Kieran and Mark Taste Wine in Edinburgh - Part 1, Liberty

February and March is the wine fair season in our business. That's when our suppliers gather all their producers under one roof and we go around their tables tasting lovely things and deciding what we think you, our valued customer, would like to be sipping, tasting, sharing and enjoying for the next wee while. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it. This is always good fun, and a great opportunity for us to talk to winemakers about their wines and learn a few things. It's always a pleasure to see how passionate the producers are about their product.

Last week Mark and I went to Edinburgh to the Enotria and Liberty wine fairs on a voyage of bacchanalian discovery...

First up was the Liberty shindig. This took place in the Signet Library in the Old Parliament Square in Edinburgh. It was a beautiful setting; full of ornate and historic interior architecture and lined with old books.

It was hard not to be distracted. But Mark and I are professionals and we had a job to do. So we each took a sample of Nyetimber and looked through the tasting schedule, working out our strategy. The Nyetimber was lovely, by the way, and we'll be bringing in some of the demi-sec to go along with the Classic Cuvée; Blanc de Blancs; and Rosé we already stock.

Liberty are an excellent company to work with because their portfolio is focused on high quality wines of superior provenance; they do familiar wine styles with considerable aplomb, but they surprise with unexpected gems. I had a ball working through the New Zealand Sauvignons, for example. Never a variety of endless diversity, I had thought. But here I was noting nuance and character in each different glass. Honourable mention has to go to Tinpot Hut (available online and in our Perth shop); but the show was stolen by GreyWacke Wild Sauvignon. Now this was left-field - spontaneous barrel fermentation over the course of a year using atmospheric yeast only. Pungent, earthy flavours, yet no shortage of finesse. I was bowled over by this beauty, so it was a privilege to speak with Kevin Judd, the winemaker (of Cloudy Bay fame), about how he made it. (It is now also in our shop).

One of the most surprising wines that Liberty showed was Zorah's Areni Noir. Areni Noir? No, I hadn't heard of it either. Turns out it is an indigenous Armenian varietal, grown in historically renowned soil by Zorik Gharibian. The wine confounded expectations, showing the class and depth one associates with a fine Burgundy. Those in search of something different, something genuinely exciting are encouraged to check this out. But be quick, as word is spreading and demand is likely to outstrip supply very soon.

Stopping for lunch was a treat. Liberty laid it on, complete with considered vegetarian options (extra kudos) and a couple of lovely bottles.

Rejuvenated, we moved onto red wines in earnest. We found a sparkling Bonarda from Alma 4, which was absolutely cracking. Light, lovely mousse and vibrant purple fruits. But it was in the Australian reds section I got utterly seduced. Here was an uninterrupted succession of engaging, subtle, generous and sophisticated wines without even a hint of the jammy bombasity so often associated with the country. Take the Innocent Bystander Yarra Pinot Noir, for example. For a mere £15 per bottle you're getting a measured mix of jolly-rancher fruit; earthy/farmyardy flavour and good acidity. The 'Farrside' Geelong Pinot Noir was even better (at three times the price you'd expect it to be). It was like a magical Volnay, with a long, long finish. Meanwhile, the Plexus GSM had aromas to die for. My favourite, though, was the Balnaves Coonawarra Cabernet. Light, spicy and extremely vibrant fruit flavours. The notes I took on the day read simply 'MUST HAVE'!