Chapel Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

I am not a fan of McLaren Vale Cabernet as a lot of them tend towards the overripe end of the spectrum. This wine is nothing like that and I would put it in the top two Cabernets from the area.

Chapel Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

There is nothing sweet at all about this wine. In fact the flavours of blackcurrant, mulberry leaf, licorice weed, crushed tomato leaf, dried thyme and spice are all savoury as hell. Well i'm not sure if hell is savoury but you get what I mean. The structure of the wine is huge and it works brilliantly with each flavour component, pulling it along and sticking them to my tongue. As with all of the 2010's from the Vales there is a little dirty pot element that is so inviting that I can't help but reach for a bigger glass.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $27
Rated: 89
Drink: 2016 - 2025

Yalumba Patchwork Shiraz 2010

If you are into full bodied Shiraz, 2010 is the year to get the truck out and load up. Take a look at this high quality wine from Yalumba that comes in at under $17 bucks.

Yalumba Patchwork Shiraz 2010

Balance: Beautiful balance with all the components sitting nicely around each other. The acidity is keeping things nice and fresh with the tannins lengthening the flavours.

Length: Very long.

Flavours: Ripe fruits lead the way with blackberry compote, chocolate, blueberries, satsuma plums, spice and a hint of licorice.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $16.99
Rated: 85
Drink: Now - 2016

BK wines One Ball Chardonnay 2011

Expect some really fine white wines in 2011 from the Adelaide Hills as they possess a little more acidity than normal which has driven a pristine backbone through the wines, allowing beautiful flavours to hang down.

BK wines One Ball Chardonnay 2011

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $27 and brilliant value
Rated: 87
Drink: Now - 2018

Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Tight as a tiger with brilliant tannins and Italianate style flavours running wild embodies this wine.  When I say Italianate flavours, I really mean that the flavours are more savoury than you would normally expect from an Australian wine yet they are all intense in nature. Try thinking about the essence of a savoury blackcurrant rolled in brambles and a smoking pipe filled with cracked pepper that all finishes with a hint of peppermint. All these flavours are coiled up in the structure at the moment but they do emerge over the course of 8 days. This years wines by Wendouree are a little more controlled than last year but they are of higher quality as well. Just sit back and relax with something else in your hands, like the Shiraz Mataro, while you wait for this one to blossom.

Alcohol: 13.7%
Price: $55
Rated: 95
Drink: 2025 - 2045

Wild Duck Creek Estate Shiraz release 2012

Two of these wines below are the foundation for what Wild Duck Creek is all about. The third wine is made because David ‘duck’ Anderson wanted to see what he could do with the best fruit on his property.

Wild Duck Creek Estate Yellow Hammer 2010

Smooth as silk with a little bit of a dirty flavour, is what this glorious entry level Shiraz based wine is all about. The palate feels like the first time I felt silk sheest as it is so enticing and mystifying. The flavours are not big or bold but they are full in flavour and inviting. The texture and palate weight work beautifully with perfumed nature of the flavour spectrum. A beautiful wine that would work brilliantly by the glass at any café or restaurant.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: $25

Rated: 91

Drink: Now – 2022

Wild Duck Creek Estate Springflat 2010

This wine is the heart and soul of the WDC range. Davis loves to make the reserve and duck muck wines but he doesn’t do those if they effect the quality of the springflat which means that the quality of this wine is hard to fault. This year’s version has a little extra tannic presence with a little more restrain than is normal. If I wanted to drink this now the enjoyment factor isn’t that high but after it is open for a while, I left it for 7 days, the wine brings a smile to my face. On the palate the flavours of melted blackberries, smoked bourbon barrels, dark chocolate, ripe plums and a mint cappuccino fill my mouth with delight and a wedge of mouthwatering acidity cleans the finish off nicely.

Alcohol: 15.5%

Price: $36

Rated:  93

Drink: 2020 – 2030

Wild Duck Creek Estate Reserve Shiraz 2010

When I opened this I sat down and read the back label and a bead of sweat started to form on my forehead. Why you ask? Well, this wine comes in at 16.5% alcohol so I was expecting a massive wine with plenty of alcohol warmth and a huge amount of sweet American oak.  Firstly, David doesn’t use any American oak for this wine so the oak flavours come through as more restrained on the flavour profile and add texture on the palate. Secondly, there is no heat what so ever in this wine which was the biggest of surprises.  Lastly, the palate has elegance about it that makes me want to go back for a second glass. I don’t because I wanted to look at this wine over an extended period. The wine drank best after day 6 which I would suggest means that it will show well with an extended sleep in a cellar.

From a flavour perspective, this wine shows beautiful notes of plums, pungent vanilla bean and mixed red fruits soaked in their own juices, like the ones you have in summer. You remember when it was hot, back in 2009, when you would sit outside on a warm summer’s night with a fresh bowl of summer berries, just spooning those lovely tart mouthfuls of joy into your mouth. Well this wine offers that but you can sip this during winter and experience that bliss.

Alcohol: 16.5%

Price: $75

Rated: 95

Drink: 2023 - 2035

Wendouree Shiraz 2010

The wine from Wendouree in 2010 will live for decades so if one of your kids was born in that year you should seriously consider getting your hands on some.

Wendouree Shiraz 2010

Like all of the Wendouree wines, this wine is savoury and elegant which is a mile away from what has been the trend in South Australia during recent times.  Would that make this wine aimed towards old school wine connoisseurs? Well no I don’t think it would but I do think that people that love their wines sweet, wouldn’t go for this style.  The 2010 version of this wine is so slow to evolve in the glass that for the first two days it didn’t really show well. On day 3 the flavours of cedar, spiced plums, chocolate bits and menthol started to show themselves. Over the period that I reviewed this wine a mesmerising note of warm clay started to poke its head out from behind the wall but never did it take center stage. The oak treatment is a little more prominent than the cabernet wines yet I’m at ease with the mouth-feel that the oak creates.  When I finished writing my notes, my mate and I took the bottle down to his cave and sipped the glorious nectar while we played 8 ball. All we needed was a cigar and the picture would have been complete.

Alcohol: 14

Price: $55

Rated: 93

Drink: 2025 – 2040

Spring Wines

The weather has started to warm up which makes me think of different foods and styles of wine. Are you the sort of person that changes what they drink depending on the weather? Well I am and the below wines are perfectly suited to the warmer days.

Henschke Julius Eden Valley Riesling 2012

You have all those classic Eden Valley flavours but they are heightened by the quality of the conditions that 2012 provided. The main feature of the wine is wet pebbles or freshly quarried slate that has been suspended in lime juice for the past 12 months. When the wine settles downs and opens up the liquid reveals glorious notes of Chinese Star Jasmine and Japanese and lemon blossom which put my mouth into saliva overdrive. As the clear liquid opens up the palate length extends and extends, pushes flavours to the far corners of my mouth. It is the sort of wine that is unique and totally inviting all at the same time. This wine is specular as the structure is beautifully positions to allow this to age gracefully for a decade or so yet still allow it to be enjoyed today.

Alcohol: 11.5%

Price: $35

Rated: 94

Drink: Now – 2030

Laughing Jack Old Vine Moppa Grenache 2008

I was expecting sweet boiled lollies but what I got both surprised me and bought a smile to my face. To begin with the wines ferocious tannins standout, which is not the norm for the area, coating my tongue in a silkiness which ends totally dry. On day two Satsuma plums and dark chocolate that are rolled in spice start to emerge. These flavors are alive and dance on my tongue like an exotic belly dancer at a special event for your family. Ok so I travelled a lot when I was younger so I got to experience some events that I may have not got the opportunity, if I only stayed in Australia. The most interesting one was in Turkey where my girlfriend and I got the drink tea with an elderly man at his sons circumcision. How does that relate to the wine? Well the wine makes me feel so at ease that I would share the most intimate moments with you. This is a loving wine that I could drink now but will show off some dazzling moments with a few years under its belt.

Alcohol: 14.%

Price: $45

Rated: 90

Drink: Now – 2023

John Duval Plexus Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier 2011

It looks like the white wines from the Barossa will be of good to high quality in 2011, when you compare them to the reds of the same years and this wine is case in point. The wines lemon core, the acid line, is monumental and reminds me a bit of a Riesling from Clare but the flavours are nothing like Riesling at all. Here you get a plushness that runs from the initial attack of the wine right the way to the back palate and then finishes with the refreshing acidity. The mid-palate has an oiliness about it from the Voignier which draws me in for another sip again and again. The flavours offer lightness in the form of spring blossom and spice before they move to heavier flavours such as peach, apricot and honeysuckle. All in all this wine brings a lot to the table and in my view is the perfect beacon for the Barossa which lacks quality white wines.

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $35

Rated: 90

Drink: Now – 2018

Woodlands Margaret 2010

Best value Cabernet in Australia?

Woodlands Margaret 2010

This took so long to open up, I had almost written it off. On day one it was like looking at a new born baby and trying to work out, with some accuracy, what type of employment they will end up enjoying. When the wine did open up all the colours of the rainbow opened out with a few love birds chirping in the background.  This wine reminds me of a life less stressed and hectic as everything seems to slow as I sip the savoury nectar from the glass. The palate weight is pitched at medium body and the flavour spectrum combines the 3 components perfectly.  Now all it needs is time.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $45
Rated: 94
Drink: 2022 - 2033

 

Wild Duck Creek Cabernet Release 2012

David Anderson has an addiction to Cabernet so while his Shiraz based wines might garner the attention of the critics, he is chipping away at transforming a large majority of his wines into Cabernet dominant blends. It must be something about the original plantings of Cabernet, which have now turned 27, as it seems to produce beautiful wines year in year out. Out of all the Wild Duck Creek wines, the Alan’s Cabernet was the first wine that I ever tasted and it didn’t fit into my preconceptions about the label. I had this idea that they would be massive wines with huge amount of sweetness running through them that lacked structure.  What I tasted on that first occasion was elegance and structure with flavour to match.  

Wild Duck Creek Estate The Blend 2010

Cabernet here we come! The wine starts out shy and reserved but soon the flavour of spearmint and blackcurrant start to emerge. The wine is medium bodied and delicious as the quaffable flavours slide down my tongue with such ease yet the wines structure is the thing that holds my attention. It slowly creeps up on you, giving you a little fright or should I say delight. With each mouthful the flavour wraps an extra layer of flavour and texture which holds on my palate for an age. For an entry level wine this is dame fine, in fact I would be happy to have this as my leading wine.

Alcohol: 14%

Price: $25

Rated: 90

Drink: Now - 2023

Wild Duck Creek Estate Alan’s Cabernet 2010

This is one of my favourite wines from Wild Duck Creek and one that I buy every year. That may also have to do with my father in-law’s name being Alan. Every time he comes over for a special event I open up one of these for him and the bottle seems to disappear rather quickly. This year’s version is one of the strongest that I have tasted in terms of quality.  The wine is more elegant that normal but it still retains those lovely flavours of cinnamon, spearmint, blackcurrant, dried earth and spice that I would normally expect from this vineyard but the tannins and length is more pronounced. The pairing of texture and flavour is beautifully poised and seems to cover the acidity right to the back palate where the avalanche of saliva takes over. Seriously it is like Niagara Falls at the height of the wet season. I would normal recommend 10 years in the cellar for this label but this years version needs and extra couple added on.

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $45

Rated: 93
Drink: 2025 - 2040

Wild Duck Creek Estate Ducks & Drakes 2010

 If the Alan's is reserved then the Duck's and Drakes is over the other end of the spectrum. The flavour come bounding out of the glass in a loving yet gigantic manner. In fact all of my taste buds took cover as the wines richness and length over power me after the first sip but after that everything settles down nicely. The wines entry is vibrant and the flavours of mostly Cabernet crawl up my tongue, covering every inch of my mouth. The mid-palate of the wine is all Shiraz so this wine works brilliantly as a quintessential Australian blend. 

Alcohol: 85% VOL FREE

Price: $30

Rated: 92
Drink: 2015 - 2024

Teusner Moppa Grenache 2005

Grenache is very widely planted in the Barossa but it is only starting to find its way into a stand alone wine as the initial plantings were for fortified wines.  As the popularity of that style of wine has been on the decline, it has freed up some of the best material to make its way into GSM blends and now straight varietal. The Teusner wine was bottled in magnums and released to mailing list customers and independent retailers.

Teusner Moppa Grenache 2005

On release this wine was a baller and it has settled down nicely.  The tannins are almost fully resolved with a wedge of acidity still running through the core of the wine.  The flavours are masked by the oak but the oak is so seductive I almost don't care. What flavours do come through are in the red spectrum with a bit of leather and spice but it is the heart beat of the wine that I can feel the strongest. It is pulsing through the wine and into my veins which almost makes me feel more alive.


Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $147
Rated: 91
Drink: Now - 2020

Laughing Jack Limited 2 Shiraz 2008

The Laughing Jack label is owned by Shawn Kalleske and he grows his grapes in the Greenock Creek region. His wines are normally full bodied but retain a little old world elegance compared to many from this area.

Laughing Jack Limited 2 Shiraz 2008

On day one the oak is full on but from day two rich flavours of blackberries, Satsuma plums and Dutch licorice start to take over. On day three the whole package is running wild with blueberry pastilles, dark chocolate and the essence of black cherries.  Not only do these flavours rock but there is a firm yet loving amount of dry tannins weaving some magic along my tongue from the initial attack right up to about seventy five percent of my palate. Everything about this wine says drink me, drink me which is a great achievement from the very hot 2008 vintage.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $95
Rated: 91
Drink: 2015 - 2030

De Bortoli La Bossa Merlot 2010 & Pinot Grigio 2011

The La Bossa wines are built to please upon release.

De Bortoli La Bossa Merlot 2010

Ultra twiggy and simple but does provide a nice amount of pluminess which allows me to move forward.  Really at this price point, all I am looking for in a wine is drinkability with flavours that are easy to follow with a nice balance between sweetness and savouriness. The wine even has a sourness to the tannin structure that works well with food. All in all, a nice wine to quaff down.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $10
Rated: 83
Drink: Now or over the next two years

De Bortoli La Bossa Pinot Grigio 2011

Masses of sweet candied apples cascade from the glass from the word go. You remember the ones that you used to get at the show? They were bright red with a thick layer of candy hugging the apple with delight. I would spend the whole day licking that lovely crust off before I bite down on the slightly overripe apple that they inside.

Alcohol: 11.5%
Price: $10
Rated: 81
Drink: Now - 2013

De Bortoli BellaRiva Sangiovese Merlot 2010

Sangiovese works well when it is partnered up with another variety as they do in Italy.  In Italy this mediterranean variety is blended with Cabernet (to make an international style wine), Sagrantino (to soften the insane tannins of the aforementioned variety), Merlot (which turns out an approachable style wine) and a whole host of other varieties.

De Bortoli BellaRiva Sangiovese Merlot 2010

This wine gets ticks for being so easy to drink in a more earthy savoury style. Seriously, all I am thinking about is a bowl of home style meaty pasta as this wine would work pair with it brilliantly on a Friday night in front of the TV, watching the football. There are specks of sweetness but otherwise this wine is dry.  Even the fruit flavours of plum and raspberries are savoury and seductive.  This is the type of low priced wine that Australia should make more of and embrace as a way of life.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $15

Rated: 84

Drink: Now - 2015 

Carpe Diem Vineyards Sangiovese 2009 + Bangers and Mash

The biggest surprise of 2012 goes to finding this little winery that churns out high quality regional wines with a difference. These guys focus on all things Italian with a Margaret River twang woven into the fabric of each wine.

Bangers and Mash

I wanted to pair this wine with a food that my dad used to eat when he was growing up. It would be brilliant if I went through the process of how to make your own sausages but I am going to cheat for this recipe. Go out and find the best butcher in my area, Barossa Fine Foods is the only one for me, and buy whatever you like.  For this meal I bought some duck and veal sausages which paired brilliantly with an indulgent mash.

Indulgent mash which you may need to only eat every now and again

1 kilo waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into segments

300 g butter

100 g cheddar cheese, grated

Slowly cook the potato in hot but not boiling water. This may take an hour to an hour and a half depending on the potato type and the size of the segments but it is important to not heat the potatoes quickly as that releases the starches which results in a gluey textured dish. Once the potatoes are cooked drain the water and fold in butter while the potatoes are hot.  Mix in cheese and serve with sausages placed on the bed of potato.

Carpe Diem Vineyards Sangiovese 2009

How should I describe this wine? Well I’m not sure as it feels familiar with the wine being medium bodied and savoury yet there is something else. It could be this textural element that combines with the wonderful flavour of plums, sour cherries, spice and an element that makes me feel like I could crunch down on the wine. Maybe that it, the wine feels like it should be served with a fork and a spoon.  That would look rather funny though. I’ll put it out there that if you grab a bottle of this, you will feel like you have discovered something special.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $27

Rated: 89

Drink: 2014 – 2021

Patritti Jimmy's Hat 2010

In the past people have gone down the same path but today’s winemakers are pushing for texture and different flavours that have a little more restraint than the wines from a decade ago.

Patritti Jimmy's Hat 2010

So much texture and richness yet the wine ends with bright acidity and freshness. It is easy to see how they can do it as the wine is a blend of Savagnin, Arneis and Pinot Grigio from the cool Adelaide Hills region. With each component the wine fills itself out across the palate but it is the core of the wine that is impressive. I would grab a dozen of these and spank them out over summer whenever someone comes around.

Alcohol: 12%

Price: $12.50

Rated: 85

Drink: Now - 2015

Thomas Wines Kiss Shiraz 2010

Andrew Thomas has a beautiful understanding of how to craft a wine out of grapes that may not have come from the best weather condition. Yet it is his ability to find brilliant vineyards that is most interesting.  

Thomas Wines Kiss Shiraz 2010

I was trying to work out this wine as I think Andrew has got it wrong.  A kiss is intimate but this wine is more than that. You could say that it is more of a spooning wine. Could it be the first spooning experience, as it just feels so good?  Maybe I should get back to the wine and get off the fantasies.  This wine has lushness about it but it still stays earthy with some lovely flavours of blackberry spice and chocolate shavings.  All these delightful flavours are secured on a medium bodied frame with a wedge of acidity running along its the spine. Drink it now? Well, you could but this will be better with a few years under its belt.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $60

Rated: 93

Drink: 2015 – 2027

Peter Lehmann Art Series Semillon 2010

The art series wines are made in a fun loving style which is meant to be enjoyed now.

Peter Lehmann Art Series Semillon 2010

Crank this out at a BBQ and you have a pearler of a time.  This wine bursts from the bottle from the word go and delivers fresh flavours in a vibrant Barossa white wine. There is sweetness through the mid-palate but otherwise this wine is all candied lemon and grass on a light and bright palate weight. While I do love these flavours and the value of this wine cannot be questioned, the flavours fall away from the mid-palate on. Buy for now or over the warmer months.

Alcohol: 11%

Price: $12

Rated: 83

Drink: Over the next 3 years

Paradise IV Dardel Shiraz 2010

Normally I review wines over an extended period, and this wine was no different as I took 7 days to evaluate it, and I must say that it was so easy to drink on day one that I thought about downing it in one night. This is what I did with the Chaumont and I think I gave it too low a score as a result. The Dardel started off good but not mind blowing and each day I went back new and exciting flavours emerged. Add to that extra length and depth of savoury goodness and you understand what this wine achieved in the end. I think that if I let the Chaumont sit in the bottle over that period it may have been a 91 to 93 range but I didn’t so I can only inform everyone that they need to be patient with the Paradise IV wines. If you do the wine expeience will take you to Nirvana.   

Paradise IV Dardel Shiraz 2010

The wine has a slipperiness about it that makes it so easy to drink. Or is it silkiness? Whatever it is I’m ready to for the experience. I think the textural experience is enhanced by the fact that the tannins and flavour are ratcheted on to each other. If this was a recipe, it would be one part tannin to one part flavour as they are in perfect balance.  If anyone cared about the flavours, I’m not as the mouth-feel of this wine is so seductive, then they would expect blood plums, white and black pepper, dried wedding flowers and exotic Indian spices. These flavours coalesce on a medium bodied and supremely elegant palate that tickles the inner most intimate fantasies or desires as I sit with this glass of pure gold.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $45

Rated: 95+

Drink: Now -  2025

Totara Pinot Noir 2010

Central Otago is so picturesque and would have to be one of the most beautiful areas to visit. If you are thinking of a holiday then I suggest that you get on a plane and head on over. Make sure you visit Arrow town as his has some funky restaurants and gorgeous buildings plus it is only a stones throw away from the adventure capital of New Zealand. Here is a photo of Arrowtown which I think does even do the town justice it is so mesmerising.

                                                    Image from goldenfleece.co.nz

Totara Pinot Noir 2010

Much lighter than I was expecting but the palate weight doesn't reduce the enjoyment factor at all. It is the style of wine that I could see myself drinking with a light pasta meal on a wednesday night.  The flavours pop out of the glass with such vigor it reminds me of a hip hop dancer. The very good lenth of flavour are typically Central Otago in nature but the mid-palate is a little more extractive in nature than I would expect. There is a drive of acidity under the fruit pulling the flavors forward and up which I rather like. Now here is the thing. The wines price is very low in price and the quality to very good which makes this wine an easy buy and try choice.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $16
Rated: 85
Drink: Now - 2017