2022 is almost at an end and I wanted to share some highlights of the great wines I’ve enjoyed throughout the year. There have been plenty of incredible wines with too many to put into one list. But I wanted to share a round-up of some of my personal favourites. So here it is: The Cheeky Vino top wines of 2022.
2022 was a year of seriously amazing wine. I feel like each year of The Cheeky Vino gets better and better as I discover new wines and wineries that I love! This year I focused on wines that really surprised and delighted me. No scores, just me and my palate. It was so hard to make this list – seriously I deliberated on it for over a month. I hope you get some value out of it and find some favourites in there too!
So without further ado, let’s get stuck into the Cheeky Vino top wines of 2022!
Top value buy for 2022: The Flying Winemaker Pinot Noir 2019
The Flying Winemaker Pinot Noir 2019 is perfect for wine lovers that love Pinot but don’t want to break the bank. This wine delivers exactly what you want from a good Pinot without the price tag, making it perfect for enjoying with friends or on the couch. You don’t have to wait for a special occasion to open this wine, and I love that about it.
The Flying Winemaker Pinot Noir 2019 is a delicious balance between fruity flavours and plush, silky tannins. On the nose, there is beautifully dark plum and cherry which follows through into the palate. These fruity flavours give the wine a nice fresh front, and this is balanced out by notes from integrated oak. A delicious spice comes through along with a beautifully smooth finish.
Read my review here.
Top splurge wine for 2022: Thorn-Clarke Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
I tried Thorn-Clarke Wines for the first time when we went to the Barossa Valley, and I absolutely loved their wines. They have such a great range across varieties and price points so there is something for everyone. When I tried the Thorn-Clarke Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 at the cellar door, I was absolutely blown away by it. It had to be up there as my favourite wine of the tasting, but also one of my favourite cabernet sauvignons of the trip!
The Thorn-Clarke Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is a seriously special Cabernet that shows the diversity that the Barossa and Eden Valley can deliver. On the nose, there are notes of blackcurrant and violet. The palate has a lovely complexity to it with blackcurrant and plum notes that are balanced by lovely spice. The wine has a lovely play between being boldly powerful yet refined, elegant and beautifully balanced.
Read my review here.
Top Red wine for 2022: Sons of Eden Remus Shiraz 2018
Ok, a note here that this wine is also a splurge wine! But it was also my favourite wine of the year, so I simply had to share it.
Recently I was sent two Shiraz’s from Sons of Eden, one from the Barossa and one from Eden Valley. Despite both being the same variety, same year and both using old vines, each wine offers different flavour profiles from the Eden Valley and Barossa Valley from an exceptional vintage. I absolutely loved the Romulus Shiraz, so I knew I was in for a treat with the Sons of Eden Remus Shiraz 2018. And I was definitely right!
Like the Remus, this is a special occasion wine. It isn’t a midweek wine price point, but the quality is up there making it worth the spend. Drinking this wine is an experience in itself, and would enhance any special meal with that special someone. This isn’t a wine you should share with just anyone!
The Sons of Eden Remus Shiraz 2018 is a little different to the Romulus Shiraz in that I found it to be a little softer and refined, while the Romulus is bold and powerful. On the nose, it has notes of bright cherry, dried herb and classic pepper. This follows through into the palate which is rich and concentrated yet soft and rounded. It has a beautiful elegance to it, beautifully balanced and focused. It is complex yet beautifully balanced and delivered sip after sip.
It was hard to choose just one of these for the list – I absolutely loved both wines!
Read my review here.
Top Red wine honourable mention: Kurtz Family Vineyard Uncle Tony’s Mataro 2019
When we visited the Barossa, one of our first stops was visiting Steve at Kurtz Family Vineyard. While we were there my husband had his first Barossa Mataro and fell head over heels for the variety. After that the rest of the trip he was raving about how much he loved it, and the Kurtz Family Vineyard one was high up the list. So this wine definitely made it to the top of my list because it was so memorable. If you are looking for something out of the Barossa that will expand your horizons beyond Barossa Shiraz, this is the wine for you!
On the nose, the Kurtz Family Vineyard Uncle Tony’s Mataro 2019 is packed full of spice along with beautiful dark berries – think plum and cherry. This follows through into the palate which is beautifully balanced between juicy fruit and a lovely savoury, earthy characteristic. This wine delivers so many flavours to discover sip after sip, and they come together seamlessly into a taste sensation. The finish is nice and long with just the right amount of acidity and tannin to bring it all together. This wine is the kind of wine that has you saying ‘Wow’ after your first sip, and makes you come back to discover more.
Read my review here.
Top White wine for 2022: Octtava Piano Chardonnay
If you love a Chardonnay that delivers the best of both worlds, then have I got a Chardonnay for you. The Octtava Piano Chardonnay is sure to be a crowd-pleaser because it has those classic creamy notes from malo alongside bright acidity. I absolutely love this wine, and it is perfect for a special occasion or gift for that Chardonnay lover in your life. Pair it with a good meal like roast chicken or risotto, or even a creamy brie. Whatever it is, you are sure to have a good time with this wine!
On the nose, the Octtava Piano Chardonnay has notes of nectarine and lemon alongside nougat come together in a wine that promises beautiful flavours. And it delivers on the palate with a hint of honey and nougat alongside those fruit notes. It is beautifully balanced between notes of unoaked Chardonnay and oaked Chardonnay, coming together into a wine that shows the care that’s gone into making it just right. It is the kind of wine that has an incredible structure, and one you want to keep going back to.
Read my review here.
Top White wine honourable mention: Soumah Single Vineyard Hexham Chardonnay
Soumah focuses on producing single-vineyard wines with quality over quantity as a core value. Their wines are elegant and made with a passion that truly shines through the end result. I absolutely adore their wines, and the 2021 Soumah Single Vineyard Hexham Chardonnay was a standout of 2022. The Hexham vineyard is located near Healesville, and the fruit for this wine was handpicked and whole bunch pressed with natural yeast barrel fermentation. The wine was then matured on lees to create depth and finesse.
This Chardonnay ticked all the boxes for me. It was beautifully balanced between the creaminess of oaked Chardonnay and fruit with crisp acidity. Notes of lemon along with a hint of peach and apple were beautifully balanced with brioche. The wine is nice and creamy, almost silky on the palate, finishing with a crisp freshness that I loved.
Read my review here.
Top Rosé wine for 2022: Domaine de Fontenille Luberon Rosé
A few years ago, my husband and I visited Provence and I fell in love with Rosé. What made it so special was where we stayed: Domaine de Fontenille. This hotel is truly one of the most memorable places I’ve ever stayed and one of the highlights of the trip. I’ll forever remember sipping on their Rosé overlooking the beautiful garden. I hadn’t had their wines since, and I have to say popping open the Domaine de Fontenille Luberon Rosé took me right back to Provence.
The Domaine de Fontenille Luberon Rosé is the kind of wine that really embodies everything there is to love about Provence. It’s the kind of wine that sips like it’s made of Summer. It’s refreshing, crisp and light, with notes of strawberry, raspberry and a hint of citrus. The kind of wine you don’t need to pair with food, simply sip on and watch the world go by. Or pair it with an aperitif for something extra special! Years later, this wine still stole my heart and knowing I can revisit it in Australia makes my heart flutter. And at only $30 a bottle, it’s affordable for a French drop.
Read my review here.
Top Rosé wine honourable mention: Orbis Tempranillo Rosé 2021
This wine absolutely had to make the list, particularly for the cutest packaging around! I really enjoy all their wines, but their Rosé has stolen my heart.
The Orbis Tempranillo Rosé 2021 uses 100% hand-picked fruit from their estate vineyard and was whole bunch pressed and fermented with 6 months of lees contact.
I really enjoyed the texture and flavour of this wine. It’s honestly perfect for sipping on with food making it a great wine for warm weather. The Orbis Tempranillo Rosé 2021 has a vibrant colour and beautiful notes of quince and lychee on the nose. On the palate, these flavours followed through. But they were balanced by a nice savoury note along with a hint of brioche. It’s complex yet balanced and the kind of wine you keep going back to as you continue unpacking it sip after sip.
Read my review here.
Top Sparkling wine for 2022: Levrier NV Sparkling Meslier Brut Rosé
The Levrier NV Sparkling Meslier Brut Rosé is so unique as there are such small amounts of Meslier grape planted. Grown in the Adelaide Hills, they have the only producing Meslier vineyard outside of Champagne (that they know about). Talk about something different!
This wine is absolutely delicious. On the nose and palate, there is a strong presence of green apple along with soft citrus. This wine is refreshing and vibrant, packed full of fresh acidity making it perfect for enjoying after a warm day. It also has a hint of creaminess to give it a beautiful mouthfeel, and that hint of Cab Sav to give it a beautiful rose gold colour.
Read my review here.
Top Sparkling wine honourable mention: Small Victories NV Sparkling
I absolutely love Small Victories Wine Co, even more so after visiting their cellar door. I love a good glass of bubbles, and this wine is simply delicious with a really affordable price point. What more could you want as we head into warmer weather? This wine would be perfect for a catchup with friends, or simply on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn. Your choice on whether or not you want to share it!
The great thing about the Small Victories NV Sparkling is the wine has spent some time on lees which gives it a hint of that yummy brioche and creamy notes you get in Champagne without the price point. On the nose, there’s strawberry and brioche, and the palate is packed full of vibrant green apples. The palate itself has a hint of creaminess that balances out the vibrant acidity and creates a beautiful texture. Sip after sip, this sparkling wine delivers flavour. There’s not much more to say other than it is absolutely stunning!
Read my review here.
In summary: The Cheeky Vino top wines of 2022
I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of the top wines of 2022. It was hard to write this list because honestly there have been so many incredible wines I’ve had the privilege of tasting this year. This list really scratches the surface of the amazing wines of 2022. There are so many wines that I wanted to put on the list so if you want more inspiration, head back through the archives to see them all.