4/17/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter for 2.5 hours prior to drinking, drank over the next 90 mins. Initial ruby with a purple hue, which faded shortly thereafter. Some usual suspects there for a Barossa shiraz, however felt a little one dimensional and lacked complexity. OK, but a little hmph …
Holding up well but I’m not overly excited about my remaining bottle, perhaps I’ll see if another 4 years or so helps.

4/17/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. Very enjoyable but the fruit is starting to soften. As echoed in a few MV light and lifted grenache of late, I prefer to drink these young where the charm in the fruit profile is unique, as they soften they can tend to get a bit same same across the microclimates of the region.

4/10/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. White peach, grapefruit, blossom, and vanilla oak. Palate fruit is lean with saline, and a bit of stonefruit pith, leaving a weighted dull tart/bitterness on the finish. Not for me.

4/6/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop and pour. Agree with previous reviewer. Deep gold in colour, orange jams, marmalade, with whiffs of burnt butter and Turkish delight / rosewater. Agree it started fading a bit after about an hour. Nice wine, enjoyed this.

4/6/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Magnum. Sadly, bit iof TCA going here. Otherwise, needed maybe 45 mins to open up, then faded within 30 mins thereafter. Shame, was a nicely structured wine that would have been quite pleasant. Question how a 750ml would be holding up though.

4/5/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter 90 mins prior to drinking. Initially purple with a bright purple hue, however time open and it all fades to ruby. Black cherry, black olive, some dried herbs, medium bodied with bit of grip on the back still. Quite enjoyable, no rush, but drink over the next 3 years.

4/3/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. Lift and lifted in style, primary bright red fruits, crunchy acidity, balanced weighting, medium + finish. Enjoyed this more than I recall my other 2 bottles, perhaps bottle age has helped, albeit no real tertiary notes evident yet.

3/30/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour, restaurant. Light and lifted style of grenache, slight jubiness to it, gummies, raspbery, nuisance of black and red liquorice. It’s nice, inoffensive, but not a lot of laters or complexity.

3/21/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter 90 mins prior to drinking. Ruby with a purple hue upon opening, which quickly fades to ruby through. Subtle and delicate nose, pretty, softly fruited. Black fruits, plums, cherry and blueberry, a little fig and purple flower too. Some layers, minor tertiary notes of tobacco developing, finishing with slightly powdery and grippy tannins, leading into a solid medium + finish. It’s quietly spoken and incredibly smashable. In a good space now, no rush, but I say drink over the next 2 years. Don’t miss the boat. Enjoyed this.

3/17/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter an hour prior to drinking. Ruby garnet, with a purple hue that very quickly fades, leaving garnet through. Tertiary developments, dried red fruits, a little mushroom, Forrest floor, usual suspects. Quite nice actually, enjoyed this. Drink over the next few years.

3/16/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter an hour prior to drinking, drank over the next 3 hours. Ruby garnet, with an initial bitterness upfront again which faded after an hour or so. Another great Western Barossa example, enjoyable, holding up well, drink over the next 3 years.

3/16/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter an hour prior to drinking. Ruby with an inky purple hue, which fades into garnet with time open. Western Barossa in a glass. Jammy fruits, blackberry, black plums, blueberries, along with sweet tabacco and hints of cured meats, spice and oak. Very good regional example, enjoyed this. Drink over the next 4 years.

3/15/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. A little muted on the nose, but yes a little quince, peach and starfruit, along with flint, saline and stonefruit pith. Not overly complex, faintly tart, but its kinda tasty and very smashable. Maybe not worth aging. Score reflects enjoyment over technical aspect.

3/10/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour tonight. Always enjoy Rolf’s BB, it’s a crowd favourite due to its ease. He nails the mataro pressings and the bouquet it brings to the nose. Think I like this vintage where it is now. Score reflects enjoyment over any technical aspect.

3/2/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour, drunk over maybe ermines between the group. A little bitter upon opening, would have benefitted from time open.

2/29/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour at a local BYO Japanese Restaurant. Might be the cheap glasses, but a little muted on the nose. Some usual suspects though, lemon and saline, that textural saline weighed mid palate, and quite a nice medium + finish that I can’t quite put my finger on. Enjoyed this, its pleasant, albeit probably lacks complexity.

2/27/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Cap popped for 2 hrs prior to drinking. Benefitted massively from then a vigorous empty into a decanter. Even then, deep purple hue, dense purple /ruby though and through. Big wine, brooding, rich, black fruit, slightly jammy, but yes that Cambrian soli savouriness. Difficult one to really dissect given opening conditions but definitely improved once in the decanter. Good steak wine. It’s a big one. Holding up well, few years left in the tank yet.

2/26/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour, drank over 3 hours. Dense, ruby garnet, with a purple hue, that quickly fades with time open. Warm night which may have influenced, but a little lacking upfront and little bitter through out. It’s ok, not sad it’s my last and it was a good steak fajitas bomb.

2/23/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. Lead, lead and lead, maybe pencil shavings and a tad cigar box too. Where’s Arnott’s biscuit my choc mint slice that I oddly loved at the cellar door 6 years ago gone…

2/21/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. No detailed notes but enjoyed this a lot more than my previous bottle back in 2020, half way house primary and tertiary, more in balance.

2/17/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter for an hour prior to drinking and drank over 3 hours.
Gazza, our fearless leader, gave a good review last month, so stealing some of his descriptors. Sawn timber dominating subdued black berry fruit. Olive, dried herbs, gripping tannins leaving a hard, tough wine that will probably out live the fruit. Out of balance and not the usual Coppermine Rd that I’ve always recalled, which is typically Aus’s best ‘Napa’ example of sweet red fruit driven cab.

Think its decline will be most disappointing. Drink up

2/16/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter 3 hours prior to drinking. Mostly garnet with a faint purple hue, which does fade with time open. More tertiary than primary descriptors, grenache on the nose with dried red summer fruits, dried herbs and some shiraz on mid palate with weight, slight jam, plumminess and smoked meat. Probably peaking now, drink over the 18 months. Feel one of blending varietals isnt holding up to the rest,

2/15/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Soft red fruits, floral, pretty but with more prominent stalky notes upfront. Nice, well made, holding up well, but green in style is not for me.

2/14/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour at a BYO. Glassware a bit small and average, but limey, green apple and faint petroleum forming. Might be glassware, but seemed to lack layers and bit of complexity. Medium + finish.

2/4/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. A little floral, green apple, pink grapefruit with hints lime zest and a mildly slate, chalky mid palate. Really pleasant and easy going.

2/2/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. Pale straw, with a faint orange tinge to it. Nashi pear, gooseberry, bit of grass, but not overly tropical or green vegetable. Not overly for the varietal, pleasant and fresh enough. Drink now

2/1/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

King Valley field blend ish, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner and Riesling. Pale with a green tinge, bright, fresh, crunchy acidity. Citrus, grapefruit seed extract, pear, passionfruit, aspargus, basically a lot of white wine descriptors going on. Bit of structure and length too. A fun zippy wine, treat on a hot day, drink this one fresh.

1/30/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter 2 hours prior to drinking. Blue and black fruited, slightly over extracted and raisened mid to back palate. Bigger than expected for Hunter, nice, but didnt love. Holding up well though

1/28/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. Tart, grapefruit, white peach, nutty and saline texture, and a touch of oak. A bit too tart and puckering for me, will wait and see what some bottle age does. Try again end of 2025.

1/27/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter 2-3 hours prior to drinking. Big wine, over extraction feel to it, however it does soften with time open. Garnet through, tertiary blackberry, plums, with nuisances of oak remaining. A food wine for me, it’s holding up well but it is that big Aussie style of yesteryear.

1/20/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

My final bottle of the 13 vintage. In the decanter 3 hours prior to drinking, drank over the next 3 hours.Still a little tightly bound, but merlot characteristics there, black cherries, plums, dried olives and dried herbs. Initially felt a little more than medium bodied, with the Tannins still showing some grip, however probably more medium with open. Tad out of balance with the fruit/grip not quite round but still a nice merlot. Not sure if aging further will assist.

1/19/2024 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter 3 hours prior to drinking, drank over a couple hours. Deeply coloured, garnet, dense and opaque. A densely packed meaty and hearty shiraz, with ripe red and black plums, redcurrant, mixed berries, charcuterie and still quite a bit of cedar oak, albeit not over powering and fades over time. Grainy tannins slowly round, however at a ripe, [modest] 14.5% this feels a tad it of balance with overripe heat but no heat, and doesn’t quite roll over the palate. A big wine, perhaps better with food, but wont be for all. In a good space now, drink over the next few years.

12/27/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

Agree with my previous review, don't let the fruit fade, it’s 16%. Drink over the next 12 months to avoid disappointment, it was better 22 months ago.

12/26/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter an hour prior to drinking. Feel this has aged a bit since trying 20 odd months ago, feeling a bit tertiary. Garnet tinge, dried fruits and dried herbs to it, yes that sweet balsamic, soft and rounded. Think I preferred this younger, however nice and pleasant, good food wine as per varietal, but drink up.

12/25/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

Memorising wine, simply outstanding. Last years review stands.

12/18/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter an hour prior to drinking. Bright, ripe red summer fruits with a green and slightly sour edge. No savouriness. Nice enough and well made but style not for me.

12/14/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. Light and fruity upfront, good food wine. Fades towards the end of the bottle though/3 hrs later.

12/11/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

A little muted on the nose. Limey of course, but not too overpowering, a little flint and slightly zippy acidity. Nice, but nothing special unfortunately. Went well with barramundi tonight.

12/10/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

In the decanter an hour prior to drinking. Super tasty, ripe dark red and black plums, chocolate, well rounded and just super tasty and smashable. Excellent fun. Score reflects enjoyment factor over any technical aspect.

12/4/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. Agree with Colin above, he’s a nice lad.

12/3/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. Dark, ripe red summer fruited, touch of dried orange peel, with touch of bright and chunky acidity to it. Again, I enjoy these lighted and lifted grenaches younger and fresh over potential ageing.

12/2/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

Still super limey, but acid has dropped a tad and this was smashed back on a hot night.

11/30/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. Garnet through and through. Graphite, pencil shavings, that kinda thing. Some red currant underneath and no real green notes this time around. Not overly complex but pleasant and enjoyable cabernet, especially for price point. It’s in a good place now, I’ll drink my remaining 3 over the next 18 months.

11/30/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. Stone fruit seeds, minerality, wet stone, and nuances white flowers and white stone fruit. Textural but not overly oily or acidic, with a medium long finish. Blind tasted I would have guessed Pinot Gris. Nice wine.

11/23/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

As per my note above. However starts fading just a tad after 4.5 hrs in the decanter.

11/19/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

Juicy Chardonnay, not that I recall ever saying that before. Ripe fruits, white peach, honeydew melon, hints of pineapple. Acidity still quite fresh, palate is lush and balanced with hints of spicy oak. Very very smashable indeed, especially with the charcoal chook done on the Weber rotisserie tonight. Enjoyed this a lot. Best chardy I’ve had a quite a while. Holding up well, no real tertiary notes yet.

11/18/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

Nice little cool climate chardy. Nuisances of clean white peach, fresh acidity, some citrus, flint, and hints of vanilla from the 20% new oak. Few years left yet, no immediate rush.

11/18/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. Bright fresh acidity, powerful slightly jubey red fruited, agree with Colin bit of cinnamon there too. Very well balanced and an incredibly long and satisfying finish. My preference is to drink young over aging these type of grenaches, think it would lose its charm as primary develops into teritiary.

11/8/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour, drank over 90 mins. Initial tartness upfront, which fades with time open, however always remains. Palate fills with plushness from the Malbec providing an overall pleasant food wine and not to be taken too seriously. Drink up, it won’t improve from here.

11/2/2023 - red.red.vino wrote:

Pop n pour. Ruby with bright purple hue. Cab driven, pencil, cigar box, bay leaf. Donut filled by the Malbec, text book really, dry grip on the sides and some juicy flesh through the middle, but not a lot of typical Malbec varietal descriptors. For whatever reason, the CW is one of my personal favourites, and enjoyed slightly on the younger style.