Mistletoe

Had the opportunity to visit Mistletoe in a Sydney tasting...A bit disappointed they didn't have some of their other stuff available for tasting but I suspect it is because it is sold out...

www.mistletoewines.com.au

Mistletoe Reserve Semillon 2012
I've always been pretty neutral on Mistletoe Semillon but this one really surprised me.  It has aged characters already which is really odd, maybe this one isn't for cellaring but it is tasting great now.  Toast and honey with a lot of lemon on the nose....it's actually quite nice that this strikes me as very fresh but with the added complexity.  Very nice acid, nice deep toasty notes, fresh lemon, a bit of grass....Great drop.  Definitely better than anything I've had from them in the past and as long as it stays along its current path without dying off, this one is definitely one to get.  On the downside, $30 for a new release semillon is a bit much.   To put it in perspective, it is more expensive than Thomas Braemore Semillon and Meerea Park Terracotta Semillon (which is released with 5 years of age).  It is tasting great now and is definitely not a bad buy...but without the established reputation for Semillon, hard to say where this will go and if the higher than its peers price is justified.

Mistletoe Semillon 2011
A very typical young Semillon.  Well made, decent acidity...but it is a reminder why I generally dislike drinking Semillon young..

Mistletoe Silvereye Semillon 2011
This semillon is one that has a bit of residual sugar...it tends to appeal to people just getting into wine but to be honest, this is actually a very nice little drop.  With a bit of sweetness (not too much),  it'll pair well with things a Gewurztraminer or Riesling will pair with (Thai food for example).  Even though Australians tend to look down on anything with RS, this wine is actually well made and has reasonable complexity.  It isn't going to blow your mind but has decent acidity, good balance, not too sweet and while it has some characters of a semillon with a bit of lemon/grass, it actually tastes like it might be blended with something else like a Pinot Gris.  At $18 AUD, it is a pretty good buy.  Again, not a serious wine but one I'd be happy to drink with food. 

Mistletoe Chardonnay 2011
Probably the biggest surprise...well balanced, good acidity, a bit of cashew, citrus...tasted a lot like the little brother of their reserve (which has been excellent lately).  Spent time in older oak barrels so nowhere near over oaked...this was actually very nice...

Mistletoe Reserve Chardonnay 2010
Biggest disappointment.  I've tried this before and it was very good.  I think this has gone to sleep.  It was very tight, didn't get anything from it.  Oak was actually sticking out because the fruit seems like it has disappeared.  Maybe it was the bottle, maybe it is just sleeping....

Mistletoe Petillant Sparkling Rose 2011
Another one of those wines that has actually disappointed me every time I've tried it....except this one.  A nice, very refreshing Sparkling Rose.  Simple but well balanced.  This doesn't taste like the leftovers someone decided to make a Rose out of....Would be great on a hot day.  A bit of cherry, a bit of fizz, a bit of alcohol and important (from my standpoint) for a rose, it isn't full of bad flaws making it undrinkable.

Mistletoe Rose 2011
Along with the Petillant, I've never been happy with the Rose coming out of Mistletoe, and like the Petillant, this one surprised me.  It had a little bit of residual sugar but overall, a nice refreshing rose.  Some light red fruits on the palate.  Not overly complex but again, well made and balanced.  Whatever they changed for this years Petillant and Rose, was a good change. 

Mistletoe Hilltops Merlot 2009
A very nice, crowd pleasing Merlot.  A bit of green pepper (capsicum), red and dark fruit on the nose.  Relatively big fruit on the palate...not sweet and not over ripe but definitely fruit forward.  Reasonably good acidity, sweet soft tannins.  A very solid Merlot and I'd be happy to drink this with food.   I don't consider this overly special but for the price (about 25AUD), it is better than most.

Mistletoe Home Vineyard Shiraz 2010
Winemakers notes say the nose is pure Hunter...but that isn't what strikes me when I first give it a sniff.  Some red fruit, a tad bit of pepper...but I'm not getting that earthy, leathery nose I immediately associate with the Hunter.  Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't pick this as a South Australian Shiraz on the nose but I don't know if I'd guess Hunter either.  The palate, however, is very much Hunter Valley Shiraz.  Medium bodied, good acidity, leather, earth, peppery notes...a pretty good example of a Hunter Shiraz.  Good balance, very well made.  Price is right at 25AUD.  I don't thin it has the depth of its bigger brothers but good nonetheless.

Mistletoe Hilltops Shiraz 2010
A lot of reasonably good stuff coming out of the Hilltops region.  On the plus side, it all tastes very "clean", nice, good quality fruit...good balance...Good wines but nothing special (at least I haven't seen anything special).  Maybe it is the lack of anything really different.  Either way, this wine definitely falls into the same category I've seen a lot of Hilltops Shiraz fall under.  Well made, nice to drink wine without any weird flaws or anything too odd about it.  At the same time, it is very forgettable too.  A wine you'd drink during the week or with food and be perfectly happy to drink..but not something very memorable.

Mistletoe Hilltops Shiraz Viognier 2010
Take the well made but nothing special Hilltops Shiraz and add Viognier and you get a slightly more interesting wine.  I like that this isn't being overpowered by the Viognier, I'm not getting that overly savory characters I might from a lot of SV.  Instead the Viognier is adding some nice complexity to the nose...some floral characters but nothing too strong, not getting that strong apricot you might see from other SVs.  Palate is similar to the standard Hilltops Shiraz but added depth.  A bit more herby, slightly more savory, floral notes...I'd much rather have this than the straight shiraz....