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Taste masters: Louise Radman, Hyatt Regency, Adelaide

The knockabout opal mining town of Coober Pedy is not exactly a hub of wine appreciation, but growing up in a cloud of red dust has clearly had little negative impact on Louise Radman’s palate. Twice South Australia’s sommelier of the year, Radman also judges extensively, lectures at Le Cordon Bleu Australia and even finds time to pen several widely read wine columns.

What emerging trends are you seeing? “Alcohols are being scaled back and more approachable wine styles are gaining ground. Emerging varieties like tempranillo and albariño are exciting, and consumers will take up moscato in droves.”
 
Which wines don’t sell but you can’t understand why? “The classic case would be cabernet; every year we hope for a renaissance, but it never quite seems to arrive.”

What’s the one thing a good Australian sommelier should know? “Spend every spare moment exploring vineyards to gain a real understanding of the source of our unique regionality. It’s also important to have a good grounding in the great wines of the world, to place Australian wine into context on the world stage.”

RAVE WINES
Red: 2005 The Colonial Estate Mungo Park Shiraz, Barossa Valley, A$95. “A very limited release from the Australian venture of cult Bordeaux vigneron Jonathan Maltus. Hand-picked, double-sorted, dynamic fruit from 80-year-old vines. Fastidious modern winemaking hand-in-hand with traditional French techniques.”

White: 2006 Moss Brothers Single Vineyard Chardonnay, Margaret River, A$35. “From the Wilyabrup subregion of Margaret River, this wine is a vision of what we can do with chardonnay in Australia. A wonderful example of subtlety and finesse with vibrant fruit and seamless oak integration.”

Fizz: 1996 Salon, Champagne (France), A$450. “A captivating expression of stylish, graceful elegance and deep-seated power. This is the type of wine you dream about.”

Import:  2004 Domaine de l’Arlot Romanée-St-Vivant, Burgundy (France), A$350. “Handmade from the ground up, this is a wonderfully perfumed, alluring and elegant. wine from Olivier Leriche in the heart of grand cru Côte de Nuits.”

Hyatt Regency Adelaide, (08) 8231 1234, adelaide.regency.hyatt.com.

This article appeared in the April/May 2008 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine.