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While it’s not my highest rated wine of the WA Shiraz Trio (narrowly missing out on a whopping 96 points), this is my favourite of the three, and the one I most enjoyed drinking. Sometimes it works that way.. oh and it’s from Mount Barker.

It smells of gum leaf, licorice, dark chocolate, spice, black fruits, black olive and some meatiness but all flamboyant and fresh - invigorating even, but it’s not the feeling of Scandinavia here, more like a walk in the Australian bush after a spring shower. Anyway, in the mouth medium to full bodied and distinctly fresh, cool and spicy with fine acidity, plenty of ripe grainy tannin and flavours of black and red fruits, pepper, dark chocolate and ground spices with a savoury dried herb and black olive twist. It has a very long expansive finish that leaves the mouth clean and dry. It’s a wine of great style and authority. An absolute cracker.

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If you work on the assumption that both are reasonable possibilities, this is exactly the sort of wine I would grab from the bottlo if I had twenty bucks in my pocket and a bunch of friends who were passively interested in wine. It’s excellent juice and it delivers a whole bucket load of fruity action - but with a bit of style. For the record it’s 94% Chardonnay and 6% Sauvignon Blanc. I guessed it also had a bit of Semillon in the mix but I have been known to get these things wrong every now and then…..

Fresh and punchy with grapefruit, white peach, passionfruit and some grassy overtones. On the palate it’s juicy and clean with an explosion of citrus, stonefruit and some tropical fruit with just a touch of green herb adding complexity. It has a sweet fruit, well judged mouthwatering crisp acidity to balance and excellent length of flavour. Crowd pleasing and highly refreshing. Love it.

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Anything from Howard Park jumps straight to the front of the queue. This came in the day before yesterday and I was all over it like a fat kid on a chocolate cake..suffice to say HP is the source of some of my favourite wines.

Bright and tangy grapefruit, lemon and nectarine fruit supported by fine spicy oak with some yeasty lees characters adding complexity. On the palate intense and toit like a tiger, curled up and waiting to pounce, with flinty minerally acidity and a lightly creamy (lees derived) texture. It has explosive flavours of sweet grapefruit, lemon and white peach with yeasty richness and complementary spicy nutty oak. Bursts out on the finish with a long stretching aftertaste of mineral, grapefruit and spice. A very fine specimen.

Other vintages: 2005

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This is a blend of 71% Margaret River and 29% Great Southern and as with most things MadFish it delivers quality in abundant quantity.

Can’t really decide what sort of fruit it smells like - maybe it’s melon or dried pear, certainly some citrus with a creamy nutty overtone and a bit of struck flint. Quite juicy and aromatic. Complex too. On the palate cool and fluid with a lovely even glossy texture and fine clean acidity. It has nutty savoury flavours combining with sweet melon and citrus fruits and a little spicy oak and makes you want to drink more quickly than you really should. Finishes long and clean with a tangy grapefruit and spice aftertaste. I’m a fan.

Other vintages : 2005

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I am a big fan of Plantagenet Shiraz (although I like the Cabernet even better) but this wine has me confused. Don’t know quite what to make of it. Lots to like but a couple of things put me off. They may resolve with time. They may not. I may be right. I may be crazy..but it just may be a looooonatic you’re looking for…

Quite fragrant (is there a bit of whole bunch here?) with ripe dark cherry and blueberry fruit, pepper, grilled meat and chocolate and licorice emerging with air. On the palate quite thick and full with black fruits, grilled meats, pepper and spice and a dry tannic impact. It feels a bit brackish and alkaline but with biting acid that intrudes on the long spicy finish. Opened up and improved over the course of a day but the bite continued to dog the tail. Not quite sure on this, certainly plenty to like, and it could well be a dark horse but for now a cautious score.

Other vintages : 1999

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I was tasting this alongside a Shiraz Viognier and thought ’stuff me if this does not have a bit of Viognier in it too’ ..and so it does. I looked it up. Only three percent mind you..but that’s enough to swing an election (and don’t try saying that if you have a lisp).

Ripe juicy and sweet berries, licorice, pepper, spice, vanilla and some BBQ meat. A heady mix of sweet and spicy. On the palate medium bodied with flavours of cherry jam, berries, pepper and a little stalkiness to straighten things out. It has a slippery glycerine texture with fine powdery tannins that move along real nice and easy. Closes with a sweet cherry and dried herb aftertaste and a little dustpan of tannins to clean up the finish. Pretty delicious and pretty good value too.

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I probably don’t do enough wines at the ‘budget’ end of the scale but I am working on fixing that. Here we have a wine that can be found for under $10 a bottle that offers plenty of character and great drinkability. The perfect sort of thing to knock off mid-week with a nice pizza, or if you are watching your weight, maybe a grilled steak and salad (with lots of chips).

A pretty smelling wine offering a mix of red berry fruits, flowers, pepper spice and a little woody oak. On the palate just medium bodied with juicy red berries, spice and some dried herb flavours. It has light grainy tannins, clean acidity and a good spicy berry finish. A nice friendly wine and one that I am happy to provide with a good character reference.

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Much like people, there are some wines that just click with you when you taste them (not that I generally lick people..well only when I really like them maybe..woof woof), and this is one such wine. I just love it…so much so that I really want to give it 95 points but have to hold myself back. You can’t let emotions get in the way of (attempted) objectivity. It is a blend of 85% Margaret River and 15% Great Southern comprising 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 5% Shiraz and 3% Malbec.

A captivating mix of juicy dark berries, cassis, eucalpyt, coffee bean, aniseed and cedar oak. Rich, almost cakey, but balanced with attractive leafy Cabernet characters. On the palate medium to full bodied with cassis, red berry, aniseed and some leafy tobacco flavours backed with well judged cedar and vanilla oak. It has marvellous shape and drive through the palate with firm dry tannins and a fine sense of freshness and vitality. It feels good to drink. A big finish closes out an outstanding example of Margaret River Cabernet. It’s strongly to my personal taste. It’s the sort of wine that makes me want to buy a case.

Other vintages: 2004, 1999

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I really like Plantagenet Cabernet. The 1994 was (and still is) an absolute ripper and a benchmark wine, and I think I bought a couple of dozen of the 2001 vintage, with a dozen still in the cellar. This vintage reminds me most of the 1999 - maybe a little better.

Quite leafy with eucalypt, blackcurrant, black jelly bean and cigar box aromas. Classic cabernet. On the palate medium bodied with blackcurrant and redcurrant, black olive and cedar oak. It has some leafy green characters too but they don’t put me off at all. There are fine lightly astringent tannins and fresh acidity that make it clean and refreshing to taste and it moves along the palate in a most determined manner closing with a good long finish. This really appeals to me but could be more challenging for other tasters.

Other vintages: 1998

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Fo shizzle my pizzle this is the rizzle dizzle. The fruit comes mainly from the 36 year old Wyjup vineyard and a portion from the Hayview vineyard around Mt Barker in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.

Aromas of lime, green apple, musky fragrant white lilies, mineral and spice. On the palate crisp, dry and crunchy with green apple, lime and spice flavours. It is racy, taught and minerally with a good dry flinty finish. Very excellent wine.

Other vintages : 1999

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I was talking with the chaps from Howard Park the other week and did not know they even made Pinot, let alone that they have planted a new high density, low trellised vineyard that uses a mix of clones, requires hand picking etc etc. The fruit for this wine comes from Denmark (not the place that makes Lego) and is a cellar door and export only job.

Quite fragrant and sappy with juicy cherry, spice, earth and dusty wood aromas. On the palate medium bodied with cherry, stalk, spice and some meaty flavours. It has firmish dry tannins, fresh acidity and carries a quiet air of confidence and authority for a wine at this price. Finishes dry and savoury with pretty good length of flavour.

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Todays little theme is West Australian Pinot Noir for under $20. Quirky but good.

Light in colour with aromas of strawberry, red cherry, spice, a little mushroom and old wood with a touch of vanilla. On the palate light bodied with flavours of strawberry, spice and some mulchy earthy flavours. It has fresh tangy acid and light dry tannins with the weight falling more to front palate but it drinks really well. It is charming and uncomplicated. It’s also a wine I would be happy to drink anytime.

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I had a little private breakfast tasting with owner Jeff Burch and senior winemaker Tony Davis yesterday. We discussed topics ranging from tourism and development in Margaret River, Bio-dynamics, the wine media, cabernet clones and arcane AWBC labelling requirements. If I was any sort of journalist you would probably read an excellent article about it, but of course by now the smart ones amongst you would have twigged to the fact that you probably won’t be reading anything much at all. One interesting little factlet I can relate is the establishment of a close planted, low trellised pinot noir vineyard in the Porongarups that will require hand picking by children or deft midgets. As with all things Howard Park attention to detail is everything.

Aromas of white nectarine, grapefruit, a hint of matchstick with fine clove and spice oak in support. On the palate medium bodied with flavours of nectarine, citrus and spicy cashew nut oak. It feels airy and light with crisp penetrating minerally acidity and a fine slightly chalky texture. Long grapefruit and spice finish. A very pure and direct style which is just the way I like them.

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Todays mini theme is wines with pretty labels.

Quite perfumed with sweet dark cherry, bitter chocolate, pepper and dried herbs. A medium to full bodied palate with dark cherry, overripe strawberries, spice, dark chocolate and dried herb flavours. It has firm grainy tannins providing a bit of mouth traction and a good dry finish. Very drinkable and excellent value.

Other vintages : 2005

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I tasted this over a couple of days and had the most fun drinking a glass with fresh prawns and lobster. Riesling is such a lovely refreshing grape.

It smells of freshly squeezed limes and a bit of lemon with a sprinkle of bath salts. Quite intense. On the palate light and fine with penetrating lime and lemon, citrus zest, crunchy acidity and bone dry slatey texture. It is very precise with good line and long dry finish. A very pure ‘essence of riesling’ style that will cellar a treat.

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Howard Park were good enough to send this through to fill in the gap in my knowledge. Well at least the gap relating to HP cabernet anyway..

A mix of red and black berries, chocolate, tobacco and cedar oak with some aniseed wafting around in the background. It looked a bit dark and sullen on opening but freshened up considerably over the course of a day. On the palate medium to full bodied with a mix of dark slightly baked savoury tobacco tinged fruit and fresher summer berry flavours. Plenty of stylish cedar oak that is both tastefully applied and well settled into the wine. It has firm tannins showing a slight greenness and looks quite tightly coiled with some edgy acidity poking through. Finishes well with a little tannic grip on exit. Looks a little awkward and backwards at the moment but has plenty of potential.

Other vintages : 2004, 2001

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I am a cabernet enthusiast of the highest order and this is one of the best wines I have tasted this year. The winemaker for this vintage was Michael Kerrigan and there will be at least a few bottles of this going straight to the pool room.

Aromas of blackcurrant, cherry, wet earth, aniseed and fine cigar box oak. Beautifully perfumed. On the palate full bodied with blackcurrant, cherry, earth and spicy cigar box oak. Perfect weight and balance with the oak already folding into the fruit. Firm fine tannins run the length of the seamless palate. Very long sweet fruit and tobacco tinged finish. Essential Australian cabernet.

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The is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc and comes in a Burgundy bottle. This sort of thing always confuses me.

Aromas of blackcurrant, coal tar, bay leaf, fennel and green bean. Not one for those averse to green notes but I quite like the smell. On the palate medium bodied with cool blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, some gamey flavours and a strong herbal undercurrant. The tannins are somewhat hard and green too. Finishes with savoury black fruits and vegetal flavours. I’d say this is pushing the old green envelope a little too far for most.

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A blend of 96% Mt Barker Shiraz and 4% Geographe Viognier. Matured for 12 months in French and American oak. A pleasant nose: spice and plums, mocha, chocolate and some dry spices; no obvious Viognier characteristics. The palate has an engaging mix of spice and fruits, plums and pepper, elegant and silky, a little fleshy, all with a drying finish. I really do like Mount Barker Shiraz. I had this next to the “Debut” Shiraz and though the natural temptation is to rate this higher because it is more expensive, I have pegged it at the score. Equal but different (as a band called the Au Pairs used to sing).

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Snappy packaging. A blend of 96% Shiraz and 4% Viognier from Pemberton, Geographe and Mount Barker. Matured for 12 months in French and American oak. Quite a reserved nose: red berries, pepper, cinnamon bark, spice, smoke and with time hints of orange and dried apricot. The palate shows spicy fruits, peppercorns, red plums, candied oranges and apricots with a dry and slightly grainy finish. Full bodied and very young with firmish tannins that need a year or two. Not one if you are averse to Viognier characteristics.

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