Tasting Notes - Ashton Hills Vineyard Salmon Brut 2001 (Recommended)

Brilliant rose like hue, perfectly 'salomon' like! Fairly neutral nose but some sweet fruit notes do lurk. Much more going on in the palate, very ripe and plenty of overt fruit, although this is well balanced by some firming acid and fizz. Very drinkable. In some ways a simple wine but all the better for it.

Tasting Notes - Munari Shiraz 2002

Brand new release that was bottled mid August. In our experience Munari tend to produce Heathcote wines that reside in the more elegant camp of the regional offerings.Great lift nose, almost floral like with wafting sweet fruit. The palate is also showing great balance early, and is strictly medium bodied in weight. Some light plum and berry notes lurk but are still to assert themselves above the fine grained tannins and some unobtrusive oak. To be fair drunk far to early and should be much better in 18 months. I'd be willing to take a punt. Ok value at mid $30's.

Tasting Notes - Chalk Hill Shiraz 1997 (Recommended)

A combination of grapes sourced from vineyards planted in 1969 and 1973 on the Chalk Hill vineyard in McLaren Vale.

Colour: Dark blood red.

Nose: seems a fraction tight with some faint minty medicinal flavours. Some sweetness lurking.

Palate: medium bodied, smooth and very comfortable mouthfeel. Not simple ro overblown, balanced with persistent fruit. perhaps the benefits of age at 6 years. Some nice tar and licoricenotes but these are quite subtle, more about mouthfeel, balance and great length with some spice. Still well backed with acid and tannin. Oak in the background. A great wine. Needs just a touch more upfront fruit.

QPR @ $24 VG to Exc.

Tasting Notes - Galah Cabernet Malbec Shiraz 1998

Current release of this particular blend, although not sure if it's made every year. Some of the grapes are apparently declassified Wendouree fruit.Quite tame on opening with a subdued nose but some very distinctive stink (vegemite, yeasty?) really came to the fore after some decanting time. Probably a love or hate bouquet.The palate filled out nicely too over a couple of hours. Nice berry fruits lurk in an almost elegant manner but the palate is still essentially all about a firm tannic structure - probably comes as no surprise to fans of Stephen George and Wendouree. Drinking well now and will probably travel the next 3 - 5 ok. Bit of a question mark over whether the fruit will rise above the tannins but a good drink nevertheless.

Yarra Edge Cabernet 1998

Had this one at Verge tonight. Red brick - lightish edge- showing its age. Nose was very tight not giving much away. Palate was similar, quite tight and sinewy, medium bodied at best, opened up over timeto reveal some nice lighter berry notes, essentially a wine more about elegance than brute fruit power and should repay further cellaring.

Tasting Notes - Arakoon BFG Grenache Shiraz 2001

This is the second vintage of the grenache shiraz.

Colour: Dark red black

Nose: Very lifted, almost floral nose with plums

Palate: clean, ripe fruit,light in a sense but probably because the wine just seems so clean and pristine. Some grenache spice that builds into a fairly long, drying palate. Hides the alcohol.

Tasting Notes - HPR Pinot Noir 2001

Grapes are sourced from the pick of the two best rows from Hugh Robertsons' Mornington Estate vineyard, now leased to Dromana Estate. The 2000 vintage was considered on par with the likes of Paringa Estate and Main Ridge. And the 2001 is shaping up to be a worthy successor. The wine evolved well in the glass over an hour, started off as quite a simple bright cherry style drop but managed to pick up some complexity over time firming up nicely. Plenty of cherry/sweet and sour with a thread of spiceness running through the palate. Good mouthfeel and decent length. Probably needs some more time but clearly a pinot with class and potential and probably worthy of the status this wine has achieved from those in the know in a short space of time.

Arakoon Doyen Shiraz 2001 (Recommended)

Arakoon's flagship wine. Appearance - dark blood red with light red rim. Ripe and sweet nose with an almost intense trait coming through. Massive, actually, with some nice funky stink. Palate provides a big big big mouthful. Super powerful, plush fruit, dry tannins, low acid, aniceed. Not hot, and amazing that it holds the alcohol so well given the 16%. No noticable oak.

Tasting Notes - Lenswood Palatine Cabernet Merlot Malbec 1998

A rare true red wine vintage for a cool region. The almost opaque appearance is unusual for cool climate cab. A fairly subdued nose with some blackcurrant and tea leaves.Medium bodied wine, not a heap of primary fruit, tannic, tightly wound, astringent - maybe needs time. Really nice blackcurrant and tea leves in a secondary style. Furry mouthfeel and finish - needs 2-3 years to see where it is going.

Tasting Notes - Chalk Hill Unwooded Chardonnay 2000 (Recommended)

Sourced from a ten year old vineyard between McLaren Vale and Willunga. Surprisingly RPJ awarded the wine 88 points.

A deep yellow gold. Looks nice but quite developed for a 3 year old. The nose is ripish, with some peachy and tropical fruit notes.

Palate: more ripeness that leads to quite a mouthfeel. Some hotness but held in check. More of the simple tropical fruit that still seems quite held together with some acid but the lack of oak support is telling in the finish which does fade. That said I couldn't help but like the drink. Dead simple in many respects but well made. A touch oily and has some aged characters which do add to the appeal. Ultimately exceeded expectations. QPR @ $14 Good to VG.

Tasting Notes - Rusden GSM 2001 (Recommended)

A savoury funky nose - almost pinot like characters - shows good complexity. More funky, savoury notes on the palate but a noticable hot, sharp note that runs through the palate. This adds to the wine as a firming quality. More pinot notes. Well put together and made. Tasting is quite consistent with tastings of a month ago.

Barossavale Loose End Shiraz Merlot 2002 (Recommended)

An entry level label for the winery. Shiraz from "selected SA vineyards" and merlot from Barossa.

Red colour with some purple tinges. Sweet aromas and also smells laden with sugar, almost confectionary like. More sweet fruit to taste but not as much as the nose would suggest. Absolute sweetness is kept well in check although the wine still imparts impressive length and mouthfeel for the price (approx $14). Some nice spicey notes in the back of the palate and some nice (and needed) touches of complexity. Good wine at the price.QPR: Good to Very Good.

Tasting Note - Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 (Recommended)

Sourced from the original Chalk Hill vineyard planted in 1969 in McLaren Vale.

Colour: Dark red with some lightening at the rim.

Nose: dark fruits push through although a sweet core is noteable. Some earth and capsicum give away the variety. Ripe.

Palate: more ripe, powerful mouthcoating style. An effective combination of deep sweet fruit and lengthy tannins. Has a long throat tickling finish. Some olive and leaf but effectively swallowed by the sweet, somewhat chocolatey fruit but cab qualities still underpin the wine. A well built wine that still seems quite young.

Arcadia Peace of Eden Riesling 2002 (Recommended)

A brand new label release from the Eden Valley, and made by Christa Rolf of Veritas fame. Grapes are sourced from a single vineyard. Don't expect a tight austere style from the great 2002 vintage - this wine is a very pleasant and easy drinking (ie drink now) style with a heap of up front fruit that sometimes is not so evident in Clare and Eden Valley rieslings. Very floral on both nose and palate and almost tends to the tropical fruit spectrum. Not unlike the Hutton Vale from the same vintage. Very nice drop - a lot of fun.

Tasting Notes - Casas Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

Has been annointed by RPJ.

Colour: Dark red rim. Looks 'varietal'.

Nose: nice lift, a good combination of sweet fruit and some spicy herbally edge.

Palate: more herbal, capsicum and spicy notes but these varietal traits are drowned out to a certain degree but some overt sweet fruit and possibly some oak. Even so a very good wine and has some great length. This sweetness blew off after some time in the glass but this did dull the outright fruit character somewhat.

Tasting Notes - Burge Family GSM 2001

Barossa Valley. 50% shiraz this vintage. Sweet ripe nose. Palate very similar and has some firmness to match the sweetness. Just a fraction too sweet at this stage.

Tasting Notes - Brini Grenache Shiraz 1999

New producer / old grower. Sourced from estate, dry grown vines planted in the 1940's and 50's (McLaren Vale). Made by Brian Light.

Deep blood red in colour. Nose is ripe yet controlled; good depth of plums and other ripe fruits. Some regional licorice and tar. Palate is closed and a little tight on opening but filled out progressively over the hour. More classic regional licorice lurking but palate more about some ripe tannins that generate a prominent dry finish. A bit funky at the end, earthy and a wee bit broad but nevertheless an attractive wine.

Tasting Notes - Brini Estate Sebastian Shiraz 2000 (Recommended)

Brini's flagship, sourced from the pick of the older vine (50 plus years) material. Very dark red in colour. Nose is deep scented with lifted floral plums and berries. Impressive. Palate is soft and spicy. Medium bodied. Aniseed more prominent through the back palate. Quite smooth and velvety. Oak seemingly well in check. Fruit does fade a little on the finish but still a good drop; just need a little more overt fruit (note over 2 hours the finish filled out substantially).