Tasting Notes - Yarra Yering New Releases

A couple of weeks the winery conducted a low key trade tasting for most of the new releases. The winery is now handling distribution but unfortunately is asking the trade to pay the same price as cellar door customers. Yep - another producer who thinks retailers are stupid!The wines were a mixed bunch and with the exception of the Dry Red No.1 probably over-priced.

Dry White 1999 (Semillon Sauvignon Blanc) (Recommended)
Nice aged notes on nose and very early signs of marmalade on both nose and palate. Certainly fresher in the mouth, and in the broader Oz context holding up very well at 5 years. Reminds me of a 1995 Triolet drunk in 2000. This is a subtle drop so don't look for the fruit salad bowl.

Chardonnay 2003
Nose is ripe and punchy, almost feels a little cooked. As per the SSB more refined on the palate, very classy with great use of oak combining with restrained tropical notes. Only problem is I'd have to sell it for at least $70!

Sangiovese 2006
Sourced from 8 year old vines. Very fresh nose, quite lively / jumpy. Palate is more restrained and quite savoury, yet fairly bright and very 'clean'. Nice sliver of liquered berries runs right through the middle. Not a bad wine when $$ is ignored.

Pinot Noir 2003
Fruity, dry red nose. Slightly porty. Backs up in the mouth with a firm, slightly extracted structure. Lacks a bit of finesse and polish.

Dry Red No.1 2001 (Cab Sav, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot) (Recommended)
This is the business! Very classy, truly varietal nose with excellent fruit lift. Elegent yet ripe. More balance in the mouth with nice berry notes. Seriously build with good oak and drying tannins (which just overshadows the friut at this stage).

Dry Red No.1 2002
The current vintage is much more cabernet dominant. The nose is similar to the 2001, although more overt with the herbal and blackberry notes. Shows no green tints. Subtle palate, very cab, but seems very tight to the extent the wine seems a bit light on for fruit (which I'm sure it's not). Long, dry finish drives the wine.

Underhill Shiraz 2001
Sweet fruits on nose but a fraction porty. Diry mouthfeel, funky with no obvious fruit. Doesn't seem right - possibly a bad bottle.

Underhill Shiraz 2002 (Recommended)
Nose is similar to the previous vintage but sweet notes seem more delicate. Quite good in the mouth; medium weight with a little bacon and spice; nice spicy finish.Underhill Shiraz 1991Fantastic nose, very pure, licorice and slightly minth lift. Fruit is starting to fade on the palate. More minty notes, slighly hollow fruit profile but retains an excellent acid structure.

Fortified Viognier 2003
Apparently sourced from 26 years estate vines - must be some of Australia's oldest. Note enought grapes for a table wine in 2003 thus the fortified version. Very grapey and spitiy on the nose, smells every bit its 22%. Supercharged palate but dominated but the spirit (to a fault in my view....disappointing).

Potsorts 2002
Sweet on the nose but has some savoury edges. Powerful palate, sweet and savoury notes combine again but again the spirit character is just too abrasive, creating a disjointed wine of 2 halves. I probably just don't get it, and maybe the wine is extremely young???

Tasting Notes - Passing Clouds Shiraz Cabernet 1984

Surprise present from a customer. Light blood red in the glass - looks a bit tired. Nose is a bit of a revalation; quite lively, earthy, almost tarry notes and old berry notes....quite old fashioned. Much more subdued in the palate, no bright primary fruit, feels just a touch hot and extracted, tannins still there, a fraction searing and tart. Certainly not buggered but an interesting curio nevertheless.

Tasting Notes - Penfolds Bin 407 1996 (Recommended)

Lighish red with noticable fade at the rim. Aged / faded friut notes on nose with an elegant feel. Much better in the mouth and almost liquered berry notes underpinning the fruit. This is no heavy weight but mouthfeel is very appropriate. Some heat in the back palate and tannins are firmly in place. This wine is travelling pretty well and could go a few more years yet.

Tasting Notes - Marius Shiraz 2002 (Recommended)

Impressive wine from a label low on our radar here at Cloudwine.

Deep crimson in the glass. Very deep nose, almost "warm' with an excellent fruit lift of sweet berries and a lick of licorice. More sweet berries on the palate and just a hint of McLaren Vale licorice and tar. Balanced and even restrained. Good length tops off a very complete mouthfeel. Depsite the obvious ripeness the wine never gets out of hand. Good stuff.

Tasting Notes - Oliver / Mike Peterkin Chardonnay Master Class

Tasted last month at 'Sails on the Bay' as part of a trade gig. A very well run event with both Oliver and Peterkin excellent, knowledgable speakers. Interestingly room consensus was such that the younger vintage for each respctive wine seemed to win out in each 'head to head'.

Ultimately it was sheer class of the Giaconda that won out over the other wines but nevertheless each had something to contribute. The exception was the Bannockburn, with both vintages looking sadly out of class. Oliver did make the observation that 2 consecutive drought years in 2001 and 2003 may have taken their toll on the vines.

Mike Peterkin seems very much on top of his craft and the Pierro's showed well. Some of his key points raised included:

(1) 2002 in Margaret River was cool, paving the way for some attractive aromatic whites, whilst 2003 was a richer, riper year, no doubt better suiting the Pierro house style.

(2) Climatic and viticulture factors of key bearing on Pierro: low day/night variation helps for an even ripening, the nearby coast is crucial in moderating the climate and north/south facing rows appear to achieve the best results.

(3) Winemaking techniques include: wholebunch ferment, handpicking, use of the Gin Gin clone, use of French oak to enhance structure, MLF and lees contact to up the complexity levels.

Petaluma 2001 (1st bracket - 2nd ranked) (Recommended)
Pale gold, looks very youthful for a 3yr old. Subtle nose yet has a sense of underlying power, slightly sweet. Big mouthfeel with very ripe melons, tangy, a touch hot. There's some spicy oak in the background. Would have picked this as a wine from MR.

Petaluma 2000 (2nd bracket - 3rd)
Medium gold with a green tinge. Looks fairly young. Soft fruits on nose, quite balanced, very varietal. In the mouth a much more overt fruity wine than the 2001, and feels smack bang in the middle of the optimal drinking window. Back palate is a little tart, and whilst keeping the wine tight dues detract a little from the core of pure fruit. Again a little heat on the finish.

Petaluma Tiers 2001 (1st bracket - 4th) (Recommended)
Very similar in colour to the standard 2001. Much more oak on the nose, quite dominant and almost candy like. Classy nevertheless. Palate feel is all about structure, not obvious sweet fruit. More oak and nice burnt matchstick notes. Again very classy a wee bit tight right now. Needs another year but travelling ok.

Petaluma Tiers 2000 (2nd brack - 2nd) (Recommended)
Great lift of pristine fruit on the nose and very little oak is evident. Best nose of the tasting. Shows good balance in the mouth, nice feel. Primary fruit not as evident as in the 2001. A fraction weak in palate weight but otherwise very impressive. Great wine but a tough call at $100 given the quality of the $40 base model.

Bannockburn 2002 (1st bracket - 6th)
Again near identical hues to the 2001 Petalumas. Nose is quite lifted and a touch funky. Some fragrant spicy oak but essentially fruit driven. A little disjointed in the mouth, some upfront sweet fruit but does fall away noticably. Some heat, burns a little. Underlying oak is nice but this wine does not show the balance of the Petalumas.

Bannockburn 2001 (2nd bracket - 6th)
Identical appearance to the 2002. Good bouquet lift, again a little funky, but really quite nice. Once again angular in the mouth, fruit profile jumps all over the place. Raw oak intrudes as well and dries out the back palate. Right out of class in this tasting.

Pierro 2002 (1st bracket - 4th)
Pale gold / melon in the glass. Looks very youthful. Lifted fruity nose, powerful with some heat. Good 'length'. Some more overt oak in the mouth, nice and spicy, drives the powerful length. No doubt needs more time for the fruit to express itself better.

Pierro 2001 (2nd bracket - 4th)
Pale gold (at best) very very young hue. Similar nose to the 2002 but absolute fruit power and oak lift not quite as intense. Powerful palate but fruit profile is a little simple. Starts out with sweet friut but then jumps suddenly to a spicy oak finish. Good fun, and perhaps the most gluggable of the wines.

Leeuwin 2001 (1st bracket - 3rd) (Recommended)
Pale gold hue, youngest looking of the 2001's. Light, quite floral nose. Excellent lift and penetrating vapour. Best nose of the bracket. Much more powerful in the palate than the bouquet suggests. strong wine, long finish with some heat. Lots of stonefruit and melon, not the tropical fruit bowl the nose suggests. Very young.

Leeuwin 2000 (2nd bracket - 5th)
Looks brand new in the glass, no signs of development. A bit simple on the nose, slightly sweet fruit and oak. Nonetheless good feel and lift. Powerful fruity palate, more heat, plenty of upfront fruit but does fall flat in the middle, a rela let down particulaely given expectations.

Giaconda 2002 (1st bracket - 1st) (Recommended)
Looks a little developed for a 2yr old with more deeper gold hues. Very little obvious fruit on the nose, quite stern, firm and oaky. Euro feel. All encompassing palate, hits every point of the mouth. Excellent nutty notes - screams class. Oak is not obtrusive. Ultimately needs time as the wine, despite its obvious appeal, feels restrained and tight. Must have at least 4 years ahead of it.

Giaconda 2001 (2nd bracket - 1st) (Recommended)
Much younger looking than the 2002 - pale gold. Big nose lift, and seems much more fruit driven than the 2002. Very attractive and backed by some nice spicy wood. Awesome palate - seems forward with powerful sweet fruit - and classy oak drives the length. Can't see this one hanging around for years. Perhaps bets drunk 2004 - 2006.

Tasting Notes - Craiglee Shiraz 2002

Light red, almost like a shade of dirty blood crimson. Unique nose; herbal, peppery and almost has a green nettle note. Light mouthfeel yet does not lack intensity. Touches of spice, more pepper, but almost feels a little closed, or at the very least a wine that needs another 12 months. Just a bit one dimensional at this stage, but given the pedigree is sure to improve.

Tasting Notes - Wellington Current Releases

The new and not so new releases from Andrew Hood's personal labels were sampled recently. I thought the wines were a mixed bag although the chardonnays as expected were impressive. For those not in the know Roaring 40's is Hood's entry level label, sporting 2 wines in the rarely seen Tassie sub $20 bracket.

Wellington started in 1990 purely as a contract maker processing 16t for 6 vineyards. Growth since this time has been phenominal, and in 2004 knocked out 770t for 40 vineyards. Grapes are sourced from 6 vineyards - 2 each from Launceston, East Coast and Coal River.

Roaring 40's Pinot Noir 2003
Sweet candy nose; not dumb, and has character. Palate not impressive, no fruit carry and seems disjointed. Hard to recommend. Nowhere near as good as a sample 6 months ago - bad bottle?

Roaring 40's Chardonnay 2003 (Recommended)
Deliberately made in a light bodied style. Low oak and low tweaking - lots of fruit talking here. Classy drop. Hood claims 2003 was an excellent chardonnay vintage in Tassie and this wine adds weight to his opinion.

Wellington Chardonnay 2000 (Recommended)
No malo, high acid rentention winemaking style. Serious burnt nutty notes on the nose - very penetrating. Awesome palate,very long and oozes class. Not at all fruity - more nutty, woodsy - mineral notes are delicate. Very young at 4 years.

Wellington Sauvignon Blanc 2004
Green, cool vintage style. Very kiwi like - grassy, racy and a little sweaty pong. Drinks quite well but may need a little more obvious fruit.

Wellington Pinot Gris 2004
1000 cases produced. Sourced from Launceston fruit. Tight, Italian alps style. Some heat from ripe fruit dives good palate length. Despite this surprisingly delicate.

Wellington Riesling 2004
A bit ho hum...didn't jump out at me. Only 3 weeks in the bottle. Tough to pick as a riesling, seemed a little dry white (ie generic) and a bit shy right now.

Wellington Pinot Noir 2002
AH claims to be the best PN made under the Wellington label. Fruity nose, seems simple and fails to excite. Palate is tight, high acid, bold structure that is consistent with the 2001. Fruit definition is not strong, and for mine the wine just doesn't get going.

Wellington Iced Riesling 2003 (Recommended)
Impressive as ever. Powerful, concentrated wine that surprisingly is very shy on the nose. Seems very balanced and never cloys - acid balance is a trademark here.

Tasting Notes - New Releases from Margrain

Newish label from Martinborough. We have generally pretty impressed with the wines thus far and will look to import directly in the next month or two.

Pinot Gris 2004 $23
Light gold in the glass. Nose seems rich, ripe and maybe a touch alcoholic. Palate confirms, although certainly not flabby or broad. Seems a fraction wound up right now - maybe a sliver of acid? - but has plenty of fruit power. Not terribly varietal, although the tell tale musk and oilyness does surface. Finishes a little hot, and the 14% alcohol just a little over the top. Honest, full bodied style.

'Mad Red' 2003 $21
Varietal makeup is not known but likely a cabernet blend. Attractive colour, medium red with purple hues. Light, frgrant nose with lifted floral and violet notes - perhaps a touch herbal. Light palate weight as well, carrying some acid that dulls the fruit at the moment. Certainly lively on the tongue, but just needs more fruit penetration. May well improve in the next 12 months.

Riesling 2002 $21
Typical off dry Kiwi style. Vibrant pale gold in the glass. Very varietal on the nose but certaintly smells older than a 2002 with more than a hint of kero coming thorough. Less aged on the palate with some acid providing zing. There residual sugar component can be id'd but not dominating. Seems to be transitioning to a more mature phase, but quite pleasant, albeit the wine is surely forward in its development. Reminds of an old fashioned 'dry white' with hints of sweetness.

Sauvignon Blanc 2004 $16 (Recommended)
The winery terms this drop as an 'off-dry' style but don't let this put you off. It's a ripe, pugnent, lifted, ever so slightly sweet style that's more Margaret River than a racy Marlborough...but then again these guys are from a warmer part of NZ so not a huge surprise. Fresh, rising nose with a good dose of tropical, slightly sweaty fruit. Friendly in the mouth, a little broad but has good length. Fruit sweetness fills the palate out. Not at all serious but a lot of punters will love the gluggability of this wine....and at the price will set the cat among the pigeons.

Botrytis Riesling 2004 (Recommended)
Great wine. Looks, smells and tastes like it's still in nappies. Fresh sharp nose, almost spicy. Clear, well focussed palate. Plenty of classic noble rot character but this is a relatively tighy, high acid style that might just need 6 months to settle. Acid drives length (and a little burn) but this wine travels the palate convincingly. Miles away from a typical inland Oz version that tends to cloy.Gewurztraminer 2004 $21Yet another example of gewurzt that blows Oz versions away. Ok, so it's a bit on the sweeter side but you get a truckload of musky, spicy fruit with a fair whack of power that drives the palate weight and length. Has just enough acid to keep it from falling apart at the seams. Won't get a lot beter but can be drunk into 2005.

Tasting Notes - Viking Shiraz Cabernet 2003 (Recommended)

Viking's 'cheaper' wine, a mere $42.

Very dark red in the glass, almost black. A mixed nose - some sweet, simple fruit wafts up initially but is well matched with penetrating ripe fruit. Quite similar in the palate, at first easy to be fooled with the uncomplicated sweet fruits but some serious structure soon takes hold. Good, firm tannins drive length, dominating only a fraction (at this stage) and seemingly keep the ripeness in check. Wood treatment hides in the background. Looks like a very good wine making here.

Tasting Notes - Koltz GSM 2002

Rich, ripe, penetrating nose with fruit cake notes. Some heat evident. Powerful, sweet palate. None of the 3 varieties really dominate. Good length with some heat and tannin. Wood not really noticable. Some bitterness at the finish. Seems very young and just a little too sweet for me right now. Not as good as a bottle tasted 2 months ago.

Tasting Notes - Murrindindi

This winery, although a bit quiet in recent years, has over time established itself as the elder stateman of the still developing Yea region. Whilst a good portion of the winery's are sold the best material from now 25 year old vines ends up in the 'Murrindindi Vineyards' label.

Chardonnay 2001
Yellow gold, looks a fraction developed for the style. Developed rich nose, showing some butterscotch and toast notes. Light mouthfeel, quite nervy with lots of citrus and some acid running through the palate. No obvious primary fruit. Tart, perhaps still a little tight, but needs more fruit depth. The winery says 3 to 4 years and I'd say they are right. The winery has produced some great long living chards over the years but I don't think this is one of them.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Nice crimson red, medium 'weight' in colour. Nose is attractive, sweet berry fruits and a little sweet oak rising up. More subdued in the mouth. Fruit seems a little shy right now, and oak does drive the flavour profile, but in a nice even handed fashion. Quite smooth, not at all tannic. Like the chardonnay not enought primary definition, although I have a little more confidence in this wine improving over the next 12 months. Worth a punt if the price is right.

Passing Clouds Shiraz 1996

Another of the winery cellared back vintages that are slowly being released to the retail trade. Nice core of deep red in the glass lightening at the rim. Unspectacular nose, sweet berries but not much else. Quite powerful in the mouth yet the fruit weight is not heavy. Again some berry fruits early but does give way to a little astringency and an almost high acid feel. Good length with some heat. Ok drop but the 1992's are a better bet (see note in a previous post).

Tasting Notes - Gembrook Hill

Sauvignon Blanc 2002 (Recommended)
Considered the leading Yarra Valley sav blanc by some, and today's taste lent some support to that theory. 2 years age has done this wine no harm; subtle primary fruit, more in the gooseberry mould, with some slighly sweaty notes. Very well structured with mild smokey oak and barrel ferment characters. Has a few years left yet.

Chardonnay 2001
Rich looking and smelling. Ripe style with strong peachy notes. Hot finish detracts from the wine, and almost needs some chill to show its best.

Mayer Vineyard Pinot Noir 2002 (Recommended)
I checked the Halliday note in 2005 Wine Companion and he is bang on. Strong style, deep red, lifted fruits on the nose. Powerful palate, deep cherry and sour / spicy notes. Fairly young I would suggest.

Pinot Noir 2002 (Recommended)
Whoaa! Big nose - meaty, deep fruited, some bacon. Shows complexity and power. Compelling aromas. Similar in the mouth but has a sharp sour edge that dominates right now. That said this character drives palate length nicely. This is a good wine.

Tasting Notes - Ashton Hills

Estate Pinot Noir 2002 (Recommended)
Flag ship wine from Stephen Gorge. Great nose, meaty, powerful, sour and maybe slightly stewed fruits. Oozes class. Hits the spot in the mouth with more powerful sour cherry, trucks loads of spice and a long, drying finish with faint bitterness. Reminds of a Drummonds / Bass Philip, but in a more clean style. Excellent wine.

Three White Blend 2004 (Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling) (Recommended)
Elegant floral nose with apple and musk. Shares varietal traits from all 3 grapes in the mouth; mouth apple, floral musk and some chalkiness from the riesling. I called the 2003 a thinking man's white a year ago and the 2004 is very similar. Worth laying down for a couple too.

Riesling 2004
Pale, almost water like in the glass, a mere babe. Chalky, minerally nose, quite intense. More forward in the the palate but not overtly so. Some mid palate sweetness evident but still in the young, dry minerally mould. Still a bit shy and needs some time.

Tasting Notes - Langanook Syrah 2002 (Recommended)

The great thing about the Langanook Syrah is the unashamedly pretty aromatics. The last 3 vintages have showed amazing lift of pure blackberry, spice and violet notes, and in the case of the 2002 you can pick up the nose 2 feet away from the glass. Very deep fruit penetration on the nose. More spice and violets / licorice in the mouth. The floral notes are countered with some slight grainy tannins and a little heat, although to be fair they drive the length nicely. I'd say this wine is still a fraction young and might need another 18 months to show its best. Bloody nice nevertheless.

Tasting Notes - Ten Minutes By Tractor Chardonnay 2002 (Recommended)

Whilst many blow the trumpet of the SA 2002 vintage for reds (and rightly so in most cases) we have found the same year for chardonnay in Mornington to be excellent. We have tasted the 2002 on a few occasions and very time has shown impressively.

Pale gold in the glass, looks relatively young for a 2 year old chardonnay. Sweet, lifted nose, very ripe, with some faint burn from the alcohol? Very mouthfilling, powerful style with a long finish. again some heat from the alochol but it does fill the palate out somewhat. There's a touch of bandaid - brett but acceptable and does add a layer of funkiness. Pretty good wine, but perhaps not for the faint hearted.

Tasting Notes - Ten Minutes By Tractor Pinot Noir 2001

Light cherry red in the glass, almost rose like. The nose follows closely, shows bright cherry fruits, a little candy like, but attractive nevertheless. More seriosly palate structure, the sweetish simple fruits play at the edges but a decent lick of sour fruits and some bitterness kicks in. Good finish. Drinking best over 2004 and early 2005.

Tasting Notes - Sugarloaf Shiraz 2002 (Recommended)

Took a while to open up in the nose and palate. Big nose, lots of vapour and berries, underpinned with spicy, peppery notes. More soft berries in the mouth, some sweetness (not over-done), and some faint licorice. Pepper is much less pronouced. Tannins and some heat drive a long, penetrating finish. Great effort off 6 year old vines.

Tasting Notes - Burra Burra Shiraz 1999 (Recommended)

I believe this is the second vintage from Stephen George's shiraz vineyard located in Burra, north east of Clare. Nice dark blood red in the glass, looks youthful. Smells kinda traditional, maybe old fashion, with some ripe berry fruits. Almost like an old Rutherglen red. Young palate, fruit appears to still be wound up, although this wine was never destine to be a fruit bomb. Quite a lick of tannin running through the palate, again an old fashion feel, and helps carry a nice core of licorice. I'll decanter next time but certainly worth putting down for another 2 to 3 years to see where its going, but the class is evident.

Tasting Notes - Vynfields

Vynfields is a relatively new player from Martinborough that we haven't seen much of previously. The 13 acre was planted some 16 years ago and acquired by current owners Kaye McAulay and John Bell a number of years back.



2002 Pinot Noir (Recommended)

Lightish blood red, a touch murky. Great nose, lifted spicy sour fruits, quite powerful and intense. Faithful replay in the mouth, with more powerful spice and sour cherry. Good length and mouthfeel. Smacks of quality. QPR ok in the Martinborough context at mid $40's. A little similar to the 2002 Yabby Lake from Mornington.



2003 Pinot Noir

Much deeper dark red hue. Very closed nose - nothing doing. Again quite tight palate. Some sweet fruits are starting to poke through but very early days yet. Almost certainly will be a lighter weight wine than the 2002. Needs time and wouldn't be fair to pass opinion now.

Tasting Notes - Langanook Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (Recommended)

Deep dark plum red, looking very youthful. Trademark Langanook nose with lifted aromatic fruit - often a highlight of the reds. Beautifully defined nose, sweet blackberry, blueberry and herbal notes - very pretty. Big mouthfeel, much more powerful than what we have seen historically from the winery. The characters from the bouquet do replay but are a little overshadowed by some quiet overt berry fruits and some firmness from oak and slightly bitter tannins. Fairly large at 15% but carries the alcohol well. This wine does need some time for the fruit to settle. Should age well over the next 5 years.

Tasting Notes - Tenuta San Leonardo Merlot 2000 (Recommended)

Region: Trentino (Avio)

Started off quite fruit shy but did evolve over time to bring out some savoury notes. Not simple or upfront - a thinking man's wine perhaps? Most impressive was the texture; amazingly slippery smooth and velverty - just glided down the throat.

(EuR 22.0 at a great restaurant in Padova)

Tasting Notes - Cesconi Merlot 2000 (Recommended)

Region: Lavis (Trentino)

Seems to fit the text book merlot definition well - drinks easy in a medium bodied style - with a leafy herbacious thread that reminds clearly of cabernet based wines. No coarse notes here, very smooth and a light, friendly tannin structure. Essentially fruit driven, has good weight, and is pretty classy. One of the better merlots I've drunk in some time.

(EuR 12.00)

Outram Estate Verdelho 2000 (Recommended)

A little fruit shy on the nose at first but some rich and slightly oaky notes vapour up over time. More richness in the mouth with very in your face fruit and some heat. Ripeness and oak (100% new French) build a very powerful wine. Wine finishes long and coats the throat with some heat. Quite a unique feel for a verdelho, almost a bit like a high powered chard. Holding up beautifully for a 4 year old and certainly has a few years left. Very enjoyable.

Tasting Notes - Green Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

Our favourite small producer from Margaret River. The 2000 cab is the first of the Keith Mugford productions. Slightly stewed nose shows some power. Palate is a tough one to call; primary fruit sees a little subdued, perhaps a bit wound up (at this stage) in what appears to be a very classy structure. Good tannins run right throught the palate, along with some noticeable oak. A touch varnishy - a little volatie? Nevertheless an ok wine.

Tasting Notes - Burge Family Olive Hill Semillon 2002 (Recommended)

Sourced from oldish estate vines. Fresh, heaps of juicy fruit. Great summer style, very honest and one of the best Barossan styles I've ever had. Deliberately picked ripe and sees 20% older oak.

Tasting Notes - Stefano Lubiana Merlot 2001

From memory the first stright merlot I have tried from Tassie. 2001 was a warmer year so vintage conditions gave the winery every to knock out a good wine.Some intensity on the nose wih good lift from some sweet fruit. Palate is quite tight with some astringency and powdery tannin driving the mouthful. Fruit is kept well in check and is more generic berry in character. Despite the tightness still quite a smooth wine. Almost cool climate cabernet like without the hard tannins. Can't help but feel it needs more time.

Tasting Notes - Ashton Hills Vineyard "3" 2003 (Recommended)

Brand new wine under the AHV estate label. Roughly equal portions of gewurztraminer, riesling and pinot gris, and, accordingly to Stephen George, inspired by the likes of Trimbach from Alsace. Both nose and palate had an almost old fashion dry white feel - no obvious fruity notes and good length with a dry finish. Quite subtle - a "thinking man's" style perhaps? Seems very early in its development and would be worthy of a repeat visit in 3 years. Whilst it's hard to put a finger on the exact fruit character it nevertheless remains a classy wine.