Full Pour: Search Results

Scarborough Blue Label Chardonnay 2009

20 Aug 2010

Though just as generously flavoursome as its Yellow Label sibling, this wine is made in quite a different style, more aligned to the contemporary idiom. There's no new oak, its fruit is crisp and fresh, its complexity apparently lees-derived with only partial malolactic fermentation.

The nose is crisp, flinty aromas overlaying white nectarine and some funk, possibly sulfurous in nature. Its impact is savoury and rather chiselled; this doesn't present as an especially buxom style. But there's a nice depth to the aroma that prevents it from being an exclusively high toned aroma profile.

The palate shows some richer fruit alongside a continuation of the nose's savouriness. Entry is very flavoursome, an initially crisp mouthfeel becoming glossier and fuller towards the middle palate. A nice array of fruit flavours fans out here; there's citrus and peach in equal measure, with just a hint of butterscotch. Mouthfeel is especially interesting, showing good texture and detail in a contradictorily soft package. A fresh herbal twang asserts through the after palate. The finish is sharp and lengthy.

An attractive style, well executed and priced.

Scarborough
Price: $A19
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Scarborough Yellow Label Chardonnay 2007

9 Aug 2010

Chardonnay, let alone Hunter Chardonnay, is hardly at the vanguard of vinous fashion, so one could be forgiven for greeting this Scarborough wine a shrug. It pays to remember, though, the Hunter has a special place in the history of Australian Chardonnay, and continues to be the home of two of Australia's more sought after peaches: the Lake's Folly white and Tyrrell's Vat 47. Scarborough is something of a Chardonnay specialist, having earned an enviable reputation for this varietal, so I approached this wine with high expectations.

The nose is fresh and clean, showing aromas of butter, peach, a little bit of minerality, perhaps a herbal twang and some smokey toast. Complex, then, but its buttery balance speaks more of enjoyment than analysis. I like that the oak is subdued, the wine appearing to rely more on fruit character and other forms of winemaking input (some lees work, I suspect) to achieve its aroma profile.

The palate takes a step up in expressiveness, being quite rich and full-flavoured. Entry is strikingly flavoursome, a nice spectrum of peach, citrus and butter notes caressing the tongue and paving the way for a middle palate that is quite flooded with fruit. The flavours are very clean at this point, showing good definition and shape, supported by easygoing acidity. I feel this wine's textural dimension, though, isn't quite balanced, being too reticent and consequently somewhat overwhelmed by the fullness of the fruit flavour. I'd like to feel a bit more mealiness on my tongue on the mid-palate, which would add more sophistication to the palate structure. The after palate does offer a bit more in this regard, and this helps carry the wine through a finish that seemed a bit hot to me.

Lovely fruit here, made in a gloriously unfashionable style that I admit to enjoying more often than not. It's not over the top, simply generous and warm. Very well priced.

Scarborough
Price: $A21
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Gardners Ground Merlot 2008

20 Jul 2010

Onwards with my train wreck obsession with Australian Merlot. This one's from the Cowra region (well, Canowindra actually) and is a pretty good rendition of a quaffing red. A bonus is that it's organic.

The nose is robust and relatively complex, with juicy, jube-like blackberries, crushed ants, subtle oak and a bit of snapped twig for good measure. The straightforward fruit flavours are pleasing enough, but what I like most is the savoury notes are quite assertive, bringing interest and an edge to an otherwise plump aroma profile.

The palate shows similar characters and a pleasingly rough mouthfeel. Entry is quiet, the most significant influence being quite bright acid. Fruit weight builds towards the middle palate, and there's a fun medicinal edge to the flavour profile. I like the rustic savouriness of the flavours; there's a sappy, wood-like note that comes across as dirty, in a positive sense. The main issue I have with the palate is what appears to be an excess of residual sugar, which adds body but also prevents the wine from reaching an extreme of style that I'd be interested in experiencing. Still, it's well judged for pleasurable, mid-week drinking. And I'm not going to argue too much with that.

Gardners Ground
Price: $A19.95
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Mulyan Cowra Shiraz 2007

18 Jul 2010

It must be a Mulyan thing; the reaction I'm having to this wine is quite similar to that I experienced when tasting the 07 Block 9 Shiraz Viognier: fascination mixed with a sense of the wine sitting out on a limb in terms of correctness. I may be completely off the mark, but my first impression was "stuck ferment", though I hasten to add the offending aromas have blown off to reveal a much cleaner wine. Certainly, if you try this wine, give it a chance to show the positive side of its character.

The nose is peppery and meaty, with ripe blackberries wedged into the spaces that remain. Pretty classic cool climate Shiraz aromas, in fact, though certainly on the wilder side, with less floral spice and more meat than some. There's something masculine, almost brutal, about this aroma profile, but whatever one might think of the styling, my feeling is there's an intent and sophistication here that sits well above the wine's $20 price point.

The palate is nicely textured, with well integrated acidity and loose knit tannins that run most of the wine's length. Entry is positive and fruit-driven, flavours becoming more complex towards the middle palate. This is a medium bodied wine, showing moderately intense flavours in the context of an edgy, slightly aggressive architecture. A bright after palate is full of blackberries and pepper steak. The finish is reasonable.

It's impossible to dismiss this wine, despite that it comes across as over-eager and lacking the poise one might wish for. In some ways, it has me stumped. But I simply can't discount it. Well worth trying, especially at the price.

Mulyan Wines
Price: $A20
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Thomas DJV Shiraz 2007

13 Jul 2010

I bought some of this ages ago on the strength of some writeups but this is the first time I've sat down to taste it. What interested me about this wine -- and it was a sufficient hook to prompt me to buy untasted -- was a stated intent to create an "old school" Hunter red, lighter in body and acidified courtesy of Semillon rather than tartaric acid from a packet. All this by one of the hottest producers in the Hunter Valley, a region whose wines I enjoy beyond reasonable measure.

The nose is fleet yet intense, with floral notes, crunchy red berries, nutty caramel oak and a light dash of regional red dirt. A hint of minerality too? Perhaps. This is an elegant aroma profile in all respects, not battering the senses but rather suggesting its character slowly, building complexity as it speaks.

The palate does that wonderful Pinot-like trick of combining fabulous impact and intensity with deceptively light structure and body. Anyone who tends to mistake weight for substance should have sip of this wine. Entry is quite tingly, with bright red fruits and assertive acidity winding around each other towards the middle palate, where the flavours open out a bit. There's a curiously juicy green streak here -- green in the sense of flower stalks and the sap of succulents -- that creates a really fresh overlay to more red fruit and dirt. The tannin-derived texture is fabulous, being light and loose yet even at the same time. Intense flavours ride right through the after palate and finish.

What a curious wine; it seems so modest in its styling, yet shows all the hallmarks of quality: complexity, intensity, persistence. Surely one to follow.

Thomas Wines
Price: $A35
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Retail

Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 2008

11 Jun 2010

The Lovedale label is dear to my heart. Not only did the 95 turn me on the peculiar waxy mouthfeel that aged Hunter Semillon can sometimes show, but the 96 was the first wine I wrote up on Full Pour.

Oh, and it's generally a bloody good drop too. This one is not yet released. Interestingly for a wine style that tends to do quite well at the Sydney Royal Wine Show, this comprehensively failed to win any medals in its class in the 2009 show. On the basis of this tasting, it's slightly atypical in its softness, and perhaps showing some of the coolness of the season in its flavour profile, but still an excellent wine.

Still full of CO2 spritz. Over an hour after pouring my first glass, there are still plenty of bubbles apparent and a noticeable influence on both nose and palate. Looking past the sparkling mineral water character, the aroma is already complex, if a bit all over the place. There's lemon rind, toast, herbs and grass. I'm always impressed when young Hunter Semillon shows a range of flavours, as the best ones tend to do. The definition is slightly hazier than I'd like, but it's expressive and seems built to accumulate aged notes.

Palate is very nicely structured. Quite full on entry, with a softness to the mouthfeel that temporarily masks a thrust of citrus fruit that shoots out from underneath and carries right down the line. More cut grass and pithy citrus; there's good detail to the flavour profile, and it's all quite lively thanks to the spritz and a firm, sherbet-like line of acid. It's pretty young and raw, again with a haze of softness that drifts over the whole and adds a pretty, perfume-like influence to the wine. Excellent length.

Not remotely ready to drink, but should be fun with a few more years' bottle age. Nice to see this with a screw cap.

McWilliams Mount Pleasant
Price: $NA
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Windowrie The Mill Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2009

5 Jun 2010

Some bottles I look at and presume, for one reason or another, I won't be writing up. This - being a blend of which I'm not terribly fond - was one of them. But drinking it now, nicely chilled, I'm finding it really well made, so thought I'd jot down a quick note.

These wines are made for immediate quaffing, so to my mind need a particular balance of fruit, structure and (let's face it) residual sweetness to faciliate their function. The nose is promising, with a shock of cut grass atop quite rounded fruit. There are hints of lychee and paw paw, along with the sharper passionfruit-like aromas one might expect from Sauvignon Blanc. Just pungent enough, fresh-smelling, and well-balanced. So far so good.

The palate follows through admirably. These sorts of wines aren't going to break any records for complexity, but there's still a bit going on here, with generous-enough fruit flavours running all the way along the line, propped up by slightly vicious acidity and a dollop of puppy fat to smooth the edges. I think there's a bit of residual sugar -- I find it well-judged -- adding weight to the fruit without turning the flavours candied.

Nice quaffer. Well done.

Windowrie
Price: $A16.99
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Printhie Shiraz 2008

14 May 2010

Packaging is certainly the goods; nice label and a sensibly weighted bottle.

The aroma shows gentle spice and a floral element, all wrapped around a heady but slightly confectionary berry fruit mix, with oak aromas that sit in a lump alongside the fruit. There's plenty of immediacy on offer, even if the aroma profile wears its commercial heart on its sleeve a little much for my liking. To be fair, the spice here is interesting and attractive, and the oak character well matched to it.

Similar contradictions on the palate, which shows a bit much sweetness for me. There's a slippery viscosity as well, which suggests some Viognier may be part of the mix. Nothing on the bottle to suggest it, though, so who knows? Entry is gentle and flavoursome, with dark berries and icing sugar sweetness continuing through the middle palate, which simplifies its expression to a clean plum jam note and some nutty oak. Some nice tannins and lively, orange juice acidity on the after palate break through an overly glossy mid-palate mouthfeel, before a sappy, slightly astringent finish takes over.

This is a very solid commercial style for not much money; my only wish is that it were more characterful. Orange has the makings of a distinctive cool climate wine region, and as a wine lover I yearn to see that distinctiveness present in all the region's wines, from top to bottom.

Printhie
Price: $A17
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Dindima Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2005

5 May 2010

Interesting wine on paper, this. It's a new release wine yet, at five years of age, relatively old to be so. Not that this is a bad thing; one could argue a lot of red wines are released way too young. Still, it does raise interesting questions even before tasting around style and intent. To the wine, then.

Decidedly herbaceous. Not breathtakingly so, and whether you will find its piercing cut grass and mulch notes objectionable will likely depend on your tolerance for Bordeaux blends on the leaner, greener side of things. There are also aromas of (slightly too much) vanilla and and dark, concentrated fruits, sort of cherry-like but deeper than this descriptor suggests.

The palate shows considerable tannin and I suspect this is one reason why the wine has been held back for release. Entry is lean and slippery, and the middle palate does not build much in terms of volume. There's an intense, focused streak of fruit right down the middle of the line; this feels pretty austere. Chalky tannins build through the middle and after palates, I question whether they are fully ripe; like the nose, it's all a bit edgy without being completely over the top. Quite a long finish, all told.

A marginal wine that I suspect will divide drinkers. I like its brightness and focus, but acknowledge it will be a bit too lean for some.

Dindima
Price: $A35
Closure: Diam
Source: Sample

Moppity Vineyards Chardonnay 2008

24 Apr 2010

Though this producer is based in Hilltops, the fruit for this wine was sourced from Tumbarumba. Curious region. It would have to be one of our lower profile regions, yet carries a reputation for exceptional Chardonnay (amongst other things), its fruit often ending up in premium Penfolds table wines, for example. It's a beautiful part of the world too, and part of me wonders how special a destination it might become should a critical mass of cellar doors ever be achieved. I can think of worse places to visit.

Anyway, to the wine itself, which is a good rendition of lean Chardonnay in a contemporary Australian idiom. I thought at first sniff it was quite worked, and it's true there's some winemaking going on, but as I've continued to smell this, its fruit has come to the fore, pushing past some mealy and lightly oaked flavours. There's white nectarine and a bit of grapefruit mostly, clean and fleshy.

The palate shows impressive power; it's at this stage I am prompted to reflect on the price of this wine and conclude there's an awful lot of value here. Real thrust onto the tongue, with preserved lemons and stonefruit flowing freely, followed quickly by some higher toned flavours, including roasted nuts and oatmeal. The point is, it's coherent and strong, with good presence in the mouth and a real sense of dashing and style. There's perhaps a lack of subtlety, an absence of light and shade, that separates this from the next tier of wines. But what's here is so convincing, it's hard not to enjoy.

A really worthwhile wine.

Moppity Vineyards
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Patina Pinot Gris 2008

23 Apr 2010

I'm shallow and pretentious; there's no other explanation for leaving this wine untouched at the bottom of the sample pile for so long. In my defense, some kind of filter is more or less a necessity when there's so much wine out there; one can't simply taste it all. And if I instinctively gravitate towards varieties and regions I am experienced with and attracted to, is this really so wrong?

It is if I miss out on nice wines. This bottle is a lesson in something unexpected (Pinot Gris d'Orange?) turning out to be bloody good. Perhaps not so unexpected, though; Orange has been steadily working its way towards some serious cool climate cred over the past few years, and Pinot Gris is a variety I usually prefer to drink when made into a wine that retains some elegance and shape. Add some clever winemaking and you're almost there.

The rest comes through on tasting. The aroma is full and lush, with a sharp edge of citrus helping notes of subtle oatmeal and stonefruit to express with fresh vitality. There's real complexity and depth to this wine's smell, which is both unexpected and fascinating. I'm not used to tasting a reasonably-priced Pinot Gris with such character. It's reads as an odd combination of Hunter Semillon and slighty busty Chardonnay, but with its own sense of integrity.

On entry, an immediate rush of fruit flavour and a level of intensity that confirms the nose isn't a fluke. Flavours are simple and citrus-driven at first, building towards a lees-influenced middle palate that takes several steps up in sophistication. While it's a bit of a sledgehammer of a wine, and its fruit flavours show a little too much sweetness for my taste, there's good detail in its flavour profile and several layers to its texture. Mealy stonefruit peaks through the after palate, and the finish is impressively long.

What a pleasant surprise. Went exceptionally well with a simple omelette of ocean trout and goat's cheese.

Patina
Price: $A22
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Gardners Ground Shiraz 2008

18 Apr 2010

I don't know much about this producer other than what I'm reading on the bottle (and website): based in Canowindra, organic viticulture, reasonably priced. Again, I'm struck by the number of producers in this region who are overtly pursuing organics.

First impressions are of overripeness, but this freshens quickly to show an aroma of savoury black fruits, gentle spice, a hint of volatility and cuddly oak. I don't find it especially complex but it's friendly and home-made in a positive sense. My key criticism of the aroma profile is that it is a bit blunt, lacking the finesse I'd ideally like to see. However, the spice is lovely and there's no shortage of expressiveness.

The palate adds some lively acidity into the mix, and this helps the wine to express more sprightly fruit. Quite a flavoursome entry, with prickly acid and perhaps a hint of minerality, leading to a mid palate that is focused on savoury berry fruits. It's refreshing to find a wine at this price point that is determinedly savoury, with just a hint of fleshiness. Any sweetness seems to come more from nougat oak, which becomes more prominent as the wine lifts through its after palate to an edgy finish.

Gardners Ground
Price: $A19.95
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Bloodwood Chardonnay 2009

21 Feb 2010

Not a lot of tasting (as opposed to drinking) these last few days. Tonight, while dinner is cooking, I thought I'd give this wine a go. It arrived during the week from the indefatigable David Cumming, who does PR for many Central Ranges wineries. My experience of recent wines from this zone has been variable, but this bottle is getting more and more interesting as I swirl.

A strong element of minerality, aided perhaps by some sulfur, dominates the nose, followed closely by flowers and quite complex fruit notes. The fruit edges towards stonefruit, with some pithy grapefruit too. It's quite a savoury aroma profile, challenging even, and evolves to show a hint of baked goods. The elements show a discordant relationship, never resolving cleanly, but constantly exchanging meaningful glances.

The palate, initially, seemed simple and slippery, with straightforward white peach fruit. It has quickly become complex and savoury, though, and to me a lot more interesting. The entry is quite flavoursome yet gentle too; fruit flavours seem to glide towards the middle palate on satin sheets. And if that sounds a bit tacky, it is, or at least threatens to be, until one realises on the middle palate there is a range of quite adult flavours on offer, and the mouthfeel has become more textured too. Rocks get thrown together as the wine edges towards the back palate, where a floral lift takes flavours towards a subtle, glowing finish of good length. Oak seems subliminal, winemaking equally simple. I feel like I'm tasting the fruit, and I like it.

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

Printhie Mount Canobolas Collection Shiraz Viognier 2008

16 Feb 2010

Ever since Shiraz Viognier blends became popular in Australia, a very few years ago really, it seems to me producers have been struggling with how (perhaps even why) to tackle this style. The biggest problem, for me at any rate, is too evident a Viognier influence, turning what would ideally be a feminine, elegant wine into something caricatured, almost cartoonish, with overt apricot flavours and an unattractively pumped up mouthfeel. I'm making all sorts of problematic assumptions about style, of course, but that has been my honest reaction over a few years of tasting local Shiraz Viogniers. So I tend to approach them with some trepidation.

This wine let me down at first. Apricot aromas dominate slightly reticent spicy Shiraz and create a sweet, exaggerated aroma profile akin to a forced smile. The apricot never entirely settles into the fabric of the wine, but it does recede sufficiently with some swirling to allow meaty, white peppery berries to step forward and share the spotlight. There's also some well judged ice cream oak to add complexity.

The palate is replay of the nose's evolution over the short term. Starting too sweet and slippery, it becomes much more savoury after an hour of air. Entry is cheeky, with a thread of red fruit sliding along the tongue towards a middle palate that remains tight, but adds an array of peppery, savoury flavours. Weight is light to medium bodied, with a focused architecture and brisk movement along the line. Intensity is only moderate, and the overall impression is one of lithe elegance rather than power. A textured, slightly raspy after palate that emphasises pricklier aspects of the flavour profile, with just a bit of fruit sweetness to keep things friendly. Good length.

Not entirely resolved as a wine, but there's plenty to enjoy, and it's nice to taste a premium label that takes a measured, subtle approach to style. Elegant packaging.

Printhie
Price: $A35
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2008

3 Feb 2010

Seems I had a similar reaction to last year's model. I thought it terribly spicy, perhaps more so than usual, yet here I am with the 2008, inhaling a veritable pepper grinder of aroma. Perhaps it's a function of youth; I confess to having drunk more of this wine with a few years' age on it than at release. Whatever, it's nice to be surprised year after year.

The aroma is quite wild, with pepper and spice and a herbal character akin to fragrant aniseed; think Thai basil. It's also a bit meaty, and I can imagine some people reacting really negatively towards this wine for its forthright, savoury character. I've always enjoyed the Hilltops label, though, and this is certainly feeding that enjoyment. As it gets some air, the purple berry fruit aromas are peeking out a bit more, though it remains a spice-dominant aroma profile.

The palate is really well-weighted. On entry, more black pepper and herbs, before some berries start to bubble up through the middle palate. I like the Hilltops Shiraz character; I always think of purple fruit when I taste it, though I'm not sure that's terribly helpful to anyone but my nagging inner voice. There's a simplicity to the fruit character, though, that -- when combined with moderate intensity of flavour -- is a little disappointing. Structurally the wine comes across as almost easygoing, at least until ripe, abundant tannins start to caress the tongue through the after palate. A clean, acceptably long finish.

Delicious wine if you like the style. I just wish it sustained its complexity better through the entire line.

Clonakilla
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Retail

Climbing Sauvignon Blanc 2009

23 Jan 2010

Curious wine, this one. Without quite knowing why, I was anticipating a boring, commercial style and, insofar as this wine avoids insulting levels of residual sugar, I was pleasantly surprised. But I'm still scratching my head in terms of what this wine is.

What's here is indeed dry -- almost austere -- in its flinty restraint. The nose shows wispy varietal character, far from the scream of Marlborough sauvignon blanc, just hinting at some grass and passionfruit. There's a nice basil note too. Volume is turned way down, though. The palate is more textural than flavoursome, with a chiselled form that is two parts acidity and one part flavour profile. The latter shows similar restraint to the nose, with more grass and light passionfruit, plus a streak of flint that reminds me of some dry rieslings. It lacks outré impact, though there's a nice intensity of flavour through the after palate, and the acid certainly creates an impression in the mouth. Unremarkable finish.

Neither here nor there, perhaps, but ironically may appeal to those who dislike Sauvignon Blanc. For me, I'm looking for something more to latch on to here, and I would be curious to see how far this style could move in a minerally direction. The flavour profile also suggests a bit of lees or barrel work might yield interesting results. Again, curious wine.

Cumulus Wines
Price: $A21.99
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Tyrrell's Johnno's Semillon 2009

1 Jan 2010

Tyrrell's has long made a habit of highlighting single vineyards in its Semillon porfolio, and this label continues the tradition. Small batch (250 dozen), old vines (1908), sandy soils; it oozes cred simply for what it is. Tyrrell's has gone a step further here and vinified the grapes in a deliberately old fashioned manner, sending things off the authenticity scale entirely. Indeed, it's the kind of wine that is so tantalising on paper, one half suspects it will be a disappointment in the mouth.

In fact, it has quite exceeded my expectations. I've drunk this over two evenings and it has hardly moved, perhaps softening slightly on day two. The nose shows typically straightforward young Semillon citrus, in this case surrounded by a range of other flavours, from chalk to cheese, that add complexity. It's still austere and quite etched, just with a wider range of aromas than usual. It's also quite expressive, something one can't take for granted with young Hunter Semillon.

The palate is a wonderfully textural experience. The entry is immediate and flavoursome, tight acidity helping pure citrus flavour to burst onto the tongue. Before long, a mouthfeel that is part chalk and part sandpaper begins to register, along with increasing complexity of flavour. The wine remains very focused and intense, as befits its status as a quality Semillon, but the textural influences create a feeling of generosity, if not downright drinkability, that makes the wine quite accessible as a youngster. The finish is extremely long and fine, with great delicacy to its gradual taper.

I'm quite excited about how this wine will age. I hope Tyrrell's persists with the style.

Tyrrell's
Price: $A33.33
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Retail

Angullong A Sauvignon Blanc 2009

29 Dec 2009

I gather the previous vintage was well rewarded at wine shows. Presuming the 09 is made in a similar style, I can see why. This is a generously flavoured wine, quite different in style from, say, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, despite a similarly vivid outlook.

The nose is as cuddly as Sauvignon Blanc gets, with pungent yet soft aromas of unripe passionfruit, crushed leaf and gin. Somehow, it puts in me in mind of Smith's Salt and Vinegar Chips, undoubtedly the best salt and vinegar crisp on the market. It's not a seawater thing; rather it suggests the morish deliciousness of salt combined with the raw astringency of vinegar and the addictive sweetness of potato.

The palate is quite gentle in the context of the style, though it takes until the middle palate for this to register. The attack is actually quite tight and crisp, acidity creating the greatest impression. Things broaden as the wine progresses, mouthfeel becoming thicker and flavour becoming sweeter. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a hint of well-judged residual sugar, though it could just be the fruit. The acid rises again through the after palate, bringing back some zing and whisking the wine away to a clean finish. No great length, but that's not a surprise considering the variety.

A really crowd-pleasing style at a good price. Not my style, mind, but that's neither here nor there.

Angullong
Price: $A15
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Angullong A Cabernet Merlot 2008

29 Dec 2009

There are many different interpretations of a "drink now" red wine, ranging from exuberantly fruity wines like Teusner's Riebke through to this. I'd describe this as light, somewhat Italianate in style, except it lacks the requisite rusticity of mouthfeel to fully qualify. Nonetheless, it seems a valid enough answer to the stylistic question.

On the nose, quite expressive with a dash of caramel oak, some high toned fruit in dried peel mode and a general impression of levity. This isn't a bruiser at all, nor is it especially refined or complex, but it's quite a penetrative aroma profile nonetheless. The palate shows more liquidity than suggested on the nose, and I'm not entirely sure that's a good thing. With the fruit sitting, as it does, in the upper registers, a more aggressively textural mouthfeel seems appropriate. The rough edges, though, are smoothed over here. Still, there's ample intensity of flavour, and the fruit is clean. There's a nice streak of acidity that runs the length of the wine too, which partly compensates for the lack of tannic fun. Pretty decent finish.

There's some thought behind this wine, which I appreciate at the reasonable price point.

Angullong
Price: $A15
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Pig in the House Shiraz 2008

21 Dec 2009

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

Results tagged “New South Wales”

Scarborough Blue Label Chardonnay 2009

Scarborough Yellow Label Chardonnay 2007

Gardners Ground Merlot 2008

Mulyan Cowra Shiraz 2007

Thomas DJV Shiraz 2007

Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 2008

Windowrie The Mill Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2009

Printhie Shiraz 2008

Dindima Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2005

Moppity Vineyards Chardonnay 2008

Patina Pinot Gris 2008

Gardners Ground Shiraz 2008

Bloodwood Chardonnay 2009

Printhie Mount Canobolas Collection Shiraz Viognier 2008

Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2008

Climbing Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Tyrrell's Johnno's Semillon 2009

Angullong A Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Angullong A Cabernet Merlot 2008

Pig in the House Shiraz 2008

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