10/8/2016 - Abundance wrote:

Both nose and palate rich with Apricot, Peach, Honey etc. Doesn't have the length or presence in the mouth of a quality Sauternes, but for the price this is a steal!I doubt it will get any better, but should drink well for the next 5 or so years.

6/11/2016 - Abundance wrote:

Found at the back of the cellar, kind of glad I put it there as I would have opened earlier if not. Right in the zone for an aged Shiraz, showing textbook leather secondary characters on the nose. The palate is rich and complex with a nice tough of sweetness. Not going to get any better than this I suspect? Drink up if you've got some.

6/7/2016 - Abundance wrote:

15.5% ABV!! It's a big wine, a little alcohol heat on the nose but less then expected. The palate is rich but not complex, dominated by toffee notes. Good length. Would be nice to see it again in 5 - 10 years

5/4/2016 - Abundance wrote:

I have been impressed with the Pinot and Chard under the Villages label so thought I should give this a run. It needs a bit of air to open up, but once there its pleasant. The Grenache and a nice dimension to the usual Heathcote Shiraz, quite perfumed on the nose. Little oak to speak of which leaves it a bit light on, not that theres anything wrong with that, just lacks an "x" factor. But for $18 what do you expect? Nice enough but won't be buying more....

4/11/2016 - Abundance wrote:

Museum release. Crazy value at $17 AUD per bottle!! I will defiantly be getting some more....

4/29/2015 - Abundance wrote:

WSET Level 2 week 1

Clear appearance with medium gold intensity.

Clean, pronounced nose with honey, pineapple, marmalade and tropical fruit.

The palate has medium sweetness, low acidity and low tannin. Medium body with orange peel and honeysuckle. Medium finish.

I really like this wine, great value.

4/29/2015 - Abundance wrote:

WSET Level 2 week 1

Clear, medium intensity, ruby appearance

The palate is high in tannin with medium acidity. Medium body with a meatiness/salami flavour and some menthol on the back palate. Long finish.

4/29/2015 - Abundance wrote:

WSET Level 2 week 1

Clear, medium ruby appearance

Clean, medium intensity, with spice cherry and earthy/mushroom nose

The palace is dry, medium acidity and low tannin. Short finish.

Not a fantastic wine, but good value.

4/29/2015 - Abundance wrote:

WSET Level 2 week 1

Clear, lemon slight gold appearance

The nose is clean, noticeable sweetness with tropical fruit. Typical Lychee and rose aromas

The palate is off dry with medium acidity cutting though. Oily mouth coating feel, with apricot and rock mellon. Low tannin with a medium body and finish.

2/17/2015 - Abundance wrote:

More Cab than Shiraz, Id be interested to know the exact percentages. Gripy tannin, dark chocolate bitterness, currently unbalanced but that might knit together given time? The finish is short and thin. A nice enough wine, but would expect a lot more for the price.

11/2/2014 - Abundance wrote:

Im a big fan of the Tarrawarra estate Pinot and Chard for there price, but this is the first Reserve Chardonnay I've tried. Probably opened a bit early, maybe needs a year or two to intergreat a touch more. But over all a very good wine. Will definitely buy again!

8/6/2014 - Abundance wrote:

Cedar, black fruit with some dusty/funkyness on the nose. The palate is dominated by chalky tannen, but not the least bit confronting. Very morish and great value for money.

4/8/2014 - Abundance wrote:

Very young, needed a good decant, and some food helped. I love the nose on this wine, a little bit whole bunchy, with undergrowth complexity. The palate was a bit light on after the bouquet. Medium length, give it a few years and it will be singing. Great value for money!

3/14/2014 - Abundance wrote:

6% Riesling, time on skins, some in Oak, some in Acacia Puncheons, 1o months on lees....

Not you average new world Sav. There is a funky cold meat / charcuterie nose. The palate is less powerful that expected after the expressive nose, though it is very well blanched and long. An interesting wine worth trying, but I wont be filling the cellar with it.

2/19/2014 - Abundance wrote:

Starting to settle down and loose its overpowering eucalyptus notes. Smooth!

2/18/2014 - Abundance wrote:

Needs air, and a lot of it. Nice wine, although a little heavy for me. Well priced.

2/8/2014 - Abundance wrote:

Ive tasted quite a few 2013 Clare Rieslings in the last few weeks, this one was a little different. It seems to be a little light on. I swear I can smell gherkins on the nose, but that aside, its tight but I'm not convinced theres too much to come. On the palate its much the same, light on acid and length, and a bit thin. All in all a very pleasant drink, but not much more.

2/2/2014 - Abundance wrote:

I found this on the wine list at the Doncaster Hotel of all places. I suspect it had been open for a day or to, but to be honest I think that added to it. Its nose was typical of a Yarra Chard, but the palate was more that I was expecting. Balance and length with the music turned down a few notches, a very nice wine for the price.

12/29/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Not a hell of a lot happening on the nose, some faint spice but thats about it. The palate is cheep and cheerful. Some mouth coating Shiraz secondary characteristics coming through, still some tannins hanging in there, but the acid is dominating. Good length, but it does come and go a bit. Overall a great wine for the price, for the times an easy drinking wine is whats called for.

12/29/2013 - Abundance wrote:

I drank this wine over 3 days, I think it was at its best on the third. Given that I would recommend waiting a few years, or giving this wine a good decant. Citrus and floral notes on the nose. The palate is dominated by mouth puckering, unripe Apricot acidity, grippy but smooth if thats possible…. A lovely wine still in its infancy.

12/25/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Don't know what it is about Diam, if i'm unlucky or there is an issue with them. I seem to get significantly more whites oxidised under Diam than cork.

12/7/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Surprisingly approachable. I agree with the comments below that it is a new world style Cabernet, nothing wrong with that, not expected though. Too expensive for what it is in my opinion.

11/17/2013 - Abundance wrote:

This, to me, is a perfect Rose. Easy to drink yet more than enough going on when you want to have a good think about it. A real crowd pleaser.

11/13/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Red berries and spice on the nose, but it's the palate where this wine begins to really sing. Straddles the line between light body and full flavour seamlessly. There's an instant explosion of mouth coating flavour that effortlessly gives way to a long and liner finish. Still tight, can't wait to open again in a few years!

11/8/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Smokey - dusty nose, with some lovely leather notes coming through. Tannin and acid are still there, but only lingering in the background. A rich palate with lovely balance and length. A very nice old wine, wish I had a few more.

11/4/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Like so many NZ Pinots I find the alcohol sits above the rest of the wine. And given its a few years old now I cant see it getting any better. Im not convinced 13.5% ABV is needed with such a delicate grape.

10/18/2013 - Abundance wrote:

I thought this wine was closed on opening so left the bottle for the following night. the notes below are after a night of breathing.

Lots of Cedar, blue and black berries on the nose. The palate is rich and complex, carried with lovely, soft tannin. The after taste is full and long. This wine is very approachable now, but ill be putting the balance of my bottles down for a few years.

7/31/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Cherry and spice on the nose, but a bit dusty or stale. The pallet is very full bodied for a pinot, also quite tannic. This wine is poles from a floral Pinot, very drinkable, but theres better out there for the price.

7/26/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Quite yellow to look at, to the point I'm suspicious it was oxidised. Yet to taste it was still alive. A nice wine, albeit a tad simple. Its definitely a big step up from there N/V, but there are a lot of wines in this price bracket.

7/24/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Red berry and Plum bouquet. Theres some spice there too with an almost Chinese restaurant edge to them. The palate is full bodied, with such length. Still tight though, would love to see it again in a few years.

7/24/2013 - Abundance wrote:

This wine is so good. Still closed but is promising so much. Well balanced and long length. Will defiantly be getting some more!!

7/24/2013 - Abundance wrote:

This wine is in such a nice groove at the moment! It was defiantly to cold when poured, but when it wormed up it opened right up. One of the best Yarra Chards I've had.

7/20/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Very light colour. If the judge of a good Pinot, as Dr John Middleton of Mount Mary once told me, is "you must be able to read your watch through it" then this will be superb. Plenty of red berry forest floor and some spice on the nose, its so so good I almost don't want to drink if for fear of having none left. The palate is restrained yet expressive, i've got the feeling there are layers of complexity yet to emerge. This is in my opinion as good a pinot as the new world can do, I will defiantly be getting more to hide away!

7/17/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Nice wine, chalky tannins with great length. Still quite young but very drinkable.

7/13/2013 - Abundance wrote:

The best way to describe this wine is "mini Bannockburn." Im not sure how much, but I am sure theres whole bunches in there. The complexity and floral notes of the bouquet is whats expected of a wine twice this price. Sour cherry and rhubarb palate, and a moderate length.

I think Hoddles Creek has a contender for best value Victorian Pinot

7/1/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Red fruit nose with a slight smokey ness. This is unmistakable Tempranillo, although a little generic. The acid is a little to prominent for me, though that will lessen with time.

7/1/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Subtle yet complex bouquet. floral with an overpowering musk stick edge. Mouth coating, with a noticeable warmth to it, the 14% alcohol might have something to do with that! A smooth wine, well worth the price.

7/1/2013 - Abundance wrote:

This seems to be more of a Pinot than Tempranillo to me. Very light in appearance as well as weight. Bouquet is floral with red berry / cherry notes. Palate is light and easy to drink.

I must admit I'm a bit torn with this wine, if I was after a Tempranillo id be disappointed, but if I was after a generic red wine for a worm afternoon in the sun this would be a perfect wine......

7/1/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Dry, earthy nose. The palate is full of chalky tannins, still to young for me, will try again in a few years.

7/1/2013 - Abundance Likes this wine:

Bouquet akin to being in a stable, showing some sign age. Palate is well integrated and balanced, medium length. A lovely wine, my only doubt is it may be too evolved for a 6 year old wine.

4/24/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Corked, thats two for two Pinots corked this week..... Im off to have a beer!

4/17/2013 - Abundance wrote:

2008 is the best Allouran i've had so far. A bargain at its price.

4/13/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Still very much alive, driven largely by its still vibrant acid. A special wine by Australia's best winery!

4/12/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Horribly corked....

3/29/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Double decanted. Drinking well now, give it a few more years though.

2/24/2013 - Abundance wrote:

375ml bottle, I really like this wine. Id like to think I would have picked this as a 2010 in a blind tasting, they have a sameness, but not in a bad way. A wine to drink now I think.

2/16/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Quite flat when first opened, but opened nicely after half an hour or so. Im sure its best days are behind it but still very drinkable. Im very impressed by its long, sweet length and silky tannins. Drink soon, but far from past.

1/21/2013 - Abundance wrote:

Needed time in the glass, very backwards early. A lovely wine with great length. Still got 10 years in it.

12/29/2012 - Abundance wrote:

Nice wine, but light and lacking complexity compared to a usual Jasper Hill Shiraz.

12/27/2012 - Abundance wrote:

The best Ferrous Kooyong have produced since the epic 2004. The best Mornington Pintos consistently come from this patch of dirt in my opinion. Cant wait to see it in 6 - 8 years....