Torbreck Les Amis

Most Torbreck stuff is pretty biggish...they do a good job though with the fruit being pure and the wine being quite clean...

They make a Grenache called Les Amis, which, when young, is quite biggish...as Grenache often is when young...I've never really had an aged version of this and really wasn't sure what to expect but..

Torbreck Les Amis 2003.

100% Grenache, when young these are quite big fruited...nearly gloppy fruited...They remind me of very big CDPs but without any funk....But this has aged quite nicely.  As Grenache can often do, it has softened quite nicely and the texture has become far lighter than the alcohol or original fruit would suggest.  Still carries very pure fruit but the darker fruits have become a bit redder and the overall mouthfeel just feels very much improved over younger versions of this...

These are still rather expensive on release (over 100 AUD) which makes it a bit questionable given the number of other wines you can get out there for that...but as far as Grenache in Australia, this has shown it can age and age for quite awhile....There are a few other Grenaches coming out in Australia that are slightly more interesting and seeing how this will impact the price of this should also prove to be interesting...but as far as wines that surprised me and have shown they're more than what they seem...this did that..

Byrne and Ruggabellus

Byrne Chardonnay 2013
Alex Byrne is the assistant winemaker at Lethbridge and also has his own label out of Ballarat.  From what I've seen, he has some very interesting wines at a great price.  I had a chance to re-try his 2013 Chardonnay...
A bit of oak on the nose, a tad bit of salinity seems like..peach..a bit of lemon....Palate has nice fruit, but the oak is quite obvious....I believe these go through malo as well but the acidity is really quite nice and it keeps this nice line within the wine and balances out the oak and malo quite nice....I will say, this is very Burg like in structure and mouthfeel.  I think the only thing I wish was the oak was a little less up front although it looks like this only uses 15% new oak and the rest 1-3 years old...Still very enjoyable and great value...I'd like to see this with a bit more time to integrate the oak better but the wine is still very enjoyable, very well made and utterly fantastic value.  92 points.

Ruggabellus Archaeus 2012
Sort of the new wave of Barossa wine...there is a significant movement to change how people think of Barossa wine and Ruggabellus is one of those making that charge.
The Archaeus is their Shiraz dominated Southern Rhone blend...Mostly Shiraz with some Mataro and Grenache as well...
The first thing I notice is, the wine has very good acidity for a Barossa....I am really liking the earlier picking and I think what was considered underripe in the past is looking like the right time to pick.  You still have the beautiful clean fruit but you're retaining better acidity and any slightly green notes are coming across as savory rather than fruit that wasn't suitable.  The weight of the wine is relatively full bodied but definitely lighter than what you would have seen out of the Barossa 10 years ago..and for a blend with some Grenache, I think that is a real accomplishment.  Texture on the wine is very nice..tannins are quite soft for such a young wine...brighter red fruits, great acid....Something is not quite blowing my hair back and I'm not sure what it is but it is still a very good wine and was even better after some time in the glass.  90 points

More wine with Friends

Plenty of wine to cover but I'll try to stick w/ the Aussies plus a few others...and for the first time I'll include scores!!

2011 Giaconda Chardonnay - I was a real fan of this when I first tried it..today it seemed a bit out of place...really quite awkward at first...really opening up with some air.  Acidity seemed really flat but it definitely started to show a bit more as it opened up.  Of the four or so times I've had this though, this was my least favorite time....Just seems to have shut down a tad and not showing as nicely....A lot of people actually don't prefer this vintage over other Giacondas but I definitely do... 89 points.

1986 Mount Mary Chardonnay - Didn't strike me as a nearly 30 year old Chardonnay...Good acidity, oak seems to have fully integrated..a bit of peach, lemon pith....An interesting find if you can get it... 90 points

1981 Henschke Hill of Grace - I had really high expectations of this..not sure they were met...Mint and earth on the nose...dark and red fruits...felt like it had more acid than younger HoGs but that is to be expected IMO...Tannins were fully integrated...Not quite the complexity I'm expecting though..something is missing for me...Good wine though.. 90 points

1991 Wynns John Riddoch - Coonawarra on the nose...Green Bell Peppers for days.  Dark fruits, pretty good acidity too which is probably the most surprising and most impressive thing here.  Tannins were there but integrated nicely into the wine.  This is actually drinking quite nicely...I actually had higher expectations for this wine complexity wise..but was pleased with the overall mouthfeel and texture.. 91 points

1996 Seppelts Great Western Shiraz - This is the wine that is now called St. Peters...Showing a lot younger than I would have thought for a 1996 St. Peters...Bright red fruit, herbs, some earthiness....Good acidity...Oak present but not overpowering..tannins there but well integrated.  My understanding is bottle variation on these is quite high but this one was a stunner and could easily go another 10 years... 92 points

1996 Peter Lehmann Stonewell - This was a bit on the ripe side..even seems to have some residual sugar as well..drinking nicely overall with well integrated tannins and oak...acidity is a bit on the low side....87 points

1992 Jim Barry Armagh - These seem to be in very high demand..but really not the style I like.  Big brash shiraz..Big dark fruits, felt rather viscous to me...I'm feeling a bit of heat but that said, overall the wine integrated quite nicely together...hard to believe this is a 92 and this will easily go another 10-15+ years...87 points

1996 Wendouree Cabernet Malbec - I had high expectations of this but had a feeling it would be too young..and it was.  Great texture and mouthfeel..the structure is there..the fruit will integrate nicely later on and the wine should be great..in another 10 years...  I actually enjoyed this because of the texture but definitely felt this was missing something..more so than other younger Wendourees I felt this needed a lot more time..but I think it'll be quite good...91 points

Others:

2003 Armand Rousseau CSJ - I really like Rousseau...I think the wines are fantastically balanced and always have that great power + finesse...This one was..well, not something I expected.  On the very overripe side for a red Burgundy...I would have guessed New World...a lot of graphite...felt really quite overworked.  Some people really love this but I don't.  It could be this will end up being fantastic in 10+ years....Acidity is there but there is something just not right with this....If someone told me it was an Aussie or CA Pinot, I would have believed them..89 points

2010 Foillard Cote du Py 3.14.  This might have been my favorite wine of the night..great mouthfeel and texture...like red fruits.  At first sip I thought this was Beaujolais (it was served blind) then I felt the tannins and thought, maybe Jura?  Once I found out it was Beaujolais I knew it was Morgon but the tannin structure really threw me off...A bit stalky (which I like), good acidity, lighter spicy red fruits...I really like this a lot...Might've been my favorite of the night...92 points

1999 Shafer Hillside Select - Creamy Dark Fruit...Definitely on the fruit bomb side of things...low acidity..big fruit..vanilla oak...It is very much a steak house wine...Was it enjoyable?  Yeah...but could I drink this often?  No...it wasn't a big brash red...but yeah...for me these feel flat but I can see why a lot of people like them..88 points

Cellar Favorites with Friends

I met up with some friends for a wonderful evening of food and wine....

2003 Keith Tulloch Semillon - Just starting to develop some toasty notes.  Good acid, good depth...This looks like it'll go quite awhile longer and I'd love to see this in five more years.

2006 De Iuliis Semillon - The acid is fading away on this...not a lot of development going on either...Maybe this will turn a bit but it isn't what I'm looking for in Semillon..

2012 Lethbridge Dr. Nadeson Riesling - I'm a big fan of these and still a big fan.  10g/L of RS and 13g/L of TA....Served a little cool which made the sugar stand out a bit more but once it got going the acidity and depth really showed..the sugar offset some of the searing acidity..I really enjoy this style...I wish more places made Riesling like this.

1996 Lakes Folly Chardonnay - I wasn't expecting much here because of the age but this had a wonderful nose and equally wonderful palate.  Reminded me a lot of an aged Champagne with some yeasty notes, lemon pith, nutty notes as well.  Acid still going strong.  Quite a revelation for everyone at the table as I think everyone expected this to be past it.

1991 Orlando Lawsons Padthaway Shiraz (Magnum) - Deep dark fruited Shiraz, big fruit, mocha notes, some secondary minty and herby characters as well...In quite a nice spot really.  Not quite the style I like but drinking fantastically well.  Really no complaints here, I'd be perfectly happy drinking this.

1998 Penfolds St. Henri - Some felt this was in a good spot, to me it was way too young.  Great structure, tannins were firm but not too aggressive but definitely there in force...Good acidity, fruit was still very young...some development but this will probably not be its best for 10+ years..at least...

1990 Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon (Black) - A bit of funk on the nose but that blew off...Acidity was quite good, redder fruits but definitely a Coonawarra feel to it.  Tannins were fully resolved....Was probably a bit past it but still a very nice drop.  Considering this was probably 5 dollars on release and was probably near the bottom of their releases, this is looking very good.

2009 Yarra Yering Dry Red No 3 - A mix of different Tourigas...I've never been a fan of this...still not much of a fan of this.  Really young bright fruit....feels a bit awkward to me...

1996 Sallys Paddock - Nice mouthfeel to this...great little bordeaux blend.  Darker fruits with some herby characters to it...Good overall structure and mouthfeel.  I haven't had a Sallys Paddock and been blown away by it..but they're always consistently pretty good...

2013 Yellow Tail Merlot (this was a bit of a joke wine) - Most people have the same response...Yellow Tail?  And a MERLOT at that?  Haha.  To me, a lot of cheap wine or a lot of wine that the winemaker is new to making have this manufactured fake red candy smell to it...as well as on the palate.  I tend to see it in wines that are 5-15 dollars.  Not everyone seems to pick this up though as I've seen plenty of wines that have this and people don't sense that.  For me, even blind I'm picking this up.  I'm not sure what it is and obviously there are tons of cheap wines I DON'T pick this up in..but a lot of them I do.  I suspect some sort of winemaking flaw but I don't know what it is.  Either way, this has it in spades.  Palate is relatively sweet too so I suspect a good amount of residual sugar...If you don't mind the fake candy, I can see why people would drink this..easy to drink, a bit sweet (even though they don't know it is)...

2006 Glen Eldon Twisted Trunk Reserve Shiraz - A big bruising Shiraz...Huge oak on the nose and palate...This probably needs more time for the oak to integrate..not sure if that'll happen but it needs more time...I'm sure this is a crowd pleaser though...

1999 Yalumba Signature - Still a young pup...Big dark fruit, very viscous on the palate.  A lot of oak but it has integrated relatively well.  Tannins are there but not overpowering....This is in a pretty good spot right now if you like them a bit young but I can see this going another 5-10 years.  Again, not the style I prefer but this was still quite nice.

2005 Rockford Cabernet Sauvignon - This fell a bit flat for me..probably needed to be served earlier in the evening.  Light for a Cabernet...this seemed to be in a bit of an awkward spot...

2004 Buller Calliope Durif - VERY viscous...Almost port like in thickness...very dark dark fruit, big big fruit on the palate...To me this seems almost sweet...I'm not sure how much residual sugar is here but I've seen stuff that suggests it is relatively high for a red...and this is also labeled 16% alcohol but it is probably closer to 17%.  That said, I wouldn't guess 17% as it isn't finishing very hot..but definitely finishes a bit hot to my palate.  This would definitely be a crowd pleaser..I can see a lot of people loving this.  For me, just too big..

2004 Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz - I've not always been happy with their Hilltops..I think they tend to be a bit awkward...but this has integrated nicely...it has a dash of Viognier and the Shiraz has really started to develop some secondary characteristics.  Very Hilltops region on the nose and exhibits some of that on the palate.  Overall a pretty good wine.

Rockford in 2014

Had a gathering with some friends for a Rockford BP dinner...a lot of great fun but a lot of very good wine as well..

Now, to start off, I do enjoy Rockford Basket Press.  I do NOT enjoy it as much as most though.  They are consistently very good..very clean...always good fruit, solid structure...Overall a very good wine...I'm not sure I consider them very exciting though.  Again, don't get me wrong, I enjoy drinking them..I think the wines are very good...I just think they're very safe.

We had:

1996 Rockford Basket Press
1997 Rockford Basket Press
2004 Rockford Basket Press
2006 Rockford Basket Press
2008 Rockford Basket Press
2009 Rockford Basket Press
2010 Rockford Basket Press
1997 Rockford Cabernet Sauvignon
Rockford Black Sparkling Shiraz from 2001.

There were a few other wines that even but sticking with the Rockford theme...

1996 Rockford Basket Press - This has always been one of my favorite BPs and today was no different.  Redder fruits, solid structure, good acidity, great complexity to the wine.

1997 Rockford Basket Press - I've had this several times and they're always just...well..*shrug*.  I'm not even a fan of selling wine but I had several of these and I just ended up selling them because while they were good, they weren't worth what they were selling for.  I picked up quite a bit of oak from this...fruit was decent, not great..overall structure was decent but I didn't really pick up much from this.  This will sound bad but the wine was very non-offensive in the best possible way.  Solid wine but forgettable.

2004 Rockford Basket Press - Picking up a bit of sweetness on this.  I'm not sure what the residual sugar is on this but I'd imagine it is in the 3g+ range.  Nice bright fruit, probably one of the freshest of the night...Overall structure is good...solid tannins but nothing overly grippy..decent acidity...a combination of red and dark fruits, a hint of mint and herbs...Some earthy tones but what is really standing out is the fruit and solid structure.  A very enjoyable Basket Press and one of my favorites of the night...I think this one will age quite well...

2006 Rockford Basket Press.  I think this really suffered next to the 2004 which had been decanted.  Really quite tight..and very aggressive tannins.  Fruit was there but hiding a bit in the background.  Not sure what to think of this...I tried it several times over the evening and it was just too tight to really judge.

2008 Rockford Basket Press.  A lot of people liked this one...for me it was very ok.  Really soft, too soft really.  Low acidity, soft tannins...up front fruit..a very enjoyable drink for now and maybe a few more years.  Structure was not there to go the long haul.  I'd drink these now or very soon in the future.

2009 Rockford Basket Press.  Dark fruits, decent acid, but getting a lot of heat from this as well.  Not sure why but the alcohol is really noticeable.  Given this was the later part of the evening I didn't really nurse this one the way I should've but it was just showing ok.

2010 Rockford Basket Press.  Still one of the best young BP's I've tried...Great fruit, great overall structure.  Tannins are there but not aggressive...good acidity (although added I'm sure)...Good complexity..a bit tight but showing nicely for such a young BP.  I think this will end up being one of the better BPs.....

1997 Rockford Cabernet - I actually enjoyed this a LOT more than the 97 BP.  Reddish fruits, good acid....The Barossa produces rather atypical Cabernet and this is no different...lighter than its Shiraz brother...still very lively and looking quite good.

Rockford Black Shiraz NV (2001 Disgorgement).  These are always fun wines..I'm not quite sure I get them like a lot of my Australian friends...The dosage tends to be from a fortified which lends this some extra residual sugar...For a fun sparkling this quite complex and has some nice savory aspects but still, there is something lacking.  I look at it as it tastes nice, is a bit of fun but still has some geeky things about it too...

Langtons Sydney Classification VI 2014

Langtons has done three tastings of their Classifications and all three have been done very well..

I only attended the non Exceptional categories...

Highlights:

Maurice O'Shea Vertical.  I love when wineries do this because it really gives you the opportunity to try several different versions of their wine at once.  In this case they did 94, 98, 99, 2000, 2003, 2009.  My favorite of the bunch was the 1998...Great acid, good structure, a bit of leather and dirt, red fruits, a bit of tannin structure still there...great wine.  My least favorite was the 2000 which was overly tannic (a huge style change) and in a very awkward place.

Bests Thomson Family 2012 - Great wine.  Great structure, wonderful fruit.  Acid in the right spot, tannins in the right spot..fantastic complexity....A bit on the expensive side but a very good wine.

Wendouree Cabernet Malbec 2012.  My pick of the Shiraz/Malbec (which was almost sweet and VERY approachable), the Shiraz Mataro (Still very approachable) and straight Cabernet Sauvignon which is generally my least favorite Wendouree.  Great acidity and firm tannins, red fruit, mint, a bit of eucalyptus, herbs, spices..really great wine.  I'm really convinced the Cabernet Malbec is the best of the whole bunch (which includes the straight Shiraz).

Langmeil Freedom 2010.   Big fruit but at the same time, great acid, great overall structure.  Bigger wine than I'd generally like but the acidity really helped carry this through.  Dark fruits, spices, herbs, noticeable oak but the wine carries it well.  The tannins are there telling you it'll be around awhile but they're not so aggressive as to make this undrinkable.  The acid gives it great freshness.  I'm not sure if they added acid here given they're at 15% alcohol and 6.9g/L of acidity...but either way, the wine is looking quite good and while not my top 3 for the night, it was my biggest surprise of the night.  Apparently these vines used for this wine are well over 100 years old.  I'm not sure I'd buy it at 100/bottle but still, I'd be happy to drink it.

Yeringberg 2011.  A very elegant version of Yeringberg.  Red fruits, good acidity, softer tannins..no sign of being unripe though.  I was actually expecting something pretty bad but they did an excellent job of making this.  Not typical of what I think of Yeringberg but still a very good wine given the vintage conditions.

Kilikanoon Oracle 2010.
Another big wine that surprised me.  Coming through with mint, dark fruits but really good acidity to balance out this normally large large red.  I'm certain a lot of these places are starting to add acid but few will actually admit to it.  Either way, this is drinking quite nicely.  Great complexity, really nice wine...

Penfolds St. Henri 2010.
This has had so much press lately, I tried to approach this with as little bias as possible.  First thing - the structure.  Big tannins but not overly aggressive tannins.  Good acidity, surprising acidity.  Fruit is VERY VERY young.  Because they don't use new oak, just very large barrel old oak, I'm not picking up any oak at all and that is probably contributing to the mouthfeel and the freshness of the fruit.  The fruit itself is very complex, dark and red fruits, some spice, a hint of mocha, but still, very young.  To be quite honest, I don't feel like this is showing well right now...and given all other St. Henri's, that's probably right.  It isn't supposed to be drinking well right now..and it really isn't.  That said, I know this will age, Penfolds wine generally does age very well.  St. Henri in particular, has a long history of aging very well.  Some critics are calling this quite possibly the best St. Henri ever...is it?  I don't know.  I do know it has great structure, great fruit and given the pedigree, I'm sure this will end up being a fantastic wine..but it'll probably be 2030+ before you should drink it...

Chambers Rosewood Rare Muscat.
I've never had this but I know it is supposed to be great..and let me tell you, it is great.  Huge complexity, wonderful mouthfeel....In general I find there are a lot of very good rare muscats..this one is just a step above those.  At the same time, this is probably 4-5 times more expensive.  Worth trying if you get the opportunity, definitely worth trying.

Other honorable mentions:  Tyrrells Vat 1 2008- Young, maybe too young, but a great Semillon.  This will be great in another 10 years.
Lakes Folly Cabernet Blend 2011.  Great acidity, great Lakes Folly...Might be their best one in awhile.
Bowen Cabernet Sauvignon 2012.  A great comeback after a really poor 2011.  Probably one of the best values out there at 25/bottle.  Great acid but still very Coonawarra.

Hill of Grace 2009, Penfolds Grange 2009

The two main iconic wines in Australia.  There have been a few others that have tried to gain the recognition of these two but nothing really comes close to the long line of proven success, ability to age and quality these have had.


Henschke Hill of Grace 2009
Intoxicating nose of herbs, spices, mocha, dark berries...Really quite an inviting nose...reminds me of their Mount Edelstone but more intense, more complex....On the palate you get hit with the power but elegance of the wine.  To me it lacks the acidity I want and the wine is just to plushy but at the same time, the wine shows great power and intensity but at the same time it isn't smacking me around either.  Dark fruits, dark chocolate, five spice and this minty herb thing hits my palate and sticks there for a long long finish.  A really great wine.  Not exactly the style I like but there is no doubting the quality and enjoyment one will get from this wine...

Penfolds Grange 2009
Following 2008 was always going to be hard....Powerful nose of dark fruit but not a lot of complexity..picking up quite a bit of oak on the nose....This is probably the most approachable Grange I've had yet....Dark fruits, reasonably good acidity, good tannin structure but not a huge structured beast that some Granges can be....Obviously a very well made wine but the HoG was just far better at this stage and it really overshadowed what I was getting from the wine.  The Grange still had power but definitely very approachable...far more elegance at this stage than I would have expected and for Grange I'm not sure that is right...

Colonial Estate Emigre

So one more Colonial Estate that I picked up dirt cheap...

Colonial Estate Emigre 2006.
A blend of Grenache, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mouvedre and Muscadelle.  What hits me immediately is oak.  Like the Richard Lander, this wine is really oaky.  Unlike the Richard Lander though, this wine carries it a lot better.  It could be the age, it could be the quality of the fruit, either way, this wine carried it much better than I was expecting it to.  A very plushy wine, deep dark berries, mocha, vanilla and a hint of spice.  It actually has better acidity than I was expecting but not great acidity.  I specifically bought this for guests to drink as something I think they would like.   Even though it isn't the style I'm into it still was very enjoyable.  Very well made, fruit wasn't raisin like at all....If I have a chance to pick more up at the same price I will..

Colonial Estate Richard Lander

Colonial Estate has had a lot of financial issues and the result was a lot of wine that was planned for export that never made it there.  It also meant a ton of it got released into Australia and relatively good prices.  Being a sucker for a good deal I picked up a few for dirt cheap just to try it out.  I already knew going in the style wouldn't be my preference but I also figure it is a good wine for my friends that love big reds.

Colonial Estate Richard Lander Shiraz 2008.
This is a single vineyard wine by Colonial Estate...Apparently not their biggest type of red but still really big.
I have one word.  OAK.  Very ripe fruit, maybe borderline raisin like but not quite.  Big alcohol, a lot of heat and a lot of new oak on the palate.  Softer tannins and a bit of acidity but not a lot...Oddly it has more acidity than I would have expected (it isn't a lot) but it could be there is just so much new oak tingling my tongue that I'm seeing it as oak.  Right now the alcohol is very apparent.
I can see people liking this wine though...definitely not my style..and the alcohol sticks out so much it could impact a fruit bomb lovers enjoyment of it too...but I'll give it a bit more time in the glass and into tomorrow and update what I see...

The 2nd day the wine overall was showing better...the oak seemed to be better integrated....acid is now obviously really low...alcohol seems a bit more tame...a definite fruit bomb..I had one glass and it has covered my teeth....

Is it worth 75 dollars or whatever they want for it?  I don't think so...but I paid under 20 which makes it a great BBQ/Friend wine or something with a lot of meat...Maybe Korean BBQ.

Australian and others

Wendouree Cabernet Malbec 1993
Great nose of red fruits, a bit of mint and menthol, some meaty characters...really very nice.  Great acidity on the palate, tannins are there but definitely resolved a bit.  This is a lot younger than the 90 I had last year and it has a LOT of life left.  Still has that Wendouree grip but not enough to put off people that aren't used to it.  Lovely mouthfeel.  Not a heralded vintage but a very good wine.

Mayer Doktor Pinot Noir 2012
Very Australian Pinot with deep dark fruit but at the same time, it didn't feel out of place or forced like many Australian Pinots do...This is much more Bass Phillip so in that sense, a really good example of Australian Pinot.  Reasonably good acidity, good fruit, good overall structure..maybe just a bit too big though.  I'd still be happy drinking this.

Noble One 2002
I'm generally not an Australian dessert wine fan.  The Botrytis Semillons they have lack some depth that I'm looking for.  Reasonably good acidity but not what I'm really looking for here.  Better depth and complexity than most Australian Botrytis Semillons but I'm just ok with this.  You can buy great Sauternes so not sure I'd bother.  If I compared this to the Botrytis Riesling from Lethbridge..the Lethbridge is a lot better..

Meerea Park Hell Hole Shiraz 2006
This is always really consistent for me..on this night it was a bit more tannic than I remember and seemed a bit more fuller in the mouth...Still very good though..medium bodied although this felt a bit bigger to me than I remember...Leather, red fruits, a reasonable amount of oak coming through...really quite a clean tasting Hunter Shiraz...good but less interesting than I remember...

Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon 1977
A big surprise here.  I really expected this to be dead but it definitely wasn't.  The fruit was still there and singing..this could've been 1997 easily...Structure was still good, some tannins, good acidity, nice mouthfeel...Red fruits, herbs, some five spice...Tahbilk apparently made some really ageworth wines in the 70s and this one is no joke...

Rockford Riesling 2008
This is just eh...Not enough acidity but it has aged a bit so at least the wine is showing some depth...for me this is just ok.  It isn't the style of Riesling I like so it feels really flat.

Baudry Le Clos Guillot 2009
A great example of why Chinon is so underrated.  Great red fruits, good structure and fantastic acidity.  A bit of green here coming through as bell peppers and herbs but the mouthfeel is fantastic.  This is going to age well but is drinking fine right now.  When younger this was a bit more tannic so it is good to see that it is coming around....Probably my favorite wine of this night...

Charles Melton

Charles Melton Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Brighter Reddish fruit that you tend to see from Barossa Cabs.  Strawberry and Cherries on the nose.  A bit of mocha and vanilla.  Palate has really softened from when I first  tried this.  Tannins have smooth out tremendously...Acidity is decent but not great.  Nice smooth reddish fruits on the palate, picking up some mocha...this is a very "clean" cab maybe even a tad bit of sweetness.  I think a vast majority of people would really like this at this stage...for me it wasn't that exciting...Definitely Barossa Cab....A bit much at like 43RRP...but if you like red fruited Barossa Cabs, this one is probably one of the better ones...

Barossa Vally 2013

Had the chance to go to the Barossa after spending some time in McLaren Vale...

Rockford

Hard to go back Rockford when you're looking for an iconic Barossa producer.  Consistent quality each year with a killer price.  Their Basket Press always sells out each year and basically immediately sells for more than retail on auction....

My personal opinion has always been, BP is always really good...but very clean?  It is made up of fruit from like 17 different regions of the Barossa which means it loses a bit of its personality...but makes up for it for having the strength of each of the regions.

I've also always tended to dislike some of their lineup which I think is odd but that is just how it is.

Rockford White Frontignac 2012
A much better wine than it is given credit for.  A lot of nice floral notes, very good acidity, nice citrusy flavors.  A tad bit of residual sugar to give it a little sweetness but it is far from a sickly sweet white.   This is one of their cheaper wines (17?) but probably one of their better ones overall.  It must be because Aussies tend to not like sweet wines or think they're not as good which is really far from reality.

Rockfod Rod and Spur 2010
A Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz blend, this is generally quite good.   A  bit fruit forward but done very much in Rockford style.  Very clean, well made.  Good middle range blend.

Rockford Rifle Range Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
One of the nicer Cabernet Sauvignons you'll find in the Barossa.  Clean fruit, reasonably good depth.  Doesn't have strong varietal characters of Cabernet Sauvignon but I don't think anything in the Barossa really does....Not quite the depth of the BP but still a pretty reasonably good buy.

Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2010
One of Australia's iconic Shiraz.  Consistent year in and year out.  The 2010 is probably one of the most approachable and ready releases in a long time..if not ever according to many.  Big fruit but not too big.  Really nice complexity with a variety of red and dark fruits coming through.  A tad bit of mint, herbs and umami flavors.  Fruit is really shining through though.  These wines are definitely nice...I really do crave a bit more acidity and for me, the BP is too "clean" but it is hard to really complain about it..it is just really well made and looking very good.

Rockford Black Shiraz (Sparkling).
Made from different vintages of Basket Press and topped up with a bit of fortified, I really do enjoy a young Black Shiraz.  Really nice  depth, a tad bit of sweetness as well...Probably one of the nicest Sparkling Reds I've had, if not the nicest.  I've had ones with an older disgorgement date but I didn't really think it gained a lot in the bottle..although I've been told they do.  This one had  depth, freshness and really nice pop.  I think the only thing you have to look out for is historically, this wine tends to have a lot of dodgy corks...I'd drink it young..and with how this one is looking, why not?

Artisans of  Barossa
7 Different winemakers (brands) have joined forces to build a single Cellar door.  I really like this concept, I actually wish more places did it.  Not only is it convenient from a visiting standpoint, but you tend to get more resources, more wines, more enjoyment overall.  It consistently becomes a place to drop by to because you know you're going to get different styles and different stuff all the time.
John Duval
Hobbs
Messena
Spinifex
Sons of Eden
Teusner
Schwarz

I'm a big fan of John Duval stuff and have been for awhile...Great line up that keeps expanding.  I've also quite enjoyed stuff from Spinifex, Sons of Eden and Teusner in the past.  Hobbs to me has never been my style of wine and they're incredibly expensive.  I've had a few things from Schwarz and Messena but this was a good opportunity to try some other stuff for them.

They have one of the most impressive Cellar Doors in the Barossa and have a really 1st Class operation going.  I actually think the only thing I dislike is they definitely need more tasting room space or a bigger tasting bench...a lot of space is used up for other stuff which is nice..but I can see it getting crowded if there were a ton of people there...

John Duval Plexus White 2012.
Marsanne Rousanne Viognier.  Really nice balance and depth.  Reasonably good acidity, nice citrus and cream with a tad big of apricot and herbs on the palate.  Really nice white Rhone blend...Definitely one of the better ones in Australia....

John Duval Plexus Red 2011.
Consistently one of the best GSM (SGM in this case) blends in the Barossa and Australia in general. Excellent balance, plums, dark fruit, herbs, meat and leather on the palate.  Very clean fruit with a tad bit of confectionery sugar on the back of my throat..but it is actually quite nice.  Better acidity than some previous vintages.

John Duval Entity Shiraz 2011
Probably my favorite out of his entire lineup each year...For me it seems to be in a bit of an awkward  spot.  I like the style which is medium bodied compared to most of the Barossa...clean fruit...generally quite good depth...For me though, something was missing..Previous vintages I generally preferred by quite a margin...maybe this just needs more time..I'm not really sure...

Hobbs Gregor 2010
Hobbs wines to me have always been big fruit bombs...and the Gregor is even more so because it is made in an Amarone style...Huge fruit, good complexity, big mouth feel.  Reasonable decent acid but I'm not sure it is enough.  A bit crowd pleasing wine but really a bit much for what you're getting.  I haven't been overly impressed with how Hobbs wines cellar..they're not bad...but I actually think they seem to be best drunk very young...

Spinifex Taureau 2009.
Nice dark and red fruits..a bit of a fruit bomb but with good acidity and structure.  Good depth to this...a crowd pleaser but one for the wine geeks as well.  A blend of Tempranillo, Graciano, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon.  A pretty good buy IMO. 


Seppeltsfield
We came here mainly for the fortifieds...They do have some wine here but to be fair, I think the wine here is pretty ordinary...

I DID get to try a good number of really nice fortified wines...Including the 100 year....

All of the lower end fortifieds are rather simple in my opinion.  Alcohol, sugar, some flavor but no  depth...Probably not worth buying unless you just want sugary alcohol.

When you get to their Solero series..which is around 30-32 dollars, you start seeing real depth in flavor...real complexity.

Their Para series is what they're known for..specifically they have stuff that was in barrel for 100 years...I had the chance to try the 1913 100 year old...and let me just tell you, it is amazing...AMAZING.  Layers and layers and layers of complexity..you literally could sit there and sniff it all day and not get bored...I actually licked my tasting glass to get every last bit of it out.  How much does that cost?  Oh..about 1,000 a bottle....I also had a chance to try the 30 year old one which is also VERY good.  That'll run you about 100 dollars but it definitely gets somewhat close to the 100 year...they're both amazing.

If you have a chance to go to Seppeltsfield, there is a fee to try the 100 year old..but it is something you should definitely try.  It is on a lot of people's Wine bucket lists...it is really quite extraordinary. 

Peter Lehmann

They had everything for tasting...all the way up through their HV, District Line, Masters line, and the VSV Line and the Stonewell...They really do have a good lineup top to bottom.

Futures Shiraz 2010...A lot better than what it was selling for (23)...some of that is because it had higher acidity (which I preferred)....drinking very nicely now...I'm not sure it has the tannin structure to age but it does have good acidity so it would be interesting to see...nice red fruits on the palate, great mouthfeel.  This drink like like a 30+ dollar bottle easily...

Margaret Semillon 2008– Normally this is pretty good. It is still good but I don't think the current release will age all that well...The acid is just too soft at this stage IMO. I actually thought the H&V Semillon was far better..
H&V Semillon 2012 - Really nice acidity and good development for such a young semillon.  The fruit is definitely show more depth, a bit more like a slightly aged Hunter semillon.  It'll be interesting to see where this goes in 5+ years. 

Wigan Riesling  2008– This is always really good..and it continues to be very good..IMO, year in, year out one of the best Rieslings in Australia...Good development, great depth, great acidity...

The VSV and District Lines were all really interesting in their own way. A good way to taste the different regions and the winemakers interpretation of each one.

Stonewell is really nice for this release (2008).  Not what I think of when I think of a Barossa Shiraz..and nothing like it was a few vintages back...Fruit, complexity, balance...very nice...


Turkey Flat
I've always been a fan of their Grenache and Shiraz...where they have some of the oldest Shiraz vines in Australia (and the world).  

Turkey Flat Butcher's Block Red 2011 - Turkey Flat's GSM blend.  A pretty good GSM blend at a reasonable price (22.50).  Well made, solid, good fruit.  A good buy..but a tad simple.

Turkey Flat Mouvedre 2010
Another good Mouvedre out of the Barossa.  Nice medium body...good acidity...meaty but a bit of fruit.  These have all been quite nice and a nice change of pace in the Barossa.  This would be a good food wine.

Turkey Flat Grenache 2010
Nice deep dark fruit.  Good depth.  Nice overall balance.  Probably one of the nicer Grenaches in the Barossa and a great buy at 25 RRP.

Turkey Flat Shiraz 2011
I wasn't that impressed with this.  Reasonably good shiraz but missing some depth that I normally see from their shiraz.  Not a bad wine by any means and really I'm probably not giving it enough credit...I think my expectations were higher though.

Two  Hands
Two Hands has always made a lot of pretty good wine all with different regional flare.  To me they've always been on the very fruit bomb side of things..highish alcohol, big fruit.  Pretty good balance though..they're definitely all very well made.

Two Hands Angels Share 2011
I've always had mixed reactions to this.  Some years it is pretty good, some years not so good.   This was better than some previous vintages I've had.  Good fruit, very McLaren Vale...reasonably good acidity..very fruit forward but quite enjoyable.  A pretty good effort and reasonably good value.

Two Hands Max's Garden 2010
With fruit source from Heathcote.  Really nice fruit...some spice, earth but really nice balanced fruit.  Heathcote has some pretty good stuff and this is definitely pretty good.  A bit on the pricey side, I'm not sure it has the complexity I want for 60 RRP but it is very solid.

Coach House Block Shiraz 2010
Very big shiraz...really feels like a bit of a fruit bomb but does have some reasonably decent acidity.  Really nice depth and complexity with big dark fruit, spice, herbs and a bit of earthiness.  This really is a big fruity wine though.  Well made, really enjoyable but maybe not the style I want.  Not sure it is worth 100RRP...

Two Hands Ares Shiraz 2009
Big fruit, big oak, big fruit....Pretty good balance but this is a fruit bomb of a wine. The alcohol is definitely in check and this seems to have better acidity than I've seen in the past.  To me this one feels like it'll age better than some of the stuff we've seen before it.  Deep dark fruits with layers of more dark fruit.  Tannins are definitely nowhere near overpowering but you can tell they're there to provide structure.  At 165RRP I'm passing though....

Vintage Cellars International Wine Fair 2013

One of the biggest complaints I have about the Australian wine market is there is a severe lack of imports and when they do import, the stupid pricing associated with it.

On the plus side, in the last couple of years there has been a good number of things brought in at much better price points...

The main thing I noticed was there were probably 2-3 times as many sparkling wines as previous years...with a lot of that coming from Champagne...

Most of the Champagne was very competent..Most of them missed some of the yeasty biscuit I really enjoy from Champagne..or maybe it was just my palate...

A couple of impressions..

Moutard Brut Grand Cuvee NV.  A growers Champagne..VERY solid.  Nice acidity, good balance, some citrus and fruity notes.. a bit of yeast and scones....I wouldn't call it mind blowing..but for 30 some odd AUD, I don't know if there is anything better in this category...Better than Veuve NV (Which embarrassingly costs nearly twice as much) or most of the Moet line up (which is pronounced Moe    - Eht...not Moe Aye or Moe ee).  Really solid, priced right...really good buy.  I know this is an Aussie wine site but for those that are interested in Grower's Champagne..look for RM on the label.  It stands for recoltant-manipulant...which basically means it was made by the same producer of the grape..

Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz 2008.  I was a bit shocked by this.  Big fruit but very medium bodied compared to most Australian shiraz.  Tannins were silky but providing structure..and the most shocking thing?  It had very good acidity.     It wasn't Hunter Valley nice..but still, really good acidity...so that combined with the clean Barossa fruit and supple tannins... made for a very good wine.  I've had several of these I thought were fruit bombs or borderline fruit bombs....I've always thought this wine was good but not my style..but the 2008 is really good..really really good.

Georg Breuer Estate Riesling 2010
Really good acidity...and dry for a German Riesling..this was very much borderline Aussie in style but still had good elements of fruit..whereas I generally feel really dry Aussie rieslings tend to strip out most of the fruit...Good complexity and balance..I was really surprised by this.  There were a couple of other Rieslings I thought had better complexity..but not sure I enjoyed them quite as much...and when GG Rieslings are 100+ in Australia..the choice is really easy....This was nearly on par but for 1/3rd the price...

Chalkboard Hunter Semillon 2012.  Made by Tyrrells for Vintage Cellars...this one really shocked me.  I was expecting something really mediocre (the price point is 12 dollars) but what I got was something with excellent acidity and really good development.  I'm not sure this is going to go the long haul...but it is already starting to show some toasty notes which gives is good complexity and helps balance out the strong acidity...I'm sure this will stay excellent for at least a few years and for a daily quaffer, this might be one of the best buys in Australia.  I'm not sure what happened here and if it was just pure luck combined with great winemaking..but this is a steal...

Glorioso Reserva Rioja 2007.  Well made Rioja made entirely of Tempranillo....spent a good time in oak and in bottle before being released...at for 20some odd dollars, this is a very good buy.  Dark fruits, good acidity, nice balance...has the structure to go quite a few more years...a better structured and made wine than this price would suggest..

Some honorable mentions...Saint Cosme Cote Rotie..which was 100% Syrah...it was just priced a bit too high for what you get...really nice wine.  Howard Park Cabernet and Shiraz..all made with big tannins...I thought it was a bit odd that the guy said their mid range (like the Leston) was made to go about 5 years...I don't know if these significantly soften and quickly..but certainly I didn't get the impression these would be peaking in 5...