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

 

 

 

 



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 

 

 

 

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 - ?  

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 

 

A swimming release of Original wines from d'Arenberg

 

A swimming release of d’Arenberg Custodian, Footbolt, d:Arry’s Original and High Trellis

In a time when most wineries are releasing their wines earlier, I like the fact that d’Arenberg hold their wines back. These four wines are from the 2012 vintage which was rather a cracker in terms of weather conditions. We will see how they went.

d’Arenberg Custodial Grenache 2012

From my point of view this Grenache based wine is the best of the lot. It is medium bodied and fragrant with elements of all sorts of red fruits and some lovely damp earth and spices. D’Arenberg seems to be able to bring out the earth or dirt in the wine which creates a sense of place and some extra complexity and interest. The flavours are lovely but the tannin profile really makes this wine a beauty to behold. Love it.

Alcohol: 14.6%
Price: $18
Rated: 90
Drink: Now – 2020



d’Arenberg d'Arry’s Original 2012

d’Arry’s Original is a 50/50 blend of Grenache and Shiraz that has been matured in French and American oak for 20 months. The Grenache leads the way with raspberry coulis and exotic spices on the nose but that doesn’t translate to the palate. On the palate there is a high amount of searing acidity. It was almost like they have accidently added way too much acid just prior to bottling. 
Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $18
Rated: 84
Drink: Now 



d’Arenberg Footbolt 2012

I have never really gotten into the Footbolt but a lot of my friends have. It seems to be a inexpensive wine that offers a lot of regional charm. As with most of the wines in this range the Footbolt is matured in a mix of French and American oak barrels for a period.  The 2012 wine opens with easily with flavours of candied plum and strawberries and cream with a hint of spice and chocolate coated licorice allsorts. As a Footbolt it seems easy to drink and slightly confected and will most probably appeal to the average drinker but not the hard-core wino.

Alcohol: 14.6%
Price: $18
Rated: 89
Drink: Now – 2020



d’Arenberg High Trellis 2012

This was the last of the d’Arenberg wines that I tried from the original release.
The Cabernet  for this wine, once in the winery were transferred to small open top fermenters and allowed to undergo fermentation. They did not see that long in contact with the skins before being pressed off to old American barrels.  On the nose the American oak leads the way but the blackberry liquor makes its body felt once on the palate. The regionality is bursting from the wine as well in the form of licorice and earth with a touch of mint and blood plum. The wine is only just full bodied with a nice tannic edge adding interest. 

Alcohol: 14.3%
Price: $18
Rated: 88
Drink: Now – 2021

Oliver's Taranga Vineyards Sagrantino 2011

Twenty eleven was a very cool and wet year so I wouldn't have expected a Sagrantino to have been produced as the variety is very late in ripening. This wine is made with fruit character in mind as the juice does not spend much time in contact with the skins. Once the fruit is pressed off it is transferred to old French oak and after about 2 years in barrel the wine is bottled.


Oliver's Taranga Vineyards Sagrantino 2011

My first word on my notes says perfumed and I can see why. The wine is very pretty and perky with light to medium bodied notes of dried roses, raspberries, light cherries, dried herbs and cracked pepper. The tannins are not prominent and seem fully ripe and round which makes this easy to drink now.  This wine is brilliant for an entry into the Sagrantino world.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $40
Rated: 88
Drink: Now - 2021

d'Arenberg The Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier 2010

d'Arenberg The Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier 2010

What can Viognier add to a warm climate Shiraz? Well it really depends on how the winemaker manages it. I have tasted a large amount where the Viognier has added texture and a massive apricot flavour. This wine has the added textural element but it doesn't have the apricot character which means it tastes better and more balanced. At the moment there is a little disconnect between the two varieties but I think that will work itself out with a bit of extra time in the bottle.  The Shiraz red berry fruits and the earthiness are masked by the textural element of the Viognier yet the medium bodied flavours sit on a very long palate length. All of this is easy to drink and feels more refined than a 30 dollar wine. Very narse.

Alcohol: 13.9%
Price: $30
Rated: 90
Drink: 2017 +

Zerella Wines La Gita Arneis 2014

Natural fermentation and extended time in contact with lees makes for a quality wine and it does show when the bottle is finally open. I would hold off on opening this as I think it will show better in a few months. 

Zerella Wines La Gita Arneis 2014

Sweeter fruit profile with apples and pear before a phenolic edge kicks in from the mid-palate. The balance between grip and flavour is interesting as this offers more than your normal arneis yet it still retains the typical flavour profile. The palate weight is bigger than most but there is enough acidity to pull it all together. The acidity sits under the flavour with the complexity moving up the scale with orange blossom and lemon balm. 

Alcohol:
Price: $20
Rated: 87
Drink: Now – 2019

ess & see Wines Sangiovese Rose 2014

I think that Australia as a whole is understanding what to do with rose's. They are picking earlier and not leaving the wine in contact with the skins very long which enhances the rose character and not making a light dry red.

ess & see Wines Sangiovese Rose 2014

This wine is very pale and has beautiful savoury characters of cherries, spice and a touch of rosehip oil. The light bodied palate is vibrant and bursting at the seems which means this wine will pair well with a nice variety of summer meals. I'm not sure where to buy this wine as a quick google search doesn't bring up anything. If you know where I can get it please put the location below.

Alcohol:
Price: $20
Rated: 90
Drink: Now

Hither & Yon Nero d'Avola 2014

Pretty simple wine-making with no oak used at all. This is built to impress when young and be totally consumed young. The grapes are harvested early in the morning to retain natural acidity then it is de-stemmed and allowed to undergo wild ferment is small fermenters and pumped once a day for 12 days. Then it is pressed to tank for four months before bottling. Easy and straight to market with purity of expression on the mind.


Hither & Yon Nero d'Avola 2014

The palate is dark and rich with dark cherry, Asian spice and regional licorice on what is only really a medium bodied styled wine. The flavours are on show and them seem to allow the unfettered complexity to roll in. The lovely acidity lifts the flavours up. The profile is a little more fruity than savoury but it all works. Get on board the Nero Train!

Alcohol: 13.8%
Price: $25
Rated: 91
Drink: Now - 2018

Coriole Nero d'Avola 2014

Coriole is one of the leaders on the Italian front that has invested in establishing vineyards in the Blewitt Springs area as they think it will be a beautiful area for the Nero d'Avola variety. The vineyards are young but in recent years Coriole has had trouble with the cropping level. The vines don't want to crop very high and as a result Coriole is struggling to keep up with the supple and demand. Great for buyers but not great for Mark and his team.

 Coriole Nero d'Avola 2014

The wine is juicy with red plum and fresh cherry juice with some dried herbs and potpourri. The flavours dominate as the tannins are only just visible but the acidity to nice and bright. This all is balanced on a light to medium bodied palate weight. In general I would consider this a savoury style but it is more flavour forward with sweetness counter pointed with a hint of savouriness.


Alcohol: 14%
Price: $25
Rated: 93
Drink: Now - 2018

Mitolo Wines Sagrantino 2012

One of the most promising new varieties in Australia is Sagrantino but I think it has been taken over by Nero d'Avola. Why the change? I think Nero is easier to drink when it is young, while Sagrantino is a bit tough going unless you love tannin and acidity with the flavours coiled up in the structure.

The Mitolo Sagrantino is a good entry level wine but doesn't reach the standard of some of the others in Australia and in the Vales.

Mitolo Wines Sagrantino 2012

This little number is dark in colour and dark in flavour profile. The wine is made in a traditional Australian manner with the grape only spending 10 days in contact with the juice before being pressed off to older French oak. The juice has been pumped over the skins for those 10 days to increase extraction of flavour and tannins. The palate is a bit spiky at the moment and I'm not sure is that will settle down or not but at 25 bucks I'd give it ago. The tannin profile isn't as imposing as I was expecting but I guess I was putting it up against the European versions that I have tried.

I fine effort for a first attempt and something I would take to a mates place to show him what else is out there.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $25
Rated: 85
Drink: Now - 2020

Fiano x 6

Fiano in Australia seems to be doing pretty well. Most of the better examples coming from the warmer areas, except Scott which comes from the Adelaide Hills.

Pikes Wines Luccio Fiano 2014

Really candied fruit profile but in the typical Fiano flavour, just a bit too candied or fairy floss in nature. Think about the flavours in terms of peach and nectarines with an ok mouth feel adding interest. The length is a little short but hopefully will fill out with some time in the bottle.

Alcohol:
Price: $18
Rated: 84
Drink: Now - 2019

Beach Road Wines Fiano 2013

Big end of town with flavours of apple cider and poached peach making its impact felt. The wine lack a bit of freshness but it does have impact. I'm not sure how long it will last but I would recommend drinking it sooner rather than later.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $25
Rated: 85
Drink: Now - 2016

 



Scott Wines Fiano 2014

Yes baby this is what I'm talking about with a very good balance between flavour and texture. The flavours come in the form of honey, spice and hay mixed with nectarines and lemon acidity. The Scott wine is a lighter profiled wine with nice texture and liveliness brimming throughout. The texture comes in the form mouth feel and dryness which makes this wine so easy to drink bucket loads of.

Alcohol: 13
Price: $26
Rated: 89
Drink: Now - 2024

 

 

 

 

Savina Lane Wines Fiano Classico 2013

I've never tasted a wine from the Granite belt but I didn't think they could produce a wine like this. It has a great retention of acidity on a palate that is textural and thick but has a liveliness to it. I couldn't fault the palate length and detailed profile.

Alcohol:
Price: $35
Rated: 92
Drink: Now - 2024

 

 

Oliver's Taranga Fiano 2014

 

 

Bursting with richness and firm acidity that just comes balling out of the glass. The textural level is up further on this wine than the rest of the Fiano's so far but it is perfectly balanced by the acidity. The acidity has a flavour of lemon skin and this perfectly offsets the spiciness of the wine. There is some fruit to the wine but I don't really care to mention it because my glass is empty and I'm heading to the fridge for another glass.

 

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $24
Rated: 91
Drink: Now - 2026

 

 

Coriole Vineyards Fiano 2014

 

 

This is very complex with mandarin, warm honey, hay and some stone fruit or fruit salad component. The textural element is bombastic and brilliant which would put this the best textural Fiano on the market. Love it!

 

Alcohol:

Price: $25

Rated: 93

Drink: Now - 2024

 

 

 

 



d'Arenberg Sticks & Stones 2010

Some winery's have kept their stock back to allow the wine to show well on release. I prefer this as too many wineries are releasing their 2014 reds now at premium prices. Chester has kept a level head and thrown this out to the public.

Does anyone remember that 2010 was heralded as a brilliant vintage? So many brilliant vintages have past since then but the 2010s are looking good, specially from d'Arenberg that is.

d'Arenberg Sticks & Stones 2010

This wine is a blend of Tempranillo, Grenache, Souzao and Tinto Cao which seems to embrace all the cool varieties that are kicking around. The blend offers red and darker fruits with a rustic note from the mid-palate. There is also those lovely McLaren Vale licorice and red lipstick character on a medium bodied weight and structured palate.  This is the style I would like to drink during the week as it offers interest and savouriness with an ease of flavours that flow. I would rate this higher once the oak is fully integrated but I would bother as d'Arenberg has already held it back for a few years.

Alcohol: 13.9%
Price: $30
Rated: 87
Drink: Now - 2017

 

Great new labels. It reminds me of an abstract piece of work or a witch that has just thrown the bones on the floor to see her future.

d'Arenberg The Coppermine Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Cabernet is supposed to be medium to full bodied with plenty of tannin and acidity to coil the flavours up tight. In it's youth it can be unforgiving to drink but given enough time in the cellar it can turn into such a beauty that would flaw you.

The Vales can produce beautiful Cabernet but sometimes the full on flavours turn more towards dry red. The Coppermine wine is aged in French oak, mostly new, and is a selection of the best barrels of the vintage.

d'Arenberg  The Coppermine Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

"I wanna to be a baller, shot caller, twenty inch blade on the impala" comes rolling in my mind as I taste this as there is masses of chocolate, licorice and blackcurrant essence coming on straight from the first sip. The wine is intense with the flavours hitting hard but they tell a story of the vintage. There is enough length and precision to pull this off but I would like a little more savoury edges to round off a Cabernet.

The oak is already absorbed into the background, indicting that it would be possible to open it now, but I would allow the wine to sit for a few years to hopefully allow the profile to change. If you drink now open with guests as it looks good in a dry red style.


Alcohol: 14.2%
Price: $65
Rated: 91
Drink: 2016+

Beach Road Wines Nero d'Avola 2013

McLaren Vale Nero is one of the best places in Australia to find the variety.


Beach Road Wines Nero d'Avola 2013

Burnt rubber and candied fruit. Not great and not what this variety should be. Only a touch of cherries but it is dominated by an undrinkable character.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $45
Rated: 83
Drink: Now

d'Arenberg The Iron Pressing Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2010

The style of the wine influences, if I will buy the wine more than the quality of the wine. The use of oak, in the Iron Pressing, has been pulled back compared to the Dead Arm which makes this so easy to drink now. The ease and inbuilt complexity of the 70% grenache, 25% shiraz and 5% mouvedre blend seems to change its flavour profile every time i put it in my mouth. This wine has style and quality which means I would slap down the 65 bucks with ease.

d'Arenberg The Iron Pressing Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2010

From the get go the flavour profile is on full show with red-fruits leading the way. There is a plummy note mixed with dried clay, turkish spices and licorice. These flavours are only medium bodied but the length is huge. Long long long I say if I only could use one word. This length uses the flavour well with  the acidity providing the body of the wine before the tannins attached the length to my tongue. It will cellar well but asl drink well now.

Alcohol: 13.9%
Price: $65
Rated: 94
Drink:Now - 2025

d'Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz 2010

There seems to be talk about the different between Australian and French wine with part of the difference being an earthy character that they are able to get in French that we lack. From my perspective this earthiness is an expression of the terrior so a wine or area that showcases it is more desirable. Whatever they are doing at d'Arenberg they seem to be able to extract a clay or earthiness flavour to all their wines, especially their top end gear.

d'Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz 2010

Old school man with a slap of American to boot. I can't stand American oak but it seems to work well here and be more integrated than I would expect at this stage. The flavours that are coming through are dried clay mixed with a blackberry compote, raspberries, fresh licorice and intense chocolate. While the flavours I would normally associate with a massively full bodied wine but here the wine seems to be on the lighter side of full bodied. It is hard to believe this was picked on the 27th of February but when I really think about it the acidity is well balanced and the flavour profile is pitched really nicely. One for the cellar I say.


Alcohol: 14%
Price: $65
Rated: 94+
Drink: In 10 years