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Mudgee micro-tour
Mudgee
Tasted August 12, 2018 by chatters with 138 views
Introduction
E's 50th in the country gave me the opportunity to reappraise my opinion of Mudgee grapes and wine…
Flight 1 - Bracket one - Robert Stein (18 notes)
Some interesting wines here - the Gewurztraminer, Shiraz Nouveau and Cabernet Reserve were my picks but generally the wines weren't that great…
White - Sparkling
N.V. Robert Stein Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir
Peach, cherry, slight sweet spice, sharply juicy, gritty aggressive mousse…I'm guessing a reasonably rapid Charmat method (or whatever it's called) or simple CO2 injection rather than any variation on Methode Champanoise.
White
2015 Robert Stein Sémillon
Grassy, green apple over a little lemon and lime. Juicy green apple and lime, a little mid palate burr. Medium length. Meh.
White
2016 Robert Stein Sémillon Sauvignon Blanc
Gooseberry, green fruit, grass, clean. Juicy tending to zesty acidity, chalky minerality, fruit a little lighter here. Hmm
White
2017 Robert Stein Riesling
Lime over green apple, slight peach even. Juicy to sharp acidity, fruit a little more muted. Meh.
White
2016 Robert Stein Riesling Reserve
Lime pith, lime juice, very slight kerosene. Zesty, sharp acidity, mineral, lime…time for me.
White
2016 Robert Stein Chardonnay Third Generation
A little peachy, a little lemon and generic stone fruit. On the palate it's juicy, slight butter, a little soft. Meh.
White
2016 Robert Stein Chardonnay Reserve
Lemon zest, butter, cheesy lees, a little fresh oak. In the mouth it's chewy, tight, juicy acidity, a little drying on the palate with plenty of butter and structure but fruit is a little lacking. Long. Hmm.
White
2016 Robert Stein Gewürztraminer
Lychee, rose petal, surprisingly juicy on the palate; not as glycerol as I'd have expected by a very fresh lychee note and a touch of petillance. This isn't really a style I like but this has converted me. Good.
Rosé
2016 Robert Stein Cabernet Sauvignon Saignée Rosé
savoury red berry and cherry a little earthy spice, savoury, spritzy and very strawberry on the palate. Nah
Red
2017 Robert Stein Shiraz Nouveau
wild ferment, a little stalky ashiness, a little jubey black fruit under this. Savoury and juicy, wet black fruit, slightly chalky tannins. Okay.
Red
2015 Robert Stein Shiraz
Blackberry, vanilla, cream, a little chocolate, chewy woody tannins that are tight, blackberry fruit, vanilla and cream underneath this. Meh for me
Red
2014 Robert Stein Shiraz Reserve
Even more oak that the standard expression. Dense and concentrated fruit offsets this. Alcohol warmth. Tannins are drying but smoother than the 2015. Hmm
Red
2013 Robert Stein Cabernet Sauvignon
Farty, blackcurrant, a little mud and spice, wet, a little sour and bitter, tight tannins. A bit out of whack.
Red
2012 Robert Stein Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Wild blackcurrant, eucalyptus, cream, slight vanilla and sweet spice. On the palate it's slightly sour blackcurrant, juicy, spicy, tightly tannic. Interesting if not a little sharp. Lovely nose. Young.
Red
2014 Robert Stein Kinnear
Blackberry, cream, vanilla, sweet spice, slightly sour blackberry with chalky tannins plenty of oak some charred caramel. Hmm.
Red - Sparkling
N.V. Robert Stein Shiraz Sparkling Shiraz
Blackberry and blackcurrant, chalky mousse, Christmas cake but the fruit drops a little too quickly for me. Nah.
Flight 2 - Bracket two - Slowfox (4 notes)
The blend was the clear winner here. Arguably a little simple but well done. Very impressive.
Rosé
2018 Slowfox Rosé
Lanolin, slight sweet spice, a tiny gamey note and red berries. Juicy, savoury, tangy, a little metallic note with a tight tannic burr across the mid palate.
Red
2016 Slowfox The Blend
Plums, chocolate, blackberry and blackcurrant, cherry, sweet spice. Juicy, tangy, fresh, fruit forward, softly tannic, beautifully balanced.
Red
2016 Slowfox Cabernet Sauvignon
Cassis tending to black currant concentrate which also lends a touch of reductiveness, vanilla, alcohol heat. Juicy, tightly tannic but concentrated fruit persists in a raisined way. Big and bolshy. Bit old school Aussie but nice none the less.
Red
2016 Slowfox Shiraz
Again fruit concentrate blackberry, a little peppery spice, a little vanilla. Juicy, chalky tannins. Fruit forward again, perhaps a little short. Not for me.
Flight 3 - Bracket three - First Ridge (7 notes)
The rose and two of the reds were quite good but the Enzo Blend was the one that got my vote.
White
2017 First Ridge Vermentino
slightly herbaceous, unripe stone fruit, a little bitter note. Juicy, bone dry, fruit a little muted. Nah.
White
2018 First Ridge Pinot Grigio
Pear skin & white pepper, more of the same on the palate. A little residual sugar (?), medium length.
White
2018 First Ridge Fiano
Green, herbaceous, orchard fruit backed by a little pepper and spice. Juicy, structure, white pepper over muted fruit, broad across the mid palate. Hmm
Rosé
2017 First Ridge Sangiovese Rosé
lightweight red cherry, slightly savoury…on the palate it's juicy and savoury with a little lightweight cherry, a touch of bitterness on the finish which lends interest. Smashable.
Red
2014 First Ridge Sangiovese
Funky, gamey, slightly oxidised over jubey, sweet cherry…exceedingly juicy acidity, sweet cherry fruit, touch of tobacco leaf and very savoury on the finish with a slight oxidised intrusion. I wonder how long it has been open?
Red
2016 First Ridge Enzo
Red underpinned by black cherry, a little sweet spice though the overall impression is of savouriness. Similar fruit profile on the palate, tight tannic grip though the fruit persist. Young. Kind of nice. I have an aged short rib roast at home that will probably go very well with this
Red
2016 First Ridge Barbera
Cherry, a little vanilla and chocolate, cedar, exceedingly juicy without being overtly sour, cherry fruit, soft tannins, a little vanilla and cream joins on the finish. Call this warm climate typicity with oak. Nice enough
Closing
As always three wasn't enough but it was a good place to get an idea of the knd of things that are going on in Mudgee. I'm afraid I can't say I'm super excited by what I've seen on this visit…but I have seen enough to make me come back and look at some other wineries...