Tasted at winery in Yarra Valley. Appearance: Clear, medium garnet with brown edges. Nose: Clean, medium intensity with developed aromas of leather, cigar box, stewed plums, and cardamom. Palate: Dry, medium- acid, medium tannin, medium+ body, 13.0% abv with developed flavors of stewed plum, tobacco, and leather with a medium finish - at, or just past, peak - drink now.
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Checking in on this vintage after a three year hiatus. Some nice ageing happening here. Base notes are still the same, but I;m getting more tar, and jam notes now. Lots of strawberry preserve. This wine is absolutely delicious. I score it 94 pts last time, and I will maintain that score. No need to wait. Drink up or hold.
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Vintage 2012 Tasting: med weight colour soft clean nose plump ripe fruits, red berry dominates, some fine tar spice adds complexity, fine furry tannins, on the softer side but drinks nicely
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Opened last night and this was completely dumb - and really weird. I put the cork back in and now, 18 hours later, we are starting to get something. From a Conterno Sensory. This shows red and slightly blue fruit - but as close to actual jam/preserves as I've ever smelled in a wine - strawberry or cherry preserves. Some varnish and volatility I think. There's some sort of herbal savory thing - garrigue or something like that. The palate is similar - it has the jam flavors but also combnined with a savory almost meaty aspect. It's kind of like a bite of fatty duck breast with a red fruit compote all in one. Curious to see how this develops with more air.
t= +26 hours: opening well and not dumb at all. The nose shows strawberries and cherries, sour cherry, strawberry compote, marzipan, spices, garrigue, a bit of blood/guts. It's lovely and quite it's own thing - would have no idea if blinded, and probably would guess Musar. Not a big or modern wine in any way. Palate of very pure strawberry and cherry and sour cherry -red and tart and savory, herbs and garrigue. Almost light on the palate - high acid and tart. Finish is tart red fruit and garrigue. This is very iconoclastic and quirky IMO. I like it. Given the feel and the acid I think this needs another 10-15 years and could open up really well but I'm not on sure footing with that. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5+?/6, Finish - 5+?/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1+?/2 = 16-16.5+?/20 (with 16-17.5/20 potential.)
One of the truly great food-wine pairings of my life. Had this wine with a Double Cheeseburger at Gott's Roadside in St. Helena in April 2017. Phenomenal balance and exquisitely textured. (The wine was good too.) Best Burger wine ever. I said it.
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Deep, dark inky-purple full bodied wine Tons of baking spice, all spice, dark berries. Dry, more black fruit off the palate. Medium plus finish. Not at all a fruit bomb and drinks like an Old World wine. No tell-tale Eucalyptus notes. This wine punches way above its weight class.
Asian Braised short ribs went perfectly with this wine
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Tasted blind. Deep garnet in the glass. A very classic aged nose, lots of dried red fruit, violets, leather, sweet tobacco and Mediterranean herbs. Full-bodied with a high, crisp acidity and medium (+) alcohol. Tannins are ripe, almost sweet, but not too expressed. Tastes like a late 90s wine, but isn't oxidized. Strange. A shocking reveal - blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Viognier. What. the. fuck? This was either going to come back to life next week (we drank every drop) or is just aging way too fast for '12. Was expecting much more varietal expression on the Shiraz front, didn't get it here. Guess: Brunello di Montalcino 1999
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Lovely. Almost like a Cote Rotie in style. Gentle but persistent fruit, a hint of bacon, a crust of pepper, a meaty undertone, a spike of minerality, and a persistent herby stemmy note with mild long tannins. There's a sweetness, moreso than a northern Rhone, that softens the edge of the acid. Delicious and good QPR, because the quality is very high.
Great cool climate shiraz, very Cote-Rotie like with lovely perfume straight out of the bottle and a lovely drink immediately. Developed complexity and richness in the glass and great tension throughout. Delicious.
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Another bottle given to us by the Yarra Yering rep a day after opening. Showing much better on day two when compared to the No. 1. Definitely open and expressive. Red fruits, spices, capsicum and cracked pepper. So much pepper, but fortunately doesn't overpower the other elements of a complex wine. A very elegant and refined style of shiraz, and done pretty well at that. Finish was of decent length, no acidity sticking out or unpleasant tannins. This style will have its admirers.
Day three showed much of the same, except the pepper notes had been toned down. Starting to fade, though. Cellar time will be appreciated, but can be enjoyed now if you like your shiraz young and primary. At $90AU I probably won't be buying any, but will gladly jump at the chance to drink it again. Can't decide between 93-94.
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This is a wonderful release from an exceptional producer in the Yarra Valley. As a wine it was difficult to put into words how balanced and textured it is and still do it justice.
The wine gives a glossy dark red hue in the glass, with the nose benefiting from the aromatic lift of Viognier that gives a floral note to the plum and sweetly spiced experience.
The wine unravels in layers with a perceived lightness, yet the palate is brimming with wonderfully integrated raspberry and plum fruits. The quality of oak in this wine can't be underplayed with the gentle hand giving superb structure and lingering spices to finish.
Cream, vanilla, slightly porty, concentrated black fruit, coffee and herbaceous notes, spicy. In the mouth the wine was juicy with slightly sweet black over red berry fruit, fine tannins, fruit carries quote long and finishes savoury bit it's a little simple. Tannins are slight chalky. Hmm.
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3/11/2024 - prasm wrote: 89 Points
Tasted at winery in Yarra Valley. Appearance: Clear, medium garnet with brown edges. Nose: Clean, medium intensity with developed aromas of leather, cigar box, stewed plums, and cardamom. Palate: Dry, medium- acid, medium tannin, medium+ body, 13.0% abv with developed flavors of stewed plum, tobacco, and leather with a medium finish - at, or just past, peak - drink now.
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8/26/2023 - Genghis88 wrote: 94 Points
Checking in on this vintage after a three year hiatus.
Some nice ageing happening here. Base notes are still the same, but I;m getting more tar, and jam notes now. Lots of strawberry preserve.
This wine is absolutely delicious. I score it 94 pts last time, and I will maintain that score. No need to wait. Drink up or hold.
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8/20/2022 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Vintage 2012 Tasting: med weight colour
soft clean nose
plump ripe fruits, red berry dominates, some fine tar spice adds complexity, fine furry tannins, on the softer side but drinks nicely
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11/27/2021 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened last night and this was completely dumb - and really weird. I put the cork back in and now, 18 hours later, we are starting to get something. From a Conterno Sensory. This shows red and slightly blue fruit - but as close to actual jam/preserves as I've ever smelled in a wine - strawberry or cherry preserves. Some varnish and volatility I think. There's some sort of herbal savory thing - garrigue or something like that. The palate is similar - it has the jam flavors but also combnined with a savory almost meaty aspect. It's kind of like a bite of fatty duck breast with a red fruit compote all in one. Curious to see how this develops with more air.
t= +26 hours: opening well and not dumb at all. The nose shows strawberries and cherries, sour cherry, strawberry compote, marzipan, spices, garrigue, a bit of blood/guts. It's lovely and quite it's own thing - would have no idea if blinded, and probably would guess Musar. Not a big or modern wine in any way. Palate of very pure strawberry and cherry and sour cherry -red and tart and savory, herbs and garrigue. Almost light on the palate - high acid and tart. Finish is tart red fruit and garrigue. This is very iconoclastic and quirky IMO. I like it. Given the feel and the acid I think this needs another 10-15 years and could open up really well but I'm not on sure footing with that. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5+?/6, Finish - 5+?/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1+?/2 = 16-16.5+?/20 (with 16-17.5/20 potential.)
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3/12/2021 - funwinesports wrote: 94 Points
One of the truly great food-wine pairings of my life. Had this wine with a Double Cheeseburger at Gott's Roadside in St. Helena in April 2017. Phenomenal balance and exquisitely textured. (The wine was good too.) Best Burger wine ever. I said it.
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11/8/2020 - Genghis88 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, dark inky-purple full bodied wine
Tons of baking spice, all spice, dark berries.
Dry, more black fruit off the palate. Medium plus finish. Not at all a fruit bomb and drinks like an Old World wine. No tell-tale Eucalyptus notes. This wine punches way above its weight class.
Asian Braised short ribs went perfectly with this wine
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6/17/2020 - djn63 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fruitt so balanced. A light sweet balanced Probably in the window. Very very drinkable
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10/29/2019 - Drinking Trees wrote:
Nose of campfire smoke, rubber, and Ribena. Palate is light and smooth, like a low-strength spirit, smoothed out by mild tannin and acid.
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5/3/2019 - grapenomad wrote: 89 Points
Tasted blind. Deep garnet in the glass. A very classic aged nose, lots of dried red fruit, violets, leather, sweet tobacco and Mediterranean herbs. Full-bodied with a high, crisp acidity and medium (+) alcohol. Tannins are ripe, almost sweet, but not too expressed. Tastes like a late 90s wine, but isn't oxidized. Strange. A shocking reveal - blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Viognier. What. the. fuck? This was either going to come back to life next week (we drank every drop) or is just aging way too fast for '12. Was expecting much more varietal expression on the Shiraz front, didn't get it here. Guess: Brunello di Montalcino 1999
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5/2/2019 - Cikgoo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Solid Rhone style
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3/10/2019 - barrkel Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely. Almost like a Cote Rotie in style. Gentle but persistent fruit, a hint of bacon, a crust of pepper, a meaty undertone, a spike of minerality, and a persistent herby stemmy note with mild long tannins. There's a sweetness, moreso than a northern Rhone, that softens the edge of the acid. Delicious and good QPR, because the quality is very high.
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11/30/2018 - Kwlharvey wrote:
Should decant for 30min - 1h. Fine tanin. Fresh floral taste with a slight licorice finish. Medium body.
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5/24/2018 - Parko82 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Stunning!! Touch and go for a 97....
Patrick's note sees it all really, the fruit power and elegance are irresistible, I kept coming back for more..
The balance impeccable with juicy plum fruit and raspberry acidity to lighten things up.. Oak, spot on with slight pepper savoury notes..
Love it, drinking perfectly now but could probably go 10 to 15 years more such is the balance but why bother risking the cork..
Yum yum...
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6/1/2017 - HODGO17 Likes this wine: 94 Points
beautiful drop, restrained quality red...
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6/28/2015 - SimonPh Likes this wine: 96 Points
Great cool climate shiraz, very Cote-Rotie like with lovely perfume straight out of the bottle and a lovely drink immediately. Developed complexity and richness in the glass and great tension throughout. Delicious.
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2/7/2015 - catchnrelease Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another bottle given to us by the Yarra Yering rep a day after opening. Showing much better on day two when compared to the No. 1. Definitely open and expressive. Red fruits, spices, capsicum and cracked pepper. So much pepper, but fortunately doesn't overpower the other elements of a complex wine. A very elegant and refined style of shiraz, and done pretty well at that. Finish was of decent length, no acidity sticking out or unpleasant tannins. This style will have its admirers.
Day three showed much of the same, except the pepper notes had been toned down. Starting to fade, though. Cellar time will be appreciated, but can be enjoyed now if you like your shiraz young and primary. At $90AU I probably won't be buying any, but will gladly jump at the chance to drink it again. Can't decide between 93-94.
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9/4/2014 - Patrick - winereviewer.com.au wrote: 97 Points
This is a wonderful release from an exceptional producer in the Yarra Valley. As a wine it was difficult to put into words how balanced and textured it is and still do it justice.
The wine gives a glossy dark red hue in the glass, with the nose benefiting from the aromatic lift of Viognier that gives a floral note to the plum and sweetly spiced experience.
The wine unravels in layers with a perceived lightness, yet the palate is brimming with wonderfully integrated raspberry and plum fruits. The quality of oak in this wine can't be underplayed with the gentle hand giving superb structure and lingering spices to finish.
A remarkably good wine.
Review Link - www.winereviewer.com.au (drink from 2014-2029)
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8/18/2014 - startinoz wrote: 93 Points
Briary black fruit. Medium body. Good.
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7/17/2014 - chatters wrote:
Cream, vanilla, slightly porty, concentrated black fruit, coffee and herbaceous notes, spicy. In the mouth the wine was juicy with slightly sweet black over red berry fruit, fine tannins, fruit carries quote long and finishes savoury bit it's a little simple. Tannins are slight chalky. Hmm.
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