SouthAustralia is one of Australia's six states, located (as the name suggests) in the south of the vast island continent. It's the engine room of the Australian wine industry, responsible for about half of the country's total production each year. But there's more to the region than quantity - countless high-quality wines are produced here, most from the region's signature Grape, Shiraz. These include such fine, collectible wines as Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace, Torbreck The Laird and d'Arenberg The Dead Arm.
South Australia's wine portfolio is heavily weighted towards Powerful red wines, most of which are made from Shiraz. Another grape variety that thrives here is Cabernet Sauvignon, the best examples of which come from the Limestone Coast in the far south-east of the state (notably Coonawarra, Padthaway and Robe). Grenache has also proved well suited to the South Australian Climate and winemaking style, particularly when combined with Shiraz and Mourvedre (also known as Mataro in Australia) to create the classic Australian GSM blend. European varieties as diverse as Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano and Petit Verdot are also present in South Australian vineyards, but only in small quantities.
Which offers more pleasure: a wine from a great vintage, but too young, inexpressive and closed? Or a wine from a modest vintage that’s mature, aromatically open and ready to drink? Surely there’s no contest. When it comes to enjoying the greatest Rhône wines, identifying the best vintages is the easy part. Knowing when best to open them is more difficult – but arguably more important. Here are four vintages that will benefit from further ageing, and four that you should consider drinking up. Sc ...
From the vineyards of Oregon on the west coast to those of New York’s Long Island in the east, the wine regions of the United States are vast and varied. And increasingly important to us here at Decanter – across not only the magazine and website, but our Decanter Premium channel online, the annual Decanter World Wine Awards and events such as our inaugural New York Decanter Fine Wine Encounter in June 2022. We strive to provide the best coverage for our international audience and so felt it was ...
Carruades de Lafite 2021 was released today (12 May) at €160 per bottle ex-Bordeaux, which analyst group Wine Lister said was around 6% below the 2020-vintage release price. It marks an early release for the second wine of Lafite Rothschild in this year’s fledgling Bordeaux en primeur campaign. Château Duhart-Milon, the fourth growth Pauillac estate owned by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (DBR Lafite), was also released. Farr Vintners was offering a 12-bottle case for £672 in bond. Wine Lis ...
