!!!January 25, 2024
The Northern Rivers Times
WINE 43 Max Crus is a Clarence Valley-based wine writer and Grape Expectations is now in its 26th year of publication. Find out more about Max or sign up for his weekly reviews and musings by visiting maxcrus.com.au
Grape Expectations by Max Crus
Max Crus Trophy misses Aussie Day melee.
Max Crus ow fortuitous that Invasion Day (known as Australia Day to Peter Dutton) this year should fall NOT on a publication day, otherwise, like Triple J, Woolworths, umpteen councils around Australia and just about everyone else who doesn’t watch Sky News, we too would have had to shift our big day of celebration, the announcement of the 2024
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Max Crus Trophy winner. However, let’s get the first column of ’24 underway in the usual fashion with something political, and for the first time ever, I embarrassedly admit I agree with Dutton - Woolworths should be boycotted. Our agreeance finishes right there though. Woolworths should be boycotted not because they
are unAustralian and have made a business decision not to sell, as the Betoota Advocate puts it, ‘Chinese made novelty Australia Day shit’, as Dutton advocates, but because they wrap everything in plastic and crush, squeeze and screw their suppliers (and customers) mercilessly in the quest for increased profit for their shareholders and executives.
That Peter Dutton thinks the government should dictate what a supermarket sells flies in the face of his own party’s principles, but evidently they are trumped by any chance to fly the patriotic pennant. Instead of Dutton’s dictum to buy cheap, plastic, Chinese-made, Aussie flags that will be in landfill tomorrow, I suggest we buy this year’s
Max Crus Trophy winner in reverence to something truly Australian and place it gently in the recycle bin when finished. Now, who are the contenders from 2023? From nearly 600 wines, 42 scored 9.6/10 or better. 15 of those scored 9.7 or better, while five got a whopping 9.8! However only one scored 9.9…so the winner of (followed
by some other contenders for) the 2024 Max Crus Trophy is…. drumroll, dull speech by Jo Koy, dancing girls a la World Darts Championship and arrival by helicopter a la Dave Warner : (ps Stay tuned next week for more of the best of 2023 to compare with a complete list of the winners over the past 30 years.)
(Terre á Terre) Daosa Piccadilly Valley Blanc de Blanc 2019, $90. This is not only the best bubbles of 2023, but the top scoring wine. Luckily we had it new year’s eve or we would have had to wait a whole year to say that. Much effort has gone into the making and it has pretty much everything you could want in sparkling wine in pretty much the right balance, except for the price which is actually still good value. Ignore
NV French muck if you’re spending $90, this is streets ahead. Congratulations Daosa, your trophy is in the mail. 9.9/10. Terre á Terre SA Crayéres Vineyard Reserve (Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc) 2019, $95. Several Terre á Terre wines reached the upper echelons of the points table, but this one is living proof that it is more important to decant new wines than old. The first
glass tasted merely pretty good, the last absolutely lovely. Alas we couldn’t afford another bottle. 9.7/10. Howard Park Margaret River Leston Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, $40. Howard Park too had several runners at the front of the field, but this highlighted that I am a failure. At first I couldn’t tell the difference between this and its Scotsdale Great Southern sister. After an hour, however, while
both wines retained their gorgeous WA cabernet lusciousness, this felt bigger and bolder, altogether more brash... 9.7/10. Howard Park Great Southern Scotsdale Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, $50. …while this became more sophisticated and floral, rounder and softer. In the end, I may still be a failure, it was possible to separate the wines but not in impact and enjoyment. Both are superior cabernets in
the upper reaches of Aussie (possibly the world’s) reds. 9.7/10. Crittenden Estate Mornington Peninsula The Zumma Pinot Noir 2014, $65 (current vintage 2021). Another maker to make the grade often, if only we could keep all their wines for 10 years. Wish I’d thought of that ten years ago. You get the sense this level of calm sophistication, softness and drinkability is what the winemaker had
in mind the whole time. 9.7/10. Crittenden Estate Mornington Peninsula Cri de Coeur Pinot Noir 2021, $95. Pinots can be a bit dreary, specially if you have tried a few in a short space of time. This is just the wine to snap you out of your complacency. It tastes expensive and individual and makes you think “gee, I’d drink a lot more pinot if they were all like this”. 9.7/10.
