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Sangiovese primacy (locally) is neck and neck really, with Mark Lloyd of Coriole (McLaren Value) and Alfred Pizzini (King Valley) both planting in the same year - 1985. At least I think that’s the case…although I’m sure someone will pipe up and correct me if I’m mistaken…

It smells of cherry, almonds and aniseed/licorice - typical of the variety. On the palate medium bodied, fresh and energetic with firm dry grippy tannins and meaty flavours of cherry, earth and bitter almond. It’s dry, refreshing to drink and shown to its best advantage with food. Really enjoyable wine.

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I’ve a dozen or so local Sangiovese in a box in the front room, and all things considered, you’d have to give the King Valley the nod as being a bit of a pioneer with with this variety, so by Jove I’ll give them a run first.

Showing some bottle age and offering a range of flavours - almond, cherry, leather, coffee and liquorice. It’s medium bodied and has savoury earthy qualities mingling with cherry and red berry fruit. Firm but fine powdery tannins and good acid balance all contribute to make this a most attractive and toothsome wine with a high drinkability factor. It’s got personality and interest too - I like it a lot.

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Well this is one of the most interesting wines I’ve tasted in quite a while, and really, I’m quite taken with it. It’s a beauty. Don’t mind the photo…I took it with my mobile phone, the bottle placed just a little wonkily (or perhaps jauntily) on a chair in the dining room, because the winery does not have a bottle image…as yet.

It smells of ripe brown pear, honey, pineapple, spice and flowers but light and deliciously fresh. On the palate clean and delicate with juicy pear, pineapple and a light honey flavour. It’s sweet (as you would expect) but not at all cloying - just clean and lively with an excellent dry grippy phenolic texture that’s cut with brisk fresh acidity and a dry flinty and fractionally bitter finish. It may well polarise (and that’s no bad thing) but I think it’s great. This is a wine of great personality and verve.

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Nice florals and lots of fruits, with pears, red delicious apples, lemons and pear skins. The palate displayed more of a reserved character, with hard pears, lemons and grapefruit, and an underlying brisk acidity and almost a minerally dryness. Good length, and it will come as no surprise to hear that this is very much in the Grigio style and shows very nicely when accompanying some food.

Other vintages: 2006

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I was tasting through a few modestly priced reds yesterday (06 Jacob’s Creek Shiraz, 05 Wyndham Estate 555 Shiraz etc.) and it prompted me to quickly write something about this wine. I’m not sure if I have the rating correct, I was a bit rushed, but I liked the wine and it easily falls into my ‘good’ range of scores. It has integrity.

Smells of blue fruits, plum, mint and a bit of cedar wood. The medium bodied palate offers similar flavours with perhaps the addition of blackcurrant and a bit of an olive savoury edge. It has firm tannins, a bit aggressive perhaps, but I’d rather have a bit of grip in an inexpensive wine than a lot of sugar. It’s good and tasty and finishes dry. Authentic and good quality is my quick impression.

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I’m not much of a disciplined or organised taster and I tend to think that wine should be tasted at home or in a more casual environment as opposed to walking about in a white coat sniffing and spitting. It’s the environment in which most people will drink the wine after all so it works for me. It does restrict my throughput mind you, but at least not at the expense of thoroughness. To this end I generally like to have around about six bottles open each night - maybe three whites and three or four reds and some of the carry over champions from the previous night that are up for a re-taste. Lots of bottles. Anyway, I had a quick snort of this (Riedel Chianti glass) whilst cooking dinner (not Fish ‘n Chips but Egg ‘n Chips this time) and I thought “Oooh that goes all right..if only I was cooking Italian tonight - Sausage ‘n Chips”.

It offers concentrated cherry and berry fruit, licorice, smoke, a bit of meatiness, potpourri and lots of interest. It’s medium to full bodied with dark cherry, dark chocolate and spice mingling with more meaty savoury flavours. It has delightfully rustic chunky tannins and an abundance of character. It’s entirely vinous, thoroughly enjoyable and (over) delivers the goods at this price point.

Other vintages : 2005

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Sometimes I feel paralysed when I look at all the wine I have to taste. “Oh I had better do that one soon..hmmm not now I’ll put it in a bracket of a few others…don’t feel like tasting that today…maybe that one might be interesting..oh I’ll taste that one one I am in peak condition and have plenty of time.” and so on. Admittedly it’s not a bad situation to find oneself in but it does get me a bit flustered. And then people read the notes and hold you accountable! And it’s quite often hard work. It’s a bad business I tell you. I have no idea why I do it really. To be honest, I’d say it’s probably because I really like wine and I’m a bit of an egomaniac. I feel a bit better now I’ve got that off my huge manly chest.

Plenty of volume here with sweet nectarine, lemon peel and a fair bit of woody clove spice oak - all clean and direct. On the palate full bodied with nectarine, melon, lots of spicy vanilla oak and just a little savoury wine maker input that’s very nicely done - I like a Chardonnay that does not taste too much like cheese sticks and it’s becoming increasingly rare. It’s quite sweetly fruited with clean acidity, feels balanced and fresh in the mouth and has a long spicy finish. A powerful fruit and oak style that offers excellent value.

Other vintages : 2005

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Interesting wine this one. It has some greenish characters running through it but they only serve to make the wine better to my tastes. It’s quite exciting really this perky King Valley ‘Super Tuscan’ and more importantly it’s a wine of real personality and impact.

Opens a bit stinky but a good swirl brings up blackcurrant and darker berry fruit, earth, spice and dark chocolate with a pepperminty perfume wafting over the top. On the palate medium to full bodied with very firm grippy tannin and clean acidity with flavours of dark fruit, earth, dark chocolate and mint. Quite rich but also pretty briary and a little bit tart but it really moves through the palate in a most determined manner. Finishes with excellent length and a twiggy minty aftertaste. Charismatic and very enjoyable.

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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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Another Chardonnay bargain and this time from the cool climate of the King Valley.

Aromas of white peach, lime rind, almond meal, cream and light spicy vanilla oak with a wisp of smokiness. On the palate fine and medium bodied with a mix of citrus, peach and almond meal flavours supported by lightly toasted spicy oak. Bright crisp acidity balances the lightly creamy texture and there is a nice gentle flow through the palate. Good soft finish. Sophistication on a budget.

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I used to find Cabernet a little one dimensional and believed that Malbec would fill the hole nicely. I also found that some of my old Brown Brothers wines aged well so at some stage I obviously decided to leave this for a long time. The nose was all about fruit and secondary aged character. The palate, whilst not zingy and fresh was still alive and filled with rich flavours. The flavours were dried wood, a bit of green pepper and some plum. All present enjoyed it. The length was good and overall a pleasant package, but if you have any, don’t keep it any longer.

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Tannat is said to have originated in the Basque country of Northern Spain and Southern France and was carted off to Uruguay by Basque settlers in the 19th century. It is a difficult variety in the vineyard producing large bunches with big berries and needs to be cropped low. I seem to remember something about the name of the grape being derived from the word ‘tannin’ but Jancis is hiding somewhere in the bookcase at home so I can’t confirm this right now.

Aromas of berries, earth, spice and some vanilla oak. Juicy and floral. On the palate medium to full bodied with fresh red and black berries, cranberry, earth and spicy flavours. The tannins are strong and dry but well managed. It is not fat or heavy and looks fairly lean but it’s also lively and refreshing. Finishes with red fruit flavours and some light bitter tannins. An enjoyable grape holiday.

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I dropped my first bottle of this wine. Well it actually slipped out of the fridge, a fridge that is stuffed full of wines and beers and bubbles. And bottles rarely bounce on concrete; these things happen. Yellow fruits, spice, cream, lemon rind, peaches and a bit of matchstick. The palate showed lightly buttered peaches, lemon, hard melons, musky fruits and some very attractive spicy oak. Certainly there weren’t any problems with ripeness and this is quite a big style of Chardonnay. Good length and there is some refreshing sour fruits on the finish. Drink now.

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A pale lime in colour. Gooseberries, lemon, pineapple, passionfruit, grass and spice. The palate needed to warm to show gooseberries and lemons, passionfruit, gently herbaceous, a little steely, good spine, fresh and delicate. I am of course drinking this at the wrong time of time: I really should be lazing by a resort pool watching the ocean ebb and flow, but unfortunately the sample did not come with a voucher for this.

Other vintages: 2007

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The last time I tasted this grape was as a particularly devilsh options wine. There is no fooling such a renowned taster though and I declared after the first sip ‘Dear Boy, I do believe this is a sparkling saperavi, most likely from the Crimea.’…and over the gasps of astonished admiration the theme from Rocky started up, a red carpet rolled out towards the door, and I strode out into the warm evening air in a most triumphant manly manner. Leave on a high note. That, at least, is how I remember that famous evening over in Perth early in 2002…..

Aromas of blackberry, dark sour cherry, earth, licorice and a little spicy oak. A distinctive smelling wine. On the palate medium to full bodied with sour dark cherry, dark chocolate orange and earthy flavours. Very bright acidity and mouthcoating firm tannins. Finishes with tangy acid and bitter chocolate flavours. Fascinating. Разве Ницце!

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Viognier is usually a fairly expensive wine in which to partake but here again De Bortoli are rising to the challenge and knocking one out for under $15..

Aromas of green pear, mandarin, green herbs, flowers and struck match. On the palate crisp and fresh with bright crunchy green pear, apple, apricot and green herb flavours. A little spicy with slightly edgy acidity and a spicy hard green pear flavoured aftertaste. A good value food friendly wine.

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Tasting a bunch of rieslings this evening is both easy and hard. The easy bit is the tasting. The hard bit is the writing up. Anyway, don’t cry for me Marge and Tina, because I like riesling and I really quite like a bit of King Valley action too. Under-rated generally they are.

Aromas of lime cordial, fresh lime, toast and a little spice. A rich and juicy smelling wine. On the palate full of flavour with lime and toasty flavours cut with a good spine of acid that is sharp enough but also quite gentle. Good long dry toast and lime finish. One of the many faces of Australian riesling and a pretty good looking one at that.

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I tried to get this on my past 3 visits to Rutherglen but I ended up having to get it posted down. There are not many Aussie Zins so my zin din mates and I keep an eye out. The colour is dark as per usual but the nose is pretty tight, slowly revealing sweet fruit at the raspberry end plus a little vanilla. The palate has a real zinfandel mix, much like a spicy fruit cake plus drying tannins. The oak is quite sweet and blends in well with the red berry mix of fruits and maybe a hint of cola. A good zin but if you are new to this variety get hold of this, the Renaissance and maybe a Cape Mentelle to see the best of the Aussie styles.

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Saturday October 6th 2007
Gracebrook Stables, King Valley

On October 6th the King Valley Vignerons will hold their annual Shed Wine Show at Gracebrook Stables, King Valley. Local growers and emerging wineries are encouraged to show their wines.
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This is 70% King Valley viognier and 30% Central Victorian marsanne. I like this a great deal more than the companion red.

Aromas of peach, apple, apricot kernel, white flowers, spice and flint. Fragrant and fresh. On the palate full bodied with apple, peach, flowers, spice and some attractive earthy flavours. Good mouthfeel. Dry with lightly grippy texture and a little warmth. Long dry spiced apple finish. A really good and very interesting wine.

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