Winetastic

The last in a trio from Barossa producers Scorpiiion is their 2006 GSM, which is comprised of 45% Grenache, 42% Shiraz and 13% Mataro, all of which is sourced from the Barossa Valley.

Vibrant ripe plum and blackberry aromas are entwined with lurking chocolate and vanilla. On the palate I found intense flavours of fleshy dark fruits, a velvety mouthfeel and a little drying tannin on the finish. Its full bodied, fruit forward and very gluggable.

After having the chance to taste three different wines produced by Scorpiiion, I can definitely see the fruit driven but balanced style they are aiming for across the range. The GSM represents the best bang for your buck and is a great option if you just want to buy, open and drink. Prices appear to range from $15-23, depending on your selection of retailer and the number of bottles, Squashedgrape being the cheapest at this time.

Score: 89/100
Price: $21
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Other Opinions: Wine Without Wank
Would I buy this wine?
Although I personally lean toward more savoury styles, $17 per bottle is a great price.

On the tasting bench today is the Scorpiiion Shiraz 2005 which unlike their Cabernet is made from 100% Barossa fruit.

Dark inky red in colour with sweet dark fruit and chocolate aromas. Easy drinking and full flavoured with juicy shiraz fruit really coming to the fore, it’s full bodied with a little spice and fine tannin on the finish. Although there was some alcoholic heat present, it would make a crowd pleasing bbq wine.

Overall a well made Shiraz in a typically Barossan style. If big, ballsy, fruit driven reds are your poison, you should get some mileage from the Scorpiiion.

Score: 87/100
Price: $21
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.8%
Other Opinions: Can’t find any online
Would I buy this wine?
Probably not, although I would be happy enough if a glass was placed in my hand

It’s been a while since I popped open a bottle of sparking shiraz and I had been looking forward to trying this one from Vinecrest for a while. What better time to open it than the Australia day long weekend?

Juicy dark cherry and blackberry fruit flavours are kept in balance by subtle drying tannins and a little all spice. The bubbles are fine and not overly active, but provide a creamy chocolate character. Medium bodied with decent length, a good match with Beef Rogan Josh.

Although there is a bit of a question mark about the value for money at around $30 per bottle, this sparking shiraz is very easy drinking and moreish. Definitely the pick of the Vinecrest wines we have tried.

Score: 88/100
Price: $32
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 12.5%
Other Opinions: Vinecrest
Would I buy this wine?
No, questionable value for money

Scorpiiion are a relatively new boutique producer from the Barossa Valley who kindly sent three bottles of red for us to review. The first cab off the rank (if you would pardon the pun) is the Scorpiiion Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, a multi-regional blend of Barossa and McLaren Flat fruit.

This Cabernet exhibits fragrant aromas of tobacco and eucalypt swimming in an ocean of ripe plummy dark fruits and berries. Full bodied with loads of fruit flavour, well managed spicy oak, a velvety mouthfeel and fine, slightly powdery tannins. It’s rich, well balanced and very modern in style, with a satisfying and clean finish.

The Scorpiiion philosophy is to let the fruit do the talking, they have done a good job in producing a Cabernet that is approachable while young, without being overripe. As far as I can tell, the wine is only available direct via their website, or from Squashedgrape.

Score: 90/100
Price: $29
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Other Opinions: None appear to exist online
Would I buy this wine?
If it was available for around $20-25, yes.

After a short blogging interlude which involved a wedding, honeymoon and christmas period break, we have another wine from Vinecrest ready to write up: the 2006 “Myths and Memories” Merlot.

Aromas of sweet berries, plum, dark chocolate and a hint of spice, this soft and medium bodied red tastes of dark fruits and oak up front with some dusty earth and spice on the finish. Lacking a little in depth, definitely smells better than it tastes.

Overall a decent example of the variety, however its not hard to find a wine at a similar price point with more complexity and interest. Definitely shows better with food.

Score: 86/100
Price: $22
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 14.5%
Other Opinions: Vinecrest
Would I buy this wine?
No, I feel there are better wines available at the price point.

Until this month I had not heard of Vinecrest before, a boutique producer from the Barossa Valley. They sent through three sample bottles to be reviewed, first up is the Vinecrest Semillon 2007.

Intense lemon aromas with a hint of grassyness, on the palate, this unwooded Semillon exhibits varietal zesty lemon flavours. Crisp with good length and a refreshing dry finish.

Generally Semillon from the Barossa shows more tropical fruit flavours, however this example has citrus characteristics typically found in a Hunter Semillon. The decision to seal this vintage with cork as opposed to screwcap indicates Vinecrest expect this wine to improve with age.

Score: 85/100
Price: $16
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 12%
Would I buy this wine?
There are better dry whites out there for drinking young, however this one may develop some more interest with age.

Six Gates are a new producer out of the Barossa Valley, “The Majnun” Shiraz 2004 is their first commercial release. My initial impression of this wine was the heavy weight of the unopened bottle, which is usually a good sign of a quality product.

Inky dark purple but slightly cloudy, this Shiraz smells distinctly of the Barossa with dark plum and cherry fruit aromas, a hint of chocolate and some dusty earthyness. Full flavoured and well balanced, tart dark fruits and spices are complemented nicely by chewy fine tannins and hints of charry oak.

I really like the style of this wine as it has less alcohol than its peers, is not overly fruity or sweet and is also very food friendly - a fine match with a bbq leg of lamb. Being a bit of a Hunter Valley and McLaren Vale tragic, the earthy character of The Majnun is rather appealing.

Score: 89/100
Price: $22
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13.5%
Would I buy this wine again?
The recommended retail price of $22 is reasonable, however you can pick it up cheaper online from Squashedgrape

In recent times I have not bought a great deal of Barossa Shiraz since I typically prefer the jucier flavours of the McLaren Vale or more savoury approach from the Hunter Valley. That being said, Magpie Estate’s “The Sack” Shiraz 2004 got some good press, so I ordered a few bottles.

Dark fruit aromas of plum, black cherry and crushed berries are intertwined with detectable alcohol. Inky purple/red in colour, very much a full bodied proposition with up front dark fruits & spices and fine drying tannins on the finish. Persistant and mouthfilling, this is a great example of Barossa Shiraz for the money.

The winery website suggests this is a wine designed to cellar, however if you are drinking now, give it at least an hour in a decanter. I found the wine to be a far better proposition after two hours in the open air.

Score: 91/100
Price: $23
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 14.5%
Other Opinions: Winorama
Would I buy this wine again?
I have two more bottles and that is enough for me, if Barossa is your thing, then you cant go wrong here.

The cabernet sauvignon used in this wine was sourced from mature vines from selected areas of the Barossa region. Saltram Estate produced a good cabernet in the 2003 vintage, however this is a real cracker!

A dark garnet in colour this wine presents strong aromas of chocolate and berries on the nose, with a hint of subtle spices, quite remarkably resembling blackforest gateaux. The palate is rich, full and complex beginning with fleshy berries, leading into an earthy finish which is slightly dry whilst remaining smooth. This is a full bodied cab sav, richly layered with flavours and a hint of tannin supported by a good length.

This wine is drinking incredibly well now but the bottle recommends a drinking window of five to eight years. This is a wine that can be drank on it’s own because of it’s complexity and finesse. Although it is a little dry at first, this wine benefits from having the cork pulled ahead of time.

Would I buy this wine again?
At only $17 a bottle I think there is excellent value for money to be had, this is an age worthy complex wine worth investing in.

Having been intending to try this wine for some time, I snapped up a bottle as soon as I saw it on special at uncle dan’s for only $15. Taking heed of other reviewer’s suggestions, the cork was pulled a couple of hours in advance to allow the wine some time to open up in the air.

Fleshy plums, berries and alcohol on the nose, the palate has a solid structure starting with juicy dark fruit and finishing with noticeably drying tannins and lingering flavours of coffee and oak. This is not a cabernet for the feint hearted, displaying its ripe and rich Barossa heritage. The back label suggests cellaring for 5-8 years, you would be hard pressed to find a better cabernet at the price to put away for the medium term.

Initially I wanted to give the wine 8/10, however after some consideration I downgraded the score by one point. I am aiming to rate the wines as they are drinking right now, rather than attempting to make predictions about its cellaring potential. I will be buying several bottles to put away for a few years however.

Score: 7/10
Price: $15-20
Closure: Cork
Would I buy this wine again?
At the often seen “on special” price of $15, yes indeed.