Gimblett Gravels not much help in 2012

Every year a handful of us wine writers around the world are sent a dozen reds reckoned by my fellow Master of Wine Andrew Caillard, who is based in Australia (and was closely associated with the excellent film Red Obsession), to be the best of the more recent vintage release.

I’ve just tasted the 2012 selection and must say that I found it the least satisfactory to date. The wines tasted as though the grapes really struggled to ripen and the lack of body and green fruit flavours reminded me, in the case of the Bordeaux blends that initially made...