Words from a Wine Glass

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

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

I don’t like Mondays.  I’m sure there are those that do but personally, I don’t know anyone that does.  Maybe hospitality industry guys and gals because that is part of their weekend.  However, for us Monday to Friday slaves to the norm, we try to make Sundays one of the best days of the week.  With that in mind, we look for wines that are going to contribute to our “serene Sunday”, to help prepare us for the week ahead.  Joe Warren of Serere Wines has kindly helped us out with this little beauty from the under-rated Beechworth district of Victoria.

It reeks of generosity and elegance from the aromas right through to the flavours.  It has sort of a sweet/savoury nose with plenty of red fruits and a slight earthy character.  The palate is fresh and generous yet in an understated and modest way.  Red and black fruits seem to shimmy across the palate with ease, cool-climate pepper characters and a touch of herbs add a nice savoury touch as it seems to glide to the finish.  Everything about this wine was easy and effortless.  It seemed to do everything for me from the first sip.  On their website, Serere is “to be bound, to be interwoven, to be entwined”.   This is nicely ‘together’ already.  Bravo Joe Warren!!

Region: Beechworth, Vic     Price: $42     Source: Wine swap

Serere Wines Website

A little while back I posted a review about a very good chardonnay.  The main thing I pointed out at the time was the opinions about the variety.  Well, I had a similar response from a couple of work colleagues recently about Shiraz.  Comments like “… it’s everywhere; there’s heaps of it in bottle-shops”; “too dry” and “it’s too heavy for me” came out in the conversation.

I wasn’t about to say they were wrong because it’s their opinion and everyone’s taste is different.  However, I couldn’t help myself, I had to respond in defence of Shiraz.  I had to.  We have been friends for many years.  I covered off, as best I could, on all the negatives thrown around and even managed to get a couple of positives from the small group.  They mainly focused on how good the variety was when drunk alongside chunks of red meat and at barbecues, and the other one was “it’s pretty cheap”.  The all-round upside though, they said they would continue to buy it!  I definitely need to bring this wine to their attention.

Beautiful deep colour. Just beautiful. Loved it right from this point on. Crimson/purple with ruby red rim at the edge of the glass. Tick!  Giving plenty on the nose showing its youthfulness that’s for sure. Fresh dark fruits, plums and a hint of star anise poking through. Another tick!!  Abundant fruit flavours of blackberries, dark cherries, plums and blueberries. A dash of pepper adds a nice dimension too. The oak and tannins play bit parts (but doing their bit nicely) and finishing beautifully smooth. Tick number three!!!  A very well made and very enjoyable wine.

Angullong Wines Website

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

I don’t watch much telly.  I enjoy listening to music more so, especially the old favourites; one of which is Genesis (and later Phil Collins when he went out on his own).  One song that came up today was, “Invisible Touch” by Genesis.  I think some lines in the song relate to this wine perfectly.  Let me explain (but you will need to know the song).

Beautiful colour to get things started like the drum intro to the song.  You just know it is going to have impact.  The aromas are invisible and they seem to reach in and grab right hold of your olfactory senses flooding them with red cherries and plums and bits of herbs and spices.

When you taste it, it crawls under your skin and you’re never quite the same.  You can only blame the lush and fruit-full yet medium bodied palate. Ripe red berries with a slim layer of smooth, dark fruit richness, aniseedy/licoricey like character too and those spices that showed themselves at the ‘aroma’ stage make another appearance at the ‘flavour’ profile stage.  Everything is in tune very nicely at the finish where fine tannins add to the elegance and persistent length.

It seems to have a built in ability to take everything it sees and it seems I’ve fallen, fallen for it.  This is indeed a lovely wine and very good value too.

Gartelmann Wines Website

Region: Hunter Valley, NSW     Price: $28     Source: Sample thanks to Gartelmann Wines and Define Wine

Everyone would be familiar with the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”  While this particular phrase originated in 1913, it is based on a proverb dating back to 1866 that went, “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.”  Now, I’m pretty sure eating an apple a day won’t stop you needing to see your GP from time to time but there are health benefits that are very, very similar to that of red wine! Okay, so not red wine specifically but resveratrol, a compound found in red wine grape skins.

Apples and Resveratrol both seem to have benefits to the human body (and, let’s not forget when it comes to wine, some not so beneficial).  One thing I noticed resveratrol does that apples don’t do is, activate the SIRT1 gene which protects the body against aging and obesity!!  Now, I don’t know how much of this is ‘scientifically proven’ but I’m willing to see if it’s true.  Maybe the saying should be changed to, “an apple and a glass of red wine a day keeps the doctor away.”  I may not be a doctor but I would prescribe this shiraz to be taken on a daily basis due to its heart pumping deliciousness.

Generous and inviting aromas upon introduction.  I breathed in big and exhaled slowly while grinning from ear to ear.  I knew what I was in for and it delivered those expectations easily.  It is terrific on tasting.  Rich, flavoursome, black fruits, lovely plummy mid palate fullness, better than medium bodied with some elegance about it, beautifully balanced and great length.  Look out is all I can say.  If it doesn’t get you on the first taste, it’ll definitely get you on the second.  It got me on the first smell and sip! A lovely wine.

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