New Release - Tardieu Laurant 'Le Becs Fins' Grenache Shiraz 2007 $29

I've said it before and I'll say it again; Australian winemakers will have to keep a close eye on the global market because we are getting better access every day to superb European wines that retail under $30.

I've been drinking a variety of GSM / Southern Rhone reds from this super negociant for a number of years now and have never failed to be impressed. The Le Becs Fins is a 50/50 grenache shiraz blend from vines aged 60 years (grenache) and 20 years (shiraz). The wine is officially a Cotes du Rhone Village appelation. There are a number of other base level wines well worth a look, including the Cotes du Rhone and the Les Grands Augustins. Both should be $30 or a touch under.

Cloudwine Tasting Note
"This might be the best CdR Village regularly available in Australia right now. Primary fruit weight is surprisingly light on both the nose and through the palate (think raspberries and lighter red friuts) but the real trick here is the zing from the minerals and stones and talcum powder-like character. Keeps the wine 'fluffy'. Consumed quite young I think and this clearly needs time. Might not be the greatest Les Becs every produced ( I think the 2005 looked better young) but time will tell."

Wine Spectator - 90pts
“Very juicy, but stylish and focused, showing a core of plum and blackberry fruit woven with spice, fruitcake and incense notes, followed by a long, streamlined finish. Should flesh out nicely in the short term.”

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
"Michel Tardieu’s work with his Rhône Valley négociant firm is spectacular. This superstar estate in the southern Rhône (the western end of Provence to be exact) will have an impact for decades to come.”

"Throughout the southern Rhône, 2007 is the greatest vintage I have tasted in my thirty years working in that region. Nearly every producer has attained largely unprecedented levels of quality. Moreover, the vintage is remarkably consistent from top to bottom. Given the global economic crisis, these wines, which have never been prized for speculative value, represent fabulous bargains for shrewd consumers looking for delicious wines to drink today or in the best cases, age for a decade or more.”

New Releases - April 17th 2009

Arneis
Dal Zotto 2008 $23 (King Valley)

Cabernet & Blends
Koonara 'Angels Peak' Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $18 (Coonawarra)
Mike Press 2007 $13 (Adelaide Hills)

Chardonnay
Narkoojee 'Lily Grace' 2008 $23 (Gippsland)
Nicholson River 'Montview' 2006 $23 (Gippsland)
Oakridge 2008 $30 (Yarra Valley)

Pinot Gris & Grigio
Mount Majura Pinot Gris 2008 $22 (Canberra)

Pinot Noir
Bress 'Silver' Pinot Noir 2008 $20 (Macedon Ranges)
Toolangi 2006 $24 (Yarra Valley)

Riesling
Jeaneret 2008 $20 (Clare Valley)
Koonara 'Sofiel's Gift' 2008 $18 (Adelaide Hills)

Sangiovese
Crittenden Estate 'Pinocchio' 2007 $20 (Heathcote)

Sauvignon Blanc
Ata Rangi 2008 $31 (Martinborough)
Derwent Estate 2008 $22 (Tasmania)
Frogmore Creek 2008 $27 (Tasmania)
Growers Reward 2008 $18 (Margaret River)

Shiraz & Blends
Battle of Bosworth Shiraz 2007 $23 (McLaren Vale)
Nicholson River 'Syrah' 2006 $39 (Gippsland)
Yarraloch Shiraz Viognier 2005 $30 (Yarra Valley)

White Blends
Heartland Pinot Gris Viognier 2007 $21 (Langhorne Creek)