Winetastic

A few months back I reviewed the 2001 Thistle Hill Semillon and basically rated it as fairly average at 6/10. The wine was a bit watery and lacked the depth of character you expect from an aged Semillon.

Over the weekend I opened another bottle which showed far better, presenting a stronger flavour profile and basically going down like a treat. Perhaps the first bottle was mildly corked.

Score: 8/10
Would I buy this wine again?
Based on this bottle and the $15 price tag, yes. Available from the cellar door or online.

Okay guys, so this is a bit of a weird post, but i need your help. I’ll quickly explain the situation…

I’m actually english and am currently here on a working holiday visa, in order to extend that and for me to be able to stay out here i need to do 3 months fruit picking / prunning / packing in regional Australia. I don’t suppose anyone knows of people looking to take on workers in this field? If so please contact me ASAP… I really don’t want to go home and this is pretty much the only option that will let me stay.

Just popped in to thank the ladies and gentlemen at Iron Gate Estate, Audrey Wilkinson, Tinklers and Ernest Hill in the Hunter Valley for being such good sports as the chaps and I took Mark out for one last hurrah! As demonstrated by the photographs below, clearly the event was an entirely civilised affair.

It must be 98 point Riesling week for online retailers, Winestar are pushing the Orlando Steingarten Riesling 2003 for $20, which was scored 98/100 by Jeremy Oliver and Boccaccio have the Knappstein Ackland Riesling 2005 for $23, which scored 98/10 from Huon Hooke. I have not had to opportunity to try either of these wines, however I must admit I am mighty tempted. If any readers have experience with either of those Rieslings, please do add some comments below!

If you’re looking to pad out a dozen, why not try the Peter Lehmann Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 - $14 @ Winestar and Boccaccio.

Dan Murphy’s have the best value for money Riesling going around, Leo Buring Eden Valley Riesling 2005 for $13.90 or $12.90 in a mixed dozen. While on the subject of insanely good value, Uncle Dan has been selling the McWilliams Elizabeth Semillon 2001 for around $13 a bottle.

Brett described the Knappstein 2002 Shiraz as “The most delicious red wine I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing”, so when we saw the 2003 ‘model’ in the bargain bin at our local Dan Murphy’s who were we to say no.

A deep blood red in colour, this shiraz displays a rich fruity nose with underlying hints of spices and dark chocolate. The palate is fleshy and juicy, with ripe fruit flavours dominating. These then turn into a lovely, smooth, soft tanic flavour with a little balanced pepper. This wine feels very ‘full’ in the mouth and ends on a velvety, slightly dry finish.

This wine is drinking very well now, but would reward you well if you had the patience to put it in the cellar for another 10 or so years. We managed to pick this up for $17 on special, but it normally comes in at around $22-24.

Would I buy this wine again?
The price we paid for it made it fantastic value, but because it is such a well balanced and easy drinking wine i think i would be willing to pay the full price, so yes i would consider buying it again.

I recently reviewed the 2001 vintage of this wine which was lush, balanced and delicious. Unfortunately the last case sold out at our local bottle shop, so I picked up one bottle of the 2002 vintage to give it a try.

A typical Cabernet varietal nose of plums, berries and oak. The oakfest continued on the palate accompanied by some bitter grape seed flavours which were most unpleasant. After spending a couple of hours in the decanter the wine was marginally better, however half the bottle ended up going down the sink the next day.

Rosemount talk this wine up in their online tasting notes, however I was really disappointed with this wine as 2002 was supposed to be quite a good vintage down in South Australia. Admittedly the style is designed to age for many years, however its older brother from 2001 was delicious young.

Score: 4/10
Would I buy this wine again?
Although I am curious to see how this wine would taste in 5-10 years time, there are far more enjoyable wines to be had for $20.

Affectionately known as “the dog” by many, this Italian interloper has previously been reviewed by Brett, who wrote off the 2003 vintage as being flat and lacking panache. Since Gemma and I were heading out for some Italian food the dog was howling for attention, so we picked up a bottle of the 2004 vintage. A so called “super tuscan”, the wine is made primarily from Sangiovese with a dash of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Although clearly soaked to the bone, the young hound did not offer any “wet dog” stench, but rather a surprising aroma of dark fruit, coffee and spice. On the palate, the dog has pronounced initial flavours, however remains distinctly medium bodied with a rather long and dry finish.

Overall the dog lacks the excitement of many aussie reds that would allow it to stand all on its lonesome, however when paired with pizza, pasta or grilled meats, this wine truly finds its feet. Flavours and spices are revealed that you did not notice before, each bite of food priming your palate for the next sip. The Carpineto website does not currently have a tasting note available for the 2004 vintage.

I am told you can find this wine exclusively at Dan Murphy’s for around $14. Don’t concern yourself attempting to pronounce the name, just ask the good uncle for “a bottle of the dog”.

Score: 6/10, or 7/10 if consumed with food
Would I buy this wine again?
As a cheap “food wine”, the dog is hard to beat. I am going to say yes.

Wine Blogging Wednesday is with us once again! This month the event is hosted by Jathan from Winexpression, who has chosen the topic “When in Rhone”. I went in search of an aussie wine which was made from grapes that are traditionally grown in the Rhone region, eventually settling on the Hewitson “Miss Harry” which is a blend of 44% Grenache, 43% Shiraz and 13% Mourvèdre.

Garnet red in the glass, the wine was extremely fragrant only minutes after opening, displaying aromas of plum, red cherry and raspberry with some earthy tones underneath. Loads of fruit character on the palate which morphs into a very long, earthy and dry finish. Over a period of a few hours, the fruit flavours submerged into the wine. If you are a bit of a fruit slut, I would recommend avoiding decanting or extended time in the air.

Hewitson have definitely managed to produce a complex wine with the 2004 Miss Harry, most likely due to the fact the vines are between 50 and 80 years old. Oddly enough I enjoyed the first glass from this bottle more than the last, there is nothing wrong with this wine, it’s just not to my palate. After some more information? The Hewitson website should be your next stop.

Score: 7/10
Would I buy this wine again?
Averaging AU$20, I do not appreciate the style enough to re-visit this particular wine. If you enjoy GSM blends, it is definitely worth a try, especially if you can pick it up on special.

Having a quick browse of this weeks specials at Dan Murphy’s (NSW/ACT) reveals the following bargains:

Leo Buring Leonay Riesling 2005 - $24.99 per bottle or $23.99 in mixed dozen. You would be crazy not to pick up a few at that price, the only wine to receive a score of 10/10 on Winetastic to date.

Turkey Flat Rose 2005, another favorite around these parts - $15.90 per bottle or $14.90 in mixed dozen

Finally Winestar have some snappy prices on the new release penfolds bin range. The wines are not my cup of tea, but you can get a free Penfolds waiters friend opener if you purchase a case, I guess thats something.

Ric Einstein, aka The Opinionated Red Bigot, has posted a very interesting article discussing the quality and value for money of red wines from Margaret River, WA. He does so in his usual honest and “no holds barred” style, so head over and have a read!

From the article:

“On this trip, even though the majority of the wineries visited were carefully selected, the percentage of “vin ordinaire” was far higher than expected and the percentage of wines that represented poor value was ridiculous.”

Based on Ric’s descriptions of the last few vintages, only 2004 appears to be a good one for Margaret River. Given that there are so many great wines produced in the eastern states, especially ones that represent excellent value for money, my focus is likely to remain there for some time to come.

Those who have not visited the torbwine website before, it comes highly recommended and is loaded with great information and commentary on aussie reds, hours of great reading awaits.