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If I were to use a meteorological simile, there is a low pressure system of Pinot Gris over me at the moment, and there will be a deluge of notes on said wines this week. I am hoping for sunnier skys on the weekend and a high pressure system of Pinot Noir. This wine was made from fruit grown in the Innes vineyard at Littlehampton on the eastern side of the Adelaide Hills.

On the nose, showing powerful aromas of honeysuckle, pears and lemons, with a touch of spice. The palate is quite punchy and ripe, pears and lemons and a bit of spice with a savoury edge. And though I say ripe, the balance of flavours are well judged and there isn’t anything sickly or heavy about the wine; crisp and fresh all the way down the line.

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I always wonder about using some of the more esoteric descriptors but after tasting this wine I thought “mmmm sarsaparilla” and on checking the official tasting note (for regional composition mainly) I see winemaker Peter Gago has used the same word. If it’s good enough for Gago then it’s good enough for me. You could get a song out of that for sure…

Something very nice to sniff here with aromas of blackcurrant, dark chocolate, violet and a minty mentholated lift. On the palate full bodied with strong tannin, pronounced acidity and excellent shape through the mouth. It has flavours of blackcurrant, sarsaparilla and some more meaty savoury characters with cedary oak well in the background. Long finish with a bit of acid poking out at the end. It’s all arms and legs at the moment but looks to be a super example of 407.

Other vintages : 2004, 2004, 2003, 1996

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I think I have the price right because yet again I have lost the bit of paper that came with the wine. Anyway, it’s from small winery located in the Willunga sub-region of McLaren Vale and is single vineyard, organically grown, hand picked and all that lot. I tasted this next to a Barossa shiraz (in and amongst other things) and that supple plummy richness and round mid-palate that typifies the region really stood out. This reminds me a bit of Wirra Wirra stylistically.

Rich and seductive with aromas of black fruit, plum, Xmas spices, aniseed and a little eucalyptus. On the palate full bodied, smooth and lush with velveteen tannins and flavours of plum, berries, milk chocolate, aniseed and spice. It’s balanced and very clean with a long sweet and spicy fruit after-taste. Scrumptious would be a good adjective to use, so scrumptious it is.

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I’m finally catching up and reviewing the Penfolds 2008 Bin releases now. Better late than never I suppose. This year the Bin 311 is “all Orange”, and it does not shine for me as much as last year’s Tumbarumba release. Perhaps too much skin and bones, although it could turn into something beautiful.

Fresh smelling with nectarine, mandarin, cucumber, almond and a little vanilla spice. On the palate light and airy with a slightly glossy texture and tight minerally acidity. It has nectarine, sour edged citrus fruit and greener flavours backed with subtle almond and vanilla oak. Good finish with a bit of an acid bite to close. Quite fine and delicate. Nice wine, and I like it, but don’t find it particularly exciting.

Other vintages: 2006, 2005

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The name “Pirathon” celebrates a famous punch up (known locally as the battle of Pirathon) that happened outside the Tanunda pub circa 2005AD (around 9.30PM) between Helen of Troy Kalleske and visiting celebrity Paris Hilton. The trouble started when the wily Hector (of Tulloch) claimed his one dollar coin was next in line for a go on the pool table but Troy’s mate Achilles (owner of the local kebab shop) would have none of it. Paris had kept a lazy eye on the dashing Hector for most of the evening, and in a show of support and quite possibly with the intention of blowing the froth off a couple with him later on, set her dog onto Achilles. Although small in stature, he was both plucky and smart, and went straight for Achillies’ heel. “Struth!”, yelped Achillies, “It bloody bit me.”..and after that is was on for young and old….

Fabulous smelling wine packed with dark Barossan goodness and offering things like black fruit, dark chocolate, baking spices (nutmeg, cloves, allspice), roses, tar and a little menthol lift. The oak is unobtrusive and beautifully folded into the wine. On the palate full bodied with rich black fruit, a little raspberry, dark chocolate and spicy flavours. It’s smooth, ripe and long and enormously satisfying to drink. I think it’s probably even better than the 2005…so perhaps I should score it higher. Regardless, I’d recommend getting onto and into a bit of this gear without reservation.

Other vintages : 2005

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There is always something promising about the mousse on a glass of sparkling Shiraz; I find it quite festive. This wine was no exception displaying some lovely purple foam, albeit temporarily. A complex nose, plums and vanilla, pepper, stewed fruits, and even some apricots and oranges. The palate displayed sweet fruits, plums and raspberries, with some leathery complexity and some doughiness too. It was light in the mouth, and the acid cleansing and refreshing; a single bottle just wasn’t enough, especially when shared between four people. Drink now, but it would be interesting to see it with another year or two of bottle age.

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I have 3 sparklings from Pennan to review: two Sparkling Chardonnays, one with zero dosage and another made in a slightly sweeter style, and a Sparkling Shiraz. This is the zero dosage wine. 280 six packs produced. A pleasant nose, with hints of lemon and cream, yeast and biscuit. The palate showed lemon and a light biscuitiness, with red delicious apples and sherbety tingle. It had quite a rounded mouthfeel, in some ways belying its absence of dosage. The finish is dry and crisp; quite a refreshing tipple.

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Aromatically pleasing, with cherry compote, sap, a cleanness and clarity, acid and a touch of spice. The palate is excellent, again with a clarity of fruit, red cherries and some confection, a full but light mouthfeel, and sap on the finish. Fruit driven, no oak blurring the picture - effortless drinking. I am not quite as excited as Gary, but it really is an excellent Australian Pinot Noir.

Other vintages: 2006

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A light straw in colour. A very fruity and tropical nose, showing bananas and melon, limes and hints of green fruits, with a small dollop of cream. The palate is crisp and fresh, lemon, melon, lime and some slightly musky fruits and a touch of flint. There are some lovely ripe fruit acids running through the wine, nothing abrasive at all, and fruit is quite sweet. A pleasant no malo style of Chardonnay, and easy drinking on a warm afternoon.

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Prima puts me in mind of those little boxes of fruit juice that I used to take to school as a kiddy. Popper was the other one, which is also the sound that the highly fetching glass stopper makes when it comes out of this fruity beauty. This is the inaugural vintage of an early picked off-dry (22g residual sugar) style, and while according to at least one retailer, this resurgence of sweeter style Riesling could be confusing to all those people who are now just learning to trust their assurances that Riesling is dry, I say bugger them. And anyway, it gives the lazy idle shiftless wine sniffing pigs something useful to do…

Flowery and mineral at once with lime, mango and a little spice. On the palate an intense burst of sweet lime, mango and lemon pith that is snapped back into focus by crisp dry flinty acidity. The balance is perfect and the combination of sweet, dry and sour is both highly refreshing and almost irresistible. It’s off-dry really, or seems that way, the sweetness in no way obvious or sickly and the finish clean, dry and very long. A.W.E.S.O.M.-O!

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It’s about 6km outside the Grampians GI but I’m popping it in anyway. Tastes like Grampians and I like it better than some of the bigger (and more expensive) names from the region (or not as the case may be). So there we have it. Just call me GI Joe. I know no boundaries.

Aromatic and packed with exotic spice it fairly bursts with black cherry, blackberries, new leather and creamy vanilla oak. On the palate just above medium bodied with beautiful velvety tannins, balanced alcohol, clean acidity and a lush creamy texture. It offers sweet black cherry fruit, licorice, spice and vanilla and fairly ripples along the palate in a most seductive manner, closing with a long black fruit and spice aftertaste. It’s an absolute beauty and I strongly recommended it to fanciers of spicy Western Victorian Shiraz.

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At this rate it won’t be too long before the Yarra Valley takes poll position as the most reviewed region on Winorama. Well that’s fine by me too because I like it a lot, and there’s lots more Yarra Valley action to come.

Quite savoury and refined with aromas of fig, creamy cashew, spice and subdued citrus and peach fruit. On the palate flinty and dry with sour edged fruit flavours of green pear and citrus, yeast lees and spiced nuts. Soft, lightly creamy and a little oxidative, but shot through with minerally acidity, the overall impression is textural and sophisticated rather than fruity. Finishes dry and flinty with good length. And if it makes any sense I like this even more than the score would indicate; it’s one of those wines you appreciate more with every sip.

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I don’t much like Viognier, but if I do drink it then I want it to taste like Viognier….and not some washed out, high acid, flavourless variant. So here we have a wine that is fully varietal, modestly priced and gasp…it’s from the Hunter Valley.

Brash and obvious with juicy stonefruit, tropical fruits, quince, vanilla and roasted nuts. On the palate medium to full bodied with good rich flavours of slightly candied stone and tropical fruit, spice and supporting vanilla oak. It has a lightly slippery glycerol mouthfeel with balanced acidity and a dry spicy finish of good length. Good wine. Smart price.

Other vintages : 2006

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Plenty of catching up to do, plenty of notes to write, but not so much time at the moment. Anyway, I recently tasted my way through the current releases from Tibooburra (07 Pinot Noir, 07 Sauvignon Blanc, 06 Chardonnay and 07 Merlot) and this is easily my pick of the bunch. More proof that the Yarra, given the right site, can knock out some pretty special Shiraz.

Quite pretty and flowery with an array of exotic spices such as star anise, pepper, cloves and cinnamon over dark cherry fruit, menthol, dark chocolate and some meatier gamy characters. On the palate medium bodied with flavours of dark fruit and cherry, spice, dark chocolate and meat. It feels beautifully balanced, fluid and fresh with fine smooth tannins and excellent length of flavour. Highly drinkable, complex and thoroughly engaging.

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Tua Rita is located in Suvereto, a small medieval town in the Tuscan province of Livorno on the coast south of Bolgheri. It is best known for its 100% Merlot wine called Redigaffi, a wine which is very much on the radar of Mr Parker. The Rosso dei Notri is a Sangiovese dominant blend, and I believe is made from young vine fruit. A ripe nose, with blackcherries and liquorice, a baked earth character and some goat hide rusticity. The palate displayed black fruits with a red cherry lift, savoury fruits through the palate, a touch of liquorice sweetness and a dry finish. Medium bodied, complementing food nicely, though given that other reviews on the net seemed to universally mention a clean and fruit-pure wine, I suspect this bottle might be affected by the ‘b’ word.

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Last Jamsheed red out of the shed. There is Rosé as well, but that will have to wait until later. Quite a dusty nose, cedar, cinnamon bark and ash, with red plums, white pepper and dried mushrooms. The palate showed red fruits, cherries more than plums, with dry barky spices and some dried herbs. There is no doubts some fineness to the fruit and the palate, but it is a bit backward at the moment. Quite a tough one to rate, and perhaps a wine that will divide the crowd. Don’t drink it now - I am reasonably sure it will improve with some age - it would certainly be educational to see how it changes with time.

Other vintages: 2005

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This is 100% Merlot off vines with an average age of 35 years and as it’s just outside the St Emillon AC, only qualifies for a more humble status of AC Bordeaux. Good news for the consumer I think. Now if you have any blocks you want busting then this could well be the wine for you - it has enormous extract and grip, and whilst perhaps a bit New World in style (but without the sweetness), it still looks like Bordeaux to me. Importers: Ce Soir

Strong dark colour with great aromatics including raspberry compote, violet, camphor, mineral and earth. On the palate medium to full bodied with ripe purple fruit, raspberry, violet and a strong earthy mineral character. Rich but dry to taste. It has huge extract with strong dry tannins and a good earthy finish. Already throwing a crust, I’d give this beast a few years to settle, and then enjoy it over the next five (or more).

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Yet again I have lost the press release but using the powers of my mind I can tell you this is made by Domenic Torzi from parcels of fruit sourced from across the Barossa Valley. Lyndoch, Eden Valley and hmmm might have been Greenock. I’m sure someone will let me know.

Grapes come from Lyndoch old vine Shiraz owned by a 6th generation Lyndoch family. This site lies in Rowland Flat along the foothills behind the original plantings by Colin Gramp. The Shiraz fruit once supplied Grant Burge for his Meshach…a truly flavour punch site.

Greenock site which is surrounded by Grange Shiraz..not his block though..it was full of plums, peaches and apricots..up rooted they went and in went Grange cuttings from next door. It’s a remarkable block for its youth.

Old vine Angaston Shiraz owned by a 4th generation Angaston grape grower. This site lies along side Henschke sourced old vine shiraz fruit. This fruit for many years supplied Barossa Valley Estate for its E & E Shiraz…it’s a super site with thin soil of iron stone.

Rich and black with cherry jam, black fruits, menthol, liquorice, Bounty Bars and vanilla oak. Flamboyant, not exactly subtle, but very winning. On the palate full bodied but not heavy; it drinks beautifully with its flavours of sweet black fruit, cherry and dark chocolate. It has smooth ripe tannin and an even flow through the mouth. It’s a gorgeous easy going crowd pleaser of the very highest quality.

Other vintages : 2005

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Now here is a wine that I would heartily endorse and drink any day of the week. That the particular day of the week I opened it coincided with the production of some home made pizzas then so much the better. I elbowed aside a whole bunch of other samples and picked this juicy beauty out of the bunch to scoff with dinner and to drink later whilst watching the footy. It’s exactly that sort of wine…and a real winner (unlike Carlton). It has a bloody awful label mind you, so those of a delicate aesthetic sensibility are best served by plopping it into a decanter.

Opens up a bit charry and smelly but in no time a surge of black cherry jam, raspberry, mint and liquorice come rising up. On the palate medium bodied with beautiful fine ripe tannin, pleasing texture and balanced alcohol. It offers flavours of sweet cherry and berry fruit mixed in with darker earthy flavours of leather and coal. It has presence in the mouth, with no misses along the way and closes with a mass of sweet fruit and excellent length of flavour. Delicious.

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Now one of the things that most puts me off many Australian VP styles is the horrid spirit they use in the fortification process. I think it quite often smells like rotting vegetable peelings or something equally ghastly. Then again I’m no expert…but then again I know what I like. And I like this wine. It smells clean and much like a proper Port style wine.

It smells of crushed blackberry, violet, liquorice, chocolate and earth with a clean spirit whisking it up the nose. On the palate warm and earthy with sweet black fruit, violet and dark chocolate flavours. Not too sweet but not too dry. It has good grippy tannin and a clean fresh wholesome aspect that makes it entirely chuggable now (dangerous) or many years later (equally dangerous but you will also be older and wiser..) A cute squat bottle holding a distinguished lengthy wine.

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