tasting

Debate rages currently over the merits and pitfalls of various wine closures. Cork has the longest tradition of usage and the best examples are considered a very good option for long-term wine storage. Cork, at its best and free from taint will allow a wine to age gracefully for up to 25 years. Unfortunately, not all corks are alike, some will fail earlier than this time. The application process can also sometimes result in damage to the external surface of the cork, causing very slow leakage and/or quicker oxidation of the wine. This is particularly upsetting if you like to drink your wines with a little age on them. The longer you age, the higher the chances that some of your ‘rainy day’ wines will be affected by random bottle oxidation. It is a popular myth that cork allows a slow, flavour positive exchange between wine and oxygen. Cork is chosen for its ability to prevent additional oxygen from affecting wine once in bottle. Wine in bottle will contain a very small amount

I'm a hospitality child, I've spent my fair share of time running restaurants and hotels, and for me a part of the romance of presenting wine at a table was the unveiling of the wine. The time it took to present, uncork and, if needed, decant the wine at the table added to the experience of the evening. It also gave you a chance to connect with the customer. I still get a buzz from uncorking a wine, there is and will always be an inherently exciting aspect to the moment of anticipation as you wait to see how the wine has reacted in the bottle. It is a completely different experience with a waiter who cracks your bottle at the table sounding like a tinny of VB. Think of cork as the vinyl of the wine world, as with the invention of the cassette tape then the cd things have been invented that arguably are better for the wine long term, but nothing comes close to real sensory feel and experience you get with the classics. Go home tonight put on a vinyl, slowly uncork a bottle of your favourite

I must be talking about Durif aka Petit Sirah right? I often describe Durif to the uninitiated as 'Merlot on steroids' at which point they say 'is it Merlot?'... Okay, I'll explain myself a little better. Durif is one of my favourites because even in its youth the nose is generous and very 'pretty', a very attractive drink until you start wrestling with the often massive drying tannins and high alcohol. Not everyone that makes it finds the balance but a couple come to mind. 919 Durif from Glossup has a beautiful nose of violets and blue fruits with a firm but balanced mouthfeel. Stunning! Kalleske has achieved the same stunning nose but at this point in its life (give it a year or 2) the palate menaces with dry gripping tannins so drinker beware. If drinking big ballsy Shiraz isn't blowing your hair back any more, grab the Kalleske Durif, break out the latex, don the mask and make sure everyone in the room knows the safety word. [caption id="attachment_1340" align="aligncenter"

For those of you who think it would be great to have a gig where extensive wine tasting is a job requirement.... just spare a thought for the crew here at Wine Direct on those days when there are dozens of wines lined up to be tasted. And would you believe it’s like trying to herd cats to get us all together in one hit to get on with the task in hand??? Nah, seriously...we love our work and wouldn’t swap it for quids. There are bloody good wines aplenty lined up which we happily slurp, swill and spit. Yes, it’s time to get the Tasting Panel hard at work to select great wines that we can offer you at a great deal...... the hardest part is deciding where to start. [caption id="attachment_1317" align="aligncenter" width="452"]

Ahh Phil, off on another sales trip interstate, so the rest of the team thought we might open up a 20yo Yarra Yering courtesy of Mark Bracken’s cellar (thanks Markie). We thought maybe we’d taunt Phil a bit, while he was on the road, enjoying chicken dinners and polyester bedspreads. So we sent him off this photo of us drinking a spot of Yarra Yering and munching of a few lovely cheeses (thanks Ali). The wine looked good, if a bit tired, still great acidity and pleasing sweetness of fruit. It had lost a bit of its high strung fruit and settled into its dotage though. Still bloody good for an Aussie Pinot well past being old enough to drink itself without having to show ID. Anyways. We told Phil it was the best Pinot we’d seen in years, and sent him this photo. Ahh, Fridays in the office, can’t beat em! [caption id="attachment_1314" align="aligncenter" width="452"]

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. 

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