(Part 1 of 2 – Most widely planted reds)
At first blush, it feels almost inappropriate crowning anything “best” from a year such as 2020 was. And yet, when we reflect more deeply upon it, despite the varied and cruel adversities visited upon so many last year, despite it all, we discovered new magics, comforts and wonders in wine. And isn’t that the promise of wine? To transcend circumstantial adversity, to bring us together in heart and spirit, even when viruses and lockdowns block us physically. In some ways, despite being our least travelled year in wine hunting memory, 2020 was the most miraculous. Did magical wine ever taste better?
2020 WINE OF THE YEAR
Schild Estate 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon – Behold, a wine of true distinction, rising high above the masses. A seriously special Cab Sav that casts elements of the most seductive Pinot Noirs and striking Syrahs. Ample cracked pepper, olive & sage, leather, cedar, and cigar boxes. All that from Barossa fruit? Indeed, with the “Barossa” shining loudly in the long, smooth, and juicy fruit finish that polishes off this amazing experience. A very serious wine. Perhaps the most expressive Cab Sav we have ever met. Not for the faint of heart or casual drinkers. But for those of you seeking something special, something of true distinction … behold and rejoice. Drinking perfectly right now.
PAST WINNERS:
2019 Wine of the Year (tie):
*Arno Wine Co. 2018 Grenache – What we said: Another Arno Grenache miracle. Is it possible this one is even better than the last? Arno works an indisputable magic with this varietal. There are simultaneously a titanic depth and a twinkling brightness to Arno’s Grenache that we cannot explain and have not seen replicated elsewhere. It is vibrantly alive but worthy of ponder. A purity in the beautiful Grenache flavour, a roundness, a completeness to this glorious wine. Is it super drinkable? Hell yeah! Could it take your mind to a place to ponder the mysteries of the world? That too.
*Merum Priorati’s 2016 El Cel – What we said: This one really does reach the heavens in a way we see in less than 0.1% of wines. A jaw-droppingly sublime and mighty wine. All power and poise; rich and potent; majestic in the scope of flavours it weaves into its silken tapestry: the definition of elegance. Literally, a stunning wine. We try to (and 99% do) focus on AUS wine, but this one was too special not to mention.
2018 Wine of the Year:
*Ellis Wines 2012 Signature Cab Sav – What we said: “Singularly the best AUS Cab Sav we have ever had. Huge waves of flavour roll across the palate. A beautiful texture is achieved in this wine that we can’t recall having seen before. Although the wine has a few years now, the fruit flavour remains very bright, and perhaps because its from Heathcote, the Cab Sav specific flavours aren’t angular at all but beautifully polished with every taste note pleasant.”
2017 Wine of the Year:
*Hanging Rock Winery 2013 Jim Jim Pinot Noir – What we said: This wine conjures to mind the ethereal mists spraying forth from frothy waves pounding jagged cliffs, a slow shooting star on the clearest night … THE BEST AUS PINOT WE HAVE EVER TASTED. A silken muse – Framed by engaging light pepper, earthiness, and inviting shades of black cherry, could not be smoother, but somehow sparkles on the palate. The elegance you expect from a great Pinot, but this wine shines like a star beyond. Soul soothing. Ultimately satisfying. We’d kill for more.
2020 Wines of the Year
CABERNET SAUVIGNON – If we had to call it for just one variety, 2020 was the year for Cabernet Sauvignon – our two favourite wines this year descending from the same majestic variety. From satisfyingly meaty beasts to exquisitely expressive wines (see our wine of the year above) and everything in between, Cab Sav shone like a star in a dark year for the world.
*John Gehrig Wines 2016 RG Cabernet Sauvignon – Truly, a beautiful, very French style Cab Sav. The palate experience starts soft and silky but fleshes out into a dense blueberry and blackberry dream in the long finish. Completely clean of the green elements that too often mar AUS Cab Sav. Loved it!
* Pondalowie Vineyards 2016 Reserve Cab Sav – An exceptionally smooth cab sav with ample heft. Tons of flavour trucking along beneath the polished surface that spreads and glows on the palate, but all in perfect restraint. Heathcote does not normally work out well for Cab Sav, but when it does, it cannot be beaten – this wine is that case in point. Reminds strongly of Ellis Wines 2012 Heathcote Cab Sav stunner (see past wines of the year above).
* Rymill Coonawarra 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon – Mysterious nose belies power and complexity, but gives nothing away on this wine that is jammed full of classic Coonawarra Cab flavors – blueberries, blackberries & briary bramble packed tight into a bright punch of flavours that lingers & lingers, dissolving eventually into mocha goodness. There is a dense warm core to this wine that gives and gives. Coonawarra at its best …
* St Ignatius Vineyard 2016 Contemplations Cabernet Sauvignon – Bewitched, bothered, bewildered… who knew an old tune could so aptly describe a wine (or at least its effect on us)? It starts softly enough on the palate, but a glowing density of seamlessly interlocked tannins, attractive subtle spices, and blueberry/blackberry flavours grow into indelible richness. Such a beautiful wine, and a powerful demonstration of why age is important for a wine of this stature.
* Tumblong Hills 2013 J-Block Cabernet Sauvignon– Powerful magics lurk in this bewitching bottle. Mocha & fine-grained leather on the nose. Stout and sturdy, this is such a captivating Cab Sav with bursts of juicy fruit punching through an enchanting swirl of fine tannins. Everything somehow spins and turns on a glowing core of rich dark fruit in this sumptuous drop. Mulberry, rich mocha and blackberry play hide and seek before merging into a gloriously long & smooth finish. Rare is the wine that carries off such a stature of importance and authority while offering so much on the palate – somehow both voluptuous and refined. There is such intensity & richness to it, but it is not overbearing and never loses balance. Lusty dark fruits restrained by the gentle fatherly hand of fine oak.
PINOT NOIR – 2020 was the perfect year for Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir somehow warms and comforts the soul, reveals the deeper truths, and didn’t we all need that in 2020? 2020 was the best of at least the last three year for finding peak PN. From clinical perfection of traditional Pinot Noir flavours to mysterious deep forest funk, we found (and loved) it all in 2020.
* Blakes Estate and cellar door 2018 Reserve Pinot Noir – An extraordinary Pinot Noir that makes one wonder how they crammed so many flavours into the confines of a glass bottle, There is a smokiness, a funkiness – that mushroom, truffle, tree bark, forest floor thing.. and it works in this utterly engaging wine that starts like a bright bobble and ends in dark forest. At first sip, you think it demands food, after the first glass, you realise you can’t let any foreign tastes imped the way of experiencing such a masterful symphony of flavours.
* Clyde Park Block D 2019 Pinot Noir – Probably the most perfect Pinot Noir we tasted in 2020 – literally, bright, clinical Pinot Noir perfection – we haven’t seen the like in a few years now. Fantastic acidity backs a wine that really drives straight toward its (stunning) flavour climax that bustles with the best (and very clean) Pinot Noir flavours. A Pinot Noir miracle in a bottle!
* Cooks Lot Wines 2018 Allotment 1111 Pinot Noir – An inviting nose of wild strawberries and summer days past carries through to a warm strawberry and cherry palate framed by sparkling fresh spiciness. This wine is absolutely bright with life and a reminder of better days.
* Curly Flat Vineyard 2016 Pinot Noir – Seductive perfumed nose of enchantment & intrigue. Mouth-filling flavours that are somehow deep and savoury but with a surface of shining, lifted fruit and cherry kisses. A beautiful, beautiful bright acid finish bookends this stunning wine. As smooth as it could be. Curly Flat is the master of Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir.
* K1 by Geoff Hardy 2018 Pinot Noir – Light and juicy with playful hide-and-seek hints of green and black spices. Just a tiny smidge of sweet. Although this wine is incredible now, it will probably look even better in a year or two. A delightful Pinot Noir that doesn’t take itself too seriously but carries ample gravitas all the same.
* Rochford Wines – Yarra Valley 2018 Pinot Noir – Deep, dark savouriness drives this damn fine wine down a sparkling spice path of mystery and wonder. A very serious, dare we say regal Pinot Noir – the sustenance of kings and philosophers. Reminds us why the Yarra Valley still commands a seat in the Pinot Noir conversation.
* Seppelt Wines 2018 Drumborg Vineyard Pinot Noir – This wine perfectly walks the tight-rope, juggling seamlessly its bright and alive aspects with deeper and darker hints of spice and mystery – an expression of purity and balance indeed, carrying such complexity, so many layers with such little effort. This one will please experts and novices alike.
* Stefano Lubiana 2018 Estate Pinot Noir – Such a beautiful Pinot Noir that throws just a little of everything at you in just the right balance. It’s all there – the seamlessly interwoven tannins, the consistent acidity, the fruit density, the enticing aroma … Such a masterpiece and a clear demonstration of why Stefano Lubiana is one of TAS’ 10 best.
* Stonier Wines Jack’s Vineyard 2016 Pinot Noir – Can you drink velvet? Yes you can. The smoothest texture possible in wine, with swirling undercurrents of succulent cherry, lightly spiced strawberry, and autumnal tea leaves. Beautiful!
SHIRAZ – It’s always a good time for Shiraz in Australia! Australia’s favoured son gives and gives and gives again. Reflecting on the best Shiraz/Syrah we found last year, 2020 seems to have been about balance and nuance, a little laying off of the pedal of power – and just reading that makes us wonder if our taste buds responded to the external circumstances of the year? Either way, you will not go wrong with any of the stunners below.
* Bethany Wines 2017 First Village Shiraz – such a special wine and really quite unique for a Barossa Shiraz – definitely not a baked blackberry sledgehammer. The primary flavours are black cherry and mulberry – almost cool climate-ish. There is an earthiness to this wine, dark forest characteristics – mysterious and enchanting. What really lights it up, though, is all the texture and nuance. It is adroitly structured, with beautiful flavour notes playing off each other that keep the drinker well engaged. You really have to pay attention when you drink this wine to fully understand it. And that’s the hallmark of a great wine – it demands you respect it back.
* Ellis Wines 2016 Premium Heathcote Shiraz – A brush with heaven. Deep dark amethyst in hue. On the nose, scents of toffee float atop a stew of brooding dark fruit. On the palate, seamlessly woven flavours, at first subtle but always building, of dark plums and midsummer blackberry. Smooth, smooth, smooth. Extraordinary length in the soft toffee finish. Remarkable in being at once plump with fruit heft, yet crosses the palate with such feather grace and poise. Truly a soaring wine, and a study in elegance. Heathcote Shiraz is defined by its unique capture of power and restraint, but few indeed are they that dance as truly as this one. A wine of supreme integration that offers ever more reward and unfolding in each next sip.
* Forest Gate Estate Winery 2016 Shiraz – With a warm and inviting nose, this bright and elevated Shiraz engages with indolent waves of plump black raspberry and light spice, tied together with a gentle but assertive acidity for an altogether pleasing and long-finishing flavour journey. An excellent wine that just flatly works – one of those rare unicorns that will delight newbies and sophisticates alike!
* Heathcote Winery 2015 Slaughterhouse Paddock Shiraz – Clove, vanilla, and wafts of cinnamon on the nose roll into a gentle stew on the palate – deep, rich, and plush, but never overbearing. A unique and thoroughly satisfying wine. And something a little unique from Heathcote – found this one in the vault, but still one of the better we drank in 2020.
* Red Feet Wines 2017 Syrah – A soaring, elegant Syrah. Concentrated dark fruit (black cherry and ripe plum) infused with a kiss of vanilla bean, flecks of cracked pepper, and fine oak – delivered oh so softly, but assertively all the same … a superb wine!
* Sanguine Estate 2017 Shiraz – A soaring wing, carving a majestic and perfect arc of flavours, intertwined in harmonious integration so as to cross the palate as one note. Perfection, Heathcote in a bottle. A wine of this stature requires no further words.
* She Oak Hill Vineyard 2017 Shiraz – Our readers will recall our obsession with She Oak Hill’s 2015 masterpiece. The 2017 offers a quite distinct, but equally commanding take on Shiraz. This wine is on a mission, pushing forward with a slightly darker, slightly spicier vision of Shiraz, but as with Heathcote”s best, always with a balance and poise that marries elegance with purpose. One of the most subtly distinct wines we drank this year!
* Stefano Lubiana Wines 2018 Syrah – A beautiful, poignant closing curtain of a wine with shades of mocha and lavendar, but just shades. Mostly, it a seamless tapestry of fine tannins – a smooth, smooth assassin of a wine.
* Thomas Wines 2017 Elenay Shiraz – With bright acid tingle up front, this is a serious and mysterious wine. Elevated red (not Barossa black) flavours, but don’t be fooled – it’s a flavour freight train chugging through the palate. A very powerful wine!
* 22 Degree Halo Shiraz Nero d’Avola – This wine has to be one of our coolest discoveries of 2020 (Shiraz + Nero d’Avola? Really?) and a prime example of “drink now” perfection. A dark curtain of beautifully seamless soft tannins, with mild, mild spices complementing rich, ripe blackberry. Immediate satisfaction in a bottle.
The magical wines above made 2020 better than bearable. They are #WhyWeLoveWine. Stay tuned for part 2 – other reds & whites.
Follow/like/subscribe:
