Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills
Pale yellow in colour, this Sauvignon Blanc showed tropical fruits, peach, pineapple and a little citrus on the nose. The palate was crisp and fresh. The rich fruit flavour carries through from the nose. Good balance.
Pale straw yellow in colour this Pinot Gris showed zesty lemon and lime as well as a hint of toffee on the nose. The palate is crisp, with great acidity. Green apple characters ending in a notes of vanilla fudge. Very nice.
Light straw yellow in colour, this wine shows lemongrass, cinnamon and zesty apple on the nose. The palate shows some tropical fruits and a hint of lime, but it's a little flat after the explosion of aromas on the nose.
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula
Rich yellow in colour. The nose starts overwhelming you with butterscotch then thows in some cinnamon and orange. The palate is mouth filling. Butter, peach, oak, spice and a hint of citrus on the end. This is a pretty interesting Chardonnay - not "normal", but I like it!
Made soley from the Nero d'Avola grape, this wine is rich purple in colour. The nose shows plum, spice and rich chocolate aromas. The palate is ripe with lots, perhaps too much, spice and overcooked fruit. Not a great fan.
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Deep, rich purple in colour. The nose is very savoury - earthy and vegetal characters. The palate is full bodied and intense. Blackberry, blueberry, spice and a whole heap of tannins. Lacking a little finesse and balance.
Rich purple in colour this Syrah displayed elegant red cherry characters, dark chocolate, toasted almonds and a hint of blackberry on the nose. The palate was showed generous black fruit, spice and vanilla with a warm finish. Nice, but not exceptional.
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Rich purple in colour, this wine is aged in French and American oak for 22 months before bottling. The nose shows smoke, spice, liquorice and a little alcohol. The palate is full bodied and very concentrated. Opulent black fruits, vanilla and tobacco characters. Good, but lacking the elegance of the 2004.
Made from 50% Syrah and 50% Bonarda this wine has a light and fruity nose - blueberry, cinnamon and toasty oak. The palate is ripe and spicy - almost like mulled wine. A little full on!
Rich purple in colour, this wine shows a savoury nose with earthy and vegetal characters. The palate shows rich red fruit, a touch of oak and soft tannins. Tastes better than it smells!
Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
Deep purple in colour this wine had a dusty, earthy nose showing liquorice and leaf tobacco characters with a hint of sweetness. The palate is pretty rustic - actually seemed a bit all over the place - spice, acid and tannins all hit you at once.
Rich purple in colour this wine showed minerality initially leading into cassis and finally the trademark spearmint. The palate had great blackcurrant concentration - oak, tobacco and cigar box characters with lots of tannins and acid in the background. I think this has the potential to be really good given some bottle age - at the moment it's a bit too eager!
Arguably the best wine ever to come out of Australia it was with some trepidation that I tried this wine. Robert Parker gave it 99 points and described it as an "all time classic", so I was expecting it to be good - luckily it didn't disappoint! Rich purple in colour with a dense black core, this wine initially showed blackcurrant, cassis, cream on the nose. After some time in the glass it began to display cola cube characters, meatiness and a hint of mint. The palate is rich, smooth, elegant and well balanced. Great fruit flavour - blackberry, cherry and plum. Amazing depth and complexity. Still very fresh - I think I'll leave my bottle for a few more years yet!
2007 Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc 89 Points
Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills
Pale yellow in colour, this Sauvignon Blanc showed tropical fruits, peach, pineapple and a little citrus on the nose. The palate was crisp and fresh. The rich fruit flavour carries through from the nose. Good balance.
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2007 Kim Crawford Pinot Gris 89 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
Pale straw yellow in colour this Pinot Gris showed zesty lemon and lime as well as a hint of toffee on the nose. The palate is crisp, with great acidity. Green apple characters ending in a notes of vanilla fudge. Very nice.
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2007 Brokenwood Sémillon 81 Points
Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Light straw yellow in colour, this wine shows lemongrass, cinnamon and zesty apple on the nose. The palate shows some tropical fruits and a hint of lime, but it's a little flat after the explosion of aromas on the nose.
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2006 Ten Minutes by Tractor Chardonnay 90 Points
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula
Rich yellow in colour. The nose starts overwhelming you with butterscotch then thows in some cinnamon and orange. The palate is mouth filling. Butter, peach, oak, spice and a hint of citrus on the end. This is a pretty interesting Chardonnay - not "normal", but I like it!
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2005 Planeta Noto Santa Cecilia 78 Points
Italy, Sicily, Noto
Made soley from the Nero d'Avola grape, this wine is rich purple in colour. The nose shows plum, spice and rich chocolate aromas. The palate is ripe with lots, perhaps too much, spice and overcooked fruit. Not a great fan.
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2005 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. 76 Points
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Deep, rich purple in colour. The nose is very savoury - earthy and vegetal characters. The palate is full bodied and intense. Blackberry, blueberry, spice and a whole heap of tannins. Lacking a little finesse and balance.
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2005 Quinta de Viluco Syrah 84 Points
Chile, Maipo Valley
Rich purple in colour this Syrah displayed elegant red cherry characters, dark chocolate, toasted almonds and a hint of blackberry on the nose. The palate was showed generous black fruit, spice and vanilla with a warm finish. Nice, but not exceptional.
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2005 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm 85 Points
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Rich purple in colour, this wine is aged in French and American oak for 22 months before bottling. The nose shows smoke, spice, liquorice and a little alcohol. The palate is full bodied and very concentrated. Opulent black fruits, vanilla and tobacco characters. Good, but lacking the elegance of the 2004.
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2006 Crios de Susana Balbo Syrah-Bonarda 75 Points
Argentina, Mendoza
Made from 50% Syrah and 50% Bonarda this wine has a light and fruity nose - blueberry, cinnamon and toasty oak. The palate is ripe and spicy - almost like mulled wine. A little full on!
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2004 Bodegas LAN Rioja Reserva 84 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Rich purple in colour, this wine shows a savoury nose with earthy and vegetal characters. The palate shows rich red fruit, a touch of oak and soft tannins. Tastes better than it smells!
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2002 Yalumba Cabernet Sauvignon The Menzies 75 Points
Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
Deep purple in colour this wine had a dusty, earthy nose showing liquorice and leaf tobacco characters with a hint of sweetness. The palate is pretty rustic - actually seemed a bit all over the place - spice, acid and tannins all hit you at once.
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2005 Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon The Mint 84 Points
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch
Rich purple in colour this wine showed minerality initially leading into cassis and finally the trademark spearmint. The palate had great blackcurrant concentration - oak, tobacco and cigar box characters with lots of tannins and acid in the background. I think this has the potential to be really good given some bottle age - at the moment it's a bit too eager!
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1998 Penfolds Grange 99 Points
Australia, South Australia
Arguably the best wine ever to come out of Australia it was with some trepidation that I tried this wine. Robert Parker gave it 99 points and described it as an "all time classic", so I was expecting it to be good - luckily it didn't disappoint! Rich purple in colour with a dense black core, this wine initially showed blackcurrant, cassis, cream on the nose. After some time in the glass it began to display cola cube characters, meatiness and a hint of mint. The palate is rich, smooth, elegant and well balanced. Great fruit flavour - blackberry, cherry and plum. Amazing depth and complexity. Still very fresh - I think I'll leave my bottle for a few more years yet!
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