5 wines to cellar (or enjoy now)
Whether you’re thinking about a big occasion - or just something on standby ready to celebrate one of life’s little victories - it’s always good to have a bottle or two lying in wait, somewhere cool and undisturbed.
But how do you know what’s going to be good to hold on to? Fear not - here’s five delicious in-stock recommendations for wines that are great now and will develop for another decade if you’ll let them.
Maison Chanzy 'Clos Voyens' Mercurey 1er Cru 2019
This Premier Cru Mercurey from Clos Voyens is an absolute stunner with years and years ahead of it. While pinot can often be subtle and subdued, rest assured that this drop will show you anything but - there's some intense aromas to astound you here. Macerated strawberries mingle with raspberry liquorice, crushed rocks and a gentle vanilla sweetness. There’s also a fantastic miso-like umami quality that feels so fitting to boost the strength and longevity of this wine in each sip. The palate is full (for an Old World pinot, that is) but with fine grain tannins and an effortless elegance. Be sure to save some of that 6-pack, because you’re going to want to lie some of this down in the cellar (or, wherever you keep your vino).
Lou Miranda Estate Old Vine Shiraz Mataro 2018
Big, bold shiraz dripping with Barossa energy and opulence. The plump, luscious and fabulously rich shiraz fruit is set off against the ferociously concentrated, infinitely layered mataro. And talk about ageing gracefully - Mofo fave producers Lou Miranda pulled the mataro off bush vines that are a steady 120 years old. One look at them and you’d think them too gnarly to produce such powerful and focused wines, but the proof is truly in the pudding. For now, you’ll be treated to a Black Forest gateaux of fruity flavour singing against characteristically medicinal mataro, giving a gorgeously nuanced wine of incredible depth that will only go further.
Metzer Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Cabernet is a beast that needs taming, whether in the winery or aged in bottle. In the hands of Metzer, rest assured that the winery side of things has been taken care of whilst keeping a ‘hands-off’ (is that an oxymoron?) approach. Skip to the end if you don’t want to hear about the winemaking hoo-ha: the parcels were fermented with wild yeasts, with manual punching down to extract gentle flavours and tannins from those hardy cabernet skins. In this winery, it’s all about being gentle, with grapes gravity fed and basket-pressed before extended time in French barrels (30% new). Poured now you’ll find plums, mulberry and charred meat galore. A hint of cured pork with fennel seed, a dash of tobacco spice and a whiff of herbs such as bay, thyme and carraway mingle with the rich blackberries picked straight from a wild bush. This is a seriously sophisticated wine, and we bet it’s got more to show in the future too.
Maison Chanzy 'Clos de la Fortune' Bouzeron Blanc 2019
Crisp and bright aliogoté - the ‘other’ white wine of Burgundy. These are such experiential, exciting and energetic wines that we keep coming back to them time after time. At the moment it’s showing slightly under ripe peach and apricot with fleshy whole grapefruit layered over-top, with a piercing green apple acidity. That acidity is backed up by genuine, no muckin’ about richness though - sweeping through and adding some cheesy, creamy, nutty goodness. This is perfect for anyone looking to drink a little outside the box either now or over the next few years - a seriously exciting varietal that is criminally overlooked.
Kirrihill E.B. Gleeson 'The Settler' Riesling 2019
Some producers are one-hit wonders, and some are as versatile as the day is long. Kirihill is in the latter camp, with great wines from shiraz, to cabernet, Malbec to Mataro. But of course, we wouldn’t be talking highlights if we weren’t talking riesling, and ‘The Settler’ is precisely that. From the WSS vineyard in Watervale - prized for its unique soils - this is intensely lime and citrus driven if you’re drinking now. A steely palate glides you into the refreshing lemon sherbet finish which will mellow and become more concentrated with age.
Want to make sure your wines are always good to go when you’re ready to sip? Check out our guide to storing and ageing wine.
Want something aged, now? Check out our picks from the cellar.