Pfeiffer Seriously Pink Apera 2010

Seriously Pink could be described generally as an aperitif style fortified rosé. In specific terms however it is an apera, the name previously given to sherry-inspired wines. Since September 2011, Australian producers have been prohibited from using the term sherry due to European Commission and Australian regulations. 

 This apera is a blend of Touriga, Tinta Rotiz (aka Tempranillo), Shiraz and Gewürztraminer (!) with a dose of brandy spirit added to oomph things up during fermentation. Despite the heat, it's well balanced. 

 No prizes in guessing that the colour is somewhat on the electric pink side. Lifted fragrant aromas of fresh strawberries, roses and spices that invite you in. The palate is clean and refreshing with flavours of glacée cherries, florals, musk sticks and confectionery. Finish and aftertaste are refreshing and more-ish. Enjoy over ice as an aperitif. 

 Lots of charisma and interest. Recommended.


 Source: Sample courtesy of Pfeiffer Wines. ABV: 16.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $19.50. 
Rating: 90 Points. Website: http://www.pfeifferwinesrutherglen.com.au/home/

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La Bise Adelaide Hills Nero d'Avola 2017

The inaugural release of Nero d'Avola from talented winemaker Natasha Mooney who has nailed this Sicilian variety on its head with fruit from the Adelaide Hills. 

Lots going on in the aroma stakes with smells of earth-dusted red fruits, chocolate, cherry cola and white pepper.
Black jelly beans, dried herbs and spice savouriness with the fruit ripe and flavoursome with raspberry, cranberry, pomegranate and sour cherry doing their best to entice and seduce.
Light- to medium-weight, excellent structure and the crisp cranberry acidity adds freshness and vibrancy. 

Chalky tannins and light spices on the back palate add to the long savoury finish. Stylish release from La Bise that is good to drink from start to finish. Big tick here.


 Source: Sample courtesy of La Bise Wines. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. 
Price: $29.00. Rating: 90 Points. Website: https://labisewines.com.au

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Water Wheel Primitivo Ancellotta 2014

This is the first vintage of a unique blend in Australia from the Water Wheel winery at Bendigo with the Ancellotta component coming from the only plantings of the variety to date in the country. 

 Ancellotta Is a dark-skinned grape whose homeland is the Italian province of Emilia-Romagna, in particular the Po Valley where it is used to bolster the colour and character in lightly-hued wines such as Lambrusco.

 Primitivo is itself a dark-coloured Italian variety and adding 20% of the dark-skinned Ancellotta into the mix and you get some seriously glass-staining, teeth-tarnishing deep purple/black colours.

 Primitivo is grown in many areas of southern Italy, but the best according to Water Wheel winemaker Peter Cumming, an expert on Italian varietals, come from Manduria in the Puglian province of Taranto. 

The 2014 vintage opens with lifted aromas of violets, ripe blackberries and black pepper.
From the off the palate is medium-bodied and rich but not too dense or concentrated with 
soft, sweet berry fruits, plum, dried leaves and sweet spice.
The fruit-driven palate is balanced by dark chocolate, sweet spices and.rustic fruit tannins. 
There is a flavoursome, warm and juicy mouthfeel that culminates in a succulent aftertaste. 

Drinkability is good, very Italianate in feel and as Peter Cumming says "that savoury balance 
of Italian wines comes equally from the fruit and the winemaking". I couldn't agree more here.
All up, a really interesting wine at a brilliant price. 
Source: Sample courtesy of Water Wheel Wines. ABV: 14.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. 
Price: $16.00. Rating: 90+ Points. Website: http://waterwheelwine.com

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Spinifex Rosé 2016

Thinking pink has become de rigueur these days with the surging popularity of rosé wines and the unprecedented range to choose from competing for hearts, minds and wallets particularly throughout the warmer months. 

One of the more innovative rosé wines on the market is the one from Spinifex blended from 52% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 14% Mataro and 4% of the white variety Ugni Blanc (aka Trebbiano).

 The fruit comes from old vines sourced from mature dry grown vineyards in the Barossa Valley that have an average, repeat average age of 65 years.


The 2016 is light salmon in colour and has finely perfumed aromas of cherry, guava, watermelon and musk.

Plenty of depth and complexity on the palate from the winemaking process delivering a style that sits at the medium- to fuller-bodied end of the spectrum. Juicy redcurrant, cherry, dried cranberry snd spice flavours are fresh and delicious.

 Dry and chalky in texture with a slight crunch on the length but freshness is the feature here with its delicate fruit acids taking the wine to a pleasing savoury mineral finish. 

Thirst quenching dry rosé in the Provence style that should have a warning attached: Dangerously drinkable! Sit back on a balmy evening, sip this delicious Rosé and listen to the symphonic calls of cicadas in the backyard. Bliss.  

 Source: Winery. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $24.00. Rating: 93 Points. 
Website: http://www.spinifexwines.com.au 

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Yarran Wines A Few Words Rosé 2017

Yarran is a small family-owned and -operated winery at Yenda in the Riverina region of New South Wales. A Few Words is one of its labels, the wines of which are designed to capture a particular region in an easy-drinking style.  

The front label of this 100% Montepulciano Rosé states 'Pale & Dry'. Yes, it is certainly that. Pale salmon in colour and bone dry.  

On the nose it's stewed strawberry and raspberry aromas with scents of cream and rose water.
Palate-wise, the bright, juicy strawberry and raspberry flavours with dried garrigue herbs and chalky minerality are carried through by a razor sharp acidity. 

The light palate finishes with a lingering touch of dry amaro like spice. If it wasn't for the wine's heat, this would be a very good rosé. Nevertheless, a flat out bargain.
Source: Retail. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $14.99. Rating: 89 Points. 
Website: https://www.yarranwines.com.au

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Elgee Park Family Reserve Viognier 2016

From the oldest Viognier vines grown on the Mornington Peninsula and possibly in Australia, Elgee Park has played a significant role in the 20th century rebirth and development of the wine scene on the Mornington Peninsula.  

This wine is pale straw coloured with a greenish tinge. 
Opens with lifted floral aromas. Apricot and orange blossom, passionfruit with a hint of pine.

 The palate is redolent of apricot, white peach, passionfruit, honeysuckle, spicy ginger and flinty notes. 
This is a well-balanced wine, focused, plenty of acid to carry it through to the last drop and a little crunchy tannin.
There's a smidgeon of savoury complexity from barrel maturation.
It feels buttery but is balanced by the stone fruits, fresh racy acid and the crisp dry mineral finish.    

 Even though this is still a light, fresh wine, it is a good interpretation of the variety. 
Will get more of that velvety richness if you put it down for a few years but firing on all cylinders at present.
Source: Restaurant Wine List. ABV: 13.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $30.00. Rating: 90 Points. 
Website: http://elgeeparkwines.com.au

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Spinifex Clairette 2015

In this post I thought I'd nerd things up somewhat with a white grape variety that is rare worldwide: Clairette.

After some grape varieties were rescued from the brink of extinction in the recent past such as Viognier, Clairette appears to be doing the opposite. With a change in modern wine drinking culture and its supposedly unloved status with winemakers, the variety appears to be heading towards the exit door. At least Spinifex is flying its flag.
For those not bored with wine geekery, Clairette is a variety that predominantly grows in the Languedoc Roussillon and Rhone regions in France. It dates back to the 1500's in France and is one of the oldest grapes used in wine production. Of the thirteen grape varieties permitted in Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines, Clairette is the most common white variety.

This is the first release of a 100% Clairette from Spinifex, the variety previously used as a ccmponent in their renowned Lola blend. 
The fruit comes from a 20 year old southern Barossa Valley vineyard. 
Hand harvested, fermented with indigenous yeasts and bottled without filtration.   

 A pale straw coloured wine. An aromatic mix of apples, guava, citrus blossom and fennel coming through on the nose with hints of florals and herbs adding further interest.
Light- to- medium-bodied in weight, good texture and mouthfeel. Broad flavour profile with stone fruits, mandarin and herbals 
The second glass tasted prettier with the stone fruit, mineral and grassy herbaceous character shining through. It's textural, dry, delicate but ultimately uncomplicated. 

The grapefruit acidity holds reasonably well throughout, providing freshness and length to the dry finish.
A dry citrus bitterness on the aftertaste. It's an interesting wine possibly best suited to blends.

 Vinodiversity is an excellent resource for rare varietals in Australia including Clairette.

Source: Winery. ABV: 12.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $22.40. Rating: 89 Points. 
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La Bise Adelaide Hills Arneis 2016

An Arneis from the Adelaide Hills. Winemaker Natasha Mooney has created a cool, seductive and elegant wine from fruit grown at the Amadio vineyard in Kersbrook. 300 cases made. 

 Mooney's brand La Bise (The Kiss en francais) aims to breathe the "kiss of life" into vineyards requiring that extra t l c. The brand also stamps her personal touch with wines that she considers "unconventional", "thought provoking" and "offer an alternative without the intimidation" to drinkers.

 Alluring pale gold in colour.
Rich with scented florals, citrus and almond aromas on the nose with some apples and herbal notes 
Apple, peach, ripe pear and almond flavours follow onto the long palate that is mid-weight and well-balanced.
The mouth-watering lemon acidity and slatey mineral charm give this wine a fresh, clean and dry mouthfeel. 
No "intimidation" here, this is an Arneis spot on for personality and drinkability.

 Source: Sample courtesy of La Bise Wines. ABV: 13.2%. Closure: Screw Cap. 
Price: $22.00. Rating: 91 Points. Website: https://labisewines.com.au

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Off The Books Gundagai Touriga 2016

Preservative free and unadulterated, made in the Joven style for early drinking is what winemaker Nicholas Crampton says of this Touriga, one of the wines in the Off The Books range. 770 dozen made.

 The rationale behind the range was that when small parcels of fruit became available such as from ten year old Touriga vines grown at the Book Book vineyard at Ladysmith, south-east of Wagga Wagga, it was a no- brainer to "bring these gems to life and to showcase the fruit quality and the story of the vineyard," he stated.  

The Touriga pours a dense black crimson into the glass.

Strong perfumed aromas of savoury dark plummy fruit, violet and lavender florals and toasty oak. Further aromas of cinnamon and a hint of white pepper add interest.

The nose segues to a buoyant dark and red-fruited palate. Plum, blackberry, boysenberry. Perfume and fruit upfront and then transitions to a mid-weight, generous core with secondary flavours of coffee, spice and earth. The florals hang around and there is a smooth leather-like texture to the back. A savoury line of bright acidity and firm tannins drive the wine to a lengthy finish. 

Nicholas Crampton is onto something good here with this well made, well priced, polished and easy drinking Touriga. This wine will have you reaching for that second glass. Recommended.   

Source: Sample courtesy of Fourth Wave Wine. ABV: 12.2%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $20.00. 
Rating: 91 Points. Supplier Website: https://www.fourthwavewine.com.au
https://www.fourthwavewine.com.au/offthebooks-our-range

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