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

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

 

 

 

 



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

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 - ?  

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 

 

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 

 

Bird in Hand Joy 2007

It is great to see more wineries really trying to produce a top quality sparkling. The Bird in hand Joy is made from Pinot Noir and is fermented in stainless steel tanks for 6 months before bottle secondary fermentation for 3 years.  

 

Bird in the Hand Joy 2007 

 

The first thing I notice is the lovely bead that this wine has with flavours of cherry syrup and strawberry creams coming to the fore. These flavours continue on the palate with a creaminess and thickness in action. The wine is ready to go and works well ,all be it in a more is more style.  

 

Alcohol: 13% 

Price: $75 

Rated: 90 

Drink: Now 

 

 

Lovely packaging!