5/9/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Unfortunately still very young.
Opaque deep crimson in color.
Muted nose with some aromas of meat, herbs, iron.
Still tight and tannic, not giving much, but the concentration and intensity of flavours is there and just waiting few more years to explode.
Would be a great wine in 3 to 5 years.
No rating given.

5/4/2024 - Chekib m. wrote:

Bit disappointed with this bottle.
Cork came out intact. Decanted for 2 hours.
Color is still deep garnet.
Nose is muted with some menthol notes.
Full body, tannins still present and bit harsh, some menthol and cedary flavours with little cassis. Good length but with harsh tannins and medicinal flavours.
May be a bad bottle.
Not rated.

5/2/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Light Golden color. Very aromatic nose, flowery and pears.
Full body, Leesy and textured mouthfeel, mellowed acidity.
mineral, savoury, spicy with some ripe pears flavours.
Excellent length.
Nice complex aged Fiano.

5/1/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Translucent garnet with some bricking.
Nose is intense and very pleasant, showing nicely aged aromas of flowers, cherries, Forrest bush, leather, earth and spices.
Light body, soft tannins, nicely aged flavours of red cherries, spicy. Very good intensity and balance with a long and sweet after taste.
Very nice aged savigny.

4/18/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Medium garnet.
Intense nose, showing slight development with aromas of stewed fruits, vanilla, iron.
Light to Medium body, very soft,typical flavours of ref stewed berries, vanilla, herbs. Really well balanced and good length of sweet stewed berries.

4/18/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Golden colour.nose is yeasty and rubbery with some orchard fruits.
Frothy, crisp, medium body, lemony, pears and biscuits. Good persistence and decent aftertaste.
Good cava for the price.

4/11/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Im really falling in love with these wines! The 2nd vintage I try after the 2011.
Medium garnet, still youthful.
The nose on these Cabernets is unique, beguiling, exotic and warm. It’s so intense with flavours of mint, eucalyptus, cedar, cigar, red berries, earth.
Medium body, soft, silky, totally balanced. Mellowed tannins and acidity, red berries, herbs and earthy flavours all coming together and leading to a very long finish.
Excellent. No need to wait longer.

4/6/2024 - Chekib m. wrote:

Pale yellow in color.
Yeasty aromas with some discreet orchard fruit flavours.
Very crisp, light body, frothy, lemony. lemony short aftertaste.
Bit simple and too lemony for my taste.

3/29/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Deep tawny in color, showing age.
Nose is intense,dried meat, Provence herbs, prunes.
Tannins are fully tamed and soft.fresh, Full body,good intensity of flavours, coats the mouth with licorice, ginger bread and herbs. Long aftertaste with some bitter coffee beans and licorice.
Not an easy wine to like but grows on you with its development.

3/9/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

My first time to try this wine and I’m quite surprised.
Vivid medium garnet.
Very intense nose, earthy, eucalyptus and menthol.
Medium body, very soft with slight tannins left, marked acidity that is well integrated and makes the wine more mellow. Similar earthy flavours, minty, red berries. Very intense flavours throughout with an excellent red berries earthy finish.
Well developed and drinks nicely now , but I’m sure it can offer further development in the future.
Excellent wine and really unusual Australian Cabernet. I like it.

3/7/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Quite evolved wine.
Medium garnet in color.
Nose is quite intense, showing strong licorice, balsamic, some iron, dried meat and slight berries aromas.
Medium to full body, dusty tannins still present but give structure, medium acidity level that keeps it refreshing. Iron, dried meat, dried berries, licorice flavours. Tannins slightly drying and some bitterness at the end.
Good length. Overall good developed cool climate shiraz but time to drink up.

2/24/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Decanted 2hrs.
Still deep ruby in color.
Intense st Estephe nose with cassis, cedar, spice box and some menthol.
Medium body, present but soft tannins, medium acidity, juicy. Flavours are more muted and soft at this point compared to the nose, but they have good intensity and balance with a decent finish. still a good wine. Needs more time to open up and build some more meat.

2/10/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Medium golden color.
Muted nose with some honey and orchard fruits.
Medium body, grainy texture, similar flavours to the nose with some added bitterness and medium acidity to balance. The intensity is there but the flavours not yet open. May open up more in 1 or 2 years.

2/10/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Bought in auction. The label has the flowers from the 2004-11 era. The code on the cork seems to indicate disgorgement in 2006.
Deep golden in color with faint elegant bubbles.
Nutty, earthy mushroomy intense nose.
Full body, great intensity of flavours , soft patina texture, sea spray, nutty and pastry flavours. Very long, almost savoury. Excellent aged krug.

2/3/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

The cork came out in pieces but the fill was good.
It’s medium garnet in color with marked bricking showing its age.
The nose is unbelievable;intense, eucalyptus, cigar box, faint but insisting cassis and red berries. A true symphony of aromas.
Medium body, very soft silky, great intensity and balance of flavours throughout. Everything is ready and in harmony. Very soft endless harmonious length. Punching well above its weight. Excellent.

2/1/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Medium garnet with some bricking.
Great nose showing development. Dried meat, tar, some prune liqueur and blackberries.
Full body, soft grainy tannins, coats the mouth with savoury flavours , licorice, blackberry and prune liqueur, licorice. Very good intensity of flavours throughout. Excellent savoury finish.missing just a bit more acidity to bring added balance.

1/29/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Light garnet color.
Nose is intense, with some development. Licorice, red and blue berries rather than black, earthy and peppery.
Juicy sophisticated wine. medium body,present tannins but not obtrusive. Has acidity and flavour profile of a cool climate shiraz. Similar flavours to the nose with some green vegetable. Very good intensity of flavours and balanced throughout.
Very good length.

1/13/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Light garnet.
Very intense nose,bit funky with total forest bush, red crunchy cherries, tea leaves aromas.
Light body, light tannins with some bite, juicy red cherries, slight earthy flavours to add complexity.
very good balance and mid palate presence. Long pleasant aftertaste. Extremely pleasant and open Pernand 1er cru.
(Added an extra point after my 2nd glass).

1/4/2024 - Chekib m. Does not like this wine:

Still medium to deep garnet.
Intense but strange nose. Has licorice and kirsch aromas, and another very strong unpleasant smell that I can not pinpoint. It is very distracting.
It’s Full body, medium acidity, soft but present tannins, very ripe and sweet fruits, licorice with some prunes and liqueur flavours. Good length and balance. However the smell makes it really unappetising.
Not rated.

1/1/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Médium garnet.
Nose is quite intense, spicy, aromas of blue berry liqueur, figs.
Medium body, very soft tannins,low acidity, feels the alcohol and a licorice flavour at first. Some blue berries liqueur follows. Decent medium length.
Good wine but I found the strong licorice flavour to be a bit distracting and unbalanced.

12/31/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

This has always been one of my favourites and still is.
Still deep garnet colour with some bricking.
The nose is so enveloping, Intense classic ripe cabernet, it’s impossible to stop smelling it. Cassic, cigar box, pencil lead, eucalyptus. Wonderful.
Medium to full body, ripe sweet fruit, soft tannins. Totally fills the mouth with wonderful flavours of ripe aged Cabernet, extremely long and sweet aftertaste. Missing a little bit of acidity to balance the sweetness of the fruit otherwise would have close to a perfect score.

12/16/2023 - Chekib m. wrote:

This is still medium to deep crimson in color.
Intense developed nose, aromas of liquorice, coffee beans,blue berries liqueur.
Soft, full body, low to medium acidity with similar flavours to the nose. Good length and intensity of flavours, but lacks bit of freshness.
It’s strange how wine fashion change. I wrote a tasting note when we tried their 2019 vintage few weeks ago, that was much more fresh and lighter. This is typical of wines from the 2000 to 2012, with higher extraction and more usage of toasted oak.
It’s still good but not as much as their recent vintages for my taste.

12/15/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Bricking light garnet.
Quite intense nose with really tar and roses first, iron, tobacco some dried prunes.
Fully developed and mature, soft tannins bit drying at the end.mellowed acidity, savoury, aromas of dried berries and tobacco. good intensity of flavours throughout. Nicely developed Barolo, not super complex but very satisfying.

12/7/2023 - Chekib m. Does not like this wine:

This one was very strange.
Strong unappetising aromas of liver spread.
Not much in the mouth either. Not pleasant at all. Will not rate this wine.

12/6/2023 - Chekib m. wrote:

Medium gold in color.
Intense nose with aromas of kerosene at first, followed by lime and lime leaves.
Light body, slight sparkle on the tongue, crisp and sharp with very little sweetness. Flavours of lime and orange confit. Good persistence and length.
Good wine but far from the quality of their kabinett.

12/2/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Light garnet with purple tinges.
Intense nose with aromas of cloves, black cherries , preserved strawberries and spices.
Light body, very soft tannins, similar flavours to the nose. Bit hollow in mid palate but otherwise has good balance, ripe fruit after taste and decent length.
Very good young pinot noir for the price.

11/15/2023 - Chekib m. wrote:

This is a powerful young wine.
Deep crimson.
Intense nose with aromas of licorice, blue and black berry liqueur, some spices.
Full body, present tannins not too harsh, high alcohol that makes itself felt (14.9%), medium acidity, intense flavours of coffee and licorice first followed by some black and blue berries liqueur. Good length.
Needs food.
Good wine but bit too much for me or May be still slightly young or not enough acidity.

11/12/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Deep garnet.
Very intense expressive nose with black and blue berries, dried meat and thyme aromas.
Medium body, juicy with soft tannins, ripe black and blue berries, pomegranate, herbs, green pepper. Very long and really nice wine.
Young but already very pleasurable.

11/11/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Truly pink salmon in color.
Nose bit muted with some biscuit and red currant aromas.
Light body, frothy, acidity balanced by ripe fruits with flavours of strawberries, grapefruit, citrus.
Very refreshing and pleasant sparkling.
Multi vintage.

11/3/2023 - Chekib m. wrote:

Decanted 1hr.
Nicely aged medium garnet color.
So intense and complex nose. Old furniture, cigar, cassis, cedar and so many intertwined flavours that are so Intense.
Medium body, so soft silky elegant old pauillac with everything as expected.
It’s slightly hollow in mid palate and fruit are starting to fade, so better to drink up.
Extremely long aftertaste.

10/22/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Light golden color.
Youthful and intense orchard flower on the nose.
Medium body, ripe and energetic with quince and pears flavours, very good length, slight mouthwatering bitterness at the end.
Very good ripe style of Chenin blanc.

10/20/2023 - Chekib m. Does not like this wine:

Medium garnet.
Intense nose, earthy, bay leaves, eucalyptus, coffee beans flavours.
Medium body, some green tannins, strong flavours of coffee and herbs,then licorice, some faint red berries.
Medium length.
Past it’s peak, no need to wait longer.

10/20/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Light golden.
Nose is intense with ripe apple and almond pastry.
Light body, frothy, energetic and crisp but with similar flavours of ripe apple and almond pastry that attenuate the acidity.
Very good length.
Good aperitif sparkling.

10/14/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Thanks god Rioja wines exist. Otherwise how can you find 17 yrs old wines drinking well at a decent price, even in Australia.
Having been drinking young Australian wines for the past month, I was looking forward to try this one.
This is medium garnet in color.
Typical nose, with good intensity, leather saddle, baked fruits, nuts, balsamic.
In the mouth it is an Umami wine. Medium body, some tannic grip to introduce medium aged rioja flavours, baked fruits, nuts, balsamic vinegar, orange peel. good intensity and complexity of flavours.
Very good length of aged flavours.

10/11/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Lovely Pinot noir.
Light garnet.
Medium nose with forest bush, red berries and cherries, orange peel.
Very easy drinking but has good complexity, light body, juicy, red berries and orange peel, slight tannins that bring bit of structure. Good length. Begs for a 2nd glass and more.

10/6/2023 - Chekib m. wrote:

Really Light garnet color.
Young expressive nose, with dark ripe cherries and cloves.
Light body, unexpectedly light acidity, ripe fruit flavours with red and black cherries, tea leaves and cola notes.
Medium length.
Good but bit simple for the price.
Not enough acidity, over ripe fruit for my taste.

10/4/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Medium ruby.
Intense young but complex nose. Spices, dried meat, blackberry liqueur, peppery.
Full body. Tannins are Fine and almost soft. Medium acidity with Flavours of sweet ripe blackberries, blueberries, some coffee, pepper and spices. Savoury and very long. Some heat from the alcohol but not too noticeable.
Excellent young shiraz. First time to taste from this winery.

10/3/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Light golden in color.
Medium intensity nose, quite puligny like. Elegant oak, vanilla and pear flavours.
Medium body, good acidity, good intensity flavours of apple, pears, vanilla, butter. Still little bit on the lean side.
Excellent length.classy wine.

9/30/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Deep purple.
Very fruity, young and intense nose. Blackberries, iron and some herbs flavours.
Full body, soft but present tannins, good acidity to balance the Sweet ripe fruit flavours. blackberries liqueur, Liquorice. Very good length of the same ripe fruits. Really enjoyable, young, no fuss Aussie shiraz.

9/30/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Golden color.
Expressive nose, with aromas of vanilla, milk, lemon, pear and almond pastry.
Medium body, refreshing acidity, elegant with good intensity flavours of pears, preserved lemon, buttery.
Very good length.
Very good chardonnay well mellowed at 7yrs, but still young.

9/29/2023 - Chekib m. wrote:

Medium ruby.
Very intense nose, cedary, cassis, blackberry,coffee aromas.
Medium body, soft, strong coffee flavours first followed by cedar then weak blackberries flavours.
Finish short. As another taster mentioned below, this is a bit simple.

9/29/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Made in a crisp refreshing style.
Light golden with elegant tiny bubbles.
Bit discreet nose with green apple and bread.
Light body, good sparkle, crisp and refreshing with ripe fruit flavours of green apple and red currant, almond pastry.
Good length and balance throughout.
Good sparkling wine May get better with 1 or 2 more years in bottle.

9/27/2023 - Chekib m. wrote:

Light ruby in color.
Quite intense black cherries and cloves nose.
Light body, sweet cherries and preserved strawberries, tea leaves. Medium acidity and slight sparkle on the tongue.
Medium length.
Simple Pinot noir but good enough with pan fried sole.

9/26/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Medium yellow.
Very intense nose showing some development. Aromas of hay, grass, honeysuckle, guava and mango with some woody notes.
Medium body, very intense flavours with high acidity that is starting to mellow. Some bitterness at the end which is quite pleasing and marry well with the ripe fruity aromas of guava, quince, pear, grass. Still slightly oaky.
Very very long and pleasing aftertaste that carries all those balanced aromas.
I like it very much.

9/24/2023 - Chekib m. wrote:

I must be one of the first to taste this vintage. I ordered the 2022 but they run out of it and just received the new vintage.
I like aged wines. So for me drinking a 6months old wine is bit unusual, even though this is a wine to drink within the first 2 to 3 years.
It’s straw in color.
The nose is very aromatic as expected from a Pinot gris. Flowery and Chinese pears.
The mouth is bit disjointed as this early stage and needs another 6months to settle down. It has all the right elements, light body, medium acidity, grainy Chinese pear texture, but all bit disjointed at this point. I’m sure it will be a nice cheerful wine to drink in few months time and will certainly gain another 2pts easily.

9/23/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

This is still young but already very good.
Medium purple in color.
Intense nose, blackberries, herbs, balsamic, ink.
Medium body, soft but present tannins, savoury, very good balance and intensity throughout. Similar flavours of black berries, herbs, spicy, some white pepper.
Very good length.
Still young but very nice wine already.

9/23/2023 - Chekib m. wrote:

Im not used to Australian sparkling, so I’m not sure what to expect.
Since we just moved to Australia from Hong Kong, I guess I will have more practice with that soon.
I ordered this one direct from the winery. This is my 2nd bottle and it’s consistent with the 1st one.

This one was light salmon in color with tiny bubbles.
Nose was bit mute, with some yeast, red berries.
Medium body with very light sparkle. Still crisp acidity not fully mellowed, some nice ripe red berries and pastry flavours. Very good length.
This is good but i worry there are not enough bubbles. The sparkle is very light for the age of this sparkling wine. I dont know whether this is intentional or not.

9/20/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Long time since I had this one.
Last time it was still awkward, but now it is fully opened.
Deep tawny.
Explosive nose, red berries, stewed fruits, kirsch, Iron, some licorice.
Medium body, tannins almost fully integrated, little bit drying towards the end, but still has silky mouthfeel. Spicy, red berries,some green pepper that doesn’t distract, stewed fruits.
Absolutely exquisite. Very long aftertaste.
Can’t stop drinking this…

9/14/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Almost 2yrs since I tried this wine.
Medium to dark ruby in color.
Intense nose, thyme and olives at forefront,meaty, then some blackberries.
Medium to full body, still some tannic bite, similar flavours to the nose, thymes, herbs, olives, black fruit, balsamic.
Very good intensity, balance and length. Less fruit than few years ago, so will not get any better, excellent now.

9/14/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine:

Light golden in color.
Very intense ,elegant, full on nose. Strong oaky notes, baked apple and pears, almond pastry.
Full body, buttery and silky texture, almost tannic, still marked oaky notes, very complex with wonderful intertwined flavours of baked white fruit and pastry. Extremely long.
Excellent and still far from peak.