Saturday 31 October 2009

New Releases - October 31st

Cabernet & Blends
Te Mata 'Coleraine' Cabernet Merlot 2007 $85 (Hawkes Bay)
Te Mata 'Awatea' Cabernet Merlot 2007 $44 (Hawkes Bay)
Trevor Jones 'Wicked Witch' Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $57 (Barossa Valley)

Chardonnay
Principia 2007 $34 (Mornington Peninsula)

Chenin Blanc
Rusden 'Christians' 2008 $35 (Barossa Valley)

Grenache & Blends
Adelina 2007 $35 (Clare Valley)
Ross Estate 'Old Vine' Grenache 2007 $22 (Barossa Valley)
Spinifex 'Espirit' Grenache Blend 2007 $33 (Barossa Valley)
Trevor Jones 'Boots' Grenache Cabernet Merlot $16 (Barossa Valley)

Italian Reds
Tscharke "The Master" Montipulicano 2008 $36 (Barossa Valley)

Italian Whites
Taminick Cellars '1919 Series' Trebbiano 2008 $13 (Glenrowan)

Pinot Grigio
Tar & Roses 2008 $18 (Strathbogie)

Pinot Gris
Trevor Jones Gris Blanc 2009 $12 (Barossa Valley)

Pinot Noir
Sarsfield Estate 2006 $25 (Gippsland)
Scorpo 'Noirien' 2008 $29 (Mornington Peninsula)
Silverwood 'Estate' 2007 $30 (Mornington Peninsula)

Red Blends
Spinifex 'Taure' 2007 $30 (Barossa Valley)

Sauvignon Blanc
Airlie Bank 2009 $19 (Yarra Valley)

Semillon
Small Fry 2008 $19 (Eden Valley

Shiraz
Ross Estate 'Single Vineyard' 2005 $27 (Barossa Valley)
Serafino 'Goose Island' 2008 $14 (McLaren Vale)
Syrahmi 'Don' 2007 $43 (Heathcote)
Ulithorne 2006 $45 (McLaren Vale)

Tempranillo
Tscharke 'Only Son' 2006 $28 (Barossa Valley)

Tuesday 20 October 2009

New Releases - October 20th

Cabernet & Blends
Pfeiffer's 'Carlyle' Cabernet Merlot 2007 $19 (Rutherglen)

Chardonnay
Narkoojee Reserve 2008 $34 (Gippsland)
Picardy 2007 $38 (Pemberton)

Gewurztraminer
Pfeiffer 'The Carson' 2009 $19 (King Valley)

Italian Whites
Pieropan 'Classico' Soave 2007 $33 (Italy)
Pizinni Arneis 2008 $25 (King Valley)

Pinot Gris
Paringa Estate 2008 $25 (Mornington Peninsula)

Pinot Noir
Narkoojee 2008 $26 (Gippsland)
Ngeringa 2007 $42 (Adelaide Hills)
Nicholson River 'Gippsland' 2005 $17 (Gippsland)
Olssens 'Jackson Barry' 2007 $57 (Central Otago)
Paringa Estate 'PE' 2008 $28 (Mornington Peninsula)
Picardy 2007 $41 (Pemberton)
Portsea Estate 2007 $34 (Mornington Peninsula)

Red Blends
Paradise IV 'Chaumont' 2007 $36 (Geelong)
Paxton 'AAA' Shiraz Grenache 2006 $23 (McLaren Vale)
Pizinni 'Il Barone' 2004 $41 (King Valley)

Sauvignon Blanc
Oranje Tractor 2009 $23 (Great Southern)
Palliser 2008 $26 (Martinborough)

Sangiovese
Pizinni 2008 $28 (King Valley)

Shiraz
Paradise IV 'Batesford' Shiraz Viognier 2007 $28 (Geelong)

White Blends
Pfeiffer 'Carlyle' Chardonnay Marsanne 2009 $19 (Rutherglen)

Tuesday 13 October 2009

Tasting Notes - Muscat Barrel Project

Background
Very self-indulgent post this. Picked up a 9 litre barrel from the Barossa in December 2007 (used American oak) for the purpose of building a little muscat stash over the longer term. I know more than a handful of folks who have great results so it will be interesting so see how it turns out.

Base Material (April 2008)
100% 4 year old (2004 vintage) muscat from Liebich Wein in the Barossa. ($6.50 per litre)

Tasting Note (October 2009) Base Material
Starting to show some maturity in the colour; dark orange tending to light brown. Aromas show good concentrated sweetness, very text book muscat, and a fruity apricot edge. Flavours and palate show good balance and the structure is definately starting to thicken. Lots of sugary fruit have overtaken the almond and nuts previously evident. Considerably weightier to taste than a year ago. Quite fresh, fruit wise, but the palate might need a lift.

Tasting Note (April 2008) Base Material
Colour is a dark rusty orange, much dark than expected given the age, and almost in the realm of a young tawny. Nose is relatively subdued with muscat and apricot notes, along with some heat and spice. Does lack some freshness. Flavours are interesting and very much a tale of two halves; initially some quite intense but simple fruit sweetness (almost cordial-like) but the second half shows clear nutty / almond/ rancio notes; again not expected at 4 years of age. Hard to know how the recent impact of the oak has changed this wine. Finish is unremarkable as the nutty character tails off to leave some residual bitter fruits.