Top five picks from Wine Australia trip

Having just returned from a whirlwind two-week tour of some of Australia’s key wine regions, from the Adelaide Hills to Tasmania, it’s clear that any long-held prejudices about Australian wine need to be cast aside.

The country is fizzing with new ideas, brimming with winemaking talent and is producing wines of sublime elegance and finesse that can stand proudly alongside their Old World counterparts.

A new conversation is taking place in the country that puts terroir, freshness and sheer deliciousness at the forefront. Gone are the days of butter bomb Chardonnays and “Frankenwines” where oak and alcohol mask fruit expression.

In the following weeks I’ll be rounding up my top five wines by grape variety cherry picked from the selection of wines we were presented during the trip. But for now, I thought a good place to start would be my top five wines from the following categories: red, white, orange, sparkling and sweet.

Click through for my picks. If you’ve enjoyed any of them then let us know, or flag up any Australian wines you feel should be on our radars.

Top red: Yarra Yering Carrodus Shiraz 2014

Made by the hugely talented Sarah Crowe, James Halliday’s winemaker of the year for 2017 – the first female winemaker to receive the accolade – this Shiraz is made from vines planted in 1969 on gravel soils in Gruyere near Coldstream in the Yarra Valley.

The first thing that hits you is its pretty perfume of red and black fruits, violets and plums. The second is its texture, which is so exquisitely silky it’s hard to put into words.

It’s a wine that drifts across the palate, revealing sweet ripe plums, chocolate and spice with savoury undertones and refreshing acidity – an astoundingly accomplished and incredibly elegant wine that merits its £150 price tag.

Top white: Bannockburn S.R.H Chardonnay 2011

Hailing from the up-and-coming Geelong region in Victoria, this Chardonnay was made by Michael Glover with incredible care and attention to detail. Named in honour of Bannockburn’s founder, Sir Reginald Hopper, the wine is made from the 12 oldest Chardonnay rows on the estate.

Undergoing full malo and spending three years on its lees, it boasts the elegance and poise of top white Burgundies. Redolent with oyster shell and sea air aromas alongside citrus, lime and a hint of gun smoke, the wine has wonderful, mouth-filling palate weight and texture, offering the perfect balance of power and elegance – a seriously smart wine with impressive length. Price: £45.

Top orange: Logan Clementine Pinot Gris 2016

Admittedly, I didn’t try many “orange” wines during my trip, but this wine merits a mention for its individuality, illustrating the brightness achievable in skin contact wines. Named after winemaker Pete Logan’s young daughter, the Pinot Gris gapes hail from Orange in New South Wales.

Fermented on its skins for two weeks, the apricot hue of the wine is echoed on its sprightly, stone fruited palate of peaches, apricots and mandarins, proving orange wines needn’t all be about texture over fruit. Fresh, juicy, savoury and pretty, it’s a delightfully fun wine that adds something new to the Aussie wine conversation. Price: £14.

Top sparkler: House of Arras Grand Vintage 2007

Ed Carr needs no introduction – he’s the man almost single handedly responsible for putting quality traditional method sparkling wine from Tasmania on the map. His 2007 vintage spent seven years on its lees prior to disgorgement.

While I hugely enjoyed his Late Disgorged 2002, the Chardonnay dominant Grand Vintage 2007 had the edge for me due to its precision, elegance and depth. Displaying incredible power for a Chardonnay led blend, opening aromas of struck match and gunflint give way to apple and peach.

Carr’s reductive approach is delicately handled, adding interest and intrigue without taking away from the wine’s freshness and approachability. With toasty aromas and long length, this wine is just getting started and has a long life ahead of it. Price: £37.

Top sweet wine: Josef Chromy Botrytis Riesling 2016

Made by Riesling fanatic Jeremy Dineen at Josef Chromy estate in Tasmania, founded by the charismatic and fearless Josef Chromy, who fled his war-torn Czech village in the ‘50s as a penniless 19-year-old, this 9.5% abv sticky over delivers for its price point, offering all the hallmarks of a classic dessert wine.

Kicking off with a pretty aromatic nose of white flowers, mandarin and nectarine, the mouth-coating golden elixir fills your palate with sweet apricot, marmalade and Seville orange, its intense richness tempered by lively acidity that gives it wonderful lift and vibrancy. I defy anyone not to sink the entire bottle in one sitting. Price: £17.