Glenguin is a small winery located in Broke (Hunter Valley). Most of their wine is a few hundred cases each so definitely a very boutique Winery. I believe most (or maybe all) of their wine is still made by Rhys Eather of Meerea Park. The actual winery itself is own and operated by Robin Tedder MW.
Glenguin School House Block 2009 Shiraz.
I believe this actually has a small amount of Viognier (although it doesn't list it). I get a little floral as well as that umami (savoriness) that I associate with Shiraz Viognier. Really nice red fruits on the nose, a bit of leather and flowers. Decent acidity, this is still a very young wine. Red fruits on the palates that gives away to some leather, and salty/savory. Relatively silky tannins.. To be honest, I'm not much of a Hunter Valley Shiraz Viognier fan....I much prefer Canberra SV but this represents the Hunter very well, I think most people (Wine geeks and non wine geeks) would like this wine.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Sydney International Wine Competition Top 100 Tasting 2012
Sydney International Wine Competition is a competition where the wine is judged with food. It is mainly Australian wine but there are a number of New Zealand entries....There are also some entrants from Portugal, Italy, Spain and I think France. After the competition they have what they call their "Top 100" tasting which consists of any of the wines that won a Blue Gold medal...they also nominate the Top 100 out of this bunch (So you get two little stickers instead of one).
The tasting itself was fairly well run. They gave you a tasting note/score sheet that listed all of the wine and left you room to score and to write notes. They also had sheets with instructions (although no one took them) that basically said, get a taste, move away, spit when you're done, score (if you want)... The tasting glass had a little line so you knew about how much to pour (25ml..or close to 1 fl oz). There were also plenty of spit buckets all over the place so it was a pretty good setup for getting through a lot of wine. I think the only downside is they didn't have much in the way of something to clean your palate. They brought out some bread at some point but they would've just been better off with water crackers.
Overall, the tasting was a bit of a disappointment wine wise. A few really great whites...some good reds. It was definitely a good opportunity to try some reds I hadn't tried but overall most of the reds were pretty ordinary. I should know better than to think most of these types of shows would have the type of wine I really like...they tend to have a few here and there and then a lot of stuff that is decent. This is contrary to the regional shows where you get to try a good number of really great wine.
One other thing I want to comment on....There is a Pinot Noir Class, then a Lighter Bodied Red, Medium bodied Red and Full bodied Red. For everyone else this would be
Lighter Bodied Reds - Beaujolais, Valpolicella. Actual LIGHT bodied wines.
Medium bodied Reds - Pinot Noir, maybe a Hunter Shiraz, maybe a Nebbiolo or anything that is a bit lighter than a Full bodied Red.
Full Bodied Red - Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Grenache (although you can argue it is medium bodied because of the low tannins), etc, etc.
Now, you can get medium bodied wines of different varieties..but medium bodied is lowish alcohol, lighter mouthfeel.
For this show..
Lighter Bodied Red = Full Bodied Red
Medium Bodied Red = Higher Alcohol, getting into Fruit Bomb territory
Full Bodied Red = HIGH Alcohol, BIG BIG FRUIT. STAIN YOUR TEETH FRUIT. BIG.
I guess it is all relative..but pretty funny. To be fair within their own classification, it was pretty appropriate. The thing I find most odd with this is, except for maybe some of the normal (light bodied) wines, none of the reds are probably appropriate for food...or at least not anything except a big steak...Just seems a bit...well, stupid.
Highlights:
Mistletoe Reserve Chardonnay 2009. This has been cleaning up at shows. This won a trophy at this show. Forgetting about awards (because I could really care less), really nice attack on this wine. Good acidity that tingles your tongue. Really great citrus, cashews, good use of oak. Great balance, great length. The Hunter has been making some great Chardonnay lately and this is one of them...
Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay 2010 - As I mentioned for the Sydney show. This wine is still going strong. Seemed to show a bit more acid this time around but an EXCELLENT Chardonnay..I think I appreciate this more and more each time I try it. Too bad it is so expensive...
Peter Lehmann Wigan Riesling 2005. Again another great showing. This is a great Riesling..I don't care how much anyone says shows don't matter, this one always does well..
Lawson's Dry Hill Riesling 2010. Great QPR. Really good acidity and development for only a 2008. A bit of honey, slight petrol notes (not a lot), nice long finish. Surprised by this one.
Reds:
McWilliams 1877 2008. A cabernet sauvignon/shiraz blend...This was a pretty big wine. Good acidity, big tannins, the fruit was still big as well. A slightly better wine than the 2009 (to me anyways) but that could be because of the additional age. Seems like the structure is there, tastes good now as well but it is a pretty massive drink right now.
McPherson Basilisk 2010. A blend of Shiraz and Mouvedre. A cooler climite shiraz. A bit of Pepper and red and dark fruits on the nose. Decent acidity, maybe a tad of menthol a bit of pepper, dark and red fruits. Fine tannins, decent length. This is a pretty good blend.
Anvers "the Warrior Shiraz 2008. BIG bottle. This bottle (along w/ some of the Italian ones) weigh at least twice as much as a normal bottle. This was a pretty big wine out of the "medium Bodied reds category". A lot of dark fruits on the nose, smells a bit sweet actually. I'm thinking McLaren Vale (and yes it mostly is). Good acidity but big fruit. Nice silky tannins. Big but a bit more restraint than I expected. My understanding is it has some Adelaide Hills fruit, maybe that is where this is coming from. Pretty good wine overall.
Penny's Hill Cracking Black Shiraz 2010. Big Fruit bomb. Fun to drink. Actually has decent acidity which makes this a bit more enjoyable. This is a sub 20 dollar wine but drinks like one more than that. Really good QPR, showing quite well (at least the bottle I tried).
There were several other reds that were good...some were fairly well known. Kilikanoon Oracle, Yalumba Octavius..both were quite good but not much of a highlight. The were both fine but I expected more...the Pinots were pretty ordinary...
I think the only wine that still confuses me is the Coolangatta 2006 Semillon. It has been doing very well in all of the shows...Nose on this wine is great..like an aged Semillon. It is definitely missing acidity though and seems a bit flat for a semillon. Other than that it is fine but I haven't figured out if it is just me or the particular judges. All of the semillon I have tried that I thought was great (older Tyrrells VAT1 and Mt. Pleasant Lovedales) had that good acidity as well as the development...This one has the development but no acidity..it is weird....Actually, out of the 3 main Semillons there (First Creek, McLeish and the Coolangatta), I thought it was the weakest out of the 3...*shrug*.
The tasting itself was fairly well run. They gave you a tasting note/score sheet that listed all of the wine and left you room to score and to write notes. They also had sheets with instructions (although no one took them) that basically said, get a taste, move away, spit when you're done, score (if you want)... The tasting glass had a little line so you knew about how much to pour (25ml..or close to 1 fl oz). There were also plenty of spit buckets all over the place so it was a pretty good setup for getting through a lot of wine. I think the only downside is they didn't have much in the way of something to clean your palate. They brought out some bread at some point but they would've just been better off with water crackers.
Overall, the tasting was a bit of a disappointment wine wise. A few really great whites...some good reds. It was definitely a good opportunity to try some reds I hadn't tried but overall most of the reds were pretty ordinary. I should know better than to think most of these types of shows would have the type of wine I really like...they tend to have a few here and there and then a lot of stuff that is decent. This is contrary to the regional shows where you get to try a good number of really great wine.
One other thing I want to comment on....There is a Pinot Noir Class, then a Lighter Bodied Red, Medium bodied Red and Full bodied Red. For everyone else this would be
Lighter Bodied Reds - Beaujolais, Valpolicella. Actual LIGHT bodied wines.
Medium bodied Reds - Pinot Noir, maybe a Hunter Shiraz, maybe a Nebbiolo or anything that is a bit lighter than a Full bodied Red.
Full Bodied Red - Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Grenache (although you can argue it is medium bodied because of the low tannins), etc, etc.
Now, you can get medium bodied wines of different varieties..but medium bodied is lowish alcohol, lighter mouthfeel.
For this show..
Lighter Bodied Red = Full Bodied Red
Medium Bodied Red = Higher Alcohol, getting into Fruit Bomb territory
Full Bodied Red = HIGH Alcohol, BIG BIG FRUIT. STAIN YOUR TEETH FRUIT. BIG.
I guess it is all relative..but pretty funny. To be fair within their own classification, it was pretty appropriate. The thing I find most odd with this is, except for maybe some of the normal (light bodied) wines, none of the reds are probably appropriate for food...or at least not anything except a big steak...Just seems a bit...well, stupid.
Highlights:
Mistletoe Reserve Chardonnay 2009. This has been cleaning up at shows. This won a trophy at this show. Forgetting about awards (because I could really care less), really nice attack on this wine. Good acidity that tingles your tongue. Really great citrus, cashews, good use of oak. Great balance, great length. The Hunter has been making some great Chardonnay lately and this is one of them...
Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay 2010 - As I mentioned for the Sydney show. This wine is still going strong. Seemed to show a bit more acid this time around but an EXCELLENT Chardonnay..I think I appreciate this more and more each time I try it. Too bad it is so expensive...
Peter Lehmann Wigan Riesling 2005. Again another great showing. This is a great Riesling..I don't care how much anyone says shows don't matter, this one always does well..
Lawson's Dry Hill Riesling 2010. Great QPR. Really good acidity and development for only a 2008. A bit of honey, slight petrol notes (not a lot), nice long finish. Surprised by this one.
Reds:
McWilliams 1877 2008. A cabernet sauvignon/shiraz blend...This was a pretty big wine. Good acidity, big tannins, the fruit was still big as well. A slightly better wine than the 2009 (to me anyways) but that could be because of the additional age. Seems like the structure is there, tastes good now as well but it is a pretty massive drink right now.
McPherson Basilisk 2010. A blend of Shiraz and Mouvedre. A cooler climite shiraz. A bit of Pepper and red and dark fruits on the nose. Decent acidity, maybe a tad of menthol a bit of pepper, dark and red fruits. Fine tannins, decent length. This is a pretty good blend.
Anvers "the Warrior Shiraz 2008. BIG bottle. This bottle (along w/ some of the Italian ones) weigh at least twice as much as a normal bottle. This was a pretty big wine out of the "medium Bodied reds category". A lot of dark fruits on the nose, smells a bit sweet actually. I'm thinking McLaren Vale (and yes it mostly is). Good acidity but big fruit. Nice silky tannins. Big but a bit more restraint than I expected. My understanding is it has some Adelaide Hills fruit, maybe that is where this is coming from. Pretty good wine overall.
Penny's Hill Cracking Black Shiraz 2010. Big Fruit bomb. Fun to drink. Actually has decent acidity which makes this a bit more enjoyable. This is a sub 20 dollar wine but drinks like one more than that. Really good QPR, showing quite well (at least the bottle I tried).
There were several other reds that were good...some were fairly well known. Kilikanoon Oracle, Yalumba Octavius..both were quite good but not much of a highlight. The were both fine but I expected more...the Pinots were pretty ordinary...
I think the only wine that still confuses me is the Coolangatta 2006 Semillon. It has been doing very well in all of the shows...Nose on this wine is great..like an aged Semillon. It is definitely missing acidity though and seems a bit flat for a semillon. Other than that it is fine but I haven't figured out if it is just me or the particular judges. All of the semillon I have tried that I thought was great (older Tyrrells VAT1 and Mt. Pleasant Lovedales) had that good acidity as well as the development...This one has the development but no acidity..it is weird....Actually, out of the 3 main Semillons there (First Creek, McLeish and the Coolangatta), I thought it was the weakest out of the 3...*shrug*.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Aged Hunter Pinot? Plus a Frenchy?
French wine is incredibly expensive in Australia...Based on the conversations I've had with various wholesalers...basically everyone is keeping the price up and pocketing the margins. Apparently it is for when the currency is against them...which hasn't been the case for a long long time.
2005 Chateau Les Grands Marechaux. Cotes de Blaye. Mostly Merlot with a bit of Cab Franc and Cab Sav. A real value wine for 2005 Bordeaux. Punches very well above its weight. If you can still get it, you'll find it 20-30 in the US. 50-60 in Australia. Started off rather tight but really opened up with some air. Really nice red fruit, some herbs, spice maybe a bit of licorice on the nose. Decent acidity. Good red and dark fruits on the palate. Tannins are not too big in this..and I don't think they have been for awhile....The wine is going down really smooth...maybe too much. I would definitely drink this now or in the next year or two. A fantastic value at 20-30...at 60 AUD...no way.
1998 Petersons Back Block Pinot Noir. Hunter Valley. Not a fan of Australian Pinot in general (although there are some good ones). The Hunter Valley is not really suited for Pinot but you sometimes get a few here and there. I don't believe Petersons even makes this any longer. A lot of red fruits, cherries and spice on the nose..a bit of leather as well. My nose says Pinot but not necessarily Australian Pinot...interesting. Palate strikes me as oddly similar to some of the other aged Petersons stuff I've tried. Really good acidity, I'm a bit surprised considering the general lack of acidity in Australian Pinot. Maybe its the age, I'm not sure. Getting a good amount of cherry on the palate, some nice leather, earth, leaves and herbs. A bit of spice in there as well. As this gets air, the more Pinot like it starts becoming and it is quite nice. I had read some other notes online that this was a big fruit bomb type Pinot..it definitely doesn't strike me as that right now...I'm not sure what it is about the Hunter but their reds, even this Pinot, age really well.
2005 Chateau Les Grands Marechaux. Cotes de Blaye. Mostly Merlot with a bit of Cab Franc and Cab Sav. A real value wine for 2005 Bordeaux. Punches very well above its weight. If you can still get it, you'll find it 20-30 in the US. 50-60 in Australia. Started off rather tight but really opened up with some air. Really nice red fruit, some herbs, spice maybe a bit of licorice on the nose. Decent acidity. Good red and dark fruits on the palate. Tannins are not too big in this..and I don't think they have been for awhile....The wine is going down really smooth...maybe too much. I would definitely drink this now or in the next year or two. A fantastic value at 20-30...at 60 AUD...no way.
1998 Petersons Back Block Pinot Noir. Hunter Valley. Not a fan of Australian Pinot in general (although there are some good ones). The Hunter Valley is not really suited for Pinot but you sometimes get a few here and there. I don't believe Petersons even makes this any longer. A lot of red fruits, cherries and spice on the nose..a bit of leather as well. My nose says Pinot but not necessarily Australian Pinot...interesting. Palate strikes me as oddly similar to some of the other aged Petersons stuff I've tried. Really good acidity, I'm a bit surprised considering the general lack of acidity in Australian Pinot. Maybe its the age, I'm not sure. Getting a good amount of cherry on the palate, some nice leather, earth, leaves and herbs. A bit of spice in there as well. As this gets air, the more Pinot like it starts becoming and it is quite nice. I had read some other notes online that this was a big fruit bomb type Pinot..it definitely doesn't strike me as that right now...I'm not sure what it is about the Hunter but their reds, even this Pinot, age really well.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Kay Brothers 2005 Hillside Shiraz
Kay Brothers 2005 Hillside Shiraz - I picked this up a couple of years ago on a trip through parts of South Australia...This is one that makes it over to the US quite a bit. Some previous vintages have garnered some high points from RP in the past. You can see why. Big nose of dark fruits, blackberry, blueberry, a bit of mocha and vanilla. Palate has decent acid, I'd probably prefer more but for this style it works. This wine is really smooth. Silky tannins, big big dark fruit. This is a crowd pleasing wine. Good use of oak...getting a hint of vanilla, some spice, really nice depth. Long finish.....It is very much a typical mouth coating McLaren Vale Shiraz...but without being too obnoxiously big. Alcohol was reasonable and no hint of heat anywhere..the wine had good balance...Overall a great buy, a great crowd pleaser. Probably not the style of wine I prefer but I'd be perfectly happy drinking this anytime.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Meerea Park
Meerea Park is located in the Hunter Valley. It is owned by the Eather brothers and Rhys is the winemaker. Rhys also makes the wines for several other labels in the Hunter. Last I checked he still made the wines for Glenguin, Ferraris and Mountain X.
Meerea Park is, in my opinion, one of the best wineries in the Hunter. They have a very large range of wines and across the board, they're all very well made. They also do one thing I think is fantastic...They don't release their top semillons until 5 years after vintage. This allows people to have them as they should be rather than far too young where you get pure lemon and acid.
Meerea Park 2006 Hell Hole Shiraz. Made from the Howard Family's "Somerset" vineyard..A brilliant medium bodied Shiraz. Leather, earth, a bit of pepper...red and dark fruits on the nose. It smells like a Hunter. Really good hunter acid, a lot of red fruits on the palate, plum, a bit of herbs, leather...Fine sweet tannins..Very well balanced, fantastic length. This drank wonderfully young, it drinks fantastically with a few years on it. I really do wish they exported more of this style of wine to the US.
Meerea Park 2003 Alexander Munro Shiraz. The Alexander Munro line has become the flagship line for Meerea Park. It tends to be done in a much bigger style of shiraz compared to the Hell Hole. Sourced from the "Ivanhoe" vineyard, this is a relatively big wine for a Hunter Shiraz. Nose has a bit of reduction which I find is typical of this line but this blows off relatively quick. I'd actually strongly suggest decanting this as well... BIG nose of dark fruit, chocolate, leather. This doesn't come across as a typical Hunter nose...more of a cross between Hunter and Barossa. Decent acidity but less coming across than I'd probably like but it could be because the fruit is big..really big. Very ripe, dark fruit. Some spice, some leather, a little bit of earth but not much. If I haven't said it enough, this is really big for a Hunter Shiraz. Tannins are nice and silky. The wine feels like it has years left to go but drinking quite well now. This is actually released now as a Aged Release....This wine is fantastic but the Aged Release price is a bit much...Personally, I think I prefer their Hell Hole line..it is more in line with what I want from a Hunter...but this wine is still excellent.
Meerea Park 2006 Alexander Munro Shiraz. As I mentioned before, this line tends to be made big. This wine has a bit of reduction on the nose but it blows off quickly. Nose of dark fruits, herbs, a little bit of leather..a bit vegetal. Fairly good acid, dark fruits..a bit greeny...A bit of leather. This one seems to be in an odd place right now. After a few hours this starts to get rid of the greenies...Acid is coming out better now, a bit of red fruit along w/ the dark fruit. A bit more leather. I had this over 4 days and it was actually best on day 3 and 4. Fairly certain this wine needs quite a bit more time. Otherwise I would decant this for several hours before drinking.
Meerea Park 2005 Alexander Munro Semillon. This line only gets released 5 years after vintage and I'm really glad they do this. Really good acidity, wonder Hunter semillon aging going on...Honey, toast, lemon. Great depth of flavor...good complexity...very nice finish...
Meerea Park 2006 Alexander Munro Semillon. I've had this several times. The first time, I thought the acidity was good, the last couple of times, it has been a bit flat. I'm not sure if the bottles were oxidized or it was opened too long before trying it (Both were in a public setting). I'm not sure what it was. Nowhere near as developed as I would've expected and nowhere near the acid. I'm not sure if it is just me or if this wine is on the decline.
Meerea Park 2009 Alexander Munro Chardonnay. Made from fruit from the Casuarina Estate, this is actually one of several great Chardonnays to recently come out of the Hunter. I think the change in style from big oaky, buttery, creamy chardonnays has allowed the Hunter to shine. Made without Malo and 40% new French Oak, on the nose you get melon, peach. Really good acidity and purity of the fruit. Has some creaminess but not a lot. The French oak is adding really nice complexity.
As a general overview of the rest of their line...
Terracotta Shiraz. For some reason every single one of these I've had young, I haven't been impressed with. With age though, it becomes VERY nice. The added Viognier integrates fantastically and the wine picks up fantastic complexity.
XYZ Shiraz - First two vintages were very good with the 2007 being fantastic. 2009 is falling more in line with it's price point.
Aunts Shiraz. Made with American Oak, this is very much a Hunter Shiraz but with a bit more vanilla. Really good value....Tends to have really good acidity, a bit of leather...
Terracotta Semillon. This might actually be my favorite Semillon they make...but quantities are really minute. Sells out quickly and near impossible to find. If you like the Tyrrells Stevens Semillon, you will likely like this one as well....
Meerea Park is, in my opinion, one of the best wineries in the Hunter. They have a very large range of wines and across the board, they're all very well made. They also do one thing I think is fantastic...They don't release their top semillons until 5 years after vintage. This allows people to have them as they should be rather than far too young where you get pure lemon and acid.
Meerea Park 2006 Hell Hole Shiraz. Made from the Howard Family's "Somerset" vineyard..A brilliant medium bodied Shiraz. Leather, earth, a bit of pepper...red and dark fruits on the nose. It smells like a Hunter. Really good hunter acid, a lot of red fruits on the palate, plum, a bit of herbs, leather...Fine sweet tannins..Very well balanced, fantastic length. This drank wonderfully young, it drinks fantastically with a few years on it. I really do wish they exported more of this style of wine to the US.
Meerea Park 2003 Alexander Munro Shiraz. The Alexander Munro line has become the flagship line for Meerea Park. It tends to be done in a much bigger style of shiraz compared to the Hell Hole. Sourced from the "Ivanhoe" vineyard, this is a relatively big wine for a Hunter Shiraz. Nose has a bit of reduction which I find is typical of this line but this blows off relatively quick. I'd actually strongly suggest decanting this as well... BIG nose of dark fruit, chocolate, leather. This doesn't come across as a typical Hunter nose...more of a cross between Hunter and Barossa. Decent acidity but less coming across than I'd probably like but it could be because the fruit is big..really big. Very ripe, dark fruit. Some spice, some leather, a little bit of earth but not much. If I haven't said it enough, this is really big for a Hunter Shiraz. Tannins are nice and silky. The wine feels like it has years left to go but drinking quite well now. This is actually released now as a Aged Release....This wine is fantastic but the Aged Release price is a bit much...Personally, I think I prefer their Hell Hole line..it is more in line with what I want from a Hunter...but this wine is still excellent.
Meerea Park 2006 Alexander Munro Shiraz. As I mentioned before, this line tends to be made big. This wine has a bit of reduction on the nose but it blows off quickly. Nose of dark fruits, herbs, a little bit of leather..a bit vegetal. Fairly good acid, dark fruits..a bit greeny...A bit of leather. This one seems to be in an odd place right now. After a few hours this starts to get rid of the greenies...Acid is coming out better now, a bit of red fruit along w/ the dark fruit. A bit more leather. I had this over 4 days and it was actually best on day 3 and 4. Fairly certain this wine needs quite a bit more time. Otherwise I would decant this for several hours before drinking.
Meerea Park 2005 Alexander Munro Semillon. This line only gets released 5 years after vintage and I'm really glad they do this. Really good acidity, wonder Hunter semillon aging going on...Honey, toast, lemon. Great depth of flavor...good complexity...very nice finish...
Meerea Park 2006 Alexander Munro Semillon. I've had this several times. The first time, I thought the acidity was good, the last couple of times, it has been a bit flat. I'm not sure if the bottles were oxidized or it was opened too long before trying it (Both were in a public setting). I'm not sure what it was. Nowhere near as developed as I would've expected and nowhere near the acid. I'm not sure if it is just me or if this wine is on the decline.
Meerea Park 2009 Alexander Munro Chardonnay. Made from fruit from the Casuarina Estate, this is actually one of several great Chardonnays to recently come out of the Hunter. I think the change in style from big oaky, buttery, creamy chardonnays has allowed the Hunter to shine. Made without Malo and 40% new French Oak, on the nose you get melon, peach. Really good acidity and purity of the fruit. Has some creaminess but not a lot. The French oak is adding really nice complexity.
As a general overview of the rest of their line...
Terracotta Shiraz. For some reason every single one of these I've had young, I haven't been impressed with. With age though, it becomes VERY nice. The added Viognier integrates fantastically and the wine picks up fantastic complexity.
XYZ Shiraz - First two vintages were very good with the 2007 being fantastic. 2009 is falling more in line with it's price point.
Aunts Shiraz. Made with American Oak, this is very much a Hunter Shiraz but with a bit more vanilla. Really good value....Tends to have really good acidity, a bit of leather...
Terracotta Semillon. This might actually be my favorite Semillon they make...but quantities are really minute. Sells out quickly and near impossible to find. If you like the Tyrrells Stevens Semillon, you will likely like this one as well....
Monday, February 27, 2012
NZ in a Glass 2012 Part 2
Elephant Hill Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010. Another one of those different Sav Blancs...fermented in barrels and on lees, definitely a nice change to your typical NZ Sav Blanc. NZ nose with added complexity and not so in your face. The palate has a great deal more complexity than a normal NZ Sav Blanc...Still getting a little bit of passion fruit, lemon, grass, good acidity..good length. It is really too bad most Sav Blancs aren't like this...quite good. Not too bad at 37 RRP.
Fancrest Estate "Di" Pinot Noir 2007. Small producer in New Zealand, and I believe 2007 was their first vintage. Located in Waipara...Definitely a nice little pinot here. Very nice nose of cherry and herbs...Good acidity and starting to pick up some secondary characteristics. Not sure this will go the long haul but it is drinking very well right now. At $30 RRP, it is a really good buy, possibly one of the best at the show. Their 2009 and 2010 were also good but both need more time. They're currently seeking distribution in Australia. I will say they need to do something with their website, it is quite a chore to hack around it.
Northburn Station Pinot Noir 2008. Like all Central Otago Pinot Noirs...good acidity. Cherry and rocks on the nose....Good structure on this wine. Firm tannins, very nice fruit...good complexity...I think 2008 was challenging for many in Central Otago but Northburn seems to have done quite well. To me this was significantly better than their Bill's Blend Pinot although it is priced accordingly (34 vs. 49 RRP).
Pasquale "16" Riesling Waitaki 2010. Maybe it was because I didn't find enough Rieslings with a bit of Residual Sugar but this one came in at 16g/L and it was quite nice. 16g/L is really not a lot....Maybe by Australian standards it is but to me, a little bit of RS helps soften the acidity. Or you can look at it as, with sufficient acidity, it balances out the RS...as well as I think it helps brighten the fruit. This one was well made and a good change of pace. To be honest, I'd really like to taste this again before making any further judgements but from what I had there, it was one of the better Rieslings...RRP 22.
Saint Clare Pioneer Block 5 Bull Block Pinot Noir 2009. Another Pinot Noir from Marlborough...Maybe it is the day or what I ate..I'm not sure. Good acidity, clean fruit, a good amount of complexity. Not too much oak, balance is good. I wasn't a fan of either the Premium or the Block 14 but this one was showing very well. RRP is 31.50, I'm keeping an eye out for them as I'd like to try this again to confirm my initial gut.
State Landt Syrah, Marlborough 2009. Deep dark fruit on the nose. Palate is clean, dark fruit, some oak coming through but the wine has good balance, reasonable acidity and fine tannins. I was a little bit surprised by this one, I'm not sure why, maybe because I'm not looking for a Syrah out of Marlborough...at 45 RRP, this is a good buy. Another one I'd like to re-try.
Wooing Tree 2009 Pinot Noir. VERY nice pinot here. Has a little bit of that Cherry Cola thing going on with the nose but really nice overall. Wine has tons of complexity. Red Fruit, herbs, a bit of crushed rock..Tannins are nice but firm enough to give you the impression this will last awhile. Acidity is good like all Central Otagos...Great pinot, a bit dear at 55 RRP but if I compare that to what is available in Australia, it is better than nearly everything....
Wooing Tree Sandstorm Reserve Pinot Noir 2009. Way too young. Big tannins, the fruit is clean and very nice but I'm really not getting too much here. From what I get, I'm sure this will end up being a really great wine once it has some time to age. At this stage I prefer the normal Pinot to the Reserve...and at 120 RRP, I strongly prefer the normal Pinot over the reserve. If I'm lucky enough to try one of these with 10 years+ on it, maybe I'll be able to give it a better assessment.
Surveyor Thomson Estate Pinot Noir 2007. I really like the stuff coming out of this estate. Part of it is because it is different but really, they do make a really nice Pinot Noir. Really nice nose, some herbs, maybe a bit of stink (not in a bad way). Good acidity. Fruit is not too big..and the oak comes through nicely (although not too much). Balance on this wine is really nice. For people that think Central Otago Pinot Noir is too fruit forward, this is a good one to try. Very burg like to me. It is one of those wines that shows its terroir quite nicely.
Surveyor Thomson Estate Pinor Noir 2010. I don't know if they changed styles or they just start off like this but the 2010 is big, but big as in, acidity is really big, big tannins, really big fruit, big oak...To be honest, I couldn't pick these as coming from the same vineyard or the same maker. I asked the guy if they all start off like this he said yes..but I don't know if I believe him or not. Granted, I've only had the 2006 and 2007 so everything I had tried from them so far had some age on it....It'll be interesting to see how these develop...
Trinity Hill "The Gimblett" 2009. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Really nice wine. Dark fruits and black pepper on the nose...DEEP big fruit on the palate. Maybe this is a bit too big or maybe it is just when I tried it. Really nice though and balance is good. Tannins are firm but not too firm. Has some acidity which is nice. A really well made, crowd pleasing Bordeaux Blend...A wine that both the wine geek and regular punter would like... A really good buy at 38 RRP.
Trinity Hill Tempranillo 2009. I was curious as to why the winemaker wanted me to try this after the Gimblett but I can see why...This is a BIG Tempranillo. I think it actually has some Touriga Nacional and Malbec and a bit of Viognier...which is probably to try to soften the thing because it is really too big for a Tempranillo. As a wine, it is pretty good. Nice BIG fruit, big tannins, I'd probably prefer a bit more acidity but overall the wine tastes great. I definitely don't associate Tempranillo with being like this, but it is nice to try different styles of this grape. Australia is starting to do Tempranillo better (most of it was dreadful before) and I'm sure NZ is doing the same. One to watch. 38 RRP.
Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2009. HUGE Dreadnought bottle. Massive. The winemaker said these bottles cost about $3 each..and I can believe it. HUGE wine. A bit too big. Really big tannins suggest it is made for the long haul. The fruit is pure and clean with a lot of dark dark fruit, chocolate. Hard to say where this will be in a few years but it is just too harsh at this stage. At 120RRP, the price is a bit much. It is a big contrast to their other offerings which I think are good value...
Overall this was a very well done show. The number of different wineries and wines was impressive. It was very well organized and the staff were very professional. I would have to say, it is probably one of the best overall shows I've been to. +1 for the NZ wine in a Glass folks...really great work!
Fancrest Estate "Di" Pinot Noir 2007. Small producer in New Zealand, and I believe 2007 was their first vintage. Located in Waipara...Definitely a nice little pinot here. Very nice nose of cherry and herbs...Good acidity and starting to pick up some secondary characteristics. Not sure this will go the long haul but it is drinking very well right now. At $30 RRP, it is a really good buy, possibly one of the best at the show. Their 2009 and 2010 were also good but both need more time. They're currently seeking distribution in Australia. I will say they need to do something with their website, it is quite a chore to hack around it.
Northburn Station Pinot Noir 2008. Like all Central Otago Pinot Noirs...good acidity. Cherry and rocks on the nose....Good structure on this wine. Firm tannins, very nice fruit...good complexity...I think 2008 was challenging for many in Central Otago but Northburn seems to have done quite well. To me this was significantly better than their Bill's Blend Pinot although it is priced accordingly (34 vs. 49 RRP).
Pasquale "16" Riesling Waitaki 2010. Maybe it was because I didn't find enough Rieslings with a bit of Residual Sugar but this one came in at 16g/L and it was quite nice. 16g/L is really not a lot....Maybe by Australian standards it is but to me, a little bit of RS helps soften the acidity. Or you can look at it as, with sufficient acidity, it balances out the RS...as well as I think it helps brighten the fruit. This one was well made and a good change of pace. To be honest, I'd really like to taste this again before making any further judgements but from what I had there, it was one of the better Rieslings...RRP 22.
Saint Clare Pioneer Block 5 Bull Block Pinot Noir 2009. Another Pinot Noir from Marlborough...Maybe it is the day or what I ate..I'm not sure. Good acidity, clean fruit, a good amount of complexity. Not too much oak, balance is good. I wasn't a fan of either the Premium or the Block 14 but this one was showing very well. RRP is 31.50, I'm keeping an eye out for them as I'd like to try this again to confirm my initial gut.
State Landt Syrah, Marlborough 2009. Deep dark fruit on the nose. Palate is clean, dark fruit, some oak coming through but the wine has good balance, reasonable acidity and fine tannins. I was a little bit surprised by this one, I'm not sure why, maybe because I'm not looking for a Syrah out of Marlborough...at 45 RRP, this is a good buy. Another one I'd like to re-try.
Wooing Tree 2009 Pinot Noir. VERY nice pinot here. Has a little bit of that Cherry Cola thing going on with the nose but really nice overall. Wine has tons of complexity. Red Fruit, herbs, a bit of crushed rock..Tannins are nice but firm enough to give you the impression this will last awhile. Acidity is good like all Central Otagos...Great pinot, a bit dear at 55 RRP but if I compare that to what is available in Australia, it is better than nearly everything....
Wooing Tree Sandstorm Reserve Pinot Noir 2009. Way too young. Big tannins, the fruit is clean and very nice but I'm really not getting too much here. From what I get, I'm sure this will end up being a really great wine once it has some time to age. At this stage I prefer the normal Pinot to the Reserve...and at 120 RRP, I strongly prefer the normal Pinot over the reserve. If I'm lucky enough to try one of these with 10 years+ on it, maybe I'll be able to give it a better assessment.
Surveyor Thomson Estate Pinot Noir 2007. I really like the stuff coming out of this estate. Part of it is because it is different but really, they do make a really nice Pinot Noir. Really nice nose, some herbs, maybe a bit of stink (not in a bad way). Good acidity. Fruit is not too big..and the oak comes through nicely (although not too much). Balance on this wine is really nice. For people that think Central Otago Pinot Noir is too fruit forward, this is a good one to try. Very burg like to me. It is one of those wines that shows its terroir quite nicely.
Surveyor Thomson Estate Pinor Noir 2010. I don't know if they changed styles or they just start off like this but the 2010 is big, but big as in, acidity is really big, big tannins, really big fruit, big oak...To be honest, I couldn't pick these as coming from the same vineyard or the same maker. I asked the guy if they all start off like this he said yes..but I don't know if I believe him or not. Granted, I've only had the 2006 and 2007 so everything I had tried from them so far had some age on it....It'll be interesting to see how these develop...
Trinity Hill "The Gimblett" 2009. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Really nice wine. Dark fruits and black pepper on the nose...DEEP big fruit on the palate. Maybe this is a bit too big or maybe it is just when I tried it. Really nice though and balance is good. Tannins are firm but not too firm. Has some acidity which is nice. A really well made, crowd pleasing Bordeaux Blend...A wine that both the wine geek and regular punter would like... A really good buy at 38 RRP.
Trinity Hill Tempranillo 2009. I was curious as to why the winemaker wanted me to try this after the Gimblett but I can see why...This is a BIG Tempranillo. I think it actually has some Touriga Nacional and Malbec and a bit of Viognier...which is probably to try to soften the thing because it is really too big for a Tempranillo. As a wine, it is pretty good. Nice BIG fruit, big tannins, I'd probably prefer a bit more acidity but overall the wine tastes great. I definitely don't associate Tempranillo with being like this, but it is nice to try different styles of this grape. Australia is starting to do Tempranillo better (most of it was dreadful before) and I'm sure NZ is doing the same. One to watch. 38 RRP.
Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2009. HUGE Dreadnought bottle. Massive. The winemaker said these bottles cost about $3 each..and I can believe it. HUGE wine. A bit too big. Really big tannins suggest it is made for the long haul. The fruit is pure and clean with a lot of dark dark fruit, chocolate. Hard to say where this will be in a few years but it is just too harsh at this stage. At 120RRP, the price is a bit much. It is a big contrast to their other offerings which I think are good value...
Overall this was a very well done show. The number of different wineries and wines was impressive. It was very well organized and the staff were very professional. I would have to say, it is probably one of the best overall shows I've been to. +1 for the NZ wine in a Glass folks...really great work!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
New Zealand in a Glass 2012 Part 1
I had the pleasure of attending New Zealand in a Glass this year. Held at Dockside in Darling Harbour, I was fortunate enough to attend the trade tasting which was held from 12-5pm. There are goods things about trade tastings and bad. The good is, they generally give you more time, it tends to be less crowded and most people there are a bit more serious about trying the wine rather than showing up after work to get a little drunk. The downside is the slight marketing and questions you get from some of the distributors but it is not too bad and it's a very minor thing. Overall they're much better.
I have been looking forward to attending this event for over a month, more so than the Royal Sydney Wine Show....I've mentioned several times that I think New Zealand is making a lot of exciting stuff and, for the most part, have surpassed Australia wine wise. I don't think they yet get the attention they deserve internationally...but a lot of good stuff coming out of here.
General impressions: A few too many typical NZ Sauvignon Blancs...I don't dislike NZ Sav Blanc...I think they have a nice nose, good acidity and go well with food. They are generally an easy pleaser...I think some wine geeks tend to rip on them unfairly...but the fact is, they tend to be a bit simple and not that interesting once you've had a few...but do I think they're bad? No..Do I think they deserve to get looked down on? Certainly not....As with many Pinot Gris/Grigio...they're just hard to get excited about but I have no issues with drinking them..
HOWEVER, there were quite a few places that were trying different things with their Sav Blanc...A bit of oak...time on lees...It was noticeable that these places were trying to distinguish themselves from the typical NZ Sav Blanc...Trying to make it more refined....Some places would say it was more like a Sancerre...I don't really think it was but that isn't a bad thing. I do think a lot of the extra things they were doing to the Sav Blanc was making them quite a bit more interesting and gave them a lot more depth. The downside to all of this is they were on the expensive side and I'm not sure they compete well at that price point but they are definitely worth giving a shot...
Rieslings. Someone said that NZ doesn't know what style they want to do their Rieslings in so they don't have an identity..I don't really think they need to do that...but I will say, from a Dry Riesling perspective, they do fall a bit short of Australia...on the flipside, they have quite a few interesting Rieslings that have a little bit of residual sugar...there are actually quite a few and they do them well...I'm not sure they have the minerality of many German Rieslings but tend of have really nice fruit.
Chards. A lot of good Chardonnay coming out of NZ and there were a couple of really good ones here at the tasting....but then again, in the last few years Australia has come out with a lot of good Chards too...
Reds. Pinot, Syrah, Bordeaux Blends, etc. They've been great in NZ for awhile. Central Otago is picking up steam internationally....I've been seeing some in Australia for fairly cheap too...which is fantastic. Syrah, Cab Sav, Cab Franc and Merlot are all also picking up some steam but definitely not getting the coverage they should. Part of it is they don't make enough, part of it is they just don't have the reputation. There were quite a few really great reds at the show. A number of ok ones but most of them were pretty good.
By my count, I tried over 150 wines while at the show and while I will attempt to cover a wider range of wines at the show in a bit of detail, I think for now I'm going to stick to covering the highlights and slowly work towards that.
Here is a list of the Wineries that were at the show:
Akarua
ARA Wines
Archangel
Auntsfield Estate
Babich
Bespoke (Which represents Ceres, Charcoal Gully and Folding Hill)
Borthwick
Bouldevines
Bridge Pa
Brightwater Gravels
Catalina Sounds
Totara Wines
Chard Farm Winery
Domain Road Winery
Elephant Hill
Map Maker
Fancrest Estate
Gibbston Valley Wines
Giesen Wines
Grasshopper Rock
Greystone Wines
Huia Vinyards
Hunter's Wines
Invivo
Konrad
Lawson's Dry Hills Wines
Man O'War
Martinborough Estate
Mt. Difficulty
Matahiwi Estate
Matua Valley
Maude Wines
Mission Estate
Moana Park
Mount Riley
Northburn
Ostler
Oyster Bay
Pasquale
Pernod Ricard
Saint Clair
Seifriend Estates
Sileni Estates
Spring Creek Estate
Spy Valley Wines
Staete Landt Vineyard
Wooing Tree
Steve Bird Winery
Surveyor Thomson
te Pa
Terrance Edge
Trinity Hill
Trout Valley
Tupari Wines
Two Paddocks
Villa Maria Estate
Vinoptima
West Brook
Whitehaven
Wither Hills
Lindauer
Yealands
I tried to hit as many of these as possible. In some cases I wasn't able to cover both reds and whites and in some cases, I wasn't able to cover anything from them. It really is a matter of where they were in the showroom plus time constraints..
Highlights:
Auntsfield Estate.
Auntsfield 2009 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. Fermented in French Oaks and put on Lees for 10 months, this was a wine that had much more finesse than what you'll normally see from a NZ Sav Blanc...Still had great acidity but far more complex and a LOT more depth. Tropical Fruit, spice, a bit of nuttiness. Some minerality. Good finish. At $39, it is a bit of a stretch but a very good wine nonetheless.
Auntsfield 2009 Estate Chardonnay. The winemaker told me only a single barrel had gone through Malo and was mixed in with the rest of the barrels...The result was a wine with good acidity, fruit and freshness that has become popular lately..but you're still getting a little bit of creaminess.. Great depth..very nice finish. Not sure how long this will go but it tastes great now. A really excellent buy at 29 AUD (If that is what it sells at). I've even seen this in the US for $19 which makes it a STEAL.
Auntsfield 2009 Estate Pinot Noir. Another great wine from here. Really nice nose of cherry, some florals, a bit of minerality as well. Good acidity on the palate, nice bright red fruit, cherries...nice fine tannins. Another one I'm not sure how long it'll go but it tastes great now. It is also a great buy at the price. I know this goes for $25 USD which is a total steal.
Auntsfields 2007 Heritage Pinot Noir. Apparently these are barrel selections but it is a completely different wine from the normal Estate Pinot. This one is still very tight. Good acidity, brutal tannins. Still a good amount of oak showing. Great fruit, great length, tremendous complexity. This one is obviously built to be cellared. At $80+ this might prove to be a fantastic wine way down the line but hard to say..
Babich Wines
Babich Winemakers Reserve 2010 Pinot Noir. A well made, crowd pleasing Pinot. Good Acidity to balance out the cherry and raspberry flavors. Maybe a bit of Cherry Cola as well. Definitely a more drink it now type of Pinot Noir and a reasonable buy at 30-35.
Babich The Patriarch 2009. A Bordeaux Blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet France and 25% Malbec. Deep brooding nose of dark fruit, spice and chocolate. You immediately know this wine will probably best at its best after at least 5+ years. Decent Acidity, to balance out the Blackberries, pepper and chocolate. Tannins are pretty big yet tasty and not so harsh where they're ripping your teeth out. Drinkable now but I'd imagine it would be pretty tiring...Goes for about 50-60 AUD which keeps it out of the great value category but it is fairly priced and probably a good buy compared to many Australian Cab blends at the same level.
Bridge Pa. This is the first I've heard of them but they were probably one of the big surprises of the show for me...
Bridge Pa Zillah Merlot 2006. A very nice merlot. Very nice nose of dark fruits, a bit of spice, some florals...Good deep palate, it makes me think blend but apparently it isn't which makes it even more impressive. Nice finish..a good start. RRP 42 AUD.
Bridge Pa 2008 Reserve Syrah. I'm not really sure why this call these their reserve because they have another line called Louis that is their premium line...They do have a regular Syrah line but it doesn't look like one has been made for awhile...Not sure.. In any case, starts off with a very nice nose, blueberries, chocolate...Good Acidity which I like from my reds. Relatively big fruit but not a fruit bomb and the acidity really balances it out...Nice tasty tannins...Very nice length..Very nice. Not sure how this one will age but it is drinking very nicely now. Still relatively primary but that doesn't mean it doesn't have good complexity...really nice. RRP 44AUD
Bridge Pa 2006 Louis Syrah. This is their premium line. This one was actually a bit of a letdown after the 2008 Reserve. It is a very good wine. Nice nose, nice dark fruits on the palate, but for some reason it isn't hitting everything just right. Let me make it clear, it is still a very good wine..enough for me to mention it....but maybe my expectations were too high. RRP62 AUD
Bridge Pa 2007 Louis Syrah. Whatever expectations the 2006 didn't hit, the 2007 did. Really fantastic nose, getting a lot of dark fruits, a bit of pepper, spices, a little mocha...really nice nose...Good acidity, really balanced dark fruits..blackberries, plum, spice, pepper...Definitely not in your face...Has a bit of Old World in this New World wine...Really liking this one a lot. At $62 RRP, not a tremendous value but I'd easily put this against anything in Australia at that price point...Looking forward to trying this again at some point to see if it was me or the wine.
They are currently looking for a new distributor in Australia since their current one is going through some financial troubles..and I believe they're looking for distribution in the US as well.
I have been looking forward to attending this event for over a month, more so than the Royal Sydney Wine Show....I've mentioned several times that I think New Zealand is making a lot of exciting stuff and, for the most part, have surpassed Australia wine wise. I don't think they yet get the attention they deserve internationally...but a lot of good stuff coming out of here.
General impressions: A few too many typical NZ Sauvignon Blancs...I don't dislike NZ Sav Blanc...I think they have a nice nose, good acidity and go well with food. They are generally an easy pleaser...I think some wine geeks tend to rip on them unfairly...but the fact is, they tend to be a bit simple and not that interesting once you've had a few...but do I think they're bad? No..Do I think they deserve to get looked down on? Certainly not....As with many Pinot Gris/Grigio...they're just hard to get excited about but I have no issues with drinking them..
HOWEVER, there were quite a few places that were trying different things with their Sav Blanc...A bit of oak...time on lees...It was noticeable that these places were trying to distinguish themselves from the typical NZ Sav Blanc...Trying to make it more refined....Some places would say it was more like a Sancerre...I don't really think it was but that isn't a bad thing. I do think a lot of the extra things they were doing to the Sav Blanc was making them quite a bit more interesting and gave them a lot more depth. The downside to all of this is they were on the expensive side and I'm not sure they compete well at that price point but they are definitely worth giving a shot...
Rieslings. Someone said that NZ doesn't know what style they want to do their Rieslings in so they don't have an identity..I don't really think they need to do that...but I will say, from a Dry Riesling perspective, they do fall a bit short of Australia...on the flipside, they have quite a few interesting Rieslings that have a little bit of residual sugar...there are actually quite a few and they do them well...I'm not sure they have the minerality of many German Rieslings but tend of have really nice fruit.
Chards. A lot of good Chardonnay coming out of NZ and there were a couple of really good ones here at the tasting....but then again, in the last few years Australia has come out with a lot of good Chards too...
Reds. Pinot, Syrah, Bordeaux Blends, etc. They've been great in NZ for awhile. Central Otago is picking up steam internationally....I've been seeing some in Australia for fairly cheap too...which is fantastic. Syrah, Cab Sav, Cab Franc and Merlot are all also picking up some steam but definitely not getting the coverage they should. Part of it is they don't make enough, part of it is they just don't have the reputation. There were quite a few really great reds at the show. A number of ok ones but most of them were pretty good.
By my count, I tried over 150 wines while at the show and while I will attempt to cover a wider range of wines at the show in a bit of detail, I think for now I'm going to stick to covering the highlights and slowly work towards that.
Here is a list of the Wineries that were at the show:
Akarua
ARA Wines
Archangel
Auntsfield Estate
Babich
Bespoke (Which represents Ceres, Charcoal Gully and Folding Hill)
Borthwick
Bouldevines
Bridge Pa
Brightwater Gravels
Catalina Sounds
Totara Wines
Chard Farm Winery
Domain Road Winery
Elephant Hill
Map Maker
Fancrest Estate
Gibbston Valley Wines
Giesen Wines
Grasshopper Rock
Greystone Wines
Huia Vinyards
Hunter's Wines
Invivo
Konrad
Lawson's Dry Hills Wines
Man O'War
Martinborough Estate
Mt. Difficulty
Matahiwi Estate
Matua Valley
Maude Wines
Mission Estate
Moana Park
Mount Riley
Northburn
Ostler
Oyster Bay
Pasquale
Pernod Ricard
Saint Clair
Seifriend Estates
Sileni Estates
Spring Creek Estate
Spy Valley Wines
Staete Landt Vineyard
Wooing Tree
Steve Bird Winery
Surveyor Thomson
te Pa
Terrance Edge
Trinity Hill
Trout Valley
Tupari Wines
Two Paddocks
Villa Maria Estate
Vinoptima
West Brook
Whitehaven
Wither Hills
Lindauer
Yealands
I tried to hit as many of these as possible. In some cases I wasn't able to cover both reds and whites and in some cases, I wasn't able to cover anything from them. It really is a matter of where they were in the showroom plus time constraints..
Highlights:
Auntsfield Estate.
Auntsfield 2009 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. Fermented in French Oaks and put on Lees for 10 months, this was a wine that had much more finesse than what you'll normally see from a NZ Sav Blanc...Still had great acidity but far more complex and a LOT more depth. Tropical Fruit, spice, a bit of nuttiness. Some minerality. Good finish. At $39, it is a bit of a stretch but a very good wine nonetheless.
Auntsfield 2009 Estate Chardonnay. The winemaker told me only a single barrel had gone through Malo and was mixed in with the rest of the barrels...The result was a wine with good acidity, fruit and freshness that has become popular lately..but you're still getting a little bit of creaminess.. Great depth..very nice finish. Not sure how long this will go but it tastes great now. A really excellent buy at 29 AUD (If that is what it sells at). I've even seen this in the US for $19 which makes it a STEAL.
Auntsfield 2009 Estate Pinot Noir. Another great wine from here. Really nice nose of cherry, some florals, a bit of minerality as well. Good acidity on the palate, nice bright red fruit, cherries...nice fine tannins. Another one I'm not sure how long it'll go but it tastes great now. It is also a great buy at the price. I know this goes for $25 USD which is a total steal.
Auntsfields 2007 Heritage Pinot Noir. Apparently these are barrel selections but it is a completely different wine from the normal Estate Pinot. This one is still very tight. Good acidity, brutal tannins. Still a good amount of oak showing. Great fruit, great length, tremendous complexity. This one is obviously built to be cellared. At $80+ this might prove to be a fantastic wine way down the line but hard to say..
Babich Wines
Babich Winemakers Reserve 2010 Pinot Noir. A well made, crowd pleasing Pinot. Good Acidity to balance out the cherry and raspberry flavors. Maybe a bit of Cherry Cola as well. Definitely a more drink it now type of Pinot Noir and a reasonable buy at 30-35.
Babich The Patriarch 2009. A Bordeaux Blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet France and 25% Malbec. Deep brooding nose of dark fruit, spice and chocolate. You immediately know this wine will probably best at its best after at least 5+ years. Decent Acidity, to balance out the Blackberries, pepper and chocolate. Tannins are pretty big yet tasty and not so harsh where they're ripping your teeth out. Drinkable now but I'd imagine it would be pretty tiring...Goes for about 50-60 AUD which keeps it out of the great value category but it is fairly priced and probably a good buy compared to many Australian Cab blends at the same level.
Bridge Pa. This is the first I've heard of them but they were probably one of the big surprises of the show for me...
Bridge Pa Zillah Merlot 2006. A very nice merlot. Very nice nose of dark fruits, a bit of spice, some florals...Good deep palate, it makes me think blend but apparently it isn't which makes it even more impressive. Nice finish..a good start. RRP 42 AUD.
Bridge Pa 2008 Reserve Syrah. I'm not really sure why this call these their reserve because they have another line called Louis that is their premium line...They do have a regular Syrah line but it doesn't look like one has been made for awhile...Not sure.. In any case, starts off with a very nice nose, blueberries, chocolate...Good Acidity which I like from my reds. Relatively big fruit but not a fruit bomb and the acidity really balances it out...Nice tasty tannins...Very nice length..Very nice. Not sure how this one will age but it is drinking very nicely now. Still relatively primary but that doesn't mean it doesn't have good complexity...really nice. RRP 44AUD
Bridge Pa 2006 Louis Syrah. This is their premium line. This one was actually a bit of a letdown after the 2008 Reserve. It is a very good wine. Nice nose, nice dark fruits on the palate, but for some reason it isn't hitting everything just right. Let me make it clear, it is still a very good wine..enough for me to mention it....but maybe my expectations were too high. RRP62 AUD
Bridge Pa 2007 Louis Syrah. Whatever expectations the 2006 didn't hit, the 2007 did. Really fantastic nose, getting a lot of dark fruits, a bit of pepper, spices, a little mocha...really nice nose...Good acidity, really balanced dark fruits..blackberries, plum, spice, pepper...Definitely not in your face...Has a bit of Old World in this New World wine...Really liking this one a lot. At $62 RRP, not a tremendous value but I'd easily put this against anything in Australia at that price point...Looking forward to trying this again at some point to see if it was me or the wine.
They are currently looking for a new distributor in Australia since their current one is going through some financial troubles..and I believe they're looking for distribution in the US as well.
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