Recently, I got to taste some of the latest 2014 Preservative Free (or no added preservative) wines. While I have been a supporter from afar of wines of this type, I have always been a firm believer that there is a need for wines for those who either have allergies where a wine of low sulphur content means enjoyment rather than illness. Of course, there are plenty who simply drink them because they enjoy that wine which is very easy to do.

These are all wines from the McLaren Vale, but there are plenty to be found in other regions.  They are all 2014 vintage, often the reds are better, and you should drink them now and enjoy them fresh. 

Conte Estate Lacrima di Terra 2014 Sparkling Lagrein $20 – It is great to see this Italian variety being put to good use and this sparkling red wine is certainly a talking point. It is soft, lusciously fruity and sweetly ripe fizz, although the 28 grams of sugar is carefully balanced. Notes of tobacco, tapenade and cinnamon add a little depth to the domination of the fresh picked blackberry fruit. It would be interesting to see if this wine would gain some depth of complexity with some age.  At the moment, it is very gluggable with more-ishness at heart.

Conte Estate Il Bacio d’Oro 2014 Sparkling Moscato $20 – The sweet ripe apple, grape and floral character in this wine is beguiling and is the best part of it. There is plenty of sweetness up front and that is where it stays for me as the finish is flat and funky. However, I was the only one in my family that noticed and the bottle was finished very quickly.

Battle of Bosworth Puritan Shiraz 2014 (No added preservative) $20 – A very amiable lighter style of red of an inky plum hue. The fresh blueberries are lifted with a sprinkling of pepper and a swish of liquorice.  Some silky soft tannins add structure and shapeliness.  This is a good drink that I could enjoy more than a glass of and would even stand being chilled for summer.

Yangarra 2014 Shiraz (Preservative Free) $25 – This is the second vintage of this wine from one of the US based Jackson Family Wines’ Australian winery. The soft raspberry and cherry fruit is fragrant on the nose and jubey on the palate.  It is very fresh at the moment with some fine powdery tannins fleshing it out. The minerally varnishy note does not detract when paired with food making it a good food wine.

For more information on Preservative Free wines, please click here.