2013 Montalto Pennon Hill Mornington Peninsula Rosé

I had to look up the Montalto website to discover this Rosé was Pinot Noir. Why don't they put that on the label? I would have bought it without hesitation. But it was a much deeper and more ruby red than a Pinot Rosé can usually be which is a fantastic salmon-pink in my experience. Anyway, in my and my sister's (known as Dish in the restaurant art) long-term investigation of Rosé: this is my latest discovery, in the always great Cellars – this time in Byron Bay. I won't be back for this year's though: it's dry definitely, but too austere perhaps. I think one should have a sense of edging decadence or celebration with a Rosé. Though smelling of cold rose petals, it is a little too tart, though it may, hence, go well with salami pizza, duck, pigeon or quail. A clear transparent label in white lettering is good for a Rosé because of its spectacular colour. A couple of wavy lines could indicate either the hills or the nearby sea.

Significantly, Montalto says it is committed to wine that is 'an expression of its origin' so the '50 acre estate vineyard is the primary source of fruit for the entire range of wines'. The winemaker is
 Simon Black, and Montalto are proud to say they are committed to 'wine education' at the cellar door.

2013 Deep Woods Margaret River Harmony Rosé

Never miss an opportunity to talk about a good, new Rosé discovery! This, as the label says, is a very drinkable dry Rosé of Shiraz and Tempranillo. My thinking is Pinot Noir and Temp are probably always going to make good Rosés. Although the DW is only 30% Temp. Called 'harmony' because of the area: Yallingup (WA) where forest meets the sea, so surfboard icons feature (though these could be Aboriginal shields. Although harmony seems also to do with 'red' and thus another labelling of whites as 'ivory'. Go figure! A bit of an odd label with one shield and 'harmony' done in shiny bronze, on grey-and-white which kind of misses the mark in terms of link to place: no blue and green? Then again, the shield surfboards feature around the label. But the website features the grey too. Interestingly, Yallingup means place of love'. It's a label of the Forgarty family who also own a vineyard in the Hunter Valley (NSW). Julian Langworthy is the winemaker. The philosophy is 'low vineyard yields' and bottling 'in small batches' which are good indicators for quality. If I saw this Rosé on a restaurant's wine list, I'd go go for it, and be confident of recommending co-drinkers to do so too.

2012 Tommy Ruff Barossa Valley Syrah Mourvedre

Always a sucker for a Mourvedre mix. So this is a wine you drink and think , 'Ok, from a master/mistress maker'. Deep, impenetrable ruby red in colour at its centre, though translucent at its edges. In perfume there's pepper on a thin jam. Let it open up. But the thinness and short length are part of its charm, if that's what you're into and it's what I'm into. My partner said great, even before he knew the price which is around $29. But this is 'wild ferment' = a pretty-much descriptor of success. The label (Tommy Ruff is a fish, but also ' A nickname at school') is white on black with a kind of thin traditional printing or hand-writing. From Shobbrok Wines: 'handmade', 'natural'. I think Tom Shobbrok is the winemaker. I joined up to the newsletter! This wine is a reason to live, and live now. (Bought from the very discerning Jared Dixon of Clunes General Store and Cellars.) By the way: I'm not a fan of stemless glasses as pictured with bottle – though I've got 'em (but free with some bottle buy or other).

2010 K1 Geoff Hardy Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir

K1's 2010 Geoff Hardy Adelaide Hills, Kuipto, Pinot Noir, which I purchased online, is brown-ruby in colour with a definite deeply ripe plum perfume with spice such as cinnamon and nutmeg edges. Very drinkable Pinot, slipping down easily. It could be a summer drink, especially if cooled. Light weight, but satisfying length on palate, shiraz-like with some pepper, and currents and sultanas.

2012 Upside Down Marlborough Merlot

The 2012 Upside Down Marlborough Merlo is the best I've drunk for a while, especially lacking in 'dust'!

2010 Glenwillow Yandoit Creek, Bendigo, Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2010 Glenwillow Yandoit Creek, Bendigo, Cabernet Sauvignon, that Jared Dixon also has at the Clunes Wine Store/Cellars, is a deep black ruby red, and has a kind of white chalk aroma, with sweet green pea. It's smooth and soft on the palate, and could almost be sweet at the end. (A wine with an uninspiring label, though, that lets down the contents of the bottle.)

2006 Elizabeth Hunter Valley Semillon

James Halliday always mentions Elizabeth Hunter Valley Semillon in this annual best 100 whites under $20. The 2006 was available at the Station Hotel. Bright ripe-lemon gold in colour, on the palate, as usual for Semillon, it's stern if not severe: it has gravitas. You really wouldn't, if you were bright, select it to drink alone on a summer's day at a pub or wine bar. It's probably best with food, but what? A rich, buttery roasted chicken? A Middle-Eastern dish with preserved lemon. A dessert of some kind: partially sweet, something with butter again. As I have said before, it's a drink for adults; it's not a YA grape. But while I understand the 2006's gravitas, I can't see myself buying it again—unless I know I'm having that chicken.