Helm Riesling Tumbarumba 2013 – $20 at Kemenys. Intense ripe fruit aromas here, with an almost Germanic softness on the palate. Subdued lime notes, offset by an almost peachy centre. Unexpected richness and generosity. Different from the Clare or Eden Valley style. 93 points. BUY.
The Wilson Vineyard DJW Clare Valley Riesling 2012 – $22. Chris Shanahan tells us that this wine comes from a 2.2-hectare vineyard planted by Daniel Wilson in 1997 on a fertile section of his father’s vineyard. The fertile site produced large vines, large bunches and bigger flavours than other parts of the vineyard, prompting the decision to bottle it separately.
Similar to the Helm above (making me eat my words already): soft, rich fruit, more limes than peaches though. Lovely mouthful, quite full and forward and great drinking already. Quite a contrast to its sister wine from Polish Hill River below. 93 points. It’s a BUY but there’s better value to be found elsewhere.
Evans & Tate Sauvignon Bkanc 2013 – $10 at Our Cellars. It’s drinkable, shows a passing resemblance to the SSB style and shows no obvious faults. 86 points. Not Convinced.
Wilson Polish Hill River Riesling 2013 – $24 at Kemenys. This is the most austere Riesling we’ve tasted in some time. Like sucking on cold steel dipped in lemon juice. Pale green colour, lime and chalk on the nose, crunchy green acid and powdery talc on the palate. Almost flinty like a Chablis, with a fine acid backbone that seems to go on forever. The wine will last forever too, I suspect. 12.0%. Serious cellaring Riesling that needs a lot of patience. 94++ points. BUY.
Hidden Label Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2013 – $15 at Kemenys. This wine was made for Camagnie Vinicole Baron Edmond de Rothschild by Craggy Range. This is a cracker Savvy that hits all the right notes of tangy gooseberry, cut grass and herbs with fine acid balance and great length. Will improve for a year or two as well. 93 points. BUY.
Miamup Estate Chardonnay 2011 – $10 at Kemenys. This is a lovely full, round, flavoursome Chardy. White peaches and cream. Good mature drinking, can’t believe the price. 91 points. BUY.
Miamup Estate 2011 – $10 at Kemenys. Can’t believe you can buy decent Margaret River red at this price. This is fairly big but retains some cool climate freshness in the fruit. There’s even some finesse here. Good drinking now, and shows again what a great vintage 2011 was over west. 91 points. BUY.
5171 McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 – $13 at ALDI. The label sure catches the eye. It’s clever too: 5171 is the postcode of McLaren Vale. The wine is a typical McLaren Vale Cabernet, generous of flavour, a touch chunky bit not too big at 14%. 90 points. BUY.
Evans & Tate Classic Shiraz 2012 – $10 at OurCellar. Juicy and bright, full of lively fruit. Not exactly complex but easy on the gums, decent value at this price. 88 points. BUY.
Miles from Nowhere Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2013 – $13 at ALDI. A pretty ordinary savvy from Franklin Tate’s new venture. Not a lot of authentic aroma or flavour, Crisp and fresh but no clear direction or style here, no major faults either. 87 points. Not at all convinced.
Miles from Nowhere Margaret River Best Blocks Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2013 – This is better than the savvy, the story has a stronger plot line and structure but it’s still a bit light on flavour and depth. Is it made from young vines? 89 points. Not Convinced. Sorry, can’t find an outlet that sells this wine (sample).
Miles from Nowhere Margaret River Cabernet Merlot 2012 – $15 at 1st Choice. Soft seductive Cabernet Merlot. More stylish and elegant then most of the 2012s tasted so far. Dark fruits, rich flavours and velvety tannins. The polish suggests a more expensive wine. Scores high on drinkability. 93 points. BUY.
Woodlands Cabernet Franc Merlot 2011 – $25 at the Australian Wine Centre. This is the one in Goldfields House at Circular Quay in Sydney, and it’s been saying NEW Website coming soon for many weeks. There’s another AWC in Adelaide which offers the 2012 for $20.50. Haven’t tried it but Winefront likes it enough for 92+ points. The best bet may be buying the 2012 for $19 at the winery.
Why are we carrying on like this? Because it’s a stunning wine that’s ridiculously hard to get. It’s a rare blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon modelled on the wines of St Emillion. It succeeds brilliantly, with seamless integration of all the components (and the gentle touch of French oak). It’s an elegant red with black currants, notes of cedar and dried herbs, and very fine tannins. Wonderful wine. 94 points. BUY.
Cape Mentelle Trinders Cabernet Merlot 2012 – $22 at Winelistaustralia. Sadly, the 2012 is not in the same class as the 2011 even though it’s very similar in its flavour profile. It’s a good red, don’t get me wrong, but it reflects a vintage that made bigger, more obvious wines with less finesse and balance than 2011. The finish is a little fuzzy. 91 points. Not convinced.
The Brookland Valley Verse 1 Chardonnay 2012 is one of our regular check-backs on wines we recommended some time ago. This is still improving, and it was a decent drinking Chardy to start with. Perfect balance, no rough edges, no fuss. Sadly, the 2013 is nothing like it. You can still buy it at Kemenys for $14 (a bit more than the $10 we paid for it). There you’ll see an 87 point score, one of the lowest ever from the Wine Companion team. We give it 90.
Dogpoint Sauvignon Blanc 2013 – $22 at Winesellersdirect. This gets big raves all round, including 94 points from Gary Walsh at the Winefront . For once, we disagree. There are some gooseberry, grassy flavours but the wine lacks the zing and tanginess of a great savvy, a bit clumsy for the money. Not convinced. 89 points.
M. Chapoutier ‘Domaine des Granges de Mirabel’ Viognier de l’Ardèche 2010 – $18.50 at Northbridge/ Cremorne/ Annandale Cellars 02 8090 6793. This Viognier from the southern Rhone sneaks up on you. Real finesse and subtle flavours here, so give it time to breathe. Think of spring flowers in the Provence, hints of apricot kernels, orange rind and ginger but just hints. Some very fine minerals too. Freshness is a surprise given the age, just a touch of honey. Lovely soft mouth feel, razor-sharp varietal definition. Eat with poached sweet fish or chicken breast a l’orange. Or enjoy on its own. 93 points. BUY and TRY – this is not everyone’s cup of tea.
Domaine de Font-Sane Côtes du Ventoux Vieilles Vignes 2011 – $19.50- at Northbridge Cellars. Ventoux tends to make simple light reds, but this is better than most Côtes du Rhônes near this price. Must be the old vines. This offers dust, earth and slate and plenty of flavour without the heavy hand of alcohol or big fruit extract that spoils some of our reds. Great food wine. 92 points. BUY.
Mr Riggs The Gaffer 2012 Shiraz – $18 at Nicks/Vintage Direct. Named in honour of John “The Gaffer” Riggs (1814-1902), winemaker Ben Riggs’ great-great-great grandfather. Big McLaren Vale Shiraz is not a favourite, but this is good: it’s packed with bright red fruit and spices and held together tightly with a fine tannin backbone. It sings. Lovely drinking now but will improve for several years. 93 points. BUY.
Zilzie regional collection Barossa Shiraz 2012 – $15 at Cellarmasters. This is a lighter wine than expected, good elegance and balance here but lacks a bit of depth in the centre and the perfumed oak is an odd touch. The last effect dissipated over several days. 89 points. Not quite Convinced.
McWilliams Hanwood Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2013 – $8.50 at Dan M’s. It’s drinkable and free of obvious faults but not in the same class as the Chardy under the same label. 86 points. Not Convinced
Hidden Label Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2013 – $13 at Kemenys. Modern style Chardy that avoids the grapefruit and green apples. Ripe enough with gentle stone fruit, fine acid and perfect balance.
McGuigan Hunter Valley Semillon 2013 – $10 at MyCellars. A clever concoction that softens the green apple acid of young Semillon with a perfectly judged dose of residual sugar that will pass most drinkers by. 3 golds and 93 points from Halliday. 88 points. Not Convinced.
Maretti Langhe Rosso 2012 – $17 at North Sydney Cellars. The attention-grabbing Martini-style label signals a bistro red, and so it is. It’s from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, made from Barbera and Nebbiolo. Sadly, this is not a cheap Barolo, not even a cheap Barbaresco. It’s not even cheap because it’s a real lunchtime lightweight. OK if the company is good and you’re not paying attention to the wine. There’s no substance, and not a hint of Piedmont. 83 points. AVOID.
Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 – $28 at Dan M’s. This is not far behind the great 2010, and very similar in style: great purity of Cabernet fruit – cassis and blackberries with elegance and polish, subtle oak taking a backseat. Perhaps it could do with a touch more oak to add complexity, but we’re picky. Very stylish Cabernet, true to the Margaret River style. 93 points. BUY but bear in mind that you can still buy the 2010 for $30 at Winestar.
Hidden Label Padthaway Shiraz 2012 – $10 at Kemenys. This is Mount Monster Shiraz 2012 under a hidden label, and it’s a pretty decent red. Not complex but solid and smooth like most Padthaway reds. Cooler in the mouth than the warm and spicy style of Shiraz made in The Barossa. Won the Trophy for Best Value Red Wine, Sydney International Wine Competition 2014. Serious value. 91 points. BUY.
Autreau Roualet Brut Cuvee De Reserve NV – $30 at Kemenys. A bit over our limit but a good choice if you need a good champagne that doesn’t break the bank. This is a full, soft, creamy champagne with hints of stone fruit, not the lean, austere aperitif style. Terrific drinking for the money. 93 points. BUY.
De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate Grown Pinot Noir 2012 – $20 at Winesellersdirect. This Pinot has all the right ingredients, good colour, soft cherry fruit and good balance but it didn’t grab us or charm us. We like finesse and elegance but found this a bit light on. We’re also wondering how many more labels de Bortoli will create for their ever-increasing range of wines. 89 points. Not convinced.
Tour de Couverte Côtes du Rhône 2011 – $21 at Northbridge Cellars. This didn’t thrill us at all. Lacks the finesse of the best Côtes du Rhônes, some typical earthy notes but the flavour is hot and clumsy, and it lacks direction and discipline. Not good enough for the money. 88 points. NOT CONVINCED.
Kim
