July 4, 2006
We have reviewed the Trentham Estate Petit Verdot from the 2003 vintage previously, giving the wine a favorable nod. Last night we grabbed another bottle and only just realised it was in fact from the 2004 vintage.
Mid red-purple in colour, initially the wine smells rather yeasty and is overly dry on the palate. Given an hour or two to breathe, lovely aromas and flavours of blackcurrant and blackberry emerge, supported by some spices and smooth tannins. This Petit Verdot is medium bodied and well balanced with a slightly dry finish. Trentham have further tasting notes and information available.
I would not say this is the most complex wine in the world, however it is a thoroughly enjoyable and food friendly little number. The last sip was definitely the best, this is a candidate for decanting while young to bring out those fruit flavours.
Score: 8/10
Price: $17
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 14%
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, the quality is there and the price is right.
February 23, 2006
Having recently re-awakened our taste buds to the delights of dessert wines we thought we would give this 2002 Noble Taminga from the Trentham Estate a go. The grape variety used in this wine was developed by the CSIRO at Merbein by cross breeding Riesling, Farana and Traminer vines.
A soft gold in colour, this Taminga has a gentle honey nose with hues of intermingled light citrus. On the palate it’s a lot lighter than I find most Australian stickies, this is a fruit driven dessert wine that concentrates less on the botrytis characteristics. There are subtle hints of peaches and apricots, with lifted tangs of lemon which make it almost refreshing. This is a wine of excellent structure, all the flavours are well balanced and there isn’t anything overpowering about it.
At only $13 a bottle at Dan Murphy’s this is an excelent value for money sticky. This wine is drinking very well now, or it has the potential for cellaring to allow it to develp some more complex flavours.
Would I buy this wine again?
At such a reasonable price yes, I love the flavour and like the fact it’s not as sweet or sickly as some of the stickies I have tried in the past.
February 5, 2006
I am always keen to try different wine varietals, so when this Petit Verdot was recommended at our local liquor emporium we grabbed one. Good thing too, this is a great red wine for summer and presents excellent value for money.
Upon opening the bottle and pouring a sample the wine had a strong yeasty aroma with little else showing on the nose, TO THE DECANTER! One hour later there was still a little yeasty smell, however cherry and dark fruit scents were beginning to emerge. The wine is very full in the mouth, medium bodied with a creamy texture and lots of dark fruit flavours. Fine tannins lead to a dry and satisfying finish. Trentham have further detailed tasting notes & information on their website.
If you would like to know a little more about the grape variety, Vinodiversity have some further information on Petit Verdot.
Score: 8/10
Would I buy this wine again?
Ageing potential of 6-8 years and drinking well now, $17 a bottle from Dan Murphy’s, how can I say no?
