Five Bottles Worth Knowing About Right Now
There’s always something interesting finding its way onto the shelves at Claret. The
Sometimes it’s a producer we’ve been drinking for years. Sometimes it’s a bottle that’s been quietly sitting in a cellar, waiting for its moment. And sometimes it’s simply something we tasted and thought: Yep. The Claret Family need to know about this.
Agricola Vintners — Barossa Shiraz to watch
Keep your eyes on Agricola Vintners.
The Barossa Valley has no shortage of great Shiraz, but every now and then a producer comes along that makes you stop and pay attention. Agricola Vintners is one of those producers.
Their wines have the generosity and depth you’d hope for from Barossa Shiraz, but there’s a sense of precision and energy that keeps things interesting. This is the kind of bottle we love getting behind early — an emerging producer with serious potential and wines that already punch well above their weight.
If you’re a Barossa drinker, this is one to put on your radar.
Our take: It’s the next cult figure in waiting of the Barossa.
Dalwhinnie Museum Releases — A little bit of Australian wine history
There’s something special about opening a bottle that has already done some of the hard work for you.
Dalwhinnie has been making wine in Victoria’s Pyrenees region since the first vines were planted in 1976. The vineyard sits at around 595 metres above sea level, in a remote natural amphitheatre, and Shiraz has been at the heart of the estate since its first release in 1980. With Margaret River icon and Fogarty Group head winemaker Julian Langworthy now at the winemaking helm, Conor and I had the privilege of tasting through his current releases and talking about the ageability of Dalwhinnie’s wines from years gone by. There’s something pretty special about tasting history while looking ahead to the exciting future of such a prestigious Victorian winery.
These Dalwhinnie Museum Releases give you the chance to experience that history with some serious bottle age behind them.
We have limited releases including Shiraz from 2013 and 2017, alongside Cabernet Sauvignon from 2009.
Our take: Museum releases like this do not come around often, we’re so excited to have them on the shelf and be able to share them with you – but they will not be here for long
Joshua Cooper — Single-vineyard wines from Macedon
Joshua Cooper is part of a new generation of Victorian winemakers putting serious attention back on site, texture and restraint.
Based in the Macedon Ranges, Cooper works with significant and historic vineyards across Central and Western Victoria, with a particular focus on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. His approach is refreshingly simple: let the vineyard do the talking.
The single-vineyard releases are where this philosophy really comes into focus.
These aren't wines trying to shout across the table. They're elegant, detailed and wonderfully expressive of where they come from — the kind of wines that reward a little attention, but don't demand a lecture before you can enjoy them.
And Macedon Ranges is a pretty special place to make wine. High altitude, cool conditions and old, significant vineyard sites give these wines a natural freshness and structure.
Our take: These are serious wines; Get out your big wine glasses out, these wines deserve the royal treatment.
Hellyers Road — Tasmanian whisky, in minis!
We’re big fans of a good Tasmanian whisky, and Hellyers Road is one of the names worth knowing.
Based on Tasmania’s North West Coast, Hellyers Road produces single malt whisky with a real sense of place — and importantly, there’s plenty of variety within the range.
The other thing we particularly like? MINI’s - these cute 200ml formats are great gifts, but also a great chance to try something new without the long term commitment of 700mls.
The 200mL formats let you explore a few different whiskies without committing to a full bottle, making them a very good option for the whisky-curious, or an easy gift for someone who is already well down the whisky rabbit hole.
Our take: A very good way to introduce someone to Tasmanian single malt especially if they're difficult to buy for.
Dangerous Ales — An Epic Hop Tale
And now for something completely different.
An Epic Hop Tale from Dangerous Ales is essentially a very delicious experiment: take one hop variety and let it do the talking.
Most IPAs are built using a combination of hops, each contributing different aromas, flavours and bitterness. Dangerous Ales takes the opposite approach, creating individual beers around a single hop variety so you can really see what that hop brings to the party.
The series has explored hops including Citra, Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic, Nectron, Motueka, Idaho 7, Krush and Simcoe, with each release offering a very different experience.
Think tropical fruit, citrus, stone fruit, pine, resin and all sorts of wonderfully hoppy things — depending on the chapter. It’s a particularly fun way to get into the world of hops without needing to know your Mosaic from your Motueka beforehand.
Our take: Grab a couple of different chapters and taste them side by side. It’s basically a hop masterclass, but considerably more fun.