"2014" Sydney International Wine Show - stewarding notes

Blue Mountains, NSW
Tasted Sunday, October 13, 2013 - Friday, October 18, 2013 by graemeg with 1,343 views

Introduction

This was my second time stewarding at the Sydney TOP100 International Wine Show. Format is as for the 2011 show 3 years ago: 2000 wines are whittled down to 450-odd to be assessed with food. The stewards’ team of about 15 is busy from Sunday lunch to Friday lunch. There is just a little time for partaking of left-over wine, however.

Flight 1 - Stewards Welcome Dinner Oct 13 (8 Notes)

After setting up on Sunday afternoon, there’s a quick introductory meal with a few bottles, just to warm up before things get under in earnest on Monday morning.

  • 2013 Orlando Riesling St. Helga

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

    (10/13/2013)

    {screwcap, 11.4%} Youthful aromas of pure lemons. The palate is light/medium-bodied, fairly mildly-flavoured after the nose, with medium acidity and a soft and flowery texture. Has real Eden Valley citrus flavours, albeit in a not terribly exciting way. Better in the shorter term.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Kalleske Rosina

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

    (10/13/2013)

    {screwcap, 13%} The salmon-like colours come from grenache, shiraz and viognier. The aromas are bubble-gum, strawberries and a pepper note. Light-bodied palate emphasises the strawberries; it’s light-bodied without being too sweet, but does finish fairly warm. Decent enough proposition.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2008 Chapel Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

    Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

    (10/13/2013)

    {screwcap, 14.5%} A big, youthful, chocolate and vanilla nose, with coconut oak. Doesn’t shout cabernet exactly, but it’s nice all the same. Full-bodied; there’s a touch of cabernet black-olive to match the ripe, spicy blackcurrant fruits on the palate. Medium acidity and medium powdery tannins round out the picture. Not too oaky, although does finish a bit warm. Fades a bit toward the back palate. Very new world, very rich, not very cabernet. Ought to age easily for another 5-8 years.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Brown Brothers Petit Verdot Limited Release

    Australia, Victoria

    (10/13/2013)

    Bottled for the show. Youthful aromas of vivid violets and wild flowers. Oak too. Plush, velvety smell. It’s surprisingly transparent on the palate, mixing bubble-gum flavours, a roasted quality, with a grenache-like lightness, despite being on the fuller-side of medium-bodied. Palate is quite even, with mid-palate presence; it finishes quite warmly, with quite soft tannins and discreet acid. Rich and ripe, but in view of the fairly light structure, something for the shorter term.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Brancott Estate Pinot Noir Letter Series "T"

    New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

    (10/13/2013)

    {screwcap, 13.5%} The aromas here are of sappy cherry and strawberry syrup almost to the point of caricature. The palate is pretty dry though, has a touch of smoke and cured meats but mostly offers cherry and strawberry flavours. Not much overt oak. Low/medium soft dusty tannins, light/medium weight. Pleasant, not profound, with a short-medium length finish and not much action on the mid or back-palates. Good for 3 years, tops.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2011 Palmer Wines Malbec

    Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

    (10/13/2013)

    {screwcap, 14.9%} A grape I usually find to be terminally rustic doesn’t look too bad here, but still has a loose-knit cranberry-like aspect to the fruit, and a slightly coarse texture on the palate. Medium-bodied, with medium acid, it finish warm, and rather short on the palate, which doesn’t help the balance. Makes it seem too alcoholic. Meh.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 Thorn-Clarke Merlot Terra Barossa

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

    (10/13/2013)

    {screwcap, 14.5%} Youthful, sweet mulberry and plum aromas. A touch confected and sweet; the palate follows pretty well, then, with rich chocolate-accented red fruit. Medium chalky tannins avoid coarseness; perhaps a slightly bland anonymity is the lesser of the two evils; acid is soft, but a very short finish is the final kicker which really lets things down. Won’t win this maligned grape many friends.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 Le Clos (Château Isenbourg) Pinot Blanc

    France, Alsace, Côte de Rouffach

    (10/13/2013)

    {cork, 12.5%} Soggy cork. Nearly clear wine, though. Has a slightly pungent wax aromas, along with a molten steel kind of smell. The palate is dry but rather anonymous; it has mild waxy flavours, light body, moderate acidity and no oak influence. It feels a little opaque in texture somehow, warm and mouthfilling, but that doesn’t translate to anything other than the shortest of finishes. Not very exciting.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 2 - Mon Oct 14 (14 Notes)

First day of show. 1000 wines poured for six pairs of judges to work their way through. My lunch was very late: just the one Kiwi pinot sampled (the first wine listed below). All the other wines below were scavenged from the days pouring (each missing about 60ml) and taken for the stewards’ dinner.

  • 2011 Saint Clair Family Estate Pinot Noir Pioneer Block 16 Awatere

    New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

    (10/14/2013)

    {screwcap} Light smoky cherry aromas. The palate has clean simple cherry fruit flavours; quite pinot-ish, but very light-bodied. Has a clean tart, acidic texture, not green, just light. No real evidence of oak. Shortish finish, too. A simple early drinker.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Nautilus Estate Grüner Veltliner

    New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

    (10/14/2013)

    {screwcap, 13%} A mild, youthful nose of grapefruit, minerals , stainless steel. No pepper, no oak. The palate is a little spicy, dry, with lively acidity and steely grey flavours. Does seem to ride on a frame of acid, but most of the action happens on the front of the tongue, and the finish is fairly short. A drinker not a keeper.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Pfaffenheim Pinot Blanc

    France, Alsace

    (10/14/2013)

    {cork, 12.5%} Rather neutral, wax and lanolin-smelling wine. A light-bodied, oak-free, low-acid palate finishes fairly short. The only appreciable flavours are a spicy kind of impression as though there was some leftover gewurz in the vat before they added this. Not very exciting.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Jacob's Creek Riesling Steingarten

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

    (10/14/2013)

    {screwcap, 12.1%} Youthful but closed nose. A nod to smoke and steel, but that seems to be all. Very reticent indeed. On the dry palate there are mild musky flavours, steeliness, and a chalky aspect to the texture. Actual flavour seems to be in fairly short supply. Shut down hard, I presume. It’s medium-bodied for weight, and what flavour there is does seem to stretch the length of the palate and become denser, somehow. This is very strange indeed. I’d hope that this just needs time; it seems to have all the bits necessary to age, despite the acidity not being terribly noticeable. Hmmm.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir Central Otago

    New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago

    (10/14/2013)

    {screwcap, 14%} A beautiful, youthful melding of strawberries and cherry aromas. The dry palate is ripe, smoke and strawberry-flavoured, with fairly low chalky tannins, and a light/medium body. Although soft and gentle on the palate it’s not spineless, there’s a core of acid supporting a medium-length finish. The impression does soften on the mid and back palates somewhat. A good wine for the shorter term, probably over-priced though.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Dalrymple Vineyards Pinot Noir

    Australia, Tasmania, Pipers River

    (10/14/2013)

    {screwcap, 13.5%} Aromas of smoked meats, pastrami, dark cherries. Youthful but not just fruity-simple. Similar flavoured palate although with a sweet stewy note; dry, light/medium-bodied, with a well-balanced even palate, low/medium chalky tannins, subtle oak, and a beguiling medium-length finish. Should age well for 5-8 years.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Dalrymple Vineyards Pinot Noir Cottage Block

    Australia, Tasmania, Pipers River

    (10/14/2013)

    {screwcap} Second vintage only of this ‘super cuvee’. That said, it’s very similar to the regular bottling; has a dense rich palate of black cherry and dark-hued fruits, soft French oak, medium-bodied weight and acidity, and a nicely balanced medium-long finish that stretches the length of the palate. The difference comes in a little extra concentration and depth, and a slightly longer finish. Wants at least 5 more years to bloom a little. Very tidy wine indeed.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2008 Vesevo Taurasi

    Italy, Campania, Taurasi DOCG

    (10/14/2013)

    {cork, 14%} Pungent liquorice and confected jam aromas. Fruity and rich and young. The medium/full-bodied palate is initially dense, rich and sweet with raisins and blackberries, helped by medium powdery tannins which then fade rather quickly. Evolves oddly on the palate; the fruit fades rather quickly but the astringency doesn’t; and with fairly low acidity it soon drops down to a medium-length finish that just seems a bit flabby. The wine doesn’t taste nearly as sweet as it smells, which is a good thing. Still, I wouldn’t be aging this for terribly long; another 3 years is easily enough.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 Jacob's Creek Johann

    Australia, South Australia

    (10/14/2013)

    {screwcap} Ruby red. Classic, old-fashioned chocolate/vanilla nose. Ripe shiraz-cab blend, with all that implies. Rich spicy mid-palate, a crowd-pleasing parade of rich warm-climate red fruit; these dominate fairly soft powdery tannins and medium acidity. It’s medium-full-bodied, with plenty of mid-palate presence and a medium-length finish, yet the gentle acid & tannin suggests a real attempt to make a drinkable wine without the need for much cellaring. In which case I’d concur; best before it’s ten.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2011 Bodegas Atalaya Alaya Tierra

    Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Almansa

    (10/14/2013)

    {cork, 16%} The new world has no monopoly on turbo-charged wines; here’s the proof. Huge lift to the juicy, jammy flavours from what’s self-evidently high alcohol. Prune-like flavours, a touch of coarseness and plenty of heat are the palate’s distinguishing features. Full-bodied, with low acidity; despite the weight, much of the flavour is on the front of the tongue, and the finish is quite short and obviously tilted towards heat. Not so impressive.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 Peter Lehmann Shiraz Stonewell

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

    (10/14/2013)

    {screwcap, 14.5%} Classic rich, sweet fruit-cake style aromas; follows up with lots of ripe blackberry fruit on the palate, quite high level but loose-knit powdery tannins (plenty of wide-grain American oak?). It’s full-bodied, with quite low acidity; at this age it’s a bit monolithic, but there’s plenty of fruity heft on the mid-palate, and despite the finish only really being medium length this ought to come together better over 7-8 years. Maybe not a great wine, but ought to be pretty damn fine given a bit of cellaring time.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 d'Arenberg The Cadenzia

    Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

    (10/14/2013)

    {screwcap, 14%} Prunes and raisins. Smells both developing and fermenting all at once. Sweet grenache fruit, rotting strawberries. Palate is as you’d expect; rather low acidity leaves it feeling pretty dense and thick and somehow lacking freshness. High-level chalky tannins help a bit, oak isn’t overdone. Full-bodied, with a medium-length finish, although more on the front-palate than back.. If you like the ultra-ripe grenache style, then it’s pretty good wine.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 Freeman Vineyards Secco Corvina Rondinella

    Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Hilltops

    (10/14/2013)

    {screwcap, 14.5%} This had seen quite some air (opened 2 days earlier) which left it a little varnishy for me. Developing aromas & flavours, but of hot baked grapes. Medium/full body, soft gritty tannins, dry, with a medium-length finish. The (non-refrigerated) air time hasn’t helped this; a fresh bottle would have been better.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Freeman Vineyards Tempranillo Altura Vineyard

    Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Hilltops

    (10/14/2013)

    {screwcap, 13.5%} Surprisingly leathery, advanced, baked cherry and raspberry tart aromas. Medium/full-bodied dry palate, although there seems to be a parade of sweet and savoury flavours; lemon, cola, all sorts of things. Interesting wine, fruity yet chewy. Time will help.

    Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 3 - Tues Oct 15 (15 Notes)

Day two. Same procedure as yesterday, but I managed two lunch wines this time, from Bali and Margaret River, before the stewards’ dinner settled down to start with an Indonesian white wine.

  • NV Hatten Wines Chasselas Tunjun Brut

    Indonesia, Bali

    (10/15/2013)

    {cork, 11.5%} Made, according to the back label, from ‘Chasselas Loulou’ and ‘Alphonse Lavallee’ grapes. With a mere 12 months on lees, the nose is pretty youthful, flowery and muscat-like. The palate is similarly slight; light-bodied, with fine but quite aggressive bubbles. Avoids soft-drink-like sweetness; has mostly muscat-like flavours on the palate. Soft acid and a short finish conclude proceedings. Needs a decent chill. Doubtless experienced better on a Bali beach than in a clinical tasting environment…

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2011 Brygon Reserve Shiraz The Bruce

    Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

    (10/15/2013)

    {cork, 13.5%} Spicy raspberry and plum nose. Ripe but not too sweet palate; lowish acid, fairly low chalky tannins, slightly baked-tasting notwithstanding the sensible alcohol level, and does rather sit on the front of the tongue. Structurally it’s a bit soft, but decent honest drinking in the shorter (3 yr) term.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2013 Hatten Wines Belgia Aga White

    Indonesia, Bali

    (10/15/2013)

    {screwcap, 11%} Belgia grapes, huh. Mild nose; wafts of musk and sweet&sour sauce. Palate is just off-dry I reckon; it has a prickle of acid and some gentle muscat-like fruits, but there’s a faintly chemical/glue-like note as well. Short finish. Needs a big chill and probably the right food, but it’s low-key in any event. A novelty, though, being from the well-known wine region of Bali...

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2013 Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc Letter Series "B"

    New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

    (10/15/2013)

    {screwcap, 14%} Yellow-green. Intense, pungent, youthful nose of lychees and gooseberry. Fairly screams Marlborough savvy. The palate is an odd mix; it only really struck me as light/medium-bodied; the alcohol didn’t seem noticeable, the guava, gooseberry & lychee flavours were quite pronounced. There seems to be enough acid to balance things out and keep it crisp on the medium-length finish. Not bad, but for drinking now.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 Dopff & Irion Riesling Schoenenbourg

    France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

    (10/15/2013)

    {cork, 13%} Developing, spirit and limestone nose. There are touches of lime and earth on the initially mouth-watering palate, but it all fades fast ; the acidity is around low/medium level, it’s light/medium-bodied and although the finish makes it to about medium length it’s disappointing simple and soft. Dry, or close to it. There’s really nothing wrong with the wine, but GC Riesling ought to be more distinguished than this. Not for cellaring.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2008 Peter Lehmann Sémillon Margaret

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa

    (10/15/2013)

    {screwcap, 11%} Something of a hit & miss cuvee in my experience (2005 transcendent, 2007 dull). This has a developing nose, with toasty, vaguely honeyed aromas, yet with an underlying sourness; you know it’s not going to taste sweet. The palate has leaf and straw flavours, with softening acidity giving a denseness to the texture. Sure enough, it’s dry, about medium-bodied, with an even palate and a medium-length finish. Lifts with food, too. But I think it’s ready to drink now.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2011 Coldstream Hills Chardonnay Reserve

    Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

    (10/15/2013)

    {screwcap, 13%} Developing nose; hints of asparagus and subtle oak. A dry, medium-acid wine, mild as befits the vintage. I wouldn’t call this more than light/medium-bodied; its nutty-scented flavours live in a frame of well-judged oak, but it still finishes a bit lean, even if it does manage a medium-length finish. Sound enough, but I’d drink this within a few years.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Xanadu Chardonnay Reserve Margaret River

    Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

    (10/15/2013)

    {screwcap, 13%} Lemon yellow colour. Youthful nose of grilled nuts and grapefruit. The palate is medium-bodied, mildly-flavoured, even understated. Discreet oak too. Dry, with medium acid; all fells quite natural, but very reserved – and not in the way the label intends! There’s an oddly metallic quality to the medium-long finish; I imagine this is only recently bottled and I’d expect it to build flavour and weight over 5 years at least.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2006 Pipers Brook Vineyard Pinot Noir Single Site The Lyre

    Australia, Tasmania, Pipers River

    (10/15/2013)

    {screwcap, 13.5%} Garnet. Developing nose of strawberries and soft cedary oak. Surprisingly fruity still, but definitely aging. The palate was way earthier than you might expect from new world pinot (but fairly mainstream for Piper’s Brook) with flavours of dark cherries and malty oak. It’s medium weight, dry and savoury in character. Has low/medium dusty tannins, quite high acidity, and plenty of presence on the mid-palate. Finishes medium length, but without any charm, nor really any great promise of ultimate complexity. I’d think better of this if it wasn’t pushing A$100; but I suppose there are plenty of Burgundies around that price that taste worse than this. It’s a good wine, ready for drinking now, but it’s not going to win any converts to the pinot cause. Nor will it win my custom at the asking price.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Cantina Cellaro Sicilia Due Lune

    Italy, Sicily, Sicilia

    (10/15/2013)

    {cork, 14.5%} Youthful, intense and lavish nose of chocolate and liquorice. The palate tends towards the fruit-bomb model, with thick inky black fruit flavours and a distinct sweetness to the texture. Absolutely full-bodied, with medium chalky tannins and medium acid, but it’s the sweet confected blackberry and liquorice flavours that dominate. Plenty of presence as it thunders along the palate; it finishes medium-length and surprisingly without much heat. This really needs some time to settle; it’s a bit of a brute now. But it’s a very modern wine, that’s for sure.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2011 Gemtree Vineyards Shiraz White Lees

    Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

    (10/15/2013)

    {cork, 15%} Youthful nose of blackberries, plums and vanilla oak. The full-bodied palate is dry, with plenty of oak, not a lot of tannin and a rather hard edge to the medium acidity. The wine’s novelty is that it’s fermented on chardonnay lees; whether this has had any effect on the baked raisiny fruit flavours I can’t say. The wine is dense and warm and culminates in a medium-length finish which somehow avoids seeming too hot, but which still lacks dimension. There’s surprisingly little presence on the back-palate. How they got this much alcohol out of the rainy 2011 vintage I’ll never know. I’m also a little wary of judging the label on such a vintage, but I wouldn’t give this longer than 5 years in the cellar.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon Abercrombie

    Australia, Western Australia

    (10/15/2013)

    {screwcap, 14%} Deep garnet. Ripe and youthful nose; black fruits, currants; no green olives here. The palate is consistent, although the herbal qualities are softly present under the ripe black fruit and cedary oak. Medium acid and medium dusty tannins, slightly forward balance and not too much wood all culminate in a dry medium-length finish which needs at least 8 years to develop some nuance. Should be very good.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 Irvine Grand Merlot

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

    (10/15/2013)

    {cork, 15%} Youthful plums, vanilla and oak. The palate shows every one of the 29 months this has spent in oak; it’s an old-fashioned style of ripe meaty fruits married to swathes of American oak. It is dry, with medium acid and powdery tannins, but there’s real alcoholic heat on the palate, to the point where I’d be a bit wary of its cellaring potential. Finishes just medium length. Weird to see a bottle still sporting a label that looks like 60s wallpaper…

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Kalleske Shiraz J.M.K VP

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

    (10/15/2013)

    {375ml, screwcap, 18.5%} Youthful nose of raisins and nuts. The medium-dry palate is heavily brandied; has great depth and purity to the brandied raisin and nut flavours. It’s medium-bodied, with a medium finish that’s clean and well-balanced. Very enjoyable and might cellar very well indeed. Novelty squat-shaped clear-glass bottle; I gather this is pretty pricey too.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • NV The Colonial Estate Muscat Old Vine Rutherglen

    Australia, Victoria, North East, Rutherglen

    (10/15/2013)

    {500ml, cork, 17%} Described as 40-years-old. Smells and tastes of rich caramel and cold tea. It’s quite light and fresh for something this age; medium-bodied, medium-sweet, with lots of freshening acidity to offset honey and quince flavours. Not an especially long finish, though. Very good, but I suspect you could do better for whatever they ask for this.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 4 - Wed Oct 16 (29 Notes)

A quieter day, as the judges settle into judging wines with food. A more relaxed lunch left time for the first four wines as listed below. The evening started with seven introductory wines rescued from the day’s proceedings, followed by the Stewards’ Options Night, starting with Michael’s Austrian offering. The idea is to make the other stewards look like fools, as is traditional with an Options game.

  • 2008 Immerse Pinot Noir Oscar's Reserve

    Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

    (10/16/2013)

    {screwcap, 13.5%} Developing nose: lifted strawberry, liquorice, dark chocolate, overlaid with a spirit note. Yum. The dry palate is a contrast, being light-bodied, with low dusty tannins, soft-textured, and restrained. Very odd; that the aromas should be so completely betrayed when the wine hits the palate. Bizarre.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2013 Waimea Estate Gewürztraminer

    New Zealand, South Island, Nelson

    (10/16/2013)

    {screwcap, 13%} Typically spicy/rosewater nose, clean and fruity. The palate is about off-dry I reckon, with a touch of spritz about it; light/medium-bodied, clean, no oak, with medium acid which keeps the sweetness under control. Simple medium length finish; nice wine but not for cellaring.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Wente Vineyards Chardonnay Morning Fog Livermore Valley

    USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Livermore Valley

    (10/16/2013)

    {cork, 13.5%} Light and spirit-like nose of lemon, lanolin, wax and some resiny oak. The palate is surprisingly light-bodied, with a little acid, but overall the wine is dilute and lacking concentration. There’s a little bit of fruit on the mid-palate, but on the whole this is pretty transparent, mostly relying on a smidge of oak for palate presence. Dull.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2013 Saint Clair Family Estate Sauvignon Blanc Pioneer Block 3 43 Degrees

    New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

    (10/16/2013)

    {screwcap, 13%} Bright passionfruit with a touch of gooseberry. Medium acid, but the palate is surprisingly mildly flavoured; very much light-bodied, with a medium length fruity (not really sweet though) finish. Not complex but pleasant.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 Forrest Estate Pinot Noir Tatty Bogler Central Otago

    New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago

    (10/16/2013)

    {screwcap, 14%} Big, generic red wine syrup nose. Not very pinot-like at all. The palate is weight and spicy initially, then a bit simple after that. The oak is a soft smear, it’s medium-bodied in weight but with low chalky tannins, not much acid and a rather mildly-flavoured, short/medium-length finish. In all, rather nondescript.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 Samuel's Gorge Kaleidoscope Horizons

    Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

    (10/16/2013)

    {screwcap, 14%} Youthful nose of smoke and earth, dense charcoal & blackberry. The palate is pretty large-scale, medium/full-bodied, but with some acidity and medium chalky tannins to give a modicum of structure. Plenty ripe, but doesn’t tip over into staleness. This is a tidy wine that could age nicely for a few years.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 Vigneti del Salento Primitivo di Manduria Oversettanta Vigne Vecchie

    Italy, Puglia, Primitivo di Manduria

    (10/16/2013)

    {cork, 14%} Wow; 14g/l of residual sugar, acidity 5.85g/l and a pH of 3.54 according to the Internet. Youthful spice and pepper on the nose. Full-bodied and ripe palate. Too ripe? Polished but jammy black fruit flavours battle liquorice and malty oak. The palate manages to taste almost savoury, even dry on the medium-length finish, probably due to some serious heft of acid and medium dusty tannins. I mightn’t risk this for long in the cellar, but it’s fun to drink now with a big stew.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Kalleske Zinfandel Fordson

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

    (10/16/2013)

    {screwcap, 14.5%} Nose of blackberries and spice; not over-the-top. Sweet confected red fruits on the palate; mild oak. Fairly restrained and serious for Zin; medium/full-bodied, with soft powdery tannins, medium acid, and plenty of mid-palate presence before a medium-length finish. Not bad, a bit simple. Could develop a somewhat.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 Taylors Project Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Malbec/Cab Franc

    Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

    (10/16/2013)

    {screwcap, 11.5%} With a nomenclature that makes Lindemans’ old Bin numbers look straightforward- “Winemaker’s Project WRBDX10” - this is a blend of Cab-S, Merlot, Malbec, Cab-F, in that order. Lovely currant nose. Pure. A thoroughly medium-sized wine as far as acid, tannin, fruit go; oak seasoning is well-judged; there’s good presence along the tongue. This bottle was opened yesterday; it’s kept very well indeed, and suggests than 10 years in the cellar will be seen in a canter. Classy stuff, shame about the name.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Lark Hill Grüner Veltliner

    Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District

    (10/16/2013)

    {screwcap, 12.5%} A freebie from Tim courtesy of the Carpenters, as a warm up to the options. A nose of nothing but steel and granite; like sniffing post-modern architecture. Maybe a little pepper. The palate is similarly assertive, steely, dry; medium-bodied, medium acid. Really very youthful and wants some time to find flavour! Wait.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2008 Orlandi Contucci Ponno Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane

    Italy, Abruzzi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane

    (10/16/2013)

    {cork, 14.5%} Raisins, asian spice, fruit-cake. A range of red fruits on the palate, but big-impact sweet oak too. But it does fade rather quickly. Soft chalky tannins; not much acid. Rides on its fruit and not much else; the dry finish remains rather short. A tidy short term wine, not more.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2011 Weingut Salomon Undhof Grüner Veltliner Wachtberg

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Kremstal

    (10/16/2013)

    {vinolok, 13%} (Michael Mc) Greenish aromas, spice, some pepper, mineral, dry earth kind of qualities. The palate is surprisingly dense and textural, with greyish flavours. Even palate, medium body. Dry as dust, medium length finish. Seems rather closed just now.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2002 Tyrrell's Sémillon Single Vineyard Belford

    Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Belford

    (10/16/2013)

    {cork, 9.7%} (Tim) To judge by the colour, this must be one of the most perfect corks ever put into a wine bottle. Talk about hitting the jackpot. Still only a pale yellow-green. Visually, could pass for 3 years old. Lemon/honey aromas. Just screams Hunter Semillon. It has lovely toasty aging characters on the light/medium-bodied palate, with medium acid still and a long dry yet generous finish. Triumphant. Further age depends on the cork, but the wine could certainly take it.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2008 Westend Estate Wines Pinot Grigio Richland Riverina

    Australia, New South Wales, Big Rivers, Riverina

    (10/16/2013)

    {screwcap, 12%} (Paul) Developing nose of some spice, apricot. Oak-free, despite a certain thickness of texture. It continues to show fairly simple apricot flavours on the shortish, simple finish, but to find this is a 6 year old PG was a surprise. Drink up.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2005 Mitchelton Airstrip

    Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria

    (10/16/2013)

    {screwcap, 14%} (Paul) A rather aged, flat nose; some honey, but stale. Wax, dust, and lint flavours. Medium-bodied, but this impression may be heightened by almost total lack of acidity. Has some presence on the mid-palate and in the medium-length finish, but they’re neither fresh nor properly developed flavours, just stale ones. When a wine’s too old, a screwcap won’t save it.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Tilba Valley Merlot

    Australia, New South Wales, South Coast, Shoalhaven Coast

    (10/16/2013)

    {screwcap, 12%} (Terry) Odd nose of pepper and bubble gum. This has a tart, worked thin palate which tastes harsh, peppery, stretched, with chalky high tannins, strong acid, otherwise light body and a short finish. Tastes like a perfect storm of bad clones, lousy viticulture and poor winemaking. Nasty.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 Katnook Estate Shiraz Winemaker's Selection

    Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra

    (10/16/2013)

    {screwcap, 13.5%} (Geoff) Developing baked cabernet aromas with a green edge. I don’t mind herbal cabernet but this seems to lean a bit to under-and over-ripe grapes. Has medium powdery tannins, a fair whack of oak, medium acid and body, and finishes medium length, currant-tasting with puckering tannins. A little time might help here, but greatness is always going to be a dream I think. A little disappointing considering the vintage.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Alpha Box & Dice Montepulciano Rebel

    Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek

    (10/16/2013)

    {cork, 13%} (Marcelle) Fungal and compost-like. Earth, fire and smoke. Gosh. Palate is predictably rustic, smoky and
    dirty. Medium gritty tannins, dry, some raspy acidity, and a real bracken/twiggy character to the flavours; it has some mid-palate presence but finishes rather short. Loose, open and dry. Seems way older than 2012. I would get into this pretty quickly.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2011 Amadio Sagrantino Heritage Selection

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

    (10/16/2013)

    {cork, 14.8%} (Warwick) Sweet raspberry nose, quite light. The medium/full-bodied palate is quite dense, with jubey, sweet red berry fruit, medium chalky tannins, medium acid, plenty of forward presence in the mouth (less on the back-palate), and a medium-length finish. It’s big, a touch crude, and needs some time to settle.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2003 Domaine A Pinot Noir

    Australia, Tasmania, Coal River

    (10/16/2013)

    {cork, 13.5%} (Graeme) An aged nose of mint and dark green spearmint characters precedes a medium-bodied dry palate which seems to present all its elements – soft tannins, little obvious oak, mint, cloves, almost cinnamon flavours – in a kind of parade without true integration or development or complexity. Strange. Mostly, it’s alarmingly un-pinot-like. Wasn’t really worth cellaring on this showing (not this long, anyway) and probably ought to be drunk soon.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 Kavur Vineyards Gali Evreshe

    Turkey, Thrace

    (10/16/2013)

    {cork, 13.6%} (Erik) As you might expect from a wannabe wine region having a tilt at bordeaux, this has plenty of oak. It’s quite youthful too, but there’s lots of herbs and green olive characters to the flavours; it doesn’t seem unripe, just herbal. There are lots of dusty tannins, and some simpler jammy fruits do emerge on the palate; it’s a big, solid but fairly simple wine. Medium/full body, barely medium-length finish. Competently made in a rustic, challenging style (this was tasted by two different judging panels on different days, and both times a second bottle was called for) it’s not as bad as you’d expect, but I think there needs to be more work done in the vineyard. Not for cellaring just yet.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 Lebanese Monks Monastere de Kfifane Flawed

    Lebanon, Batroun, Adyar

    (10/16/2013)

    {cork, 13.2%} (Patrick) 30% each of shiraz, grenache and mouvedre, topped off with 10% sangiovese. There are more bacteria here than in a tropical hospital. Completely undrinkable.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Mute Vintners Shiraz Round Two

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

    (10/16/2013)

    {screwcap, 14.5%} (Angela) A youthful , inky, extracted nose of liqueured blackberries announces a Barossa shiraz from Central Casting; lashings of coconut, vanilla, chocolate and super sweet red fruit. Low in acid, high in powdery tannin, full-bodied, warm-finishing, with a medium-length finish, it’s from the ‘pack-it-all-in’ school of US-aimed turbo juice. Forward in the mouth, it’s a take-no-prisoners style. At least it’s not 16% alcohol, but experience tells me it’s unlikely to age very elegantly, or for very long. Get into it if you like the style.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2003 Willy Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Last Fling Cane Cut Flawed

    Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Geographe

    (10/16/2013)

    {375ml, cork, 11.5%} (Paul) An alarming amber colour, this aged-smelling, rather bacterial-smelling wine seems to have lost freshness totally. There are some remnants of Turkish delight flavours and a hint of incense, but really the whole thing is too oxidized to enjoy at all. I wonder how sweet it was supposed to be?

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1998 Quady Winery Orange Muscat Essensia Flawed

    USA, California

    (10/16/2013)

    {cork, 15%} (James) A murky sludge. Totally oxidized. And not the way it's supposed to be!

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1994 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    (10/16/2013)

    {cork, 12.5%} (Graeme) No decant. Aged nose. Drying currants. In line with a lot of 94s, this is rather drying out, with barely ripe currant fruit wilting under astringent powdery tannins. Becoming quite anorexic, this needs drinking with food before it dessicates itself completely.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2011 Johanneshof Riesling Noble Late Harvest

    New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

    (10/16/2013)

    {375ml, diam, 10%} Developing nose; not much botrytis character other than a little decaying leaf aromas, otherwise it’s rather honeyed. The palate has great sweetness but rather too little acid; despite the evenness of the honeyed, lemon-butter flavours along the tongue the lack of acidity lets the medium weight sag, and compromises the freshness. Lack of acid = drink fast!

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2013 Nepenthe Gewürztraminer Late Harvest

    Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills

    (10/16/2013)

    {375ml, screwcap, 10%} Youthful, very authentic; with light spicy aromas washed in rosewater. The palate too tastes floral and rose-like. It has just enough tangy acidity for a quick thrill. Richly medium-sweet, with medium body, this has just enough going for its medium length finish to make it satisfying, but without promising any cellar life.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Sémillon

    Australia, New South Wales, Big Rivers, Riverina

    (10/16/2013)

    {375ml, screwcap, 10.5%} Alarmingly dark gold for such a young wine. Plenty of oak has given a strongly vanilla character to the usual marmalade aromas and flavours. The palate is very sweet, candied and obvious; it has smoky, honeyed flavours, is very full-bodied, but has a feeling of being completely developed and ready to drink. It’s all a bit obvious and crude, and I certainly wouldn’t be cellaring it.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 5 - Thurs Oct 17 (10 Notes)

For the last night of the show, at Geoff & Keith’s place, the Meet the Judges BBQ brought the stewards team together with the 13 judges (including 4 MWs and one MS) over top-notch food and a few tasty wines, some from the show and some donated. And all under apocalyptic clouds from very early season Blue Mountains bushfires. These notes are a bit more cursory; walking about and talking in the presence of the august professionals tends to inhibit the tendency to attempt comprehensive notes… First three wines below were lunch tastings.

  • 2012 Blind River Pinot Noir

    New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

    (10/17/2013)

    {screwcap, 13.5%} Classic sweat and spice pinot nose. Soft oak aromas, no hint of stalky green notes. The palate has sweet strawberry fruit flavours, tinged with smoky oak. It’s light/medium-bodied, with soft dusty tannins, clean and fresh, with cutting acidity, and a medium-length finish with lingers nicely on the mid-palate. Should develop well in the shorter term; seems to be nicely balanced, if just a little simple.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 Wakefield Cabernet Sauvignon The Visionary

    Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

    (10/17/2013)

    {screwcap, 14.5%} The judges called earlier for a second bottle of this, indicating they suspected a fault. This reject bottle has had some air over the morning by the time I get to it at lunch. It’s young, smelling largely of coconut, plums and oak. The medium-bodied palate is pretty light-on for acid, and has sweet-stewed, confectionary-like red fruit flavours, with a distinct artificial-sweetener taste. Something bacterial/bretty going on here? Vague, unfocussed palate; not very satisfying, but not obviously faulty either. Not a great advert for Clare cabernet at any rate.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 C J Pask Declaration

    New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels

    (10/17/2013)

    {screwcap} Garnet red; light peppery nose. Pask really seem to struggle with ripeness and fruit. The palate here is predictably peppery too; it’s light/medium-bodied, with soft chalky tannins, little oak, flavours of sour cherry and oak. The finish is barely medium-length; this is light to the point of almost being gaunt. As Bordeaux reds go, this is a remote satellite, not Medoc, that’s for sure. Not for cellaring.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2003 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    (10/17/2013)

    {cork, 9%, AP28 04} Mid yellow. This showed all the evidence of the very warm year; with aromas and flavours of brown apples and custard, only moderate acid, just a little off-dry sweetness, and a medium-length, quite rich finish. Almost medium-bodied, so distinct are the flavours here, but it’s ready to drink, and will likely only get flatter with more age.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2002 Brokenwood Shiraz Graveyard

    Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

    (10/17/2013)

    {screwcap, 13.5%} Generously donated by Mr Riggs, this was the first vintage under screwcap, and it’s aging just as he expects, for a tricky, rather wet year. There’s plenty of rustic earth and dust, not brett in the old tradition, but rather a complex weave of savoury qualities. Medium/full-bodied, still with tannins drying evenly along the palate, and a longish finish. This is terrific Hunter shiraz, for drinking now or over the next 5 years.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2005 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    (10/17/2013)

    {cork, 13%} A sandy, spicy shiraz; any viognier here isn’t apparent; oak is subtle; it’s attractive, medium weight, savoury and dry, but still nicely ripe with red berry flavours. A bit more elegant and restrained than the preceding Graveyard shiraz, but doesn’t suffer in comparison. Can take another 10 years easy.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2007 Bridge Pa Syrah

    New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

    (10/17/2013)

    {screwcap, 13.5%} Spicy and peppery, in the usual Hawkes Bay mould. Has good depth of spicy flavours; French oak is a seasoning only; a medium weight wine with medium tannins and strong acidity. Finishes medium length and dry. Good.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 Sanguine Estate Shiraz

    Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Heathcote

    (10/17/2013)

    {screwcap, 14.8%} Right on the Heathcote money; dark, blood-and-iron shiraz, fine dusty tannins, full-bodied, warmly alcoholic finish, fruity and ripe. Should improve for 5 years.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2011 Westend Estate Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Three Bridges

    Australia, New South Wales, Big Rivers, Riverina

    (10/17/2013)

    {screwcap, 14%} Richly fruity; all currants and sweet oak; medium-bodied, flavour-packed wine of no distinct identity but avoiding the worst excesses of the genre. Decent drinking red for the shorter term, if you’re not obsessed with classic cabernet qualities.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2007 McGuigan Sémillon The Shortlist Hunter Ridge Vineyard

    Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

    (10/17/2013)

    {screwcap, 11%} Dry wine, smelling of smoke, honey and toast. You swear this had seen oak. It’s light-bodied but now rather soft; lacks the acidity to make the otherwise pleasant flavours (per the nose) into a thrilling experience. Warm vintage Semillon; no need to age further, but does provide something of an insight into aged Hunter sem.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 6 - Fri Oct 18 (11 Notes)

With bushfires now raging around the Blue Mountains, we finished the final morning session, packed everything away and sat down to the final lunch of the show before heading back to Sydney.

  • 2009 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm

    Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

    (10/18/2013)

    {screwcap, 14.5%} Youthful soft liquorice/pepper/spice characters. The style of this has certainly changed over the last decade, as the raisin/oak qualities are downplayed in the quest for more freshness and life. I would really only call this medium-bodied, in fact, with its ripe blackberry fruit, even palate, soft oak, medium chalky tannins and refreshing acidity. Good mid-palate presence, and a medium-length finish round things off; it turns out to be a nicely balanced wine, avoiding heat on the finish, which should age and improve for a decade – more than you could say from the offerings from the late-90s.

    Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Taylors Shiraz Reserve Parcel

    Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

    (10/18/2013)

    {screwcap, 14.5%} Understated plum nose. This young, oaky and slightly minty shiraz has an inky-textured sweetness to its medium/full-body, with surprisingly soft dusty tannins, medium acid and a well-balanced medium length finish. It’s so young it’s a bit anonymous, but I think this will blossom with a bit of time. It avoids heat and has an inner integrity that augers well for the future.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Alpha Domus Syrah The Barnstormer

    New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

    (10/18/2013)

    {screwcap, 13%} White pepper and cedary oak. Very cool-climate characters evident here; this is light and spicy, even a bit sulphury as well. Not obviously green, however. It’s not much beyond light-bodied, with quite gentle dusty tannins, but also a rather short finish. Quite even along the tongue, however, so I wouldn’t hesitate to give it a few years in the cellar; it seems to be balanced enough to take it. But it’s always going to be a pretty lean affair.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Leconfield Cabernet Merlot

    Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra

    (10/18/2013)

    {screwcap, 14%} Youthful and closed. The palate offers a bit more; spicy black merlot fruit, but with a touch or coarseness too. The tannisn are soft but gritty, oak is under control; it’s medium-bodied, rather forward in the mouth and finishes short/medium in length. Seems to lack focus and concentration making it seem a bit dull. A little cellaring time will only help; this is very young.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Peter Lehmann Tempranillo H&V

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

    (10/18/2013)

    {screwcap, 14.5%} Bright ruby red. Has a deeply cinnamon-spiced, charcoally nose. The palate is dense and black, with pepper, liquorice and creamy oak. Medium/full-bodied, with medium dusty tannins, it’s dry and impressive on the mid-palate, with a savoury medium length finish. Tidy wine that should age well in the medium term at least (it’s not especially hot but I get very wary of that 14.5% I see so often).

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm

    Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

    (10/18/2013)

    {screwcap, 14.2%} What’s this? A d’Arenberg red at less than 14.5%? The times they are a-changin’. Peppery, cherry-like nose. The palate is oddly light; medium/high acidity, a distinctly savoury texture, it’s medium-bodied with quite discreet oak. Spicy, almost cool-climate flavours. Pepper. Doesn’t finish warmly either (medium-length). Well, interesting – I don’t quite know what to make of this, except to say it’s very young. Give it a few years I suppose; it seems to be balanced enough for that.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • NV Morris Muscat Old Premium Rare

    Australia, Victoria, North East, Rutherglen

    (10/18/2013)

    {500ml, screwcap, 17%} Brown/amber, with a touch of olive green colout to it, which only the oldest fortifieds seem to develop. The aromas and flavours are of caramelised honey, pastry, malt and molasses. The palate is syrupy-textured, with medium acidity, medium-sweetness, with great freshness and intensity. It’s delicately medium-bodied, but the finish goes on longer than a Tchaikovsky ending. Phenomenal drink.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • NV De Bortoli Muscat Show Reserve

    Australia, New South Wales, Big Rivers, Riverina

    (10/18/2013)

    {500ml, screwcap, 18%} Described as 8-yo on the label. Fresh nose of light honey and mead. The initially pungent palate has caramel and honey flavours; it’s quite concentrated, medium-sweet, with a medium/long finish. A fine example of fortified muscat, but easily outclassed by the preceeding Morris Rare.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • NV Morris Old Premium Rare Tawny

    Australia, Victoria, North East, Rutherglen

    (10/18/2013)

    {500ml, screwcap} Tawny brown colour. Nose of cold tea, old wood and dry rot. The medium-dry palate has volatile woody aromas. It’s lifts in the mouth to full-bodiedness and has great length of finish, but is very dusty tasting after the muscats!

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2010 Trentham Estate Taminga Noble Taminga

    Australia, New South Wales / Victoria, Murray Darling

    (10/18/2013)

    {375ml, screwcap, 11%} Somewhat developing nose of aromatic muscat/pot-pourri/rosewater. With a citric twist. The palate has light orange/tangerine flavours; it’s light-bodied, medium-dry, and manages to convey an autumnal botrytis character without weight, probably helped by fresh medium acidity. Drink with a fruit salad. Medium-length finish. Not sure it’s got the structure to age though.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Shaw Vineyard Estate Botrytis Sémillon

    Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District

    (10/18/2013)

    {375ml, screwcap, 9%} Only a light lemon colour. Light ethereal nose revealing the gentle pear/quince flavours which follow on the palate. There’s a cinnamon note too which somehow isn’t terribly sweet. A surprisingly light wine, without much botrytis influence, medium-dry, which is very much a short-term option.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Closing

Trophy winners and TOP 100 announced in February 2014, public tasting of TOP 100 in March 2014.

×
×