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I think this is a much better wine than the more expensive Cabernet Merlot. It’s something of a bargain too.

It smells of blackberry and raspberry, vanilla custard, a bit of dark chocolate, play-doh, licorice and gum leaf. On the palate medium to full bodied with a delightful mix of berries, cedar and chocolate. Distinctly bright acidity, powdery tannins and an abundance of flavour presented with freshness and finesse complete the package. Lovely wine and a snip at the price.

Other Vintages : 2005

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Eric’s Blend, should you be wondering, is Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Franc.

It offers a pleasantly mature bouquet (and I think I can use this word here) and flavours of blackcurrant, plum, mint, earth and cigar box. The first bottle I tasted a few weeks back also had a lovely gamey character too that went missing here, but never mind. It’s smooth and refined with silky fine grained tannins and has complex bottle aged characters coming through. Suave, charming and beautiful to drink - I’d recommend this with much enthusiasm.

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Just look at all those medals! All the gold you can eat. Eric Brand would certainly have to be “The Patron” of bottle bling.

It’s scented, ripe and intensely blackcurranty with additional cooler flavours of aniseed, flickers of leaf and mint and a good measure of aromatic vanilla and cedar wood oak that’s bedding down nicely. Medium to full bodied and packed with sweet fruit but has some attractive tobacco and leaf flavour adding a little Cabernet strictness to the mix. It has firm fine grained tannins, freshness and clarity and finishes pure and long. Delicious wine, approachable now, but probably much better later. Textbook Coonawarra Cabernet.

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The review for the 2005 Tally elicited a couple of reader complaints - specifically that the inclusion of lyrics from “The Banana Boat Song” stuck in their heads and caused them to absent mindedly sing-a-long for a couple of days. Sorry. Right, now I tasted this alongside the 2005 John Riddoch and 2004 Brands Laira “The Patron” and it was clear from the first sniff and slurp of “The Tally” that this was a youthful, dense and forbidding wine, so the cork went straight back in and the wine was left until the next day. A reverse application of the “Method Audouze” if you like.

A huge wine flooded with Cassis, blackberry and raspberry fruit, a liberal application of complex oak offering toast, cedar, spice, nougat and play-doh with additional characters of black liquorice, mint and a few violets just poking their heads above the surface. It’s full bodied with enormous extract and flavour, dense and brooding with a big spread of chalky tannin and extreme length of flavour. A powerhouse that needs at least a decade of cellaring.

Other vintages : 2005

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I’ve not seen much of this about retail which could be a result of any or all of 1) sold out 2) not sold at the places where I’d normally look 3) limited production 4) staggered release.

It smells and tastes of liquorice, black fruit, cedar and has a slight floral perfume. In the mouth full bodied with classy saturating fine grained Cabernet tannins and perfectly pitched fruit weight to match. Certainly dry and with big extract but not over done - it offers strength without heaviness. Again oak is good and not overplayed. Finishes fresh and red fruited with superb length of flavour. It’s all class and (after a good decant) certainly quite approachable as a young wine if you suddenly succumb to a foolish mood.

Other vintages reviewed : 2004, 1993, 2003, 1999, 1994

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It’s the wine formally known as as Brand’s Laira Cabernet Sauvignon, formerly known as Brand’s of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. Blockers was a name given to Coonawarra land holders in the 1950’s who sold their grapes to other producers, of which founder Eric Brand was one.

It smells of red and black fruits, almonds, vanilla, cedar wood, an old Chesterfield lounge and a sweet aniseed/mint fragrance. On the palate full bodied and bold with an assault of ripe powdery tannins (that settle with a big decant or having a bottle open for a day) with intense flavour of ripe cherry, red berries, dark chocolate and vanilla. It feels fresh and lively, with no hint of raisined or dead fruit and slightly warm, although I’m not sure you would ever guess the alcohol content was so high (I didn’t). Excellent length of flavour too. Big end of town Cabernet for sure, but a very good wine.

Other vintages : 2004

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Balnaves have embiggened their Shiraz even further this vintage. Large scale, yes, but it’s a perfectly cromulent style.

It smells of boysenberry/blackberry - rich, dark and fruity with mint and black pepper all joining the club chocolate. On the palate sweet dark fruit, spice and chocolate with strong furry tannins and excellent length. A big wine and highly toothsome too. It comes with a big yum factor now but as your attorney I’d advise you to leave in the cellar for a couple of years - in which time it may look even better again.

Other vintages : 2005

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I thought rather than write a ‘proper’ tasting note I’d just paste in the unedited stuff I write in my Excel spreadsheet. Partly because I’m in a mad flap, partly because I don’t have much more to say, and partly because it amuses me to do so (the most important factor).

Blackcurrant/blackberry/raspberry, faint mint/camphor/capsicum, typical BL liquorice emerging, black olive. Medium body, fresh, tight, red berry fruits and blackcurrant. Firm chalky fine tannins. Good stuff. Getting better. Classic. Love it. Monty for the cellar.

Other vintages reviewed : 2006, 2005, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 1998, 1986

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Two bottles of this wine, three months apart, both pretty much the same (as was the case with the Shiraz). The corks are pretty small and ordinary looking for such an excellent cellaring style though; the wines deserve better I think. I nudged this wine up to an excellent rating based on the second day’s tasting when it started to come together a little more, and acknowledge that whilst I think it pushes the envelope with regards to ripeness, others may well appreciate the style.

A fuller style packed with blackberry, black raspberry, chocolate, a touch of mint and capsicum and some nutty Play-Doh oak - liquorice richness emerging with extended breathing. On the palate full bodied with fine grained tannins and good intensity - although, at least as a young wine, it feels a bit gawky. The flavours are of cassis, chocolate and raisins but also some capsicum and dried herbs and it finishes dryly with decent length. It needs some bottle age to smooth things over, but overall looks to be a solid offering from Zema, and although not a top vintage, it’s still a fine value pick for the cellar - as per usual.

Other vintages : 2004

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Well it’s a pretty different sort of wine to the Cabernet Sauvignon of the same vintage. There is that.

It has a mix of red and blue fruits, mint, aniseed and new leather. Medium bodied with tangy acidity and mixed berry fruits and some green tinges. It feels a touch dilute but is refreshing and clean. Slightly edgy acid to close. Needs a bit of time to come together, should improve, and it’s a good wine, although I’m not sure it will ever scale loftier heights.

Other vintages : 2005

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You could have some discussion about the merits of the 2004 v 2005 Coonawarra vintage, and more pertinently the Menzies from these years. My opening gambit is that generally, largely based on stylistic preference, I prefer 2004. There are always exceptions of course, and with this particular wine I fractionally prefer the 2004 because it had a bit of X-Factor that tweaked my bits, whereas technically you’d probably have to tip your hat (and your glass) towards the 2005 - it’s most likely the better wine. So there you have it. Funny old business wine.

Seductive smelling wine with blackcurrant, sweet red fruits, creamy vanilla oak, earth and bay leaf with just a little menthol and a slight rum and raisin edge. Complex then you’d have to say and then maybe add Violets too. Full bodied with ultra-fine palate saturating tannin, it feels fluid, smooth and long through the mouth. It has rich sweet fruit, dark chocolate and some more earthy flavours and is amazingly approachable right now. Full and ripe it’s an excellent wine.

Other vintages : 2004

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Majella Cabernet must (still) represent one of the great bargains of Australian wine. Regional, cellar worthy and distinctive. I think this is a lighter, fresher style Majella and none the worse for it.

Lovely to sniff with fragrant things like aniseed, soap and cedar oak over blackcurrant and bramble fruit with a sort of earthy bay leaf smell that’s hard to define but very attractive. It’s medium bodied and refined with fine tannins and distinctly fresh acidity and flavours of cherry and chocolate augmenting those found on the nose. Quite light and slightly edgy at the moment but I’m betting that with a few years cellaring, this fine and very stylish wine will really shine. It’s classic Coonawarra, yet distinctively Majellan.

Other vintages reviewed : 2005, 2004, 2000

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It’s Pro-Cork, not plain natural cork, which winemaker P.Bissell believes (based on his own trials and those of the AWRI) to be the best closure for the more tannic varieties such as Cabernet. I’ve not included it in the closure drop down list partly because I’m feeling lazy, but also because I’m still not sure there is a significant difference in performance over natural cork - at least with regards to taint. It has a thin sheath of plastic on either end to stop the wine coming into contact with a dirty cork, which may or may not work. I’m not so sure. Anyway, this is a very good vintage for Balnaves and after a couple of days tasting (and dithering) I decided to slip it up to an Outstanding rating - although my Cabernet homunculus tells me he thinks the 2004 was slightly better.

It’s fragrant yet rich, packed with Cassis and cherry, a touch of mint chocolate, some earthiness and lovely nougat oak. Full bodied and deep with plenty of mouthcoating grainy tannin, slightly tangy fresh acidity and a slick of ripe grainy tannins on exit. It’s big but beautifully balanced and doesn’t feel heavy despite its level of extract or alcohol - rollling through the mouth in a most pleasingly thunderous manner. Top wine.

Other vintages : 2005, 2004

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Having missed out on the 2001 Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz I bought a bottle of this instead, and after consulting the decant-o-meter, plopped it in said vessel for 4 hours. Each swirl showed increasing promise, and with the commencement of the Carlton-Collingwood game (this was consumed on Sunday), it was time to have a taste.

A youthful purple/red in colour. A nose showing aromas of red cherries and red currants, dusty cedar, quite rich fruits with some mint, though perhaps to my tastes it was more of a green capsicum character. The palate initially showed grippy tannins and a fierce rawness, but settled after a further few hours to show red currant jelly and blackberries, slightly grainy tannins and a touch of milkiness/creaminess on the finish. Excellent length, though quite elemental at the moment; a wine of promise - a 6 pack purchase for me.

Other vintages reviewed : 2005, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 1998, 1986

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I have instituted a new practice. I have 3 or 4 dozen samples, tasters and bottles from the cellar in boxes, and have a bottle chosen at random and served to me blind. I think this is a good idea because it forces one to think about the wine, instead of using preconceived ideas drawn from the label.

This one is a cellar release from Dan Murphys. Initially closed, but with hints of gunsmoke and dried apricots. Yes, weird. Luckily it settled down after a hour or so and showed gentle aromas of plummy fruits, spice, red liquorice and some secondary leathery characters. The palate continued the red liquorice theme; in fact there were lashings of it, accompanied by mulberries, plums and spice, clean earth, acid, and a soft tomato stalkiness. A pleasant drink, perhaps still a bit unidimensional, so hold for a few more years before trying again. I would have bought a few more but when I went to Dans today they had sold out.

Other vintages: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2005

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It’s old school but good. Two tastings now with both bottles having slightly dodgy leaking corks, although the contents were sound.

A traditional Coonawarra with red fruits, fresh mint, root beer, earth and attractive cedar/vanilla oak. On the palate medium bodied with good freshness, dry tannin and flavours of red berry, aniseed, a bit of earthiness and vanilla oak. It’s attributes are charm, refreshment and excellent length flavour with a bit of cleansing grippy tannin on exit. It’s understated, honest and offers very good drinking.

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Two tastings of this now (April and June) with consistent results, the screwcap performing exactly as expected, and to my mind a much better closure for these wines than the shonky little corks they use in the Estate Cabernet and Shiraz. It’s a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc with the remainder being Malbec and is due for release 1 July. I tasted this bottle over a couple of days and it looked better on the second.

It’s quite refined and subdued with blackcurrant and red fruits, chocolate, tobacco, menthol and a touch of green bean - falling more to savoury than fruit sweet. On the palate medium bodied with a mix of red and black berries, chocolate, tobacco and some greener leafy flavours. It has good fresh acid and fine lightly chalky tannin but feels a little compressed and blocky on the palate. Still, it’s not without savoury charm, drinkability and a touch of sophistication.

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I don’t write up too many wines that are not current releases. Not enough time mainly and possibly not enough interest out there in reading about them, but this is widely available, and most likely to be found in plenty of cellars. I bought this on release (in 2002) and remember it quite well. It was oaky all right (as they are) but thought it packed with potential. I was right (as I expected) and this offers more proof that 1996 was a great vintage in Coonawarra.

It opens with strong blackcurrant and berry fruit, cedar, lead pencil and earth with some truffley bottle age characters coming through. On the palate still young and vigorous, full bodied with plenty of tannic impact and power. It has rich sweet blackcurrant and berry fruit, some licorice/aniseed flavour and tasty cedar oak in the background. Long with tannin to close. Superb. It’s still pretty young really, and although you can happily drink it now (as we did) I’d be inclined to leave it alone for at least another couple of years so it can develop and soften further.

Other vintages : 2003

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Grange eh? A wine that requires no introduction.

As with all Grange the aromatics are layered and complex with this vintage offering a whole raft of interesting things to smell. It’s showing a touch of char, brown spices, blackberry, coconut, liquorice, aniseed, soy sauce, camphor and fruit cake in and amongst other things. Seek and ye shall find but the overall impression over three days tasting is of a rich darkly fruited wine backed with liberal high class oak that smells terrific. On the palate full bodied and bulging with powerful dark tarry fruit, mince pie, dark chocolate, dry spices, aniseed and plenty of perfumed cedary oak. It maintains a good level of freshness and has layers of open knit very firm chalky tannins that make their presence felt from start to long finish. The tannins receded and softened over three days but still felt a little raw and blocky at the end. Young wine, no doubt, but I’d suggest it will always be a more rustic example of Grange, although a good one. A remarkable wine considering the vintage too.

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It’s still sealed with a cork but a nice long cork, and one of excellent quality that will surely please the aesthetes amongst us. This year sees a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the introduction of two brand new grapey chums - 5% Petit Verdot (Evans Vineyard) and 5% Malbec (Sharefarmers Vineyard)

It’s fragrant, violetty and perfumed with aniseed and spice over blackberry, blackcurrant, cedar oak and mineral. Cool, calm and collected. On the palate medium bodied and fine - a wine of effortless sophistication that combines perfectly ripe fruit without excess sweetness or alcohol warmth, a flourish of savoury black olive and graphite with polished cedary French oak in support. It has fine smooth tannins, clean fresh acidity and feels fluid and calm throughout, finishing long and dry. Benchmark Coonawarra.

Other vintages : 2004, 1998

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