Welcome to edition seven of Liquor Barons’ On the Vine

As we head to spring, it’s time to think about those immediately drinkable wines that help lift us out of the depths of winter.

In this edition of On the Vine the panel looked at an excellent cross section of varieties and styles that met the criteria of uplifting drinking as we transition from winter to spring.
In the reds we chose two pinots, a grenache and a blend featuring grenache and other Rhone blends. And in the whites are really impressive pinot grigio from Singlefile and a cracking chardonnay from Forest Hill.

It’s a classic case of six of the best.

– Ray Jordan

On The Vine Edition Seven Tasting Notes

• L.A.S Vino | Granite Grenache 2023 | 93/100 
  Nic Peterkin is making some sensational wines and this light bodied but oh so flavoursome grenache is no exception. You’ll love the raspberry and rose petal aromas that create an engaging and immediately enticing scented beginning. A balanced palate displays the beauty of this variety when well handled. A cracking good wine to drink now.
• Cherubino Laissez Faire | ‘IV’ Shiraz Grenache Mataro Counoise | 95/100
  This is a blend of counoise, mataro, shiraz and grenache. It’s a balanced and poised blend that offers great drinking over the next few years. It’s a wine we prefer to drink when those vibrant, bouncy fruit flavours are dominant. The counoise seems to add a slight peppery crisp acidity to elevate the other varieties.
• Lambrook | Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir | 93/100
  A bright and vibrant pinot from the Adelaide Hills. There’s an opening aromatic salvo of cherry and raspberry, and if that doesn’t hook you, the delicious medium weight, bright red fruits and neatly integrated oak on the palate will certainly do the trick. Super drinking now and the next few years.
• Forest Hill | Estate Chardonnay 2023 | 94/100
  The team at Forest Hill have really elevated to another level across the board with their impressive portfolio of wines. It has generally been the reds and riesling, but this is an absolutely first rate chardonnay of tremendous power. Intense grapefruit and cashew characters with a nice oak treatment have created a really remarkable wine.
• Dalrymple | Pinot Noir 2022 | 94/100
  A wonderful example of the pinots being made in Tasmania. On the nose you’ll be greeted by spicy stewed rhubarb and cherry, with complementary notes of vanilla bean and subtle truffle-like earthy notes. The palate is sublime – smooth and succulent, with a tight core that ensures its length and structural integrity. Exceptionally long pleasing finish.
• Singlefile | Run Free Pinot Grigio 2023 | 92/100 
  Now here’s a pinot grigio with a difference. Yes, it is still linear and crisp, but there is texture here that makes for a friendlier, easy drinking palate. There’s lots of apple and pear, with a little biscuit crumble for complexity. A model for the variety and the style.