Winetastic

I purchased several bottles of Frog Rocks “Premium Vintage” Shiraz 2002 from the cellar door in Mudgee back in November 2005, the intention was to leave them alone for several years, however an empty tasting bench has lead to a raid on the cellar!

Deep crimson in colour, the first glass exhibited lively aromas of plum and blackberry with intense and juicy Shiraz fruit flavours supported by some spice. The red fruit character was counter balanced by smooth drying tannins which faded nicely into a long and slightly earthy finish. An hour later, the second glass showed more dark fruit and mocha characters, also the oak flavours were slightly more evident and the finish rather persistent.

I really enjoy a wine which changes so much over a couple of hours, the first glass was somewhat reminiscent of a Hunter Valley Shiraz, however in a blind tasting I would not have picked the second glass as originating from the same bottle. It was fantastic match for steak diane and homemade chunky chips.

Score: 9/10
Price: $20
Closure: Cork
Other Opinions: Frog Rock
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, I beleive the non-special price is $25 per bottle, even at that price there is good value for money here.

Another day another Shiraz suggestion from our local Dan Murphys. The Gallagher Wines Shiraz 2003 is produced in the Canberra region of NSW, it surprised me with an intensity of flavour generally found in Barossan or Heathcote reds.

Deep ruby red in colour with open and rich shiraz fruit aromas of plum, berries and spices. Intense dark fruit flavours burst into the mouth before fading nicely into a long finish with fine tannins and a hint of pepper.

There is no need to wait after opening this wine, making it an ideal choice for taking along to a restaurant. I found the balance was better if the wine is served around 15 degrees, once it warms up the alcohol starts to show through and the fruit borders on overripe.

Score: 7/10
Price: $22
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13.8%
Would I buy this wine again?
A good wine, though I am not convinced on value for money

Saturday night saw a small birthday celebration for Gemma at a local restaraunt Rocksalt with our closest friends. As always the food and service were excellent and in an effort to ensure the evening was entirely memorable, we were drinking 100% Hunter Valley Shiraz. I have some brief notes of the wines below as the nights focus was obviously not on wine analysis.

Meerea Park ‘The Aunts’ Shiraz 2003
The bottle had been open for two hours, after pouring the first glass the open aromas of this wine had snaked their way to the other end of our table. Full flavoured, featuring silky smooth tannins, restrained red fruits and some earthy complexity. I am very glad we have another 5 bottles to go, good value for money.

Mount Pleasant Rosehill Shiraz 2000
I challenge anyone to find a better match of a tender eye fillet steak. Dark and red fruits, pepper, spices and some underlying earthy characters, a Shiraz full in flavour and body with sound tannin structure.

Irongate Estate Sweet Shiraz 2004
A wine which is the ideal match for dark and rich chocolate treats. The red berry fruit flavours of the Shiraz formed an excellent combination with chocolate mud cake. Do try this at the cellar door, it is not overly sweet and actually makes a pretty good pre-dinner drink when slightly chilled.

Mount Pleasant Phillip Shiraz 2002
A wine reviewed in full recently, one of the best value for money reds on the market right now, especially when you can find it on special for only $12. Give this Shiraz some time to breathe as the last glass is usually the best.

Irongate Estate is a relatively new and modern winery and vineyard located in the lower Hunter Valley. The cellar door itself is an impressive Mediterranean style villa, and like the winery itself, no expense has been spared in its construction.

The wines at Irongate are all very approachable in style and are idealy drunk upon release or after a short visit to the cellar. One of the standouts is the Irongate Estate Semillon 2001 ($20), which has some of the most distinctive lemon and lime characters of any Hunter Semillon, combined with a little toasty aged complexity, it remains a personal favorite.

I would happily drink all of the Irongate reds, including Shiraz and Cabernet, however if you are looking for a wine that is somewhat unique, it is hard to go past the Irongate Estate Sweet Shiraz 2004 ($25). Exhibiting loads of up-front berry fruit flavour, this is a well balanced dessert wine that is ideal when matched with rich chocolate treats. The cellar door tasting of this wine includes a sample of chocolate cake, the flavours combine to resemble a wine-infused blackforest gateau.

My only complaint is that the Irongate website is years out of date and they do not appear to respond to emails, tsk tsk.

Website: http://www.iron-gate-estate.com.au

The Yering Station ED Pinot Rosé is a wine that I have been meaning to try for some time, this week it was finally available at my local bottle shop. The “ED” stands for extra dry, which is basically a requirement for any Rose that wishes to pass my lips.

There was some conjecture as to wether this wine was “red salmon” or “clam meat” in colour, either way it is a light and translucent red/pink. Unsurprisingly this rose smells like a restrained Pinot Noir with strawberry and cherry aromas. Although the wine is light in body, the delicate red fruit flavours hang around for an extremely long time, finishing dry with a slightly savoury note and a hint of soft tannin.

An excellent match for mildly spiced Singapore Noodles, I can see many delicate asian or chicken based dishes calling out for support from this wine.

Score: 7/10
Price: $17
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13%
Other Opinions: Winorama, Appellation Australia
Would I buy this wine again?
Generally I prefer a fuller flavoured dry Rose, however for the right food, yes.

Hot on the heels of the excellent 2004 vintage is the Gemtree Uncut Shiraz 2005, now sensibly sealed under screwcap.

Deep red with purple hues, aromas of dark fruits and spices emerged an hour after opening. Somewhat subdued fleshy plum and blackberry flavours lead into a spicy oak finish. A well balanced Shiraz that is very easy drinking due to its soft tannin structure.

Some people in the know are suggesting this new release will be much better in 6-12 months time and perhaps have greater cellaring potential than the 2004 vintage. I feel compelled to check back on the 2005 in 6 months time.

Score: 7/10
Price: $16
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Would I buy this wine again?
At $16 per bottle there is good value for money, yes.

Just a quick note following up from my earlier impressions from the Wyndham Estate cellar door. All I can say is rejoice dear reader, for we have drunk these wines so that you don’t have to.

The Bin 555 Shiraz 2004 was appealing for the money at the tasting, however a bottle purchased subsequently is barely drinkable. There is a distinct ethanol/varnish flavour to the wine, it is ok for cooking.

The Bin 888 Cabernet Merlot 2003 is somewhat better than the Shiraz, however it does not hold a bar the the Annie’s Lane Cabernet Merlot 2004, which can be found at a similar price point.

A combination of being in an excellent mood, the great cellar door staff and a day of wine tasting obviously influenced my opinion at the time.

We picked up a 375ml bottle of Miranda “The Pioneers” Raisin Muscat 2004 for only $7 in a bargain bin at Dan Murphy’s. The grapes used in production are left to dry somewhat on the vine before harvesting and are sourced from vineyards in the Riverina, SA and VIC.

Golden honey in colour, the wine exhibits aromas of druid fruits, citrus and honey. The Muscat tastes just like it smells, with pleasant honey and citrus character. It is fairly light for a dessert wine, with balancing acidity that ensures the somewhat short finish is not overly sweet.

The Miranda website is very out of date, with 2002 being the most recent tasting note available for this wine. Overall it’s hard to complain about the price, and the wine itself is actually pretty good.

Score: 6/10
Price: $7
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 10%
Other Opinions: Miranda Wines
Would I buy this wine again?
Who can argue with $7 a bottle for a decent dessert wine? Why not.

Most of the wines produced by Wyndham Estate are multi-regional blends, the Hunter Valley ‘Regional Selection’ Shiraz is one of the few exceptions and is sold at the cellar door with a good amount of bottle age.

Mid red in colour with mushroom and red fruit aromas, this full flavoured shiraz was incredibly smooth with only a little soft tannin present. Flavours of plum, earth and a little spice was evident on the finish.

The aromas of this wine were somewhat like an Italian cabernet blend, it was an ideal match with steak and roast potatoes. Do decant this wine if possible, as there is a fair amount of sediment present.

Score: 8/10
Price: $30
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 13.0%
Other Opinions: Wyndham Estate
Would I buy this wine again?
Availability is an issue, however if I found myself at the cellar door again I may be tempted

Peterson House in the hunter valley are the only winery from the region to specialise in sparkling styles, they act as the winemaker for most of the sparkling wines produced in NSW, as well as selling their own label through the cellar door. At a tasting last weekend, the Peterson Sparkling Merlot 2004 was the pick of the reds.

Deep crimson in colour with fairly vigorous bubbles, the wine does not give much away in aromas, however depth and complexity of flavour are certainly not lacking. Berries, spices and an underlying earthy tone all come together with excellent balance.

I have found some sparkling reds turn to froth in the mouth, however I am glad to say is not the case with the Peterson sparkling Merlot. It was so good, both my glasses were gone in record time. Please sir, can I have some more?

Score: 8/10
Price: $27
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 13.5%
Other Opinions: Peterson House
Would I buy this wine again?
A bit pricy for every day drinking, but great for a special occasion, im going to say yes.