by Martin Field

Bridgewater Mill Sauvignon Blanc2007 – up to $23 – \_/\_/
Adelaide Hills, South Australia. Pungent bouquet of herbs and a tinge of asparagus. Light and dry on the palate with a touch of tropical fruit and clean acidity to finish. Try with entrées.

Green Point Sauvignon Blanc 2007 – $22 – \_/\_/
Victoria. Aromatic with lychees and a subtle influence of French oak. Fuller style of sauvignon with a rounded texture, passionfruit and some grassiness.

AU Verdelho 2006 – $16.50 – \_/\_/
Granite Belt, Queensland. Fruity nose reminiscent of ripe pears and pineapples. Generous, soft palate showing dried pears and finishing with mild acidity.

Blind Man’s Bluff Liaisons Chardonnay 2007 – $28 – \_/\_/\_/
Kenilworth, Queensland. This unwooded chardonnay displays an attractive nose of peaches, apricots and apples. Stone fruits continue on the palate and the wine finishes with tangy citrus acidity.

PHI Pinot Noir 2006 – around $50 – \_/\_/\_/\_/
Yarra Valley, Victoria. Perfumed nose of strawberry conserve and dusty oak. Medium weighted palate, dry and velvety tannins and lashings of lovely berries. One of the better pinots I have tasted this year.

Conte Estate Numb Hand Pruner Grenache 2006 – $18 – \_/\_/
McLaren Vale, South Australia. Nose of raspberries, stewed plums and alcohol (14.5%). Soft sweet berries on the palate lead to a warm juicy aftertaste. Main course wine.

Picarus Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 – $20-ish – \_/\_/\_/
Wrattonbully, South Australia. The bouquet of this wine shows blueberries, red currants and a hint of pencil shavings. The palate is youthful, showing good fruit intensity; the tannins and acidity are quite forward and probably need a couple of months to soften off a tad. Will cellar well.

Tahbilk Eric Stevens Purbrick Shiraz 2002 – $60-ish – \_/\_/\_/\_/\_/
Nagambie Lakes, Victoria. A worthy name for what was originally the Tahbilk Special Bin label. The wine opens with an inviting nose of spice, chocolate, blackberries, mint and aniseed. The palate is a complex mix of concentrated shiraz and integrated French oak, ably supported by lean, sinewy, drying tannins. If you’re looking for a special bottle for your Christmas dinner, or a wine gift, or one to cellar gracefully for another 10 to 15 years, this is the wine.

Spitbucket rating system
Five gold spitbuckets \_/\_/\_/\_/\_/ – outstanding
\_/\_/\_/\_/ – classy
\_/\_/\_/ – first-rate
\_/\_/ – good stuff
\_/ – spit it!
An added $ or two denotes excellent value for money.