also contain other delicious drinks)
the style of this list follows our food menu – it’s a wine list of the sea. This mean that it includes wines that are either exceptionally good with seafood or sourced from vineyards in direct proximity to the ocean – those within 25kms of the coast have been marked with an *
1
WINE BY THE GL AS S / CAR AFE S P ARKL ING 125ml Glass María Barrena ‘funambul equilibri nature’ n.v. *
13
This is a Brut Nature cava, meaning that it has absolutley no sweetness – so pure + refreshing 125ml / 375ml Glass / Carafe
WH ITE Waterman’s white / 2014
8
22
10
27
13
35
12
32
15
45
Super fresh juice – soft, dry, delicious Rocky Gully – riesling / Great Southern W.A. 2016
Fragrant, fruity, well balanced – with fantastic freshness Harkham ‘waterman’s barrel’ – chardonnay / hunter valley n.s.w. 2011 *
Made especially for us by our friend Richie Harkham – full bodied, nutty, dry domaine de la pEépière – muscadet / loire valley France 2015 *
To call this Pepière’s basic Muscadet seems unkind – this is pure, stoney, classic stuff domaine christophe – chablis – chardonnay / Burgundy France 2015
Crisp Chablis that still has a creaminess to take the edge off – from a fantastic up and coming domaine Aphros – loureiro / vinho verde Portugal 2015 *
13
35
14
38
13
35
13
35
8
22
13
35
15
40
15
40
This is super high-quality biodynamic vihno verde – just bright fruit flavours + freshness
O RANG E La petite mort ‘amphora v.m.r.’ – viognier blend / granite belt qld 2015
This smells like pepper / orange rind – totally unique + brilliant Cacique maravilla – moscatel / yumbel chile 2015 *
Volcano wine from southern Chile’s Bio Bio Valley – smoke / mineral / apricot flavours
RO S É domaine la colombe – grenache blend / provence france 2015 *
Super classic dry French rosé – what else is there to say?
RED Waterman’s red / 2014
Juicy red at its best shadowfax ‘biggie smalls’ – mondeuse / geelong victoria 2015 *
A really delicious / unctuous expression of a grape normally found in the French Alps garagiste ‘le stagiare’ – pinot noir / mornington peninsula victoria 2015 *
This is a dark + darkly fruited Pinot from the talented Barney Flanders – plum + spice escondido ‘tintihno’ – touriga naçional / langhorne creek s.a. 2015 *
Made by a Portuguese winemaker, a top sommelier and a Portuguese grape – this is elegant + full-bodied si vintners ‘red si’ – cabernet sauvignon etc. / margaret river w.a. 2015 *
13
36
Dry, classic, substantial – Blackcurrant + pencil shaving aromas – Cabernet made right
2
CO CKTAIL S
BEER + CID ER YOUNG HENRY’S Natural LAGER / Newtown 5.5 / 11
Waterman’s Bellini
Light + Smashable lager from the local boys – on tap
Sparkling wine / seasonal fruit purée
cooper’s pale ale / regency park s.a.
Ritz Spritz
16
let’s make americanos great again
12
5 / 10
The classic beer from Australia’s original craft brewery – legendary brooklyn lager / new york u.s.a.
14
15
Apricot liqueur / almond / lemon juice / sparkling wine Campari / sweet vermouth / soda / spiced blood orange
A seriously refreshing N.Y.C. lager based off a recipe so old it pre-dates prohibition
navy super juice
MELBOURNE BITTER / Abbotsford vic
Line and Sinker
18
cassis clay
16
8
Because sometimes all a beer needs to be is cold + wet myrray's whale ale / port stephens n.s.w.
Strawberry gin / fino sherry / honey / fresh lemon
9
Super light + sessionable wheat beer from the state’s north coast
Tequilla / cassis / fresh lemon last word
Riverside ’44 GOLDEN Ale’ / Parramatta
18
Dark run / golden rum / white rum / lime / grapefruit
11
18
Green Chartreuse / gin / Luxardo / lime
Fuller-bodied, fresh, malty American-style ale Diligence cocktail rogue hazelnut brown – Oregon u.s.a.
15
Cucumber and dill vodka / fresh lemon / sugar
18
A nutty twist to a traditional European Brown ale – Rich, nutty, smooth, malty Batch ‘old terrier bitter’ / marrickville
22
Bottle in longnecks + made in a classic British bitter-style – medium bodied, malty, bitter (obviously) Gilbert ‘goose’ – apple cider / Orange n.s.w.
9
This one goes out to all the coeliacs in the place – the ones that like good dry cider
N O N -A LC O H OL I C Coney island mule
12
Cucumber / honey / ginger beer / mint blood orange soda
5.5
Blood orange / native spices / soda Wattle seed cola
5.5
Organic cola nut extract / wattle seed / spices / soda fresh-pressed juices
6
Orange / Apple / Grapefruit
3
V E R MO U T H
WH IS KY
Gran Classico / france
8
Buffalo Trace / u.s.a.
9
kina l’aero dor / france
8
Bulliet / u.s.a.
9
Suze / switzerland
9
Rittenhouse rye / u.s.a.
12
Cocchi Americano / italy
8
canadian Club 12 year / canada
9
Oscar 697 / italy
8
Monkey Shoulder / scotland
9
Lillet / france
8
Johnnie Black Label / scotland
9
La Quintyne / france
8
RUM
VO D KA Wyborowa / poland
8
Grey Goose / france
12
Belvedere / poland
12
Flor de Cana 4yr blanco / nicaragua
9
Goslings / bermuda
12
Ron Zacapa / guatemala
14
Kraken spiced / australia
10
GIN
TEQ UIL L A
west winds ‘the sabre’ / australia
12
Calle 23 / mexico
9
martin Millers / u.k.
9
Gran centenario / mexico
11
Tanqueray / u.k.
8
Hendricks / u.k.
9
MARTIN IS This is, without a doubt, the most classic cocktail in the world. We serve our’s stirred, never shaken (unless you ask really nicely), and we prefer to serve our martinis wet, meaning with a bit more vermouth and therefore a lot more flavour. So go ahead and choose any gin or vodka and any vermouth, choose between a citrus twist or olives and let’s get started. The price will be double the number next to the gin / vodka. Here are a couple of our current favourite combinations. Martin millers + oscar 657
24
This is just the ultimate martini + we love it to bits vesper – gin + vodka + cocchi americano
18
The classic 007 drink from Casino Royale – for all the double agents in the house white negroni – gin + suze + lillet
18
Not a classic Martini per se. But a great twist on the classic – dry orange flavours 4
S P ARKL IN G WIN E
jauma ‘blewitt springs – pet nat’ / mclaren vale s.a. 2015 *
70
Pet nat is wine bottled before it finishes fermentation – this one is made from dry Chenin Blanc Lark Hill Tradition / Canberra Districts N.S.W. 2008
90
A rich, nutty, biscuity Pinot Noir-dominant style aged for 7 years before disgorgement Monmousseau JM / Loire Valley France N.V.
65
Pure Chenin Blanc aged for 3 years in bottle on its lees – longer than most Champagne Domaine des 2 Anes / Languedoc-Rousillon France 2012 *
75
This pet nat is pink, fruity, joyous from the Mediterranean coast just north of the Spanish border
C AVA – T H E T RAG I CA L LY UNDERR ATED SP ARKLING WINE Cava is arguably the greatest sparkling wine appellation in the world after Champagne. It sits in the Catalonian hills just south of Barcelona, close enough to feel the cool breezes of the Mediterranean. It’s had a bit of a bad rap due to its largest producer – Freixenet – but that’s like writing off Australian wine because of Yellowtail. Look further and you’ll find superb wines and great value. Made from three grapes – Macabeo, Parallada and Xarel-lo – the wine gets its fizz from the traditional method, just like Champagne. Styles can vary according to producer but we’ve selected some examples that tend toward the drier, purer side. The wines often have less nuttiness than their French rivals, making them a great choice for matching with oysters and fried entrees. María Barrena ‘funambul equilibri nature’ n.v. *
65
This is a Brut Nature cava, meaning that it has absolutley no sweetness – so pure + refreshing Raventós i Blanc ‘L’Hereu Reserva Brut’ 2013 *
85
Unequivocally the top producer in the appellation – this shows how great Cava can be Raventós i Blanc ‘de Nit Rosé’ 2014 *
105
5% red Monastrell gives this the palest pink hue – tastes just like great rosé Champagne
Gosset Brut Excellence / Champagne France N.V.
110
Beautiful balanced aperitif-style –from the oldest house in Champagne Paul Bara Grand Cru / Champagne France N.V.
125
Lovely raspberry-flavoured rosé from the fantastically named village of Bouzy Jerome Prevost Les Beguines / Champagne France N..v.
250
Super-geeky grower Champagne made from 100% Pinot Meunier – super dry + complex
5
LIGHT + DR Y W HI TE W I N E S Ar fion – pinot grigio / yarra valley victoria 2016
65
Dry with great acid but still with complexity – citrus, red apple, cinnamon Hoddles Creek ‘1er’ Pinot Blanc / Yarra Valley Victoria 2013
80
Dry, powerful, complex – smells like apples + freshly struck matches Rocky Gully – riesling / Great Southern W.A. 2015
45
Fragrant, fruity, well balanced – with fantastic freshness dormilona – chenin blanc / margaret river W.A. 2016 *
60
Crisp, salty organic Chenin that’s as fresh as the Margaret River surf Sato – Riesling / Central Otago new zealand 2014
80
By Japanese wunderkind Yoshi Sato – this is natural + dry with lots of citrus fruit Goisot – Aligoté / Burgundy France 2014
75
Dry, refreshing, delicious with oysters – this is very similar to Chablis CIROPICARIELLO – FIANO / CAMPANIA ITALY 2015 *
75
This tastes like smoke + apples – dry + powerful from the volcanic soils of the sole of Italy’s boot Brundlmayer ‘Terrasen’ – Grüner veltliner / Kamptal Austria 2013
75
Dry, peppery, not very fruity – Grüner is the ultimate wine to have with savoury food argyros – Assyrtiko / santorini greece 2014 *
90
From one of the harshest + beautiful wine regions in the world + 100 year old vines– powerful, steely, salty pheasant’s tears – rksatsiteli / kakheti georgia 2014
90
This is a dry white Georgian wine – no skin contact or weirdness – floral, nutty, complex Lieu dit – Chenin Blanc / santa ynez valley u.s.a. 2014 *
100
This is the best New World Chenin we have ever tasted – fresh, mineral, dry
MUSC A D E T – TH E U LTI M ATE OYS TER WINE Muscadet is the quintessential French white wine. Made from a grape named Melon de Bourgogne, it is fresh, dry and mineral. There are no fruit flavours to speak of. It is Old World in every sense. It is spectacular with the local Breton oysters but works equally well with our own. The wine comes from the region of Nantes in north-western France, the point where the great Loire River spills into the Atlantic. It’s a cool, lush part of the world. And that coolness comes across in the wines. And to be clear – it is the polar opposite of Muscat wine, to which it has no relation beyond a similar sounding name.
domaine de la pépière 2015 *
60
To call this Pepière’s basic cuvée seems unkind – this is pure + stoney domaine de l’ecu ‘cuvée classique’ 2015 *
75
Another entry l;evel bottling that is killer – another contender for best Muscadet producer jo landron ‘fief du breuil’ 2014 *
85
Perhaps the finest wine in the appellation, this has incredible texture – grapefruit, smoke aromas domaine belle vue – pinot gris 2015 *
65
A fruitier alternative + very rare to find in the region – still flinty + dry 6
FRUIT Y D OESN ’ T HAV E TO M E AN S W E E T latta vino – Sauvignon Blanc / macedon ranges victoria 2015
65
A more complex, juicy, intensely fruity Sauvignon Blanc from one of the next generation’s star makers Ngeringa ‘grower’s series’ – Roussanne / Adelaide Hills S.A. 2012
45
Fuller wine – more weight and lower acid than most on this list – delicious and easy going crft ‘k1 vineyard’ – gewürtztraminer / Adelaide hills s.a. 2015
60
Classic rosewater + lychee flavours without being sweet or heavy woollaston – Pinot Gris / Nelson New Zealand 2014 *
55
Ripe + juicy without being sweet – with lots of savoury flavours to balance the fruit millton ‘te arai’ – chenin blanc / gisborne New Zealand 2015 *
65
Juicy , ripe, round – apples, pears, spice – from the southern hemisphere’s first biodynamic winemakers jeff carrel ‘vieille mule’ – maccabeu blend / côtes catalanes france 2014 *
70
Rich, luscious, spicy – from South West France – an honest, generous minimal wine Heymann-Löwenstein ‘Schieferterrasen’ – Riesling / Mosel Germany 2014
100
Spicy, exotic Riesling from a German maverick genius Godelia – Godello / Bierzo Spain 2012
65
Godello is lovely medium weight white from Galicia – nectarines, cream, salt DOULOFAKIS – vidiano / crete greece 2015 *
55
Peach
+ white flowers with bright acidity – great value because no one had heard of it
A N IN TR O DUC TIO N TO THE WH I T ES O F T H E I BER I AN AT LAN T I C Here we are talking about Spain’s far north-west – a cool, maritime region known as Galicia – as well as coastal Portugal (basically the whole country, let’s be honest) and the two constellations of volcanic islands known as the Canary Islands and the Azores. This is a really interesting and diverse area that gets far too little attention. The current focus is on Rias Baixas, home to the mighty Albariño – a grape with a far better pedigree than Australian examples would suggest. This same grape is known as Alvarihño on the Portuguese side of the border in Minho, where it shares space with aromatic Loureiro and austere Arinto, a grape that shares a name but not a lineage with the Arinto dos Açores of the Azores. Confused yet? Well we haven’t even started on the Canary Islands, where things begin with the magnificent Listan Bianco and get more obscure from there. These are superb, original, undervalued wines that we’re proud to introduce you to. bodegas eidosela ‘charquiño’ – albarino / rias baixas spain 2015 *
55
A generous, peachy, softer style of Albariño – still fresh and vital pazos de Lusco – albarino / rias baixas spain 2015 *
85
Dry, pithy and salty with classic Albariño nectarine flavours, too muros antigos – alvariñho + loureiro / vinho verde portugal 2014 *
60
A fruitier alternative + very rare grape variety to find in the region – still flinty + dry Aphros – loureiro / vinho verde Portugal 2015 *
65
This is super high-quality biodynamic vihno verde – just bright fruit flavours + freshness prova regia – arinto / bucelas portugal 2014 *
65
Sleek, flinty, super-dry – this is Portuguese oyster wine suertes del marques ‘vidonia’ – listan negro etc. / tenerife spain 2015 *
Deep, complex, haunting – this is dry + textural – a wine of stature from the Canary Islands
110 7
LO B S T E R S LOV E CH ARDONN AY ( A N D S O D O ES WATERMAN ’ S )
The traditional way of thinking about matching Chardonnay and lobster is that the butteriness of the Chardonnay works with the warm butter of the lobster. While this logic is sound and we would encourage everyone to give it a shot, Chardonnay isn’t often made in that old-school buttery style any more. Instead of promoting butter on butter decadence, most contemporary Chardonnays are bright, fresh and complex. They smell more like salt and roasted nuts than popcorn. They cleanse the palate. They refresh. And they work perfectly with our favourite clawed crustaceans.
A U S T R AL I A Jamsheed Madame Chard / Yarra Valley + Beechworth Victoria 2014
F R AN C E + U. S. A 50
Medium-bodied, thirst-quenching Chardonnay – delicious, smashable , floral precipice / Yarra Valley Victoria 2015
70
Made especially for us by our friend Richie Harkham – full bodied, nutty, dry
coup de génie – chablis grand cru bougros / burgundy France 2012 160
One barrel produced of this incredible, fresh, powerful Chablis from one of the very top vineyards
70
Full-bodied, wild ferment, nuts, peaches and flint – made to taste like it belongs in the other column
80
A fuller-style wine with a nice funk to it – unusual but not too unusual – completely sulphur-free Picardy / great southern W.A. 2012 *
fanny sabre – bourgogne / burgundy France 2014 95
Great, subtle, delicate white Burgundy from a lady who does as little to her wine as possible
Harkham waterman’s barrel / hunter valley n.s.w. 2011 65
eldridge estate jurassic / mornington peninsula victoria 2014 *
80
Crisp Chablis that still has a creaminess to take the edge off – from a fantastic up and coming domaine
Mouthwatering unoaked beauty, pure like rainwater – like Aussie Chablis – from an Oakridge alumni
marq / Margaret River W.A. 2013 *
domaine christophe – chablis / Burgundy France 2015
Cossard – Beaune / Burgundy France 2012
215
Beautifully balanced Chardonnay that is riveting, super complex, delicious from my favourite Burgundy grower Enfield Wine co. ‘citrine’ / wild horse valley California U.S.A. 2014 * 100
Regarded by some as the best Chardonnay producer in America – lean, phenolic, contemporary
85
The richest, oakiest, most buttery Chardonnay here – old school from the founders of Moss Wood Cobaw Ridge / Macedon Ranges Victoria 2012 90
Lean, mealy, complex wine from one of the new generation of biodynamic winemaker
8
O RANG E WINE
W H AT I S A N O RANG E WINE? 1.
It’s a delicious beverage that has an orange colour (although in reality the colour can range from yellow to orange, to brown, to pink). 2. It’s made from grapes (white ones). 3. It’s not usually from the town of Orange, but there’s no reason it couldn’t be. 4. It is made by leaving the white grape skins in contact with the pressed juice (in much the same way that red wines are made by macerating the red grape skins with the clear juice to get their red colour.
quealy ‘clarity’ – friulano / mornington peninsula victoria 2014 *
60
A little bit of skin contact has made this Italian variety fruity / dry / texturally amazing manon ‘wild nature’ – sauvignon blanc / adelaide hills s.a. 2015
65
Made from abandoned vineyards, this has fresh citrus flavours – the fine tanins = great texture lucy margaux ‘gris de florette’ – pinot gris / adelaide hills s.a. 2016
70
This is made with Pinot Gris / so it looks more like a rosé than an orange – crazy flavours La petite mort ‘amphora v.m.r.’ – viognier blend / granite belt qld 2015
75
This smells like pepper / orange rind – totally unique + brilliant Capçanes ‘Vim Blanc’ – grenache / Montsant Spain 2006 *
200
This looks + feels like an orange wine (but it’s actually an incredibly light rosé) – creamy, buttery, fantastic JSC CRADLE OF WINE ‘GOGI'S WINE FIELD BLEND,’ – Rkatsiteli etc. / KHAKETI GEORGIA 2013
75
Georgia is the home of this amber style of wine (in fact, all wine) + this is a great example Enfield Wine co. / wild horse valley California U.S.A. 2013 *
120
This is a rare skin contact Chardonnay from our favourite Cali Chardonnay producer
9
RO S É WINE
W H AT I S A RO S É WINE? Rosé is the complete opposite of Orange Wine, it’s made from red grapes that are pressed so lightly that only a touch of colour is extracted from the skins. It’s actually exceptionally rare for rosé to be made by adding red and white wine. In fact, this tends to only ever happen at teenage birthday parties. The amount of maceration the skins have with the juice in the wine – along with the variety of the grapes used – is the only factor that determines the colour of the wine – and despite what anyone tells you, more colour does in no way signify more sweetness. However, darker wines will typically have fruitier flavours, more akin to red wines, and paler wines will have flavours closer to white wines – hence they match better with seafood..
Ochota Barrels ‘surfer rosa’ – Grenache / Adelaide Hills S.A. 2015
65
A very fresh raspberry, cranberry-flavoured rosé – immensely refreshing Limbo – cabernet sauvignon + merlot / Margaret River W.A. 2014 *
45
A fruitier style of rosé – juicy, generous, opulent – like boozy strawberry juice Txomin Etxaniz, – Hondarribi / Txakoli spain 2015 *
75
Txakoli is slightly spritzy Basque wine – this is the best of its kind + tastes like super light watermelon juice
P R OVE N C A L R O S É Is there anyone who prefers their rosé from anywhere but Provence? The wines are pale, clear, dry, with just the right amount of fruit. They can be steely, or a bit more generous depending on the producer and the vintage, but they are always refreshing. You can tell just by the colour that a Provence rosé will be delightfully thirst quenching. Like an ice cold lager only pink and made of wine. The wines can be made from a few different grapes but Grenache and Mourvèdre dominate and are usually blended. It’s also worth noting that the best appellations – Bandol + Cassis – sit directly adjacent to truly amazing beaches. So coastal! Domaine Sainte Anne / Coteaux Varois de Provence 2015 *
55
This is about as pale as rosé gets – it’s not fruity at all saint andre / côtes de provence 2014*
65
Super classic dry French rosé – what else is there to say? rimauresq ‘cru classé’ / côtes de provence 2015 *
75
Seriously dry – like, bone bone dry – also very savoury – like, forget about fruit – Awesome Domaine de la Tour du Bon / bandol 2014 *
100
From the greatest rosé appellation in the world – Bandol – this is powerful stuff – Killer 10
L I G H T + D EL ICATE RED WINES westwood – pinot noir / yarra valley victoria 2015
65
Super value, bright approachable strawberry + cherry flavours – from Yarra legend Mac Forbes boomtown ‘no. 3 red’ – nero d’avola etc. / central victoria 2016
60
This is light, smashable red made collaboratively from grapes from a few sites – juicy, light gentle folk + ochota barrels ‘father’s milk’ – pinot noir / adelaide hills s.a. 2016
70
Very light, very fragrant, dangerously easy to drink – best to order a bottle each Avani – Syrah / Mornington Peninsula Victoria 2014 *
110
A work of harmony – this is lean, spicy cool-climate biodynamic Shiraz manon ‘love lies bleedings’ – Pinot Noir / adelaide hills s.a. 2015
70
Light, fragrant, savoury – made with no additives + lots of love ravensworth – gamay / canberra district N.S.W. 2016
75
This is a dead ringer for real Beaujolais – even has a delicious bubblegum + cherry flavour chateau cambon – gamay / beaujolais france 2014
75
Light-bodied, juicy, classic Beaujolais – basically impossible to share maréchal ‘cuvée gravel’ – Bourgogne – pinot noir / Burgundy France 2013
105
This is charming Burgundy that screams to be drunk – fantastic drinking for a Bourgogne-level wine jules metras ‘bijou’ – gamay / beaujolais france 2014
110
This is a super rare bottling by the son of one of France’s cult producers Rousset-Martin ‘P.P. Andre’ – Poulsard + pinot noir / Jura France 2014
120
Poulsard is a very light, ethereal red from France’s far east – beautiful and pristine
MO RN IN GTO N P E N N I N U L A P INOT N O IR Beachside paradise, playground to Melbourne’s elite, and home to some of the best Pinot Noir in the country. This is a very cool, ocean-influenced region and the sea’s effect becomes even more evident the furhter one travels south – from the warmer Moorooduc and Merricks South climes to the chillier Red Hill and Main Ridge vineyards – where the wines really show a high level of finesse. The wines are lean, pure and light, but with a savoury, serious edge. While the styles vary according to the temperature changes across the peninsula, and the temperanment of the individual vignerons, there is no doubting the overall quality of the wines. even keel 2015 *
60
Redcurrants, cherries, juciness + generosity – from Polperro winery garagiste ‘le stagiare’ 2015 *
65
This is a dark + darkly fruited Pinot from the talented Barney Flanders – plum + spice Circe 2015 *
80
This is a great, darker expression of Mornington Pinot – firm structure – serious wine william downie 2015 *
120
Incredible natural Pinot Noir that is so vibrant, savoury, energetic – Killer booze
11
MED IUM-BOD IED – S OFT, JU I CY, S MAS HA B LE shadowfax ‘biggie smalls’ – mondeuse / geelong victoria 2015 *
60
A really delicious / unctuous expression of a grape normally found in the French Alps Minim ‘floyd’’ – grenache + viognier / heathcote victoria 2016
65
Floyd must be a champion because this is an absolute joy to drink – berries + apricot from the Viognier Slow Wines – shiraz / Adelaide S.A. 2013
50
Happiness in a bottle – just make sure you don’t drink it too fast Shobbrook ‘novello’ – Mourvèdre / Barossa Valley S.A. 2015
60
Made in a simple Beaujolais style – but with considerable power – from a natural wine legend Ochota barrels ‘texture like sun – sector’ two – pinot noir etc. / adelaide hills s.a. 2015 70
Super light + juicy – the perfect ‘spring wine’ – not serious, just delicious Ochota barrels ‘she’s lost control’ – isabella / adelaide hills s.a. 2015
85
Made from a native American species of grape and tastes like grape soda – crazy juice frederick stevenson ‘dry red #1’ – cinsault + Shiraz / Barossa Valley S.A. 2015
65 / 115
From a grape pronounced San-So – this is simple, smashable, juicy and fun lark hill – sangiovese / canberra district N.S.W. 2016
75
This tastes just like Chianti – a beautiful Biodynamic expression of the Tuscan classic CHÂTEAU TIRE PÉ – merlot / bordeaux france 2014 *
55
Light, classic Bordeaux from Entre-deux-Mers – literally between two seas fond cyprès ‘premier jus’ – grenache + Carignan / languedoc france 2015 *
65
The juice here has been very lightly extracted but there is still great concentration – very natural matassa ‘coume de l’olla blanc’ – grenache / Roussillon france 2015 *
75
A light but juicy wine – raspberries, lavender, wild berries – so pure i veroni – chianti classico – sangiovese / tuscany italy 2014
75
Classic Chianti – cherry-flavoured + floral – the Italian staple made beautifully
T HE I S L A N D S O F TH E M E D I TERRANEAN Three countries, four magnificent wine producing islands scattered across the Mediterranean – Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Majorca – each ruggedly beautiful in its own unique way It’s said that living on an island makes one think differently than someone form the mainland. In winemaking this is something of a necessity. Firstly, you have the climate, which is so intimately influenced by coastal winds from all sides (in this case often coming all the way from Africa), next you have soil that is usually particularly arid, then you have indigenous grape varieties (as well as some cheeky imports), and lastly you have island-based winemakers who put their island before their country and their traditions before modernity. françois labet– pinot noir / corsica france 2015 *
65
Made by a superstar Burgundian winemaker who wants to make Pinot by the water abbatucci ‘rouge frais impérial’ – sciarcarello / corsica france 2015 *
80
This is extremely pretty, vibrant, textured – Tastes more Italian than French occhipinti ‘sp68’ / sicily italy 2014 *
85
Beautiful soft, vibrant red from a beautiful lady in the beautiful town of Vittoria 4 Kilos ‘Chateau Paquita’ – Callet etc. / Majorca Spain 2012 *
This is totally unsulphured wine from the island of Majorca – light, fresh, energetic
125 12
FULL BODIED – A B I T MOR E S E R I OU S (A BIT LESS SEAFOOD FR I E N DLY TB H) escondido ‘tintihno’ – touriga naçional / langhorne creek s.a. 2015 *
70
Made by a Portuguese winemaker, a top sommelier and a Portuguese grape – this is elegant + full-bodied frederick stevenson ‘vine vale– grenache / Barossa Valley S.A. 2015
80
Full bodied but still with freshness – loads of fruit + good tanins si vintners ‘red si’ – cabernet sauvignon etc. / margaret river w.a. 2015 *
75
Dry, classic, substantial – Blackcurrant + pencil shaving aromas – Cabernet made right bruno duchéne ‘la luna’ – grenache + carignan / roussillon France 2014 *
100
Meticulous winemaking and the warm climes of Catalonia makes natural winmaking easy – so good! gravillas ‘rendez-vous sur la lune’ – minervois – grenache etc. / languedoc France 2014 100
Like a great Côtes du Rhône only better – silky but rich – from the Minervois area of the French South domaine Charbonnière – cndp – grenache etc. / southern rhône valley France 2012
160
Contemporary Chateauneuf du Pape – fruit, spice, herbs – aromatic + but with real fruit punch
MCLA R E N VA L E – WA R M C L IMATE RED S To get the obvious out of the way first – McLaren Vale is a very different kind of coastal compared to a lot of these other regions. That’s because it is hot. Like properly hot. It is cooler right on the water when the wind picks up, and it also cools as you begin moving up toward the Adelaide Hills, but most of it is stifling. This means it’s right at home producing full bodied reds – either Shiraz, Grenache, or (even better) Mediterranean varieties, grapes that evolved to thrive in hot places. Grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon that originally grew in cooler places rarely perform nearly as well. There is a new movement towards introducing more freshness into the wines, primarily through earlier picking and stricter oak use. It’s been largely successful and this has brought a new energy to the area that can only mean even better wines in the future. bondar wines ‘junta’ – grenache etc. 2015 *
60
Glorious mouthfuls of luscious fruit from some of the new kids on the block ministry of clouds – temranillo + grenache 2014 *
65
Strong, powerful – there is no shortage of colour, tannin, or flavour here faux pas – shiraz 2014 *
65
Fruit + spice – this doesn’t step a foot out of place brash higgins ‘ndv’ – nero d’avola 2014 *
80
The Sicilian grape does terrifically in this region – fermented in clay amphora
13
