Dutschke tasting 2006

This was my first tasting of the Dutschke wines, so it was good to see a couple of vintages of each. Quick notes follow.

• 2006 Dutschke Moscato

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Passionfruit and lychees, then a bit of musk after time in the glass. Quite sweet and a bit flabby, lacking acid that would give better structure. Simple. OK aperitif wine that, to be honest, was an enjoyable way to start the evening.

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• 2004 Dutschke Willow Bend

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Perfumed nose with the Cab and merlot dominating. Abundant acidity, a fair dose of oak, and dusty, drying tannins. Pretty good VFM.

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• 2002 Dutschke Willow Bend

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  More earthy than 2004, with heaps of red berry fruit. Lighter in mouth, greater complexity, longer finish and fine tannins. Classy wine for the money with plenty of interest. I’d like to see it with a few more years. Excellent VFM.

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• 2004 Dutschke Shiraz Single Vineyard St. Jakobi Vineyard

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Deep dense colour, with dark fruits dominating. Well integrated oak playing a supportive role. Lush palate. Too young to call, but probably a safe cellaring bet if the next wine is indicative.

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• 2002 Dutschke Shiraz Single Vineyard St. Jakobi Vineyard

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  More composed on the nose (than 2004). Intense fruit and spice. Better integrated than 04, still needs lots of time to soften though. Has the fruit to handle it. Excellent length. Very good wine.

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• 2004 Dutschke Shiraz Oscar Semmler

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Restrained on nose compared with St Jak. Closed up tight. Managed to get some dense dark fruit flavours on palate. Gritty tannins. Way too young to be drinking this wine. Not a lot of enjoyment at this stage.

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• 2002 Dutschke Shiraz Oscar Semmler

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Still a little closed on nose though with some alcohol showing through. Solid oak usage. Huge, dark fruits with imposing tannins. Will last quite a while. Very good wine.

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• NV Dutschke Muscat

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Light sultana fruitiness on nose akin to Morris classic, but with intensity of sweetness and darker/charry flavours. Some rancio here. Quite good for the money, but I didn’t see what all the fuss was about.

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• NV Dutschke The Tokay Barossa Valley

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Rich fruitcake, raisin and Darjeeling tea-leaf on nose. Quite spiritous on palate which allowed it to finish very cleanly. Excellent length. A better example of tokay than the muscat was of the muscat variety. Very good value for money, but again, didn’t blow me away.

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• NV Dutschke The Tawny 22 Year Old

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  I wanted to like this but couldn’t really get into it. Quite a lot of brandy spirit and caramel on nose with butterscotch and biscuit. Similar on palate with heaps of rancio nuttiness. Good value for money.

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• NV Dutschke Shiraz Sun-Dried

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Weird, funky nose of raisins and spice akin to muscat but without the same fruit sweetness. Palate was much more friendly, and fairly complex. I don’t know on what occasion you would drink it!

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The Willow bends offer good value for money drinking in the short-medium term with tons more interest than a $20 Penfolds wine. The St Jaks were a level up in intensity but I’m not necessarily sure whether than means a longer cellaring potential. The 02 was the standout; a very good wine. The Oscars were denser, and heavier again (with a price to match) but are built to handle a long quiet sleep. The 04 was closed, and the 02 a lovely wine needing more time. The fortifieds were good without being special. The tokay was the most enjoyable for me, though the sun-dried would be good for options games!