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.