Wines of the Week
David Hook Pinot Grigio 2012 & De Iuliis LDR Shiraz 2011
Pinot Gris has been grow and fermented to wine for centuries. There have been references to it being made by the French way back in the 14th Century. It moved into Italy later where it became known as pinot grigio. In more recent times it has become one of the highly popular white wines imported into many USA regions.
David Hook Pinot
Grigio 2012
Over the last decade or so it has been gaining a foothold in Australia with its growing fan base. Locally made versions have been moving up the popularity stakes and have become recognised as the "alternative white wine" selection and is beginning to gain mainstream recognition.
Although more popularly grown in the cooler regions of Australia some wine makers have been producing a wonderfully credible pinot grigio in warmer climes too. For example, from the Hunter Valley we have David Hooks Wines. David was was amongst the pioneers of that varietal in the region in the 1980s, producing consistently outstanding exemplars over the years from their property at Pokolbin.
Translated from Italian "grigio" means grey, and while this grape grown in Italy does have a grey shade about it, much of what is grown in Australia does not. The recently released David Hook Pinot Grigio 2012, for example, is a bright green with gold and yellow shades. It is also a beautifully dry drop balanced mid-way between acidic and fruity and with with a touch of spice and forward tropical fruit flavours.
A well chilled David Hook Pinot Grigio well compliments a Thai beef salad or any mixed fried seafood dish. This wine is great value at $18 a bottle.
A Glass For Lunch
If you are looking for some wine that is ready for the table now but can also be put into the cellar for future enjoyment then consider the LDR Shiraz 2011 another from the Hunter Valley. The wine comes from De Iuliis Wines one of the smaller wine makers of the Hunter.
Mike de luliis, known affectionately as MickeyD, has prepared a wine that can be drunk immediately or which will mature beautifully over the next five years.
Produced from vines grown in heavy clay soils this wine is well on the way to being considered a Hunter classic. It has a soft mouth feel of ripe plums, fine grained tannins and blackberries and is medium to full bodied.
This wine would sit well with a spicy peppered scotch fillet coated in a rich mushroom sauce. A special occasion wine at $40 a bottle.
Need a drink? We're archived on vintnews.com
