History, Evolution and Revolution

Fantastic Sommeliers Australia tasting

• 2023 Grosset Riesling Polish Hill Clare Valley

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

  Lime, but also floral top notes; a little blossom, honeysuckle, lime, grows with time. Medium plus intensity acidity, sulphur, muted lime, touch of non intrusive alcohol warmth on the finish, slightly dilute palate after the nose. Meh.

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• 2022 Best's Great Western Pinot Meunier Old Vines

  Australia, Victoria, Western Victoria, Great Western

  Earth, cherry, slightly herbaceous notes, cream, caramel, vanilla, sweet spice; clove, nutmeg. Jubey notes with time, touch of almost sweaty blackcurrant. Juicy, fleshy, tangy, sour cherry, earthy, slight non intrusive alcohol warmth, tannins are talc textured, persistent, forest fruits and forest floor, though there is a lot going on it almost feels a bit austere. Interesting.

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• 2022 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier

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

  Green peppercorns, blue and blackberry fruit, slightly jubey compote note, touch of forest floor, but also contrary baked earth notes, slightly lifted. Medium tends to medium plus intensity acidity, green peppercorn again, fruit fresh blue and black berry, a little sulphur on the palate, tannins are talc textured (wood and grape), drying but in support. Okay.

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• 2021 Mount Mary Quintet

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  Caramel, slight wood glue, sweet spice shows clove, nutmeg, a little white pepper, slight pyrazine, red over black fruit are fairly non-delineated; a little plum. Medium plus intensity acidity, grainy slightly coarse tannins are drying, woody flavoured, fruit is non delineated here as well, red hued fruits is in change. Meh.

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• 2015 House of Arras Grand Vintage

  Australia, Tasmania

  Lemon, biscuit, green apple, a little savoury/meaty/umami note, almost a touch of camphor, yeasty notes grows with time. Exceedingly, effervescent mousse, that strange gamey note dominates the palate, more green apple fruit, here, a little textured rasp. Not for me.

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• 2023 Crawford River Riesling Henty

  Australia, Victoria, Western Victoria, Henty

  Lime and lemon, touch of green apple, served quite cold, floral blossom with time and a touch of almost candied orange peel. Medium plus intensity acidity, the lemon and lime citrus joined by that green and red apple, tannic rasp on the mid palate, fresh, balanced. Nice.

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• 2022 Bindi Chardonnay Quartz

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Macedon Ranges

  Struck match, toast, a little toasted hazelnut in fact, sweet spice, cream, stone fruit and citrus in the background, touches of chalky minerality. In the mouth its juicy, fleshy, the oak lends textured, fruit is non delineated and muted. Non intrusive alcohol warmth on the fruit, nice one but the palate is a little anonymous for me.

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• 2021 Toby Bekkers Grenache

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  Rich, ripe red berry compote strays to the jammy, slightly sweet baking spices, alcohol prickle lends a little peppery touch, fruit lozenge. Juicy, red berry fruit, raw silk tannic burr, touch of bitterness on the finish and a slightly cloying quality, clean but something not right for me. It also seems to fall apart with time. Damn.

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• 2022 Dormilona Sauvignon Blanc Skinnie

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  Hoppy, herbaceous, green, almost fresh grass, parsley, tiny dill, a little lemon, gooseberry lozenges. Medium plus intensity acidity, textured burr on the palate reinforces the bone dry quality, slightly sour but not off puttingly so, gooseberry and citrus, those herbaceous hoppy notes. Interesting. Not unpleasant.

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• 2022 Toppers Mountain Wines Petit Manseng

  Australia, New South Wales, Northern, New England

  Waxy, a little stone fruit, quite cheesy lees, perhaps a little oxidised, hight alcohol warmth on the nose. And so it proves on the palate with a little more acidity than I expected which lends sourness, textured grip. Not very nice.

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• 2023 Domaine Simha Pinot Noir Rama

  Australia, Tasmania, Coal River

  Cherry, whole bunch ashiness in support, pomegranate, a little sweet spice, wild ferment funk, sweet spices; a little red hued sour snake and fruit lozenge. Juicy, fleshy, fruit tea and black tea tannins are super persistent, red cherry fruit, lightweight, balanced, fresh, love the tannins. Nom nom nom.

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• 2023 Mayer Cabernet

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  Tinned pear, green capsicum, mint, ashy whole bunch, muted black and red currant fruit. Juicy, medium plus intensity acidity, tangy, drying silky tannins close down the palate, finishes quite bitter though the fruit does grow with time. Hmm.

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I wouldn't call a 2019 in magnum a wine 'with age' as a general rule but it was jolly pleasant.

• 2014 Pewsey Vale Vineyard Riesling The Contours Museum Reserve

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  Kerosene, lime, candied lime, a little cream and honey. Medium plus intensity acidity, lime, lime cordial, candied peel, honey, mid textured burr offers a little minerality. Yum.

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• 2013 Tyrrell's Sémillon Vat 1

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Medium minus intensity aromas of green apple, fresh grass, lemon grass, very slight metallic notes with time a touch of honey and butter. Medium plus intensity acidity, lean, textured mid palate, lemon grass, slight butter, drying slightly grainy burr, a little salinity on the finish. Hmm.

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• 1998 Penfolds Shiraz RWT

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  From Magnum. Hullo oak! Backed black fruits; plums, blackberry, vanilla, caramel, sweet spice. Big bold and bolshy nose. Medium plus intensity acidity, chewy woody tannins, baked black fruits again, those tannins are drying close down the gums, a little caramel, vanilla. Big, bold and bolshy on the palate as well. Woof!

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• 2019 Cullen Wines Diana Madeline

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  From Magnum, red over black currant, plums, pyrazines, shows mint and eucalyptus, both grow with time. Medium plus intensity acidity, red and black fruits, tannins are talc textured and super persistent, drying but supporting the fruit, creamy notes. one of the betters ones of these I've had. Super simple and primary but balanced and precise. Love the tannins.

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what a lot of fun