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

Soumah Savarro 2014

Savagnin, the variety that works well in Australia but took a bit of a hit after the stuff  up with its name. This wine is leading the way for a return. The grapes for this wine were picked at a low baume and allowed to ferment in tank and spend time in contact with lees before being bottled. If they wanted to they could ferment some in oak which would add texture without taking away from the freshness of the flavours. It's just a suggestion, not a criticism.

Soumah Savarro 2014

This has great aromatic but it is the burst of minerality and light fresh flavours that works best. The flavours come rolling in with lemon balm, fresh pear juice and spring blossom with a hint of lime acidity and orange skin on the back palate. The wine is a little coiled up in the structure but it will open up with a little time in the cellar.

Alcohol:
Price: $26
Rated: 92
Drink: 2015 +

Two Cabernets for Christmas

Two 2011 Cabernet wines from two different area but they have a commonality. Greenness! One of them manages to bring in some lovely other flavours as well which makes up for it.

 

Hillcrest Vineyard Village Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

 

This wine is like a shopping list that is based on colour. Green herbs and capsicum are evident to begin with but they are joined by mulberries and blackcurrants. Even though it is light bodied the flavours work well and the mild tannins add a bit of textural elements. The palate is a bit narrow and the flavour are a little too open for the age but for a village style drink now wine it works well.

 

Alcohol: 12.8%

Price: $25

Rated: 85

Drink: Now – 2018

 

 

Jim Barry Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

 

What a great entry to this wine with full bodied flavour of mint, currants, pipe tobacco and spicy herbs.  These flavour attack the front palate like a viking on a war path but once he is finished he falls a sleep in a heap. If you want a translation it means that they do not transfer up the palate line. This wine had me perplexed as I wanted to like it more but I just couldn’t in terms of the quality. What I did like was the profile of the wine. Oh well you win some and you lose some.

 

Alcohol: 14%

Price: $17

Rated: 83

Drink: Now – 2016

 

Hillcrest Vineyard Premium Chardonnay 2011

Chardonnay is a tricky variety to get right. The combination of vineyard, picking dates, fermentation type and vessel needs to be done right to produce a monumental wine but it is pretty easy to produce a good wine. Hillcrest have older vines that used to go into some of the best wines in the region. David and Tanya bought the vineyard from the Sweets and now produce wine in a hands off sort of fashion. The wines are all unfined and naturally filtered. The 2011 wines are full of vibrancy and acidity which makes them easy to like with plenty of chance to cellar them for a while.

Hillcrest Vineyard Premium Chardonnay 2011

A brave move to only produce a village and premium version from this variety but the quality is there. On the first 2 days the wine maker influences, such as the barrel fermentation character, is prominent but by day 3 flavours of grapefruit, pineapple jelly crystals, lemon rind and peach fuzz comes through. The acidity is intense on the back palate but it is in keeping with the whole feel of the journey. Great example of a high quality 2011 wine.

Alcohol: 12.6%
Price: $60
Rated: 93
Drink: 2015 -2024

Toolangi Vineyard Pinot Noir 2011

Toolangi is located in the Yarra Valley which experienced a wet and cool growing season. In those type of seasons which variety would do best? Personally I think Shiraz would be one of the better varieties but I haven't tasted anything from the region from that variety. This wine was picked during the middle of the season in march and was fermented with 15% whole bunches included. This is the entry level wine which gives you an insight into the philosophy of the winery.


Toolangi Vineyard Pinot Noir 2011

The nose of this thing I could smell for days as it is very fragrant and seductive. On the palate the oak component makes it feel creamy but takes away from the flavours. There are moments of gritty tannins kicking in on the mid-palate but at this stage the wine feels out of balance and short. I suggest giving it 6 months in the bottle to see if it sorts itself out.

Alcohol: 13.2%
Price: $26
Rated: 83
Drink: 2014 - 2017

Hillcrest Village Chardonnay 2011

Now I haven't posted anything for over a month now so I thought I should start with why that is. I had been publishing a few notes on my site since its inception every day plus I was writing for Gram and Australian Wine Showcase Magazine and working full time and starting my own label. I got to the stage where I was fried and couldn't look at any wines without thinking no not again. I feel rested now and have got back to getting home on a Friday night, where I look forward to that glass on wine. Now I'm back with a huge amount of wine notes to write up so here we go.

Hillcrest Village Chardonnay 2011

This medium to full bodied chardonnay was monumental last year and the 2011 version is about the same but it has a higher amount of acidity running through its backbone. The flavours are those lovely typical moments of nuts, grapefruit with peach which comes through on the mid-palate. This years wine takes longer to open up than last year but when it does it is brimming with flavour and food friendly personality.

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $25
Rated: 88
Drink: Now - 2019

Hillcrest Village Pinot Noir 2011

Hillcrest Village Pinot Noir 2011

 

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Alcohol: 13.2%

Price: $23

Rated: 86

Drink: Now - 2019

De Bortoli La Boheme Act Four 2011

Another goal kicked with this wine.

De Bortoli La Boheme Act Four 2011

What do you want out of your red wine? Sweet or Savoury? For me it is savoury as it pairs with entree and mains better. Do you want to drink them now or later? Well I would like a selection as most wine I want to drink now but a small percentage I want to cellar. While this wine is in the drink sooner rather than later it is definately in the savoury style with flavours of earth, mushrooms, mixed cooking herbs and cherried spice. The light body and light tannins, that spread across my tongue, hold the interest factor high. I would wait for the weather to warm up a bit and get right into these.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $20
Rated: 87
Drink: Now - 2015

De Bortoli Gulf Station Chardonnay 2011

De Bortoli Gulf Station Chardonnay 2011

Really light and fruit forward which could be construed as almost Chablis in style. The flavours tick all the normal Chardonnay boxes and I can see how this is a real crowd pleaser.  The weight is only just on medium bodied and the structure is loose knit with a green light for instant gratification.

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $16
Rated: 85
Drink: Now - 2016

Toolangi Vineyards Chardonnay 2010

Toolangi produces a large variety of wines at different price points but they focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This wine is the entry level version and is a good insight into the style that they produce.

Toolangi Vineyards Chardonnay 2010

Full bodied and full on but with vibrancy to match. The worked style is rounded and cuddly with flavours of flint, peach, melon, gun smoke and roasted nuts. The creamy palate is fresh yet textured and would work brilliantly with any French style dish in the heart of winter. At 26 bucks this sits about right, especially if you want masses of texture thrown in.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $26
Rated: 85
Drink: Now - 2017

De Bortoli La Boheme Act Two 2012

The weather is about to heat up so it is time to turn for a glass of lightly coloured rose. This little La Boheme is light on its feet and a huge pleasure to drink with the quality of the wine placing it in my top 2 roses in Australia.


De Bortoli La Boheme Act Two 2012

The wine is so light but that shouldn't be too much of a surprise as it is made from 100% Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley. The aromas start to waft out of the glass the moment the fluid hits the side with the main component being cherries and Turkish delight mixed with a little stalk action. These notes transfer over to the palate and they are joined by sour under growth and a vibrant texture. The wine is beautifully savoury which means I didn't get sick of it after one glass. What I did do was kept on going back time and time again until it was all gone.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $20
Rated: 87
Drink: Now or over the next few years

Domaine Chandon Vintage Brut 2009

With the dominance of the Roman Empire taking over Europe in early times, the thirst for all things luxurious comes with it.  As the Roman times were characterised by stability and wealth, it allowed many farmers and religious organisation to focus on areas such as the production of wine and exotic types of meals.  During this time period the most famous area that was remotely close to Champagne was Burgundy so the people from Champagne planted the same grapes as they thought that they would do equally as well as the depth and length of the flavour that was coming out of Burgundy. The geography of the area doesn’t really resemble the mountainous area of Burgundy as Champagne is rather flat with beautiful open tracks farm land running as far as the eye can see. Add to that the rather lower temperatures during the ripening period and the fact that the wines wouldn’t start their secondary fermentation until the following spring and it is easy to understand how the bubbles emerged. Now Bubbles are so popular that the larger Champagne houses have searched for quality areas in a diverse range of countries.

Domaine Chandon Vintage Brut 2009

The winemaking is imbedding within this wine but it is the baked apple pie and roasted raspberries that move towards the front of the tasting descriptors. The wine flows well with a creamy base of goodness and for a high quality wine of this price, it is easy to see why this would please so many people. It did need an extra degree of acidic backbone and depth of flavour for massive points but at this price I am being picky.

Alcohol: 12.5%

Price: $27

Rated: 89

Drink: Now - 2015  

Soumah Savarro 2012

The little Savagnin grape is creating an experience in Australia. The winemakers of Australia are in full swing of understanding which variety works in which area. This wine in't made in the Jura, heaviliy oxidised, style but it has the acidity that would see that sort of style work well. On the vines the grapes are a majestic green colour and there is not much more than 500 hectares of this variety in the world. The variety naturally crops at lower levels and is one of the later varieties to be picked.

Soumah Savarro 2012

The wine starts out ultra light and stays in that framework for the whole period that I stayed with it. On entry the flavours of smoked lemon, orange rind, wild green herds and spice flow up my tongue without any sort of weight but from the mid-palate on there is a textural component that kicks in. The acid line of the wine is rather sharp as it cuts down my tongue like a knives edge and that works brilliantly with any spicy Asian sort of cuisine.

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $26
Rated: 88
Drink: Now - 2017

Summer Loving Wines

With the summer heat in full swing most people would be reaching for a refreshing white or zesty rose. I think a lot of the wine critics focus on is sparkling wines around Christmas and then they forget about them for the rest of the year. The two sparkling wines below deserve to be drink all year round as they offer interest and elegant drinking at a small cost compared to their French counterparts.

Domaine Chandon ZD Blanc de Blancs 2008

Unlike most of the other wines in the Blanc de Blanc style, this wine does not receive any dosage so it is bone dry and zesty to say the least. I love the way the wine flows through my mouth as it seems alive and rambunctious in its frolicking nature. This is a full on 100% Chardonnay style sparkling wine with brilliant palate length and flavours of crushed flowers, lemon rind, sour apples and kids chalk sticks running wild. I would serve this to my guests as they arrive to kick off a fantastic party.

Alcohol: 12.5%

Price: $40

Rated: 93

Drink: now – 2018

Yarrabank Cuvee 2008

Compared to the above wine this is much richer and comforting. It is like being hugged by your grandma as it offers something warm and inviting. The flavours are along the nutty creamy end of the spectrum with notes of peach, struck quartz and smoked dried flowers latching themselves to my mouth. All these flavours sit on a long palate length and a mineral acid structure which finishes tight and torte. Love it!

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $35

Rated: 93

Drink: Now - 2017

SC Pannell Pinot Grigio 2012

Steve Pannell must drink, I mean taste, a lot of European wines as he has an innate ability to take Australian fruit and combine everything good about them into an elegant and European style like nothing else in Australia. This is the best Pinot Grigio that I have tried from Australia as it has all those lovely mouthwatering moments with nashi pear, crushed minerals and spice taking center stage. The flavours are bright and the palate weight is light and vibrant.

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $25

Rated: 88

Drink: Now or over the next few years

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Alta Vineyards For Elsie Pinot Rose 2012

This smells like the Adelaide Hills during summer. I could walk through a couple of markets with the aromas of strawberries and cherries’ wafting towards me and that is identical to this wine but you have to combine it with sweet Turkish delight dusted in sugar. The wine is light in weight but has a little added texture than most wines of this style. This wine would work beautifully with seared scallops in an Asian style sauce so sit down and get it on.

Alcohol: 12%

Price: Under $20

Rated: 87

Drink: Now to 2015

Domaine Chandon Blanc de Blancs 2009

The average day time temperature in Champagne during the critical ripening period is 18 degrees Celsius with the night time period dropping below 10 degrees. The Yarra Valley isn't too different but the night times don't drop as low which may mean  that the Australian versions may not have the same acidity as there French counterparts.

Domaine Chandon Blanc de Blancs 2009

I must admit I do love a Blanc de Blanc as the flavours can be loving yet chiselled at the same time. This wine is definitely that with hugs of yeasty oven roasted bread and toasted almonds before a wave of preserved grapefruit and crème fresh come splashing in. The ease of flavour goodness and texture is brilliant but it is the vibrant acidity that holds everything together that is most satisfying. This wine could be served as a starter to get the conversation started or as the main meal it is that versatile.

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $35
Rated: 92
Drink: Now - 2017

De Bortoli Rococo Blanc de Blanc NV

This wine is perfect for summer as it seems to be a mix between Prosecco and full on Champagne. The packaging is immaculate which will appeal to a large majority of consumers meaning that it has 2 ticks in my book.

De Bortoli Rococo Blanc de Blanc NV

There is a creamy mouth-feel to this wine but otherwise it is dry and linear all the way. On the entry the wine is a little bread based or yeast orientated before the grapefruit, peach fuzz and dried lemon rind takes hold. While I really like the flavour of the wine the palate seems to peel off from the mid-palate on. Now here is the kicker...the price is cheap. Seventeen bucks gets you a whole lot of loving in a texture orientated wine.

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $17
Rated: 85
Drink: Now or over the next 4 years

De Bortoli La Boheme Three Acts 2012

The Boheme brand for De Bortoli is one of the most exciting brands in Australia. The wine is a blend of Pinot Gris and two other varieties. It is fermented in a blend of older oak barrels and stainless steel tanks before blending. This wine is a more natural wine as it is wild fermented before being bottled after being clarified.

De Bortoli La Boheme Three Acts 2012

Fresh as hell with flavours of cherry blossom, spice and crushed roses before it turns into a vibrant moment. This wine is textured and fresh at the same time which makes it beautiful to drink now or drink tomorrow. The moments all collide when the pear purée and granny smith apples arrive but it all seems to work well together.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $20
Rated: 87
drink: Now sure but I will love them now

Yering Station Village Fume Blanc 2012

The Yarra Valley is fast becoming the place for sophisticated Sauvignon Blanc.

Yering Station Village Fume Blanc 2012

Alcohol: 12%

Price: $22

Rated: 84

Drink: Now or over the next four years

Domaine Chandon Brut Rose NV

I love sparkling roses at the moment but they can be very sweet and confected if they aren't done with care. Domaine Chandon can draw on a lot of experience both from Australian and European winemakers so I was hoping that the wine would stay away from the sweet end of the spectrum. What you get with this none-vintage isn't sweet but it does possess some sweet fruits in a drink now, love me now style.

Domaine Chandon Brut Rose NV

This is a combo of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay but the flavours stay more towards the Pinot end of the spectrum with flavours of strawberry biscuits and cherries with a creamy texture coming through. On entry the wine comes across as rich but it soon lightens itself up with a wedge of acidity. Even thought I haven't been really on the hunt for sparkling roses this has put me in the mood for a journey. Game on!

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $20
Rated: 87
Drink: This year or over the next few

De Bortoli Windy Peak Pinot Noir 2010

De Bortoli Windy Peak Pinot Noir 2010

Pinot Noir is so easy to drink especially when you are after a wine with a fare amount of finesse. This wine is no more than light body but it does come with a little earth action and restrained fruit which at this price is rather surprising. Don't get me wrong as there is a nice strawberry and cherry action yet the lightness of these moments adds to the allure. The flavours pull along my tongue well and it all finishes with a burst of saliva induced acidity. Fill up your basket over Christmas to go with the duck that everyone seems to tuck into over this period.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $11
Rated: 84
Drink: Now to 2015