Hastwell & Lightfoot ‘Fat and Skinny’ Pinot Grigio & Rosé

Posted on November 4, 2020 by Tony Peters

How good is it that summer is only a 27 days away. I don’t know about you but I tend to start scanning bottle shop shelves, checking out Instagram and looking at wine websites for summer wines that people are trying and/or buying. Yes, I realise people tastes are different but I can generally get a good idea if a wine is going to be what I like and am looking for. According to my wife, I have a pretty good ‘hit’ rate compared to a very low ‘miss’ rate. I’ve no doubt Pinot Grigio/Gris and Rosé will be very popular.

2019 Pinot Grigio

Quite fruity aromatically with pear and delicate citrusy notes. This doesn’t sound much but it is quite deceiving at this point. There’s a good amount of flavour that greets you on the first taste.  It’s gris/grigio for sure thanks to a good amount of pear flesh while a sprinkle of spice adds more interest as it finishes moderately long.  This is pretty good!

2019 Rosé

It’s all about strawberries.  On the nose and on the palate.  Delve a little deeper and up comes some floral like aromas as well.  Flavours wise you will come across red fruits (as well as those strawberry characters), there’s a little texture and spicyness but then a touch of harsh acidity arrives on a dry, slightly (surprisingly) tannic finish.  It’s an okay rosé but food will be its friend and saviour.

Region: Mclaren Vale, SA Price: $22 Source: Samples courtesy of Hastwell and Lightfoot and Define Wine

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2020 Selena Estate ‘You, Me and Pinot Gri…gio’

Posted on November 1, 2020 by Tony Peters

If you’re like me, and you just have to visit a bottle shop for one reason or another, you have to have a bit of scour of the shelves and see what’s there. I call it research. Someone very close to me, let’s call her my wife, disagrees. Anyway, depending on the bottle shop, there is always the usual suspects of course but sometimes, and more regularly these days, a label grabs my attention for any number of reasons. The label on this bottle would certainly grab my attention and not because it is attention grabbing. It just seems passively bright and friendly and I can’t help but be drawn to it. The contents did the same thing to me…and my wife. 😊

Aromatically, it doesn’t seem to want to offer up much but that didn’t bother me because I was more drawn to the lovely light coppery colour. In some ways, the palate was not what I expected. Yes there is some pear influence adding to soft red fruit characters as well yet it has texture, it has a nice touch of palate weight and it has a slight bit of acid on the finish which all adds up to a very enjoyable, refreshing wine. Good one!

Region: Riverland Price: $20 Source: Sample generously provided by Salena Estate and Tash Stoodley of www.savvycomms.com.au

www.salenaestate.com.au

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2017 Black Wines Mudgee Riesling

Posted on October 29, 2020 by Tony Peters

There are over 2,300 wine producers in Australia (according to 2019-20 data). Now, as much as I would like to, I doubt I will ever get to try a wine from every single one of them, and one of the reasons is, I’m unlikely to know a vast majority of them.  That is why it is always great to be introduced to a small producer clearly making some very nice wines.  I’ve been swapping wines for some time now, happy to introduce small, lesser known Tassie producers to those on the big island, whether they be a winemaker, vineyard owner, wine blogger or even a wine enthusiast.  Thanks to the latter, I was sent this Riesling (one of my favourite varieties) to try.

Quite subdued aromas to begin with but a bit of air and swirl and those typical Riesling aromas came out.  The palate proved to be very interesting indeed.  Everything about it at this point was delicate.  There was plenty of the lemon and lime flavours you’d expect yet so nicely delicate.  The refreshing and fine line of acidity that came with those flavours is so delightfully delicate.  The long, dry and mouth-watering finish also had a particular delicacy and refinement about it.  This was a wine that was never going to be an in-your-face type of Riesling, and I mean that in a good way.  It seems to go about its business without the fuss and bother yet in a very satisfying manner.  This Black is the new White on my Riesling list.

Region: Mudgee, NSW     Price: $35     Source: Wine Swap (Cheers Simon)

www.blackwines.com.au

Black Wines Riesling 2017 White Wine Mudgee New South Wales Australia
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2019 Yelland & Papps Second Take Vermentino

Posted on October 26, 2020 by Tony Peters

I like the word ‘Vermentino’.  When I say it, I feel I don’t have to put any emphasis on any of the characters.  They seem to speak for themselves.  When the word adorns a bottle of wine, I have a whole new ‘like’ for the word because it means the fermented grape juice inside is Vermentino.  Speak to friends of mine and they will tell you of my enthusiasm for this variety.  If I find one you can just about bet London to a brick I will buy it to try it.  I have the Yelland & Papps team to thank for the introduction to the variety way back when, and I will be forever grateful.

Yes, it’s a little cloudy but nothing to be concerned about.  Take in the aromas and that cloudiness will be a thing of the past.  Aromatically it has citrusy notes, hints of apricot and funk ‘n’ spunk.  Oh yeah!  There’s a freshness on the palate as stone fruit characters come to the fore along with a cashew/almond/hazelnut-iness.  Loved the soft textural feel on the palate with just a hint of spiceyness providing a nice dimension and some acidity chiming in.  This is a balanced beauty.  My memory is not that great but I am comfortable in saying this vintage would have to be up there with one of their best.  But they are always ‘the best’ so, not much more needs to be said really.

Region: Barossa Valley, SA     Price: $45     Source: Sample thanks heaps to Yelland & Papps

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2019 Yelland & Papps Second Take Grenache

Posted on October 22, 2020 by Tony Peters

It’s easy to get carried away with a quality wine that captures your senses when you open it, pour it, take in the aromas and, of course, taste it.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.  I consider myself pretty lucky because, for fear of sounding like I am bragging (sorry), it’s a regular occurrence for me.  When the Yelland & Papps wines turn up at my home, that quality is a given.

When it comes to these wines, it’s a bit like trying to decide which child is your favourite.  They all have their little idiosyncrasies, personalities and attractive characteristics, but you like them all equally.  If I had to pick, this one always seems to get more of my attention than the others and not just once or twice but every time, every year.

I don’t know if it is possible to be able to smell aromas of ‘fresh’ and ‘juicy’ but that’s what I got when I dived my beak into the glass.  Raspberries and blueberries and a sprinkling of herbs greet your nasal senses.  The ‘fresh’ and ‘juicy’ aromas are almost tangible on the taste buds where cherry and blueberry characters shine along with a nice dash of spice.  Things just keep rolling along beautifully thanks to silky smooth tannins and the terrific fruit combining for a pretty impressive finish.

It’s lovely, light/medium bodied and fruity, yet seems to move up a notch the longer it sat in the glass.  It just kept drawing me back again and again and again.  Great stuff!!

Region: Barossa Valley, SA     Price: $45     Source: Sample thanks heaps to Yelland & Papps

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2016 Gartelmann Wines Diedrich Shiraz

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Tony Peters

Many years ago now my wife and I designed and built our first ‘together’ home.  By built, I mean we hired sub-contractor tradies to build it for us.  Anyway, we knew exactly what it was going to look like when it was finished but, during the construction phase, it was quite an interesting experience.  Over an extended period of time, bits and pieces would turn up on-site and, individually, they didn’t look like anything special.  But, as those bits and pieces were brought together by the skilled tradesman, we ended up with a place we called home.

I found this wine to be similar.  The first day I tried it, it was like bits and pieces of the character of the wine were ‘on-site’ but yet to come together as planned by the skilled winemaker.  The second day however, things had taken shape and those ‘bits and pieces’ had formed into a thing of elegance, richness, beauty and completeness.

Quite aromatic thanks to dark and red fruits, a touch white pepper and spice with the oak just poking through.  Heaps of fruit driven flavour when tasting it.  Mainly dark berries and cherries but there’s a nice coating of plums in there too.  It’s delicately spicy on an elegant, medium to full bodied palate as it finishes off nicely thanks to smooth tannins and a good dash of oak.  Gee it’s a good wine!  Just be patient…please.

Gartelmann Wines Website

Region: Orange, NSW     Price: $50     Source: Sample thanks to Gartelmann Wines and Define Wine

GartelmannWinesDiedrichShirazOrangeRegion2016

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2016 Angullong Orange Region Cabernet Sauvignon

Posted on October 12, 2020 by Tony Peters

Recently I had a conversation with a young bloke who knew I was into wine.  He told me Cabernet was his go-to wine.  Two things surprised me about the comment.  Firstly, a young bloke talking about wine instead of beer, bourbon or whisky.  Secondly, saying his go-to wine is Cabernet (I would’ve expected Shiraz).  I had to delve deeper.  As it turned out, his father was a staunch Cabernet drinker and he regularly shared a wine with his dad from a well known Cabernet region. How good is that?! I asked if he’d thought of trying one from a different region and he was genuinely interested in hearing my suggestions, one of which was Orange.

Definite Cabernet Sauvignon greeting on the nose with lovely black fruits, a sweetish red berry influence in there too and a sprinkle of herbs and spice.  There’s a lot to like on the similarly appointed palate.  The usual suspects of blackberries and blackcurrants arrive with gusto, yet dried Italian herbs and some chocolate characters don’t miss out on some of the limelight.  Interestingly, I found it to be quite savoury, yet there was a sweet fruit touch to it as well in a balanced way I must add.  Yes, there’s oak, yes there’s (slightly drying) tannins, but it all comes together in an elegant, smooth, medium bodied wine.

My opinion only of course but, I think it is drinking very well now at 4 years of age.  It may have some time up its sleeve but at $22 a bottle, why wait?!

Angullong Wines Website

Region: Orange, NSW     Price: $22     Source: Sample courtesy of Angullong wines and Define Wine

Angullong_Cabernet 2016

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2018 Angullong Orange Region Merlot

Posted on October 9, 2020 by Tony Peters

On the weekend, just as it started to rain, we managed to finish the mulching but we didn’t get a chance to look and admire our handiwork.  Once inside out of the rain, I looked out of our lounge-room window over the front garden and, while doing so, a blackbird landed on one of the pencil pines.  With his glossy black coloured feathers, he stood out against the green leaves of the pencil pine.  The blackbird balanced perfectly as he seemed to look at me through one of his yellow ringed eyes then scanned the front yard.  I’d like to think he was admiring our work too but I doubt it.

As it happens, Merlot is believed to come from the word Merle the French name for the blackbird.  It’s more to do with the similarity between the colours of the blackbird and the colour the Merlot grape than anything else.  This Merlot had my attention longer than the blackbird did that’s for sure.

Varietal, vibrant and youthful aromas of plums, dark-ish cherries and a hint of spice are a very pleasant introduction to this wine.  The palate was also a pleasant suprise.  It was medium bodied but flavoursome and sort of generous (I typed and deleted this word a couple of times while tasting it.  In the end, it deserved to be in the sentence).  There’s very good balance between dark and red fruit characters that come together nicely in the form of body and freshness.  It may also be a little herbal, a little liquoricey, a little savoury but it has a lot of ‘easy drinking’ qualities.  I don’t know if it will cellar but does it really matter?  This is very good right now I reckon.

Angullong Wines Website

Region: Orange, NSW     Price: $22     Source: Sample courtesy of Angullong wines and Define Wine

Angullong Merlot 2018

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2018 Shanahans ‘Silence is Golden’ Barossa Valley Shiraz

Posted on October 3, 2020 by Tony Peters

The meaning of ‘Silence is Golden’ is not befitting of this wine. Not by a long shot!  It pretty much means that it is often wise to say nothing.  Now, if I was the winemaker or owner or wine rep of this bottle of Barossa Shiraz, I would not be remaining silent.  Taste this wine and you will know exactly what I mean.  Seriously!  Get on the website and buy some.  When word gets out, this wine will sell out in a heart-beat. 

In 1964, the Four Seasons released a song called ‘Silence is Golden’ in which the chorus is, “Silence is golden, but my eyes still see”.  Well, when it comes to this wine, the eyes see a beautiful colour, the nose is spoiled for aromas and the palate is flooded with flavours.  If you didn’t already pick up on it, I’m excited!

It’s a lovely deep, dark and youthful purple/crimson colour.  Pretty intense aromas of dark fruits, dark chocolate and oak which is a tad deceiving because you think your palate is going to be smashed with big amounts of fruit and oak.  Well, you do but in such very well measured and considered way.   Rich, juicy black fruits are the star of the show (blackberries, dark cherries, even a nice plum like hit on the mid palate), there’s a dark chocolate/cocoa like flavour, it’s a little earthy too and the oak and silky-smooth tannins are perfectly played complementing the whole package that is a terrific wine.

Shanahans Wines Website

Region: Barossa Valley, SA Price: $30 (Bargain!) Source: Retail purchase

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2019 Yelland & Papps Second Take Shiraz

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Tony Peters

I’ve been landscaping my front yard.  It’s been a long time coming it must be said.  It was similar to so many other front yards in our cul-de-sac but a lot messier.  It needed something and it finally got it.  I have given it its own personality, its own individualism, its own standoutishness (another word with a red squiggly line under it).  I stuck with some of the usuals for the area, like conifers and Australian natives (to attract the abundant bird life we have) but I added difference to the expected in our neighbourhood.  Yes it has ‘structure’ but it also has natural elements.  Yes it has conformity but it also has wild elements.  Put this all together and it just seems to work (even if I do say so myself).

This Shiraz, from the dab hands of Michael Papps, is similar to my (new) front garden.  It has similar traits to others in the neighbourhood, however, Michael has added personality, individualism, and plenty of natural and wild elements to this wine making it stand out in a damn good way!

Breathe in deep after you pour it into your glass because you will be greeted with an abundance of berries and spice and a smidge of herbs.  It’s a delightful start!  Once you’ve finished with the swirling and sniffing, and take your time with that, move on and treat your palate to the same sensory experience.  Right from the outset I could tell there’s terrific fruit, and it hung around like forever over your tongue.  But wait, there’s more. It was like the texture and lovely smooth tannins moved in and latched onto the fruit for the nice, easy long ride to the finish.  This is good!  Really good!!

Region: Barossa Valley, SA     Price: $45     Source: Sample thanks heaps to Yelland & Papps

Y & P Second Take Shiraz 2019

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