Minot Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

We tried the 2002 on a number of occasions and it consistently under whelmed, perhaps reflecting a less than stellar vintage for Margaret River. The 2003, however, it pretty much back in the grove. Minot are clearly aiming for a more traditional, slightly austere, longer living style and the pricing ~$27 puts it at the bottom, price wise, of a growing bracket of mid-priced premium cabernets.Dusty, earthy nose with some spice and oak. Good lift. Softer flavours than the nose suggests with berry fruits more apparent. Oak pops up, just faint enough to classify the role as ‘supporting, and some nice herbal notes round out a pretty decent palate. A fraction tight and obviously young, this wine is well worth some mid term cellaring.

Schloss Vollrads Riesling 2005 - Recommended

Region: Rheingau

Light golden in colour, perhaps looks a touch developed for the age. Rich nose of ripe lemon and citrus fruits. Smells like a ripe Crawford River. Riper and more intense again to taste. Less lemon, more dry generic in style. Very complete palate, quite serious and gets progressively drier and minerally on the finish. Very well made and structured but value is an issue at somewhere above $45 pb. The use of a re-usable glass stopper is a fantastic idea and I can vouch for the wine’s freshness 3 days after the initial opening. In fact I would go so far as to claim it blows a stelvin seal away.

Fermoy Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Subdued nose compared the $16 Fermoy cab merlot from the same vintage. A hint of sweet blackberry is the most obvious fruit trait. The ‘reserve’ tag is much more evident to taste with plenty of furry tannins and length. Fruit is sinewy and tight, almost astringent with a citrus overtone (oak?). Not at all convincing at this stage but to be fair this wine is very young and really needs another 3 years before a proper assessment can be made.

Cathcart Ridge Mt Ararat Merlot 2004 (QPR Recommended)

Despite the obviously simpleness of this wine and arguably a lack of varietal definition there’s a lot to like about this $12 wine in a value sense. Medium blood red in colour, the nose shows plenty of ripe berry fruits with a slight talcum powder edge. Friendly flavour profile driven (again) with ripe berries and some tingly acid that never gets aggressive. Not sure that this wine screams ‘merlot’, in fact I’m sure it doesn’t, but the soft, forward fruits have a degree ofappeal.

Cathcart Ridge Estate 2000

The merlot is somewhat of a flag bearer for the winery and this 6 year old example should keep a good reputation intact. Colour is about bang-on for the variety – medium blood red – but the nose points to the age. Balanced plummy / leafy notes on the nose are very settled and mature. Some herbal secondary notes push through. Palate is also showing some mature character – more herbal plum – but the primary fruit is settling and fading. Structually appears sound and plenty of acid zing keeps the mouthfeel fresh. Not a show stopper given the subdued fruits but a good example of how Oz merlot looks at 6 years. Drink over 2006 and early 2007.

Tasting Notes - Trevor Jones Boots Gris Blanc 2006 (Value Reco)

Sweet fruity nose; perhaps a touch of residual sugar? Hints of cooler climate grassy notes. Fruity to taste but not the dumb "sunshine in a bottle" style. Nice generic dryish white style with a very level and balanced palate. Has the texture and feel of a Gris but doesn't really shout its variety. Good value @ $12.

Tasting Notes - Trevor Jones Boots Riesling 2006

Thankfully the grapes are sourced from Eden Valley fruit. Very pale lemon in colour. Ripe nose with a slightly liquered note of citrus fruits. Full bodied style, thick palate for the region, lacks fruit drive at the finish. Some sharp acidic notes arrive late. Lacks varietal character.

Chrismont Craig's Hut Sangiovese 2005

Grapey sweet nose, fresh, a touch sugary but it ain't Sangiovese. Leaner on the palate, thankfully, but perhaps due to lack of fruit ripeness rather than genuine savoury Italian fruit structure. Tannin structure is quite impressive for a $10 wine - drying coal tea notes - shades of Bordeaux? Believe it or not! In aggregate not enough bright fruit for the punter at this price level.

Delas Crozes-Hermitage Tour d'Albon 2001

Region: Norther Rhone
Appelation: Crozes-Hermitage

A little tight and acidic early but opened up gradually over time. Meaty and slightly savoury style. Cherry and bacon notes on the nose. Doesn't deliver a massive fruit hit but rather a tight, neat structure that would appear still young as a 5 year old, somewhat surprising given the wine's modest claims in the house line-up at ~e12.0.

Brothers in Arms Shiraz Cabernet No.6 2003

Lightish blood / plum in colour. Nose is a touch dull; some oak wafting up, a touch of spice. Fresher and brighter in the mouth, sweeter berry fruits are a better match for the oak and firming finish. Medium tannin strength. Ok at $22, not a world beater but probably not bad for a SA 2003 red.

Tasting Nots - Dal Zotto Arneis 2005 (Recommended)

Impressive drink that should wine a few fans that may be looking for the new full bodied sav blanc. Very clear in glass, water like, totally under-representing the flavour hit. Big nose, lifted, sweet fruits with a riesling like, mineral underlay. Has immediate appeal.Palate does the nose justice - big sweet fruits with a riesling context. Plenty of drive. Gets a touch flabbly and hot at the finish but a moot point. This is a fun drink.

Morning Star Pinot Gris 2004 - Recommended

At first glance this wine didn’t really appeal; lacked a bit of obvious fruit and seemingly a bit tired (not totally surprised at 2yrs of age) but this wine did charm over time. Mild nose of chalky floral notes. Palate was subdued early, quite mature, but did remind strongly of the lower end Alasatians we see in Australia that are a vintage or two off the pace, and thus had, to me at least, some appeal. Fruit opened up as the wine warmed up; sweeter musky notes with a liqueur lick in the back. No world beater but the European ‘hum’ of this wine did hook me in.

Sandy Farm Cabernet Merlot 2004 - Recommended

Dark blood red in colour, no fading at the rim. Soft nose, lifted cabernet notes of blackberry and a underlying herbal edge. Attractive and very text book for the style. Ripe fruits run through the palate, more blackberry, but also a sliver of acid keeps the wine a little tighter than the nose suggests. Drinks very well now given the mild tannin presence but should continue to look the goods over the next 2 – 3 years.

Ladbroke Grove Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Unfortunately this wine didn’t show as well as when tasted over Christmas at the cellar door. Garnet red, a little lighter in the glass than expected. Ok nose, a mix of herbs and sweet berry fruits. Nice but lacks conviction. Tightish palate, dark fruits, some oak, drying tannins. Quite serious but not really all together just yet. Drying finish. Ladbroke typically know what they are doing do I’d give this one a chance and rest for another 2 years.

Le Mins Pinot Noir 2004 (QPR Recommended)

This is the labelled version, not the ‘higher profile’ $9 cleanskin. Lightish cherry red in colour with a little fade at the rim. Friendly nose, light cherry, berry notes, some lift with what almost seems like alcohol heat but 13% abv unlikely. Light mouthfeel, some sour tinges around the edges of the palate but falls into the feather weight dry red class right now. Firms up at the finish, bearing a little teeth, and gives the impression it could do with 6 – 9 months in the cellar. At $12 this is well made, if a touch light, pinot.

Ladbroke Compadres Blend Cab Merlot 2002

I’ve had the past 3 vintages (2001 – 2003) and this is the weak link, but not by a huge margin. Lightish garnet red, somewhat underwhelming. Serious nose with inky berries, a touch of sweetness and a faint herbal edge, easy to pick the cab element. Palate doesn’t travel as expected; a touch chewy, sweetish berry fruits, some hardness from what seems to be a little acid sear. Medium strength finish. The vintages either side of the 2002 are a better bet.

Tasting Notes - Small Fry Riesling 2005

Small Fry is a new label from the Barossa that effectively operates as a local negociant for ultra small regional growers. All wines retail around $16 - $19.

Deliberately made in an off-dry style with 20 grams of residual. Sweet, grapey nose. Nice but simple. Palate definitely on the sweet side but comes across as short and simple. Starts out like a kiwi riesling but doesn’t have the balance or stuffing right across the palate to successfully pull it off. Will have appeal for those looking for the simple sweet style.

Port Phillip Estate Pinot Noir 2004

Blood cherry red, kinda dark rose like. Massive herbal kick on the nose; nettles, freshly cut hay, a touch stalky perhaps. Striking. More herbal, slightly green notes on the palate and some noticeable oak. Doesn’t seem under-ripe but there’s not a whole lot of fruit powering the palate – yet. Oak drives the wine, a little too much to my liking, but it’s early days yet, and the house has a decent track record.

Hoffman Chardonnay 2001 – Recommended

Purchased at a cellar door visit in 2002. I must have been a bit wet behind the ears buying McLaren Vale chard but this wine has held up well (good storage conditions has evidently not hindered). Aged, nutty nose; some oak evident and good sweet fruit aromas. More mellow sweet fruit in the palate, mild maderised characters kick in late, more spicy / nutty oak. Finishes a touch short but to no detriment. One of those cellaring surprises that just doesn’t happen often enough.

Te-Aro Estate Shiraz 2002

Another grower come vintner. New label to us and holds a certain amount of interest given the vintage and the fact the wine has a component soucred from 95yr vines. Classic shiraz in the glass; dark garnet with a pink edge. Despite the Barossa origins I found the region hard to pick on the nose, rather mixed berries of medium weight with a tingly, almost talcum powder nose. Palate is well balanced but the fruit power struggles a touch to really get going. This is strictly an elegant style, but mostly in a good way. More generic red berries in the mouth, early, and then tightens up noticeably with some acid and powdery tannins. Good, but not great, and any comments on recommendation will be driven largely by the retail price.