Tag Archives: South Australia

Mike Press Wines Shiraz 2006

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Another outrageously cheap wine from Mike Press in the Adelaide Hills. As with some other Mike Press reds, this seemed a bit oaky on initial release, but it’s drinking really well at the moment.Rich black pepper and dark fruits on the nose. Lively and with good depth, if not great complexity. On entry, quite mouthfilling and quickly flavoursome. The wine funnels generously to the mid-palate, whereupon it washes the mouth with fruit flavour. Medium to full bodied, there are further notes of spicy black pepper and blackberry. These two notes are dominant, but vanilla oak props up the flavour profile and adds extra interest, and there’s a slightly herbal edge to the palate that is distinctive and tasty. Not a hint of confectionery; in fact, the wine’s fruit flavour is nicely three-dimensional. The wine’s structure is assertive enough to match the its dense fruit flavour. There’s a nice interplay of fine acid and ripe, dry tannins. Really quite satisfying length.An attractive wine that packs a lot of flavour into its asking price. It’s not a wine you need to work especially hard at which, let’s face it, is sometimes a most welcome thing.Mike Press WinesPrice: $A8.34 ($100/dozen)Closure: StelvinDate tasted: April 2007

Ngeringa J.E. Pinot Noir 2005

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The third of Ngeringa’s current release “J.E.” wines tasted here at Full Pour (Chardonnay and Shiraz previously, and positively, reviewed). This wine is made of grapes grown using biodynamic techniques. There’s a lot of hype around biodynamic producers lately, and I don’t hold an opinion as to the inherent superiority (or otherwise) of this approach. For me, it’s all about what’s in the bottle. A lovely bright colour, garnet, not terribly dense. Clean yet funky (if that makes sense) aromas of cherry, rhubarb/beetroot and deep spice. Perhaps a little reduction too, but this blows off quickly. Expressive and reasonably complex, it’s a nose that shows some bright character but suggests deeper layers of fruit as well. A lovely entry that balances silkiness with fine, firm acidity. It flows with focused line through to the mid-palate. Medium bodied, this wine shows sour red fruit and veg with good depth, plus a firm structure that keeps the wine shapely and alive. Tannins are especially notable for their ripe deliciousness. Slight falloff through the after-palate, but a sappy note persists well on the finish.A really nice Pinot. The fruit is generous, but it’s far from a fruit bomb, with the sort of sophisticated structure that rewards sipping, not gulping. I think balance is a key word here; for me, all the elements cohere and complement well. Super value.NgeringaPrice: $A25Closure: StelvinDate tasted: April 2008

Rockford "Basket Press" Shiraz 2001

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My partner had one sniff of this and said “Is this Port?” I had one sniff of that and said “Is that that crushed ants thing I’ve heard people talk about?” In short, this doesn’t smell at all like most red wines: there’s something different. There’s almost a varnish characteristic there as well; not unpleasant, but definitely not “correct” (if Yellow Tail ever shipped with that smell, they’d lose market share overnight).The color is a lovely cloudy ruby, not as dark as you see in Barossa Valley shiraz; it’s more reminiscent of Gallo Hearty Burgundy or canned sangria than anything. I’m not saying that pejoratively, by the way – it really is about that same soft, red velvet cupcake shade of red, and it’s beautiful.In the mouth, this is a medium to heavy bodied wine with a surprising line: at first, grilled toast, red berries, spice; then, it quickly moves on to a mid-palate sensation I can’t describe quite yet, and then it fans out into a soft, gentle, seemingly tannin-free finish that’s all black cherries. All the while there’s that same off note that presents itself on the nose, but I honestly don’t mind it; it makes it different than other wines, and I’m fine with that. There’s also good supporting acidity here, so even if the tannin seems to have gone missing somewhere between San Diego and South Australia, I don’t mind a bit.All in all, this is a rare treat for me. When my parents retired in 1998, they joined the Peace Corps and found themselves stationed in Moldova, a small Eastern European nation that used to be the great wine producing center of the USSR. Given the lack of any kind of modern technology there, most of their wines had similar characteristics to this one. Me, I find this styles to be utterly compelling and a welcome break from the everything’s fine school of winemakingthat’s the norm.If most wines are CDs, this one is vinyl.RockfordPrice: US $22 (tenth)Closure: Technical cork (!)Date tasted: April 2008

Taylors Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

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It must be slightly nerve-wracking for producers known for their “excellent value for money” wines. When wine lovers sniff out a bargain, it’s easy to take for granted that a wine will, year after year, deliver a level of quality above its price point. It’s almost as if one waits for the reality to hit (as it has in the past with countless labels). Taylors, though, seems to maintain a good line in value Clare Valley wines, and their Cabernet Sauvignon is known as perhaps their greatest bargain. I read, I think over at Winefront, that it’s Australia’s biggest selling Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Here’s the 2006 version. A lovely, expressive nose of cassis and leafiness (or is it gravel?), with a dash of powdery vanilla for good measure. It’s instantly varietal and generous, if quite ripe. Entry is flavoursome and focused, with a nice line starting from the tip of the tongue and widening through to the mid-palate. The wine’s physical presence down the centre of the tongue is tight, yet this never creates an impression of being lean or intellectual. Rather, the flavour profile shows quite ripe cassis and blackberry alongside generous yet delicious vanilla oak. Body is medium to full. The wine’s structure is assertive, with acid tingling the tongue at the same time as powdery, slightly chunky tannins fill the mouth. I’m quite sure the wine could take some ageing, as it has not deteriorated significantly in the two days since I opened it. There’s a diminution of body as the wine moves through the after-palate, but this thinning is compensated by the wine’s decent, dry finish.I bought this wine for $15 and I’m glad to say that it remains a great bargain. A delicious wine that should satisfy any craving for flavoursome, generous Cabernet.TaylorsPrice: $A15Closure: StelvinDate tasted: April 2008

Rosemount Estate Epicurean Collection GSM Grenache – Syrah – Mourvédre 2002

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Although I’ve never wandered out into Scottish bogs to cut peat for a crofter’s fire, I imagine it might smell something like this wine does: dark, loamy, and sweet at the same time. There’s definitely more than a hint of animalics here; it’s got that kind of sweetness on the nose that reminds me of more than a few perfumes [e.g. Comme des Garçons 2 Man]. There’s kind of a high-toned flare [flair?] to it as well; it isn’t all heavy, funky; there’s also an uplift to the perfume which rounds it off nicely.Color-wise, this wine looks like Bandol more than anything else; it doesn’t appear particularly old at this point, and the rim isn’t especially watery. There’s a bit of onionskin browning there, sure, but it could fool you into thinking that this wine is younger than it is.In the mouth, there’s a short burst of sweetness immediately checked by firm, dusty tannins; the flavor makes a sharp turn upwards to something like carrots or root vegetables (no kidding!), before flattening out into a fairly long, soft finish with good acidity. All in all, it feels like there’s an awful lot going on here; there are also some cedary notes as well as a Vegemite-on-raspberry effect.I’d hazard a guess that this will will still be drinking well a decade from now, but I’m far from an expert in these matters. If anything, it’s beautiful right now and highly recommended (especially at the US importer’s clearance pricing).Rosemount EstatePrice: US $9.99Closure: CorkDate tasted: April 2008Note: The label actually says GSM, but I was amused by its Web site nomenclature, reproduced above. C’mon… Epicurean Collection? Give me a break!

Mike Press Wines Pinot Noir 2004

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It’s not often I leave a sub-$10 wine overnight, and overnight again, to see how it evolves. But this wine has prompted me to do so, with most pleasing results.I’ve had this one a few times with, I admit, mixed impressions at first. My first bottle seemed a little murky, structurally, lacking the purity I often associate with Pinot Noir, especially New World styles. It was also showing a heavy, oak-driven flavour profile. Whilst this wine is not, and will never be, a bright cherry fruit bomb, time will help to clarify its flavour components and structure.So what does it smell and taste like? At first, a whole mix of flavours, not terribly well delineated, generous, a little “dark.” After a day, it was as if a veil had lifted, revealing clean and somewhat brighter (though still deep) fruit flavour, along with definite earthiness, some musk, and perhaps a little lift. The entry is pleasantly lively, with some acid tingling the tip of the tongue as flavour introduces itself towards the mid-palate. Fruit flavour is mostly dark berry in character, and is accompanied by more earth and sous-bois. Oak is relegated to a supporting role now, and it’s astonishing how much this aspect of the wine has stepped back over the last six months. Mouthfeel is quite lovely, mixing the aforementioned acidic freshness with fine, powdery tannins of the mouth coating variety. It’s definitely tending towards a “dry red” style but, if you’re open to this, will be a pleasing wine in its own right. The after-palate and finish show good line and persistence.At just over $A8 per bottle, I’m astonished this wine is drinkable, let alone stylish and expressive of personality. Mike Press WinesPrice: $A8.34 ($100/dozen)Closure: StelvinDate tasted: April 2008

Skillogalee Shiraz 2004

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Skillogalee does a good line in approachable, generous red wines, so I thought this one would be a good way to unwind after a busy weekend. For some reason, I’ve lost the use of one nostril just in time for this tasting. Let’s hope the wine gives up its secrets easily.A big hit of blackberry jam on the nose, along with some nutty vanilla and what is either a vegetal note or somewhat raw oak. The fruit is ripe and clearly of good quality.  Entry is bright with flavour and shows lots of dark berry fruit in the context of an attractive, powdery texture. The mid-palate presents more blackberry jam, quite intense and full in body, with oak increasing its influence as the wine moves to its climax. It’s all very flavoursome for sure, but a little clumsy also, as if the elements are all “oversized” and paying insufficient attention to each other. The wine’s line is consistent through the after palate, and sweet berry fruit sings through the finish. I’m not sure about this one. The fruit is good, but the oak treatment strikes me as obvious and heavyhanded. The wine also lacks a clear sense of structure. Still, it’s a lot of quality flavour for a reasonable price. Try this one with spicy Asian food (the fruit weight and lack of tannins work well in this context).SkillogaleePrice: $25.50Closure: StelvinDate tasted: March 2008

Bitch 2005

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Immediately after pouring this in my glass, I thought that this wine smelled like just-fermented grape juice that someone had bunged in the bottle quickly and then shipped over to California. After a few minutes, though, it settled down into something a bit more recognizable as Barossa grenache: dusty, high alcohol dried cherries with a hint of spiciness. What’s really appealing here, though, is a distinct sourness that you don’t often find in wines at this price point or in this style; for every sickly sweet, tiring super-alocholized grenache out there, this wine makes a good counterpoint. Although it’s still huge, alcoholically speaking (15%), the sourness makes it all work. The overall rawness of the wine – even after fifteen minutes, it still tastes freshly made, somehow – is actually kind of fun and would make this a great match for tacos al pastor.Sure, there’s really not much here in the way of tannins, or structure, or complex aromas… but c’mon, the label is kind of awesome, it’s amazingly cheap, and it tastes pretty damn good.R WineryPrice: US $7.99Closure: StelvinDate tasted: March 2008

Skillogalee Basket Pressed Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Malbec 2004

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With a name this long, it had better be good. I don’t know about you but, in my experience, a wine’s label can bear little resemblance to the liquid in bottle. Mercifully, here’s one that shows a bit of truth in advertising. The label says: “soft and full with sweet, leafy fruit flavours, rich vanillin oak and fine tannins…” Basically, yeah.An acceptably expressive nose that shows rich, full fruit of the red and black type, with an edge of “dried fruit” character. There’s a good dose of dusty leaf that is pleasingly varietal. The palate is where this wine truly shines, though. Bright, rich fruit flavour strikes the tongue  quite early and builds as it moves to the mid-palate. The fruit is not monumental in scale, but it is tasty and really quite ripe. Mulberry leaf and well balanced oak also contribute. This is a wine of generosity and soft, full fruit flavour, counterbalanced by a firm acid framework. It is not a simple or industrial wine, and remains characterful despite its easygoing style. Good consistency through to the after palate, with sweet, ripe tannins that sing through the decent finish.Sometimes, you just want a nice, giving red wine that gushes with personality and flavour. Give this one a go if you’re in such a mood. It’s not overly structured, but is full of good fruit and will be killer with juicy rump steak.SkillogaleePrice: $A25.50Closure: StelvinDate tasted: March 2008

Wendouree Muscat of Alexandria 04/05

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An oddity. Wendouree, known for its distinctive reds, also makes this fortified wine from the Muscat of Alexandria grape (better known for its contribution to Nanna’s Cream Sherry).

A golden honey colour. The nose is fresh and somewhat grapey, with a lovely rich honeysuckle note, as much floral as sweet. There’s a striking, viscous texture on entry, very fresh, soft yet supportive acidity, more sweet florals and fruit. The mid-palate is again rich and full, with good intensity of flavour. The acid structure is very slightly rough, which I like as it adds some complexity and interest to what is a sweet and slightly spirity wine. In style, it’s far from your regular botrytis-affected “dessert sticky” wine, both lighter and fresher, and more obviously alcoholic. The fruit’s flavour profile is also quite different. The wine’s finish is satisfyingly long.

What I like most about this wine is the way it unfolds in the mouth, at once precise and voluptuous. I suspect this style will be “love it or hate it,” and from an objective point of view, it’s a simple wine with an oddball balance between its elements. But I like it. Perhaps I am a lush. Potential food matches are tantalising. I’m thinking something sweet yet not too heavy — just like the wine itself. Passionfruit sponge, oh my.

Wendouree
Price: $A25 (375ml)
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: March 2008