N V Ballabourneen Sparkling Moscato Blush

We've all eaten Black Muscat or Muscat of Hamburg table grapes at some stage. Large, round, fleshy, sweet and delicious. There are some examples of it floating around as the basis of fortified wines but here the variety is used uncommonly and intriguingly, to make a salmon pink sparkling wine. 

 As a background, the variety is a black-skinned Vitis vinifera grape variety of the ancient Muscat family. It appears to be the progeny of Schiava Grossa and Muscat of Alexandria from mainland Europe possibly Germany, the home of the hybrids and is said to have been introduced into England at around 1720 although there is conjecture that it actually originated there. 

Ballabourneen Wine Co. the makers of this unique drop, is a joint venture between Alex Stuart OAM and Daniel Binet and is situated at Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley. Grapes are sourced locally from some of the Hunter's best vineyards with new cellar door facilities opening in May. 


There are very prominent Turkish delight aromatics on the nose and body with strawberry and grapey nuances in the background. Lightly textured demi-sec spritzy wine. There is an appealing soft, creamy mouthfeel of rose and strawberry with effervescent beads that lead to a tart-like finish. Fun and flirtatious drink now wine. It was excellent as an appetiser and could also be a dessert accompaniment. Very Good.

 N.B. This is one of those varieties that literally has dozens of synonyms. 

 Source: Sample courtesy of Ballabourneen Wine Co. ABV: 10.0%. Closure: Cork. 
Price: $26.00. Rating: 89 Points. Website: https://www.ballabourneen.com.au


               


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2014 Redbank King Valley Fiano

In 2005 the Hill Smith Family Vineyards acquired the Redbank brand from original owners and winemakers Neill and Sally Robb. 

 Redbank Wines source their Fiano grapes from the Mt Bellevue Estate vineyard near Myrrhee in north-east Victoria. The grapes were fermented and matured for six months in older French oak barriques. Gargenega (9%) was added to the final blend for an extra layer of complexity, which winemaker Teresa Heuzenroeder creatively captured. 

 Light straw yellow colouring to this wine,
Restrained bouquet of lime zest, honey and citrus blossom.
Palate is richly flavoured, a surprise given the delicate aromas but still maintains freshness. Nashi pear, citrus, fresh basil, almond and slatey minerals across the tongue.
Fresh, zesty and textural mouthfeel. Texture is the key here with this wine. Dry, a little briney perhaps through the mid-palate. A creamy long finish of minerals, lime and pear.

Well made and a lot to like about this 2015 AAVWS gold medal winning wine. Recommended.
Source: Sample. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $22.00. Rating: 92 Points. 

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2015 Redbank Sunday Morning Pinot Gris

A cool new label reflecting Redbank's King Valley collection. If any wine could perk you up on a Sunday morning, look no further than this invigorating, off-dry Pinot Gris sourced from family owned high-altitude vineyards. 

 Clear pale yellow hues with greenish tinges.
There are fragrant, fresh aromatics of lime, rose petal perfume, spiced apple and biscuit.  
A chalky mineral base and clean acidity add balance to the Nashi pear, lime pith, spice and lychee flavoured palate. Light to medium in weight. A soft creamy textural mid-palate and a dry musky finish. Clean, focused flavours. Good line and length. 

This is a subtle, elegant and enjoyable expression of a cool climate Pinot Gris worthy of indulgence before the sun is over the yardarm !
Source: Sample. ABV: 13.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $19.00. Rating: 90 Points. 


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2015 Ferngrove Frankland River Limited Release Malbec Rosé

A wine of real interest given that not many rosés are produced here exclusively from Malbec. Ferngrove Estate in Western Australia's Frankland River region specialises in the variety, which it has grown since the winery was established in 1998.

A spectacular looking wine owing to the grape's violet colour, it shows neon light purple to crimson hues in the glass. I regret not having a photo.

Sweetly perfumed cranberry, raspberry and strawberry aromatics followed by some subtle spice and musk.
Deceptive wine as it appears and smells on the sweet spectrum side of things yet is dry to mid-dry once tasted.
There is smidge of candied fruit drop to add to the berry and Nashi pear flavours, which is offset by the acidity and chalky qualities. 
Approachable rosé with a velvety mouthfeel, good weight through the mid-palate and a tangy and refreshing aftertaste to finish. Good.  
Source: Retail. ABV: 13.7%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $15.00. Rating: 89 Points. 




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N V Dal Zotto MIO King Valley Prosecco

An entry level Prosecco of sorts from Dal Zotto and a little brother to the winery's more illustrious Pucino brand.

 Pale quartz colour with a green tinge. Smells of green apple, talc, a whiff of honey and fresh King Valley air.

Perfumed and dry mineral palate that is light with tart green apple, pear and a slight citrus twang. Appealing soft mouthfeel and fizzy, medium beads create a lifted finish. 

 Fun, plenty of fizz and refreshing. Insane value, delicious drinking and well worth hunting down.

 Source: Gift. ABV: 10.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $14.00. Rating: 90 Points. 
Website: http://www.dalzotto.com.au/wordpress/


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2008 Hickinbotham Chardonnay with Aligoté


A point of difference here with the vast majority of Aussie Chards. At present, Hickinbotham of Dromana is the only grower in Oz of the much-maligned Southern Burgundian white grape variety Aligoté, which the winery has championed since the late 1980s. Around fifteen percent oomphs the blend up with body and the variety's hallmark dry natural acid.

 DNA profiling has established Aligoté to have a parentage of Pinot Noir and that ancient ever-fecund mother grape, Gouais Blanc. Behind Chardonnay, it ranks second in terms of hectares planted in Burgundy and is a variety grown extensively in the ex-Soviet bloc countries of Eastern Europe. As a variety tolerating cooler growing conditions, it's difficult to understand why there isn't more of the stuff here in regions such as the Hilltops or the Granite Belt.


 Light- to mid-gold colours from the glass. There are peach, quince, struck match, citrus and vanilla aromas. 
Concentrated fruit flavours of peach, melon and tart apple on the palate with buttery, nutty nuances from the French oak. The blend has a dry, crisp texture, dusty tannins and a distinctive flinty acid backbone driving through the palate to a long, creamy finish. Medium-bodied with a good balance of fruit and acidity. 

From Hickinbotham's Reserve wines range, this is a fascinating take on the standard Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay, in fact any Chardonnay actually. Yes, I'd enjoy a glass or two more of this thank you.  

 Source: Sample. ABV: 13.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $68.00. Rating: 92 Points. 


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2013 Massena Barossa Valley Primitivo

The story goes that after not getting much joy out of the U C Davis clone of Zinfandel, the Massena winemakers replaced these with Primitivo sourced from Puglia in Italy. The dry-farmed, low yielding vines have gone on to thrive on the winery's Dadds Block vineyard.   

The 2013 vintage displays an inky crimson black colour in the glass. Broodingly dark. Black cherry, black plum, liquorice and black pepper on the nose enhanced by a whiff of smokiness from its maturation in seasoned French oak barrels.

 There's a slight tannic grip on entry with earthy, spicy liquorice notes more abundant initially on the palate than fruit flavours. Chocolate-covered cherry and pastille fruit flavours take a back seat to the spicy richness. Full-bodied with bright acidity and grippy, earthy tannins. 

 The 2013 Primitivo carries more spice and weight, perhaps lacking in the fruit profile that was evident in the riper, juicier 2012 vintage. That and the warmth on exit wasn't to my liking here. 

Source: Retail. ABV: 14.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $22.00. Rating: 88 Points. 

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2014 Narkoojee Viognier


Made from fruit grown in Gippsland and at Narkoojee, this is the winery's second vintage of Viognier and presents an interesting addition to the Narkoojee white wine portfolio. It's a variety Managing Director and Winemaker Harry Friend believes can be treated much the same as Chardonnay with barrel ageing, lees stirring in addition to creating a newer style of wine such as a shiraz viognier.

He explains further: "We decided to graft about 30% of our cabernet plantings over to viognier". "We decided on two clones of viognier, known as HTK and the other as 642, and grafted these in 2010, the other advantage of grafting rather than planting was the smaller time to establishment and we harvested our first vintage in 2013".

 It's impressive drop from the get go and if ever the Viognier reaches the acclaim of the Narkoojee Chardonnay range, it will be in rarified air indeed.    

The 2014 vintage is a translucent yellow-coloured wine with distinct varietal aromas of fresh apricot, violet perfumes, lime and spice notes. It's an expressive nose that leans more to the citrus side of things.
Palate is textural and taut, dry and chalky. It tastes of assorted stone fruits, lime, some ginger and stone-like minerality. Fresh, vibrant and on the lighter side of mid-weight with tidy acid and light spicy undertones. Spikey mid-palate but a smooth and warm exit.

There's an elegance associated with such a young-vined wine grown and produced in a cool climate. Good drinkability and one to keep on the watchlist. The 2015 is now available on the Narkoojee website.


Source: Sample. ABV: 13.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $ NA. Rating: 90+ Points. 
Website: http://narkoojee.com



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2015 Green Man Wines Fiano

An outstanding dry white with texture, flavour and finish. There is immediate drinking pleasure here.  

 Awarded a bronze medal among some illustrious company at the 2015 AAVWS in the fuller-bodied Fiano Class. Produced in Central Victoria, the 2015 Green Man Fiano is so good that to my tastes, it could easily have taken out another award in the other category for the young, fresh and aromatic Fianos of this world.

Clear light yellow to greenish hues in the glass. 
Aromas of stone fruits, green apple and herbal grass. Some floral action going on too. Nicely balanced aromatics.    

Fresh and rich palate that carries plenty of nectarine, lime and clove. The wine feels silky, has texture, mouthfeel and flavour.   
Dry and slatey mineral backbone. Light to medium weight.   
The tangy lemon peel acidity is cleansing and refreshing with a dry herbal element that goes long. Lemon and almond crunch to finish.
The charm factor of this Italian variety is high. Recommended. 

  
 Source: Sample. ABV: 13.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $33.00. Rating: 92+ Points. 
Website: http://www.clandelsud.com.au/index.html

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2015 Green Man Wines Vermentino

Another release from the team at Green Man in Central Victoria and it's a corker, even though it is under screw cap ! Biodynamically grown, dry farmed, hand crafted with little intervention it was awarded a silver medal at the 2015 AAVWS in the crisp, fresh and dry Vermentino Class. There is another category for fuller-bodied ones. 

 The 2015 is pale yellow in colour with very attractive aromas of florals, nashi pear and bathroom perfumes.
It feels crisp and zingy on the palate with a green apple, lemony lift through the centre.
Tastes fresh and vibrant with a talc-like texture of nashi pear, green apple and bitter herbs. Aromatic, dry and slatey. 
Has the length, good structure and plenty of character.

It's a beautifully balanced mid-weight wine, the lemon acidity keeping it seamless throughout. On the finish a subtle lemonade-like sweetness adds interest. Not hard to enjoy. Delicious drinking. 



Source: Sample. ABV: 13.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $33.00. Rating: 92 Points. 
Website: http://www.clandelsud.com.au/index.html

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2014 Head Wines Nouveau Red

The Head Wines Nouveau Red is one of those intriguing drops that had me in a quandary. It's easy to drink, perhaps too easy straddling that grey zone between being an excellent quaffer and a good premium wine. And that's where the dilemma lies. 

Without over-thinking things, this blend is vibrant and bright purple in colour. Un-oaked Touriga Nacional (60%) and Montepulciano (40%) from Marananga in the Barossa Valley. Portuguese and Italian varieties that may be unique as a blend. Where else but here ?

Earthy, meaty, fresh cherries, burnt toffee and rose petal florals. An utterly fascinating and inviting bouquet.
Fleshy and fresh throughout the palate. More towards a light than medium bodied palate with juicy sweet fruit. Plum, cherry and licorice flavours. Light tannins, well balanced. Savoury cherry and chocolate finish of decent length. Crunchy and vibrant. Flair and passion. 

 Good value for a quaffer/premium wine. Find it. Recommended.
Source: Retail Purchase. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $19.00. Rating: 91 Points. 
Website: http://www.headwines.com.au/Home

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