Coldstream, Yarra
Tasted Friday, October 6, 2006 by graemeg with 637 views
A day in the Yarra, with tasting at 3 long established wineries in the eastern part of the valley
Some whites tasted as well - minimal notes taken. Also bought autographed copy of Halliday's atlas.
For a winery established back in 1970 - around the same trime as the legendary trio of Mount Mary, yarra Yering and Seville, Warramate has a very low profile.
Dry grown grapes - 30 year old vines, vineyard adjacent - literally - to Yarra Yering; why haven't the wines been better?
Perhaps an apparent policy of putting all the grapes picked into the wines made a difference (how about a triage, guys?) perhaps the winemaking, who knows?
Anyway, the baton has been passed to a new generation, so maybe things will pick up around here.
I was surprised to find this winery even open, and positively alarmed to find I was the lone taster under the gimlet eye of the formidable Dr Carrodus.
Worse, this was my first serious tasting of the wine of this estate (a few No 1's excepted) so i rather felt on trial.
What do you say as a newbie-taster to a man who founded the vineyard and is still here 35 years later pouring his wines for you?
'Thank you very much' was all I could really manage. Better to stay silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt...
Instructive tastings. Yarra Yering was quite an experience.
Vale Bailey Carrodus in 2009: YY has since changed hands (obviously) and will undoubtedly never be the same again.
2005 Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
A$27. Stalky and varietally true; the palate is richer in flavour and ripeness than you’d expect from the nose, but the wine sits somewhat on the front palate. You pay a little for the name here.
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2004 Coldstream Hills Merlot
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
A$29. Mainstream Oz merlot; rich if simple jam/plum nose; better balance of acid & tannin on the palate than most, but sadly short finish lets it down.
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2004 Coldstream Hills Cabernet Sauvignon
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
A$29. Blackcurrant fruit yes, but rather jammy and confected. Plenty of tannins, but they’re so fine they don’t compromise the essential softness of the texture. Again, a rather short finish disappoints.
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2005 Coldstream Hills Chardonnay Reserve
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
Similar to the 04; a rich, quite big and soft wine; zesty acid doesn’t preclude a round, balanced finish. Expensive at A$50
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2004 Coldstream Hills Chardonnay Reserve
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
A$47 Peaches & oak, somewhat large & hefty style of chardonnay, but well enough balanced.
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2004 Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir Reserve
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
A$75. Meaty, faux-burgundian nose. Massively tannic palate; I struggle to find the weight of fruit to support so much oak. Medium length finish. Maybe time will help. Not very convincing for the money.
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2004 Coldstream Hills Shiraz Limited Release
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
A$35. Floral nose with jammy overtones. Surprisingly light and clean wine; nice enough but not really memorable.
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2003 Coldstream Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
A$52. Expressive and rich cassis nose. Fine but strong tannins, ripe fruit flavours avoid cooked, jammy or raisined qualities. Ripe and quite long. Expensive, though…
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2001 Coldstream Hills Merlot
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
A$35. Aged cedar and briary aromas. Small red berry fruits on the palate, but with some harsh astringency. Medium length finish but seems like a wine which is past its best. Odd to find it still on sale at the cellar door…
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