Tasting Notes - Maison Leroy Bourgogne Rouge 1998

Region: Burgundy
Appellation: Bourgogne Rouge

Striking nose of charry fragrant oak. Clearly the oak errs on the dominent side but it sure is sexy in its allure. Well handed albeit very forceful. Palate weight is much much lighter. Hard to believe the oak barely its head in the flavour profile so softly relative to the nose. Not much by way of primary fruit, and to be honest I really only get mature generic red berry characters (and faint at that). Structurally quite sound, just not a lot of excitement (and the '99 is a much better bet right now).

New Releases - Mid January Pt.3

Cabernet & Blends
Balnaves 'The Blend' Cabernet Merlot 2006 $20 (Coonawarra)

Chardonnay
La Serre 2004 $14 (Langeudoc, France)

Dessert Wines
De Fargues 2002 $77 (Sauternes, France)
Raymond Lafon 2003 $84 (Sauternes, France)

Gewurztraminer
Mahi 'Twin Valleys' 2006 $27 (Marlborough)

Merlot
Berry's Bridge 2002 $29 (Pyrenees)

Pinotage
Muddy Water 2006 $35 (Wairapa)

Pinot Gris / Grigio
Scorpo Pinot Gris 2007 $32 (Mornington Peninsula)
Te Whare Ra Pinot Gris 2007 $24 (Marlborough)

Pinot Noir
Mayer Vineyard 'Bloody Hill' 2006 $27 (Yarra Valley)
Mayer Vineyard 'Close Planted' 2006 $47 (Yarra Valley)

Riesling
Te Whare Ra 2006 $23 (Marlborough)

Sauvignon Blanc
Mahi 'Marlborough' 2007 $22 (Marlborough)
Saint Clair 'Reserve' 2007 $32 (Marlborough)

Shiraz
Brown Magpie 'Modewarre Mud' 2005 $32 (Geelong)
Laughing Jack 'Limited Two' Shiraz 2004 $76 (Barossa Valley)

Other Whites
Te Whare Ra 2007 'Toru' Riesling Gewurztraminer Pinot Gris (Marlborough)

Tasting Notes - Ashton Hills Oblique Cabernet Blend 1998 (Recommended)

Once again Stephen George proves he is at the top of the tree as far as South Australian wine makers are concerned. We've tried this particular vintage a few times over the past 4 years and it's still holding very well. Colour continues to gradually fade to a dull 'old' blood red. Nose shows maturity; pongy red fruits that are ever so slightly baked and porty. Good lift. Palate shows these fruit notes but to a less obvious degree. Rather the tastes are structurally, tight zingy acid, some astringency, medium strength tannin. This wine has a few years left yet but the fruit will fade over the next 2.

Tasting Notes - Verget 'Grand Elevage' Macon Villages 2005

Region: Maconnaiser (Burgundy)
Appellation: Macon Villages

First Night: Seemed a bit all over the place. Not a typical Burgundian chardonnay as the fruit was quite zippy and lifted. Plenty of acid kept the palate very lively but probably disjointed the wine a touch. Fruit is quite fresh and perhaps in the tropical fruit salad spectrum but there are some stinky, funky notes underpinning the flavours. Might be a touch young and perhaps consuming into 2009 may be the right approach.

Second Night: acid settled considerably and let the wine speak more clearly. Good balance with appropriate lift from the acid. I know the house seeks to produce cleaner fruit profile than typical Burgundy but whilst this wine is very sound the fruit is relatively one-dimensional and upfront. I could have drunk a similar Australian wine for $10 per bottle less.

New Releases - Mid January Pt.2

Caberenet & Blends
Boggy Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 $18 (King Valley)
Liebich Cabernet Merlot 2005 $22 (Barossa Valley)
Liebich 'Lofty' Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 $33 (Barossa Valley)

Champagne
Egly Ouriet Grand Cru Brut Rose NV $124
Egly Ouriet Grand CruMillesime 2000 $170

Chardonnay
Jean-Marc Brocard Petit Chablis 2006 $30 (Burgundy)
Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 2006 $36 (Burgundy)
Verget Macon Villages 2006 $32 (Burgundy)

Dessert & Fortifieds
Chateau Filhot 'Sauternes' 2001 375ml $49 (France)
Liebich Vintage Port (shiraz) 2004 $19 (Barossa Valley)
Liebich Muscat NV $19 (Barossa Valley)
Liebich Fortified Semillon NV $24 (Barossa Valley)
Liebich Tawny Port NV $19 (Barossa Valley)

Gamay
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages 2006 (Burgundy) $17
Georges Duboeuf Moulin a Vent 2006 (Burgundy) $26

Grenache & Blends
McHenry Hohnen '3 Amigos' GSM 2005 $26 (Margaret River)

Merlot
Liebich 'Potters' 2003 $25 (Barossa Valley)

Pinot Noir
Hillcrest 2003 $45 (Yarra Valley)

Riesling
Liebich 'Valley of the Vines' 2006 $16 (Barossa Valley)

Rose
Crabtree 'Bay of Biscay' 2007 $18 (Clare Valley)
Liebich Tempranillo 2006 $19 (Barossa Valley)
Vinea Marson 2007 $27 (Heathcote)

Sauvignon Blanc
Harewood Estate Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2007 $20 (Great Southern)

Shiraz
Liebich 'Leveret' 2005 $22 (Barossa Valley)
Mount Cole 2004 $24 (Grampians)
Paxton 'Quandong' 2006 $29 (McLaren Vale)
Paxton 'EJ' 2005 $82 (McLaren Vale)

Other Red Blends
Liebich 'Tempt' Tempranillo Cabernet 2005 $21 (Barossa Valley)

Tasting Notes - Pintia Toro Cosecha 2002 (Recommended)

Region: Castilla Y Leon (Spain)
Appellation: Toro

Very impressive wine. Classic structure of red berry fruits and awesome chalky tannins. Cabernet-like finish with flavours of cold tea and tobacco. Looking great as a 5 year old. Really really good tempranillo.

Tasting Notes - Gunderloch 'Jean Baptiste' Kabinett 2001 (Recommended)

Region: Rheinhessen (Germany)
Vineyards: Nackenheimer Rothenberg & Niersteiner Pettenthal

A great example of how such a simple wine can be very effective. The Jean Baptiste is Gunderloch's entry level kabinett (medium dry) offering that retails for about $25 in Australia. The off-dry riesling fruits are very settled and balanced yet show no kero, despite the age, rather just pure sweet citrus riesling fruits. I was quite surprised at the quality of the showing. Great value.

Tasting Notes - Rieussec Sauternes 1983 (Recommended)

Region: Bordeaux
Appellation: Fargues (Premier Cru)

An excellent example of aged Sauternes. Pongy sweet apricots on nose and palate, truck loads of class and great presence. The fruit drive just doesn't let up right through the palate. Thanks Geoof for the opportunity.

Tasting Note - Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste Saint Guirons 1978 (Recommended)

Region: Bordeaux (France)
Appelation: Pauillac (5th Growth)

It's not every day I get the chance to drink 30 year old Bordeaux. It was served blind and I suggested in was an early 90s vintage! Settled green capsicum fruits on the nose with amazing penetration. Well developed palate with dry leafy cabernet fruits and showing amazing balance. Awesome wine considering the age.

Tasting Notes - Recent Random Reds

Boggy Creek Sangiovese 2006
Mild fruits with mineral hints. Strictly medium bodied and perhaps lean but nevertheless varietal. The lean structure does have some appeal.

Di Fabio Cabernet Franc 2000 (Recommended)
I've had this wine a few times over the past few years and it never fails to impressive. Now gloriously mature but very attractive with greenish cabernet fruits on the nose, lifted, and screams its variety. Balanced palate. A bit of a freak given the age and low standing of the 2000 vintage.

New Releases - Mid January

Barbera
Dal Zotto 2004 $22 (King Valley)

Cabernet
Battle of Bosworth Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $22 (McLaren Vale)

Chardonnay
Elgee Park 'Family Reserve' 2006 $31 (Mornington Peninsula)
Lake Cairn Curran Chardonnay 2005 $24 (Central Victoria)
Taminick Cellars 2006 $11 (Central Victoria)

Gewurztraminer
Mills Reef 2006 $21 (Hawkes Bay)

Pedro Ximenex
Bodegas Alvear 'Solera 1927' 375ml $49 (Spain)

Rose
Willow Creek Pinot Saignee 2007 $21 (Mornington Peninsula)

Sauvignon Blanc
Craggy Range 'Te Muna Road' 2007 $29 (Martinborough)
Dominque Portet 2007 $25 (Yarra Valley)
Jackson Estate 2007 $19 (Marlborough)
Mansion House Bay 2007 $16 (Marlborough)
SC Pannell 2007 $26 (Adelaide Hills)
Sutherland's Creek 2006 $26 (Geelong)

Shiraz
Silesian 2006 $30 (Barossa Valley)

Sparkling White
Elgee Park Cuvee Brut 2004 $33 (Mornington Peninsula)
Lake Cairn Curran Blanc de Blanc 2006 $27 (Central Victoria)

Verdelho
Westfield NV Liqueur 375ml $51 (Swan Valley)

Vernaccia
Teruzzi & Puthod 2006 $22 (Italy)

Viognier
Sutherland's Creek 2006 $31 (Geelong)

Tasting Notes - Te-Aro Estate New Releases

GSM 2005 (Recommended)
Sweet, friendly, confectionery fruits on the nose. Dead simple flavour profile; straight ahead grenache fruits, some pong, very friendly. Very fair value at $20.

Grenache 2005 (Recommended)
Pretty good. Sweet varietal fruits along with high impact prunes and stinky red fruits. Really quite straight forward but very much on the mark.

Tasting Notes - A Few Reds

Icely Road Pinot Noir 2006 (Orange)
Not much happening; simple cherry flavours, dulled fruit overtones, really hard to get excited here.

Lake George Pinot Noir 2006 (Canberra)
Confectionary fruit, just too simple. Utterly forgettable.

Lake George Merlot 2006 (Canberra)
Sweet, boring, a fraction spirity and hot. Tightens on the finish.

Tim Smith GSM 2006 (Barossa Valley)
Controlled nose with grenache fruits. Soft palate, some bitter fruits, varietal with a strong prune character. Works ok but not in the league of the 2004 and 2005. Notwithstanding, quite a solid wine.

Galli Estate Tempranillo Grenache Mourvedre 2006
A classic 'bitsa' wine. GSM-like with its primary fruit impact (sweet berries and prunes) and even shows a touch of complexity, perhaps from the temp?

Tasting Notes - Marc Bredif Vouvray 'Grand Annee' 1986 (Recommended)

A classic 'eye opener' wine.

Massively interesting nose with truckloads of bitter forest fruits and varnish (the latter in the best possible way), and throw in some old furniture store aromas as well! Very authoritative. Spicy aged fruits to taste; clean flavours and good drive. Can't believe this is 22 years old!!

Some amazing value here given the 1988 is currently available for retail sale in Australia in the $40 - $45 range.

Tasting Notes - New Release Chardonnay

Lake George Chardonnay 2006 (Canberra)
Sweetish varietal fruits, spicy oak, good drive right through the palate. Not particularly memorable, but solid. Lemonade flavours on the finish mar an otherwise good wine.

Tom Boy Hill Rebellion Chardonnay 2005 (Ballarat) (Recommended)
All class here; layers of fruit and structure, honeyed / butterscotch flavours, and well handled spicy oak. Never gets out of balance of over-the-top. Stacks of class; a well made wine.

Murrindindi Family Reserve Chardonnay 2005 (Recommended)
The stalwart of Yea / Central Victorian Highlands. Oak, big structured style. Sweet, almost intense citrus fruits run through the palate, not too far removed from the daggy, old world chablis-like nose. One for the appreciator.

Tasting Notes - Paul Pillot Bourgogne Chardonnay 2005

Region: Cote De Beaune (Burgundy)
Appellation: Bourgogne Blanc

Solid ingredients here; 20 year old average vine age, 30% new oak, 12 months bottle age at the winery. Fruit is sourced from the village of Remigny, located about 7km south from the famous chardonnay Grand Cru village of Chassagne-Montrachet.

It's always interesting to evaluate French cheapies in the context of the local market. This wine isn't particularly cheap at $29 yet you would be able to pick it up easily for under $18 in the US. But, as hopefully the tasting note reveals, it's a style you find hard to track down if limiting your search to Australian producers.

Some bottle stink early but it soon blows off. Nose is settled and subdued, and as a result doesn't give much away apart from from some obvious citrus fruits. Citrus drives the palate, at least early on, but the oak impact grows as the wine warms up. It never intrudes, rather it does a good job of thickening the palate and lending weight to the wine. Creamy, rich and ripe finish. I found this wine really interesting as it married delicate citrus, almost Chablis-like flavours, with a more typical Burgundian structure that absorbs some oak. There's an almost welcome absence of tropical fruit. Value, as always, is another question, and I'm not sure most drinkers would put this wine ahead of a similarly priced and seriously structured Chardonnay from Margaret River or the Yarra Valley.

Tasting Notes - Trasgaia 'Toscana' 2003

Region: Italy
Appelation: Toscana IGT (Castellina in Chianti)

Lower priced Super Tuscan lookalike. The large cabernet contribution of 50% prevents the wine from achieving a DOC or DOCG appellation status, thus the IGT classification applies. Had it complied this wine would qualify for the Chianti Classico DOCG.

Pretty average effort. Aromas were fantastic with truck loads of lifted (and elegant) cabernet cassis. Nice lift. Palate was quite flat. Good savoury tannin and hints of spice from the sangiovese but the cab completely disappeared (at least to my tastes). I was expecting a nice lift of blackberry to match the earthy sang notes but it just didn't happen. This wine is a subtle style so maybe I'm being a bit harsh but nothing stood out to make me take notice. Fell apart completely on the second night; flabby, stink, dull, stewed.

Tasting Notes - Pierre Amadieu 'Roulepierre' Cotes de Rhone 2005

Region: France
Appellation: Cotes du Rhone

Light fruity style. Confectionery fruits early but the palate quickly dries out to leave sweet savoury notes. Some grainy tannin present but works ok. Not a bad wine but a long way from distinguished.

Tasting Notes - Domaine Tollot Beaut Savigny Champ Chevrey 1er 2002 (Recommended)

Region: Burgundy
Appelation: Savigny les Beaune 'Champ Chevrey' (Premier Cru)

This wine comes from Tollot Beaut's monopole vineyard (ie single owner) 'Champ Chevrey' ,just under 1.5 hectares in size.

Firm style that appears young for a 2002. Blood red with some obvious lightening at the rim. Red fruits on the nose with strong varietal character. Good depth. Flavours are similar in the palate but also combine with a firming, rustic character of iron and blood, and a slightly pongy note in the back palate. Good presence and balance with a drying finish. A solid wine, unspectacular, but really hits the mark.

Tasting Notes - The Growers Great Southern Chardonnay 2004

Another pretty solid effort. Deep yellow gold in colour; some maturity apparent. Nose is more about wine making tricks than primary fruits; oak, nuts, malo, some burnt rubber. Quite similar to taste, however the burnt rubber / matchstick notes seems to dry the wine out a touch and drives a slightly bitter finish. Still, pretty good and does aspire to some seriousness.

New Releases - January

Cabernet & Blends
Heartland 'Stickleback' Cabernet Shiraz Grenache 2005 $13 (Langhorne Creek)

Chardonnay
Lerida Estate Chardonnay 2006 $21 (Canberra)

Moscat0
Bottega Petalo NV $28 (Italy)

Pinot Gris / Grigio
Point Leo Road Pinot Grigio 2007 $20 (Mornington Peninsula)
Spring Vale Pinot Gris 2007 $29 (Tasmania)

Pinot Noir
Felton Road 'Block 3' $86 (Central Otago)
Hochkirch Wines 'Maximus' Pinot Noir 2005 $33 (Henty)
Spring Vale 2006 $41 (Tasmania)

Sangiovese
Dal Zotto 2006 $22 (King Valley)

Shiraz
Laughing Jack 'Limited' 2004 $76 (Barossa Valley)

Sparkling White
Point Leo Road 2005 $26 (Mornington Peninsula)

White Blends
Heartland 'Stickleback' Chardonnay Verdelho Semillon 2006 $13 (Langhorne Creek)

Farnese Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2006 (Recommended)

Another Montepulciano from Farnese. I’m sure I’ve made this statement before but a highlight for me, when wading through samples, is finding standout wines below say $15. What makes this wine so special is that it will likely trade under $9 and it blows most local industrial wines away. And it comes from a vineyard on the other side of the world.

Very fresh and simple style. I’d like to use the term ‘light’ but this wine isn’t, it’s a genuine middle-weight. Zingy red berries run right through the nose with good presence and depth. Palate is similarly well built with a well rounded structure; berries and floral fruits, and the fruits never get heavy or dull. Quite remarkable for a cheap wine. Great intro to Central Italian reds.

p.s - some Aussie makers better start waking up to the fact some imports are starting to make a big impact on the value-for-money equation. We had a 2005 Southern Rhone GSM from Tardieu Laurent recently that sells for $25 and is quite simply better that any other Barossa or McLaren Vale GSM we sell for a comparable price. We will find more examples like this over 2008.

Tasting Notes - Coto De Imaz Rioja Reserva 2001

Region: Spain
Appellation: Rioja Alta & Rioja Alavesa (Tempranillo)

As per usual I know bugger all about this wine or indeed the regional style. Dark crimson, berry red. For all the world looks like cabernet or a dark pinot. Mild aromas of berry fruits and old wood. Seems very lively. Flavours are more subdued with old red fruits and more old yet very mild oak. The fruit weight is clearly showing its age (i.e elegant at best) but the structure is quite sound with tingling acid and fine tannin. Tough to recommend cellaring any further given the light impact of the fruit.

Tasting Notes - Ashley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Yikes. Don’t know what happened here. Aromas held some promise with ok berry lift. ‘Feels’ quite zingy. Palate seems a bit all over the shop; red berries early and then folding into a heavy, tar character. Not particularly appealing. A touch porty on the finish. Can’t see it getting any better.

Tasting Notes - Bluestone Acres Merlot 2004

The Yarra Valley is the undisputed king of the new label brigade. Although, and to be fair, Blue Stone have been kicking around for at least 4 vintages. This merlot is a bit different to the typical Australian fare. Nose holds some interest; dirty red fruits combining with an old woody note. Not unlike a 2003 Chinon (cab franc) I had a couple of nights ago.

Flavours don’t really marry well in the palate. Faint pongy fruits early but a drying, almost astringent character comes over the top and almost swamps whatever fruit was there. Drying tannins drive a finish that is hollow and absent of any sweet plummy fruit.

Tasting Notes - Leayton Estate Chardonnay 2005 (Recommended)

A real standout at the Yarra Valley journo tasting in September 2007. Chunky, worked style, lots of lees and good use of oak. A good option for fans of the highly structured, winemaker driven style.

Tasting Notes - New Release Budget Whites

Lindenton Verdelho 2005 (Heathcote)
Dirty fruited nose. Kinda weird but works ok on this occasion. Flavours don't work however; hot, awkward, very simple (but varietal) and a dumb lemonade-like finish.

Henley Hill Chardonnay 2006 (Yarra Valley) (Recommendation)
Sweetish, broad, slightly old-fashion style that ticks most boxes. Some oak and spice, and a slightly drying finish. Not much wrong here.

Greenpoint Chardonnay 2007 (Marlborough) (Recommendation)
Green fruit tinged nose, savvy-like, and I would have picked if I was sampling blind. Faint pineapple and stonefruits to taste. Quite subdued. Lean structure, Chablis-like, and good length. Looks really good at $17 - $18.

Tasting Notes - Paul Bettio (King Valley)

These 2 wines will trade south of $10 and look the goods for the cash.........

Unwooded Chardonnay 2007 (Value Recommendation)
Sweetish, warming tropical fruit; simple approach and only partially successful. Not for geeks.

Bianco Dolce 2006 (Value Recommendation)
Make no mistake - sugar laden!! Stop the ferment!! Classic bus tour cellar door cheapy. Clean wine, loads of sweet fruit, and good drive right through the palate. Hard not to like.

Tasting Notes - Suntherlands Creek (Geelong)

A bunch of newish releases from a very low key Geelong Outfit...........

Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Recommended)
Settled, almost mature, tangy. Really quite classy. Euro style; excellent food wine.

Pinot Gris 2006
Dry, earthy, tangy. Some stone fruits, bitter fruits, but a citrus / lemon note detracts on the finish. Otherwise ok.

Pinot Noir 2005
Pongy, fruity, stewed fruits. Certainly the nose has presence. Austere, firm palate with cherries, minerals; almost metallic. Finishes hard and firm. Touches of Burgundy in the structure.

Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2005
Well give 'em points for trying. Not underripe in any way but this wine has been made with a light touch, an approach that seems to work well. Raspberry and classic grenache fruits drive the wine. Unexciting but certainly friendly.