When it comes to the King of Shiraz the first name that comes to mind is Penfolds. Penfolds is still probably thought of as the true starter of quality Australian Shiraz and its La Grange wine is the benchmark for which all other Shiraz (and syrah) are compared. With this bottle of Shiraz from the Thomas Hyland Vineyard, Penfolds' demonstrates its consistent quality. The Shiraz has a bright ripe fruit nose of plums, strawberries, and cherries while hints of tobacco and fresh cut grass linger in the background. The mouth feel is fruit forward (young but drinkable) with the classic Shiraz bell pepper spice that contributes heavily to its food pairing ability. I drank this wine this evening with Chinese Wok style food and the spice level in the food paired beautifully with the spice of the shiraz. This wine is truly versatile and could go with anything from cajun grilled salmon to a peppercorn crusted filet mignon (its acidity level also makes it optimal for any food with tomatoes or high acid vegetables). I recommend always having a Penfolds wine on hand and the Thomas Hyland Shiraz defianetly hits the spot plus at a great price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Zinfandel is one of those grapes that seems indigenous to California. Though it is not technically a native grape this type seems to excel in the warmer Napa valley climate. Venge shows off this fact by presenting a prodominately Zinfandel wine that shows loads of jammy fruit with a fantasticly ripe dark fruit mid-palate (ripeness coming more from the petit sirah and charbono blending). The tannin structure is still young and this wine could benefit from some aging but I would be hesitant to do too much since the youthful palate of this wine lends greatly to its intrigue and playfulness. The wine finishes very warm, due to its 15.3% alcohol, helping balance the tight structure. Overall, this was a very enjoyable wine and one I hope to enjoy serval more times. Maybe next time I will put it up against a nice hardy dish instead of just a cheese and meat appetizer platter (though i have a hunch it will go well both ways).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I have drank various wines from the Saint-Julien region of Bordeaux I have never had a Leoville Barton. Being still a young wine for Saint-Julien (only 8 year old) it still showed off a wonderful subtle cassis flavor on the palate. The nose was prodominately cherries with a defianete classic barnyard and fresh cut grass smell. Hints of tobacco and cedarwood could also be noticed. The wine started very light with a subdued fruit mid-palate and a soil/gravel terrior backbone and finish. The finish was long and very minimal tannin structure for a mainly cabernet sauvignon based wine. 1999 was known for a horriable wheather year for Bordeaux and the heavy rainfall does cause the wine to have a somewhat diluated structure (thus the 88 rating). This wine would show well with salmon en paupiette or a nice roasted chicken with fresh herbs. Though this wine was nice I can't wait to taste a better vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2004 Penfolds Shiraz Thomas Hyland
7/11/2007 - snolette wrote: 89 Points
When it comes to the King of Shiraz the first name that comes to mind is Penfolds. Penfolds is still probably thought of as the true starter of quality Australian Shiraz and its La Grange wine is the benchmark for which all other Shiraz (and syrah) are compared. With this bottle of Shiraz from the Thomas Hyland Vineyard, Penfolds' demonstrates its consistent quality. The Shiraz has a bright ripe fruit nose of plums, strawberries, and cherries while hints of tobacco and fresh cut grass linger in the background. The mouth feel is fruit forward (young but drinkable) with the classic Shiraz bell pepper spice that contributes heavily to its food pairing ability. I drank this wine this evening with Chinese Wok style food and the spice level in the food paired beautifully with the spice of the shiraz. This wine is truly versatile and could go with anything from cajun grilled salmon to a peppercorn crusted filet mignon (its acidity level also makes it optimal for any food with tomatoes or high acid vegetables). I recommend always having a Penfolds wine on hand and the Thomas Hyland Shiraz defianetly hits the spot plus at a great price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2004 Venge Vineyards Scout's Honor
6/15/2007 - snolette wrote: 89 Points
Zinfandel is one of those grapes that seems indigenous to California. Though it is not technically a native grape this type seems to excel in the warmer Napa valley climate. Venge shows off this fact by presenting a prodominately Zinfandel wine that shows loads of jammy fruit with a fantasticly ripe dark fruit mid-palate (ripeness coming more from the petit sirah and charbono blending). The tannin structure is still young and this wine could benefit from some aging but I would be hesitant to do too much since the youthful palate of this wine lends greatly to its intrigue and playfulness. The wine finishes very warm, due to its 15.3% alcohol, helping balance the tight structure. Overall, this was a very enjoyable wine and one I hope to enjoy serval more times. Maybe next time I will put it up against a nice hardy dish instead of just a cheese and meat appetizer platter (though i have a hunch it will go well both ways).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1999 Château Léoville Barton
6/6/2007 - snolette wrote: 88 Points
I have drank various wines from the Saint-Julien region of Bordeaux I have never had a Leoville Barton. Being still a young wine for Saint-Julien (only 8 year old) it still showed off a wonderful subtle cassis flavor on the palate. The nose was prodominately cherries with a defianete classic barnyard and fresh cut grass smell. Hints of tobacco and cedarwood could also be noticed. The wine started very light with a subdued fruit mid-palate and a soil/gravel terrior backbone and finish. The finish was long and very minimal tannin structure for a mainly cabernet sauvignon based wine. 1999 was known for a horriable wheather year for Bordeaux and the heavy rainfall does cause the wine to have a somewhat diluated structure (thus the 88 rating). This wine would show well with salmon en paupiette or a nice roasted chicken with fresh herbs. Though this wine was nice I can't wait to taste a better vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment