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Bit late in getting round to tasting this but now I’ve started my attack on the local Sangiovese pile in earnest. It’s looking good too.

Subtle aromatics of licorice, dark cherry, dried herb and earth lead in to an absolutely top palate that offers open knit suede like tannins, dry and grainy, but very smooth - certainly a wine that would appeal to the keenest of tannin freaks. The flavours are of licorice and dark cherry with a sprinkling of red berries - it sounds dark but tastes quite fresh. Long too. And with all that I should add that it drinks beautifully too - sometimes we forget. Local benchmark I think.

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The gathering for our annual “Zin Din” saw the largest representation ever from Australia. Gary has already reviewed the Penna Lane but the group we had also included Piggs Peake, Cape Mentelle, Kangarilla Road, Groome, Rutherglen Estates, Wood Park, Buckshot Heathcote and Williams Selyem from California. Styles ranged from tight and bright through to the late harvest style. My general impression is that Rutherglen and Barossa can produce benchmark zin if the fruit is ripe and crop levels are not too high.
This wine always had great fruit on the nose that announced it as classic zin but it got better over the three days it was on the bench. On the first night the nose showed plum pudding, red berries and a bit of raisin but the palate was a little tight for the first hour, then it began to reveal its inner Zin. The power of the fruitcake and raisins gradually got overtaken by cherry and some blueberry that just rolled on complete with a little licorice on the finish, sort of like Pinot on steroids. A Zinful wine

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It’s a blend of 85% Corvina and Corvinone and 15% Rondinella and Molinara but is 100% delicious as often only a good Italian can be. I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying this wine.

It smells of black cherry with a touch of smoke, new leather and sweet dried herb - good and rich. On the palate medium bodied but fat and lush with dried cherry, herb, bitter almond and a gentle earthy character. It has good extract with dry grainy toothsome tannins, seemingly low acid (although balanced) and a good exit leaving the mouth dry and clean. It’s just a great wine to drink.

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Well tonight’s little mini theme is Zinfandel (although I quickly opened a Hunter Shiraz afterwards to settle the nerves) and this is the best of the trio tasted. Our David tells me he’s a bit of a Zin enthusiast, and if pushed I’d probably admit to being more of a Primitivo man, although I think this grape is particularly sensitive to both terroir and winemaker - much like Pinot Noir and equally hard to get right - so it’s no wonder he likes it… For the record the other wines were 2007 Elderton Estate (fresh and attractive, smelling of raspberries and spice but a little herbal and dilute on the palate. 88 points) and 2007 Hentley Farm Barossa (a whopping 16.8% alcohol and as much like a Herbert Adams jam filled donut (rolled in earth and brandy) as wine, which is no bad thing if you are in the mood…. a wine for sweet-toothed pirates and dragon slayers perhaps).

A minty perfume wafts over plum pudding, spice, raspberry and Iced Vovo which leads on to a sweet and spicy medium to full bodied palate of good intensity and freshness. It’s a mix of warm cherried fruit and cool mint with light fine grained tannins, good balance and fair length of flavour. Good wine but questionable value.

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The colour is crimson that is quite deep and very bright. The nose is not shy in letting you see the great fruits of blueberry, cherry and a bit of anise. The palate takes these flavours and has great length. It starts with a fine grained set of tannins supporting blueberry, cherry and a bit of spice. The finish is a while coming and is sort of raisiny and very clean. Lurking around is a subtle fennel element that completes the package. I would love to try this again in a few years because I suspect it will age very well. It is available from International Fine Wines who tell me that few retailers were shown this but it is at quite a few top restaurants.

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Tannat, Tannat, Tannat Tannat Tannat. They are the opening bars to the Pink Panther theme using only the word Tannat as an instrument. I think it’s the only palindromic grape variety too. What a noble, versatile and entertaining grape! I tasted this the night before going on holiday and did not have the chance to observe its development the next day, which is a bit of a shame as I think it may have good potential for cellaring.

Unusual to smell but it makes for an interesting point of difference with honeycomb, liquorice, earth, dark fruit/plum and creamy spiced oak. It’s medium to full bodied, chunky and strong but the tannins, while firm, are pretty good and ripe and they have an appealing multi-layered texture that really fills the mouth. The flavours are of orange peel, bitter chocolate, plums and dark berries, earth and spice - charismatic and adult. A fascinating wine.

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They’re growing all sorts of interesting things up in the Hunter these days - Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Tannat and Barbera. I opened this along with a few other ‘alternative varieties’ from the same vintage and must say I enjoyed the change of pace. This came into its own when I had a glass with food (my famous Rigatoni Puttanesca in case you were wondering) at which stage I could have easily added a point or two to the score.

It smells of things like liquorice, berries, earth, game and spice - all good and interesting. Medium bodied with dried herbs, berries, orange peel and spice flavours. It has some attractive bitterness, chunky tannins and the acidity is a bit edgy but it drinks well and certainly does very well with food. Has character. I like it.

Other vintages :2005

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This wine was made by Jean Saint Charles of Domaine Saint Charles. It is the heaviest piece of glass that I have seen from Beaujolais which is quite appropriate to the style, which is big and often requires breathing. The aromas are like a Vosne Romanee made with gamay! Second try, there are spice, brambles, earthy characters here. I am not alluding to brett(yes, I had it tested), it is very clean, just that it opens very tightly showing more secondary flavours than fruit related ones. The palate is similar but the fruit is evident and is more on the spicy cooked plum spectrum with hints of raspberry and a bit of rose. It has quite a deal of tannin and was better with food. Jean has just leased his property since his kids have no interest. Randall did import some a few years back but there is probably little about now. I review this because it is old style Beaujolais that can age very well and if you bought some a few years back, leave it alone for another five years or so.

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A dark dark red, but without any purple. Aromas of black cherries, red cherries, raspberries, blackberries, dusty dry spices and some French polish. A sensational palate, showing red fruits more than black, nuanced, nuts and some cream, raspberries, salted liquorice, then fine sweet fruits and a bit of white pepper on the finish. There is a lovely depth of richness, firm tannins and some acid that just seems to be jumping out of ripe berry fruits. The tannins gathered weight with time, but I didn’t mind; I like a good firm tannin.

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I feel a little ignorant about this label but not about the variety. Two friends brought different labels of this variety on the same night. This wine is from the Eastern side of the Barossa and a visit to their website suggests they like Italian varietals. The aromas were tobacco and plum and something not clear. The palate showed the same sort of fruit but the tannins seemed a little tough. It is only 12.5% so maybe it needed a little more ripeness. I am hoping those Winoramists who are more familiar with the variety than the two examples I tried may enlighten me as to what I should have been seeing.

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I listened to an interesting podcast about the wines of Vietti on Grape Radio a few weeks, so when I saw this yesterday I decided to buy a bottle.

A nose showing dark cherries and leather, liquorice, with a touch of cream and some dusty cedar. Quite a dry and savoury palate, red cherries and dry spices, which in itself doesn’t really convey the charm of the wine, because its beauty lies in the lovely lovely tannins, chewy but fine, with nothing blocky or coarse or green. Moderately acidic, finishing dryly, a super food wine. Could probably do with another year or two.

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This has been in the old box for nearly a year now but time is on its side. Yes it is.

Fresh smelling wine with raspberry, spice, a bit of licorice, some bacon bits and (attractive) creamy coconut ice cream oak. On the palate fresh and clean with high acidity and fine grained tannins. It has flavours of raspberry and blackberry, spice and creamy oak. The acidity is a bit edgy but it beds down with a bit of air. Good pippy raspberry and spice finish. A good wine with plenty of personality.

Other vintages : 2006

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A bit of a lag in tasting notes for the last few days but rest assured, I have been busy. I have decided to apply myself more thoroughly from now and catalogue all samples (as they arrive..but not the enormo-pile that’s already there) in an Excel spreadsheet. In addition to this I have gone back through my notepad for April and some of March and typed up (or transcribed might be a better word if you are ever lucky enough to witness the horror that is my handwriting) notes for some 80 wines not reviewed on Winorama. Then I gave up. But going forward I will continue to do this because I can then use the notes for something, at some stage, and also collate some statistics such as average price, alcohol, closure, fault rates etc. I’m quite proud of myself really. Anyway, I digress, and lets get back to the business of reviewing wine.

Some colour development here but it’s not unusual for Nebbiolo and apart from the fact that is opens up a little bit minty, you’d most likely pick this as a Barolo. Actually you’d be pretty good to pick it as Barolo anyway, but that’s another story. It smells of rose, fennel, nougat, earth and is only vaguely fruity - perhaps of blackcurrant and cherry. On the palate only medium bodied but lithe and muscular with strong dry tannins and distinctly fresh acidity. It has a dry flavour profile that’s also floral and somewhat mineral/earthy and finishes with good length and a firm tannic grip. No doubt that this is one for the purists and stylists, and I’d count myself amongst them, but like all good Nebbiolo it needs patience and careful cellaring. I’m betting that this could become something very special, but for now a more conservative rating.

Other vintages : 2005

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I have a feeling that I bang on a bit about Beaujolais and its drinkability and it being an excellent accompaniment to a Mediterranean lunch. This post continues the tradition.

A dry and savoury nose, showing raspberries, iron filings, leather and dry stones. The palate is medium bodied and dry, and though it is perhaps a little bit rustic, it also oozes with savoury fruits, earthy spices and a raspberry tanginess. Very good length, moderately alcoholic and leaves an overall impression of a dry spiciness that complements food. No tsunami of flavours here, but that is not the point. Good stuff indeed.

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I tasted this on the old Enomatic at North Sydney Cellars and had to buy a bottle. I should not have opened it now mind you, it’s very tannic and not close to being ready, but this tasting did confirm that I’d like to squirrel away a couple of bottles to drink at a much later date. I can’t remember what I paid for it just now - somewhere around $70 I think.

At once floral and earthy with dark cherry, smoke, a touch of licorice and a little bit of spicy oak. Very attractive. On the palate medium bodied with dark cherry and red fruit, spice with earth and tobacco flavours. Not what you would call fruity in the slightest. Good fresh acidity and formidable chalky tannins that really grip and coat the mouth. Very good dry finish with a mass of tannin on exit. A day in bottle and a good chunk of Reggiano worked wonders short term, but this really needs to be left alone for a good while.

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This is thought to be the first commercial release of Carmenère in Australia with a production of 150 dozen. It tastes like Carmenère too although better than some of the Chilean examples I have had recently - a little cleaner and fruitier. I also admired the bottle for an unusually long time too. Very nice packaging.

A typical mix of dried herb, spice, ash and volcanic rocks with bright red fruit and some vanilla oak. On the palate medium bodied with fresh red cherry, spiced red jelly, dried herb and subtle oak in support. It has fine light dry tannins, clean acidity and feels nice and airy in the mouth. Good juicy finish. No heat or heaviness. I think this is a really good drink.

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It was tasting through a variety of wines the other day at North Sydney Cellars (on the old Enomatic) and this Sicilian made from the Nero d’Avola grape jumped up and gesticulated wildly at me. I just had to buy a bottle.

Aromas of sour dark cherry, licorice, dried herbs, cracked pepper, smoke and baked earth. Not fruity although deep and rich. On the palate medium to full bodied with black cherry, licorice, bitter chocolate, earth and dried herb flavours. It has chunky lightly gritty tannins and fresh acid to balance and feels dry, earthy and very satisfying to drink. Surprisingly expansive and long with a dry and savoury dark cherry and earth aftertaste. This is packed with personality and charm and drinking it made me happy. It’s one of the most enjoyable wines I’ve had in quite a while.

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If there is one character trait I sorely lack (and I am sure there are others) it’s the ability to pay attention to detail and be patient. No such problems with old ‘Cool Hand’ Luke Lambert though. He seems meticulous. I don’t know what he looks like but I can picture him eating multiple hard boiled eggs. I asked him about the fruit source for this wine and the detail was very impressive (something about ferric soil, shading, VSP, clone 230 etc etc). In the winery it is all ‘old school’ Barolo techniques of long skin contact, old oak puncheons, oxidation and no fining or filtration. And you know what? This Nebbiolo from Heathcote actually tastes a lot like a Nebbiolo from Barbaresco. Well knock me over with a Salami.

Clear rosy red in colour with lifted aromatics of raspberry, red cherry, flowers, fennel and damp earth. On the palate light to medium bodied with fresh tangy acidity and firm chalky open knit tannins with juicy flavours of cherry, weak raspberry cordial, fennel and earth. Finishes with a tannic rasp and a red fruit and dried herb aftertaste. Italianate in structure and style, it works best with food, and will be appreciated most by those who value elegance and restraint over size and power. A wine of considerable charm and one with a bright future.

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Initially quite reserved, with subtle tar and roses on the nose, tarred cherries and a sense of hollowness on the palate, and a hint of distracting acetone on the finish. Not a promising start, but with time it blossomed and filled to show aromas of cherries and leather, with liquorice and sour red cherries, dusty spices, some great savoury length and a bit of tar on the finish. Silky smooth tannins - not at all what I was expecting, so I would suggest it has been made in a more New World kind of way, with the tannins subdued and tamed, and not a lot of grip. Should drink well over the next 5 years, perhaps more.

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Funny wine this. Interesting. Challenging. I like it. I think.

Opens up very reduced and rubbery but settles down to show freshly laid road tar, dark cherries and currants with a violet tinted perfume. On the palate medium to full bodied with dense curranty and black cherry fruit, earth and bitter dried herbs. It has firm chalky tannins and a dense chewy texture. Finishes with bitter dark chocolate. A quirky Italian from the Hunter Valley.

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