Wold Blass, Pewsey Vale and Skillogalee

The rizza files

I’m not sure why Riesling isn’t drunk more often instead of sav blanc or pinot gris as generally the variety offer higher quality at a cheaper price point. 

Wolf Blass Gold Label Riesling 2013

Very flinty and not minty
Tastes like orange without porridge
Very long length without much spent
Love this wine would drink it in time

Alcohol: 11.5%
Price: $17
Rated: 89
Drink: Now – 2024

Skillogalee Riesling 2014
A very different beast to the above wine with the Clare Valley being more full on and in your face. There are interest moment of lime skin, orange rind and spring blossom popping their head out at you. The wine is still fragrant but it seems a little more evolved and easy to drink. 

Alcohol: 12.2%
Price: $20
Rated: 90
Drink: Now – 2019



Pewsey Vale Riesling 2014

I like what this producer is trying to do and that is focus of Riesling from a very renowned area. The grapes for this wine were harvested over a three week period and then allowed to ferment in stainless steel tanks before being blended and bottled. The wine smells and tastes like an A typical Riesling with lemon and lime cascading out of the glass with a bit of smashed quartz and talc powder. All these flavours and length of under 20 you say and I would have to agree with you except that I know it will be better with a year or two in the cellar. 

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price:$16
Rated: 91
Drink: 2016 - 2026

Heathvale Wines The Belief Sagrantino 2012

From all the current release Sagrantino's this is the best one but I think they could have gone further. This wine is hand picked from a small Sagrantino vineyard that used to be a chardonnay vineyard until it was grafted over to Sagrantino. The bunches were de-stemmed into small open top fermenters and fermented on skins for 7 days. Now here it is, if the tannin profile was a little more prominent and representative of the variety I would have given it a few extra points. That said the lighter easier tannins make it easy to access now. In the end, who rally cares when it tastes this good.

This isn't released yet and will come out when the 2011 sells out.

Heathvale Wines The Belief Sagrantino 2012

This has a very pretty and attractive nose with cherries, potpourri and spice woven into the body of this medium bodied wine. The wine is clean as a whistle and is laden with flavours in the bright end of the spectrum. The acidity pops at the end of the wine which lifts the sensation up and above. There is a nice balance between the acidity and the flavour profile with the light and fluffy tannins sitting firmly under everything. Beautiful and more of a sweet song than a violent melody. Drink with a little meat ragu.

Alcohol:
Price: $35
Rated: 92
Drink: Now - 2025

Torzi Matthew Frost Dodger Shiraz 2012 & Riesling 2013

Two Torzi Matthews wines of ultra high quality and the Shiraz is the best wine I have tried from this producer ever.

 

Torzi Matthews Frost Dodger Riesling 2013

 

This wine is intense with the flavours tasting more like they come in the essence form rather than the off the tree. It is also so minerally and/or slatey that it feel like you would be at a mine site. In the end the wine finishes with great vitality and structure.

 

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $25

Rated: 90

Drink: Now - 2025 

 

 

Torzi Matthews Frost Dodger Shiraz 2012

 

The Frost Dodger Shiraz comes from a single vineyard in the elevated Eden Valley. The 16 year old vines are single wire positioned with 30 % whole bunches during fermentation before being pressed into French oak hogsheads for 16 months. For a wine that sees a lot of oak the impact is negligible. The mouth-feel is a little creamy and silky but otherwise the oak has been swallowed up. The first thing you notice is the beautiful aromatics that are flowing out of the glass. They are mesmerising and delicate with floral notes mixed with hinted of Indian spices. On the palate these aromatic flavours are joined by the essence of blackberries and blood plums mixed with sage butter. It is a delightful wine and one that makes me rethink about how I think about Shiraz based wines.

 

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: $38

Rated: 93

Drink: Now – 2028

 

Heathvale Vineyard Sagrantino 2011

The Heathvale vineyard vines are old Chardonnay root stock that has been grafted onto Sagrantino. This has reduced the amount of disease in the vines that many of the other growers are experiencing with the original root stock. The variety is the undisputed king for phenolic compounds in the skins and the highest tannin level for all wines. Drink at your own peril.

 

Heathvale Vineyard Sagrantino 2011

 

The 2011 wine looks good even though it comes from a cool vintage. There is a nice plum lift along with cranberries and summer flowers which makes this a lighter style wine in term of depth of flavour and flavour profile. The wine possesses good balance of flavour and texture but it doesn’t possess the tannic kick that is associated with the variety. Why? Maceration. This wine only spends a short time on skins before being pressed off into barrel. Does it suffer as a result? No not really, it just makes it easier to drink as a young wine.

 

Alcohol: 14.3%

Price: $35

Rated: 88

 

Drink: Now – 2024

Yalumba The Virgilius 2010

The Virgilius is the best barrels from the oldest planting of Viognier in the Eden Valley.

 

Yalumba The Virgilius 2010

 

My god this is full on yet elegant and restrained at the same time. The palate is so even and persistent with nothing out of place at all. The full bodied flavours are of honeysuckle, orange blossom, cardamom, hints of mandarin and ginger nut bisects is just perfect. What separates this from the normal over blown much is the acidity which leaves the saliva train going overdrive, a magnificent creamy palate feel and the restraint of the flavours. It is a beautiful exercise in art.

 

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $50

Rated: 94

Drink: Now - 2020

 

Heathvale Vineyard Riesling 2013

Heathvale Vineyard Riesling 2013

All the typical flavours of lemon lime but there is a hint of richness in the form of orange blossom coming through on the mid-palate. THere is a touch of chalkiness coming through but otherwise that is what you get. The wine offers restraint and I think it will get better with a few year in the cellar. As a drink now wine it isn't for me for as the complexity isn't there. Hide in the cellar and drink somthing else now.

Alcohol: 11.3%
Price:$23
Rated: 87
Drink: 2016+

Henschke Joann's Garden 2010

Do you choose a wine based on a single variety or a blend? I think many people look for single varieties as they think the standard is higher. I guess they are correct as most companies choose to release their bench mark wine as a single variety but I think this should change. Wines like Grange, Majella's Malleea and most of the top red wines out of Margaret River are blends. Each variety adding its own unique aspect that is greater than the individual parts. Blends also allow the winery to add a brilliant name to their top wine. This is a marketing dream as it adds something to the brand. If we look towards Europe then blends rain king. Anyway I should stop ranting and get on with the wine.


Henschke Joann's Garden 2010

Henschke has managed to combine beautiful perfumed noted with lively and silky mouth-feel. The oak has been totally consumed by the red-berry flavours and this all fits of a medium bodied frame. Nothing is over done but the wine is slow to evolve which makes me think that it will need a bit to show all of the magic that it holds. If you are into high quality wine with richness and elegance this fits the bill.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price; $45
Rated: 93
Drink: 2016 - 2025

Heathvale Vineyard The Reward Shiraz 2010

Heathvale vineyard is located in the Eden Valley across the road from Sorby Adams. The estate was first planted in 1865 which makes this one of the oldest estates in the area. Well that would be if they continued to produce wine or the vines had stayed. What happened was a 90 year lay off before Trevor and Faye Marsh start replanting the vineyard with chardonnay at its core. Now the estate focuses on Shiraz, Riesling and Sagrantino.

Heathvale Vineyard The Reward Shiraz 2010

This is a pretty medium bodied wine with flavours of mixed roasted spices, cracked pepper and Christmas cherries. These flavour sit long time on my palate with the oak adding a sophisticated creamy aspect before a nice an easy end. The profile is more savoury but that is normal for the area. For a wine that is dry grown in the area, it doesn't have the palate weight but that is what is more appealing to the story the wine is trying to tell. I like it a lot and will get better with time in the bottle.

Alcohol: 14.6%
Price: $50
Rated: 87 +
Drink: Now - 2025

Leo Buring Eden Valley Dry Riesling 2012

Riesling the grape fit for kings. This history of the variety is linked to kings as they had enough money to pay for land and grape vines lying around. They even were a major player in focusing the efforts of planting Riesling in Germen and riding the place of other varieties.

 

Leo Buring Eden Valley Dry Riesling 2012

 

So Slatey So Nice! Imagine Rubbing this over

 

This body

 

 

Image by Word Press

And you get what this wine taste like. Its exciting even thinking about having another sip. I am getting a tingling sensation. Enough of that just buy and dig in. 

 

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $15
Rated: 89
Drink: In 6 years

Yalumba Eden Valley Viognier 2012

Viognier is typically full bodied that pairs well with white meats, creamy sauces or spicy curries. The variety is sometimes known for being over the top or too in your face which means you need to be picky with the producer you look at. Yalamba have been working with the variety since 1980 which makes them one of the oldest in Australia. The 2012 version of this wine is brilliant.

Yalumba Eden Valley Viognier 2012

This wine is a little more reserved than I was expecting but it still possessed bobbles of apricot skin, ground ginger, spice and honey. It is floral and inviting with a sweet creamy texture kicking in on the mid-palate. The palate weight is more in the medium to full end of the spectrum with the length just balling on. While I am not a fan of this variety in Australia, I would suck this down case by case as it is that good for the money.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $25
Rated: 88
Drink: Now - 2018

Sip those winter blues away

The weather has turned into a rain storm here in Adelaide and the surrounding areas. It is the time of year when the hearty food options come to the centre of my attention as the fire rages in the living room and I pine for a glass of something beautiful.

Mayhem & Co. Hipster Riesling 2012

Does anyone want a lip punching Riesling with style? Oh bab,y give this to me seven more times! The flavours of pink grapefruit, summer flowers, mineral dust and dehydrated lemon pulp are intense to say the least but they are inconsequential to the structure, tightness of the wine and the brilliant length. At the moment it is a little unyielding but all the componants are there for pure enjoyment to hit in about 6 years time. The quality is undeniable and the vineyard has been around for 100 years so its credentials are sound.

Alcohol: 12.4%
Price: $26
Rated: 92
Drink: 2017 - 2027

Henschke Keyneton Euphonium 2010

This wine is a blend of 70% Shiraz, 18% Cabernet and 12% Merlot but it is the Merlot which dominates the front palate. The great depth of flavours such as plums and mulberries attack the front palate with elegant vigor before the Shiraz kicks in on the mid-palate. Each componant does its part and everything is finished off with a touch of blackcurrants, chocolate covered wild herbs and cedary spice. While I think this is a very high quality wine right now, it will show better with 12 years under its belt.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $42
Rated: 90+
Drink: 2022 - 2034

Patritti Selection 181 Grenache 2011

Grenache and the lighter bodied wines are all the rage at the moment as they are easier to drink with a wider variety of foods. Patritti's version also offers dirty charm and structure which complements the food as well. At the core of this wine is a flavour profile that is dominated by earthiness and redberry loving. It is a little wild and exotic to start with but there are those typical McLaren Vale flavours coming in on the back palate in the form of red licorice. The acidity of the wine sparkles which lifts the flavour profile right out of the glass. As this is the first release of this wine I would warn everyone that these will only get better as the winemaker learns what he can do with this variety from this vineyard.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $28
Rated: 89
Drink: Now - 2018

 

Port Phillip Estate Chardonnay 2011

This is the first wine I have tried from Port Phillip Estate and it is a very high quality one. This Chardonnay is picked from a single vineyard and then whole bunch pressed into French oak and then let nature take its course. Wild yeast, mostly older oak and lees stirring makes for a good quality interesting style, if they can pull it off. In this case it has worked a treat with the fruit still taking centre stage but there is enough winemaker complexity to hold any hardcore chardy'slovers attention. The core of acidity to remarkable and means this will mature nicely in the cellar. Drink now or later, who cares when it is this good.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $30 - $34
Rated: 90
Drink: Now - 2022

Michael Hall Syrah 2010

The Eden Valley ripens its shiraz fruit much later then the Barossa floor which might be why these wines are more savoury and less ripe than the floor wines. The Valley was first settled in mid 1850s with some of the most treasured vineyards being planted not much after that. The Hill of Grace vineyard was planted in 1858. The vineyard that this comes from is much younger than that and is owned by the Binders. As Rolf Binder wants to focus on the more robust floor wines, Michael gets to take and craft something special from this piece of dirt.

Michael Hall Syrah 2010

Mummer this is savoury with frangrant floral notes but there is core of red & blackfruits underneath. It took four days to open up and show some of the higher quality characters that this wine possesses. On the palate the flavours are similar but it is joined by a minerally moment with herbs and cola entering the mix. The mouthfeel is brillaint as it is creamy with a pure drive of acidity lifting the flavours a notch. This is a high quality bottle of Syrah that will demand cellaring.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $40
Rated: 94
Drink: In 13 years

Henschke Tappa Pass Shiraz 2010

Henschke's are kicking goals at the moment. Everything that I have tried from them from the 2010 vintage rocks and this wine is no acception. The intro below was taken from the Henschke web page.

"The 2010 growing season was preceded by above average winter rainfall. Spring was mild with little frost damage and gave us an even budburst. The weather remained cold and wet through spring, which held back growth until a two-week high 30s heat wave in November affected flowering and fruit set. Spring rains continued into early summer right through until mid-December, making it the wettest year since 2005. The vines responded to the heat and grew vigorously until early January, developing lush canopies, but bunch development suffered as a result. A roller-coaster ride of heat spikes and cool changes continued through a warm summer with occasional thunderstorms. The vines went through veraison a week earlier than 2009. Lower yields coupled with the mild ripening period resulted in concentrated fruit. Vintage began a week earlier than 2009 and was in full swing by mid-February. The white vintage was all but finished a month later while the red harvest continued with deeply coloured, well-balanced grapes being picked during mild, dry conditions until the end of April"

Tappa Pass is a sub-region in the Barossa and the vineyard was a catalist for the creation of this wine. Now the fruit comes from three different sub-regions and in 2010 it is a pearler.

 Henschke Tappa Pass Shiraz 2010

The wine is very perfumed upon opening and that fragrance carries over onto the palate. It is rich yet savoury at the same time with flavours of spice, bluberry chocolates, plum skin and blackberry sorbet. It is the balance of these flavours and the polished tannin structure combined with succulent acidity that takes this to the next level. Beautiful wine from a brilliant vintage.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $84
Rated: 95
Drink: After it turns 12

Jamie Oliver 15 min Blackened Chicken San Fran Quinoa Salad + Penfolds Cellar Reserve Traminer 2012

Jamie Oliver 15 min Meals Blackened Chicken San Fran Quinoa Salad

My wife wanted me to make this after it was aired on TV but I had reservations about the use of mango in a main dish. I have never used quinoa before but after tasting the meal I will be using it again as it adds a lightness and textural element that is refreshing. The salad for this dish involves a cup of quinoa with some boiling water added and let to sit over some heat. The base to the salad is devine and the best part of the meal. All I did was blitz spring onions, coriander, chilli's, spinach, rocket and mint and lay it on a platter as it patiently waits for the hot quinoa to arrive. Meanwhile grab some chicken thighs, Jamie says chicken breasts but i'm on a budget, and sprinkly them in some five spice and smoked paprika with a dash of salt and pepper on a grease proof paper. Fold the paper to cover the chicken and smash it with a rolling pin. I believe this is half cooking and half therapy so go for your life. Once done throw them on a griddle pan on high temperature with two capsicums that have been cut into random pieces until they are cooked. At about this point the quinoa would be ready so drain the water and add it to the platter. Make sure you mix the diced elemenst with the warm quinoa. Cut the chicken into manageable sizes and scatter over the platter. Now add some fetta, cress, avocado chunks, olive oil and lime juice. As mango's aren't in session at the moment so I didn't add any. Serve on the platter with a bit of natural yogurt. My wife said this was one of the best dishes that we have tried from his cook books.

Penfolds Cellar Reserve Traminer 2012

This wine came in two parts. Day 1 ugly as all hell but it had great length and a creamy mouthfeel. On day three the wine was balanced with flavours of turkish delight, rose petals and spring blossom.  The mouth fell and length stayed the same so in all the wine is pretty snazzy but it will need a year or two in the bottle just to let everything work itself out.

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $34

Rated: 90

Drink: 2014 - 2019

Icons and Emerging Icons

When people think of the Icon wineries from Australia Penfolds, Henschke and Wynns of Coonawarra are three that would come to mind. They produce wines that have the ability to age for prolonged periods and generally look better with ten years under their belt. I've tasted my way through a lot of their wines and listed below are three monumental wines. The Penfolds wine is the best Cabernet I have tried in Australia, the Henschke just beautiful, wild and not far behind the Bin 169 and the Wynns Black label Shiraz which is a fine wine to accompany their Cabernet. Below these three are two wines from wineries that I believe will join the top ranks in the years to come. They are already producing classic and spectacular wines but they have only been producing these in the last 5 to 10 years.  

Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 

This years Grange was written up as being one of the best ever but I rated this just that bit higher in terms of quality. It is classic styled with structure to burn. The aromas are captivating as they come across as chiselled yet expressive with notes of leafy black currants, olive pulp and wild herbs from a French veggie garden. These flavours are only a drop in the ocean when you compare them to what arises on the palate but they are equally enchanting. The fruit takes centre stage but there is a hint of cedar in the background and then the structure takes hold. There is a line of bright acidity running from the front palate to my tonsils which mean that the length of phenomenal. For a young wine this is the best Australian Cabernet that I have tried. As this is from the birth year of my daughter I will be buying as many as I can afford.  

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Price: $350 

Rated: 97+ 

Drink: After 2035 

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Black Label Shiraz 2010 

This is a new addition to the Wynns label and it has come about after they have invested a significant amount of time reinvigorating their vineyards. This cool climate shiraz has plenty of soft blackberry notes with spice and red-fruits adding complexity and interest. The long palate is accentuated by the medium bodied palate weight and wild components of animal hide and a creamy mouthfeel. Even though I don't think this is a long term wine like I do like the sense of it at the moment. 

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Price: Good value at $30 

Rated: 91 

Drink: Now - 2020 

Henschke Mount Edelstone 2009 

This wine was pick from a vineyard that is 97 years old which makes this something to hold in reverence. Out of all the 2009 wines from the Barossa this one comes across the most wild and reserved with notes of savoury blackberries rolled in chocolate and Asian spices. The flavours are as smooth as silk and linger on my palate for what seems like hours but it is the balance between tannin structure and brightness that is most enchanting. There is depth of flavour and food friendliness that finishes off the package of this world class wine.  

Alcohol: 14.5% 

Price: $118 

Rated: 95 

Drink: 2024 – 2040 

Paradise IV Darel Shiraz 2011 

Exotic and reserved with a bewildering array of flavours bombarding the senses, yet I must say forget about the flavours as it is the beautiful balance of sweet and chalky tannins mixed with insane acidity that is most enchanting. They take hold of my mouth and drive the flavours forward like a winged goddess taking off to save the world. At the moment the wine is too shy but after it was open for 5 days it really started to open up so I would be calm and just let it sit in the cellar. 

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Price: $45 

Rated: 93 

Drink: 2018 - 2029 

Sutton Grange Estate Rose 2010 

These guys under Gilles Lapalus have been producing some of the most interesting and highest quality wines in Australia. This wine is the best rose that I have ever tasted from Australia as it combines dry and savoury characters of raspberries with exotic flavours of Asian spices and roasted nuts. The force of the wine is beautiful with the length just phenomenal. I would love to say that it only got better as it sat open but I finished the bottle too quick to make that call, which I guess it a good thing when you think about it. 

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Price: $40 

Rated: 93 

Drink: Now or over the next few years

 

Shobbrook Wines Riesling 2012

The wines by Tom Shobbrook are enthralling, even to the point that they are more art than just plain wines. This wine, year in year out, is one of my favourites.

Shobbrook Wines Riesling 2012

The fine boned nature of this wine is evident right from the word go. The pristine European flavours of slate, essence of lime, school chalk and crushed daisies. Once the wine hits my mouth the length is very evident and sweetens of the flavours in balanced out by razer acidity and apple cider notes. Unlike last years version there is more texture but the wine doesn’t feel as complete. Don’t get me wrong I am fascinated by this wine as it takes me on a path like no other Australian Riesling but it doesn’t have the voice like it did last year. The drive of the wine is most evident and enthralling on the entry before it fans out on the back palate. Like the Giallo this wine looked best on the earlier days that I had it open so I would recommend enjoying it now.

Alcohol: 12%

Price: $36

Rated: 90

Drink: Now or over the next 5 years

Party Time Wines

Summer is in full swing and that means party time. It seems that every year we pack every get together with anyone in the two months of December and January.  This period is one filled with hot days, warm nights and fun filled moments with friends and family. The best way to celebrate this time is with refreshing whites and bubbles of happiness.

Hahndorf Hill Winery Gruner Veltliner 2012

This wine should come with a warning of don’t serve too cold as the palate shuts down a bit under extreme chills.  When the wine is allowed to warm up a bit flavours of crushed flowers and pears start to emerge.   The entry of the wine is light and delicate but from the mid-palate on there is masses of intense flavours and texture galore.  The flavours come across as those mystical crystals you see in the healing stores in the city mixed with peaches, spice and lemon blossom.  These flavours work brilliantly with the glycerin style mouth feel.  My god it coats my mouth, sticking the flavours to my receptors.  This is a wine to be proud of so get on board. This wine is so good I am going to predict that the Adelaide Hills will become a beacon for top quality Gruner. Just wait within 5 years the Hills will be Chardonnay and Gruner mecca.

Alcohol: 12.5%

Price: $28

Rated: 88

Drink: Now – 2024

Tyrrell’s Wines Traditional Method Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2009

When wineries say that a sparkling is made using the traditional method they mean that it has been bottle fermented. This process takes much longer and allows the fruit to stay in contact with the lees which results in a creamer taste and mouth feel.  This wine has that in spades with extra flavours of dried grapefruit, toasted brioche, gun smoked strawberries and spice, in fact I would say this wine is packed with flavour. It feels like a party popper in my mouth, masses of flavours jumping for joy as they tumble along in my mouth.  At 26 bucks this wine is a sophisticated beast that will be easy to crack over this festive season.

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $26

Rated: 87

Drink: Now or over the next 5 years

Mount William Winery Jorja-Alexis Rose 2003

This wine spent 8 years on lees before being disgorged and topped with fresh Pinot Noir which brings back the salmon colour.  Murray, the owner of Mount Williams Winery, describes it the best in his media release. Murray explains that "whilst the wine is on lees in the cellar, the large red molecules drop out and we end up with a rather anemic looking sparkling rose'. The addition of the young still Pinot Noir doesn't affect the flavour and it has a beneficial effect on the bouquet when it is added.".  This wine is one of the best Australian Sparkling roses that I have tried as it is light in weight yet powerful in the delivery of strawberries and crème, rhubarb and spice. This wine definitely stays on the savoury side of things but the strawberries and crème adds a little confectionary style note which is lovely. The wine pulls long in my mouth with a knife edge of acidity keeping the wine fresh and vibrant. This would be perfect as a starter on Christmas day or any other special event.

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $45
Rated: 89
Drink: Now or later

Torzi Matthews Vintners Frist Dodger Riesling 2012

Pitch perfect and vibrant is this Eden Valley Riesling. In fact this could be your archetypical version of Riesling from this region with flavours of slate, lemon, blossom, struck quartz and lime pulp. In the mouth the wine explodes and the flavours stick to every inch of my mouth. The wine feels like it is thick and textured yet light and bright all in the same mouthful which is interesting and cerebral.  All I want to do is sit back under my loquat tree with a big glass and just let the earth spin around me. I could drink this now but it only improved over the 5 days that I tasted it so I would leave it alone for a while.


Alcohol: 13%
Price: $22
Rated: 93
Drink: Now - 2027