March 24th, 2006
Sutton Grange Winery (Bendigo) -
“Fairbank” Viognier 2005 - Apricot and pineapple on the nose. Not bad, but lacks texture or something to make it stand out. 84/100
“Fairbank” Rosé 2005 - 90% Shiraz, 10% Merlot. There is nothing much to talk about here, light in colour and flavour. Palate is reasonably balanced and crisp but there is nothing to hold interest. 81/100
March 24th, 2006
Shelmerdine (Heathcote / Yarra Valley) -
“Merindoc” Shiraz 2004 - A barrel sample of the first release of this single vineyard Heathcote wine that was made by Sergei Carlei from Carlei estate. Inky black in colour - a big, brooding, powerful wine that at the same time shows some balance and class. This wine has a strong nose of truffles, earth and violets. It is still very young and primary, but it is shaping up very nicely indeed. I’ll be keeping my eye out for it when it is released later this year. 91/100
“Heathcote” Shiraz 2004 - Minerals, pepper and just a hint of floral elements and apricot from the Viognier (3%). Palate has good flavour. Nice, but seems like it will be best enjoyed in its youth.88/100
“Yarra Valley” Chardonnay 2003 - Elegant in style - flinty, minerality, just a deft touch of oak and malo-lactic influence. Mouth feel is good but perhaps just a bit broad. Will drink well over the next 3-4 years. 88/100
“Heathcote” Merlot 2004 - Fruit driven nose of plums, berries and spice. Has a vibrant palate with medium intensity and a medium length finish. Will be best over the next few years. 87/100
“Heathcote” Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - Not too bad but fairly oak dominant and tannic at present. Would be leaving this a couple of years to see if it comes back into balance with the fruit. 86/100
“Yarra Valley” Sauvignon Blanc 2005 - Grass and herbs on the nose with a mild, mid-weighted palate. Crisp finish but lacks interest. 85/100
“Yarra Valley” Pinot Noir 2004 - Thin, bland and uninspiring. There are some vegetal notes on the palate. 80/100
March 24th, 2006
Seppelt (Grampians) - A recent favourite of mine, which surprises me since I do like to barrack for the small boutique makers. The quality of the wine and the winemaking at Seppelt over the last year or two is undeniable though.
“St Peters” Shiraz 2004 - Violets, plums and some meatiness along with some well integrated and balanced cedary oak. The palate is lush, velvety and silky with some powerful fruit lurking, tightly coiled and ready to come to the fore. It really is all class and I can only see it getting better from here for the next 10+ years. 94/100
“Drumborg” Riesling 2005 - I’ve tasted this wine a number of times since it was released late last year and I still think it is destined for greatness. Maybe opening up a bit on the nose since I last tried it in December and showing some floral perfume, apples, spice, lime and minerality. Palate shows great focus, structure and length. Acid is still prominent but this is certain to settle down with time. Clearly, there is has been some very special fruit coming out of the Drumborg vineyard in recent years. 92/100
“Chalambar” Shiraz 2004 - Spice, peppers and a some smoked meat aromas form the nose. The palate is silky smooth and has excellent balance and length. Will cellar for 5+ years, but I doubt any bottles I buy will last that long as it is a pleasure to drink right now. 90/100
“Jaluka” Chardonnay 2005 - Spicy oak, green apples, citrus on the nose - very tight, lean and mineraly on the palate. Will benefit immensely from being given a couple of years to develop. 89/100
“Moyston” Cabernet Merlot 2004 - The nose shows earth and violets. There is some good flavour to the palate as well as good tannin structure. Will be better with a few years in bottle where it should settle and take on some additional complexity. 88/100
“Benno” Shiraz 2004 - From a barrel sample - A bit of a brute of a wine - very powerful but somewhat one dimensional. It has lots of oak, lots of tannins and it is a bit all over the place. I hope it settles down before release, but it is looking similar to the 2003, which I purchased without trying and found it not to my taste in its youth. This was a complete contrast to the elegance and refinement of the powerful, but classy St Peters. 87/100
“Coborra” Pinot Gris 2005 - Very tight nose with some limited notes of spice and florality. Good length and intensity, but is lacking flavour. 86/100
“Bellfield” Marsanne Rousanne 2005 - Floral notes to the nose and a very fresh and flavourful palate but there is a fair bit of acid sticking out at the moment. May settle with time. 86/100
March 24th, 2006
Scotchmans Hill (Geelong) -
“Geelong” Chardonnay 2004 - The nose shows peaches, grapefruit and some restrained toasty oak. Very nice mouth feel, it is focused but also has an appealing texture to it. Good fruit intensity. Will be best over the next 3 or 4 years. 89/100
“Geelong” Shiraz 2004 - An intense nose of smoky oak and smallgoods. Palate has good texture but there is some peppery heat on the back palate that spoils the line somewhat. 88/100
“Geelong” Pinot Noir 2004 - Fair bit of spicy oak on the nose. Palate is tannic and the oak is rather dominant here as well. Fruit needs more intensity to match the oak treatment. 87/100
“Swan Bay” Pinot Noir 2004 - Stalky and earthy with some strawberry notes to the nose. Good length and not a bad early drinking style, just lacking some texture on the palate to really be very good. 87/100
“Swan Bay” Chardonnay 2004 - Toasty and buttery nose. Good flavour intensity on the slightly broad palate. 86/100
“Geelong” Sauvignon Blanc 2005 - Very herbal nose. Palate is dry and has good intensity of flavour. 86/100
“Swan Bay” Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2004 - Vibrant aromas of flint and citrus peel. Palate is a let down, being somewhat bland. 85/100
“The Hill” Chardonnay 2005 - Grapes and fruit salad form the fresh nose. Palate is simple and finishes short. 83/100
March 24th, 2006
Scorpo (Mornington Peninsula) -
Rosé 2005 - Light in colour but body has a touch more weight to it. Pinot Noir influence is evident on the nose with cherries and some nice violet floral characters. Easy to drink, but there is a bit more weight to it to be passed off as nothing more than that. 87/100
Chardonnay 2003 - Touch of oak and some flint. Palate is fairly focused and the length is alright but just seems to lack much that makes it interesting. 86/100
Pinot Gris 2005 - Watery, weak, thin and bland. No intensity or character. 80/100
March 24th, 2006
Savaterre (Beechworth) - One of my clear favourites of this event and I’ve put my money where my mouth is by ordering a mixed lot of these three wines from the mailing list. Not to mention that the winemaker Keppell Smith seems like a really nice guy. It makes it a lot easier to support small makers when their winemakers aren’t jerks (not naming any names). These wines aren’t cheap, but I consider them right at the forefront of quality Australian wine. If you are interested, you can join the mailing list here.
Chardonnay 2004 - Peaches and cream on the nose along with flint and minerality and just a touch of very well integrated oak supporting. It has a clean, elegant, tightly focused palate that pushes all the right buttons for me. Superb length and has the structure to age wonderfully well. This is already excellent and is only going to get better after it has spent some time in the bottle. 94/100
Pinot Noir 2004 - Earth, cherry, violets, oak and some enticing truffle/mushroom aromas. Shows lovely length and exceptional balance. While I very much liked the Les Enfants below, this wine has better structure, texture, depth of fruit and all around class. This is a Pinot to hold onto for a few years before enjoying. 94/100
“Les Enfants” Pinot Noir 2004 - As the name indicates, this is from young vines. Keppell usually makes the grapes from these vines into a house wine for local restaurants - but he felt the fruit this year was too good to pass up the chance to make a Savaterre wine from it. The wine has an enticing nose of stalks, earth, cherry and a bit of smoked meat. Palate is savoury and dry rather than fruity which I really liked. This is the kind of wine I wanted to see more of in the Pinot master class I spoke about earlier. 91/100
March 24th, 2006
Sanguine Estate (Heathcote) -
Chardonnay Viognier 2005 - Not faulty, but just bland and completely unexciting. Some hints of melon and a touch of florality on the nose, but nothing else of interest. 82/100
March 24th, 2006
Sally’s Paddock / Redbank (Pyrenees) - I haven’t tried the Redbank wines previously, but leading with the flagship Sally’s Paddock and offering some good value for money wines in the “Sally’s Hill” range ($20AUD), I am keen to get an opportunity to taste these again.
“Sally’s Paddock” Red Blend 2004 - Earth, blueberry, vanilla, chocolate and some spice, cloves and floral notes on the nose. Velvet smooth, very nicely balanced elegant palate. The length is superb and the fine tannin structure leads me to say that giving this 7+ years in the cellar would be very rewarding. 91/100
“Sally’s Hill” Cabernet 2004 - Chocolate, violets, vanilla and blackberry aromas on the nose. Once again the palate is smooth and well balanced - oak is present but well integrated. Can be drunk now after being given some air, but is also a very good wine for those looking at wines to cellar around the $20 mark. 90/100
“Sally’s Hill” Shiraz 2004 - Eucalyptus, mint, white pepper and cloves comprise the aromas. Fairly intense, ripe and full-bodied but retains good balance and structure. As with the Cabernet above, I would happily cellar this for the next 5 years. 89/100
“Sally’s Hill” Pinot 2005 - I don’t know if I would have picked this as Pinot if it has been presented to me blind - it is almost more in a Shiraz mould. I got blackberry, strawberries and blueberry aromas from the nose. A weighty palate and good length - but I would prefer that it show more of its Pinot characters. 87/100
March 24th, 2006
Rutherglen Estates (Rutherglen) -
‘The Alliance” Marsanne Viognier 2005 - A blend comprised of 70% Marsanne and 30% Viognier. The nose is comprised of fresh fruit including peaches, apricot and apple. The varieties are well balanced with neither dominating the wine. This is a refreshing and easy to drink wine. 87/100
Rosé 2005 - 60% Shiraz , 30% Grenache and 10% Mataro. I felt that this was a medium-bodied style of Rosé. On the nose, some cherries and strawberries. The palate is dry and has good balance. 87/100
Viognier 2005 - Only a very slight hint of apricot along with citrus aromas. This is an early and easy drinking style of wine. 86/100
Marsanne 2005 - Spicy oak and some lemon, orange and tropical fruit aromas on the nose. Palate is rich and slightly broad. 86/100
March 6th, 2006
Since posting on some new Australian wine blogs a few months ago here, there have been a few more that have come along and are worth having a look at. I think I might have to narrow my niche again now that there are so many Australian focused sites - how about Barossa Valley Pinot reviews?
Bella Bacchante’s Wine Page! - A recently started blog by Caroline from Melbourne that is going to focus on her lengthy overseas wine focused trip.
The Wine Nazi - “Wine Reviews from a guy who is NOT actually a member of the Nazi Party.”
Anybody else out there running an Australian wine/food blog? Feel free to leave a comment below if I am missing anyone.