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Best Buy Wines (Apr/May 09): wines to cellar

2007 Hewitson Old Garden Mourvèdre, Barossa Valley, A$70
Let’s not mince words. This is one of Australia’s greatest red wines. From an ancient block of mourvèdre vines planted in the 1850s (a century-and-a-half ago!) and from a particularly low-yielding drought year, the nobility of the wine comes shining through. There is amazing concentration and length, but it’s not a huge blockbuster: cinnamon oak and dried herbs and a little blackcurrant lead onto a lithe, spicy mouthful of earthy red wine, finishing with fantastically fine tannins. MA

2006 Bannockburn Pinot Noir, Geelong, A$57
Michael Glover’s energy, attention to detail and thoughtful winemaking has enabled him to put his own mark on the Bannockburn wines. The production of the three pinots (flagship Serre, Stuart and this impressive entry-level varietal) may vary, however, none is fined and all are filtered. The 2006 Pinot is quite restrained and tight with subtle savoury fragrances, a complex array of briary, mushroomy, forest-floor characters, primal and varietal yet finishing with a gentle grip and persistence. PF

2007 Dexter Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula, A$49
Many will know Tod Dexter as the long-serving winemaker at the Stonier vineyard and, more recently, Yabby Lake. However, all the while Tod’s had his own vineyard at Merricks North, planted more than 20 years ago to his to favourite varieties – chardonnay and pinot noir. Recently Tod has been transforming his grapes into wine for his own label. His 2007 Pinot has lots of bright, red berry fruit with underlying nuances of baked earth and exotic spices.  PB

2002 Louis Roederer Brut Champagne, Champagne (France), A$135
Louis Roederer is an outstanding Champagne house, but as good as the wines are on release, I enjoy them even more after a few years’ cellaring. They age better than most Champagnes. The 2002 has terrific Champagne character: toasted-bread, brioche and nuts, cracked-yeast aromas together with refined fruit. It has tremendous intensity in the mouth and great length, with a very clean, dry finish that goes on and on and leaves you utterly satisfied. Very good value when compared with its peers.  HH

2005 John Forrest Riesling, Marlborough, NZ$45
Forrest Estate is one of New Zealand’s top riesling makers with an impressive range of wines from bone dry to lusciously sweet. This very attractive riesling has concentrated lime, mineral and floral flavours that show wonderful purity. A truly ethereal texture and lingering finish mean it gets a tick in every box, including the one called X factor. Beautifully fresh but showing the beginnings of good bottle development and suggesting potential for much, much more. BC

2008 Pipers Brook Vineyard Gewürztraminer, Tasmania, A$27.50/NZ$31
While some might look rather askance at the selection of a gewürztraminer under this category, I am happy to make this call based on the remarkable longevity shown by several previous vintages of this label, especially in the mid 1980s and early 1990s. Here is a traminer that begins its life lean and racy, with a restrained presence of classic rose oil, lychee and musk right along the palate before an austere and briney finish of clean acids and minerality. JO