Winetastic

My tasting notes for the Yelland & Papps Greenock Shiraz 2007 have been sitting on my desk for 2 months awaiting a write up, unfortunately life’s events have got in the way, apologies for the delay.

Perfumed shiraz fruit, leather, earth and a hint of chocolate. The powerful and juicy front palate holds much promise, with mouthfilling berries and aniseed however there is little in the way of tannin and the flavours quickly drop away. A better showing was found on the second day, though the finish was still a tad short.

For what its worth, several respected critics have rated this wine highly. We tasted this bottle alongside the 2007 Grenache and Cabernet and it definitely appeared to be the weaker sibling.

Score: 87/100
Price: $30
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Other Opinions: The Wine Front (Subscription Required)
Would I buy this wine?
No

Before tasting (drinking) a sample of The Story Wines Grampians Shiraz 2007, I really should have read the blog post by winemaker Rory Lane on this very wine. Not only did he open with “This years story …” as I had intented (nevermind, that was so December 2008 anyhow), but he dished out some excellent advice on approaching this young shiraz - give it at least 2 hours in the decanter!

Initially the wine was rather restained in both its aroma and fruit flavours, however if you allow sufficient decanting time, a richer and fuller experience awaits. There are aromas of cherry, raspberry and nutmeg and a medium bodied palate with decent length and fine tannins. The balance between fruits/spices and tannin/acidity hits the mark and keeps you coming back for just one more glass…

Rory needs a pat on the back for turning out a very good wine from a difficult vintage, likewise for deciding that 2007 was not the year to release a single vineyard wine, but rather declassify the fruit (grapes!) into the regional blend.

Score: 90/100
Price: $22
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14%
Other Opinions: The Story Wines (read this - it’s open and spot on with the self assessment)
Would I buy this wine?
Yes, this is the style of Shiraz I like to drink and good value to boot

The Yelland & Papps Barossa Valley Shiraz 2007 appears to be the entry level red in the portfolio, coming in with a price tag of $20.

Initially vanilla oak dominates the nose with some briary dark fruit lurking below. On the palate this Shiraz is young and feisty with juicy dark fruits, a goodly dose of spice and a grippy tannic finish. Over a few hours, the fruit character emerged to swallow up the oak to a degree, leaving a rich and fairly enjoyable Barossa Shiraz.

I feel this is a wine that needs at least another 6 months in bottle before it’s youthful exuberance is pulled into line.

Score: 88/100
Price: $20
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Other Opinions: Torbwine
Would I buy this wine?
No, I found the oak a little overbearing.

I held out much hope for the Mount Pleasant Rosehill Shiraz 2004 after the overripe and tarry number from the previous year. Sadly I cannot help but feel that once again, you would be better off with a $12 Philip Shiraz instead.

Inviting aromas of cherries, blackcurrant, nutmeg and clove. The robust palate is filled with rich dark fruits and berries, chocolate, pepper and cedar oak. Definitely full bodied, not overly “huntery” and a touch warm on the finish.

This is a wine that belies the vintage, since most Hunter Shiraz from 2004 is far leaner and “classically hunter” in style. Although better than the previous year, I am left yearning for the Rosehill wines of 2000 and 2001.

Score: 88/100
Price: $30
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 15%
Would I buy this wine again?
No, pick up some OP&OH Shiraz from 2003 instead

This particular bottle was a replacement for its older and sadly corked brother from the 2002 vintage. Unfortunately the good customer service cannot make up for the contents of the Rosemount Show Reserve Shiraz 2004.

Smelling of coconut oak, plum and spices, this Shiraz has an approachable tannin structure, however somewhere along the line it’s soul was ripped out and replaced with a brittle oaken heart. In short, it tastes like an acceptable but generic red wine.

I wish I could find some more positive things to say about this wine since the 2002 vintage was the first red I really got excited about. Slash the price to $10 and you would have a bargain bbq red I suppose.

Score: 86/100
Price: $20
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Would I buy this wine?
No

Just after Christmas Gemma and I inexplicably found ourselves at the Boutique Wine Center inquiring after any new releases. Although there was nothing released in the previous two months, we were lucky enough to taste some unreleased 2007 reds from Meerea Park (all of which look superb), including the Meerea Park Shiraz Viognier 2007 which is available as of today.

Showing perfumed aromas of cherry and clove, there is an intense and fruity front palate followed by some spices that lead to a tangy and savoury finish. The fine/approachable tannins and pure fruit make this an excellent drink-now proposition, or you can wait a few years for some further complexity to develop.

This is the best Shiraz Viognier Meerea Park have produced to date, though my score is the same as the 2005 vintage since I am marking a little harder these days…

Score: 91/100
Price: $20
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14%
Would I buy this wine?
Yes, you should be able to find it for around $17-18

I initially became aware of Lazy Ballerina a couple of years ago with the release of the 2005 vintage, the current 2007 release has received high praise from many critics - enough to convince me to buy a six pack without first trying the wine.

Big and black McLaren Vale Shiraz with loads of dark fruits on the front palate, a creamy texture, some warmth, spice and a bucket load of fine tannin on the finish. I found the alcoholic heat stuck out a little, however this is likely tied to the warmer weather. Any more than a single glass right now calls for a brontosaurus steak.

I feel the bottle tasted was not as good as that seen by Campbell Mattison, and Ric from Torbwine noted some bottle variation. Like Ric I am not convinced by the Procork seal, to my eyes the plastic ends would not stop the wine coming in contact with the cork, it also looks and feels cheap.

Score: 89/100
Price: $22
Closure: Procork
Alcohol: 15.5%
Other Opinions: Lazy Ballerina, Torbwine
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, even this bottle that appears to be a bit off was still good value for money

Following swiftly on the heels of the very good 2006 vintage is the Meerea Park Shiraz 2007, a blend of 60% Hilltops and 40% Hunter Valley Shiraz.

Showing vibrant ripe berry and plum aromas, this medium bodied red has soft tannins, cherry and plum flavours supported by spices and a little leather or earth on the finish. Very easy drinking, finishes a touch short but what do you expect for $12?

I am probably being a points miser this time around, it really is a great BBQ wine and punches well above its weight. For what its worth, Gemma liked this wine even more than I did. You can buy some at Dan Murphy’s.

Score: 88/100
Price: $12
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14%
Other Opinions: Meerea Park
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, its a great value every day drinking wine

The Mountain X Hunter Shiraz 2006 is the inaugural release and the brain child of Gary Walsh and Campbell Mattison of The Wine Front. It is a blend of 95% Hunter Shiraz (good start) and 5% Yarra Pinot - a throwback to a traditional hunter blend of yesteryear. The winemakers are Rhys Eather (Meerea Park) and Franco d’Anna (Hoddles Creek) respectively.

Stylistically modern Hunter Valley - showing fruity aromas of cherry, blackcurrant and some licorice. The palate is initially juicy and intense with tangy dark fruits and berries, a dash of spice and a dollop of vanilla oak. There are just enough super fine and approachable tannins to pull the finish into the savoury realm.

If you plan to drink up now, I suggest 2+ hours in a decanter, otherwise it should improve in the cellar over the medium term. A successful first release, there is something here for hunterists and non-hunterists alike. Since I don’t mind giving this lot a plug, you can buy the wine from the Boutique Wine Center, Boccaccio or North Sydney Cellars.

Score: 91/100
Price: $30
Closure: Diam
Alcohol: 13.5%
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes I will, $30 is a reasonable price for a low production, hand picked and unique wine.

Meerea Park have been through a (pardon the pun) purple patch recently, especially with their red wines. The 2003, 2004 and 2005 vintages were very good to exceptional and the 2006 vintage of “The Aunts” Shiraz is no exception. There is one big difference this year, your favorite Aunts now come dressed in a bright red frock.

A clean and modern hunter nose of cherry, dusty earth, aniseed and hints of clove and nutmeg. Medium bodied with a solid backbone of fine tannin, blackberry fruit, balancing acidity and a goodly dollop of spicy oak. Good length, needs time.

I suspect the score will increase somewhat as the wine ages, this particular bottle was enjoyed very soon after the wine was released a couple of months ago, however I was very slack in writing up the tasting note. As a little side note, we now have more bottles of The Aunts Shiraz in the cellar from various vintages than any other label.

Score: 91/100
Price: $26
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13.5%
Other Opinions: Meerea Park
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, quickly becoming a mainstay in our cellar.