A few interesting wines tasted. The Greywacke SB 2012 is one of the finest examples, made by Kevin Judd of Cloudy Bay fame. Truly fine wine with great yet subtle varietal definition. Benchmark style. 94 points. $22 at Winestar.
The Best Great Western Chardonnay 2011 – another very well-made varietal, this one polished with classy French oak. Bit short on the finish but lovely drinking. 92 points. $22 at Winestar
The Chockstone Chardonnay 2012 is another polished performer from the Grampians, made by the Richardson family. I found it very elegant but lacking in complexity. 90 points. $25 at winery.
Tarrawarra Chardonnay 2010 form the Yarra Valley has been a favourite for a while now, and it’s maturing slowly. Nuts and stonefruit slowly getting the upper hand on the grapefruit. No longer around but the 2011 is $18 at Winestar
Paul Jaboulet Aine Cote du Rhone Paralelle 45 2010 – lovely, soft, juicy, fruit-driven drinking wine. Very well made and perhaps lacking some of the dust and slate we like to see in these wines. 91 points, and a steal for $13 at Graysonline.
Pewsey Vale Riesling 2013 – Another winner from Louisa Rose. Less fruity than the 2012, more minerals and tensile strength, will live longer. 94+ points. Classic Eden Valley style for < $15 at Kemenys
Not really excited by the Paul Mas Viognier 2011 from the Languedoc in the south of France. Well-made but lacks balls. The Yalumba Eden Valley 2012 is worth the extra $4. The Bird in Hand 2011 continues the run of unconvincing Sauvignon Blancs from the Adelaide Hills, once promoted as our best chance to make great wines of this style. The six foot six Pinot Noir from Austins in Geelong didn’t stand that tall either, with almost Rosé colour and very little body to speak of. Very Burgundian nose is the best we can say for it, and a soft, gentle palate.
Plantagenet Omrah Cabernet Merlot 2011 – 90 points. $15 at Dan M’s
This is a robust kind of wine, a country lad rather than a city slicker. Big flavours here ranging from blackcurrant to tobacco and olives. Big-hearted, mouth-filling, of generous build. Good with hearty red meat dishes.
Bress Silver Chook Heathcote Bendigo La Gallina Red 2012 – 93 points. $16 at Wineonline
This is a really lovely, rich, mouthfilling wine with interesting flavours. Made from Tempranillo, Grenache and Shiraz from Heathcote and Bendigo. I don’t like the term slurpable much but it’s the best term that comes to mind. Have with pizza, pasta, tapas and other tasty things. A real crowd pleaser. Enjoy over the next year or 2. It’s 13.5%, not 14.5 as wineonline suggests.
We’ve written about the Evans & Tate already, and a second bottle confirmed the class of the 2011. Lovely balance of stone fruit and gentle oak, good length and finesse. 93-94 points. $16 at Winestar