Audrey
Wilkinson Lower Hunter
ValleyAlthough the vineyards are barely 10 years old, this is one
of the most historic properties in the Hunter
Valley, with a beautiful location
and cellar door. In 2004 it was acquired by Brian Agnew and family, and the
wines have since improved out of all recognition.
Berrys Bridge
PyreneesIt has been a long road for Roger Milner and Jane Holt
stretching over two states and two decades, but the quality of the full-bodied
red wines has made it all worthwhile, with three glorious wines from 2004.
Bress Bendigo
Adam Marks casts the largest imaginable net around Australia
from home base at Bendigo, reaching
as far afield as the Margaret River
and Yarra Valley,
and varieties such as muller thurgau. This year's releases hit the mark.
Carbunup Crest
vineyard Margaret RiverAfter a dip in quality over 2006 and 2007 (after an earlier
spectacular start) Carbunup Crest has returned to its best form, with classic Margaret
River wines at thoroughly
affordable prices.
Cascabel McLaren
Vale
Duncan Ferguson and Susana Fernandez just missed out on a
5-star rating in 2006 and 2007, but there was no denying it this year, with a
brilliant Eden Valley Riesling and Fleurieu Shiraz leading the way.
Delatite Upper
GoulburnLong recognised for the perfume and delicacy of its white
wines, but not always hitting the bullseye. There have been a number of changes
at home base, and these are reflected in the extreme quality of the current
wines.
Fonty's Pool Vineyards
Pemberton
The origins of the property date back 100 years; the name
from a huge dam built in the 1920s. These days 110 ha of vineyards allow Fonty's
Pool to cherry-pick the best, and it has never been far off the mark. This year
it brought home the bacon.
Mountadam
Eden Valley
After a relatively brief period of ownership by Moet
Hennessy Wine Estates, Mountadam has been purchased by Adelaide
businessman-cum-vigneron David Brown, and former Petaluma
chief winemaker Con Moshos has been installed. Quite how he has achieved so
much in such a short time I don't know, but the results are, to say the least,
impressive.
Polleters Pyrenees
Polleters has moved from 4 to 4.5 and now to 5 stars. Its
full-bodied, supple and succulent red wines, contract-made by Mark Summerfield,
are worth every penny of the relatively modest purchase price.
Serafino Wines
McLaren Vale
Born out of the convulsions in McLaren Vale following the
initial financial problems of Andrew Garrett, and then the acquisition of
Maglieri Wines by Beringer Blass, Serafino Wines has emerged under the
ownership of Steve Maglieri, and with the wizardry of Scott Rawlinson as winemaker.
A strong gambit for winery of the year.
Footnote: I was sorely tempted to include
Boireann from
the Granite Belt, but it has held 5-star status for the last 2 years. In turn,
its inclusion would have been in recognition not only of its continuing
achievements, but the very marked lift in quality of Queensland's wines, mainly
(though not exclusively) in the Granite Belt.