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Confidence breeds confidence, and we Australians are famous for having it in spades. As individuals we have to a large degree shrugged off the global economic crisis. The banks and credit markets are yet to follow, but the sharemarket, our exchange rate and retail sales are all in recovery mode. Eurocentric Wine Imports is well placed to grow through this recovery thanks to a determination to forge ahead through the downturn. Call it crazy, call it brave, but the decision to expand the portfolio as other markets froze or cancelled orders will benefit Australian wine drinkers in the long term. Deals have been struck to secure a good allocation of boutique wines now and into the future, and I believe the growers will continue to honour this faith and commitment. Already 22 new producers have joined the Australian marketplace through Eurocentric, and another 20 are waiting in the wings for their opportunity later this year, including two of the brightest new stars of Chablis, three cult Champagne producers, a host of brilliant red and white Burgundies, and two German riesling makers from the Saar and Ruwer who break the mould. Australians are enjoying a greater range of fantastic European and European-style wine, confident in the knowledge that they have been made with loving care, chosen by an enthusiast and transported in refrigerated trucks and ships to preserve their condition perfectly on the long journey down under. It's an expensive process, what with cumulative taxes, road freight, shipping charges and proper temperature-controlled, but there is no point in cutting corners to save a few pennies and ruining the wine in the process. Now available Australia wide are great wines from: Germany: Nine of the nation's best offer everything from dry riesling to luscious and incredibly rare TBAs. Robert Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide Volume 7 rates just 19 producers in the top ecehlon, and we have six of them -- the Nahe's hottest labels, Schafer-Frohlich and Emrich-Schonleber; Zilliken in the Saar; Knebel in the Lower Mosel; and Reinhold Haart and Willi Schaefer from the Middle Mosel. Then there's the Pfalz. The influential German wine guide Gault Millau rates just one winery there five stars, Rebholz, and we have their intriguing rieslings, low-alcohol gewurztraminer and other varietals available. From the Middle Mosel we also have crowd favourite Schloss Lieser, made by Thomas Haag, and the fast-rising Schmitges from the slopes of Erden. Still to come are Carl von Schubert's legendary Ruwer domaine Maximin Grunhaus, and the rich dry rieslings from Van Volxem in the Saar. France: We have the highest-ranked boutique producer in Champagne, Ployez-Jacquemart, rated by Revue du vin de France as 14th of all producers -- the only small house in the top 29. There is also Henri Billiot from the grand cru pinot noir village Ambonnay and Rene Geoffroy from Cumieres, both getting rave reviews from critics and fast wooing Champagne lovers in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. And we have made a nice start in Burgundy, with producers who get a healthy share of impressive reviews from Allen Meadows, the Burghound. Dupont Tisserandot is one of the largest land holders in Gevrey-Chambertin and is defying the ever-spiralling prices of the region, producing enticing wines from village level to grands crus that regularly score in the mid-90s with Meadows and Wine Spectator. Alex Gambal is a negociant involved in every aspect of the wine-making process and with access to some of the best parcels of fruit across the Cote d'Or. Fresh off the boat are the Cote Chalonnaise's leading chardonnay producer, Stephane Aladame (on the wine list of nine three-star restaurants in France, yet inexpensive), and Domaine Matrot from Meursault, with some of the best premier crus around and a bargain bourgogne blanc under screwcap. South Africa: The enticing wines of Stellenbosch star Dombeya are selling strongly, with the show-stopping chardonnay, shiraz and bordeaux blend defying their mid-range price points to woo retailers and restaurateurs with their quality. New Zealand: The French-inspired New Zealand red, white and sweet wines of Alluviale and Dada have been an instant hit with jaded drinkers and sommeliers. Hawke's Bay is expected to gain an even stronger position in Australia through the latest arrivals, Ash Ridge and Unison, the latter a regular winner in Gourmet Traveller Wine reviews. The South Island is represented by Central Otago renegade Surveyor Thomson, a single-vineyard wine that aims to tackle the French at their own savoury game rather than compete with its compatriots, many of which are simple and overoaked. Later in the year will come more red and white Burgundies, our first two Chablis domaines, the cult champagnes of David Leclapart, Vouette et Sorbee and Chartogne-Taillet, and more German rieslings from 2007 and 2008. If you have something else you'd liked sourced, feel free to suggest it! |
