Within the mixed dozen I purchased was the McLaren Vale Cavalier Curtis Shiraz and due to it’s rrp I was saving it for a special occasion. It is a tidy number, deep plum in colour with forest berries on the nose and palate. It is a very well structured, balanced wine with fine tannins and there is generous mulberry, blackberry and raspberry character.
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but I have fallen into the habit of wanting something different; something punchy, surprising, delicate or simply great bang for buck. It is a lovely wine reminding me of the late 90s when I was fully into big regional varieties. If you happen to have a bottle within a dozen purchase, double decant it and see if it does a little more than I thought I did.
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- Read moreTo say the Alpha Crucis Winemakers Series is like a really stunning tribute album is doing the 6 chosen winemakers a massive injustice. It also belittles the respect and trust Alpha Crucis has in the said winemakers.Less a reinterpretation of Alpha Crucis wines as an experiment of an individual winemakers influence on a wines character and being. Indeed less tribute album and more like handing the same musical notes to Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Patti Smith, Eddie Vedder and David Bowie and seeing what music they all created. Starting with a small batch of Shiraz grapes from Chalk Hills Heritage Lot, Tom Harvey chose six winemakers to help bring his idea to life. Born only out of curiosity, the wines singularly are not intended to be judged, instead designed to be tasted for their range of characters and flavours born out of the creators varying influences. From here it was completely up to the six winemakers to determine how to produce their wine, from picking through
- Born from three vineyards on the Willunga 100 property the 2010 Shiraz Viognier grabs a little bit from each site. Utilizing the tannins of the early ripening Hillside Vineyard, and blending it with the dark berry traits of their Mary’s Vineyard and the richness born from the Township Vineyard. The guys at Willunga 100 have produced and a little gem if your patient enough.... On first bite at this sleeper I wasn’t that taken, true she had a nice deep colour with vibrant legs. There were also some dark berry notes followed by a faint pepper and cumin aroma. A little light on depth with a short finish though and I thought its nice dinner wine with friends that won’t offend anyone. Fast forward 24hrs and I had a wee revisit with her. How this little girl had changed. Deep maroon in colour with real violet legs with a decent pepper and spice trail on the nose. Ripe berry with the perfect hit of gaminess to round her out. It still won’t offend anyone; with aRead more
- Grüner Veltliner isn’t a variety I’ve had a lot to do with but a couple of recent tastings of Australian Grüners inspired me to dig a bit deeper. I reckon it is a very exciting prospect with the potential to become an Aussie mainstay. Grüner Veltliner is an ancient white grape grown mostly in Austria with significant plantings in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Its genetic parents are Traminer and the obscure St. Georgener-Rebe. It’s only recently been celebrated widely as a truly premium variety. Here are a few key elements in its rise: naming, training and tasting. While the variety may date back to Roman times it was only given its current name in the 1850s. It was not until the 1950s, with use of Lenz Moser’s less labour intensive system of vine management, that it began to flourish. Planting less densely allowed for better sunlight penetration of canopy and better ventilation. Quality of fruit improved and plantings expanded significantlyRead more
- The great all-rounder… The Christmas/New Year’s period brought all kinds of people to my place each craving a tipple… of course being the gracious host I found myself asking ‘what sort of red would you prefer?...’ on one occasion I didn’t think this through too well because all I had was two bottles of Hamilton Burtons Vineyard Grenache 2010… enter the inner rascal in me that thought it would be fun to put this wine through its paces… interesting exercise, here’s what happened… ‘… something fruity but not too heavy’ – verdict, ‘wow, what’s this? This is lovely’ Next ‘… something full bodied but not too tannic’ – verdict, ‘this is fantastic! What’s the grape variety?’ Finally ‘…anything as long as it’s not grenache’ – verdict, ‘you arsehole! This is Grenache!’ Conclusion…Read more
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It’s always handy to have a guide to good drinking over the Christmas period. Here’s my pick for the best bots to crack this Chrissie.
Bird in Hand Sparkling It’s an unusual wine this one with enough fruit and sweetness to keep the occasional wino happy and enough quality fruit to shift curmudgeonly wine snob from miffed to mollified. Pleasures best on its own but suspect it would be all over the turkey if given a sniff. Most accommodating Sparkling. Dandelion Vineyards Rosé 2011 A delight from its light pink hue to its delicate, near dry ending. The fruit in this is sourced from an 85-year-old bush-grown Grenache vineyard. Unusually the wine was left to wild ferment and stored on a bed of dead yeast in old barrels for a bit. The result is a superb texture with pristine and bright Grenache flavours and a whip crack of acidity that made me stand up and pay attention. Sugar is very low at four - As a rule, I'm not a merlot guy. It can be thin, bland and unimaginative. Lost Valley Merlot on the other hand is bold, brassy and inspired. Well at least for a merlot. The complexity and exquisite delicacy of this drop totally surprised me. It was like talking to a teenage girl about the merits and talent of Justin Bieber..... and becoming a convert. I cracked it with a particularly fishy and spicy pad thai, not a usual pairing but it worked a treat. Worth decanting as the flavours further complexed over the course of the evening.Read more