Tuesday 26 May 2015

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 - ?  

Sunday 24 May 2015

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 
 

Stefano Lubiana Estate Chardonnay 2012

If Elvis was a wine he would be Chardonnay as he is the king. He went off beat for a little bit and was too fat but boy does he have swagger and a little sexiness.  
 
Stefano Lubiana Estate Chardonnay 2012 
 
This is a big boy but it does take a day before it starts really showing its stuff. The wine is all figs and roasted nuts with a touch of fennel, lime skin and spice. The winemaking hand is done really well as it is felt but never does the touch dominate. A baller of a wine and one to show around.
 
Alcohol: 14% 
Price: $48 
Rated: 92 + 
Drink: 2016 2024 
 

Redbank Wines Fiano 2014

Redbank winery is located in King Valley which is where so many Italians have set up camp. The two vineyards that this winery has are both set up at high altitude and are planted to a variety of French and Italian grape varieties.  
 
Redbank Wines Fiano 2014 
 
I love Fiano and drink a fair bit of it at home. The variety, generally, can offer texture and mouth-watering acidity. This wine is made in a lighter style but I guess that would be the case considering where it came from. On the nose there is fresh cut herbs, lemon sherbet and pear with a hint of honey blossom thrown in. The mouth feel offers a little texture which adds interest before some melon goodness attacks and then lightness takes over. All in all, a wondrous Fiano ride and a good introduction to the variety. 
 
Alcohol: 13% 
Price: $22 
Rated: 90 
Drink: Now 2022 
 

Wirra Wirra Original Blend 2014

More wine should be made in this medium bodied style as it fits with the Australian way of like and food choices.  
 
Wirra Wirra Original Blend 2014 
 
I get the feeling that Wirra Wirra is going to be putting out some spectacular wines from 2014. This wine is a blend of Grenache and Shiraz with a nice musty flavour with musk sticks and blueberries but it isn’t sweet as such. This is more savoury with flavours that could be sweet if they sat on the vine longer. This wine is medium bodied and has a nice line of acidity inserted up it bum. This makes it stand to attention and walk around with perk. This wine is highly drinkable and I was only able to review it over one night as a result. Whoops. 
 
Alcohol: 14.5% 
Price: $25 
Rated: 89 
Drink: Now 2021