Date: 14 April, 2012
What: 2009 Glaetzer-Dixon Mon Pere Shiraz, Tasmania
Purchased: Blackhearts & Sparrows, $40
Food: Home made pizza
Comments: lot of wraps on this, so I was keen to try - but always presents a difficulty in reviewing as wanting to be unbiased. Nice clean, bright colour - lighter side of things. Closed on the nose early. Into the gob and...pepper, anyone? White and black, both at once, and dominating. I love pepper in my cool climate shirazes, but this is almost taking the piss. Cool climate shiraz as an extreme sport. After a while the nose starts to open, with some berry fruits/plum, forest floor and perhaps a bit of porcini mushroom popping in to say hello. Palate also starts to open up and the pepper softens (although much in the same way a Mike Tyson's punch softens after 10 rounds - it's still a punch) and makes way for plums and some nice soft tannins; a bit more rounded, and stylish, almost some Frenchiness creeping in. Will be interested to drink more tomorrow and see how it progresses. Worth the hype? Not quite, but a handy drop.
Post script: had another glass today, the day after. Much more going on - fuller in the mouth and a lot more fruit working with the pepper. Good length. Shall decant the next bottle for a couple of hours before drinking as it really needs the time!
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Friday, 30 March 2012
Omaha Bay Vineyard Malbec
Date: 30 March, 2012
What: 2010 Omaha Bay Vineyard Malbec, Matakana, New Zealand
Purchased: Cellar door, around NZD$30, I think
Food: Pizza
Comments: not a grape I have had much of as a straight varietal, but they were everywhere in NZ! This is on the more linear end (c.f. Kidnapper Cliffs, a more round and filling wine that I am keen to hunt down and blog about). In a blind tasting you might go with a cool climate shiraz - spicy, peppery and a bit of dark fruit, both in the shozz and in the gob. Something else, too...licorice? Not in a sharp aniseed sense, but a more general, Darrel Lea soft licorice thing. Background only, so let's not get too carried away. Enjoyable drop without being a blockbuster. Friday night pizza is indeed the slot for it, but would be an interesting thing to sneak into a cool climate shiraz line up.
What: 2010 Omaha Bay Vineyard Malbec, Matakana, New Zealand
Purchased: Cellar door, around NZD$30, I think
Food: Pizza
Comments: not a grape I have had much of as a straight varietal, but they were everywhere in NZ! This is on the more linear end (c.f. Kidnapper Cliffs, a more round and filling wine that I am keen to hunt down and blog about). In a blind tasting you might go with a cool climate shiraz - spicy, peppery and a bit of dark fruit, both in the shozz and in the gob. Something else, too...licorice? Not in a sharp aniseed sense, but a more general, Darrel Lea soft licorice thing. Background only, so let's not get too carried away. Enjoyable drop without being a blockbuster. Friday night pizza is indeed the slot for it, but would be an interesting thing to sneak into a cool climate shiraz line up.
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Curly Flat Pinot Noir
Date: 11 February, 2012
What: 2005 Curly Flat Pinot Noir, Macedon Ranges
Purchased: Dan's, I think. Dont recall price but current vintage $48 on website
Food: Rabbit and mushroom pie, green beans
Comments: wow. Just travelling beautifully. Nice and crisp look. Earthy, spare nose early doors but opens up after a glass. Forest floor. Mushrooms - but am I just thinking of what was on the menu? No, it is in fact a good match. Pine nuts. Very Burgundian, or at least what I think of as Burgundian. Nice stink. Keep coming back to forest floor. Keep coming back to swirling and sniffing, for that matter. Loving it. Some slight red fruits but a bit of spice with more mushrooms; soft but defined tannins. Good length. Linear although in a positive structural sense - no lack of flesh here. Quite tasty indeed.
What: 2005 Curly Flat Pinot Noir, Macedon Ranges
Purchased: Dan's, I think. Dont recall price but current vintage $48 on website
Food: Rabbit and mushroom pie, green beans
Comments: wow. Just travelling beautifully. Nice and crisp look. Earthy, spare nose early doors but opens up after a glass. Forest floor. Mushrooms - but am I just thinking of what was on the menu? No, it is in fact a good match. Pine nuts. Very Burgundian, or at least what I think of as Burgundian. Nice stink. Keep coming back to forest floor. Keep coming back to swirling and sniffing, for that matter. Loving it. Some slight red fruits but a bit of spice with more mushrooms; soft but defined tannins. Good length. Linear although in a positive structural sense - no lack of flesh here. Quite tasty indeed.
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Savaterre Chardonnay
Date: 4 February, 2012
What: 2008 Savaterre Chardonnay, Beechworth
Purchased: cellar door, about $70
Food: BBQ honey prawns, Thai-inspired mango and bean shoot salad
Comments: last one we spoke about balance. This is more about being on the precipice of what I like without going over the edge. I prefer my chardonnays more linear and minerally, rather than the oaky/buttery end. This peers into the buttery abyss but stays just outside. Just. Bright straw yellow colour. Classic argument in favour of drinking whites above fridge temperature. Opens up and delivers more (albeit closer to the edge per above) when a touch warmer. Apricot, lychee flavours; a bit chewy and coats the mouth nicely but with enough acid to cut through. Kind of hangs around for a chat after the fact, too. I suspect those more in favour of chardonnay will be all over it. I like it but partly driven by the wine wank side of things as much as general drinking enjoyment.
What: 2008 Savaterre Chardonnay, Beechworth
Purchased: cellar door, about $70
Food: BBQ honey prawns, Thai-inspired mango and bean shoot salad
Comments: last one we spoke about balance. This is more about being on the precipice of what I like without going over the edge. I prefer my chardonnays more linear and minerally, rather than the oaky/buttery end. This peers into the buttery abyss but stays just outside. Just. Bright straw yellow colour. Classic argument in favour of drinking whites above fridge temperature. Opens up and delivers more (albeit closer to the edge per above) when a touch warmer. Apricot, lychee flavours; a bit chewy and coats the mouth nicely but with enough acid to cut through. Kind of hangs around for a chat after the fact, too. I suspect those more in favour of chardonnay will be all over it. I like it but partly driven by the wine wank side of things as much as general drinking enjoyment.
Friday, 27 January 2012
Pyramid Valley Pinot Noir
Date: 27 January, 2011 (I'm back!)
What: 2007 Pyramid Valley Growers Collection Eaton Family Vineyard Pinot Noir, Marlborough
Purchased: by a Freo supporter who lost this in a bet (go Tigers!) but I suspect not on the budget end of proceedings
Food: Eye fillet (lighter one!), couple of excellent summery salads
Comments: lovely open. No need to spend too much time waiting for it to wake up. Darker colour with a bit of the browny/aged colour on the edges; quite vibrant given unfiltered. Balance is the word here. Excellent balance between (red) fruity flavours, tannins (smooth, nice mouth feel) and a sharper version of the forest floor nose. Also strikes a nice balance between chunky/solid Otago pinot and the stewed cherry end of Marlborough. Finishes with a vaguely chocolate (milk) and vanilla flavour mixing in with the more classic PN. Cinnamon? Very enjoyable and a much more grown-up version of the Marlborough standard.
What: 2007 Pyramid Valley Growers Collection Eaton Family Vineyard Pinot Noir, Marlborough
Purchased: by a Freo supporter who lost this in a bet (go Tigers!) but I suspect not on the budget end of proceedings
Food: Eye fillet (lighter one!), couple of excellent summery salads
Comments: lovely open. No need to spend too much time waiting for it to wake up. Darker colour with a bit of the browny/aged colour on the edges; quite vibrant given unfiltered. Balance is the word here. Excellent balance between (red) fruity flavours, tannins (smooth, nice mouth feel) and a sharper version of the forest floor nose. Also strikes a nice balance between chunky/solid Otago pinot and the stewed cherry end of Marlborough. Finishes with a vaguely chocolate (milk) and vanilla flavour mixing in with the more classic PN. Cinnamon? Very enjoyable and a much more grown-up version of the Marlborough standard.
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Mac Forbes Gruyere Syrah
Date: 22 October, 2011
What: 2009 Mac Forbes Gruyere Syrah, Yarra Valley
Purchased: cellar door, $36
Food: Welsh rarebit
Comments: bought this one this arvo at Mac Forbe's "urban cellar door" in Collingwood. Good not to have to travel far for cellar door-style tastings! The syrah struck me as a bit fleshier then compared to now. Why is it that tastings are always different to the bottle at home? It has a really funky, earthy, rustic nose. Gets a touch of spice as it opens up, but still more of a (bullish) pinot stink rather than what I might expect from syrah. Bit of a linear mouthfeel. Has some damp wood, forest floor gear in the mouth with a hint of chocolate to go with some more spices (think cloves etc) but interestingly for a cool climate shiraz/syrah there is no pepper to speak of. Finishes with some length although still in the linear mould - not a fleshy finish. These wines are not quaffers in my world. This is one the wine wank, thought provoking end of the spectrum. Provoked thoughts might include "what food would I have with this next time"? And answers might be lamb (roasted), or perhaps an aged cheddar.
What: 2009 Mac Forbes Gruyere Syrah, Yarra Valley
Purchased: cellar door, $36
Food: Welsh rarebit
Comments: bought this one this arvo at Mac Forbe's "urban cellar door" in Collingwood. Good not to have to travel far for cellar door-style tastings! The syrah struck me as a bit fleshier then compared to now. Why is it that tastings are always different to the bottle at home? It has a really funky, earthy, rustic nose. Gets a touch of spice as it opens up, but still more of a (bullish) pinot stink rather than what I might expect from syrah. Bit of a linear mouthfeel. Has some damp wood, forest floor gear in the mouth with a hint of chocolate to go with some more spices (think cloves etc) but interestingly for a cool climate shiraz/syrah there is no pepper to speak of. Finishes with some length although still in the linear mould - not a fleshy finish. These wines are not quaffers in my world. This is one the wine wank, thought provoking end of the spectrum. Provoked thoughts might include "what food would I have with this next time"? And answers might be lamb (roasted), or perhaps an aged cheddar.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Foster e Rocco Rose
Date: 24 September, 2011
What: 2011 Foster e Rocco Rose (Sangiovese), Heathcote, Victoria
Purchased: website, $25
Food: bbq fish, blood orange and asparagus salad, roast potatoes
Comments: roses rank alongside sparkling reds as things I like but without taking seriously - fun quaffers and nothing more. Time to get a bit more thoughtful. Have had the previous two vintages of this one, oddly enough on the same night at MsG's in Sydney. Quite different with the '10 being the more linear and acidic, the '09 being slightly sweeter. This takes it a step further than the '10 - but does it have enough flesh? Was better with food rather than now, post food. What is that on the nose? Can't place it but perhaps is the start of the rasberry background that appears on the palette. Have picked up a case for summer and will be interested to see my thoughts evolve as the wine gets a few more months into it and I try it with different food. Definitely a food wine.
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