Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Piccadilly Valley
Blind. 5th release. Apple, pear, lemon - pretty straightforward nose. Punchy bubbles with an aggressive bead. Sweet fruited, medium length and good persistence.
61 months on lees. Lemon, sesame, oats, toast and spice. Good character and interest early on. Intense on the palate, vinous and full bodied. Youthful with good depth and breadth.
Earth, strawberry, lemon and wax. Finely textured, with some sweetness from the fruit and some nicely tuned acidity cutting through. Like the mix of earthy and fruity elements here.
Blind. Orange peel, mandarin, herbal, mint and smoke. I like the mix of complexity on the nose, though the palate is a little bit soft through the middle and drifts away early on the finish.
Blind. Charcoal, smoke, lemon and wild herbs. Good intensity on the palate, some sweet fruit but plenty of acid power to match. Youthful with medium depth and good length, this was rather enjoyable.
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula
Blind. Lime, guava, toast and lemon. Fresh and open on the nose and palate. It's very new world on the palate with the sweet fruit pushing to the front, but the power is controlled and it has enough texture to get away with it. A new one for me and well worth a try.
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
Blind. Oak, smoke and alcohol. Sweet and broad fruit, disjointed profile - really tough going. Surprising when revealed but this was well off the mark tonight.
Mandarin, orange, vanilla and pear. Textured on the palate with decent flavour depth but I wish it had a little more freshness. Suspect my bottle 5 years ago was closer to the peak!
Roses, smoke, charcoal, tar and violets, earthy and spicy - really lifts out of the glass. Textured, beautifully poised while still holding on to some grip and structure. So much savoury character to go with the lovely red fruit. Classic and showing absolute class and confidence. Wonderful.
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Blind. Punches hard - full on nose and palate with blueberry, apricot, blackberry and citrus peel. Supercharged flavour and density, you might say leave it for 10 years but it will probably still be a huge powerhouse so maybe just enjoy it for what it is now?
Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District
Blind. Musk, herbs, apricot and floral notes. Quite pretty aromatic lift. Lifted and pure on the palate as well, fine tannins with some sweetness but well controlled. Very young but lots to like.
Blind. Soapy florals, garrigue, smoke and pepper. Lifts up a notch on the palate with beautiful vibrant fruit, a great acid line and some savory complexity in the background. Great base level from this producer.
Apricot, lemon, peach, pear and yellow floral notes. Palate is resting very nicely, good toasty notes to go with very good acid line. In a really good spot at the moment but will clearly develop further.
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek
Leathery, cherry, menthol, tobacco and charcoal on the nose. Palate is mild with that classic aged dry red character. Medium length. Holding up well though not setting off fireworks.
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
Straw, toast, lemon, pear and melon. Sweet fruited, plenty of flavour depth and good carry. Nice mix of sweet and mineral. A while since I've had one of these but it reminded me that I like them.
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
Floral, oats, vanilla oak and spice on the nose. Palate shows off the wines class with lovely rich fruit and great depth. Long and showy but never overblown. Fantastic.
Smoke, spice, lime and apple on the nose. Medium bodied with decent depth and flow to it. Would like to revisit another time as it seems like nice value.
2010 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sperss Flawed
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
Corked.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Daosa Natural Reserve 88 Points
Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Piccadilly Valley
Blind. 5th release. Apple, pear, lemon - pretty straightforward nose. Punchy bubbles with an aggressive bead. Sweet fruited, medium length and good persistence.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Champagne Suenen Pinot Meunier Champagne La Grande Vigne Vieilles Vignes Extra Brut 91 Points
France, Champagne
61 months on lees. Lemon, sesame, oats, toast and spice. Good character and interest early on. Intense on the palate, vinous and full bodied. Youthful with good depth and breadth.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Julien Prélat Champagne Les Vignes Basses Blanc de Noir 90 Points
France, Champagne
Earth, strawberry, lemon and wax. Finely textured, with some sweetness from the fruit and some nicely tuned acidity cutting through. Like the mix of earthy and fruity elements here.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Manifesto Sémillon 86 Points
Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Blind. Orange peel, mandarin, herbal, mint and smoke. I like the mix of complexity on the nose, though the palate is a little bit soft through the middle and drifts away early on the finish.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Domaine Labet Chardonnay Lias 90 Points
France, Jura, Côtes du Jura
Blind. Charcoal, smoke, lemon and wild herbs. Good intensity on the palate, some sweet fruit but plenty of acid power to match. Youthful with medium depth and good length, this was rather enjoyable.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2021 Gaffy & Neal Chardonnay Merricks North 90 Points
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula
Blind. Lime, guava, toast and lemon. Fresh and open on the nose and palate. It's very new world on the palate with the sweet fruit pushing to the front, but the power is controlled and it has enough texture to get away with it. A new one for me and well worth a try.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2017 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series 83 Points
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
Blind. Oak, smoke and alcohol. Sweet and broad fruit, disjointed profile - really tough going. Surprising when revealed but this was well off the mark tonight.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2004 Albert Boxler Riesling Sommerberg Vendange Tardive 90 Points
France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
Mandarin, orange, vanilla and pear. Textured on the palate with decent flavour depth but I wish it had a little more freshness. Suspect my bottle 5 years ago was closer to the peak!
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1967 Marcarini Barolo Riserva Brunate 96 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Roses, smoke, charcoal, tar and violets, earthy and spicy - really lifts out of the glass. Textured, beautifully poised while still holding on to some grip and structure. So much savoury character to go with the lovely red fruit. Classic and showing absolute class and confidence. Wonderful.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2019 Daniel Gomez Jimenez Landi Méntrida Las Uvas de la Ira Vina de Pueblo 90 Points
Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Méntrida
Blind. Super perfumed - cherry, graphite and florals. More savoury on the palate, plenty of red and black fruits. Pretty tasty!
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1980 Metala Shiraz Original Plantings Flawed
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek
Stripped - a bit of TCA I think.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Torbreck RunRig 91 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Blind. Punches hard - full on nose and palate with blueberry, apricot, blackberry and citrus peel. Supercharged flavour and density, you might say leave it for 10 years but it will probably still be a huge powerhouse so maybe just enjoy it for what it is now?
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 91 Points
Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District
Blind. Musk, herbs, apricot and floral notes. Quite pretty aromatic lift. Lifted and pure on the palate as well, fine tannins with some sweetness but well controlled. Very young but lots to like.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Domaine Jamet Côtes du Rhône Équivoque 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
Blind. Soapy florals, garrigue, smoke and pepper. Lifts up a notch on the palate with beautiful vibrant fruit, a great acid line and some savory complexity in the background. Great base level from this producer.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Pertaringa Tipsy Hill 89 Points
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Herb, violets, cherry and light oak. Sweet fruited palate, fine tannins with some interest from the more herbal notes.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2006 Château Rieussec 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Apricot, lemon, peach, pear and yellow floral notes. Palate is resting very nicely, good toasty notes to go with very good acid line. In a really good spot at the moment but will clearly develop further.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1970 Metala Shiraz - Cabernet 90 Points
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek
Leathery, cherry, menthol, tobacco and charcoal on the nose. Palate is mild with that classic aged dry red character. Medium length. Holding up well though not setting off fireworks.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2020 Collaboration Wines Chardonnay Aurulent 87 Points
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels
Lemon, orange, straw and apple. Palate is a nice mix of sweet fruit and some smoky flavour, though it does lean a little short overall.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2021 Stella Bella Chardonnay Suckfizzle 90 Points
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
Straw, toast, lemon, pear and melon. Sweet fruited, plenty of flavour depth and good carry. Nice mix of sweet and mineral. A while since I've had one of these but it reminded me that I like them.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2021 Moss Wood Chardonnay Moss Wood Vineyard 91 Points
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
Floral, oats, vanilla oak and spice on the nose. Palate shows off the wines class with lovely rich fruit and great depth. Long and showy but never overblown. Fantastic.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2020 Askerne Chardonnay Reserve 89 Points
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
Smoke, spice, lime and apple on the nose. Medium bodied with decent depth and flow to it. Would like to revisit another time as it seems like nice value.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue