Tasting Notes - Drummonds Pinot Noir 1990 (Recommended)

Pale, dull blood red; probably looked like this 15 years ago knowing Phillip Jones' winemaking. Aged nose, musty, pongy, but good underlying intensity. Faded fruits in the mouth, some sour notes. Well structured, good acid retention. Clearly was built to last but the fruit was never going to shine after 15 years. Would be great to compare to any of the related Bass Phillip wines at the same age. A great example of how Oz pinot can look respectable after a decade and a half.

Tasting Notes - Ravensworth Shiraz 2004 (Recommended)

Medium blood red with a sliver of thining at the rim. Cool climate nose of plum and cherry, a touch tart, but faithful to the style. Bouquet has good depth. Well balanced, medium bodied, light berries are well matched with a nervy minerally, chalky note, indicating the wine is still very young. This would be relatively easy to pick blind as a Canberra shiraz.

Tasting Notes - Iron Bark Forest Jessie Stargazer Merlot 2000 (Recommended)

Plum – red in colour with light red starting to dull. Some secondary characters on the nose – tar and leather. Fruity notes are not overt but nice aromas nevertheless. Palate shows reasonable intensity and complexity; mixed berries, spice & nutmeg, very smooth. Feels nice. Lovely lingering aftertaste. Recommended.

Tasting Notes - Iron Bark Forest Merlot 2001 (Recommended)

Medium red, lighter than what I’d expect from the region. Nose is quite light, berries and a tiny touch of game. Much more lively in the palate. Plenty of aniseed early with some spice but this fruit drops off a touch. Well underpinned with appropriate tannins. Strictly medium bodied but does the job nicely.

Tasting Notes - Kanta Riesling 2005 (Recommended)

Sourced from the Balhannah vineyard in Adelaide Hills, what makes this wine of high interest to Riesling freaks is the wine maker – Germany’s esteemed Egon Muller. Light pale gold in the glass. Rich nose, ripe, citrus fruits at the tropical end, some musk, almost gris-like. Big mouthfeel for the variety, more ripe, viscous fruit notes, again a touch of musk, with some broad oily notes. Powerful wine, perhaps more Alsatian than Adelaide Hills, but full of interest. Best Oz Riesling tried from SA in 2005 thus far.

Tasting Notes - Scaffidi One Tree Hill Nebbiolo 2003 (Recommended)

Adelaide Plains based outfit, new us here at Cloudwine. Vibrant ruby red in the glass, ‘light’ looking. Quite varietal on the nose, savoury, dried herbs, subtle, yet has a intense edge. Power and weight steps up a notch in the palate driven by liquered berries with a dry savoury undertone. Tannins are quite pronounced, furry and mouthcoating. This wine shows great balance b/w old world Neb (serious structure) and new world fruitiness. Well worth a try, a fantastic Australian interpretation and a good entry point to real Neb.

Tasting Notes - Deviation Road Pinot Gris 2005

Classical appearance – faint pale gold with a subtle strawberry hue. Ripe nose, almost seems hot, musky floral notes. Again quite ripe to taste, broad mouthfeel (varietal), a touch of acid burn. Needs some time to soften the finish.

Tasting Notes - Deviation Road Pinot Noir 2004

Light crimson with some pale edges. Brightly fruited on the nose; cherry and strawberries with a hint of sour fruits. Similar palate, a bit one dimensional with more cherry, fruity notes but quite well built with a decent firmness from the acid. Flavours tail off a little at the finish. Needs another 6 months to settle. Plays ok at $18 - $19.

Tasting Notes - Deviation Road Sauvignon Blanc 2005

Very ripe full flavoured style. Powerful nose with some obvious ripeness. Big mouthful with ripe fruits, packing some heat, lacking a little finesse. Needs some chilling to take the ripeness edge off a touch. Certaintly not lacking outright flavour but lacks the necessary character to stand out at the price.

Tasting Notes - D'Angelo Pinot Grigio 2004

Cardinia Ranges is a low profile area that can perhaps also be described as the south eastern edge of the Yarra Valley or the western border of Gippsland. Big nose, rich, with some musk and broad fruit. Quite European in style and more in the Gris camp. Palate is quite lifted and fresh, with a hint of spritz, but the flavours promised on the bouquet translate poorly. Some musk and a little heat but the fruit seems almost tired. A shame, because the nose really promised something special.

Mount Majura Pinot Gris 2005 (Recommended)

A good return to form following the ripe, bold, hot 2004. Youthful pale gold in the glass. Broad musky nose, quite text book for a Gris. More broad musky notes to taste, shows elegance (soft, friendly) but does step on the gas a little in the back palate, finishing just a touch hard but nevertheless quite impressive. VG QPR at $17.

Tasting Notes - Hackersley Sauvignon Blanc 2005

Remains true to the house style. Rich, ripe nose with an array of fruits. Gives a ‘hot’ sensation. Fairly big mouthful in the front and middle palate although the heat I was expecting didn’t really eventuate, and in fact finishes quite balanced with clasy drying touches and a broad mouthfeel. A little simple but well structured for a $16 wine, but couldn’t recommend outright ex. the value equation.

Phillips Brook Estate Cabernet Merlot 2004 (Recommended)

We were very impressed with the 2004 riesling from this Great Southern winery and this cab merlot demonstrates a capacity to make decent reds as well. Beautiful nose, almost pretty, with fragrant, lifted berries, ripena and a touch of elegant leaf. Palate is less overt, remains elegance but lesser doses of varietal fruit than what the nose suggested. Soft early but firms up somewhat in the middle palate with a faint touch of astringency and some acid. Drinks quite well now but could do with a year’s rest. Nose drives the reco but still a very decent wine. Softened in the glass considerably after an hour….not quite sure I’d keep cellared longer than 2007-8?

Tasting Note - Cape Barren Wild Goose Shiraz 2004

Ripe nose of berries and ever so slightly stewed plum fruits. Some heat evident on the bouquet. More abrasive and ‘blocky’ in the mouth, more heat, sour fruits, some tannin. The alcohol seems dominant and does dislodge the balance, and almost shortens the flavour profile. Better options in this style at the moment.

Tasting Note - Cape Barren GSM 2004

Fragrant, lifted nose of confectionary Grenache fruits. Quite nice. Broad mouthful, some mildly sour fruits yet they are very approachable and almost fragrant, a fraction over-ripe? Plenty of heat at the finish but fruit does finish short.

Tasting Notes - Margan Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (Recommended)

Black currents combines nicely with some pongy, dirty notes; shows some complexity. Interesting palate; starts out with more black current notes but transitions quite quickly to liquored blackberries and then a now familiar tannic, firmly built palate. Dries out a touch a little too much for my liking on the finish but bouquet gets it over the line.

Tastings Notes - Tuckers Vineyard Classic Dry White 2004 (Value Reco)

This wine is actually a 100% tank fermented sauvignon blanc, sourced from an East Gippsland vineyard that changed hands a few years ago. By our reckoning it’s one of the few Gippy Sav Blanc vineyards to have shown promise over the years. Looks a touched developed in the glass – medium gold – something akin to a 3 to 4 year old chardonnay. Interesting nose; clearly ripe with some power, but also has a smoky red wine feel. I reckon I may have picked this as a red if tasted truly blend!

More simple profile in the mouth; ripe notes pop up again but the varietal notes don’t really push through, and drinks more like generic white. Has some decent palate weight. Perhaps the ‘classic dry white’ tag has some genuine claims? No world beater but at $12ish this wine deserves to be tried. A great example of how ultra small makers can deliver real value.

Tasting Notes - Fermoy Estate Semillon 2003

Another good (but not great) example of what I think is Australia’s great unsung white / region combination. Ripe, full bodied, almost thick in the palate, the latter perhaps to a fault. Some regional herbal notes and tangy character, and a slightly dusty finish. A good wine, just needs to tone back the palate weight.

Tasting Notes - Gosset Brut Excellence NV

This wine came from slightly dodgy storage conditions and was purchased approximately 2 years ago. Rich nose, biscuity, seems very ripe and has depth. Soft mouth, low fizz (noting that the cork slipped out very easily) and quite still-wine like with the obvious fruit ripeness and power. Has character but lacks finesse. Good enough though.

Tasting Notes - Penfolds Bin 128 1996

Tasted October 2005
Good solid wine in the mainstream medium bodied shiraz style. Nose of red berries and a faint whiff of vanilla - lacks some excitement. Firmer in the mouth; obvious fruit drops away a little, and the palate is quite tight and firm. Nice berries characters lurk but doesn't really win out over the firm structure and tannin. Nevertheless very well built and travelling well as a $14 wine now 9 years old.

Tasting Notes - Blackjack Shiraz 1998 (Recommended)

It's always interesting to see how a wine is travelling at 7yrs when said drop is now receiving a fair bit of hype. Dark red showing good consistency. Fragrant nose, not heavy, with lighter berry fruits showing some development. Fairly similar in the mouth, nice red berries and a touch of cherry and charry oak, spice and a touch of leaf. Very pleasant, but I can't help wonder whether this regional flagbearer needs to show a bit more omph at 7 years?

Tasting Notes - Bass Phillip Village Pinot Noir 2000

Picked up at a 'half price' sale for $25. Looking quite developed in the glass with dirty blood / brown edges. Lively nose, zingy acid, stewed / pongy fruits, sour cherries....very unique but a touch crazy for my liking.Acid driven palate, bitter fruits, more pongy notes. Certainly has some Burgundian traits with the acid cut but I'm not totally convinced with the dirty fruits. Good educational. To be drunk over the remainder of 2005.

Tasting Notes - Samuel's Gorge New Releases

This label may have been in existence for a few years but the 2003s may be the first time a small portion of this export orientated job has stayed at home. Justin McNamee knocks out dround 500 cases across 3 wines. I think all wines are priced at $35.

Shiraz 2003 - Recommended
Shy nose giving me nothing. High quality palate, smooth, brightly fruited with a great gamey, savoury streak. Very unique in the mouth. Hard to reco a first up at $35 but I'd give this one a crack.

Grenache 2003
Porty, fruit cake nose. Feels pushed. A bit tighter to taste but has a stewed fruit feel...a bit burnt and porty for mine. OTT at 16%.

Tempranillo 2004
Perfumed nose of sweet berries. Very appealing. Sweet fruit early in the mouth but settles into a dryer, ever so slightly tannic feel. Well structured and quite complex but needs a bit more fruit oomph.

Tasting Notes - Patrick T The Caves Riesling 2003

Wrattonbully sourced wine from this long-time Coonawarra maker. Medium yellow in colour, some development for a 2 year old. Expressive nose, ripe citrus fruits, good depth, quite attractive. Palate was a bit all over the shop early; tight, unforgiving with some searing, almost painful acid. Settled nicely as the wine warm up with softer lemon fruits coming through. Definitely showing some development which gives me a strong sense to drink over 2005 and 2006. Good for the punter if it trades no higher than $17 but a tough call for the merchant given the many solid options under $20 from Clare and Great Southern.

Tasting Notes - Margan Semillon 2005

Whilst I struggle at the best of times to ‘get’ the subtles of Hunter semillon this wine took austere and lean to a new level. Quite pale in colour with a dash of pale gold. Nose showed some lively citrus notes, almost a touch tropical. Palate is very tough to read; shy, austere, doesn’t give up much in terms of obvious flavour. Not a heap of intensity and lacks some excitement. Comes from a low yielding 40yr old vineyard so I guess the fruit source (and well credentialed maker) should make for a decent cellaring wine. But I can’t see much happening right now.

Tasting Notes - Margan Verdelho 2005

Of clear interest on the back label is the vine age – 40 years. I’m not sure there are too many older Verdelho vines in Australia. Pale gold, only a touch richer than the 2005 sem. Very good nose, deftly walking a line between out and out rich tropical fruits and classy liquuered notes. Thick, ripe palate, heaps of powerful fruits early but the palate dries out, losing some of this intensity, almost to the point of appearing a little dilute. Ok, could have been very good.

Margan Botrytise Semillon 2005 (Recommended)

One of the best packaged stickies currently on the market. Medium gold, leaving a viscouos coating on the glass. Ripe clean nose, good lift, smells amazingly clean and pure. Text book mango and apricot on the nose – impressive. Repeats faithfully in the mouth but the palate weight is stepped up a notch; a genuine mouth coater. Sometimes I find these styles get a fraction hard in the back palate but this retains power and a good dose of finesse all the way through. Very good.

Tasting Notes - Margan Barbera 2003 (Recommended)

Old worldly nose, savoury, a touch porty, not unlike a Hunter shiraz. Holds plenty of interest. Non-fruity palate (good), dulled in a euro fashion, savoury red fruits, old oak. Well structured with length, some drying tannin and trade mark acid; quite varietal. Perhaps a bit more well rounded than some King Valley stuff I’ve tried recently, although I did not the fruit tailing off a little on the finish.. A positive signal re the region’s ability to grow savoury Italian styles.

Tasting Notes - Margan Shiraz 2003

Good lift of sweet berry fruits, feels thick, a bit jammy. Much much drier to taste; the sweet fruits disappear in favour of tannic, firm, seriously structured palate. I rarely see of wine of such a contrast between the nose and palate. This must be cellared but like the merlot I’m not the wine will come around over time.

Tasting Notes - Limbic Sauvignon Blanc 2004 (Recommended)

(Dandenong Ranges / West Gippsland)

Comes with very high praise from James Halliday in the 2006 Companion, a little unexpected given the low low profile of this small operation. Pale yellow in the glass, relatively youthful for a 1yr old. Solid nose, quite expressive, aromas essentially tropical fruit mix, ripe passionfruit being the most obvious character. Tight palate, almost bracing with seeming quite prominent acid. Very linear, focused, and may need time (believe it or not). Long finish with mineral notes, almost smokey (any barrel treatment here?)….quite polished at the end. Front palate needs to settle down a bit to get top marks, but I reckon this will look good in early 2006.

Phillip Island Chardonnay 2002 (Recommended)

Slightly developed yellow, looks about right for a 3yr old. Classy nose, very lifted with some matchstick, broad ripe fruits, a touch of quality oak. Sophisticated. Backs up nicely in the mouth. Fruit sweetness is a little more obvious and structurally the wine doesn’t quite come on as the nose would suggest. Quite ripe with an array of text book fruits coming through. Doesn’t quite have the firmness of serious of $30+ Margaret River, Yarra and AH wines but looks pretty good. Probably the best Gippsland chard I’ve had for the year after the Caledonia offerings.

Tasting Notes - Linfield Road Merlot 2002

I’ve yet to have a truly memorable merlot from BV. This wine, on paper, is well priced for a 2002 at $20. Throws a fairly heavy amount of sediment. Powerful nose, dense plums, good depth. Good follow-up in the mouth, more ripe plum notes, soft, medium finish. Sediment detracts a little. Will drink well over 2005 and 2006 and won’t disappoint fans of the softer, simpler style.

Tasting Notes - Flaxman Wines Cane Cut Sem 2005

Talk about limited release – they only made 64 cases of this sucker! Nose is a little restrained for the style but very fragrant nevertheless. Much bigger in the mouth…quite unexpected. The front and middle palate gets swamped with a wall of ripe peachy notes and does fade, the latter not a big deal. Some heat or searing in the palate but not too much to worry about. Finishes very clean. Needs a touch more weight at the finish but still an enjoyable drop.

Tasting Notes - Juniper Crossing Chardonnay 2004 (Recommended)

Slightly old-fashion style; ripe, a little fat with good licks of peachy, tropical fruits, and touches of toasty oak. Mouthfeel is quite soft with winemaking tricks coming into play. Very decent value at $20 and has good claims as a leading entry level 'premium' MR chard.

RBJ Theologicum Grenache Mataro 2000 (Recommended)

RBJ is a side project of sorts headed by Chris Ringland. This GM is a solid effort from a less than stella Barossa vintage.Colour is quite striking...murky, dirty blood red. Could be mistaken for a Bass Phillip pinot. Reasonably subdued nose with some faint hints of ripe berries, but not much more. Tastes like it looks; a touch dirty, funky, with some nice developed rhoney notes. Underpinned by some streaky acid. Good wine but definately on the right hand side of the 'peak', and did fade a little in the glass over time. Drink soon.

Tasting Notes - Wolf Blass Gold Label Riesling 1998

They must have slipped this label in just before EU mandated changes on the use of regional based descriptors. I bought this wine very early on in my wine buying days when Mark Shield's Wine Guide was the business. As it happens in mid 1999 this wine was held as THE budget wine buy of the year.

Medium gold in the glass, looks about right for 7 years. Nice varietal nose, probably an easy pick in the 4 - 7 yr age bracket. No kero, just faint lemon/lime and a sliver of honey. Palate is no real surprise off the back of the bouquet. Very lightly fruited with some citrus notes, clearly fading. Weight is almost dilutive given no classic secondary notes are coming through...doesn't really give me much at all. Pleasant enough, but almost in the curio class (is there a curio class for seeing how cheap quaffers drink at 7 years old?)

Tasting Notes - Wynns Riesling 1998

Medium gold, light in colour for a 7 year old. Aged nose, clearly varietal, but subtle. Subdued in the mouth; the primary fruit has faded but structure is largely intact. Reasonable length. Won't set the world on fire but heh, this cost me $8 on release.

Tasting Notes - The Wanderer Moscato 2005 (Recommended)

Very pale yellow, almost clear. Rich nose; ripe, grapey, sweet. Palate takes the sweetness and richness up a notch with thick syrupy, pure grapey character. Not quite in the dessert wine league but getting close, and perhaps a too much fruit weight to qualify for anything more than a quality apperitif. Good stuff.

Trentham Estate La Famiglia Moscato 2005 (Recommended)

Now I know I wouldn't touch this stuff but as a retailer we have to provide a couple of options (at least) for those punters looking for a Brown Brothers off-dry white.

Sweet nose, fresh, grapey, some sugar, some power. Good translation in the palate, more sugary, grapey notes. Loses a bit of definition in the back palate (ie less obvious moscato) but for $11-$12 you could do worse. Good for what it is.

Tasting Notes - Glenmore Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (Recommended)

Glenmore is the personal venture of long time Mosswood viticulturist / winemaker Ian Bell. Followers of Ian's employer will recognise the Glenmore name from the single vineyard release under Mosswood.There's a lot of good 2001 MR cab around at the moment and we'll have to add this drop to the list. Friendly nose with sweet approachable berry fruits. Follows up very well on the palate; more easy going berry fruit. Tannin and oak is well contained but the soft structure might put a question mark over longer term cellaring. At the very least an excellent drink now proposition but can't recommend on QPR grounds given the competition in the sub $40 bracket.

Tasting Notes - Mayer Vineyard 2004 Releases

Mayer is the label of Timo Mayer, winemaker at Gembrook Hill. We have been very impressed with the Gembrook wines in the past, and particularly the Mayer pinot sourced from Timo's vineyard. Unfortunately these wines didn't come close to the quality we would have expected although to be fair we haven't yet tried the 2004 Gembrook's.

Pinot Noir 2004
Light style, bright cherry fruits with just a hint of sour fruits underneath. Doesn't really get going or show the necessary intensity in the mid $20's.

Shiraz 2004
Could be confused for pinot. Very light cool climate style. Light berry fruits, some cherry, a zing of acid keeps things fresh. Hard to see why one would chase this interpretation over Sunbury or Langi styles.

Nouveau 2004
Rose style; components not disclosed. Light candy red in the grass with a savoury, earthy nose, shows some complexity. Reasonably serious in the mouth, not at all fruity. Dry, with a streak of acid that does dominate a little. Pretty good value at $13.

Grove Estate Sangiovese 2004 (Recommended)

This is the first straight Sangiovese from the winery, the grapes having previously gone into the Basazi blend. Slightly strange nose, very nervy and zingy with a minerally, talcum powder feel (think Clare riesling). Has lift and personality. A hint of the minerally trait is retained in the mouth along with some faint spritz. Nice palate, gamey savoury notes with a firm structure, some noticable drying tannin. Well built but might not be fruity enough for some. Genuine sangiovese (at least in terms of structure) and plays well at $19.

Mount Majura Tempranillo 2004 (Recommended)

Impressive drop. We've seen a couple of good examples of this Spanish number from this house over the past couple of years.Ripe nose with some complexity; aniseed, savoury, a little heat. Palate is better; fills out the fruit profile with more licorice / aniseed, dark berries, kinda cool climate shiraz like but without any hard edges. Quite a mouth coater but not tough to drink. Good work at $25ish.

Minot Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Have tried this twice over the past 6 months; both times with mixed results. This time the wine shows a very attractive nose; ribena, blackberry with a herbal edge. Very pure fruit and very appealing. Once again the palate underwhelms. Structurally quite tight, dry, but hard to get any solid fruit definition; almost to the point of being dilutive. How was MR in 2002?

Tasting Notes - Clos Clare Shiraz 2003

Opened up very nicely with classic mint and berry notes and an attractive fragrant nose. Berry notes hold out through the palate but the fruit generally drys out a little and gets a bit woody, almost tawny like. This distracts to a degree such that the wine would be best left for another 12 months before re-assessing. This wine has been a very good drop in past vintages and we expect this will come good.

Tasting Notes - Kelvedon Estate Pinot Noir 2003

Sourced from 7 year old vines on Tassie's East Coast and made by Julian Alcorso (previously Morilla?).

Anyway...the wine. Classic brutish Tassie style on the nose; very ripe hot cherry, slightly pongy, and lacking some finesse. Similar to taste; ripe, friut feels pushed. Some heat and a tannic underlay. Varietal fruit doesn't really express itself. Better options at the $30 level.

Humbug Reach Pinot Noir 2003

Another relative nembie from Tassie, Tamar Valley to be more specific.

Middle of the road nose, quite fragrant with lifted raspberries, a touch lolly like, but nice. Broad palate, some sour fruits, tingly acid hits all corners of the mouth, but this wine isn't at all tight. Certainly more Southern Vic in style than many other Apple Isle examples. Let down by a lack of intensity in the second half, but structually quite good.

Tasting Notes - Lost Valley Cortese 2004

My first Cortese.

Claimed to be Australia's only planting, and given it's Northern Italian heritage the Strathbogie Ranges seems like a good place to grow the grape locally.

Sweet, delicate nose, kinda reminds me of a King Valley riesling or arneis. Follows through well in the tasting department; no doubt seems quite sweet early but is well matched structually with some acid, which drives the palate nicely. Good enough but lacking a little distinction. Worth a look for education's sake.

Tasting Notes - Tallarook Marsanne 2003

Typically a rich, fully worked, slightly fat style. The '03 is not really in this mould; much tighter, higher acid and citrus fruits abound. Some oak and a sliver of heat (with some cheesy over-tones), just doesn't fully deliver enough interest.

Tasting Notes - La Corte Anfora Zinfandel 2002

Region: Puglia

La Corte is Chris Ringland's Puglia project in the south of Italy. Sourced from 35yr old vines.Light dry red nose, not great, but not poor. Nice mouthfeel, quite savoury and a touch dirty. Fruit broadens in the back palate, loses a little intensity, but not a deal breaker. Ok wine but won't blow you away.

Tasting Notes - Turramurra Chardonnay 2000

It's hard to fathom how a winery can sit on 5+ years of stock across 5 varieties, as is the case with Turramurra. I haven't tried the wines for some time but the 2000's, last tasted in 2002? looked quite good.

Anyway, fast forward to 2005 and the 2000 chard. This wine may have been a former Epicure Uncorked 'Best White Wine' but is now definately joining the 'fallen angel' brigade. Colour is holding up well, a slightly deep colour gold. Funky nose, developed, rich, lucoszade (??) notes. A bit bretty maybe. Drinks as expected in the mouth. More dirty developed notes and a hint of 'burn' in the back palate. Finishes quite well and is supported throughout with a thick palate structure. Would have been very nice 3 years ago (@ $29) and now struggles @ $17.

Freeman Vineyard Rondinella Corvina 2002 (Recommended)

Very unique in the Australian market, a blend of northern Italian grapes. Uses a portion of amarone style grapes.

Deep ruby red, vibrant, looks young. Nose has a good deal of interest, quite expressive, edgy, a touch of mint.Thinking man's palate. Comes across a bit light initially in the fruit department. Very good structure, quite tannic and very dry, serious. Savoury palate, shows good dry drive in a lighter weight style. A very interesting wine but you need to give it every chance to demonstate its appeal.

Tasting Notes - Gravitas Pinot Noir 2004

Our first look at 2004 pinot from NZ. Crystal clear in the glass, in a ruby coloured kinda way. Nose is quite varietal but tends to the sweeter end, a bit simple, with spice and rhubarb. Palate gives away the wines age; quite light, shy on the fruit and seems tight. More spice on the back palate and some drive from the acid. Not enough fruit action right now but may be just way too young and raw. Re-taste in 12 months?

Tasting Notes - Fermoy Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

Serious, oaky cab from Margaret River. Not cheap at $39ish but certainly imparts a feeling that the wine plays fairly at this price point. Nose is slightly gamey and has some toasty oak notes. Palate is quite tight right now and seems young at 5 years. Spicy oak dominates a but right now and the wine needs a few years to show it's best....but I have a little question mark over the fruit power. Will it last the distance? Classy tannins drive a longish finish.

Tasting Notes - Allinda Riesling 2005 (Recommended)

A rare tasting of a Yarra Valley riesling, at least for us. Quite pale in the glass, a smidgen of pale gold, but only just. Generous nose considering the wine's youth, lifted soft lime notes, favouring the tropical fruit side. More soft subtle fruity notes in the mouth but is well underpinned with more lime and an appropriate plank of acid. Whilst young, and a touch shy, you would not be disappointed drinking this over the next 12 months. Perhaps not a classic cellaring style but will look good over the next 3 to 5 years.

Tasting Notes - Symphonia Tempranillo 2003

Big lifted nose of toasty oak and a slight varnish touch...kind of attractive but I know I shouldn't feel this way! Dry palate, again swamped with oak. Hard for any fruit to get out. Structure seems ok with driving tannin. One for oak freaks only at this stage and thus a bit tough to recommend right now.

Tasting Notes - Hunters Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2003

Flagship white from this well regarded Marlborough producer. Key diff to the standard savvy is the use of a barrel ferment component and the inclusion of the ripest fruit of each vintage. Attractive nose, quite ripe yet shows nice herbal, green edged notes. A let down in the mouth; tight, a bit acidic, dry....not friendly. Feels very young and clearly has some structure to age (a plus I guess) but question mark over whether the fruit will last. I really miss the roundness, generosity and complexity evident in the the 2002.

Tasting Notes - Maxwell Verdelho 2005 (Recommended)

We've had a good look at the line since 2003 and can report that the 2005 is generally in line with the house style. Medium bodied nose with some tropical fruits. Feels quite full bodied and a touch 'oily'. A bit lighter in the mouth than the nose suggests but still very much a bigger style of white. More tropical fruits with a reasonable thick base underpinning the palate. Primary fruits are a touch muted when compared to the 2004 and 2003, and this may be a product of the vintage. Regardless shows solid value at $14 and frankly, this wine doesn't see much decent QPR competition in the sub $15 market. Maxwell has again delivered what one looks for in a cheap verdelho.

Iron Bark Forest Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (Recommended)

Sourced off what must be some of the region's oldest cabernet vineyards at 30yrs. Lively nose with good fruit depth. Ripe berries and some vapour from the 'heat'. Good follow-up in the palate; more ripe berry fruit that is well backed with some noticable tannin and more heat. Nice lick of licorice (ahla McLaren Vale) but some regional mint keeps the Bendigo theme going, and nicely done too. A touch aggressive right now and I'm a little surprised that this only weighs in at 13%. Fruit weight tails a little in the back half but regardless looking very good for a 4 year old.

Tasting Notes - Hewitson Lou Lou Sauvignon Blanc (Recommended)

Very pale lemon gold. Big nose with a herbal, grassy lick and good underlying ripeness. Aromas leap off the glass. High acid, zingy style in the mouth. Quite lean, and tending to the grassy spectrum, but but very nicely. Good length. Only quibble (minor) is that it needs a touch more obvious fruit.

Tasting Notes - Flaxman Riesling 2005 (Recommended)

Tiny run of 200 cases sourced from a single 40yr old, dry grown block in Eden Valley. Made by Tim Smith of, well, Tim Smith Fame!

Pale gold in the glass. Subtle nose, quite regional with hints of citrus and lime. Seemingly a bit underwhelming in the mouth; very shy. Comes off almost as a generic dry white but opened up materially over time with citrus and lime starting to shine. Quite dry, nice acid levels and good length. Drinks very well now but won't be a keep beyond say 7 years.

Tasting Notes - Hurley Vineyard Pinot Noir 2003 (Recommended)

3rd release off this young label from very young vines (planted in 2000). Well presented and well packaged wine but should be at $35.

Ripe, full nose. Just a fraction porty but this doesn't detract at all. Firm, dry mouthful. A bit in the dry red camp right now but some classy (and varietal) spicy fruits kick in late. This wine seems very young and gives a strong impression that there's some real potential for the wine to develop strongly over the next 2 years. Seemingly a bit pricey for a wine from 5 year old vines but looks the goods at this stage.

Tasting Notes - Annapurna Pinot Gris 2004 (Recommended)

Annapurna is a newish producer based near Mt Beauty in the Alpine Valley region. Lightly fruited nose with classy mineral notes. Grigio style in the mouth; more minerals and some chalk, quite dry. Quite true to variety and a significant step up on the 2003. Good value at $18.

Tasting Notes - Foggo Road Cinsault Sparkling NV

Despite being in the wine retailing game for 5 years now there's always something new to try....in this case a sparkling cinsault.Pours a big fizzy head but fades away to nothing in a nano second. Classic rose look. Palate wise a fairly dry style. Some generic red fruity notes fill out the middle palate but thins out in the back. Ultimately lacks body and stuffing.

Tasting Notes - Fox Gordon Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Ripe nose, a bit sugary. Not particularly varietal but then again it is Barossa cab. In the mouth pleasnt, ripe, friendly fruits. Some black currant emerges, again very ripe, a little heat with a touch of grainy sweetness.Pretty good wine, reasonably serious but not good value at $47.

Fox Gordon Hannah's Swing Shiraz 03 (recommended)

Another excellent first-up effort from this brand new producer. Good nose, quite deep and shows very good fruit pruity of berries and typical shiraz sweetness. Palate is a touch more restrained with the absence of overt fruity characters. More berries and plums, abundant ripeness and a welcome tinge of savoury tannins. Some grip in the back palate but still retains a velvet mouthfeel.

Tasting Notes - Massena 2003 Vintage (All Recommended)

This winery appears to be fast developing a rep as a producer of balanced and full flavoured reds that show remarkable consistency. A very easy combination to sell in retail land.....

Moonlight Run GSM + Cinsault 2003 $23
Medium blood red in the glass. Slightly unusual nose, tough to pick any defining characters, some licorice at best. A touch muted. Much bigger and stronger in the palate. Shows very good balance and hits all corners of the mouth. More licorice, plenty of ripeness drives a long finish. Never gets too sweet or broad; a classy wine from a less than perfect vintage.

11th Hour Shiraz 2003 $30
Faint nose, some vapour from the ripeness. Nice but not mind blowing. Super plush mouthful, and as per Dan's other work shows excellent balance. Never gets ahead of itself. Very ripe and fruit driven yet very in control, retaining class. I think this would show well against its much higher priced cousins from Torbreck. The best shiraz I have had for some time.

Barbera Dolcetto 2004 $21
Perfumed nose, nice floral notes, very clean and pure. Good mouthful, quite 'breezy' - true to type barbera. Acid levels keep the wine on its toes despite the 15% (absolutely not noticeable).

Tasting Notes - Hawker's Gate Shiraz 2002

Hawker's Gate is a brand new release / label from James Hastwell, whos family is behind the Hastwell & Lightfoot winery. Fruit is sourced from vines between 11 and 17 years of age.

Medium blood red in colour, lighter than one would typically expect from the grape. Nose is light bodied also, sweet berry fruits with plenty of lift and a light edge.Palate is better than the bouquet suggests. Nice medium weight with ripe berry fruits and plenty of humming acid that keeps the wine feeling very lively. Some tannin plays a supporting role. No oak impact to speak of. Good effort (first up I think?) from a young bloke.

Tasting Notes - Balnaves Cabernet Merlot 2001 (Recommended)

Tight nose, faint tabacco and berries. Seems young and very classy. Early confidence is well backed up in the palate; more berries, a touch of chocolate and quite prominant furry tannins. Should be reasonably long lived given it drinks like a mere babe at 4yrs...give it until at least mid 2006 before opening.

Tasting Notes - Foggo Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 (Recommended)

Big nose, good depth of sweet fruits but I can't help but feel it's holding back a little. The addition of a touch of berry and aniseed speaks of McLaren Value quite clearly. Quite powerful mouthfeel, sugary notes, sweet berries and more classical regional licorice and aniseed. Tannins are reasonably fine but do a good job of coating the mouth. Needs time.

Mount Majura Chardonnay 2003

Bright yellow in the glass, looking decidely advanced for a 2003 from a cool region. A little vintage research reveals 2003 to be a early vintage for Canberra. Ripe nose with some oaky and peachy notes. Ok.Again quite ripe in the mouth. Oak notes settle as the upfront fruit kicks in. Probably borders on the tropical fruit style with some heat and acid kick at the back. Certainly well elegant and complex than the excellent 2002 but nevertheless shows appeal in the $20 market as a competent drink now style. Won't blow you away but good enough.

Tasting Notes - Wildcroft Pinot Noir 2000 (Recommended)

Sourced from 19 year old Mornington Peninsula vines, this wine was always going to be a source of interest for us at Cloudwine given Phillip Jones of Bass Phillip is credited with winemaking duties.

As expected signature appearance - dull and dirty blood red, murky and very unfiltered. Striking nose of intense spice and savoury fruits, screams of the Jones 'house' style. Challening palate, more spice, acid cut, savoury fruits, all delivered in a painfully intense manner. Very similar to the Jones' produced Drummond's pinots from Leongatha. Quite broad in the mouth and shows good length. I thought it was getting a touch loose and possible getting near the end of its useful life. Hasn't showed as well as other Jones wines of a similar age but this wine is full of interest, it's a dirty mutha and serves as a good example of what Mornington Pinot can do with a left field maker.

Tasting Notes - Teusner Avatar GSM 2003 (Recommended)

Another low oak Rhone blend from the extended Torbreck / Veritas family. Reminded me a lot of the 2003 Joshua with its infusion of absolutely uncomplicated fruit definition; very pure and clean. Finished with a lick of spice and aniseed and darker fruits. As expected oak was barely noticeable. The only problem was that the wine just seemed a bit subdued, the fruit didn't come out and grab me. Perhaps the limitations of the 2003 Barossa vintage? I don't know myself - haven't really drank enough to form an informed opinion. Memory suggests the 2003 Joshua was better (albeit drunk younger) and it will be very interesting to see how the 2004's from Teusner go.

Hackersley Merlot 2003 (Recommended)

This is the third vintage we have tried from this Geographe producer and it would appear that a strong track record is being built for merlot. Ripe nose, shows good richness but not overdone. Nice plums and blackberries, has excellent depth. Text book in the palate, more plums and berries, although a little more subdued than the nose would suggest. The structure makes up for this slight shortfall, silky smooth, low tannins and good length with a touch of grip. Some smoothing oak contributes nicely. One of the few straight merlots that is worth taking a look at.

Rating: Very Good +Value @ $24: Very Good

Tasting Notes - Kiltynane Estate Pinot Noir 2004

There was a quite a bit on anticipation on this wine given the absolute committment of winemaker Kate Kirkhope to biodynamic principals and a 'hang the cost' approach to viticulture and winemaking. Only 320 cases made from a 5yr old crop yielding just over 1kg per vine.

Vineyard is located in Tarrawarra (Yarra Valley).

Light garnet in the glass with good clarity. Orthodox nose of cherries and a touch of spice of spice. Palate gives mixed feelings; seemingly a little simple with dry berry fruits early but does gain some complexity as the wine opens up in the glass over time. The wine seems very young, quite tighly bound with some acid grip, but I almost confused this with under-ripe fruit (which may in any event play some role in the relatively light palate weight). Plays the 'middle road' style quite well in the Yarra style but realistically lacks some excitement. Needs to deliver a lot more at $38 pb but should get better with time.

Tasting Notes - Booths Taminick Cellars

A quick view of current releases....................Booths are venturing into the trade market for the first time in at least 5 years. All wines will be priced under $17 and in the main offer solid value.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 - Recommended
Modern medium bodied style. Sweet fruits and soft tannins....what's going on here? Not super serious but has some obvious appeal.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 - Recommended
Nearly identical to the 2002 but just a touch lighter. Flip side is the wine is a little more accessible.

Chardonnay 2004
Massive poached pears on the nose - very attractive. Falls away in the palate, with hard acid grip dominating any fruit flavours. Transforms into a generic dry white.

Premium Shiraz 2002
Rich, ripe nose. Some porty notes but not overdone. More of the same in the mouth. Sugary, some licorice, more dry port action. Not my kinda wine but will appeal to fans of the blockbuster style.

Tasting Notes - Mount Trio Shiraz 2002 (Recommended)

For those who don't know Mt Trio is Gavin Berry's side project away from Plantagenet. All fruit is sourced from the Great Southern area.

A classic cool to medium climate shiraz by most measures. Blood red in the glass, not heavy, with some lightening at the rim. Soft berries and pepper on the nose, the latter with a ever so slightly hard / leafy edge that suggests a lack of ripeness. I am knit-picking a bit here.

Warms up more in the mouth, retaining a pleasant berry / spice / pepper combo. Quite pleasant. Medium finish with some fine tannin. Fruit gets a bit one dimensional in the middle and pack palate but still a reasonable sub $20 example from this underrated shiraz region.

Tasting Notes - Taminick Booths Premium Shiraz 2003

After drinking a couple of decidely modern cabernets from Booths ('modern' of course being a relative measure) it was back to traditional values for the shiraz. This wine, tagged the 'premium' weighed in at a mere 16%. Dark blood red with faint purple tinges....kinda looks Victorian. Biggish nose, a little sugary, and of course very ripe. Fierce tannic bugger in the mouth. Some heat (although not as much as you'd expect), and cheek coating tannins claw at the lining of my mouth. Some good fruit is hidden but not sure it will ever see the light of day. This needs time but not it's worth the punt. Drinkers with a history on cellaring Booths are well placed to make the best decision.

Tasting Notes - Bidgeebong Tumbaruma Chardonnay 2003 (Recommended)

One of the few 100% Tumbarumba wines to hit our desks. Pale gold in the glass, looks about right for the age. Lively nose, crips acid, nervy, faint oak and a touch of the 'traditional' dry whites about it. Old fashioned?Interesting palate. Quite dry, buzzing acid, taunt, almost chalky ahla Clare Riesling, the latter standing out to the extent I may have called this riesling if tasting blind, although the suble sweet oak notes on the nose give the variety away. Some spritzy lime drives a long tight finish. One of the wines that is very easy to write a TN on. Good stuff.

Tasting Notes - Brini 'Koota Gra' Merlot 2004 (Recommended)

Soon to be released cheapie from Brini, an excellent QPR focussed operation in McLaren Vale. Merlot dominant with a touch of grenache. At the likely retail price (sub $13) I'm pretty sure this isn't sourced from the estate vines (age 50yrs+). Slightly old fashioned nose; ripe but not sweet, with dark berry fruits. Quite firm in the mouth and a pretty serious wine at the price point. More ripe berry fruits and some drying tannin, quiet grippy, but seems sophisticated considering the price point. Ok length and finishes with just a touch of cooling licorice. Impressive wine at the price (have I mentioned the QPR thing enough?). Me thinks we will sell a lot of this wine.

Tasting Notes - Brini 'Blewitt Springs' Shiraz 2002

No mention of the grape source in the press material so I assume this is made from contract fruit. Nice nose, fairly soft with gamey, savoury traces and some ripe berry fruits. Palate is a little hard to work out; a little subdued if one was looking for bright fruit but it does have a nice balanced feel. More savoury notes, licorice, finishes a touch short but some heat and acid makes an impact, although not obtrusive. Needs more obvious fruit to match the tannins. Not sure where the wine is just now - just resting? - but I need more juicy fruit action to get excited. Nothwithstanding these thoughts I'd love to see this wine in 3 years time.

Tasting Notes - Brini 'Sebastian' Shiraz 2003

Flagship wine from a less than stellar vintage. Good nose with quite a pronounced lift of bright berry fruits. Not at all heavy, almost aromatic with a good lick of funky savoury fruits, providing a good level of complexity.Palate provides an interesting contrast. Front half is all about light delicate berry fruits, almost dances across the tongue. Firms up a little with some prominant tannic matched with savoury fruits and trade mark licorice. As with the Blewitt Springs the fruit just needs to step up a notch but the wine is looking good right now.Probably well priced at $24 and it will be interesting to see how it compares with other 2003 shiraz like the Marius, Foggo Road, Chalk Hill, Koltz etc. To be honest there are probably better buys from 2001 and 2002 at the minute but regardless this is a solid wine.

Peel Estate Chenin Blanc 1999 (Recommended)

Nice bright golden sheen, the nose was quite heady with a nutty character.The palate was rich and almost viscous in texture. This is very different from French or South African Chenin Blanc I've tried. Some sweet notes of honey and vanilla and then some more savoury nutty or avocado flavours on the back of the palate. A long spicey finish rounded off the wine well. I didn't expect to like this at all but it sat well with the oak. I tried it chilled and it was more bitter and crisp but left to warm up a little the richness really came forward. Surprisingly pleasing and quite interesting wine to try.

Tasting Notes - Murray Street Shiraz 2003

Sweet light fruits on the nose; confectionary like, but has appeal. Palate shows more intense ripeness and sweetness, again in the lighter fruits spectrum. Finishes a touch hot and tannic.

Tasting Notes - TK Lenswood Riesling 2004

Tim Knappstein strays from his native Adelaide Hills with this riesling from Clare Valley. Competent wine but doesn't really get the pulse going. Has the classic regional fruit profile - ripe lime and citrus fruits - but feels just a tad dilute and 'soft' on the finish. Nothing terribly wrong, just doesn't get out 2nd gear IMHO.

Tasting Notes - Minot Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Berry fruits on the nose, feels sweet and simple. Not a heap of depth. Fruit quite predictable in the mouth, light, again in the simple berry fruit mould. Some tannin, not too severe. Medium finish. Not really in the class of the 2001 and just doesn't have the fruit character to lift it into a wine worth thinking about.

Tasting Notes - Murray Street GSM 2003

This wine has plenty of appeal and is quite lively but the 'reco' tag will depend largely on price. Lightish red in the glass and very fresh, fruity nose. Sugary feel in a nice way. Slightly disjointed mouthfeel, more sweet notes, nice feel but lacks penetration. Slightly bitter back palate, probably alcohol driven. Worth a look around $14.

Tasting Notes - Clyde Park Pinot Noir 2001

This baby sells for $120 a case at cellar door so the tasting was always going to have a high degree of interest given the potential to shoot the lights out on

Colour looks about right, blood red with a little fade at the rim. Nose is quite expressive, some obvious ripeness and some touches of stewed fruits (remebering of course that 2001 was a bloody hot season). Lighter in the palate than expected, a touch of acid and spice but structure is quite mellow, almost a touch weak. Some varietal notes lurk (spice and faint gamey traits) but are essentially covered over with some generic dry red notes. Not a world beating pinot but one we will be willing to recommend if we can a retail price in the $10 - $12 region.

Tasting Notes - NZ Wine Show 2004 - Brief Notes

Te Whare Ra Gewurztraminer 2004 (Recommended)
Classic text book nose although a touch on the restrained side. Excellent palate of spice and musk, some heat but well balanced.

Hunters Sauvignon Blanc 2004 (Marlborough) (Recommended)
Classic regional style that few have been able to achieve at this showing. Shows nice balance and appropriate levels of ripe varietal fruit.

Huia Sauvignon Blanc 2004 (Marlborough) $22
Bristling high acid style just lacks fruit power to back sufficiently.

Huia Gewurztraminer 2004 (Marlborough) (Recommended)
Nice broad mouthfeel, very filling. Low acid drink now style.

Highfield Curvee Brut 1998 (Marlborough) $45
Mega toasty nose - nice. Pongy palate, seems way to funky for the style.

Highfield Sauvignon Blanc 2004 (Marlborough) $30
Big fruity style with strong sweaty notes, a touch overwhelming. Palate progressively gets lighter.

Gravitas Sauvignon Blanc 2004 (Marlborough) $27 (Recommended)
Long palate, heaps of balance, very even flavour profile and has a robust structure. Lives up to the hype.

Gravitas Unwooded Chardonnay 2004 (Marlborough) $27
Long, fairly high acid feel. Travels through the mouth well. Good for the style but as per its peers not a totally convincing option.

Carrick Sauvignon Blanc 2004 (Central Otago)$23
Ripe, some fruit punch but thins out at the end of the palate.

Carrick Chardonnay 2003 (Central Otago) $29 (Recommended)
Lucious, high worked, oaky ripe style. Fairly full on but has some obvious appeal. Good value if it indeed retails in the high $20's (ie $5 lower than the 2002).

Craggy Range Fletcher Riesling 2004 (Marlborough) $29
Relatively dry style with nice hints of sweetness. Pretty good but will struggle against OZ wines at the price.

Craggy Range Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc 2004 (Martinborough) $29 (Recommended)
Good, classy style. Served too cold but has that underlying stamp of quality that impacts most Craggy Range wines.

Craggy Range Old Renwick Sauvignon Blanc 2004 (Marlborough) $29 (Recommended)
Classy, long palate style. Excellent winemaking at work.

Wild Rock Sauvignon Blanc 2004 (Marlborough) $19
Mainstream style. Ok but not great. Better options at the price.

Wild Rock Chardonnay 2004 (Hawkes Bay) $19 (Recommended)
Nice worked notes and appropriate ripe fruit levels. Shows good complexity at the price.

Voss Chardonnay 2003 (Martinborough) $35 (Recommended)
White wine of the night. Shy nose but palate opens up superbly. Great balance of ripe fruit and structure. Finishes long.

Francis Cole Gewurztraminer 2004 (Marlborough) $24 (Recommended)
Bang in line with other GW's tasted (all excellent). Big musky, immediate appeal style.

Tasting Notes - William Downie Pinot Noir 2003

Cherry red fruited style. Lacks a touch of varietal character tending to dry red (at the moment). Firm palate, slightly tannin, some strawberry and cherry fruits. Some savoury notes poke through late. Big, riper style that needs time to show its best.

Tasting Notes - Blanche Barkly Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Lightish blood red in the glass, much more pale that I would had expected. Sweet nose; penetrating, ver ripe and almost sugary. Funny palate, starts off sweet but progressively gets tighter and firmer. Dark fruits emerge and some tannins kick in. Finishes long and with a little heat. To be honest not totally impressive right now but will almost certainly improve over the medium term.

Tasting Notes - St Mary's Home Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Serious nose; tobacco, a hint of leaf, a tinge musty. Very austere in the mouth, tannic, drying, furry, more musty notes (not corked). Shy of primary fruit and doesn't offer much immediate gratification. There are better options at the price and in the region. Bottle condition has a slight question mark given the musty notes. ($28)

Tasting Notes - Redgate Cabernet Merlot 2001

Another decent effort from this normally reliable MR producer. Elegant yet full nose; nice blackberry and herbal notes. Tighter and less fruit friendly in the mouth; a touch astringent and tannic (only just) but the elegant fruit notes remain. To be fair the bottle had been open for some hours so likely to have been looking better earlier in the evening.

(Note to winery / distributor / whoever is responsible: stopping putting this winery into wine liquidation centres and we'll start buying the wine again.)

Tasting Notes - Blue Metal Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (Recommended)

First wine I've tasted from NSW's Southern Highlands. Very generic dry white style early, lacking a little in true varietal notes. Opens up considerably as the wine warms up, showing nice pineapple and tropical fruit notes. Very friendly style that should have wide appeal, although won't wine a heap of fans looking for complexity. Easily the best of the current releases from Blue Metal.

Tasting Notes - TK Lenswood Pinot Noir 2003

Slight reincarnation of Tim Knappstein's former 'Lenswood' label. We have always found that the winery doesn't really excite at the pointy end (ie sales to punters) despite the lavish praise often heaped on Tim's wines by various critics.Anyway, this wine is somewhat similar to a few other 2003's we've tried from Adelaide Hills. Ripe, quite dry, some tannic backbone and ever so slightly stewed fruits. Reminds me of the AHV Picadilly. A touch simply and doesn't scream Burgundy but should have appeal for those looking for a fuller, riper dyr red style. I was quite ready to mark this wine down on QPR assuming it was north of $30) but in fact should retail for $20 even....a realistic price that shows decent value.

Hartz Barn General Store Riesling 2004 (Recommended)

Sourced from a Eden Valley vineyard. Shows a little pale gold int he glass, giving a image of some development. Nose is quite big, good lift of primary fruits (lime, tropical fruits) and a hint of nervy acid. Follows through well in the palate, more accessible lime and fruits, some acid sitting in the background. Going very well now, likely to travel well over a 6 year time frame but would seem a shame not to consumer over the next 6 months.

Tasting Notes - Hartz Barn Merlot 2003 (Recommended)

Dark blood red in the glass. Sweet nose, feels a touch sugary, but has reasonable lift. A little simple though. An interesting contrast in the palate, starts off somewhat simple and sweet. This blows off soon enough to reveal a more balanced medium bodied style that shows hints of savouriness that has really defined the Hartz Barn 2001 wines and to a lesser extent the 2002's. This is a little young right now but based on previous vintages likely to improve for drinking in a 4 - 7 yr time frame.

Tastings Notes - Holly's Garden Pinot Gris 2004 (Recommended)

True to form, high alcohol over-the-top style. Strange nose, dusty and musty like despite the stelvin closure. Blows off after an while and in any event doesn't at all impact of the super-ripe, super-charged palate with massives of powerful tropical fruits. As always a lot of fun and will appeal to many people.

Tasting Notes - Morgan Vineyard New Releases

Chardonnay 2004 $21 (Recommended)
Very pale gold, youthful looking. Subdued nose, doesn't do much. Palate is kinda similar; nice enough, but in the early stages doesn't get out of second gear. Nice green melon notes underpin the fruit profile. I wasn't totally convinced initially but the fruit certaintly opened up with time, and I think this was also a function to the wine warming up a little. Looks ok on a Yarra Valley QPR basis.

Pinot Noir 2004 $26
Blood red with some lightening at the rim. Stewed fruits on the nose, a bit of a turn-off at first, but supported with attractive spice and rhurbarb. Pretty good mouthful; more stewed fruits early, feeling a touch simple, and then gives way to a raspy, fairly acidic style with some firmness. Finishes a fraction hard. Some sour cherry appears on a fractionally dilutive finish.

Shiraz 2004 (Heathcote) (Recommended)
Nice dark blood red. Sweet juicy nose with an almost unfinished / unfermented character (think being in the winery at vintage time). Accessible fresh palate, some sweet berry fruits, delivers plenty of appeal. The only detraction is a slight hardness, probably extracted feel. From what we've seen over 2004 and 2003 this not an uncommon observation, perhaps the product of pushing younger Heathcote vineyards?

Tasting Notes - Fox Gorden 8 Uncles Shiraz 2004 (Recommended)

Solid dark red with a touch of lightness at the rim. Taunt, serious nose with spicy oak and some attractive gamey notes. Shows penetration and length.Well proportioned palate with more gamey notes lurking. Shows excellent mouth coverage and very good balance, all overlayed with a fell of elegance. Very classy wine that should age for at least 5yrs. Only minor quibble is a lack of obvious fruit upfront (muted by some right now?) but I'm tipping the winemaker never really intended for this drop to be the instant gratification type.

Tasting Notes - Grove Estate Whites

Grove Estate are a reasonably significant grower in the Hilltops area that having been keeping aside small parcels of fruit since 1997 for their own label. The shiraz goes into Clonakilla's Hilltops shiraz (will review soon) and the show performance of the entire range, along with praise from Halliday, has been impressive.

Semillon 2000 (Recommended)
This sem shows good intermediate development colour - bright light yellow - infact looking for all the world like a 3yr chard. Classic nose of lemon, a little toast , a touch of fruit sweetness and some underlying pepper. More lemon in the mouth but does give way to some tropical fruit notes. A acid / citrus feel underpins, driving length. Looking great for a 5 year old and has got another 5 to go (easily). The sliver of upfront fruitiness makes this very approachable, and provides a good halfway house between the austere Hunter style and its more flamboyant Margaret River counterpart.

Riesling 2001
Toasty, broad, has a mature feel. Similar in the mouth but has a core of zingy acid. Big citrus notes. Just a traction broad in the mouth but might gain some complexity with time.

Murringo Way Chardonnay 2003
Spicy and woody on the nose, feels a bit tired, but does have good core of sweet fruit. On the palate you again get a sence that the fruit is fading but this wine is travelling ok for the time being.

Tasting Notes - Liebich Tempt Tempranillo Blend 2003 (Recommended)

The individual components of this wine were tasted 6 months ago and were bloody impressive, to say the least. 73% temp sourced from 5 year old vines, the balance evenly split between the PV and the merlot. Very dark red in the glass with faint purple tinges. Lively fruity nose; some spice, cinnamon and a lovely gamey streak underpinning the fruit. Quite similar in the mouth with some more grainy spice, funky notes and a firm tannic finish. The fruit gets a little shy on the finish but this is very young and needs 12 months. Upon reflection the gamey notes could be a brett trait (think dirty funky pinot) but it doesn't harm the wine.

Tasting Notes - Grove Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Austere nose but some blackberry and red fruits waft. Quite tight. In the mouth again a tight, controlled feel. This is no heavy weight, medium at best. Dances across the mouth with some subdued berry fruits and hints of dry tobacco notes. Finishes fairly firm with some grip and raspy tannins pulling at the throat a little. Hard to get a read on where the fruit is heading - just feels a bit too light right now - and I couldn't conclusively say it will win out against the structure over time.

Tasting Notes - John Gehrig Riesling 2004 (Recommended)

John Gehrig stressed to us during a winery visit that he dislikes the classic minerally, tight style and instead favours a more generous and broad interpretation. With the 2004 I think he strikes some middle ground. Pale gold in the glass, looks older than an 2004. Lemon nose, quite full, but has some chalky acid humming in the bouquet. Similar in the mouth, more sour lemons and lime, plenty of acid, yet has some fruit forwardness. Not quite as old fashion as John would have liked I'm thinking. We've had some great rieslings from the King Valley in 2003 and 2004 - this is another one.

Tasting Notes - Eppalock Ridge Shiraz 2002

Friendly nose, quite powerful and clearly ripe with bright berry notes. Palate and flavour profile feels a bit disjointed right now. Fruit is very subdued early, almost seems diluted, but sweetness and body kicks in on the mid palate. Slightly grainy tannins give a nice moutfeel with some savoury touches. Finishes with some bitterness and a little cooling mint.

Tasting Notes - Liebich Vertical Tasting

All tasting impressions are sourced from a Melbourne trade tasting in mid 2004. Hard to draw any generalisations about varieties or vintages as there were surprises and disappointments across the board.

For the record:

Best Wines
Tempranillo 2004
Merlot 2001 & 2002
Lofty Cabernet Sauvignon 1999
Darkie Shiraz 1996, 1999, 2002
Tawny NV (av. age 15 years)
VP (Shiraz) 2004

Disappointments
Merlot 1998
Lofty Cabernet Sauvignon 1998
Darkie Shiraz 1998

Tempranillo 2004 (barrel sample)
Massive fruit lift on nose, very fresh and vibrant. Powerful and sweet in the mouth but not overdone. Heaps of fruit cake notes. Lots of fun.

Petit Verdot 2004 (barrel sample)
Expressive nose, fresh and inviting. Again a big palate with some drying oak.

Merlot 2004 (barrel sample)
Sweet fruit wafts off the nose. Lots of sweet berry flavours on the palate with a firm tannic finish.

Pinot Noir 2002
Drying, tannic, fruit seems shy right now. More of a dry red style. Hard to part with the $$ when there are some many good pinot options from Vic under $20.

Pinot Noir 2003
Much more overt fruit on the nose. Again a big, dry tannic style but certainly has a core of quality varietal fruit.

Potters Merlot 1998
Subdued nose, showing some age. Doing nothing in the mouth, some hot porty notes but not much else. Past its best.

Potters Merlot 1999
Looks a bit tired in the glass but no doubt better on the nose and palate when compared to the 1998. Feels ripe on the nose but less convincing on the palate. Oak and tannin structure the wine nicely. Not unlike the 2000.

Potters Merlot 2000
Nice pretty fragrant style. Not a heap of fruit weight (reflective of the vintage?) but quite pleasant. Some drying tannin edges. Unlikely to get any better with age.

Potters Merlot 2001
Very impressive. Shows a lot of front and middle palate balance with what may be house style tannins to define the finish and structure. Fruit is very varietal and sits nicely. Should have at least 3 years ahead of it.

Potters Merlot 2002
Great lifted aromatics; herbal blackberry fruit. Excellent clarity. Soft mouthfeel relative to the 2 previous vintages. Stacks of pure 'fruity' fruit. Drinking so well now it's hard to see why you'd hang onto it.

Crackerjack Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Medium bodied in style but didn't show a lot of varietal traits. Still quite tannic. Needs time but I'm not sure if the fruit will rise above the tannins.

Lofty Cabernet Sauvignon 1998
Balanced nose with vege and capsicum notes - nice. Soft palate; primary fruit is fading but 'house' tannins ever present. Can't help feel it should a bit brighter for a 1998?

Lofty Cabernet Sauvignon 1999
Similar nose to the '98 but more fruit lift. Much more about primary fruit, very balanced mediumed bodied style and seemingly in the prime of its life. What a great example of a 5yr cab, and should probably be drunk over 2005 and 2006.

Lofty Cabernet Sauvignon 2000
Ups the fruit power on the nose to another level. Sweet fruit on the palate but absent the fierce structure seen in many of the other wines. Very good drink now option and clearly an outperformer given the poorly regarded 2000 vintage.

Lofty Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Nice balance. Early days, some grip but the necessary fruit is lurking.

Lofty Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Big rich fruity style. Very hard not to like; heaps of overt plush fruit. Just needs time to pull its head in (so to speak!).

Darkie Shiraz 1996
Mature nose with pepper and vege notes. Beautiful in the mouth with a balanced easy drinking feel; primary fruit just starting to fade. Tannins still holding nicely, not aggressive. Slightly funky. A great 8 year old and has the legs for another 2 - 3 years yet.

Darkie Shiraz 1997
Travelling ok. Doesn't have the gracefulness of the 1996 - this one's a bit more one dimensional but very much intact. I don't think there would be a heap of SA 1997's going as well?

Darkie Shiraz 1998
A non-descript wine. Quite mellow and going ok but lacks any real character or excitement. Not as good as the 1997 and quite a disappointment given vintage status.

Darkie Shiraz 1999
More overt power than the 3 preceeding vintages. Nice licorice notes weld nicely with some funkiness. Needs time. Yet another 1999 Barossa that blows the socks of its 1998 counterpart.

Darkie Shiraz 2000
NQR - nice simple sweet fruits quickly swamped with mushy off-fruit notes.

Darkie Shiraz 2001
Sharp powerful liquered nose (some menthonal?). Pruny and cooked in the mouth, and it feels like the fruit is about to give into the tannins. Product of a short hot vintage?

Darkie Shiraz 2002
Nose a little closed. Very understated relative to the other vintages. Palate shows pristine fruit; good drive and shows very good balance. A bit of a fruit bomb right now although spicy tannins lurk. Should be very good and will rate with the 1996 and 1999 in time.

Muscat
Tasting was consistent with previous notes. A bit hot and spirity on the nose, too sharp for my liking. Good fruit in the palate but finishes a little short and hot. Nice nutty notes on finish.

Tawny (15yr old)
Powerful nose. Thick palate with complexity; shows the benefits of aged base material. Remains the best tawny we stock under $25 and absolutely competes with the 'classic' styled classifications from Rutherglen.

Fortified Semillion (nv)
Hot nose. Nice fruit carry and body is quite light relative to the previous fortifieds.

Vintage Port 2004 (shiraz)
Fruitcake nose - just like a ripe zinfandel. Massive power on the palate, you can almost feel the the sugar. Plummy and intense - needs 20yrs +.

Tasting Notes - Isabel Estate Pinot Noir 2003

Slightly murky red with a touch of brown. Nose is a little run of the mill nose: berries and cherry. Primary fruit is a little shy in the mouth but there's heaps of structure and some nice non-fruity notes going on. Quiet sour and a fraction bitter (at this stage) but has good acid carry and should age well for at least a another 3 - 5 years. Like the Marinda this wine definately needs time. A good drop but will price in the mid forties and will compete with some pretty hand (and probbaly better) pinot's from Martinborough and Central Otago.

Tasting Notes - Lenton Brae Chardonnay 2002 (Recommended)

Pale gold in the glass, looks about right for a 2 year old. Very powerful, ripe, penetrating nose - almost intimidating. Heaps of sweet peachy fruit lift. A little more subdued in the palate. A bit hot and is quite ripe and powerful. Good structure and nice wine making touches although this is essentially a fruit driven wine. A bit of burn at the finish (no surprise). This one might be a fraction young right now and I reckon it would be interesting to have another look in late 2006.

Gapsted Barbera 2002 (Recommended)

Giving nose; soft sweet berries that penetrate nicely. Interesting palate. Varietally correct in-so-far as the noticable acid is concerned (a bit sharp on opening) but this is countered through a soft, almost milky feel to the structure of the wine. More berry fruit, quite ripe, and bolstered with the plushness of the structure. Could be an oak driven effect? Acid never really departs, and keeps the wine tight at the end. Another good effort from Gapstead for the left field varieties (ie relative to Oz). We don't see many decent examples of this Northern Italian come our way but this is one we'd stock.

Tasting Notes - Ashton Hills Vineyard 'Picadilly' Pinot Noir 2001

Up until the 2002 vintage the only non-estate PN from Stephen George. 2001 was a hot year for the Hills and many whites did struggle, the reds less so.

Light garnet in the glass; no browning. Ripe, lifted nose with some powerful cherry characters. Ripe palate, reflective of the vintage. Some nice sweet and sour cherry notes define the mouthfeel in what is a fairly clean style. Some heat (14%) although the wine doesn't really tred into overripe territory. Travelling well for a 3yr old and should go ok for the remainder of the year.

(after a hour in the glass the sour cherry notes gave way to some savoury spice and cloves with good intensity)

Tasting Notes - The Blok Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 (Recommended)

Small producer based in the Coonawarra. Peppery, herbally nose. Lots of interest and quite intense. No green unripe notes. More pipper and spice in the mouth along with berry fruits. Almost like a good cool climate shiraz (in the best possible sense). Very good mouthfeel - quite balanced and hits all corners of the mouth. Finishes quite long, driven by some noticable tannin. Could do with another year or two in the cellar. Good effort, and a much better showing than a number of previous tastes over the past 12 months.

Tasting Notes - Hackersley Sauvignon Blanc 2004 (Recommended)

Tasted this just after bottling and was very tight at the time. Happy to report 6 months has done it a world of good and now travelling very nicely. Nose is still quite austere with faint tropical fruits. Palate is much more expressive with overt tropical fruits and a surprisingly dry finish laced with a chalky acid (ie, almost in a Clare riesling style). Only quibble is a little burn from some heat in the throat. Otherwise looking pretty good.

Tasting Notes - Arakoon 'Blewitt Springs' Shiraz 2003 (Recommended)

Arakoon has just released 4 of its 2003 reds onto the market. The Blewitt Springs is the 2nd ranked wine behind the Doyen and I think replaced the Reserve Shiraz. (??)

Pretty nose; quite pronounced fresh fruits, clearly ripe, yet quite serious with good depth. A bit lighter than expected in the mouth (initially) but this is not a negative in any way. Fruit is very bright early but does firm up with some licorice and berry fruit, a touch of bitterness and some subtle wood. Probably a bit young as it feels just a smigden disjointed but don't let this detract from purchasing - it's a good drop and probably the best 2003 McLaren Vale we've had yet.

Tasting Notes - Arakoon 'Doyen' Shiraz 2003 (Recommended)

Year in year out one of the region's biggest ball tearing wines. Shows some similarity to the Blewitt Springs shiraz but is essentially an upsized version - more of everything. Ripe, lifted nose with sweet fruits but muted with some oak. Big in the mouth; very ripe with nice tannins (not agressive), some heat, more assertive sweet berry fruit, but the oak is less apparent than the nose would suggest. Finish is long, helped by the 16.5%.

This wine won't please everybody but you have to hand it to Ray and Patrik - they make no apologies for the wine they are trying to make - and for the most part succeed. Our experience with the last 3 vintages shows the wine always has the fruit to match the structure and the alcohol is always carried well, although perhaps a little more obvious this year than in 2002 and 2001. Hard to put a finger on a drinking window but it couldn't hurt to leave this baby until early 2006 (at least).

Tasting Notes - Arakoon 'Lighthouse' Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

The components of this wine has varied over the years with shiraz and Adelaide Hills fruit (I think?) included in the makeup. 2003 is a straight cabernet from McLaren Vale. Straight out of the bottle there's no doubt this is a monster of a wine. Massively ripe nose, hot and penetrating. Exactly the same in the mouth and to be honest the wine was just too hot and searing, and did not go well with dinner (curry) at all.

In fact, I assumed this with was a shiraz grenache blend, and thus quite surprised to discover it was cabernet. Left the glass for 30 minutes and this was time well spent as the wine settled a little and some varietal notes (capsicum and berries) starting creeping onto the palate. However the structure and ripeness of this wine is still too fierce and would be hard to recommend as a drink now option. That said, this will look better with cellaring over the next 12 months.