Hot off the 2018 vintage, the Queensland winemakers are already thinking ahead about which wines will be celebrated at the 35th Annual Queensland Wine Awards. This gala evening is not to be missed by wine aficionados, supporters of the Queensland wine industry, and the wine producers themselves.
Queensland Wine Week (May 30 -June 7) will kick off on May 30th to join in the celebrations for Aussie Wine Month (May), the country’s biggest annual celebration of Australian wine.
Winemaker Ray Costanzo says 2012 is the best vintage he has seen on the Granite Belt. So much so he dedicated a new label to it – Vintage Grand Reserve.
There’s a bit of change going on at Clovely Estate. Former winemaker and CEO Luke Fitzpatrick has moved on and taking his place is Sarah Boyce and Stefano Radici. The change doesn’t stop there with the label and logo getting a little shake up here, and I like it!
You could pass this off as a savoury Grenache. Damn it’s tasty. Durif is often seen as a big and gutsy wine, but that’s not the case here. Dangerously approachable, it’s a far cry from the 15% plus alcohol blockbusters coming from Rutherglen.
Here’s another textural delight from Ray Costanzo. Small white flowers and citrus aromas spill from the glass. There’s a sprinkle of spice with a wash of lemon juice at the death, but that lingering textural thing Ray has perfected with some of his white wines sits pretty well.
In the glass, the aromas from this Shiraz suggest it is a dense wine. Not the case. A lovely expression of cool climate Shiraz is highlighted by dark fruits, chocolate, a vanilla kick and a spice punch on the finish.
In a major first for a Queensland winery, Symphony Hill Wines on the Granite Belt has been awarded a national trophy for its 2014 Gewurztraminer at the 2014 Royal Melbourne Wine Awards. Their 2014 Gewurztraminer was awarded Best Single Varietal White Wine.
distributed under vines, minimal herbicide used and zero pesticides are applied. The vines are dry grown which is unique from most vineyards in the Granite Belt region.