Shiraz
Heathvale Shiraz 2005 $25 (Barossa)
Hently Farm Shiraz 2005 $20.00 (Barossa)
Schubert Estate Goose-yard Block Shiraz 2005 $65.00 (Barossa)
Chardonnay
Elgo Estate Allira Chardonnay 2005 $14.00 (Strathbogie Ranges)
Wild River Chardonnay 2006 $11.00 (Yarra Valley)
Pinot Noir
Voice of the Vine Pinot Noir Acappella 2005 $40.00 (Mornington Peninsula)
Riesling
Elgo Estate Allira Riesling 2006 $13.00 (Strathbogie Ranges)
Cabernet
Sandy Farm Cabernet Merlot 2005 $24.00 (Ballarat) (organic)
Windance Cabernet Merlot 2004 $39.00 (Margaret River)
Sunday, 29 April 2007
Friday, 27 April 2007
Tasting Notes - ANZAC Day Extraveganza
After paying our respects to the men and women who sacrificed greatly for this country over the past century we took the opportunity of a rare weekday break to catch up on samples. Notes have been pulled together from the various observations from the Cloudwine crew and hopefully we'll make a bit more sense than the roughly cobbled approach 'WineState' take to compiling group reviews!
A 'Recommended' rating means we were impressed whilst the 'QPR' tag implies the wine showed good value...............
Highfield Sparkling White 2002 (Marlborough)
Rich style with obvious fruit power. A touch simple in structure but some mandarised fruit detracted. Poor value at $47.
D'Angelo Blanc de Noir NV (Yarra Valley)
Perfumed citrus and lemon on the nose and palate, together with minerals and talcum powder. Ok value in the mid $20s but not great.
Foggo Road Myriah Sparkling Shiraz NV (McLaren Vale) - Recommended
Sparkling reds can be tough to love but this was a (very) goodun'. Soft shiraz aromas (think plums) backed up with elegant plummy fruits in the mouth. Some conjecture as to whether this was slightly corked; I read it as musty oak, but others disagreed. Regardless, a very good wine.
Mount Prior Sparkling Shiraz Durif NV (Rutherglen) - Recommended
This style is a regional classic and showed well on this occasion. Shiraz dominant nose, a touch sugary, good depth. Firmer and drier to taste; long finish, quite serious.
Golding Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Adelaide Hills)
Minerally fruits and a touch of gooseberry. Dilutive finish.
Golding Lenswood / Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Adelaide Hills / Marlborough)
Similar in style to the 100% Lenswood version but clearly has more stuffing. Still doesn't excite.
Golding Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Marlborough)
Text book style. Sharp green fruits and peas drive the flavours. Good enough, but perhaps not distinguished. Would not be out of place in the low $20s.
Green Point Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Marlborough) - Recommended
This wine will trade around $15 - $16, and in that context it's the best cheapy Kiwi we've seen in a while. Text-book cool climate savy flavours. Acid is fraction high right now.
Old Kent River Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Frankland River)
Citrus drive flavours, not strictly varietal, but has obvious appeal. Appeal to us will depend on price.
Willow Creek WCV Chardonnay 2006 (Mornington Peninsula)
Very second rate; simple fruit structure with dumb pineapple and fuzzy tropical fruits. Going nowhere.
Spring Vale Unwooded Chardonnay 2006 (Tasmania)
Simple boring chardonnay fruits. Marred badly with a hard, hot, cooked fruit finish.
Spring Vale Chardonnay 2005 (Tasmania)
Hard, thinning fruits with a touch of VA. Can't believe SV sent us these wines? Super bad bottles?
Golding Chardonnay 2004 (Adelaide Hills)
Balanced malo / buttery style with mild oak notes done well. Lacks a touch of excitement but in the main up to snuff.
Bluestone Chardonnay 2005 (Mornington Peninsula) - Recommended
We've tried a number of the 2005 and 2006 wines from this mob and they have all showed well. The chard is no exception; a fruit driven style, clean, well-made, although one taster thought the oak intruded on the finish.
Icely Road Riesling 2006 (Orange)
A relatively rare look at an Orange wine (for us at least). Citrus fruits show well very early but get progressively dilutive. Aromatics are great but the palate disappoints.
Warranmate Riesling 2005 (Yarra Valley) - Recommended
There's buggar-all riesling come out of the Yarra but this may be close to the best. Bigger, riper style that is well rounded and balanced. Our views were very consistent with a tasting from December 2006.
Willow Creek WCV Pinot Noir (Mornington Peninsula) - Recommended
Looks serious - light dirty blood red. Sappy nose with slightly pongy notes. Palate is driven by well balanced sour cherry fruits. Really quite good for $20.
Couta Pinot Noir 2004 (Mornington Peninsula) - QPR
We had this recently at Ciccolina in St Kilda and it sucked. This sample doesn't - spicy, soupy, sappy, mushrooms; feral with decent intensity. Will be a winner if it trades well under $20.
Mayfield Pinot Noir 2005 (Orange)
Solid nose with sappy fruits. Sweet fruits early in the palate, ok, but never really gets interesting. Tough going at $30.
Golding Lenswood Pinot Noir 2002 (Adelaide Hills) - Recommended
One of the best wines of the tasting. Settled fruits, intense, super-drying / searing pinot fruits (think Bass Phillip or Drummonds) that is holding superbly as a 5 year old.
Henty Estate Cabernet Shiraz 2005 (Henty) - Recommended
Milky floral nose underpinned with good herbal notes. Spicy undertones on the palate, some licorice, a touch of oak. Good enough.
Grove Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Canberra District)
Burnt forest floor aromas. Very powdery palate; fruit profile not varietal.
Torzi Matthews Schist Rock Shiraz 2006 (Eden Valley) - Recommended
Ripe nose, speaks more of the Barossa than Eden Valley. Full bodied palate with rich shiraz fruits, well made.
Henty Estate Shiraz 2005 (Henty) - Recommended
Sweet meaty nose. Similar palate with plenty of pepper and meaty notes. Good wine.
Grove Estate Nebbiolo 2006 (Canberra District) - Recommended
A real crowd pleaser. Soft stewed fruits style with licorice.
A 'Recommended' rating means we were impressed whilst the 'QPR' tag implies the wine showed good value...............
Highfield Sparkling White 2002 (Marlborough)
Rich style with obvious fruit power. A touch simple in structure but some mandarised fruit detracted. Poor value at $47.
D'Angelo Blanc de Noir NV (Yarra Valley)
Perfumed citrus and lemon on the nose and palate, together with minerals and talcum powder. Ok value in the mid $20s but not great.
Foggo Road Myriah Sparkling Shiraz NV (McLaren Vale) - Recommended
Sparkling reds can be tough to love but this was a (very) goodun'. Soft shiraz aromas (think plums) backed up with elegant plummy fruits in the mouth. Some conjecture as to whether this was slightly corked; I read it as musty oak, but others disagreed. Regardless, a very good wine.
Mount Prior Sparkling Shiraz Durif NV (Rutherglen) - Recommended
This style is a regional classic and showed well on this occasion. Shiraz dominant nose, a touch sugary, good depth. Firmer and drier to taste; long finish, quite serious.
Golding Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Adelaide Hills)
Minerally fruits and a touch of gooseberry. Dilutive finish.
Golding Lenswood / Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Adelaide Hills / Marlborough)
Similar in style to the 100% Lenswood version but clearly has more stuffing. Still doesn't excite.
Golding Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Marlborough)
Text book style. Sharp green fruits and peas drive the flavours. Good enough, but perhaps not distinguished. Would not be out of place in the low $20s.
Green Point Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Marlborough) - Recommended
This wine will trade around $15 - $16, and in that context it's the best cheapy Kiwi we've seen in a while. Text-book cool climate savy flavours. Acid is fraction high right now.
Old Kent River Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Frankland River)
Citrus drive flavours, not strictly varietal, but has obvious appeal. Appeal to us will depend on price.
Willow Creek WCV Chardonnay 2006 (Mornington Peninsula)
Very second rate; simple fruit structure with dumb pineapple and fuzzy tropical fruits. Going nowhere.
Spring Vale Unwooded Chardonnay 2006 (Tasmania)
Simple boring chardonnay fruits. Marred badly with a hard, hot, cooked fruit finish.
Spring Vale Chardonnay 2005 (Tasmania)
Hard, thinning fruits with a touch of VA. Can't believe SV sent us these wines? Super bad bottles?
Golding Chardonnay 2004 (Adelaide Hills)
Balanced malo / buttery style with mild oak notes done well. Lacks a touch of excitement but in the main up to snuff.
Bluestone Chardonnay 2005 (Mornington Peninsula) - Recommended
We've tried a number of the 2005 and 2006 wines from this mob and they have all showed well. The chard is no exception; a fruit driven style, clean, well-made, although one taster thought the oak intruded on the finish.
Icely Road Riesling 2006 (Orange)
A relatively rare look at an Orange wine (for us at least). Citrus fruits show well very early but get progressively dilutive. Aromatics are great but the palate disappoints.
Warranmate Riesling 2005 (Yarra Valley) - Recommended
There's buggar-all riesling come out of the Yarra but this may be close to the best. Bigger, riper style that is well rounded and balanced. Our views were very consistent with a tasting from December 2006.
Willow Creek WCV Pinot Noir (Mornington Peninsula) - Recommended
Looks serious - light dirty blood red. Sappy nose with slightly pongy notes. Palate is driven by well balanced sour cherry fruits. Really quite good for $20.
Couta Pinot Noir 2004 (Mornington Peninsula) - QPR
We had this recently at Ciccolina in St Kilda and it sucked. This sample doesn't - spicy, soupy, sappy, mushrooms; feral with decent intensity. Will be a winner if it trades well under $20.
Mayfield Pinot Noir 2005 (Orange)
Solid nose with sappy fruits. Sweet fruits early in the palate, ok, but never really gets interesting. Tough going at $30.
Golding Lenswood Pinot Noir 2002 (Adelaide Hills) - Recommended
One of the best wines of the tasting. Settled fruits, intense, super-drying / searing pinot fruits (think Bass Phillip or Drummonds) that is holding superbly as a 5 year old.
Henty Estate Cabernet Shiraz 2005 (Henty) - Recommended
Milky floral nose underpinned with good herbal notes. Spicy undertones on the palate, some licorice, a touch of oak. Good enough.
Grove Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Canberra District)
Burnt forest floor aromas. Very powdery palate; fruit profile not varietal.
Torzi Matthews Schist Rock Shiraz 2006 (Eden Valley) - Recommended
Ripe nose, speaks more of the Barossa than Eden Valley. Full bodied palate with rich shiraz fruits, well made.
Henty Estate Shiraz 2005 (Henty) - Recommended
Sweet meaty nose. Similar palate with plenty of pepper and meaty notes. Good wine.
Grove Estate Nebbiolo 2006 (Canberra District) - Recommended
A real crowd pleaser. Soft stewed fruits style with licorice.
Wednesday, 25 April 2007
Tuesday, 24 April 2007
Wine Review - Izway Barossa Valley Mates GSM 2006
Campbell Mattinson, WineFront - 92pts
"Totally, totally delicious. Glorious wine at a glorious price. It tastes of luscious, bright, winsome smoke, blackberry, charcuterie, small squishy raspberries and ground spice, the interest and joy of it bleeding out onto its sleeve. I could drink this every night. Ripper. Bargain. Drink it young. Drink: 2007-2010. 92 points. "
"Totally, totally delicious. Glorious wine at a glorious price. It tastes of luscious, bright, winsome smoke, blackberry, charcuterie, small squishy raspberries and ground spice, the interest and joy of it bleeding out onto its sleeve. I could drink this every night. Ripper. Bargain. Drink it young. Drink: 2007-2010. 92 points. "
New Releases - April 27th
Alrighty....new stuff on the Cloudwine shelves..............
All wines can be purchased directly from the Cloudwine retail site.
Shiraz
Bress Heathcote Shiraz 2005 $36.00 (Heathcote)
Connor Park 'The Honour' Shiraz 2003 $40.00 (Bendigo) (Robert Parker 93pts)
Deisen Sweetheart Shiraz 2005 $34.00 (Barossa)
Pinot Noir
Derwent Estate Pinot Noir $22.00 (Tasmania)
Chardonnay
Kumeu River Mates Chardonnay 2005 $60.00 (Auckland)
Mount Mary Chardonnay 2005 $64.00 (Yarra Valley)
Trevor Jones Virgin Chardonnay 2006 $15.00 (Barossa)
White Blends
Mount Mary Triolet 2005 $64.00 (Yarra Valley)
Red Blends
Wild Duck Creek Yellow Hammer Hill Shiraz Malbec 2003 $22.00 (Heathcote)
Sparkling
Spring Vale Sparkling White 2003 $38.00 (Tasmania)
Durif
Mt Prior 2004 $22 (Rutherglen)
All wines can be purchased directly from the Cloudwine retail site.
Shiraz
Bress Heathcote Shiraz 2005 $36.00 (Heathcote)
Connor Park 'The Honour' Shiraz 2003 $40.00 (Bendigo) (Robert Parker 93pts)
Deisen Sweetheart Shiraz 2005 $34.00 (Barossa)
Pinot Noir
Derwent Estate Pinot Noir $22.00 (Tasmania)
Chardonnay
Kumeu River Mates Chardonnay 2005 $60.00 (Auckland)
Mount Mary Chardonnay 2005 $64.00 (Yarra Valley)
Trevor Jones Virgin Chardonnay 2006 $15.00 (Barossa)
White Blends
Mount Mary Triolet 2005 $64.00 (Yarra Valley)
Red Blends
Wild Duck Creek Yellow Hammer Hill Shiraz Malbec 2003 $22.00 (Heathcote)
Sparkling
Spring Vale Sparkling White 2003 $38.00 (Tasmania)
Durif
Mt Prior 2004 $22 (Rutherglen)
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