Oakridge Pinot Noir 2010

Oakridge has been making a name for itself in recent times and I can see why after tasting this. David Bicknell was a finalist for the Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year in 2008.  If you visit their web page, have a look at what the winery says about him. Below is a paragraph from the Oakridge site.

"With an approach to wine-making that incorporates everything from the soil type from which the vines grow to the type of music that is played during vinification, David’s ability to create remarkable wine stems from his intuition and innovative tactics, which allow him to deliver outstanding results each year."


What music would you play to Pinot?

Oakridge Pinot Noir 2010

There is a mix of sourness and ripe fruit which contrasts perfectly. All I need is a little duck sausage and I am in heaven. This wine is made in a enjoy now style but it retains a degree of sophistication rare at this price point. The nice furry tannins flow effortlessly carrying the flavours of spicy cranberry, cut herbs, cinnamon and raspberry coulis. It is nice to see the entry level wine of Oakridge achieve so much easy going drink-ability. Give it a little while in the cellar and the quality should go up a bit.

Alcohol: 12.9%
Price: $32
Rated: 89
Drink: 2012 - 2017

Moric Estate Blaufrankisch 2008

The more I taste Blaufrankisch the more I love those wild flavours mixed with tannins. If I had to say what they taste like, it would be a mix of Burgundy and Syrah. Most of the time they are medium bodied food friendly wines of personality and interest. Furthermore, they are cheap for the quality they provide.

Moric Estate Blaufrankisch 2008

This wines reminds me of when I was a kid playing in the mud in spring. I would go pick a mix of blackberries, cherries and raspberries and take them down to the creek, where I could make the best fruit mud pie.  If you could add a bit of spice and tree bark, you have the flavours of this wine. The wine is in the serious end of town with a mass of tannin leaving my top lip sticking to my gums. Yum!

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $60
Rated: 90
Drink: 2012 - 2020
Importer: Decant Wines

Torbreck Les Amis 2009

When Grenache is done well you have yourself a serious experience.  Generally, I think that Grenache and Mataro are the two best, yet underrated, varieties in the Barossa.  This wine was sourced from Seppeltsfield, which is one of my favourite sub-regions in the Barossa, so I thought I would in for a fine ride.

Torbreck Les Amis 2009

The nose is a bit muted to start with but it soon opens up with a flurry of  red fruits and skittles.  You know the ones I mean. You can buy them at the supermarket in one of those machines where you put in your twenty cent piece, crank the handle and away you go. God it reminds me of being a kid. I think I used to get the one that had the bouncy ball in it but that's another story.  The flavours of the wine are as smooth as silk and while it is best drank while it is young, I could happily do this any-time with a slow cooked hearty meat dish.

Alcohol: 15.2%
Price: $187
Rated: 91
Drink: Now - 2015

Ceretto Blange Arneis 2010

Arneis can be very fruity with a twist of acidity to keep them refreshing to consume over the warmer months.  Generally they are very affordable and very likeable to quaff. It is funny that Piedmont makes some of the most easily accessible wines to drink now yet they also produce wines that are a challenge to drink with less than 15 years under their belt. I guess you can drink this and the Barbera while you wait for your Neb to open up.


Ceretto Blange Arneis 2010

This producer has really taken my fancy and this wine is really doing it for me. It is flush with melon and a slice of pear and lemon myrtle.  Defiantly a zippy and zesty wine with loads of spice that builds in the mouth.

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $29
Rated: 90
Drink: Now
Importer: Terrior Selection

Jean-Marc Burgaud Cote du Py 2009

I will start this off by saying this has to be the bargain of the year! There is a huge amount of structure built into this wine and when compared to his other wines, the quality moves into a different arena. The Cote du Py sub region is the serious end of the spectrum for beaujolias.

Jean-Marc Burgaud Cote du Py 2009

Massive tannins burst out of the blocks like Carla Lewis on steroids. Whilst they are big the wine is silky smooth with flavours of crushed cranberries, dirty Dutch licorice, sour raspberries and white pepper.  The wine is more about texture as it grips your lips with love.  A brute force of love, if you could say such a thing. It definitely left a smile on my face after I finished the first glass.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $70 Magnum
Rated: 94
Drink: Drinks so well now but will keep for 20 years
Importer: Eurocentric Wine

Prager Hinter der Burg 2009

Now I have never had a Prager before but I was looking forward to tasting another Gruner.  If you are a lover of crisp dry whites, when the sun is shining, then grab a bottle of this.

Prager Hinter der Burg 2009

Oh boy, what a decidedly complex and rich wine that is balanced by vibrant cut quartz which leaves me feeling refreshed.  The wine coats my mouth in spectacular flavours of lemon peel, summer flowers, apple bloom and spicy peach skin. Is it intense? Yes. Is it inviting? Yes. Should I drink another glass? Yes.

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $42
Rated: 92
Drink: Now - to 13 years
Importer: Decant Wines

Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir 2008

The other night I went to a blind tasting with all wines yielding from the 2008 vintage and of the noble grape variety, Pinot Noir.  All wines were tasted before each identity was revealed.


Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir 2008

A little bit of a muddled nose with very ripe notes of plum jam and meat are evident as the wine sits in the glass.  There are some lovely cooler elements that come through on the good length palate.  I had in my notes Victoria Pinot around the $40 so I was surprised to see that this was the Big Bindi.  This has already hit its peak so open it whenever you want. You could wait until Christmas comes to drink it with family and friends.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $92
Rated: 89
Drink: now - 2016

Salomon Undhof Wieden & Berg 2010

Bert Salomon comes out to Australia rather regularly and he brings with him a deep sense of personality and thought.  These are two things that I prize highly and they come through in his wines. All of his wines are food and family friendly.


Salomon Undhof Wieden & Berg 2010

The wine starts out shy and restrained so I let it sit.  As I am really thirsty I didn't let it sit for long. If you love crisp dry white with tonnes of length and interest, well 'come on down'.  I feel like I should lower my voice when I say such things.  This is the perfect summer wine that is light in richness yet has flavour galore and complexity to boot.  There are oodles of apples, pears, struck quartz, orange peel and lemon balm that loving caress my mouth but it is the length and zesty acidity that set this apart.  Whilst I love it now and will most probably drink a dozen of these over summer, I have tried aged versions with 10 to 15 years under its belt that have blown me away.

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $32
Rated: 91
Drink: Now to 13 years.
Importer: Decant Wines

Torbreck Descendant 2007

When Shiraz Viognier is done well you don't really notice the flavour of the white grape but you do get the added texture.  When it is done badly the white variety can dominate.

Torbreck Descendant 2007

Oh boy there is so much apricot and boiled Shiraz fruit that I didn't know what to do.  It is not a bad wine but if I wanted to drink this much apricot I should have just ordered the Straight varietal.

Alcohol: 15%
Price: $125
Rated: 87
Drink: Now

Domaine Taupenot-Merme Chambolle Musigny 1er 'Combe d'Orveau' 2007

Its a big name for a big wine and luckily a return to form for the Burgundy babes.

Domaine Taupenot-Merme Chambolle Musigny 1er 'Combe d'Orveau' 2007

Brilliant nose of crushed rocks, cherry stones and all the spices you can imagine. I almost want to breakout in the John Lennon song 'imagine' but I hold myself back. Too many complaints when I start singing! As the wine opens up, you can feel the light tannins caress your tongue. Almost like a tongue massage, yet I have never had a tongue massage so I don't really know what I'm talking about.

Alcohol: ?
Price: $160
Rated: 92
Drink: 2013 - 2018
Importer: Decant Wine

Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2006 & 2008

Martinborough makes what I consider some of the best value Pinot going around and Ata Rangi is the king of the land in these parts.

Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2006

There is a huge amount to like packed into this wine.  Actually there is nothing not to like, except that you will have to wait longer for the wine to fully reveal itself. The palate is extremely long with flavours of sour cranberries, satsuma plum, Asian spice and dried clay perched nicely on a wall of tannins.  The wine is flush with life and length, that hasn't really moved since it was released. This will score higher given time to relax and open up.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $70

Rated: 94 +

Drink: give it another 4 years then go for your life

Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2008

After the 06 this didn't have the power to match.  Everything was there but with a little more plum and cherry action  than the older version.  God if I could only afford to drink this all the time, I would be in heaven.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $60

Rated: 93 +

Drink: 2014 - 2025

Jacques Puffeney Arbois Savagnin 2006

God I love the feel of these Jura bottles! They make me feel more like a man, and less like the women I am, when I hold them in my hand. You really need your thinking pants on when you are drinking this, as it challenges your senses.

Jacques Puffeney Arbois Savagnin 2006

I wanted to see how this handled my home made bacon so I sliced off a few chunks and fried them up.  Did it work? Brilliant to say the least. The flavours of the wine aren’t in your face, they reveal themselves over an extended period. To begin with there is almonds, smoky caramel, glazed ginger and lemon peel then after the bacon everything jumps up a notch.  A hint of peach pops out at me with the sumptuousness of the bacon lingering in my mouth, yet the wine seems to become a little tighter the longer I had it open.  The wine is more about texture, with a chalkiness that envelopes your mouth, rather than flavour. To finish with you get a bold acidity balance beautiful sweet notes.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $70

Rated: 94+

Drink: 2014 – 2022

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2004

When I was in Paris earlier in the year, they had a fair amount of 2004 sitting on the shelf.  This could be as a result of the huge Parker points given to the 05s.  Now I would say that the 04s look really good and provide a huge amount of value.  These are not flashy wines, like the 05s, but rather wines to savor and contemplate.

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2004

The wine effortlessly flows, on a medium body, with a little mixed berry, pipe tobacco, kitchen herbs and spicy spring flowers.  It is not a wine that will bowl you over, especially considering it really needs another 5 years in the cellar, but it will win you over with length and an old school claret feel.  The tannins hang around for ages and add a flavour of dark chocolate which draws me in to the wonders of old. Everything is held together well with a huge ball of acidity providing a mouthwatering load of excitement.

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $280

Rated: 94++

Drink: 2016 - 2025

Tyrrells Vat 63 2011

Ok so I haven't written much in the last few weeks but I have a good reason. I am 4 days from submitting my thesis and have been a little stressed and preoccupied. The up side is after I’m finished I have a few tasting events booked in with a fair few imported wines to taste. 

Tyrrell’s Vat 63 2011

Soft and cuddly comes to mind when I taste this.  This tasted the best on the first day with the elements of lemon, flowers and spice peach providing most of the enjoyment.  When you first take a sip you get a huge force of chardonnay providing breadth on your palate then the Semillon takes over providing length.  What it feels like is a pyramid on your tongue.  Imagine the base of the pyramid when it first enters your mouth and then culminates with the point near the back of your tongue. Give it two months in bottle and hopefully it sorts itself out. Bang for buck, it is still good just not your normal great value for a Tyrrell’s.

Alcohol: 13%

Price:$22

Rated: 85

Drink: now

Chateau Cheval Blanc Grand Cru 2002

You don’t often get to taste wines of this price tag so I was look forward to trying this.  Now I must say that St-Emilion has never really done it for me.  I generally prefer the wines from Pomeral or the Left bank but I have never tried any of the top wines from Angelus, Ausone or Cheval Blanc.  Merlot is a big player in this region but it only comprises 50% of the blend here, the other 50% is Cabernet Franc.  As this wine is from a rather poor vintage, I can understand my feelings after I tried the wine.

Chateau Cheval Blanc Grand Cru 2002

As the wine starts out rather open and approachable I was thinking this is ready to go.  There is a really smoky meaty flavour coming through with a hint of violets adding freshness.  There are nice tannins sitting sveltely underneath the surface on a good length palate.  Now the kicker…for 500 bucks it is not really doing that much for me.  Take off a 0, so 50 bucks, and you have yourself a winner.  

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $500
Rated: 89
Drink: Now - 2020
Importer: Negociants Australia