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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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 

 

Pizzini Rosetta 2014

Here is another of those little rose numbers. This one is made from Sangiovese and I can’t find much more info about it. 

Pizzini Rosetta 2014

Lip smacking dry and light as hell with flavours of spice, fennel seeds, strawberries, spring blossom and watermelon slowly evolve on the long driven palate. The wine takes ages to open up so I would keep this in bottle a little longer to fully appreciate what it has to offer. After a day open a creaminess comes out and moves the wine from light body to a more medium bodied style with some nice textural elements. Drink up.

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $18
Rated: 87
Drink: mid 2015 to 2018

Pizzini Pinot Grigio 2014

This year’s White Fields and Pinot Grigio are a very strong release and goes to show that in the right hands this variety in Australia can work well.

Pizzini Pinot Grigio 2014

What I expect from this variety and what I normally get is two very different things but in the pIzzini version they almost are one. The wine smells like the alpine slopes during an a spring flower festival and I love it so. Imagine walking through the warm alpine forest as the flowers open and a slender Austrian lady offers you a white nectarine and yellow peach from the bosoms. Now drink up.

Alcohol: 12.1
Price:$21
Rated: 90
Drink: Now – 2017

Pizzini White Fields Pinot Grigio 2013

So many winemakers talk about bench-making their wines. This wine should be added as it is the best quality wine from this variety that I have tasted. I guess bench making allows people to see the differences in style, quality and winemaking techniques that are out there. What I think most people use it for is a tax deductible piss up. Whatever the reason I think people should get on board this wine and the wines that are produced from this producer as they are more true to the variety and the tradition of the winemaking process.

 

Pizzini White Fields Pinot Grigio 2013

 

Pinot Grigio is normally fresh and fruity which this is but this wine has texture and savoury characters woven throughout. The wine starts out with pears aplenty and fresh cut flower before a massive wedge of acidity cuts through. I set the wine aside for another day before I moved back and now it looked unbelievable with fresh salted nuts, lemon peel, Asian spice before the normal pear and flowers bolting in. The palate seems to balance the freshness with some more weighty moments yet still look like a beautiful Grigio all the way to the end. I would recommend keeping it for another year before I tuck in.

 

Alcohol: 12%

Price: $27

Rated: 92

Drink: 2016 – 2025

 

 

Andrew Peace Wines Australia Felix Sagrantino 2012

I do like the 2012 Sagrantino’s as they seem to be more representative of the variety. Andrew Peace wines have access to 270 ha of vines in the Murray Darling and surrounding areas. This wine is sourced from 10 acres in the Swan-hill area in Victoria which makes this in the top three largest holdings of the variety in Australia. While I didn’t like the previous wine I tasted from this producer this vintage is a large step up.

 Andrew Peace Wines Australia Felix Sagrantino 2012

 

The wine is coiled up within itself at the moment but I would expect that from the variety if it was make correctly. There wasn’t any information provided regarding how it was made but it seems that older French oak was used allowing rustic flavours to unfold. Once they do open up flavours of ruby plums, spice and tree bark unfold. I love the savoury nature of this wine but it will need another 6 years to unfurl. I love the word unfurl and I have been trying to use it in as many sentences as possible. Another word I like is frolic and this wine seems to frolic with my senses. All in all a beautiful Sagrantino and one I would stash away.

 

Alcohol:

Price: $45

Rated: 91 ++

Drink: 2020 +

 

Wild Duck Creek Estate Springflat Shiraz 2012

Wild Duck Creek Estate Springflat Shiraz 2012

Massive full bodied wine yet it retains a degree of elegance. The oak is prominent at the moment with the vanillin American oak taking the key role at the moment. The wine took 4 days to loose its oak derived flavours and the regional moments to come through. I liked the mint and plum that was mixed with flint, spice and blackberries once they came to the fore. Furthermore the wine is thick in the mouth but there is enough acidity to hold it in stead for 4 to 5 years before opening them.

Alcohol:
Price: $52
Rated: 92
Drink: 2018 +

Hurley Vineyard Lodestone Pinot Noir 2012 & Bannockburn Vineyards De La Terre Pinot Noir 2012

I must be having a good run because at the moment the Pinot Noir's that I am tasting are rocking.

Hurley Vineyard Lodestone Pinot Noir 2012

This is another single vineyard wine from the people at Hurley Vineyard. The grapes are treated the same as the Garamond but the aspect is different. Initially the wine felt more full bodied and in the mouth it definitely was yet the flavour spectrum is still restrained and chiselled. There are noted of plums, dried cherries and warm twigs mixed with spice and clay on an extremely long palate. The palate weight is medium to full with a bounce of acidity on the back-end. The only problem with this wine is it only comes in a 750 ml bottle.

Alcohol: 14.6%
Price: $50 world class and cheap for the quality
Rated: 94
Drink: give it 5 years before opening

 

 

Bannockburn Vineyards De La Terre Pinot Noir 2012

 

There are a few vineyards that make up the Bannockburn Vineyard portfolio with only the quality deciding if it makes its way into the estate wine or the single vineyard stuff. Personally I haven't had a Bannockburn wine in a while since I was put off by the price to quality ratio for the 99 - 01 vintages. There is no such problem here. The wine opens very shy yet fully composed with hints of Christmas cherries, fresh cut herbs, green pepper corns and Asian spice. In the beginning the wine felt feminine but made its way to medium bodied by the final glass. The extraordinary length is the key as it allows the beautiful sexualised flavours to pull their way up my tongue.

 

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $65

Rated: 95+

Drink: In 8 years

 



 



 



Symphonia Wines Arneis 2014

This is the first time I have tasted a wine from this producer and the packaging looks very smart. 

Symphonia Wines Arneis 2014

The length on this wine is extremely long which makes this top notch but it also possesses a vibrant or torte profile. There are notes of crisp and juicy pear, the ones that burst with delicate flavours and soak you in juice, exotic spice and lemon blossom. There is a feeling of complexity and intricacy woven through this wine and I would happily crack a couple of these during summer. Top quality booze and I would love to see what else they can do. 

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $24
Rated: 92
Drink: Now – 2020

Trentham Estate Pinot Gris 2013

It is coming up to Christmas and the events are rolling in. I had two last week and a few coming up this week so the alcohol is flowing and the cash is leaving my wallet. What I suggest is putting a mixed dozen of cheaper quaffers together so you don't brake the bank or run out of booze.

This would be in the mixed dozen for me as it offers typical Gris texture at a cheap price.

Trentham Estate Pinot Gris 2013

This wine is pretty simple but carries a lot of what Gris offers at a very low price. After the grapes are picked this wine is made in a fast and fresh manner as it is pressed straight to tank and inoculated. After fermentation the wine is cleaned up and put into bottle. The wine has moments of baked apples and a little peach fuzz on a medium bodied palate. The palate feels thick but is balanced well by a nice acid kick on the back-end.

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $16
Rated: 85
Drink: Now - 2015

Wild Duck Creek Estate Alan's Cabernet 2012

Wild Duck Creek Estate Alan's Cabernet 2012

One hundred percent new French hogsheads has been the vessel for this Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot blend but the oakiness has been absorbed pretty well. It is still evident but in 8 years, when I would start to open these, it will be fully resolved. At the moment the wine tastes like chocolate mints, cinnamon, blackcurrant pastilles and dried flowers with a medium amount of acidity kicking in. I would call the wine plush but savoury and full bodied yet more elegant than monumental. It treads the line between Parkerism and just full bodied flavours that are well kept by structure. From my perspective it is structured and elegant with full bodied flavours.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $60
Rated: 90 +
Drink: 2020 +

Spee'Wah Deep River Shiraz 2013

This wine come from the Murray Darling and represents the new wave of winemakers in the area.


Spee'Wah Deep River Shiraz 2013

Nice little juicy fruit character this wine as the aroma flow from the glass. On the palate the wine is mostly fruity blue fruits with a speck of spice and brown sugar with a hint of fluffy tannins underneath. The palate is medium bodied with a little alcohol heat and a savoury finish that would work well at any BBQ. Nice little quaffer.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $13
Rated: 84
Drink: Now - 2016

Chrismont La Zona Sagrantino 2013

Chrismont La Zona Sagrantino 2013

Chrismont are Italian and should know what they are doing with Sagrantino. The flavour profile for this wine is spot on here with dried herbs and a hint of Christmas cherries. Not the dark ones but the really juicy ones that have the beautiful juice dripping down your face. The medium bodied flavours just seem to roll around on my palate with the acidity just vibing up the joint. There is only a lick of tannin which adds a touch of texture and a hint of dryness to a savoury fruit profile. Easy drinking and so easy to smash.

Alcohol:
Price: $30
Rated: 88
Drink: Now - 2024