Category Archives: Red

Karra Yerta Sparkling Shiraz NV

Posted on by
7

It’s Christmas day and I’m taking time out between preparing lunch and relaxing to note my reaction to this wine, just opened and to be consumed with the main meal (in my case, confit of duck). 

A joyous gush of mousse, quite electric in its vibrancy and pleasingly voluminous. I can’t help smiling at the lurid purple of many sparkling Shiraz wines; this one had me grinning like the Cheshire Cat. This isn’t a tits-out style, though. The nose is subtle, showing spice, tart blackberries, a hint of fortified wine, some aged characters and a general impression of complexity combined with fresh berry juice. 
The palate is equally measured, showing real elegance despite the fizz. Mercifully, it’s not a sweet wine; in fact, the savouriness of the flavour profile combined with chalky, abundant tannins creates quite the opposite impression. It’s all quite intense; more blackberries, spice and various oak-derived flavours mix on the middle palate. Riding above it all is a clean juiciness that smoothes over the wine’s sophisticated framework, ensuring you could just as easily linger over each sip as slam it down fast, per your mood or the occasion. 
Very glad to have the opportunity to taste this wine on a special day of the year; I believe only twenty cases exist. Make haste. And Merry Christmas to you all.

Karra Yerta Wines
Price: $A35
Closure: Crown seal
Source: Sample

Lapostolle Casa Merlot 2007

Posted on by
Reply

This wine is all kinds of lovely. It smells of black olives, tapenade, oregano, lemon myrtle, smoke, and red fruits. It’s all rather complex, with a real sense of style. It tastes expensive: very bright acidity working in tandem with a sort of thick, almost yeasty body with smoky barrel notes and a fine sweetness finishing on a firmly tannic note. It’s almost as if there were such a thing as sugar-glazed black peppercorns: it’s all rich smoky sweetness, absolutely lovely. The finish really does coat your mouth with tannin, though, so if you’re drinking some of this, it would really, really help to have some steak handy.I drank a couple of New World wines last week – a $25 bottle from Napa and a $25 bottle from Mendoza – and although both of them had rich, round fruit and high alcohol, they weren’t anywhere near as pleasing as this wine is. I’m sensing not only restraint in the alcohol department but also a willingness to avoid industrial yeasts and simple, primary fruit flavors. This winery makes a wine this complex look easy. Lapostolle

Closure: Cork
Source: Gift

Undurraga Sibaris Reserva Especial – Carménère 2007

Posted on by
Reply

I visited this winery this morning – more on that in later post – and noticed that they were entirely sold out of this one particular wine, which I figured for a good omen.At first, this wine smelled like bacon-wrapped dates to me. It’s definitely Carménère, no doubt about it: kind of a smoky, dark wine, nearly black in color, with a suggestion of sweet caramel. There’s also a possibly unattractive note here, slightly sulfurous, but not enough to make a real difference, at least not to me. All in all, it smells pretty darn good. As a drink, though, this is unfortunately not as good as the other Carménère I’ve tried so far: compared to the Miguel Torres wine at the same price, it’s slightly smoother, with less acidity; as a result, it seems just a bit less interesting. There’s a kick of tannin at the end and some definite charred barrel notes, but it just doesn’t quite work for me – I would have added more acid to the must for sure, hoping to give it more of a balance between the sweet fruit and smoky barrel notes. As it stands, though, it’s just fine – no wonder it’s sold out – and certainly good value. Undurraga
Price: $9
Closure: Cork
Source: Gift

Pig in the House Shiraz 2008

Posted on by
Reply

An organic (certified) wine from the Cowra region; 440 cases made. Quite a few producers in this region seem to be pursuing an organic and/or biodynamic approach. Probably not a bad way to define a winemaking community at the moment. I remember only a few years ago organic wines seemed to be held in distinctly low regard.

This is an entirely fruit-driven style that seems designed for immediate, unpretentious pleasure, and in this goal it succeeds admirably. The nose shows expressive dark plums and raspberries, some brambles and just a hint of spice. The fruit seems sweet, and verges on confectionary, but in this context works well. 
In the mouth, a big rush of fruit flavour. The entry is very flavoursome, with dark berries and a sense of immediacy that speaks of freshness and the happy bursting of blueberries. Things only get fresher and fruitier towards the middle palate, though at this point one also realises there are some chocolate-like tannins that are quite assertive and which certainly hold things together. The fruit, again, almost expresses that industrial confectionary edge, but pulls back just in time. Berries and chocolate sauce on the after palate, before a surprisingly long finish of slightly rustic dryness.
A straightforward, attractive wine that seems ideally suited to easy drinking. I’d prefer a lower price, but there’s no doubting this is a fun, well-made wine.

Pig in the House
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2007

Posted on by
1

It it possible to smell technical winemaking? Do you ever open a bottle and catch yourself wondering if Mega Purple has some kind of tell-tale aroma associated with it? I almost did for a second there, but then I found myself wondering if it wasn’t some kind of greenness I was smelling instead: there seem to be definite hints of green bell pepper here, which seems a little weird given that it’s nearly 15% alcohol. Huh.Beyond that, I don’t get much out of the nose other than an odd, almost smoky, faintly medicinal aroma that I’m not sure I like. Thankfully, it tastes better than it smells; yes, the wine seems strangely narrow at first, but broadens out somewhat to a pleasantly grapey finish with an interesting note of fresh herbs. It could use more extract, more tannin, more something – or it could just be a food wine, in which case it’s alternately admirably restrained. On the whole, though, the wine strikes me as generally sound, well-made, and not particularly interesting save for the finish, which does last quite a while and which offers definite interest (it’s now moved on to a smoky butterscotch note juxtaposed against meaty violets, not at all bad).I’m headed to Chile next week on vacation and hope to drink well while I’m down there; until then, this wine has got me wondering why I haven’t bought a Chilean wine in years. This ain’t half bad.Santa Rita
Price: $8
Closure: Cork
Source: Gift

Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz 2008

Posted on by
5

The second release of this wine, again made from non-Estate fruit. I really enjoyed the previous vintage; it struck me as both quite Canberran but also refreshingly different from the flagship Shiraz Viognier label. The 2008 continues in this vein.

This seems a bit quieter and more resolved than the 2007. I recall the earlier wine as lively, edgy and bright. This, while firmly red-fruited and medium bodied, seems composed and calm too. The nose shows what appears to be whole bunch characters, with a funky stalkiness that never entirely blows off, even as it integrates with intense black pepper and spiced plum fruit. The aroma profile is quite complex, though it’s not one of those wines that feels the need to parade its complexity in the precocious manner of a contestant in a toddler’s beauty pageant. 
The palate is soothingly resolved, remarkably so for such a young wine. There’s plenty of up-front flavour, more spice and red fruit along with an umami influence that adds a particular deliciousness to the flavour profile. The middle palate gets a bit brighter, with acid driving a relatively high toned set of flavours that are generous without ever entirely relaxing on the tongue. The stalk-like notes translate here as a medicinal influence, attractive and sympathetic to the fruit flavours. A nimble after palate and finish round things off well, with good length.
Very attractive, satisfying wine with excellent drinkability. In time, it may improve and gain greater presence across the spectrum of its flavours, from top to bottom. I would not feel guilty about drinking it now, though, as there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had in the immediate term. 
Update: after two days, this has filled out beautifully without losing an ounce of elegance. Super wine.

Clonakilla
Price: $A35
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Retail

Yalumba Hand Picked Barossa Shiraz + Viognier 2001

Posted on by
Reply

Dusty roasted cocoa nibs come to mind, backed with the residue of children’s fruit leather that was forgotten underneath the front seat of a minivan for months: dusty-sweet with faint memories of summertime. The taste, however, seems at odds with the way the wine smells, brightly acidic and with a midpalate reminiscent of a general store pickle barrel, the wine is strangely fascinating, with a spiky, velvety texture that spreads out to a long finish of patent medicines and schmoozingly-textured tannin. This is a real odd duck of a wine: far from elderly, it seems to be holding on just fine eight years after harvest. I’m not sure if I like it, but I respect it: this is a fairly crowded category (South Australian shiraz) and this is one of the most unique bottles I’ve tasted. It’s not jammy raspberry motor oil, it’s not archaeo-funky Rockford, and it’s not Côte-Rôtie light, but something entirely other. I imagine this would pair very well with Japanese food that features grilled mackerel and other umami-intensive foodstuffs: there’s a certain cogency nere with savory, grilled, fishy, salty foods that’s intensely appealing once you get over the shock of it not being like something you’ve had before. Whoever made this wine should be damn proud of what they’ve achieved here. Yalumba
Price: $28
Closure: Cork
Source: Retail

Mulyan Block 9 Shiraz Viognier 2007

Posted on by
2

Some wines tread a fine line between angular and offputting. This wine (or this bottle) is certainly a good example; at least at first, where the overriding impression is one of tacky New Zealand geothermal theme parks (“Craters of the Moon!”) and mud. But just as I was about to reach for the term “European” to describe what felt like a borderline faulty wine, it has zapped into focus, becoming a peppery, meaty expression of Shiraz Viognier that is decidedly improving with air.

Full-on pepper steak aromas smother core of dense berry fruit, quite dark in character and brambly in expression. The aroma is actually quite fascinating in its cacophony; I can’t decide whether it’s disjointed or a radically different interpretation of coherence. I suppose that it prompts such aesthetic flights of fancy is a point in its favour, irrespective of taste.
The palate is also curiously styled, with a plump apricot presence alongside red berries and more cooked steak. It’s flavoursome for sure; the entry has good immediacy and zips along in the mouth, thanks mostly to some fairly prominent acidity. The middle palate relaxes a little, though it’s still bright. Medium bodied, this wine’s mouthfeel is slippery despite the acid, and reminds me a little of the way apricots feel when you bite into a ripe one. Fruit character is quite sweet, which is a provocative counterpart to the funky, meaty notes and makes for a flavour profile that is full of contradictions. Good continuity through the after palate, and a nice flourish on the finish helps berry flavour to linger on for a good while.
Despite its oddity, I’m fascinated by this wine. Its profile is far from conventional, and tends towards exaggeration. But it’s also more beautiful than many conventionally styled wines. 

Mulyan Wines
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Posted on by
Reply

There are lots of nice things about this wine, but I just can’t get over the tannins. They are awesome. 

I’ve been tasting this over three nights and only now, on the third evening, is it beginning to tire. The nose shows as much sweet earth as it does Cabernet cassis and leaf, so one might describe this expression of the grape as “regional.” As an aside, I find certain regions quite fascinating for the overriding effect they seem to have on some varieties. Hunter does it to reds, and so does Canberra. They taste more of their geographic provenance than anything else, and so it is too with this wine. There’s ample volume and expressiveness here, which conspire to deliver a wine one doesn’t easily tire of smelling.
In the mouth, a velvet ride of sweet tannin plushness. There’s more than just tannin, of course, but I keep coming back to them as the foundation, both structural and aesthetic, of this wine. On entry, immediate red fruited goodness pushed along by fine, balanced acidity and a twang of orange juice-like sourness. Everything comes together on the middle palate, clean fruit colliding with rich soil and a hint of unexpected minerality. Texturally, an abundance of ripe tannins provides both firmness and a sense of luxury. The whole is medium bodied, with good balance and an overarching sense of down home drinkability. The after palate and finish are admirably focused, with both fruit and structure moving seamlessly through the mouth and lingering on in the form of Angostura Bitters flavour and a dry, more-ish mouthfeel.
Really nice wine, and exceptional value considering its pedigree and character. The regional style may not be to everyone’s taste, but it appeals to me greatly. 

Tahbilk
Price: $A20
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Ridge Zinfandel East Bench 2007

Posted on by
1

There’s a state historic park here in California that covers an old town by the name of Columbia. It’s up in gold rush country a couple hours east of San Francisco, up in the foothills where prospectors first struck gold right around the middle of the 18th century. One of the things I most remember about Columbia – other than having first drunk sherry there long before it was legal for me to have done so – was Nelson’s Columbia Candy Kitchen, which was undeniably awesome when I was a wee pup. As I remember it – and this may well have nothing to do with the place as it actually exists – it was a large, cavernous place with wooden floors and a heavy smell in the air of sweet things: candy apples, candy buttons, horehound, taffy, oddball things you don’t see much these days. It smelled of grandmotherly hard candies, of cherries there only to hind the medicine hiding behind the surface. It smelled of abandoned paperboard suitcases, starched shirt collars, and residue scraped off of antimacassars. In short, it smelled… adult.Similarly, this Ridge wine crosses over from simple cherry-candy over to liniment and unguents only to pause for a second and then head right back over to bright cherry-berry fruit. There’s just a hint of a fresh-coconut note there as well, injecting humor into it all; this could pass for a Trader Vic’s concoction even though I doubt it’d taste better in a Tiki mug.It’s a beautiful deep-black crimson; again, it looks like something of another time, less like wine than tonic. There’s also a mesmerizing note of Christmas pudding, of dates and brandy and spice. One sip, though, and you’re transported into something far more outré than imagined: this wine is frickin’ huge, simultaneously fruity, bracing, lush, and yet strangely well within balance, relatively high alcohol and extract notwithstanding. Definitely porty to an extent, the wine drinks relatively straightforwardly until the finish, which is something like prune salt-water taffy (think richly fruited and yet not as sweet as it smells) and lasts for what seems nearly an eternity. All the while, there’s enough tannin here to ground it ever so lightly; at times, it seems like the acidity’s just a wee bit out of balance but that’s a minor quibble. This wine succeeds where so many others fail: it’s rich, complex, affordable, and also very much typical of a place (in this case, the Dry Creek Valley). Yes, California is well known for Napa cabernet sauvignon, but it’s wines like this that I think are our real strength: there are plenty of places that grow good cabernet, but only a handful where Zinfandel shines so beautifully as it does here.Ridge
Price: $30
Closure: Cork
Source: Retail