DAN'S WINE BLOG 2020 WRAP UP
Dan Traucki MWCC
WINE ASSIST P/L Freelance Wine Journalist. Also facilitating the export of Australian Wines to the world.
Friday, December 11, 2020
This is the last blog for the year so I would like to wish you and yours a very merry and safe Christmas and may 2021 be a fabulous year for you, both personally and in the wine business, full of joy with a minimum of disappointments. Lord knows we all need it after the “Annus Horribilis” of 2020. I won’t grizzle about 2020 because we all had more than our share of challenges, especially after the Chinese Government decided to be bully boys and play pi?atas with our wine industry – just because we outperformed the French and asked for a Covid-19 enquiry.
So, in 2021 let’s find new markets for our fabulous Aussie wines and bounce back to being one of the leading wine exporting countries in the world. Much of Asia is looking good (other than India) along with some potential in Brazil and Eastern Europe, especially Poland. Also, the Yanks will need plenty of wine to recover from the Trumping they have just endured, whilst the Poms will need help to drink their way out of a “hard” Brexit.
So far this year (with only a couple of weeks to go), I have only tasted/reviewed just under 1,000 wines, compared with 1,921 in 2019. This reduction was mainly due to Covid-19 cancelling my usual three to four wine trips overseas.
As in past years, here are my Top 20 wines reviewed over the course of the year – in no particular order:
?Min Zeven 2018 Netherlands Bruut & Bruizend – Sparkling
?Monsigny N/V Champagne- France – Aldi
?Soumah Wines 2018 Yarra Valley Equilibrio Chardonnay
?Berton Vineyards 2019 Riverina Aranel
?Yangara Estate 2020 McLaren Vale Blanc – Grenache Blanc/Clairette/Roussanne/Picpoul/Bourboulenc
?jB Wines 2013 Barossa Valley Joseph’s Clairette
?Hahndorf Hill 2020 Adelaide Hills ‘White Mischief’ Grüner Veltliner
?Hickinbotham of Dromana 2017 Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay
?Trifon Estate 2008 Central Victoria Marsanne
?Orlando Wines 2015 Lawson’s Padthaway Shiraz
?Hofer Family 2018 Langhorne Creek Lagrein
?Lévrier by Jo Irvine 2014 Barossa Valley Zinfandel
?Yangara Estate McLaren Vale 2018 McLaren Vale ‘Ovitelli’ Grenache
?Reillys Wines 2017 Clare Valley ‘Stolen Block’ Shiraz
?Topper’s Mountain 2016 New England ‘Touriga & Tintas (Tinta Nacional, Tinta Cao & Tinta Roriz)
?Pel Villain Vins 2018 Cahors (France) ‘Plaisir d’Olt’ Malbec
?Tevalova 2017 Manchuela (Spain) ‘Cupido’ La Cepa de Pelayo Bobal
?d’Arenberg 2015 McLaren Vale “The Old Bloke & The Three Young Blondes – Shiraz/Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne
?Blackstone Paddock 2018 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon – Aldi
?Calabria Wines 2017 Three Bridges Riverina Botrytis Semillon
I wish you all the best for the festive season and for 2021 and hope that you have enjoyed reading my Blog over the course of the year. The next Blog will recommence mid-January 2021 providing I don’t OD on Christmas festivities.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY NEW YEAR and enjoy some sensational wines over the festive season, from wherever they come from (but preferably from Australia).
Cheers, Dan T.
Judit Nagy L - LNJ, is a winepainter, formerly trained as a civil engineer. She creates a mixedmediaart with real wine, brandy, soil from the vineyards and condiments.
3 年Merry Christmas, Dan! ??????