Words from a Wine Glass

If you are reading this and are 168 years old (not likely of course), your parents planted the seed for you to grow the same year the first Mourvèdre vines were planted in Australia, 1853 in the Barossa Valley, and there were also vines planted in McLaren Vale in the early 1900’s. It was a very popular variety in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s but unfortunately, a lot of it was pulled out in the 1980’s. These days it still doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Wines like this one are bound to changed that.

It looks good in the glass, a lovely deep purple colour. It is very aromatic thanks to an array of dark fruits, slightly herbaceous (and I mean slightly) and just a hint of pepper. The palate is concentrated with generous fruit flavours of blackberry and spicy dark cherry being the mainstays here. There’s a really good mid palate lushness, a savoury element too while tannins and oak play minor roles in the scheme of things. This wine is all about the delicious fruit that just seems to keep on giving.

This one may not have come from very old vines but it is still a Ray Costanzo masterpiece.  Loved it!!

Golden Grove Estate Website

Region: Granite Belt, Queensland     Price: $35 (cheap)     Source: Sample thanks to Golden Grove Estate (cheers Ray Costanzo)

If you are a cricket fan, you love it when your favourite batsman scores a hundred (runs) and, when they don’t reach such a milestone, but still make a few runs for the team, we tend to find the positives in their contribution. When Ed Sheeran has a number 1 hit song, we love it and play it over and over again. When he doesn’t quite hit the note with a tune, we are such fans that we still sing along with plenty of verve. And let’s face it, a star cricketer and a talented musician are going to have more hits than misses.

Same can be said for the current release Tempranillo and Sangiovese from Angullong wines. I say that in the context of checking back on my notes of the 2018 vintage of these wines (they were beauties!). As we all know, vintage conditions can vary from year to year which can and do have an effect on the resultant wines. These may not attract the accolades that the 2018s did but they are still very good wines, don’t you worry about that.

Angulong Website

Region: Orange Region, NSW     Price: $28     Source: Sample courtesy of Angullong Wines and Define Wine

2019 Sangiovese

A very attractive colour, similar to the Tempranillo.  It’s quite aromatic where cherry characters dominate, there’s a herbal note too and some berry influence.  Very enjoyable to taste and drink thanks to a good amount of cherry flavour on the medium-ish bodied palate.  I realise it’s only two years old, but there’s a certain youthfulness to it which may be thanks to the additional contribution of fresh, mixed berry characters. There’s a sprinkle of herbs, subtle amounts of tannin and oak as it finishes nice and clean.

2019 Tempranillo

A lovely deep ruby colour in the glass followed by plenty of red fruits on the nose with just a hint of earthiness. On the palate, it leans toward the lighter end of medium bodied, with the fruit flavours more in the ripe red fruits and cherry characters and a pleasant savouriness as well. There’s a nice smoothness to it even if the oak just shows its hand and the tannins present on the moderate length finish.

Put your hand up if you have walked into a bottle shop and asked for a bottle of Malbec. Thought so…not many people have. Okay, so, that’s just an assumption by me but a pretty fair one I reckon. Let’s face it, the main ones that punters handed over their hard-earned dollars for are usually Cabernet, Shiraz, GSM blends and Pinot Noir.  Personally, I think it’s a shame because when you see examples like this one from the Granite Belt, people really need to expand their palates.

The colour, or should I say colours, are terrific! From the middle, it’s a glossy, shiny deep red/maroon, then towards the edges it becomes a vibrant plummy purple colour. The nose and palate exude that same vibrancy. Plenty of black fruits and dark plums present so beautifully and richly yet in no more than a slightly better than medium bodied way if you know what I mean. There’s a smooth and juicy, textural feel that fills every nook and cranny of your mouth. It’s nice and savoury with hints of herbs and spice, the tannins are a little drying but in balance with the abundant fruit and has pretty good length too. My word this is a good wine!!

Region: Granite Belt, Queensland     Price: $35 (Great buying!)     Source: Sample thanks to Golden Grove Estate

Golden Grove Estate Website