Stockman’s Ridge 2022 Grüner Veltliner Releases

Posted on August 25, 2023 by Tony Peters

Let’s be honest, when you check out the fridge in a bottle shop, it’s rare you’ll see a bottle of Grüner Veltliner on one of the shelves.  In fact, I’d go so far as to say, never.  Further to that, I doubt there would be much of this variety sitting on shelves in the store because it’s not a variety that is well known to usual Jo Citizen. And, not to mention, its scarcity on restaurant wine lists too!

I can even say, and this is fair dinkum, that I went into a local bottleshop (not one of the biggies) to buy a bottle and the shop assistant had never heard of the variety.  This is not a criticism of the shop attendant at all, but I think it is a sad reflection on the ‘status’ of Grüner Veltliner in the white wine world, certainly in Australia anyway.

However, this does not mean that this dining table rarity does not deserve its place in the sun…or cold when it comes to the Orange region of New South Wales where these two excellent examples came from.

Stockman’s Ridge Website

Region: Orange Region, NSW     Source: Samples thanks kindly to Stockman’s Ridge and Define Wine

The 2022 Rider Grüner Veltliner is the perfect example of the variety to get people to drink Grüner. It’s a very pretty and complex wine aromatically that leads nicely into the flavoursome palate.  Here, it’s smooth with a gentle intensity, a nice touch of acidity adding freshness on the finish. I reckon this particular Grüner will have fans of the variety drinking more of it…easily!

Moving on to this delightful 2022 Signature Range Grüner Veltliner was a pleasure.  It’s generously flavoured, beautifully textured, rich while maintaining elegance and poise with lovely palate presence, finishing long and lip smackingly good. This Grüner seems to just glide effortlessly across the palate and, dare I say, sharing it was difficult…but I did.

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Huntington Estate Cellar Door

Posted on August 12, 2023 by Tony Peters

Way back in 2017 David Cumming of Define Wine Marketing kindly sent me some wines from Huntington Estate to try.  What he didn’t know was I had tried these wines way back in the early 1980’s when Bob Roberts was crafting them.  It was a joy to reacquaint myself with the wines and, I have to say, Tim Stevens has honoured the legacy passed on from Bob when he and Nicky took over around 2006.

Since that day in 2017, it has always been my wish to visit the Mudgee area primarily to visit the Huntington Estate Cellar Door and, this year, that wish became reality.  As part of a road trip, we included their Cellar Door and I am so glad we did.

Upon walking in the door, there was a warmth from the wrap-around like counter that was like open arms welcoming you in (It may have had something to do with the wood heater burning in the corner that proved to be very attractive to my wife). We were greeted by Janet and at that point there were only two other small groups there.  Janet was great, describing the wines with genuine passion and great knowledge coupled with a wicked sense of humour.

Well, in a matter of 30 minutes, the cellar door area was buzzing and, as much as Janet was doing a splendid job, help was needed.  To the rescue came Maddie who kindly looked after us from that point on.

As much as I have been lucky to try most of the wines on the list, I was keen to have a look at them again, of course.  All the whites still made an impression on me, as you’d expect, but I’d like to give a special shout out for the 2021, smile causing, Special Reserve Chardonnay. It is lovely drinking now and displayed everything expected to be long living too. Check out my thoughts about the white wines here

Although I was familiar with most of the reds, I noticed there were some new ones on the list that I was immediately attracted to.  Two that I just have to mention are the 2019 Estate Shiraz and 2017 Estate Bin No.11 Cabernet Sauvignon both of which are already approachable and so damn drinkable! However, I can’t leave out the moreishly delicious 2022 Pinot Rose either while another to include in your tasting is the 2022 Nouveau.

We had a great time at the Huntington Estate Cellar Door and I got a sense that, for Janet and Maddie, it wasn’t about the wines making an impression, it was more about the wines making a connection with the visitor. Judging by the number of people that visited while we were there, and the number of bottles being carried out the door, the wines certainly connected with those who tried them. It is clearly a Cellar Door that is on most peoples ‘must visit’ list when in the area. Make sure you put it on your list too.

Huntington Estate Website

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Cellar Door, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Winesmiths Special Edition Wine Casks Release

Posted on August 5, 2023 by Tony Peters

American novelist Cormac McCarthy is quoted as saying, “If there is an occupational hazard to writing, it’s drinking.” Had novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870) been born after this quote, I wonder, would he have taken a different approach to his drinking? As much as he includes references to ‘the drink’ and drinking in his writing, what was lesser known was his passion for purchasing ‘casks’ of Italian wine and, according to some records, was spending the equivalent, by today’s standards, of $27,000 a year on wine! 

Speaking of casks, Winesmiths have joined forces with artist Billie Justice Thomson and released a range of casks depicting her illustrations of different types of natural flora, and the honey bee. What I now know is that bees contribute significantly to a vineyard’s biodiversity and, because of this, part of the proceeds from the sale of the Shiraz and Pinot Grigio will be donated to the Wheen Bee Foundation so they can continue their research projects and activities with the aim of keeping bees healthy.

There are 6 casks in the range and they all bring something to the table. Of the three whites, the Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc was the pick for me with good tropical fruit flavours and a nice crispness to it. The Sauvignon Blanc is certainly going to please the Savvy drinkers who like the convenience of cask of wine in the fridge, while the Pinot Grigio shows its varietal characters nicely.

Rosé is very popular these days and when there is one available in a two-litre cask that is so easy to drink like this one, you can’t go wrong. The Cabernet Sauvignon is a worthy addition to your cupboard or pantry if it’s just a glass of wine you’re after, rather than having to open a bottle. However, it was the Shiraz that captured my attention. It’s fruity, there’s a bit of body to it, a little spice and pretty smooth. Definitely the pick of all the casks for me.

I reckon if Charles Dickens was around today, he could spend a lot less on ‘casks’ of Australian wine like these Winesmiths ones and still be completely satisfied with the contents of each and every one of them.

Region: Various, Australia     Price: $16     Source: Samples thanks kindly to Yalumba and Winesmiths

Winesmiths Website

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Other Whites, Rosé, White Blends | Leave a comment

A Couple of Slow Wine Co. White Wines to Check Out

Posted on July 19, 2023 by Tony Peters

One of the best things I have done this year is visit the Orange region of New South Wales.  As much as I didn’t spend anywhere near enough time there, it was enough for me to know, I need to go back.  I did visit some cellar doors but, because of our limited time, I was forced to keep them in a small area and within close proximity to the town.

Sadly, I did not make it to the Slow Wine Co’s cellar door and, after checking out some photos on the internet, it looks like a pretty cool place too.  After tasting these two wines from them, it is my loss that’s for sure, especially considering they look to have a great line-up of wines. 

I couldn’t help but notice the cheese platters from Millthorpe Providore that are able to be purchased, they look great! Another reason not to miss this cellar door.

Slow Wine Co Website

Region: Orange Region, NSW     Source: Samples thanks kindly to Slow Wine Co and Define Wine

2022 Tribus ($25)

Made up of Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer, there is much to like about this wine. It is very aromatic and appealing on the nose leading into a palate that is delicately rich, textural, citrussy, with a nice touch of acidity.

Tribus relates to a time when Roman people were supposedly divided into three ‘tribes’.  It’s clear to me that, on this occasion, the three ‘tribes’ of Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer have come together to form a delightfully refreshing wine sure to please a many and varied punter.

2021 Riesling ($30)

Oh! Now this is my type of youthful Riesling. It’s wonderfully and invitingly aromatic, almost like it knew exactly which olfactory buttons to push. The palate is citrussy, refreshingly acidic, steely, intensely flavoured, pure and pristine with excellent length, and nicely structured promising a great future. A terrific Riesling indeed!

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Usher Tinkler Cellar Door

Posted on July 19, 2023 by Tony Peters

You can generally get the feel of a cellar door the moment you walk inside.  Not that I pre-judge before sitting down but you can just tell by the enjoyment on the faces of others in the space and how the cellar door crew are going about their business.

When we walked into Usher Tinkler Cellar Door it was immediate to me that this was going to be a memorable experience.  There was a good level of chatting amongst those seated at the tables with the occasional laughter breaking the hum of conversation, and the music was at a good ‘white noise’ volume that allowed for such conversation to flow easily. 

The cellar door crew seemed to be well in tune with where people were in the stage of their tasting at every table. They engaged with them for an appropriate length of time so as not to impinge on the punter’s time with friends and/or family.

We were welcomed by Ed who directed us to a comfortable, Chesterfield style couch where everything was ready to go.  There were eight wines on the list to try and, after reading the notes, I was keen to try every single one of them.  It just seemed the right thing to do…of course.

Things kicked off very nicely with the spritely, minerally and flavoursome 2022 La Volpe Prosecco. Up next was the 2022 Death by Semillon and I really savoured this.  It was different but good different with the texture and touch of funk really piquing my interest. The 2022 Usher Tinkler White is soooo easy drinking. It is freshness and flavour in a bottle. 

The 2021 Reserve Chardonnay is pretty special, even ‘classy’ would be a better word.  Everything is so in balance.  The fruit profile, the oak presence, a little funkiness and the fine acidity all coupled with elegance and persistence.

Rosé has come along in leaps and bounds in recent years and here is another to get into your glass.  The 2022 Usher Tinkler Rosé is a savoury delight and, it was lucky Ed didn’t leave the bottle with us, if you get my drift. 🙂

The Enneagram from the current 2023 vintage was definitely a curiosity wine for me.  Made up of nine varieties, deliberately brought together (not leftovers) resulting in a wine that will, without a doubt, disappear quickly when friends are around.

Juiciness, flavour and drinkablility await under the screwcap of the 2022 Usher Tinkler Red.  A delightful blend of Shiraz and Pinot Noir that is pretty in the glass and pretty damn good to taste and drink as well.

No additives, preservative free, no fining, no filtration?  No problem.  The 2023 Rebirth Shiraz has all of these attributes plus lovely and rich dark berry fruits, silky smooth tannins and plenty of personality.

A special way to finish was with a taste of the Mr T’s Rare Batch No#8 fortified Verdelho blend.  A delicious, palate coating wine that is sweet but in such a way as to make it balanced and moreish rather than rich and syrupy.  A delight!

When visiting the Hunter Valley, make sure you include the smaller artisan winemakers like Usher Tinkler.  His array of wines are made up of fruit from his own vineyards and also have plenty of interest and intrigue blended into them.

Usher Tinkler Website

Posted in Cellar Door, Red Blends, Rosé, Semillon, Shiraz, Sparkling Wine | Leave a comment

Colmar Estate 2021 Chardonnay Releases

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Tony Peters

I’ve been delving into wine seriously now for, gee, thirty years I reckon.  In saying that, I have one question;  Colmar Estate, where have you been all my wine life?!  Another hidden gem in the Orange region of New South Wales and, if you can’t make it to the cellar door, make sure you get your hands on their wines. 

Speaking of the cellar door, listening to an interview with owner, Bill Shrapnell, it sounds like there is a spectacular view from the tasting area allowing the cellar door crew to point to the vines that went into a particular wine a punter is trying. I am now regretting not calling in during our whirlwind visit earlier this month.

My immediate thoughts.  What a couple of ripper Chardonnays these are!  There you go.  Right off the bat. No holding back. Putting it out there.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed these two excellent examples from the Orange Region of New South Wales.  We could not help but aromatically investigate and palate ponder them constantly while it belted down with rain in our small town on the east coast of Tasmania.

Colmar Estate Website

Region: Orange Region, NSW     Source: Samples thanks kindly to Colmar Estate and Define Wine

2021 Block 2 Chardonnay ($50)

This is delightful from the first pour to the bottle emptying last pour.  There is plenty of flavour from the stone fruit characters, it’s smooth and textural providing a lovely mouthfeel, and acidity plays a gentle yet excellent supporting role on the considerable length this wine has.  While the oak does show its hand, everything is nicely in balance resulting in a wine that is very much approachable already.

2021 Reserve Chardonnay ($60)

Where do I start with this Chardonnay?  Well, I could have taken in the aromas for days.  Okay, so a slight exaggeration but it is so beautiful on the nose.  I just love how it feels on the palate too, so appealing in an effortless way.  While it is rich and offers full flavoured palate presence, it maintains elegance right up until it leaves your palate, and it is certainly in no hurry to do that.  This is without doubt a lovely Chardonnay. 

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Levantine Hill 2019 Estate Releases

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Tony Peters

The word ‘Estate’ can mean a lot of things to different people. The one that really resonates with me, in the context of wine, is the stately ‘manor style’ house, bathed in sunshine, on a vast property surrounded by grapevines looking lush and green.  You’re picturing it in your mind now, aren’t you?

Levantine Hill do not use the word ‘Estate’ on their labels or include it in their name. However, their Cellar Door, with its beautiful grounds adorned with art installations and the adjoining vineyards, give it that ‘Estate’ feel complemented by a welcoming, warm and relaxing space inside that seems to invite you back after each visit. And you can’t forget, or miss, the Jreissatti family home that sits so splendidly atop a hill surrounded by vineyards that complete the Levantine Hill ‘Estate’ picture in this lovely part of the Yarra Valley.

Levantine Hill Website

Region: Yarra Valley, Vic     Price: $80 each     Source: Samples thanks kindly to Levantine Hill

Chardonnay

A lovely nose starts things off with a hint of flint, melon and peach. Rich on the palate with abundant stone-fruit characters, creamy and textural, delicate yet impactful grapefruit like acidity and just a hint of spice, all of which lingers longingly on the finish. This is a brilliant Chardonnay! I loved it, my wife loved it and a mate who tried it loved it too. Lots of love all round for this bottle of beauty.

Pinot Noir

Love a good Pinot Noir? Get yourself some of this! A dark cherry and red currant nose with a touch of oak as well. An intense yet elegant palate of black fruits, black cherry, some earthiness comes through along with a palate coating red-fruit like freshness and some gentle spiciness adding a lovely dimension to it. The tannins and acidity are lovely and fine as it finishes long and smooth.

Cabernet Sauvignon

This shouts ‘Cabernet’ from the roof tops and everyone is listening. Juicy dark berry goodness to die for from the nose to the toes with this one, along with a modicum of herb and spice notes, nice supportive oak and svelte tannins on an excellent long finish. It’s beautifully medium bodied and mouthcoating while maintaining that elegance and poise we love in a Yarra Valley Cabernet at its very best, which this is!

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir | Leave a comment

De Iuliis Wines Cellar Door

Posted on July 12, 2023 by Tony Peters

As much as I have frequented many wine tastings over the years, there is nothing like visiting a cellar door to taste somebody’s wines.  There is really no comparison is there?

I have been lucky enough to try De Iuliis wines thanks to a very good friend of mine, Steve Leszczynski (Qwine), organising a wine swap two or three years ago.  Since then, it has always been our intention to visit the Hunter Valley, a place that has, for some reason, eluded my wine region curiosity senses.

When the decision was made to visit the Hunter Valley, it was a no-brainer to call into De Iuliis cellar door.  I don’t know if you’ve ever been there but, driving up to it, it is quite a picture.  The lawns and gardens are immaculate (love a good garden) and the setting is inviting and serene.

Walking into the cellar door there is a sense of ‘organised’ yet ‘relaxed’ and we were soon relaxed.  Gail welcomed us at the door guiding us to a table beside the window giving us an uninterrupted view of the outside vista, and it wasn’t long before we were offered a taste of the zesty and fresh 2019 Sparkling Chardonnay that led into a great tasting experience.

We started with the 2022 Garden Vineyard Semillon that had gentle acidity and is nicely balanced, then the 2017 Aged Release Semillon which showed a little of a toasty character and some lovely fine acidity.

Moving on, the 2022 Estate Chardonnay is fresh and such an easy-going drink while the 2019 Limited Release Chardonnay has texture, a lovely mouth-feel and beautifully balanced.

I could not miss the 2023 Estate Rosé.  It exudes ripe strawberries, finishing savoury and dry, and bound to be popular anytime of the year.

I was definitely looking forward to trying the Shirazes and they did not disappoint. The 2021 Estate Shiraz is nicely fruit-forward thanks mainly to purple fruits with a red-fruit like lift and freshness, while the 2020 Steven Vineyard Shiraz has lush fruit and so silky and elegant.  The 2020 LDR Vineyard Shiraz is perfectly fruited (can’t put it any other way), generous and with great length.  Beautiful aromatics kick things off with the 2020 LDR Vineyard Shiraz Touriga while dark fruits present on the elegant and long palate.  It was a pleasure to get to try the 2018 Limited Release Shiraz which is all about lovely dark fruits and mid-palate plums, and while it is medium bodied, there is good intensity on the palate too.

Hats off to winemaker Mike De Iuliis and his team for producing a line-up of lovely drinking wines that will please anyone and everyone at anytime of the year.

I can’t remember how long we were there, and I don’t remember looking at my watch at any stage.  Gail was so engaging and conversational (as were we) that it didn’t matter because we didn’t have to be anywhere, and we lapped up her knowledge and stories.

This is yet another Hunter Valley cellar door I would not hesitate to recommend to my wine enthusiastic friends.

De Iuliis Wines Website

Posted in Cellar Door, Chardonnay, Rosé, Semillon, Shiraz, Sparkling Wine | Leave a comment

Thomas Wines Cellar Door

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Tony Peters

Considering the number of wine regions I have visited over the years, some more than once or twice, it is slightly embarrassing for me to admit that I have never been to the Hunter Valley and I really do not know why that is the case.

To remedy that situation, as part of a road trip to a warmer state of our big island, we made the decision to call into the Hunter Valley and, Thomas Wines was always going to be on my list of must visits.  Thanks to a good wine friend of ours, Steve Leszczynski (Qwine) we were kindly treated to a tasting at their cellar door.  It was an amazing experience, to say the least, and I really feel the need to tell you about it.

Firstly, the cellar door has a modern feel to it yet it is still warm, spacious and inviting.  We were met by Belinda and immediately felt welcome.  When the conversation started, we knew it was definitely not scripted.  It was genuine, humorous and convivial. 

Secondly, the tasting experience would have to be one of the best and relaxing we have had and we have been to many cellar doors around Australia.  Brodie looked after us and his knowledge of the wines was informative without being too technical, and presented in a fun and inclusive way, so much so it would not intimidate those learning about wine or new to the wine scene.

And last, but by no means the least, the wines.  I could easily sum them up in two words.  Genuine and exquisite.  However, they deserve much more attention to detail than that, just like what the wines receive.  We were lucky enough to try five white wines with four of those being Semillon and the other a blend of Semillon and Chardonnay, while seven Shirazes crossed our palates as well.

The 2022 ‘Fordwich Hill’ Semillon is a great introductory wine for those not sure if Semillon is ‘their thing’.  It is so approachable in its infancy with the fruit being the star while the acidity is soft and complementary.  The 2022 ‘OC’ Semillon is a little more generous on the palate with some good acidity adding zip and freshness. 

We were lucky enough to try the, yet to be released, 2023 ‘Braemore’ Semillon which was citrussy and fresh (as you’d expect) with a lovely mouth-watering apple-like acidity.  This is going to be a winner!  The ‘Vat 32’ Semillon Chardonnay deserves its place in the line-up. I don’t know the percentages of the two varieties that make up the wine but they definitely get on well together resulting in a flavourful, textural and delicious wine.

When it came to the Shiraz line-up, the 2021 ‘Synergy’ is ridiculous value.  It’s vibrant, it’s juicy and so adorably drinkable.  The 2021 ‘Belford’ and ‘Dam Block’ wines were lovely ‘go-to’ styles while the 2021 ‘Sweetwater’ seemed it would love you to leave it in the cellar for a while.  All three had plush fruit, texture, fine tannins and judicious use of oak with the ‘Sweetwater’ having that little extra tannin structure to support cellaring.

The 2021 ‘Elenay’ and ‘Kiss’ Shirazes are truly something.  While both wines are elegant and so seamless with great length, the ‘Elenay’ maintains a lovely medium body fruit weight across the palate while the ‘Kiss’ slowly builds to a beautifully balanced intensity.

I would have no hesitation in recommending a visit to this cellar door.  It is something you will tell your friends about, and not just those ‘wine boffins’ you know.

Thomas Wines Website

Posted in Cellar Door, Other Whites, Semillon, Shiraz | Leave a comment

Angullong Orange Region 2022 Chardonnay Releases

Posted on June 24, 2023 by Tony Peters

Isn’t Chardonnay just a lovely grape variety.  It seems to be so attractive in such an effortless way, not seeking any sort of distinguished ‘name’ to place itself above other white varieties. 

I have been a fan for quite a few years now but my focus was quite narrow in the early days.  Tasmanian Chardonnay was it for me until I discovered others from more commonly known regions and producers that entered the Royal Hobart Wine Show.

Thanks to David Cumming of Define Wine, my Chardonnay experiences have been extended to regions that, as far as I am concerned, deserve to be alongside the big shots of the Chardonnay scene in Australia.

I was first introduced to the Angullong wines just on five years ago and about the same time frame since I had the pleasure of trying one of their Chardonnays (2017 Fossil Hill).  Here are two that are definitely going to be spring and summer time people pleasers for sure.

Angullong Website

Region: Orange, NSW     Source: Samples thanks to Angullong and Define Wine

Angullong Chardonnay ($25)

Lovely, fresh citrus characters immediately present on the fruit driven nose giving a good indication of what is to come.  The palate has a good intensity, yet approachable, with the fruit showing its best.  Stonefruits, pear flesh and an apple like crispness are the main players.  I didn’t detect any oak influence, however, there is slight creamy like feel that tells me it probably saw a little oak during the winemaking process, and there is a refreshing touch of acidity on the good length finish.  An attractive wine with an early-drinking vibe to it.  Very good value!

Angullong ‘Fossil Hill’ Chardonnay ($30)

Taking nothing away from the previous wine, this Chardonnay is worth more than the five dollars extra you pay for it.  It has a lovely delicate like richness on the palate thanks to the good fruit intensity with the oak running alongside nicely, and texture adding to the nice mouth-feel with every sip.  Some nice acidity shows itself as it lingers nicely on the palate for a very good finish.  Elegance is the key to this terrific value Orange Chardonnay.  A delicious wine indeed.  Bravo!

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