Thursday 29 May 2008

TAR & ROSES Tempranillo 2006

The wine is a deep ruby/purple colour. Rich nose, cola, raspberry jubes on nose, rich red fruits raspberries creme caramel and sour cherries. The wine finishes with mouth puckering tannin and acid, palate has good length. Really needs to be cellared for three to five years.
Tried again 24 hours after opening. This will age very well, the palate has developed and filled out. Flavours of cola, sarsparilla and black cherry come through strongly. Very good.

Tasted: May 2008
Source: Cloudwine
Price: $25
Drink: 2011 - 2016
Score: 92

MOUNT MARY Cabernets 1987

The 1987 vintage was very cool in the Yarra Valley.

This wine transends the difficulties that were presented by the vintage.
A developed medium brick red in
colour, full cassis plum cedar nose with aromas of violetscoming through. A lovely medium bodied palate, very mellow and drinkable, cedar , cassis, hints of plum, a lterrific drink.

Tasted: May 2008
Source: Winery
Price: N/A
Drink: Drink now
Score: 92

http://www.mountmary.net/

Tuesday 27 May 2008

CAPE MENTELLE Cabernet Sauvignon 1987

Opened the day before the Mount Mary Quintet. A very different proposition.

Quite purple showing some age, definitive cabernet nose plummy blackcurrant fruit with an herbal green bean edge. The palate is quite rich, with flavours that reflect the nose. The wine finishes clean with gentle drying tannins. It will probably hold for a year or three.

Tasted: May 2008
Source: ?
Price: $18 (1989)
Drink: Now - 2010
Score: 90

http://www.capementelle.com.au/

DIAMOND VALLEY ESTATE Pinot Noir 1991

A very interesting exercise to drink an Australian pinot noir of this age.
We have a few older pinots. Good brands hopefully the quality and corks are up to the journey.

The wine stood up pretty well, middle red in colour showing some browning from age, brambly red cherry nose developed but still fresh, sweet red fruit and cedar on the front and middle palate sour cherry finish, clean tannins. Its age would surprise.


Tasted: May 2008
Source: Winery
Price: $27 (1992)
Drink: Drink
Score: 91

http://www.diamondvalley.com.au/

Friday 23 May 2008

KILIKANOON PARABLE Shiraz 2005

Deep purple black in the glass. The aroma jumps out of the glass, rich full of fresh black fruit characters, blackberry, plum pudding, chocolate and charry oak. Very rich. The palate fills the mouth, the fruit delicious, very big and powerful well balanced and integrated with the oak. Not an easy match with food but very enjoyable in its own right.

Tasted: May 2008
Source: Syracuse
Price: $13 glass
Drink: 2010 - 2018
Score: 94

http://www.kilikanoon.com.au/

CIELO D'ABRUZZO KASAURA Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 2006

I drank a glass of this wine with lunch at 'Syracuse'. It was very good with a lightly spiced pumpkin broth.

A deep colour was accompanied by a lovely perfumed nose. I found violets and jasmine along with dark fruits. The palate shows full plum and dark cherry fruit with a clean drying acid bite to finish.

Tasted: May 2008
Source: 'Syracuse', Melbourne
Price: $11 glass
Drink: 2008 - 2013
Score: 90


Monday 19 May 2008

ST HALLETS BLACKWELL Shiraz 2002

Very deep in colour almost black, no real sign of development. On the palate this opened with quite a vanillan, coffee aroma. This evolved over time into liquorice, coffee and chocolate fruit (if that makes sense). He palate was full and rich, quite a mouthful. A very good wine, although I personnelly prefer a little more subtlety.



Tasted: May 2008
Source: Boccacio Cellars
Price: $24 (2004)

Drink: 2008 - 2015
Score: 93

http://www.sthallett.com.au/flashsite/index.html

Wednesday 14 May 2008

RYMILL ESTATE Shiraz 1998

Deep Colour, Cedary Coonawarra nose, Creamy, cedar oak on palate, some fruit hidden beneath the oak, in the dark berry spectrum. The wine does not seem to have improved since last tasted.

Tasted: April 2008
Source: Dan Murphy
Price: $22 (2001)
Drink: Now

Score: 88

http://www.rymill.com.au/

SPRING VALE Pinot Noir 2005

This wine displays a bright ruby complexion. It has aroma's of liquor cherry and jubey, confectionary notes. Liquor cherry palate, almost medicinal, quite light bodied but has great mouthfeel with chalky drying tannins to finish. It is almost Italian in style, atypical for pinot. Could be cellared to 2013.

Tasted: April 2008
Source: Dan's
Cost: $40

Drink: 2008 - 2013
Score: 93

http://www.springvalewines.com/

VINEA MARSON Sangiovese 2005

From Mario Marson's Heathcote Winery.

Clear bright red in colour, not deep. Fresh red cherry and marzipan nose, reflected on the palate, raspberry, redcherry, marzipan, quite primary. Smooth palate, very well structured, clean drying acid/tannin balance.
The style of this wine is right in the Chianti groove, with a twist of Australian fruit purity.
Will provide delicious drinking to approximately 2016.


Tasted: April 2008
Source: Boccacio Cellars
Price: $33

Drink: 2008 - 2016
Score: 94

http://www.vineamarson.com.au/

http://www.vineamarson.com/index.html

BOWEN ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc 1994

This is a feral, gamey, dirty wine, I say this in a positive way.
Its primary fruit is largely gone but it has been replaced by numerous complex characters.
A feral nose leads into a palate that shows cedar, game and hints of mulberry fruit with a chalky drying tannin structure following, drinks very well with robust food, eg. spagetti bolognese.

Tasted: May 2008
Source: Mail Order
Price: $16 in 1996
Score: 90

http://www.bowenestate.com.au/

TOMBOY HILL ROKEWOOD Pinot Noir 2002

Bright ruby, Cherry and plum nose, pure fruit. Strong sour cherry palate, good length,varietal pinot noir. Some gamey characters developed with time. Should be drunk in the short term.

Tasted: May 2008
Source: Mail Order
Price: $37 (2005)
Score: 91

http://www.ballaratwineries.com/tomboyhill.htm

Tuesday 13 May 2008

MAIN RIDGE THE ACRE Pinot Noir 2005

I am a fan of Nat and Rosalie White's wines and this certainly lived up to my expectations.

This is the second pinot noir in the Main Ridge range.

Light, bright red in colour. Aroma's of strawberry and raspberry complemented by game and mushroom nuances. The palate is very long, clean and dry, raspberry, red cherries, game and gentle linear tannins are delicious and refreshing in structure. A terrific wine to drink with food, roast duck or turkey.

Tasted: April 2008
Source: Cellar door
Price: $45 (2007)
Score: 93

http://www.mre.com.au/

HEATHCOTE WINERY 'MAIL COACH' Shiraz 2000

Deep dark and brooding, the nose initially showed strong vanilla/caramel from American oak. The plummy spicy fruit came to the fore after an hour or so. On the palate plum, cherries, cinnamon, cloves and hints of liquorice and vanilla combine. Full and rich drinking very nicely. Has five to ten years ahead of it.

Tasted: May 2008
Source: Cellar Door
Price: $16 (2004)
Score:92

http://www.heathcotewinery.com.au/

FOX CREEK RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 1999

We picked this wine up while on holiday in South Australia a number of years ago. Tasting the range at the cellar door was very pleasant, so pleasant, we nearly didn't make it to the Kangaroo Island ferry terminal in time.

Showing a deep ruby complexion with a little browning, the nose is quite closed, not much happening at all. On the palate there is some plummy ripe cabernet fruit however it lacks the generosity I had expected. Overall a disappointing wine.

Tasted: May 2008
Source: Cellar Door
Price: $38 (2002)
Points: 88


http://www.foxcreekwines.com/

BREAM CREEK RESERVE Pinot Noir 2005

Bright garnet in colour, the varietal, pinot nose shows liquor cherry, game and hints of liquorice. The palate is long and silky, starting with dark cherries and kirsch, game and stalky rhubarb like characters follow, finishing with some grippy tannins. The wine will live for 5 years at least. Enjoy with gamey poultry.

Tasted: May 2008
Source: Cellar Door
Price: $34
Points: 93

http://www.breamcreekvineyard.com.au/

Tuesday 6 May 2008

BOWEN ESTATE Shiraz 1991

This is a delicious wine. It shows some signs of its age with slight browning.
It has lovely mulberry, blackberry, plum pudding, cedar and cinnamon spice on the nose and palate it is drinking at its peak, it has a freshness that belies its age.
If you have any its probably a good time to drink it.
Lovely with a roast rack of lamb.



Tasted: May 2008
Source: Mail Order
Price: Irrelevant
Points: 94

http://www.bowenestate.com.au/

My first blog

This is my first blog.

Now that I am here, doing this, I'm not sure how to start or what to write.

If you are reading this you probably have an interest in wine.
This is a wine blog.

I intend to use this blog to document my experiences in the sensory world of wine.

A large component of this will be tasting notes for individual wines that I have the pleasure to taste or drink. I have about 2 years of notes that I will add, along with most bottles that I encounter along the way.

My notes will be largely based on Australian wine with occasional excursions into the Old World of France, Italy and Spain.