2015 Grove Estate The Italian

The Italian is a blend of Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Barbera from the Grove Estate Vineyards near Young in the Hilltops Region of Southern New South Wales. Established in 1989 by a partnership of families, the company contracts most of its winemaking to Long Rail Gully Wines near Murrumbateman and has a passion for red Italian grape varieties including Zinfandel. 

Cool climate, estate grown blend of these three premium Italian varieties that displays crimson colours with a purple hue.
Pretty perfume of rose petals, strawberry, cherry and tar aromas.
It's a light- to mid-weight framed wine with stewed prunes, black cherries and smokey savoury herbs across the palate.
Subdued dusty tannins, clean fresh acidity. Soft and juicy texturally. Loads of fresh, soft mixed berry flavours, which is what you would expect from a cool climate region. A lingering savoury finish. 
Has lots of potential with cellaring, this is a food friendly blend of finesse and flavour. Very Good.


 Source: Winery. ABV: 14.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $26.00. Rating: 90 Points. 
Website: http://www.groveestate.com.au
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2013 Brokenwood Tim's Paddock Pinot Noir

Bought this wine on a whim as I had never tasted a Pinot Noir from Beechworth before. The first vintage from a single vineyard enterprise with the blurb saying from "very ripe fruit." Well, that's good news ! 

 The wine didn't give me the impression it was a Pinot Noir in terms of its varietal profile, more a medium-bodied dry red. Not supple, fine or delicate as you might think from a cool climate region but sappy and weighty. 

 It's a wine of vivid purple appearance.
Woody herbs, stalks, forest floor, undergrowth, gamey flavours and dark cherry form the complex nose.
A little sappy, draping the palate with earthy, sour cherry and other berrylike flavours. Surprisingly thick. Supple tannins and the wood oak nuances did add something but this wine lacked any real interest.

 Maybe it was this particular bottle. The wine was neither flawed nor overripe but not what I was expecting from such a region and didn't go a refill.


Source: Retail. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $15.99. Rating: 86 Points. 
Website: http://www.brokenwood.com.au
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2013 Sellicks Hill Wines Greco

The transportation of grape vines throughout history with the migration and settlement of people is a subject that fascinate me. 

 Greco Bianco or simply Greco is a case in point. The oldest white grape variety in Campania, Greco or its ancestor vine was thought to have been introduced there by an ancient Greek people, the Pelasgians from Thessaly in the eighth or seventh century B.C.
The variety is used in the production of the DOCG wine Greco di Tufo, a reference to its hillside community home of Tufo in the Avellino province and additionally is a permitted component of several other southern Italian DOC's. 

 Plantings of Greco are still small in Australia with Fiano clearly ahead in the stakes. Only a handful of producers are giving the variety the respect it deserves and Sellicks Hill Wines in McLaren Vale is one of its ardent supporters having the region's currently only Greco fruit since 2011.

 Owner and self-proclaimed "vineyard dude" and "one man band" at Sellicks Hill Wines, Paul Petagna learnt the art of making wine himself with help from his Italian father-in-law and some winemaking friends at the Vale. Paul says he makes the wines on-site in a galvanised shed, affectionately known as 'The Shed' using organic and sustainable winemaking techniques. The decision to plant Greco was "because both my in-laws came from Campania and one of the most common whites in their village was Greco," he recalls fondly. It's history repeating itself. People migrating, settling, memories of home and growing grapes for wine.    

The 2013 Sellicks Hill Greco pours an attractive light yellow/copper colour into the glass.
The aromas were fairly muted initially then really open up. Citrus, stone fruits, green leaf. Fresh, clean and tangy nose. Perfumes continue in the mouth with peach, green apple, pineapple and herbal notes. It's very much a mineral- and acid-driven dry white wine. Silky/oily mouthfeel armed with zippy, racy acidity that goes down easily. A lingering finish showcases lemon pith, dry minerals and a hint of almond. Delicious.
In a region crying out for a signature white variety other than the ubiquitous Chardonnay, Greco appears to be well-suited to McLaren Vale's Mediterranean climate, according to Paul Petagna holding its acid extremely well and versatile enough to accompany diverse dishes and flavours.
Real interest and personality here, fun to drink and an impressive example. Recommended.
Source: Sample courtesy of Sellicks Hill Wines. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $30.00.       Rating: 92 Points. Website: http://www.sellickshillwines.com


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2015 Eldridge Estate of Red Hill PTG



A rarity on the Australian landscape, inspired by the Passe-Tout-Grains Pinot Noir/Gamay early drinking red and rosé wines of Burgundy. Both varieties of this 50/50 blend are tank fermented together at Eldridge Estate on the Mornington Peninsula. A minimalist creation. Unfined, unfiltered and low in sulphur.

There is immediate appeal. Senses working overtime. Visually, it glows a deep bright cherry colour with mauve tinges. The colour of Charles Melton's Rose Of Virginia comes to mind. 


It's fresh and fragrant with cherry, sweet spice, forest floor and rose petal on the nose. 
The palate has crispness and crunch. Blood plum, raspberries, cranberry fruit flavours with a slight herbal, almost peppery edge adding interest. The red fruits give the palate a soft, succulent character that is framed by refreshing acidity and supple tannins. Long savoury aftertaste. 
The PTG is dry and light-bodied but there's a firmness and intensity for it to be classified as a rosé per se. Perhaps an insanely drinkable rosé on steroids might suffice as a description ! 

Will stand up to a chill and as a match to chilli dishes. A great find. Recommended.
Source: Winery. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $32.00. Rating: 92 Points. 
Website: https://eldridge-estate.com.au
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2015 Clonakilla Sauvignon Blanc Semillon

An early drinking quaffer from Clonakilla's 40th vintage, the winery renown for its classy cool climate wines, in particular for the ethereal and iconic Shiraz Viognier.

 Clear yellow with lifted lemon and lime aromas. 
A tightly textured refreshing palate displays vibrant citrus, gooseberry, green pea flavours and racy mineral undertones. 
Bone-dry wine marked by a brisk line of cleansing acidity. Light to mid-weight and tightly knit.
Different from the SBS blends out west. No ageing needed here. Drink now.

 Source: Winery. ABV: 12.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $22.00. Rating: 89 Points. Website: http://www.clonakilla.com.au

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2015 Chalmers Heathcote Rosato

The Chalmers have long been in the vanguard of the alternative new wine order as it were and this Rosato is another example of that foresight and creativity. The make up for each year's Rosato changes with this vintage a 40/60 blending of oak barrel fermented Aglianico and tank fermented Sagrantino from premium Heathcote fruit. 

 The wine pours salmon pink/orange blush in the glass. 
Fragrant aromas of redcurrant, cranberry, cherry and dried herbs.
Palate is dry, compelling and drinkable. Soft flavours of red fruits, savoury spice and candied orange peel. A textural palate enhanced by citrus acidity and grippy tannins. A long savoury aftertaste.

 A truly outstanding Australian-made Rosato. Loads of interest, complexity and rather delicious to drink.      

Source: Retail. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $25.00. Rating: 94 Points. Website: https://www.chalmerswine.com.au


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2013 La Cantina King Valley Tempranillo

La Cantina or "The Cellar" in Italian is a family enterprise situated in the heart of the King Valley. The Corsini family started growing grapes in 1980 with La Cantina opening in 1995 and are part of the rich Italian heritage in the region. Grapes are allowed to slowly ripen in the cool climate to bring out true varietal characteristics with no preservatives or filtration in the wine-making process.

 Medium crimson red colour with mauve hues at the rim.
Dark cherry, blackberry, tobacco, cola and earthy tones highlight the sweetly-spiced bouquet of this Tempranillo.
The palate is invitingly soft and warm with juicy blackberry spiciness, dark cherry, leather, subtle earth notes that are framed by a fine tannic balance. Flavours linger long after the final sip. 

Well crafted and good value for this better than average quaffer.
Source: Winery. ABV: 14.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $17.00. Rating: 90 Points. 
Website: http://lacantinakingvalley.com.au


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2015 Ballabourneen Hunter Valley Chambourcin

As a wine drinker one of the 'dilemmas' is what table wine goes with chocolate, particularly dark chocolate ? What matches chocolate that is high in cocoa content, is already tannic and can be bitter ? Whites usually don't do it and some reds and fortified wines will cope. But I'm throwing an interesting and overlooked red variety into the mix: Chambourcin. 

 After a friend said to me recently that she thought this combination of dark chocolate and Chambourcin worked really well together, I did the due diligence and came to the same conclusion. Dark chocolate has a great synergy with Chambourcin. It's not a sexy, hip, wannabe variety by any means but it's a box ticker when you combine them both. Velvety lusciousness. So go try.

 Chambourcin is a dark-skinned teinturier French-American hybrid grape available since the early 1960's that is more at home in the United States and Australia than in its native France. Capable of withstanding fungal diseases in humid, sub-tropical growing conditions, the variety is found throughout most New South Wales and Queensland wine regions where such conditions prevail.  

 This wine from Ballabourneen Wine Company is sourced from vineyards at Lovedale and Broke-Fordich in the Hunter Valley and exhibits opaque dark brooding crimson hues.
Blood plums, black cherries and herbaceous spice aromas with notes of what can be described as a fur coat factor. Yes ! Don't ask but there is a waft there of some small, furry animal. Not unpleasant, just different. There are subtle red earth, chocolate, earthy beetroot, pepper and dark red fruits flavours across a medium bodied palate. It's all fresh and juicy, sweet fruited and subtle in texture. Length is fine and velvety with dark chocolate and dusty tannins on exit. The wine to me sits between a rustic Pinot Noir and the smooth qualities of a Merlot, it's got that personality.

Really tasted better as the evening progressed. An extra point for solving the 'dilemma'. Well-crafted wine from a variety that undeservedly gets a bad wrap in Australia. Very good.
Source: Sample courtesy of Ballabourneen Wine Co. ABV: 14.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. 
Price: $26.00. Rating: 92 Points. Website: https://www.ballabourneen.com.au





               
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2014 Ferngrove Frankland River Limited Release Malbec

International Malbec Day - Sunday 17 April 2016
In 2011 Argentina established this day to celebrate Malbec as its flagship variety as well as to showcase its wine industry to the world. Each year since then the day has evolved exponentially worldwide as a celebration of Argentinian culture and oenology with Malbec at its centre.  

 To mark this auspicious day, I've jumped onto the bandwagon with an example of Malbec from Ferngrove Estate in Western Australia's isolated and cool climate Frankland River region. The winery has championed the variety since 1998 not just to play a supporting role to Cabernet but as a varietal in its own right.   

The wine pours a deep crimson colour into the glass.
Blackberry, mulberry, damson plum, violets and spice. Smoky overtones too on the nose. Full-bodied, generously flavoured with dark berries, violets, juicy plum and spice. The silky mouthfeel with its well-balanced structure gives it elegance and drinkability. 

 Powerful example of dark, ripe concentrated fruit flavours with drying tannins that go right to the end. Good value, very enjoyable wine that should do well over the next few years. Watch Malbec take off in this region !
Source: Retail. ABV: 13.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $18.00. Rating: 92 Points. 


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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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