Have you ever watched a fireworks display on New Year’s Eve? The pyrotechnicians do an excellent job organising it, sending them up at particular times, in a particular order and with just the right interval in between. Have you noticed how there will be some subtle colourful ones, then out of the middle of those comes a big, bright, loud and colourful one that lights up the sky? The senses of sight and sound are stimulated on each occasion and, when it’s all over, you can’t help but marvel at what you’ve just witnessed and think, “They get better every year.”
This wine was like a fireworks display in a bottle, from the opening to the finish.
The sound of the cork ‘popping’ from the bottle gets things started as the first colourful display arrives in the glass in the form of a salmon pink coloured liquid. The fine bead providing subtle bursts of excitement, slowly fading away and allowing a layer of citrus and an abundance of red fruit aromas to come through and liven up the olfactory senses. ‘Taste’ is next on the list of stimulated senses thanks to a perfect balance of acidity, fruit and texture simultaneously providing mouth-filling intensity and elegance. As things seem to settle, another layer appears on the back palate where lemony citrus notes compliment the strawberry, red currant and cherry characters. Things don’t stop there either. It just seems to keep on giving resulting in a fittingly, long grand finale. Delightful. Truly delightful! I’d like know how they will “get better every year.” This wine sets the bar very high.
Region: Yarra Valley, Vic Price: $150 Source: Sample courtesy of Levantine Hill
Words from a Wine Glass 