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It’s admittedly not my preferred style, but it’s very very good wine nonetheless. Incredible value too. I particularly like the names of the vineyards it comes off - Gagliardi, Notto, Trombetta and Manno, although I’m more than half expecting to find a horse’s head in my bed if I don’t give it over 90 pointas!

It’s fully loaded with spice, macerated dark cherry, leather and liquorice - complex and vinous way beyond its price point. On the palate full bodied and deep with spice, cherry liqueur, leather and good freshness even though it’s fully rich and ripe. Fine grained supple tannins and excellent texture - hale and hearty yet not without sophistication. Long finish. Outstanding value. Top wine.

Other vintages: 2006

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Dominic Torzi and Tim Freeland have been at it again and this, their latest creation, is a blend of 28% Chenin Blanc, 28% Riesling, 22% Semillon and 22% Sauvignon Blanc from vines with an average age of 50+ years. It puts me in mind of a Northern Italian dry white and has many of the same positive attributes of refreshment, low alcohol and palate cleansing crispness.

It smells of fruit salad, soap, grass and dried herb with a bit of funky taxi drivers armpit wafting about. Not too overt or sweet smelling - more dry white. On the palate light, fresh and very crisp with subtle fruit salad drizzled with plenty of lemon juice, dried herbs and some minerally flavours. Finishes dry and clean with lemony acidity and excellent length. This has heaps of personality and excels at its purpose. If you like the style (I do) and want a wine with a point of difference then I can’t recommend it highly enough to you. It’s a bit out there and a whole lot more interesting than so much of the stuff that’s out there.

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I really like this wine and I could pretty much re-use the same tasting note every year. It is consistent and consistently good, the secret being in the multi-regional blending to create a (steak) ‘house’ style. This year it’s King Valley 34%, Strathbogie Ranges 15% , Padthaway 13%, Barossa Valley 11%, Goulburn Valley 11% , McLaren Vale 11% and the mysterious region known as ‘Other’ making up the final 5%.

Nice and rich with a mix of black and red berries, chocolate, a touch of mint and light vanilla oak. On the palate medium to full bodied with smooth flavours of dark berries, chocolate and attractive vanilla oak. It feels good in the mouth with some appropriate food friendly chalky tannin and a little warmth from alcohol. Cleansing tannin on exit. A very good drink - simple yet satisfying.

Other vintages: 2005

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Straight off the bat this smells enticing, with red fruits, choc-mint and muted combination of spices: pepper, cinnamon, five spice and nutmeg. The palate is silky smooth and sexy, black fruited more than red, with wood spices and dried herbs. There is good fruit depth, medium-bodied, finely textured and quite elegant with a dry finish. Clean and clinical; drink over the medium term.

Other vintages: 2005

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I tried this over a couple of days, cool and warm, big glasses and little glasses because I love the flavour and structure but was concerned about the alcohol. It is fairly modest for a grenache but this wine seems just too delicate to hide it.

Aromas of raspberry, cherry, roses, spice and old oak. Redfruited and perfumed it’s a lovely smelling wine. On the palate medium bodied with red fruit, spice and some clean earthy flavours. The tannins are firm and sandy and give the wine excellent shape and focus. There is some gentle warmth from alcohol on the palate but the full impact is felt on the stinging finish. You could safely add a couple of points if you don’t mind a little kick in the tail though.

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Another charismatic wine, packed with flavour and value, from the irrepressable Domenic Torzi.

A rich festive smelling wine offering up cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice and a bit of earth and spice. On the palate full bodied with intense flavours of plum and cherry liqueur, chocolate, spice and bitter herbs. There are plenty of fine grained tannins lurking beneath the fruit yet it feels soft and very approachable. A little sting from alcohol detracts but only very slightly. Good length of flavour. Fantastic value.

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They call this wine “The Calf” because it comes in half bottles and it’s designed to complement a nice piece of prime beef. I love half bottles and wish that more producers would use them. Perfect for restaurant wine lists when you don’t want a full bottle (or aren’t prepared to risk a glass of dodgy three day old brown wine) and equally handy in domestic situations that call for an emergency glass of something red.

Very inviting aromas of rich bramble fruit, chocolate, some meatiness, aniseed and very light cedar oak. On the palate medium to full bodied with juicy blackcurrant (pastille) and berry fruit, chocolate and pleasant minty flavours. Firm lightly grippy tannins cleanse the palate and the finish is clean, blackcurranty and very satisfying. Tasty and highly enjoyable.

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A dinner with friends in late November after consuming way too much Pinot had me lapping this wine up. It was not served blind and yes it was mainly Cabernet. Primo Estate seem to have a knack for producing power and fruit without leaving you feeling bashed on the head. This wine was restrained on the nose showing a little tobacco leaf and a touch of cassis. The palate had the same kind of tobacco but it was more subtle and the red berry flavours bigger and a tiny hint of green pepper, then a gentle embrace of vanillia rich oak. A lovely package that has aged well and I reckon will go on a bit longer.

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Quite apart from the fact that this is 65% cabernet and 35% shiraz it is also a very well travelled wine. I took it to NZ the other week, was smitten by a cold, and failed to taste it so it came home. And they sent me the 2004 to taste by accident. It’s a Longhop to the shops if you want a sausage roll. Cue bagpipes.

A mix of black and red berries, spice, tar, dried herb, choc licorice bullets and spicy vanilla oak. Really quite a bit going on here. On the palate full bodied with flavours of plum, berry, leather and coal. Maybe a sprinkle of dried herbs here too. A very attractive mix of sweet and savoury flavours anyway. Plenty of powder fine tannin and the texture is (deceptively) soft and slightly slippery. Some warming alcohol and a long dry herby finish. I suspect this will age beautifully. It is a very distinctive and charismatic wine.

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Something was leaning in this photo and I am sure it was not me. Anyway, I’ll call it art. I’ll call it ‘The Leaning Longhop of Pizza’. If anyone would like a signed copy for $18,000 I am more than happy to oblige. All proceeds will go towards building a refuge for aged winemakers. So this is a blend of cabernet sauvignon 65% and shiraz 35%. The classic Australian blend.

Outrageously perfumed and floral with aromas of blackberry, creme de cassis, new leather and mint chocolate. On the palate an intense flood of blackberry nip, dark cherry, bitumen, mint and chocolate. Firm grainy tannins and warm alcohol. Finishes with cherry liqueur and earthy flavours. A hedonists delight. Consider yourself forewarned.

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Grenache time. This comes from a single vineyard with 50 year old vines. Handpicked, 25% whole bunch open ferment, basket pressed then aged for 12 months in seasoned American and French oak hogsheads and barriques.

Remarkable smelling wine. Intense raspberry/kirsch, florals, cocoa, baked earth and spice. On the palate flavours of raspberry sauce, cherry, flowers, leather and bitter chocolate. Slippery texture with smooth ultra fine tannins and some warming alcohol. Spiced raspberry and licorice finish. If it was a Southern Rhone super cuvee you might pay ten times the price for this sort of flavour concentration. This is distinctly Australian though, no doubt, but it’s a top shelf expression of the grape - and a beautiful one at that.

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This comes off vines planted in the 1950’s. Talk about flavour! No wonder Domenic Torzi is a bit light on in the hair department. This nearly blew my toupee off! I nearly always spit the wine when tasting but found this one very hard to resist. It’s that sort of wine.

Lifted aromas of blackberry/raspberry, cassis, pepper, bitumen and sweet toasty vanilla oak. The palate is power packed and positively rippling with flavours of plum, blackberry, raspberry, tar, vanilla and spice. Tannins are buffed, polished and smooth yet still appropriately grainy and mouthcoating for a wine of this size. No doubt hidden to a certain extent under the weight of all that luxuriously fat fruit. A golden glow of alcohol is present throughout. Dry savoury finish of great length. If you like them big, bold and beautiful then look no further for this could well be the wine of your dreams.

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Righto then. I tasted this at the same time as another $15 South Australian shiraz - the 2005 Penfolds Koonunga Hill. Both have fancy pants bottles. One is mass produced. The other an artisanal wine. Lets see how they stack up.

Aromas of plum, blackberry, baking spices, chocolate pudding and a certain dark earthiness. It really is a most pleasing wine to smell. On the palate a flood of plums dipped in chocolate, blackberry, spice and more leathery bituminous (that’s a real word) flavours. Fine lightly sandy tannins and some warmth from alcohol - although it’s not unpleasant - just warm and happy - like a slap on the back from an old friend. Grippy finish with a bit of a hot wallop on exit. This wine will make a lot of people smile. It’s a beauty.

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A blend of Shiraz and Sangiovese, with smaller amounts of Nebbiolo and Cabernet. Principally marketed as a bistro wine I believe, and certainly on warmish evenings, lighter wines like this are the order of the day. Fresh cherry and plum fruits, grapey, a touch of sulphur, slightly confected nose, but lighter bodied and very refreshing. A few things it doesn’t have: earth, mineral, oak or excessive alcohol. Nothing pretentious about this wine, and offers quality at its price-point.

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