Category Archives: South Australia

Clarendon Hills Piggot Range Syrah 2005

Clarendon Hills, Clarendon, Piggot Range, Syrah 2005 The nose shows smoky oak and sweet black fruit. In the mouth the fruit is quite expressive and ripe, with an extremely silky texture and great length.  It’s a treat to taste a … Continue reading

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Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Shiraz 2008

Thorn-Clarke, Barossa, Shotfire, Shiraz 2008 This is oak city, smelling of freshly split logs and coconut. On the palate the theme continues, quite rich, with ripe tannins and a nice sense of acidity. The grapes are sourced from the family’s … Continue reading

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Mollydooker Goose Bumps 2006

Mollydooker, South Australia, Goose Bumps, Sparkling Shiraz 2006 In the nose the oak makes a statement with sweet black fruit. The texture in the mouth is masterful, actually velvety displaying the flavors of blackberry, coffee and freshly-split oak. Proprietors Sarah … Continue reading

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Heartland Viognier Pinot Gris 2006

Heartland, South Australia, Viognier, Pinot Gris 2006 The nose features fresh peaches, candied tropical fruits and spicy flowers. On the palate this wine is quite broad, lowish in acidity, conveying a richness yet emphasizing the vineyard over the winemaking. The … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Langhorne Creek, Pinot Gris and Grigio, South Australia, Viognier | Tagged | 1 Comment

Penfolds Club Reserve Aged Tawny

Penfolds, South Australia, Club Reserve, Aged Tawny nv In the nose you’ll find raisins and butterscotch with a sense of the spirit in the background. This all carries on in the mouth with nuttiness, sweetness and well-integrated alcohol. Like the value-oriented … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Fortified dessert, Grenache, Mourvedre, Port, South Australia, Syrah, Tawny Port | Tagged | Leave a comment

d’Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz 2005

d’Arenberg, McLaren Vale, The Footbolt, Shiraz 2005 The nose features liquer-like character, a concentration of candied black fruit, a hint of eucalyptus and some subtle volatility. In the mouth the fruit is in force, the feel is silky and a … Continue reading

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Petaluma Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2004

Petaluma, Piccadilly Valley, Chardonnay 2004 The nose offers toastiness, freshly split oak and vanilla with a sense of ripe, tropical fruit. In the mouth the viscosity is matched by steely acidity, combining the best of Burgundian austerity and Australian flamboyance. … Continue reading

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Shoofly Chardonnay 2008

Shoofly, Adelaide Hills, Chook Raffle, Chardonnay 2008 Give this wine a bit of air to blow off the initial matchstick character. Then you’ll find a medley of green apples, peaches and minerality. In the mouth it is crisp and driven … Continue reading

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Pirramimma Shiraz 2005

Pirramimma, McLaren Vale, Shiraz 2005 There’s a heavy heft of oak in this wine, from the beginning to the end with a dark chocolate character as well. Winemaker Geoff Johnston GP&B in McLaren Vale 14% $18.79 at Bottle Barn Pirramimma

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d’Arenberg Hermit Crab 2008

d’Arenberg, McLaren Vale, The Hermit Crab 2008 The nose features a combo of the herbaceousness that we can find with Marsanne and the overt peaches that we often see with Viognier. The mouth shows us an oily richness overtop of … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Marsanne, McLaren Vale, Rhone Blend, South Australia, Viognier | 2 Comments

Robert Oatley Pinot Grigio 2008

Robert Oatley, South Australia, Pinot Grigio 2008 This is 100% Pinot Grigio; most of the grapes were sourced from Currency Creek, south of my alma mater Adelaide and a bit came in from the Alpine Valleys of Victoria. Production was … Continue reading

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Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache 2007

Yalumba, Barossa, Bush Vine, Grenache 2007 The nose features red fruit, fresh and dried with herbs and brambles. In the mouth the wine is soft, fruity and very light-bodied. The vines that produced this wine are 30 to 70 years … Continue reading

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Grosset Polish Hill 2008

Grosset, Clare Valley, Polish Hill, Riesling 2008 As in the past, lots of lime that goes a long time! Tasted again in January ’10, the classic petrol notes are coming out. Grosset always captures the notion of concentrated wine and … Continue reading

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d’Arenberg Dead Arm 2006

d’Arenberg, McLaren Vale, The Dead Arm, Shiraz 2006 This wine is dense all around, from the color to the palate. Black fruits combine with hints of eucalyptus. The mouth is taught, just a baby yet the tannins are ripe with … Continue reading

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5 Bordeaux grapes and 3 continents

Clarendon Hills Clarendon Brookman Merlot 2005 Roman Bratasiuk pulls no punches with his opulent wines. This Merlot features ripe fruit and the cigar box characters we often associate with Bordeaux. The texture is oh so plush. P&B in Blewitt Springs … Continue reading

Posted in Alexander Valley, Australia, Bordeaux Style Blends, Guenoc Valley, Idaho, Lake County, McLaren Vale, Meritage, Merlot, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, South Australia | Leave a comment

Back to the land down under

d’Arenberg McLaren Vale The Custodian Grenache 2005 Juicy warm fruit and earthy notes in a supple package. Grown, produced and bottled in McLaren Vale 14.5% $14.79 at Bottle Barn d’Arenberg Torbreck Barossa Valley Woodcutter’s Shiraz 2006 The reductive notes of … Continue reading

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Bubbling Red

d’Arenberg Mclaren Vale The Peppermint Paddock Sparkling Red Chambourcin Loads of overt fruit mark this a fun quaffer. Grown, produced and bottled in McLaren Vale 14.5% $$17.99 at K&L d’Arenberg Charles Melton Sparkling Red This is amazingly delicious with complexity, … Continue reading

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Cabernet Aussie-Style

Yalumba Coonawarra The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 The 2002 smelled of cigar box, tobacco, light green pepper and a hint of pickle. In the mouth there was ample acidity which carriesd the juicy red flavors for a long time. Sourced … Continue reading

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Merlot in Transit

Mollydooker South Australia Merlot 2006 Sourced from Padthaway and McLaren Vale 15.5% $18.99 at Bottle Barn Mollydooker

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Sweet side of Semillon

Margan Hunter Valley Botrytis Semillon 2005 This wines has tropical fruit and the volatility that accompanies many botrytis wines. The palate is very thick and the acidity seems shy though the stats say otherwise at 10 g/L. RS 12.7%, alcohol … Continue reading

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Bordeaux Grapes in the New World

Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Mild green elements add a nice complexity to the cherry fruit. This is a light-bodied Cabernet with a complementary level of acidity. All Cabernet aged in new and used French and US oak. Winemaker Sue … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Margaret River, Merlot, New Zealand, Petit Verdot, South Australia, Western Australia | Leave a comment

Serious Syrah II

This flight follows-up on last week’s. We repeat the d’Arenberg Dead Arm (see previous notes) with two other heavy weights in the Shiraz kingdom. Clarendon Hills Clarendon Liandra Vineyard Syrah 2002 This wine sports an outlandish amount of fruit, mixing … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Syrah | Leave a comment

GSMPS

Spinifex Barossa Valley Esprit 2004 There is sweet black fruit and tar in the nose. The mouth shows a soft structure that is lush. The in-mouth flavors are very fruity in a candied way. This GSM blend is 36% Grenache, … Continue reading

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Barossa Refreshers

Henschke Eden Valley Julius Riesling 2006 Full-on aromas of lime are enhanced by high acidity in the mouth and long-lasting flavor. Of course the fame for Henschke is with their red wines based on Shiraz. What delighted me most when … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, Grenache, Riesling, Rosé, South Australia | Leave a comment

Serious Syrah

d’Arenberg McLaren Vale The Dead Arm Shiraz 2005 In the nose there is vibrant fruit enhanced by earth and complementary oak. There’s a mouthful of dense fruit as well to keep up with a big structure in this youthful Shiraz … Continue reading

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Animals on the Rhone

Clarendon Hills Clarendon Kangarilla Grenache 2004 Vibrant black fruit, actually liquer-like in the nose. The palate is spiritous, ripe, framed with acidity around a vast expanse of fruitiness. Sourced from old Grenache vines in the Kangarilla Vineyard. P&B in Blewitt … Continue reading

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This isn’t Madeira

Though we often associate Verdelho with the volcanic island of Madeira, there is also a following for this grape in Australia. It makes up less than 5% of the total white grape harvest but still out paces ever fashionable Viognier. … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Langhorne Creek, South Australia, Verdelho | Leave a comment

Australian Port

Penfolds South Australia Club Tawny Port nv The last bottle tasted was maple syrup personified with completely integrated alcohol. Made from Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre and matured in small oak in Kalimna. The wine was subsequently bottled at Penfolds facility … Continue reading

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Australian Chardonnay is Not Cut of One Cloth

In this latest taste-off, we look at a Kiwi Chardonnay alongside the Giaconda. Babich Hawke’s Bay Unoaked Chardonnay 2006 This wine is all stainless steel. P&B in Henderson 13.5% $10.99 at K&L Babich Two delicious wines, two very different interpretations … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Chardonnay, Hawke's Bay, McLaren Vale, New Zealand, South Australia, Victoria | Leave a comment

Contrasting Sweets

Two Hands Barossa Valley Brilliant Disguise Moscato 2006 This wine shows like Moscato d’Asti, not to the same level of fresh orange blossom as the best from Piedmont, but still in a similar vein. Made from White Frontignac or Muscat … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Barossa Valley, Muscadelle, Muscat, Rutherglen, South Australia, Victoria | Leave a comment