Singlefile Wines
Some wineries make a huge splash while others do the slow grow. Singlefile is one of the latter. It dates back to 2007 when Phil and Vic Snowden bought a vineyard in Denmark, WA. Since then they’ve reconfigured that vineyard and sourced quality grapes in the Great Southern region, all the while building an enviable reputation for top notch wines at real world prices. Look into how they’ve achieved this in market place of wineries trying to do the same thing and you realise that this is no fluke. Everything is thought through from the soils to the viticulture to the winemaking to marketing to the consultants they employ. The label now boasts a dozen or so wines – all of very high quality – and one of the most highly regarded cellar door/restaurants in the Denmark region.
For the wine snob
Hahndorf Hill Blueblood Blaufränkisch 2013
Here’s a wine to impress the wine snob in your life. Blaufränkisch is one of Austria’s favourite red grape varieties and this is the only version produced in Australia. But that’s going to change as its plantings are increasing. It’s a refined, elegant red and deserves a carefully tended lamb back strap or even a duck breast.
For the cellar
Leconfield Cabernet Merlot 2013
This wine is drinking well now but has an excellent pedigree for the cellar. Well priced for a Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot, five years on its back in the dark should see it drinking at its peak.
For lunch
Chalk Hill Il Vivace Vermentino 2014
Many winemakers are beginning to realise that wines with 14-plus per cent alcohol are not particularly user friendly. Thankfully there’s a trend towards varieties and winemaking that produce lighter alcohol wines. This 11.5 per cent Vermentino is a fine example. Pale in colour, it’s fresh and vibrant with whiffs of fruits and whipped cream and is ideal chilled down with an Asian-styled salad.
Did you know?
Napoleon Bonaparte was opinionated about many things so it should be no surprise to learn that he was also a wine snob. His spoils of war were often poured out of a bottle and he was particularly fond of the Blaufränkisch grown in Hungary.
