The Home of Renowned Tasting

This is the last of the current release wines from Mac Forbes that were sent in for review and as a testament to their quality, I reviewed the lot (opps..I just realised..all except for the 06 Woori Chardonnay which is waiting in the wings). Every egg a bird. This is from the Strathbogie Ranges (which always puts me in mind of Derek and Clive..except that was Winston’s, not Strath’s) with the RS standing for Residual Sugar. Not so sure how it will age but I reckon it has all the bits in place.

Perfumed and spicy with green apple and lemon aromas. On the palate an invigorating mix of sweet, dry and tart flavours with sour green apple, lemon sherbet and spice. It has very strong acidity balanced and softened by sweetness and an excellent long minerally finish with a lovely dry grippy tweak at the end. Ooh err that was nice. Clever stuff and nice to see a few local alternatives to the traditional Australian dry style.

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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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Gary has already reviewed this wine so I was prepared for it, giving it a jolly good decant. A rich red nose, with coffee and vanilla, mint, red plums, plump black cherries, aniseed, coffee and mocha. The palate is very nutty and creamy, with plums and vanilla, coffee beans, rich and textured with a drying finish. Fine grained tannins, quite tasty, and showing quite a bit of oak at the moment, though there is a heap of fruit there too. Needs a few years to settle.

Other vintages: 2004

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I seem to be on a good run with my tasters; lots of very nice and well-made wines. Long may it continue. Not all of them are to my tastes though; in fact I buy very few wines that I taste first.

This wine is not made from estate fruit, but from grapes grown by Mick McCrystal in the Tallarook Ranges. A vibrant purple/red, a real glass stainer. A domineering nose, blackberries, red cherries, creamy oak, mocha, vanilla, with a bit of mint and eucalypt. The palate is rich and ripe, an arm wrestle between berry fruits and creamy oak, plums and vanilla, smoky and nutty. The tannins are ripe and chewy. A full bodied and full flavoured wine, made for the long haul. It’s been open three days now, and hasn’t changed much. Drinkable now with half a pound of meat, but preferably should have a few years in the cellar.

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We were discussing the merits of rating wines that are typical of their variety versus those that are just good wines. This is an example of the latter but it does present strongly regional minty flavours too.

Developed colour. Aromas of rich liqueur cherry and berry, spice, dark chocolate and peppermint, aniseed and plenty of oak. On the palate full bodied and packed with rich plum, cherry and berry, tobacco, dark chocolate mint flavours and spicy oak. Very ripe, bordering on stewy, but really very pleasant. Lots of ripe fine grained tannins and fairly low acidity. Excellent length of flavour. A wine for hedonists and peppermintists that packs the value in by the square inch. Looked good over a couple of days as well.

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I have listed this as Strathbogie ranges but it is only a km from being listed as Goulburn Valley. I have visited and bought two lots of this wine. I like it and so does everyone I share it with. Jenny has opened as I have driven by. I should have asked what shops have it but it never occured to me. Contact Jenny via the website, she is very helpful. It has a rich style of shiraz that suggests musk, plums and a hint of fennel. The oak is there and yes it is obvious but it adds a lovely bit of flavour synergy. This is well made warm climate Shiraz from a year that was good but with vines recovering from the drought. I suspect that the 2005 will have more concentration which would earn it higher points.

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