The sun is shining yet not too harshly to deter me from wanting to drink a few glasses of red. 2013 was an early vintage and low in yield yet the quality of the fruit that was picked for Leconfield is exceptional. It is rare for such a fresh wine to be ready to drink so soon but it certainly is. Decanted and drunk.
I normally organise some nice food when I drink but I simply didn't need to. The Leconfield Shiraz 2013 is densely red in colour with raspberry and spices coming through the subtle hints of vanilla.
The French oak has balanced the smooth tannins and I know the wine will age well over the next few years. It is such a delicious, tidy number now so you will need to be disciplined. Tape up the box, write your name and ‘moscato’ in large letters and store it at your friends place.
Silky, vibrant and elegant.
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- Spring time and sangiovese are as good a pairing as David Bowie and Major Tom, something different yet it warms the cockles of your taste-buds. Chalk Hill Sangiovese 2013 is a bright, strong red colour with dark cherries and dried flowers on the nose. The beer while cooking had gone down well but I felt like a wine that wasn’t too big or bold would be a good addition to meal time. The tannins were firm so I double decanted it which opened up the dark cherries from the nose to a delicious blackforest cake on the palate. I had enough ingredients to make a second burger but decided that a fourth glass of the Chalk Hill Sangiovese would be my dessert. Finishing the bottle was a good choice. Make a good choice for yourself and buy half a dozen for spring and summer time. Chalk Hill, you have really made the grade. [caption id="attachment_1406" align="aligncenter" width="480"]Read more
- 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.Read more
- Read morePerhaps little known at the minute around the mass Australian wine market but Fiano is becoming a firm favourite around friends and family at my house. Coriole’s 2013 vintage is helping the cause to no end with a wine that is a balance of fresh crisp citrus, stone fruit and textural body weight. The result is the perfect wine for a Sunday afternoon of Italian gluttony as you reach for another helping of the Shellfish and saffron risotto that you don’t need but can’t resist. More complex and interesting than many other whites around but with enough zest and life to appeal to the scenesters, who just want to sit, sip and be seen! Add Fiano to the list of things Naples has given us, a list that includes the humble Pizza and the beginning of the downfall of soccer great Maradonna!
- Read moreThe north of Italy is rich in earthy medium bodied wine varietals and if I had my way I’d spend my retirement in the Langhe region of Piedmont bathing Nebiollo and Barbera and doing nothing much but tending my small olive grove…….Wait, this is meant to be about Coriole’s 2013 Barbera not my dreams, however the two are entwined as by about the second glass I found I had stopped listening to the dinner conversation and had drifted off to the aforementioned daydream to the point where I nearly rested my feet up on the table and took a nap. First whiffs of sour cherry and spice are complimented by an earthiness that’s hidden by the vibrant colour and nose of the wine, by the second and third glass the wine had opened and the balance between the sour vibrant cherry and the savoury earthy notes had taken the wine to a beautiful balance and a very enjoyable night that had me reaching for another bottle for the table.
- Read more*Read this humming to the tunes of Dino Paul Crocetti……Maybe it’s Coriole’s love and pioneering of Italian Varietals, maybe it’s the idea of sitting under the vines outside the homestead overlooking the vale on a summers day or maybe it’s just a romanticised wine lover who can’t help but entwine his wine memories to a sound track. But I think of Coriole and I think of sipping a big glass of Nebiollo or Barbera whilst sitting in my deck chair eating olives and cured meat listening to the crooners and reminiscing about the old days. Est in 1967 and working off vines planted around 1919 the Lloyd family began Coriole vineyards and to this day is still in the hand of the Lloyd family. Always keeping up with the times, Coriole’s first release was a 1970 Claret before moving into unchartered territory in the mid 80’s by planting the Italian varietal Sangiovese. The Lloyds
- Read moreContinuing to bolster the reputation for the McLaren Vale area producing outstanding GSMs Lino’s Grenache 48% Shiraz 32% Mouverdre 20% the Treadlie pinches grapes from Don Olivers Seaview Road Block and offers a rich spicy blend with wafts of vanilla from time spent in French oak cask, a hint of earthiness and tobacco helps to balance the juicy fruit from the shiraz and more than enough white pepper to add a spice and complexity.
- Read moreThe Ludo Rousanne 58% Marsanne 26% Viognier 16% is textural blend that is full of luscious fruit and creamy goodness that shows off the winemakers skill in blending to keep the wine from over richness. There’s enough citrus zing here to balance the textural depth of the wine. Hand picked from Leconfield’s Little Road Block off 12 year old vines the grapes are then whole bunch pressed before spending 10 months in old French oak.
- Read moreChildhood laughs, the wondrous joy of conquering the impossible when you’re 4 ft high and enjoying life the simple way seem to be the driving force behind two winemakers who do more for the art of friendship than the Milo and Otis movie.More rock collaboration between David Bowie and well anyone, Andy Coppard and Angela Townsends Lino Ramble 2012 vintage was their debut and it’s definitely more Under Pressure than Kiss and Michael Bolton’s 1989 power-ballad Forever. At just over a year old, Lino Ramble encapsulates all that winemaking should be about - finding good fruit and turning it into beautiful wine with minimal fuss and minimal handling. As with a number of their contemporaries, Andy and Angela have spent many a year working for someone else until the opportunity came by to take the leap of faith that is putting your money where your mouth is, and boy have they the mouth to back up the money. Currently on the greatest
- 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
- I love this time of year, mild Autumn weather sets in and a vigneron’s thoughts turn to getting precious fruit off the vine and into winery. This conjures for many wine drinkers a romantic notion of wine maker or grower walking through the vineyard chewing on a grape or two, a thoughtful look at the sky then a knowing nod to the vineyard manager that ‘it’s time’. The reality is somewhat different as I experienced again this year in McLaren vale as assistant dog’s body at Five Lazy Acres (nee Killibinbin Sandtrap), owned and operated by Liz and Ritchie Smith. It was an early start and we were out in the vineyard at 4am as the harvester started its rounds, the real back breaking work hadn’t started for us yet but I could see the stress levels rising as Ritchie began calculating in his head how much fruit was coming off and what it was going to convert to in real volume and ultimately income. Noel, senior member of the picking crew stood next to us stillRead more
- I was lucky enough to go to Day on the Green at Leconfield Wines, McLaren Vale on the 27th of Jan. A massive lineup starting with Stephen Cummings; a great songwriter but not on top of his game this day. Maybe he could have used a glass or 2 of the Hamilton Cab 2011. I had a couple on the day and it is looking particularly tasty. Sunnyboys belted out their melodic teen angsty pop-rock, and the band were all in fine form. Some seriously snaky riffs slithered off the fretboard. Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons were decent, apart from the Wilbur Wilde/Joe Camilleri schtick - trading fat jokes in the intro to ‘Shape I’m In’ which conjured memories of the Hey Hey It’s Saturday revival. They sure play nicely together with their horns out tho. Tex Perkins and the Dark Horses were loquacious and limber loosey goosey - with some ripper tunes, Tex in spectacular voice and swagger, James Cruikshank beautifully nuanced on the geetar … much like the Hamilton Slate QuarryRead more