Cumulus Estate Luna Rosa Rosado 2015

Rose is coming into it own times with the weather starting to warm up. I love the diversity in rose now as many wineries are making dry style rose as a count point to the sweeter styles from the Barossa that consumers are used to.

Rosado is the Spanish version for rose so I was thinking that this would be a drier version. In fact this wine came about as a Portuguese winemaker was doing vintage at Cumulus and set about having a competition with the winemaking team. The wine has been kept on as the first vintage was well received by the drinking public.

Cumulus Estate Luna Rosa Rosado 2015

Lovely light and dry in appearance and smell. There seems to be crispness and tension in the wine and they translated to the palate with flavours of sour cherries and dried herbs. Once the wine hits the mid-palate it moves into ripe strawberries which seem to be a little sweet for the style of the wine before a touch of spice finishes the wine off. I really loved the profile of the wine, except for the ultra ripe strawberries, and would recommend it to be served with a salad of spring and summer. After tasting it I found out the price and was astounded.

Alc: 12.2%
Price: $15.50
Rated: 89
Drink: Now

Torbreck The Descendant 2012

Torbreck seem to try to walk the line between ultra ripe fruit and lush textures. Sometimes they pull it off and they are brilliant wines. On the other side sometimes they push the limit a little too far. I guess the Barossa is going through a change as there is more diversity in the styles coming from the region which is a good thing.

Torbreck The Descendant 2012

The nose feel lush and lick but there is a chili heat already coming through. On the palate it is still evident but it is joined by scorched earth, tar and dried ink. I like the mouth fell yet the heat is too much for me. I guess as it was picked in early April in 2012 that could explain the heat component. Either way I would be drinking this earlier and in winter rather than summer.

Alcohol: 15%
Price: $125
Rated: 87
Drink: Now - 2019

Wild Duck Creek Estate Springflat Shiraz 2013

I sat down with David 'duck" Anderson yesterday and tasted through his new release wines. He is a lovely down to earth fellow that doesn't talk shit. He is a straight shooter. He spoke about the lack of rain that Heathcote has been suffering yet again. He thinks its another drought and I agree with him. Its been cold but the rain just hasn't come in any significant form he says. The 2013s I tasted were from a warmer year which has meant that the fruit is there and in many of his wines the oak has already been swallowed up.

Wild Duck Creek Estate Springflat Shiraz 2013

Boom it is out in the open this wine. This is most probably the best Springflat that I have tasted on release as the oak is already in the background and it is a little less sweet than normal. The first flavour out of the gate is pencil shavings, raspberry coulis, dark chocolate, boiled plums and spice. This is a full bodied wine but still retains a sense of charm and elegance. The tannin structure says stash me away but I say nay open it whenever you want.

Alcohol: 15.7%
Price: $52
Rated: 94
Drink: Now - 2027

Clairault Wines Estate Chardonnay 2013

I’ve never heard of these guys but it was an eye opener to taste their wine. The grounds of the winery are beautiful and look like they have been constructed with precision in mind.  

 Clairault Wines Estate Chardonnay 2013

 Oh so refined and restrained with flavours just poking their head out before running and hiding. This is built for cellaring and is beautifully woven together. There are hints of white nectarines, brown pears and just ripe peach with grapefruit and freshly ground spice. Whoever is growing this or putting this together should be given an award as the price of this wine is low but the quality is up there with the top in the country. Love it and bought a 6 pack for the cellar.

 

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $38

Rated: 94 +

Drink: start in 2019

 

Pizzini Nonna Gisella Sangiovese 2013

Its a big move for a winery to release 6 sangiovese based wines and really goes to show how much effort Pizzini is putting in to showcase this variety. From my perspective this wine is all about summer as it is light to medium bodied with fruit yet retains a sense of sourness about it.

Pizzini Nonna Gisella Sangiovese 2013

There is a small amount of merlot and shiraz in this wine but you wouldn't know as it tastes all sangiovese in a light body mode with sour cherries, dried earth and spice. The flavours move through well with a faint dusting of tannin underneath. This wine is perfect for summer or a funky wine bar in town so people could grab a glass after work with a group of friends. High quality and good value.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $21.50
Rated: 88
Drink: Now - 2016

 

Deep Wood Estate Winery Harmony Rose 2014

I have never tried a wine from this estate but was keen to try them as they were just around the corner from the house we were staying in Dunsborough. The winery is fantastic with a real sense of beauty and style about it.

Deep Wood Estate Winery Harmony Rose 2014

This is a mix of Shiraz and Tempranillo and was fermented on Chardonnay lees. This sounds all good but has resulted in a really sweet rose style wine with a big up front flavour that fades very quickly. The palate is a little hot and confusing but I do get some strawberries and herbs.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $15
Rated: 81
Drink: Now

Redbank Ellora Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut Cuvee 2012

The King Valley sounds like a good spot for sparkling wines.

Redbank Ellora Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut Cuvee 2012

There is an intense line of spice, cherries and baked bread running through the spine of this sparkling wine. This is a full bodied expression and it tastes far more expensive than the price tag states. The complexity level is rather good with flavours of pralines, strawberries and grapefruit skin combining with the above mentioned flavours but they are a little loose knit for a huge score. I would be drinking this leading up to the Christmas season.

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $23
Rated: 88
Drink: Now - 2018

d'Arenberg Icon release 2015

d'Arenberg Icon release 2011's

 

 

So the 2011 release of d'Arenberg's icons might sound like it could be a difficult bunch of wines but I really liked their amazing site release so I was hoping for something special.

 

d'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz 2011

 

A very good start to the tasting with a lovely earthy plummy aromas slowly flowing out of the glass. It is the same of the palate except there is pepper and spices thrown in with a touch of rhubarb and beetroot skin licking my tonsils. The wine is only medium bodied with a soft amount of tannin sitting under the flavours which makes me think I would be consuming this earlier than the 2010 version.

 

Alcohol: 14.3%

Price: $65

Rated: 88

Drink: Now - 2020

 

 

 

 

 

d'Arenberg The Ironstone Pressings 2011

 

This is a blend of 70% Grenache, 25% Shiraz and 5% Mourvedre and is normally one of the best of these releases. This release does posses the depth or length when you compare it to last few years but it does have some dirty earth flavours with a mix of red berry fruits that is appearling. I think the Grenache needs a bit of heat to fully express itself yet I do like the more interesting appeal as I think people had to work harder to make quality wines. On the down side the length is only average with a dilute mid-palate.

 

Alcohol: 14.1%

Price: $65

Rated: 86

Drink: Now - 2020

 

 

d'Arenberg The Copper Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

 

I thought this was going to be the worst of the lot but the quality was so good I thought I picked up a different wine. It must have been the thick skins that saves this beautiful beast. This tastes more mints and dusty than normal with moments of blackcurrant pastilles, fresh cut French herbs and cedar on a medium to full bodied palate. The tannins kick in after a day open a bring this up a level with a chalkiness and light feel about them but they are in abundance as they take hold on my tongue. A brilliant outcome and a little surprise

 

Alcohol: 14.3%

Price: $65

Rated: 91

Drink: 2016 - 2028

 

 

 

 



Redbank Pinot Grigio 2014

What do people drink? I ask plenty of somms and they all say different things. For instance Adelaide can't get enough Fiano at the moment but they don't drink much Arneis. In Sydney they seem to be more open to Arneis but the guys I deal with aren't too keen on Nero d'Avola. What I'm getting at is that I am not a fan of Grigio yet it seems to be a mover especially in the restaurant business. In terms of style the Grigio wines seem to be more aligned with Sav Blanc and I can see why people like to drink that as it is unadulterated grape juice. No winemaking tricks or oak treatment just straight up grapes into the bottle.

Redbank Pinot Grigio 2014

Boo ya in terms of open and inviting at this early stage but I guess I have seen some 2015 wines out in the market. Ok so this is all grapefruits and hints of pears and granny smith apples which point to  a fresh and lively sort of a wine with a creaminess coming through on the back palate. There is a hint of phenolic texture but otherwise it is all drink me drink me appeal. The wine won't take you down the rabbit hole but it will get you into the mood for some Asian cuisine. To be honest I didn't feel that this was fermented in oak as it doesn't impact the flavour or the texture.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $22
Rated: 88
Drink: Now - 2018

Pirathon by Kalleske Shiraz 2013

The Barossa managed to produce some ripe flavour in 2013 and are more open and inviting than the 2012 or 2014 wines at this level of their development. This wine is a sub-regional blend from a lot of old school Barossa vignerons.

Pirathon by Kalleske Shiraz 2013

This wine underwent the traditional winemaking with open fermenters, hand plunging and storage in a mix of oaks. Four different types of oak, American, French, Hungarian and Russian, were used and they all contribute different flavours to the wine. The wine starts of sweet with the American oak taking centre stage. In fact the oak smothered the fruit for the four days I had the bottle open, except for a little while a note of burnt chocolate plums moved in. It is a full bodied experience with a thick texture all the way through and I think would need some charcoaled meat to accompany it.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $23
Rated: 84
Drink: Now - 2018

Giaconda Chardonnay 2013

As  general rule the wines from 2013 possess ripe fruit characters with plenty of structure. What might occur, if the winemaker wanted, was over ripe flavours from too much hang time. That is not a problem with the Giaconda but the flavour profile is different to what I expected.

Giaconda Chardonnay 2013

Complete is not a word I use too often to describe a new release wine but the Giaconda Chardonnay just seems to have all its components already lined up. The oak, Sirugue, is already mostly in the background. The flavours that the oak has contributed does not lead the way, rather it adds to the beautiful white peach, grapefruit and nectarines. The leading flavour is the one I wasn't expecting and that is minerals and river pebbles. The wine is just loaded with this struck mineral and washed river pebbled and they are intense. It makes the wine feel lighter and more lively than previous releases and I think will make it age better.

I will go back to the oak for just a tick as I think the oak is brilliant used and is part of the make up of the wine. Giaconda are the importers of Sirugue barrels and use a mix of Alliers and Vosges with maybe a bit of Cuvee Chardonnay (not sure as they have only started bringing this barrel into Australia). The Vosges is a beautiful wood and adds spice and toasted hazelnut characters with a bit of structure as well. What they have done is use brilliant barrels but not swamped the powerful fruit and vineyard characters. They have only used 30% new barrels which means they are able to maintain a good quality barrel with oak having to rely on spending a lot of money of oak each year. Bravo oh.

Ok so back to the wine. This is a brilliant release and a little different from the last 5 releases but the power, intensity, length and acid line are all similar and warrant the bench mark status that Giaconda holds.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $130
Rated: 96
Drink: 2020 - 2030

Some Italians from 2010

Twenty ten is my daughter’s birth year so I needed to think hard about the wine or wines I would lay down for her. Not only could it shape her wine habit in the long run but it meant I had to look at the wines ability to age.

 

The weather conditions in Tuscany and Bolgherti was characterised as a challenge with mildew pressures in Tuscany. The slow start to the season was brought on by a lower than normal temperature during spring which resulted in small bunch sets and eventually bunch weights. The sun shone brightly during the critical months but the vines handled it well due to the large amount of reserves they had from the wet and snow seasons. The sorting table must have been used to make top quality wines.

 

 

Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2010

 

From perspective I wanted this to be the all-time best wines that I could lay down for Amelie. It is the estate’s history and the link that they still have with the founding family that is most satisfying.

This year’s wine is savoury as hell with nuggets of fresh cut flowers, brambles, plum skin and spice on a medium bodied frame with elegance to burn. There is a moment of cassis and clay on an otherwise extremely long and svelte train of tannins. They just keep going and going but this is not the little train that could. This is a beautiful piece of artwork bottled.

 

Alcohol:

Price: $199

Rated: 95

Drink: 2017 - 2034

 

 

Tenutadell'Ornellaia Ornellaia 2010

 

This wine is the 25^th anniversary from this winery so I guess they had an extra degree of expectation on them. The estate was founded by Marchese Antinori in 1981 with the first vintage in 1985 off of 4 year old vines. In 2002 the Estate was acquired by Mondavi along with the completion of a few newer vineyards. Out of the three wines this has the most power and intensity. Yes it is monumental with 55% Cabernet, 39% Merlot and a nudge of Cab Franc and Petit Verdot bringing up the tail end. The Merlot lead the way with its flavour of chocolate coated plums and tobacco before the Cabernet kicks in. What this wine does is balance out the massive structure and flavour with the lightness of the Cab Franc adding interest.  This is still a baby but it is massively long in the mouth and so exquisitely put together.

 

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: $260

Rated: 97

Drink: 2018 - 2035

 

 

Isole e Olena Cepparello 2010

Like always this year’s wine is 100% Sangiovese but this version sees 25 new oak for 18 months before bottling. Initially this wine was more about savoury characters than the normal cherry fruit that comes through. Think more along the lines of roasted spices from the Turkish bazaar mixed with dried earth and fresh twigs but as the wine uncoils itself from the tannins there are moments of blood plums and wild cherries. The intensity of the wine is most impressive, even more so than the 04 or the 06, while it still is only medium to full in weight. At the moment I would be scared to open this as the tannins are ferocious and primal. Patience is the key.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: $100

Rated: 96 +

Drink: 2020 - 2040

Importer: Negociants Australia

 

Wirra Wirra The Absconder Grenache 2012

WirraWirra The Absconder Grenache 2012 

 

Generally regarded as one of the most widely planted grape variety in the world but it spends more time in the company of others than it does singing its own song. The variety loves the heat which makes it perfect for the conditions in Australia. What the variety needs is a meticulous hand in the vineyard with plenty of focus of yields and canopy management.  

 

How did this variety become so prevalent you ask? Well that harks back to the King of Aragon which sound like it came from a Lord of the Rings book. Let’s look back to the 9th Century in the Iberian Peninsula which is the third largest peninsula in Europe. The ruler was obsessed with the variety and as his rule expanded so did the planting of the variety. The variety is pretty thin skinned which makes the wines easy to drink when young making the variety liked early in their lives.  Long live the good Grenache wine or whatever they call the variety in the local area.  

 

The Vales makes very structured versions from this variety and the Wirra Wirra version is no different. There is a beautiful perfume character that allows the aromas of rose petals and cherry pips to magically flow from the glass with ease. On the palate there is mostly the same with all sort of red fruits and red licorice before an earthiness and twiggy nature takes hold. The wine is medium bodied and delicate but with density and length to burn. Don’t drink it now as the wine looked much better on day three than it did on day one.  

 

Alcohol:  14.5%

Price: $70

Rated: 93 

Drink: 2018 - 2027 

 

 

 

Wickhams Road Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2014

Made by the guys at Hoddles Creek with the quality about the same as their estate range.
 
Wickhams Road Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2014

Fck me this is long, elegant and built for a bit of bottle age. At the moment it really need another 6 to 12 months in bottle before it starts filling out a bit. On day one the wine was very good but it tasted more like a sav blanc than a chardy. On day 3 the wine had filled out and a nice nuttiness and smoked spice came out. Buy 3 dozen and stash them away for the start of December and I bet you will finish the lot before new years day!

Alcohol: 12.7%
Price: $17
Rated: 90
Drink: 2016 - 2024

Fox Creek Wines Arctic Fox Grand Cuvee NV

This is a regional blend of 45% Vermentino, 30% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Verdelho from McLaren Vale. From the notes attached the three varieties bring structure (vermentino), richness (verdelho) and Sauvignon Blanc bringing an aromatic twist. I see the vermentino doing most of the work and it would most probably look better in the warmer months around Christmas time rather than at the start of winter. 

Fox Creek Wines Arctic Fox Grand Cuvee NV

This is a little different in its flavour profile which while it is unique the flavours or components don’t blend together. The wine tastes mostly acidity driven with a hint of paw paw, pineapple, lemon grass and cats wee but the acidity doesn’t let the flavours do much of the talking. I wanted to like this more as the name and packaging had got me excited but I just couldn’t see through the acidity. 

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $23
Rated: 85
Drink: Now - ?  

Sevenhill Cellars, Tim Adams & O'Leary Walker Riesling

The rizza files 

 

My wife is drinking a lot of Rizza at the moment. In fact she went off to the Clare Valley today for a working week-end. She is filming in the area but I’m sure she will be opening a whole raft of these.  

 

O’Leary Walker Watervale Riesling 2014 

 

Really easy winemaking on this wine. Pick grapes tick. De-stem grapes tick. Press grapes tick. Juice chilled tick. Racked off solids tick. Fermented tick. Straight to bottle tick. Really what more could be done to express pure Riesling goodness? This has beautiful line and length with masses of crushed flowers, lime and lemon with tightness on the palate just drawing it all together.  

 

Alcohol: 12% 

Price: $20 but could get it cheaper 

Rated: 88 

Drink: Now – 2025 

 

 

Get your teeth around this one 

 

Tim Adams Riesling 2014 

 

This has more flavour and a great er acid line than the above wine and as a result is a bit better. That said they are both batting way above their weight. This wine has lemons and lime with orange zest and spring blossom. These flavours are perched on an extremely long palate that is just bursting at the seams with acidity. It is more like exploding and I just imagine the Monty Python skit where Mr Creosote is at a restaurant eating himself silly and they offer him an after diner mint and he blows up. I’m not sure how I link Mr Creosote to this wine but my mind is a little warped.  

Alcohol: 11.5% 

Price: $20 

Rated: 90 

Drink; Now - 2027 

 

 

Made in the same way as the above two wines but from a different vintage.  

 

Sevenhill Cellars Inigo Riesling 2013 

 

Nice typical flavours but a little short and narrow. This could be starting to shut down but I don’t think so, nor did it improve over the course of three days.  

 

Alcohol:  

Price: $17 

Rated: 85 

Drin: Now – 2017