Kangarilla Road Sangiovese 2009

Kangarilla Road Vineyard Sangiovese 2009

I do like myself a clearly varietal yet distinctively McLaren Vale Sangiovese and this wine fits that to a tee. While the oak does play a roll in sweetening up the palate it doesn't move my eyes away from the pungent cranberry and spice one little bit. In fact the whole of the wine sits in the red end of the spectrum which is music to my ears. Easy to drink and easy to like.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: $22

Rated: 85

Drink: Now to 2019

Brokenwood Verona Vineyard Shiraz 2009

The Graveyard Vineyard is the jewel in the crown for Brokenwood but the Verona Vineyard is just across the road.  The vineyard was planted in 1968 from cutting from the oldest vines from the region.  The soil types are the same as the Graveyard vineyard so the wines should share some similarities. The only problem is working out if I should buy Verona or Graveyard. Why not both?

Brokenwood Verona Vineyard Shiraz 2009

The wine definitely shares some flavour and structural facets but those aspects are toned down a notch in this wine. This wine has those lovely medium bodied flavours of chocolate flakes and exotic Indian spice rolling in the deep of the night with savoury herbs and dried clay.  The wine seems to flow from flavour to flavour in such a mesmerising manner that I hardly notice the glass draining in front of my eyes. This is so beautiful to watch but I get the feeling that I should stash this away for 10 years so it can show its true colours.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $50
Rated: 91 +
Drink: Beautiful Now but watch out for it from 2019 on to about 2033

  

Penny's Hill Footprint Shiraz 2010

Ben Riggs is the winemaker at Penny's Hill and he would have to be one of the most awarded winemakers in the region. Generally his wines are plush and fruit sweet with plenty of ripe flavours and oak treatment. The grapes for this come off a small section from the Penny's Hill vineyard that consistently produces the best quality wines year in year out. If you haven't visited the Penny's Hill cellar door it is a worth while experience as they have some beautiful artwork and top notch lunches that is tough to match in the Vales.

Penny's Hill Footprint Shiraz 2010

This is a meal in itself with its flavours of chocolate mudcake, licorice, spice and dried plums with a hint of crushed rock. While this is definitely full bodied it does have a seductive nature about it which makes it so easy to drink. At  this stage the oak is a major component but the fruit weight should be able to handle it with a little time in the bottle. That said I could easily drink this now if I splashed it around in a decanter.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $65
Rated: 89
Drink: 2014 - 2025

Whistling Eagle Semillon 2008

I have never tried a Semillon from Heathcote so I was interested to see this come across my desk.  The region of Heathcote is a little warmer than other parts of Victoria which got me thinking that this would be stylistically similar to the Semillon's that come out of the Barossa.

Whistling Eagle Semillon 2008

This is the currant release so they hold it back a while to let the oak integrate and it has done this wine wonders. There is still a hair of sweetness from the oak but it is balanced brilliantly by the savoury aspects from the fruit. Tart lemons are so savoury it is scary and this wine is all about the lemon loving. There are also notes of dried grass and lanolin mixed with vanilla pods that pull me back for another sip.  While this drinks well now, I would give it a few more years for all the elements to fully combine.

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $25
Rated: 87
Drink: 2015 and on

Blackbilly Sangiovese 2009 & roast duck pasta

The Blackbilly name is truly linked to the Australian landscape as it is the Yacca tree which is unique to our heritage.   This wine is made by Nick Hazelgrove and he is based in McLaren Vale which happens to have some very good Sangiovese vines.  The 2009 vintage was plagued by heat suggesting that the wines may not age as well but will show well on release. On the bottle of this wine Nick recommends that a duck pasta would be the perfect match so I thought I should give it a go.

Roast Duck Pasta

400 gr best possible penna pasta you can find
3 cloves garlic
1/2  Cantonese Roast Duck, pulled apart
Duck fat as reqiured
salt and pepper for taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Place pasta in boiling water and cook until tender. While pasta is cooking heat a pan on a medium temperature.  Melt some duck fat in pan and add garlic, sauté until tender. When pasta is ready, drain and the add garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper, roasted duck and more duck fat to pasta.  Serve immediately. This recipe is dead easy as I cheat by buying the Duck at my local Chinese markets.

While this meal was divine it did not have enough stuffing to compete with the flavours of the wine.  A better match would be pepper steak or any full bodied dish.

Blackbilly Sangiovese 2009

This is a rather full bodied Sangiovese but I guess that was always going to be the case as it comes from a hot vintage. There is a little charry oak at play but it soon settles down to reveal pepper and spice with a side serve of cherry delight.  This is so easy to drink and it does have a funky earthy element that provides a nice counter point to the ripe fruit.  On the back of the palate there is a bit of alcohol heat but this would work well with a skewered steak on the end of your fork. What this wine has is typical for sangiovese and that is nice acidity, an easy feel and food friendliness.

Alcohol: 14.5%
Price: $22
Rated: 86
Drink: Now - 2016

Guigal Chateau d'Ampuis 2005

The Chateau d'Ampuis is a stronghold that is situated next to it's own village.  The stronghold or castle has been used since the Roman times and is a beacon of light for the area. As is normal for castles built around that period the architecture is statesman like with cylindrical turrets on one end with large witches hat roofing to allow for the snow to slip off easily. The building is used today when celebration and prestige are in order.

Guigal Chateau d'Ampuis 2005

You have to love a big time wine in a big time glass as it brings with it a sense of occasion. This wine does so in a big old fashion like one of those macho wrestlers did in the early 90s. You know the one I mean. The one with big muscles but with a top that was just too small for him. Were you into that sort of thing back then? Well most probably yes but now you look back at yourself and are a little red cheeked about the whole thing. Now back to the wine. It is flush with roasted meat complexity and big ripe blackcurrant and polished leather aromas that translate perfectly on to the palate. There is also a little rust and red fruit action building on my palate which suggest that while this tastes new world, you can feel a bit of old world coming through.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $250
Rated: 93
Drink: 2015 - 2030
Importer: Negociants Australia

Bremerton Old Adam Shiraz 2009

The Langhorne Creek agricultural area was first founded as it was close to the Bremer and Angus Rivers which allowed for people to utilise the watering capacity around the critical periods over the growing season. While many would think of the Barossa or McLaren Vale as the best tourist destinations, Langhorne Creek provides brilliant value wines from top to bottom plus some spectacular historical buildings such as the hotel which was built in 1850s and you can still have a meal at the bar today.

Bremerton Old Adam Shiraz 2009

Boom, boom, boom, boom goes the heart of this wine. This is a big gun of a wine with plenty of bourbon, smoked plum and molasses flavours mixing with chocolate and marshmallow fruits. The power of the fruit can deal with the level of oak but it still took two days for the balance to come around which suggests you shouldn't open this now. Repeat Do Not Open This Now! I really liked this wine but only a little more than the 2010 Selkirk which makes me think I should watch out for the 2010 version of the Old Adam. It is a little unfair to judge two different vintages against each other, especially when 2010 is such a brilliant vintage.

Alcohol: 15%
Price: $50
Rated: 88 +
Drink: 2017 - 2026