Archive for the ‘Barossa Valley’ Category
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
Some assessments are easier than others. This one went like this. Half the bottle on Sunday night. A quarter last night. And the remainder now. The wine was left on the sideboard and not refrigerated, or vac-u-vined, or anything else. Just left there, and it is amazing how it didn’t really suffer for it.
A vivid purple/red colour. An engaging nose, showing blackberries, cinnamon, coffee beans, plums, vanilla and some creamy oak. The palate was initially quite disappointing because even though it showed some intense black fruits with toasty notes, it suffered a triumvirate of faults: thin, narrow (across the palate) and hot. And this was the main reason it was left for a further two days. I mean, you could easily drink it but if you focused on it you could see all its problems. Anyway, the palate has now broadened with blackcurrants, spice and mocha, and the heat is not as obvious, but the fruits still don’t have a lot of depth and remain unconvincing. Perhaps some cellaring will see it present better, especially since 2008 was generally a good vintage in the Barossa, but I would go small; 3 bottles max. $35 RRP, but I got a bottle for $24.90 from Dans. Sealed under cork (!). Drink 2015+. 85 points.
Posted in $20 to $50, Australia, Barossa Valley, Notes, Price, Shiraz, Varietal/Style | No Comments »
Friday, August 20th, 2010
A blend of 52% Shiraz, 24% Grenache and 24% Mourvédre, vinified separately in open fermenters and subsequently aged in both hogsheads and larger format French oak for approximately 18 months. Sealed under screwcap and 14.5% abv. Apparently. $22.50 from the cellar door, and a snip over $20 if you buy a case.
A spicy nose, red plums, blackcurrants, Asian spices (a bit of old black pepper and five spice) and an odd floral element, almost like stalks. The palate is supple, spiced plums, clean earth, blackcurrants, sweetish and juicy, and a little bit slippery. It wouldn’t surprise me if it were more than the stated alcohol. 88 points. Drink now to 2018, but I would personally leave it a year before trying another bottle.
Posted in $20 to $50, Australia, Barossa Valley, Notes, Price, Shiraz, Varietal/Style | No Comments »
Saturday, August 14th, 2010
Nothing positive to report here. And I think at the moment it does need a bit of a decant to dissipate some of the more alpine characters. On the nose, pine needles, red berries, plums and red currants followed by some spearmint, and with time, malt and more pine needles. The palate shows some red fruits and liquorice, but is dominated by pine needles and mint. Reasonable fruit flavours and nice acid, but accompanied by the pine refresher goodness. Maybe I am getting more critical, or perhaps I’m losing my marbles (which is a strange expression really), but I think this wine is just tolerable. Sealed under cork. 14.5% abv. 83 points.
Posted in $20 to $50, Australia, Barossa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, Notes, Price, Varietal/Style | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
I have been re-organising the cellar and found a lone bottle of this wine. 2000 was a difficult vintage in South Australia, wasn’t it? Or maybe that was just in the Barossa Valley. Anyway, I decided that this wine’s number was up. Oh, I should mention I also discovered a small enclave of 1996 and 2001 Magill Estate Shiraz – I am planning to cook something nice on the weekend and will crack a bottle or two. But I digress. With the wine swirling in the glass, I see it has a dull red colour, with perhaps a touch of bricking. On the nose, blackberries, milk chocolate, old pepper spices, a sweet confection, with a touch of earthy compost and smoke. The palate is still showing some fruit sweetness, with bouncy black and red fruits, blackberries and raspberries, leathery complexity and a touch of stalkiness; still brightly acidic. No hard or firm tannins; it seems pretty well integrated. Not a classic 389, but still enjoyable. 13.5% abv. 88 points. Drink now to 2014.
Posted in $20 to $50, Australia, Barossa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale, Notes, Padthaway, Price, Varietal/Style | 2 Comments »
Friday, March 5th, 2010
It’s that time of the year again, the time when Penfolds release their “Bin” range of wines. I have read that this is probably the pick of the new red wines, so I bought myself a bottle. I also bought singles of the Bin 128, Bin 138 and Bin 389, and will have look at these in the coming weeks. I would also like to try the Bin 23 Pinot Noir, but haven’t seen it around yet. Anyway, this wine was a vibrant dark red in colour. A solid nose, showing coffee beans and mocha, black olives and juicy red berries, spice, and with time, some milkyness and almonds. The palate is tight and savoury, even after 5 hours in a decanter, with berry fruits, hard dry spices, nutmeg and coffee dryness. Good length, though there is a little bit of heat on the finish, but only a touch. Still quite youthful – I would like to see this again in a couple of years. Bottled under screwcap. 14.5% abv. Currently $19.80 from Dan Murphys in a six bottle purchase, but expect to pay around $25 for it from other retailers. Drink 2012-2017+. 89 points.
Posted in Adelaide, Australia, Barossa Valley, Langhorne Creek, Limestone Coast, McLaren Vale, Notes, Price, Shiraz, Varietal/Style, up to $20 | 2 Comments »
Friday, February 26th, 2010
I think this has been out for a while. From the Yalumba website, this wine was apparently matured for 12 months in 18% new oak barrels, with the mix of oak being 59% American, 35% French and 6% Hungarian. A powerful nose, and chock full of goodness, blackberries and blackcurrants, spice and cedar, earth, choc-mint and a touch of green olives. The palate is flavoursome, with black fruits and red liquorice, soft chocolateyness, and tannins that initially are soft but seem to harden a bit at the end of the palate. Terrifyingly easy to drink. Sealed under screwcap. $15.19 from Dan Murphys, and at that price I think it warrants at least a six pack purchase. Drink 2010-2013+. 88 points.
Posted in Australia, Barossa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, Notes, Price, Varietal/Style, up to $20 | 2 Comments »
Monday, February 15th, 2010
I popped into The Wine Emporium on Friday last week and only walked out with 2 bottles of wine that cost $40 in total. Normally trips to this store are alot more expensive, so I consider myself lucky. This wine has a couple of notable stickers on the label: a Trophy and a Top Gold at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2009. I tend to regard show awards with a degree of suspicion, but I think the Adelaide Show is one of the better ones around. Anyways, enough waffle. Thirty minutes in the fridge to give the wine a light chill. Deeply scented with dark cherries and spice. On the palate, black cherries, spices, dark chocolate and cola. Beautiful balance, with soft tannins, and a richness that never seemed heavy. Good length, and good stuff for the price. 13.5% abv. Screwcap. $20 RRP. Drink 2011-2015. 89 points.
Posted in Australia, Barossa Valley, Notes, Price, Tempranillo, Varietal/Style, up to $20 | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
I have had this a couple of times in the past few months, and either the wine has settled and improved significantly in those intervening months, or is it just a cork variance. Either way, I think I have consumed both of these bottles too early. I reckon 8 years (or thereabouts) is a good ballpark figure to the start of its drinking window. A bright nose, lively fruits, plums, fruitcake, Christmas spices, cinnamon, with a touch of caramel and earth, and some varnish and spice. The palate is strongly flavoured, robust black fruits, plums, spices, earth, new leather, caramel and something not unlike stalk. Enjoyable now, and though there certainly is a lot to contemplate when swirling the wine, it should be better with another 5 years.
Other vintages: 2004
Rated : 92+ Points
Tasted : Sep09 and Dec09
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : $51
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2015+
Source : Cellar
Website : Rockford
Posted in $50 to $100, Australia, Barossa Valley, Notes, Price, Shiraz, Varietal/Style | 3 Comments »
Saturday, August 22nd, 2009
I don’t drink many whites from the Barossa. This one is a blend of, hold your breath, 50% Semillon, 15% Marsanne, 14% Viognier, 10% Ugni Blanc, 6% Grenache Blanc and 5% Vermentino.
Semillon seems to dominate the nose, with lemons and slate, hard green fruits, a certain dryness and flint. The palate is different, and though it does have lemons, straw and dry grass, it isn’t particularly tart, and it has some fleshy yellow fruits with honey and a some more rounded fruits in the background. Very refreshing and pretty good value. Drink over the next few years. By the way, the current vintage is 2008, but hopefully this review will be useful anyway.
Rated : 90 Points
Tasted : Aug09
Alcohol : 13%
Price : $20
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2009-2012
Source : Cellar
Website : Spinifex
Posted in Australia, Barossa Valley, Notes, Price, Semillon, Varietal/Style, up to $20 | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
This has been open for one week now, and it is drinking well every night, and changing subtly every time it is sampled. Quite a peaty nose, with black cherries and raisins, a touch of whisky spirit, fig and spice. The palate is quite dry and lean, though there are hints of raisins and dried pears, that give some sweetness to the front palate and the finish. The mid-palate dips with some black currants and peaty mouth-coating fruits. A lovely rounded mouthfeel, great length and very refreshing. No heat at all. A drier style, but I like it like that. Great stuff!
Rated : 94 Points
Tasted : Jun09
Alcohol : 19.5%
Price : $32
Closure : Cork under Wax
Drink : 2009-2010
Source : Cellar Door
Website : Rockford
Posted in $20 to $50, Australia, Barossa Valley, Fortified, Notes, Price, Varietal/Style | No Comments »