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.