Thursday 21 March 2013

Lark Hill Riesling 2012

Lark Hill Riesling 2012

What a pretty llittle number this is with flavours of granny smith apples, lemon zest and crushed flowers. The way the flavours transition over is beautiful while the nature of the wine feels chiseled and refined. At first I thought the power of the wine was lacking but it just kept building and building. It was almost like the beach with the waves lapping up against the shore as it just kept on building with each crash against my palate. Would I dirnk this now? Yes. Does this taste like your typical Australian Rizza? Hell no as it puts on some European pants with a New Zealand top and I love it for its style.

Alcohol: 11.5%
Price: $30
Rated: 90
Drink: Now - 2025

Wednesday 20 March 2013

A bunch of De Bortoli entry level wines

De Bortoli La Bossa Chardonnay 2011

What do I really want out of an entry wine? Easy going and relaxed with fruit flavour that aren't over the top which is what you get with the La Bossa range. It isn't hard to comprehend and it is easy to like even though the complexity level isn't out of the world but nore is shouldn't at this price. Nice easy going BBQ wine that is for sure.

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $9
Rated: 83
Drink: Now



Windy Peak Pinot Noir 2011

Once again De Bortoli has produced a clean fruited and restrained wine with hints of twigginess and strong varietal character. The flavours are savoury with a slight bitterness on the mid-palate which increases the ability to have a second glass or maybe a third like I had last night. Don't get me started as I doing vintage, working full time and have a young family but it was the Windy Peak Pinot that I turned to and it made all the difference.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $14
rated: 83
Drink: Now



De Bortoli Emeri Pinot Noir Chardonnay NV

Fruit driven with a hint of yeast comes right after I opened the bottle. The candied flavours are nice but the palate is a bit short.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $13
Rated: 81
Drink: Now



De Bortoli La Bossa Shiraz Cabernet Merlot 2011

No individual variety sticks out but they are all in the red end of the spectrum with a hint of twigginess thrown in. The wine is built for immediate comsumption and for the money it is not bad. It might not be the best but given the vintage it is pretty good.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $9
Rated: 80
Drink: Now

Running with Bulls Vermentino & Tempranillo

Running with Bulls Vermentino 2012

Beautifully thick in mouthfeel but with a lightness and vibrancy which is a mind bender of an experience. The entry of flavour is light before a huge richness kicks in on the mid-palate which fades on the finish. Vermentino has a huge future in Australia as this wine shows in spades. Even though I thought the quality of the Tempranillo was higher, I would grab this as the style of the wine is so unique.  

Alcohol: 12%
Price: Under 20
Rated: 86
Drink: Now or over the next five years



 
Running with Bulls Tempranillo 2012

This wine possesses huge amounts of fruit flavours. The acidity of the wine is pretty good especially for this variety which might be an indication of the vintage. There is an element of smoked jubes but otherwise the wine is all gobs of fresh fruit flavour. What the wine lacks is structure but that is not surprising given the nature of this variety. Right from the get go this wine is highly drinkable!

Alcohol: 14%
Price: Under 20
Rated: 87
Drink: Now or over the next five years


Australia Felix Sagrantino 2007

Andrew Peace was the first to produce a Sagrantino in Australia with the 2005 release. They now have the largest planting of this variety in Austraila and this wine is from the hot 2007 vintage.

Australia Felix Sagrantino 2007

Massive full bodied with flavours of leather, boiled plums, blackberry jam, mixed jubes and spice running wild. This tastes more like your typical Australian wine from yesteryear as it comes off as a dry red rather than a Sagarntino. The tannins are light and resolved but do offer a nice chalkiness. While this wine did improve over the four days I tasted it, I think it is ready to go but I would put it with some large proteins to increase the chances of maximum enjoyment.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $45
Rated: 86
Drink: Now - 2018


2007 Australia Felix Sagrantino

Pizzini Sagrantino 2010

For a wine to be called Sagrantino in Umbria, which is the spiritual home of the variety, the wine needs to be fermented for longer than 60 days on skins and then aged from longer than 12 months in barrel before being bottle and laid to rest for another period. All up the wine has to spend 30 months in barrel or bottle before it can be released.

Pizzini Sagrantino 2010

Structured to hell with a more wild tannic structure than the Amadio but it has an acid line that drives the flavours along. The tannins feel chalky and vibrant as they coat my tongue which adds to the depth of the wine. The length is great with medium weighted flavours of cracked pepper, dried plums, smoked meat and lifted notes of cherry compote coming through. Every aspect of the wine feels restrained which means it will need of a few years in the cellar when it will blossom into a beautiful beast.

Alcohol: 13.9%
Price: $35
Rated: 89
Drink: Now - 2026


Amadio Sagrantino 2010

Amadio is one of the largest land holders in the Adelaide Hills when it comes to acres under vine. They also have vines in the Barossa which is where this wine comes from. The vines were planted in 1997 with the first bunches being picked in 2009. The structure of the wine tastes like the vines are young so I’m thinking they will need another 15 years to show maturity. That said this and the next two wines are very exciting.

Amadio Sagrantino 2010

Does this smell of sweetness? No, not an ounce at all but there is some jubed plums and dried herbs before cherry chocolate come rolling in. This is a wine that offers savoury goodness with mild tannins (well, mild in terms of sagrantino) and fine acid. Sagrantino is the sort of wine that drys out your mouth which leaves you feeling like your lips have been sucked out the other end of your body. When I say that I mean it in a good way as I spent days watching this wine with a look of glee on my face. The food and user friendly palate is only medium weight with the oak already taking a back seat.  

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $35
Rated: 87
Drink: Now - 2024

3 Dark Horses Shiraz 2011



3 Dark Horses has started increasing there volume. A proportion of this wine came from a small vineyard near Pirramimma. They tend to produce more robust styled wines.

3 Dark Horses Shiraz 2011

There is a mild element of licorice intertwined with coffee and plums in this wine. The elegant palate ticks all the I am from McLaren Vales boxes mixed with I am a product of the weather boxes which is really nice as Australia gets a bit of a bad wrap for being homogenised. There is a bit of alcohol warmth on the mid-palate but the flavour works really well together. While the length could be a bit longer for the money this is pretty good.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $22
Rated: 85
Drink: Now - 2016




Wilson Vineyard Polish River Riesling 2012

Polish Hill Rocks!

Wilson Vineyard Polish River Riesling 2012

Twenty twelve is the vintage to get on board with Riesling as the quality level has been taken up a level. Let’s just take this wine for example. There is a massive acid line running through the centre of this tight and torte beast which gives the impression that the wine will cellar for decades. On the palate the flavours of lemon blossom, powdered quartz, talcum powder and apples is succulent and adds to the powerful structure. The whole package is lively, offering such high levels of enjoyment at this early stage it seems a crime that I am going to recommend putting them in a dark place for 10 years.

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $28
Rated: 91
Drink: 2023 - 2038

Friday 8 March 2013

The True Italians


Last month I looked at the Italian varieties in Australia so this month I thought it would be good to see what was happening back in the home land. Many of these imports can be found cheaper than what you would have paid for them 10 years ago due to the economic climate in Europe at the moment.

Francesco Scanavino Moscato D’Asti

Moscato D’Asti is a traditional North-Western dessert wine that is sweetly fruited and extremely low in alcohol. The D’Asti region sits in between Alessandria, the third largest region in Piedmont, and Coni which is the last region before it turns into France. In Australia many people use this style of wine as an aperitif or even as a drink throughout the meal.  Either way it doesn’t matter as this style is something to really get your teeth into.  Neville Yates from Eurocentric imports this wine exclusively so it might be easiest to get it through his website. Francesco Scanavino is a small family run Estate run in the heart of Langa. They make wine from a variety of indigenous Italian grape varieties. This Moscato D’Asti is highly fragrant and inviting with aromas of musk stick and lychee filling the room. On the palate these flavours lead the way but they are joined by lemon rind and a rice bubble note. The palate weight is thick yet lively with the flavours attacking the front of the palate and then finishing with a wedge of acidity.
Alcohol: 5.5%
Price: $29
Rated: 86
Drink: While the sun shines.



Cantine Pra Soave Classico Superiore 2011

Soave or Garganega is the primary white variety that is grown in the Veneto region. Mainly it is dry and alluring with no oak influence at all. Some producers produce a reserve label that may see a proportion of the wine aged in older oak barrels but these wines still feel lively and engaging. The grapes that comprise this wine are grown on the hillside near the town of Verona. These soils are infertile thus the vines have to work hard to produce anything. The Classico area only comprises 2,700 hectares of vines but it produces almost 100% of the top quality wines. The Estate of Cantine Pra is breathtakingly beautiful and is run by brothers Serge and Graziano Pra. The Estate is run conventionally and year in year out produces benchmark wines for the region. Cantine Pra is imported by Negociants Australia, who brings in so many bench mark wines it is scary. Many of these wines are easily accessible which is great for the wine consumer.  This Soave Classico taste of pears and almond meal but it is the transition from lightness to richness then back to ultra-lightness that is the most appealing. There is a textural component that kicks in on the mid-palate and then disappears before a lemon blossom note takes over. The whole package of this wine is beautiful as it offers texture and flavour complexity with a hint of richness on a mainly refreshing palate. All this for only 30 bucks? Well the RRP is that but I bet you could find it for less.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $30
Rated: 91
Drink: Now or over the next 6 years



Tenuta San Guido Le Difese 2010

Tenuta San Guido is located in the Bolgheri region in Tuscany. This maritime area is known for the development of the Super-Tuscan wines which command huge price tags.   The region is rather impressive with many castles jutting out from the forest areas. In the old days the aristocracy would have ruled this area which might be why they had time and resources to develop vines. The Tenuta San Giudo Estate is another import from Negociants Australia and is the leading light of the area and each year they produce a wine, Sassicaia, that ranks in the top 5 best wines produced in Italy. In some years, like 2006, they produced one of the best wines in the world. The Le Difese label is their entry level wine and is supposed to be drink young and fresh. The aromas of this wine are rustic and wild with notes of black and red currants, savoury cherries, fresh cut herbs, iodine and spicy earth. The flavours mix well with the chalkiness of the structure and the medium palate weight.  I could see myself ploughing through cases of this as it is light enough to pair well with a variety of foods yet could still hold its own by itself.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $32
Rated: 89
Drink: Now – 2015


Occhipinti SP68 2011

This maker is located in Sicily which is a Mediterranean Island just of the coast of most southern Western area in Italy. This area is pushing the boundaries in term s of natural wine-making with most of the producers focusing on the native grape varieties of the region. Addley Clark in the importer for this producers and they have amassed a large portfolio of highly sort after interesting wines. On the palate this wine tastes of dried licorice and herbs mixed with plum skin and dried clay. These savoury flavours flow easily as they attack my front palate and there are moments of sweetness thrown in. The wine drops away on the mid-palate before a lemon rind component kicks in on the back end. While this wine won’t be for everyone, I loved the flow of the wine and the easiness that I could suck down a glass.

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $45
Rated: 86
Drink: Now – 2016


Pizzini Per Gli Angeli 2006

Now I know that this wine isn't an Italian but it was just so good I had to add it in. There are not many Vin Santo style wines made in Australia and this is the best of them all. This wine spends so much time in barrel that it is a wonder why anyone would make it in the first place. The initial aromas smelt like a sherry but then on the palate notes of chocolate covered caramel and lemon pith carry the wine from the mid-palate on. The wine balances richness and lightness extremely well with the wine mainly feeling sweet yet doesn't leave me heavy or tired.

Alcohol: 14.1%
Price: $65 (375ml)
Rated: 92
Drink: Now - 2022

Thursday 7 March 2013

Tyrrell's Single Vineyard Stevens Semillon 2012

This wine was harvested from grapes grown in the Glenoak vineyard in the Hunter Valley. The soils are red clay on light sand and the wine was picked slightly earlier than the 2011.

Tyrrell's Single Vineyard Stevens Semillon 2012

For a wine with such low alcohol this packs a punch. It possesses lemon pulp, lemon grass, crushed flowers and spice flavours on a palate that is so torte and tensile it is scary. There is a huge amount of richness through the mid-palate on an otherwise light and bright flavour ride. Even though I think it is possible to drink this now it will show its best with 12 to 17 years under its belt. 

Alcohol: 10.5%
Price: $25
Rated: 91
Drink: Now -2035

Saturday 2 March 2013

M Chapoutier Tournon Lady's Lane Vineyard Shiraz 2009

when I looked at the wines in front of me that I needed to taste through, this wine jumped out at me as it is impressively packaged. Wax seal, heavy bottle and a elegant label so how could I resist.

M Chapoutier Tournon Lady's Lane Vineyard Shiraz 2009

The initial aromas that swaggered out of the glass were sweet from the oak treatment but there was some really ripe plum and dark chocolate notes coming through. What happened on the palate didn't really match up as the wine felt lighter on the palate but the flavours of slightly over ripe plums, green pepper corns and dried currants didn't jump out and grab me. There needed to be a bit extra vibrancy or acidity to hold everything together. The wine has reached its peak and should be drunk now to get ful enjoyment out of it.

Alcohol: 15.5%
Price: $50
Rated: 85
Drink: Now or over the next two years