Winetastic

I have a confession to make, I don’t like Chardonnay. Perhaps it was the $10 over-oaked examples at backyard bbqs that made me turn my back, or maybe the flabby unoaked styles from warmer climates? At any rate I have finally found a Chardonnay I would actually spend money on! Surprise, surprise (or perhaps no surprise), it comes from Meerea Park in the form of the Alexander Munro Chardonnay 2007.

Lemon, nectarine and a hint of vanilla waft out of the glass, zesty citrus and tart stone fruit flavours are complemented nicely by well managed vanilla oak. Great balance between fruit sweetness, acidity and oak flavours on the persistent finish.

Although I really enjoyed it as a young wine, at $35 I guess you are missing the point if you don’t let it age for a while, those in the know recommend 5-8 years from vintage.

Score: 91/100
Price: $35
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14%
Other Opinions: Meerea Park, Winorama, Winorama (Twice!)
Would I buy this wine?
Yes, will be interesting to see where it goes in 5+ years time.

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.

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.

As summer rapidly approaches, so does the impending tidal wave of Riesling and Semillon which call out for the warmer weather. A squeeky clean new release from Leo Buring is first up, the 2006 Eden Valley Riesling.

Almost transparent with just a hint of lemon colour, this Riesling has a varietal nose of grapes, green apples, pear and lemon sherbet. Lemon zest and nectarine fruit flavours lead into a dry finish with a hint of grassyness. The acid levels in this wine make it a solid drink-now proposition.

Whereas the 2005 vintage had racy acidity and minerality that added complexity and interest, the 2006 release is more fruit forward and a tad simple. It did go down great with Tuesday night Fettucine Boscaiola.

Score: 87/100
Price: $14
Closure: Scewcap
Alcohol: 13%
Other Opinions: Wino Sapien
Would I buy this wine again?
Its a good example of Aussie Riesling for the price, however this variety can pack even more punch if you hunt around. Probably not.

Writing a review for a young Semillon is hard, there are only so many ways you can say “lemon” and “acid”. I tasted the De Iuliis Semillon 1999 at the cellar door this week, and subsequently purchased a bottle of the 2005 vintage from our local bottle shop. For what its worth, this wine also made James Hallidays “Top 100″ wines this year.

Pale straw in colour, this Semillon smells of grapes and lemon sherbert. Full flavoured and lemony, it has a good whack of acidity as well.

I would not really recommend this wine for drinking young, but it would not hurt to stash a few bottles away. The score is based on how the wine is drinking now. I contacted De Iuliis via email requesting a bottle photo, however the did not respond. *Edit* Thanks to GW for providing me with a bottle shot.

Score: 85/100
Price: $14
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 11.5%
Other Opinions: De Iuliis
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, to cellar for 5+ years.

This bottle had been sitting in the cellar for around 2 years now, it saddens me to think there is only one left. With spring making its appearance known, I will definitely be drinking more Semillon in the near future.

Developed straw yellow in colour, this full flavoured Semillon is showing both youthful lemon and acid alongside developed lanolin aromas and subtle honey flavour. An excellent match for a creamy chicken dish.

Irongate were still selling the 2001 vintage from the cellar door last month, well worth grabbing a bottle or two. On a side note, thank you to Irongate for supplying the bottle photo, however their website content is seriously out of date and was built using flash, its time for an update!

Score: 90/100
Price: $20
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 12.5%
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, I really enjoyed this Semillon while young and I look forward to seeing how the last bottle develops in a couple of years time.

The Pipers Brook Gewurztraiminer 2005 was our contribution to a wine dinner with friends, along with a platter of assorted cheeses. The theme for the first course was mostly Tasmanian, with the wine and most of the cheeses produced there.

The aromas were not as pronounced as I would expect from a Gewurztraminer, with apple, hints of tropical fruit and floral elements present. Tasting distinctly of green apple, the wine had sound and well balanced acidity and mineral elements, finishing very dry. The producer Kreglinger Wines have further tasting notes on their website.

Overall this is a quality wine which is overpriced. I would recommend the Delatite Gewurztraiminer instead, which is half the price and a better wine.

Score: 7/10
Price: $25
Closure: Screwcap
Would I buy this wine again?
No, the producers need to knock $10 off the price.

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

A few months back I reviewed the 2001 Thistle Hill Semillon and basically rated it as fairly average at 6/10. The wine was a bit watery and lacked the depth of character you expect from an aged Semillon.

Over the weekend I opened another bottle which showed far better, presenting a stronger flavour profile and basically going down like a treat. Perhaps the first bottle was mildly corked.

Score: 8/10
Would I buy this wine again?
Based on this bottle and the $15 price tag, yes. Available from the cellar door or online.

This is just what the doctor ordered. Just when I was beginning to lose hope in white wine along comes my good pal from Mudgee, Simon Gilbert.

I’m so very glad we popped into Simon Gilbert in the wee hours of the morning on the way out of Mudgee, they have fairly consistently impressive with some great value wine - and this one is no exception.

The Pinot Grigio is definitely a winner for me, a lovely white with all the qualities I enjoy in my young white wine: smooth but with a bit of bite, a lingering finish, crisp, a lovely balance of flavours with a reasonable dollop of milder fruit flavours like apple and pear.

This wine keeps you interested, but won’t send your draw dropping to the ground in awe - its a reasonable step up from say Peter Lehmann’s Semillon or Semillon Chardonnay, which I consider excellent value wines. If you are looking for a solid young white with a bit more class than your lower price range wine, its hard to look past the Simon Gilbert Pinot Grigio.

Would I buy this wine again? Certainly, I hope to pick another one or two up at the NSW Inland Food and Wine Festival this weekend from Simon and see if my initial impression lingers as well as the wine.