This was an event held at Customs House in Circular Quay. I think the last time I was here was two years ago and while I remember there being significantly more wineries present, on the plus side they weren't limited to the number of wines they could present so that was a nice plus.
I've always been a big fan of Margaret River wine...They have a fantastic climate for growing wine, they have a large range of different things they grow there (Counting the greater WA area) where they basically grow all of the major grapes in Australia...Shiraz, Cab Sav, Merlot, Riesling, Sav Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay...even some Pinot Noir and Petit Verdot....
One of the things I've been less than impressed with as far as MR goes is, they love to make Semillon Sauvignon Blanc...I'm not sure why but they do but they do...but one trend I've seen happen is more and more places are starting to use oak barrels to give SSB a bit more depth and complexity and a much better texture than the watery mess I'm used to seeing from there.
Cowaraump Wines
Cowaramup Wines Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Reserve 2011
Really nice mouthfeel to this, good depth and complexity...a bit of passion fruit, lemon, grass, herbs...Really good use of oak..it really does at a lot to this wine and for 25 AUD, it is a really good buy. There is a significant difference between this and their Clownfish line of Sav Blanc Semillon and for only 5 dollars more, it is just a far superior wine.
Cowaramup Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2010
I huge step up from their normal Clownfish Cab, great mouthfeel, good acidity..really nice structure to this wine. Dark fruits, herbs, a bit of a leather a bit of earth....At 30 AUD RRP, this is one of the better deals out there.
Fraser Gallop
Fraser Gallop Parterre Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2011.
58% Semillon, 42% Sauvignon Blanc, this wine really has great mouthfeel and texture. The oak really pulls the right flavors out of the Semillon while the Sauvignon Blanc seems to add a bit of lift to it. Some toasty notes, lemon, herbs...For a SSB this is really quite nice. RRP is 36 which is definitely a bit much for a SSB but this IS a good one. I'm also told they only make like 200 cases so this sells out quite quickly.
Fraser Gallop Parterre Chardonnay 2012
Really nice nose, a bit of citrus and nuts...Palate splashes grapefruit, cashews, a bit of honey and lemon. Really nice minerality in this wine...nice restrained use of oak...has a little bit of creaminess but not from any Malo (unless some happened naturally)..Really nice acidity...This is a nice wine and at 32RRP, it is probably underpriced by a bit...Great value...Great Chardonnay from a consistent performer.
Fraser Gallop Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Another really nice wine from their Parterre line...wonderful dark fruit on the nose..some herbs, mint and a bit of earth. Palate has nice acidity, good tannin structure, nice dark fruits coming through and maybe even a tad of eucalyptus and mint...At 42RRP, this is also a really good value.
Honorable mentions:
Xanadu Chardonnay 2010- Wish the Reserve was here but their normal Estate was still pretty good...
Howard Park Leston Cabernet 2010. Really solid, tannins are big (I think every Leston I've tried has been like this) but good acidity, good fruit. Solid wine.
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