Winetastic

I had been meaning to try the Knappstein Ackland Riesling 2005 for some time having seen many favourable reviews upon its release. This particular bottle has been sitting on my tasting shelf for a few months, summer has come and gone with only a few bottles of white being cracked open at all, perhaps I am becoming a red bigot?

Pale straw in colour, aromas of lime, lemon and just a hint of petroleum are present. No petrol flavours were evident, however there is a good whack of lemon zest and lime. Not fruity, not dry, really well balanced with good length.

From reading other reviews written closer to release, apparently this Riesling had racy acidity which appears to have settled down. Perhaps that was the little bit of extra excitement that I found to be missing in this otherwise well made wine. I have two more bottles and wont be touching them for several years at least.

Score: 89/100
Price: $22
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13.5%
Other Opinions: Knappstein, Winorama, Winediva
Would I buy this wine again?
Probably not, I was expecting a little bit more.

Having recently attended a very dissapointing wine tasting at our local Dan Murphy’s (where nothing was over $8) the staff took pity and presented us with the Jeanneret’s shiraz 2003 to try. Our initial tasting was impressive, so we purchased a bottle to review.

A rich ruby red in colour this elegant shiraz displays a very sweet nose initially, comprising of vanilla, rasberry (red frogs?) and strawberries. After a little time there is a hint of dark chocolate or coffee mocha detectable as well. The wine is full in flavour with juicy forest berries dominating the palate supported by an earthy, drying finish, subtle oak and a fine tannic structure.

Although this wine has been fermented in French and American oak for 16 to 18 months it’s very well balanced and the oak doesn’t dominate the palate. I’m not a huge fan of very oaky reds, so I really enjoyed this wine.

Score: 8/10
Price: $20
Closure: Screwcap
Would I buy this wine again? Yes, this is a very balanced and approachable Shiraz which is drinking well now.

Since I enjoyed Annie’s Lane Riesling 2005, I figured I would also give the 2004 Cabernet Merlot a try. It’s a wine that is widely available, with the price fluctuating between $11 and $16.

Vibrant and promising aromas of mint, cherry and plum, a medium bodied wine with red fruit and chocolate flavours. Well balanced, finishing with some powdery tannin and dark fruits.

Although this Cabernet Merlot lacks the structure of some more expensive examples, it does represent good value for money and is very approachable now. The winery also advises cellaring potential up to 7 years.

Score: 7/10
Price: $11-16
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.4%
Other Opinions: Winorama
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, this is a good value for money quaffer.

I was originally alerted to the Taylor’s Clare Valley Shiraz 2004 when it was reviewed by Gary from Winorama. Last week I finally got around to trying a bottle.

Garnet red in colour, the wine emits fruity aromas of plum and blackberry. Spices dominate the palate, supported by ripe dark fruits and a decent lashing of oak. The finish is medium in length, with obvious drying tannins. Taylors have plenty more details and opinions on their website.

Overall this is a quality robust Shiraz at an excellent price. I found a little too much oak in the glass for my personal tastes.

Score: 7/10
Price: $13
Closure: Scewcap
Would I buy this wine again?
No, but only because I prefer the style of the Hardy’s Oomoo Shiraz 2004 at the same price point.

Another day another good value for money Riesling. The variety continues to impress with the high quality available at sub $15 prices, this week with the Annie’s Lane Clare Valley Riesling 2005.

I found it hard to describe the aromas of this wine, other than it smells distinctly like Riesling, one might say “a varietal nose” of citrus and grapes. Pale lemon in colour, the wine is relatively soft with restrained acidity, and lime fruit flavours. The finish is quite long and dry. There are further details on the Annie’s Lane website.

It is hard to argue with the price of only $11 per bottle at various retailers. Overall this is an easy drinking Riesling which would pair nicely with spicy asian or creamy chicken dishes. However if you’re after a well priced Riesling with a bit more backbone, look toward the Leo Buring Eden Valley Riesling 2005.

Score: 6/10
Price: $11
Closure: Screwcap
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, very good value for money, drinking well now when paired with food

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.

A quick check of the Knappstein Website and a search of google reveals that 2003 was the last year Knappstein produced a straight Gewürztraminer. The variety does not share the popularity of other white varietals such as riesling or chardonnay in Australia, in my mind this is a damn shame.

Pale golden yellow in the glass, the wine has a floral nose of honey suckle and rose, with hints of lemon. Crisp acidity & floral notes on the palate, followed by a very long finish of honey and lemon. There is an excellent balance between the hint of sweetness, and nice dry finish.

On a final note, the Knappstein Website is a travesty against useability. Browsing the reviews of their wines requires the use of an incredibly slow javascript scroll system and popups. Furthermore, they do not maintain tasting notes or details for their Gewürztraminer, presumably because it is no longer in production. It is still available in stores however, dissappointing. Knappstein would be advised to contact a decent web developer to ensure a sound user experience on the web to match their fantastic wines.

Score: 8/10
Would I buy this wine again?
$18 a bottle, Hell yes.

Sometimes refered to as an ‘Earth Wine’, Grenache seems to be making a real comback in the wine market. This is mainly due to the intensified interest in shiraz (grenache, mourvedre and shiraz all come under the heading “Rhone Style”) and the winemakers rediscovering their grenache and mourvedre vineyards. This interesting offering from Tim Adams Wines was a recomendation from a staff member at our local Dan Murphy’s. It is a blend comprising of 55 per cent Grenache; 23 per cent Shiraz; 22 per cent Cabernet Franc.

This wine is a fairly dark, intense red in colour, with a strong peppery nose interwoven with berries. The initial impact upon the palate is a burst of fruits and spices in a full bodied mouthfull which is surprisingly smooth. There is only the slightest hint of some tannin, which for me came through at the back of the palate. I have read that grenanche can often taste a little simple on it’s on, for me this blend really works, it’s refined and has some complexity to it whilst remaining balanced. I think this is a versatile wine and would be a great accompaniment to a lot of food dishes though it would work particularly well with Italian.

Would i buy this wine again?
At $22 a bottle i think it’s a nice wine, and i can see myself drinking it again. I am keen however to explore the other grenache options on the market, so i don’t think it will be in the near future.

More subtle than its Eden Valley cousin, the 2005 Leo Buring Clare Valley Riesling presents the same quality and excellent value for money. This wine was tasted blind along with the Eden Valley and Leonay Rieslings, both from 2005.

Subtle nose with hints of pear and floral notes, the palate was also more subtle than the eden valley or leonay and consisted of sour apple and limes backed by controlled acidity. The officail tasting notes can be found here.

Score: 8/10
Would I buy this wine again?
If the Eden Valley Riesling was unavailable, in a heartbeat. Excellent value for money at around $14 a bottle.

In a word: yum. The most delicious red wine I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. “Fucken” silky smooth tannins, goes down a bloody treat! This is the kind of wine that makes you feel special when drinking it, it certainly renewed my hunger to find some great drink-now red wine in this world. I still have a hard time believing this wine is as recent as 2002 - clearly a good year in South Australia (and apparently so, with lots of 2002 South Australian wines sold out!)… and for $20 no less? Amazing.

In my opinion it doesn’t get much more divinely balanced than this. This is a big red with a heart of gold and has set the standard for what I’m looking for in a great red wine.

I was extremely dismayed to find that nowhere I could find stocks this wine - such is life with wine… which is why I have been reborn a new man post-Knappstein. I will never let a great drop like this go to waste again - next time I’m buying a case! Indeed I already have put this plan into action, hence my drained bank account post-Mudgee vacation. Please, I implore you: don’t make the same mistake I did!

Would I buy this wine again? In a heartbeat. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on Knappstein wines in the coming years.