2018 Gartelmann ‘Jessica’ Verdelho

Posted on February 11, 2019 by Tony Peters

Deh Lo. Ver-deh-eh-eh-lo.  End o’ day come and me wan’ go home for, Deh Lo.  Ver-deh-eh-eh-lo.  End o’ day come and me wan’ go home.  Okay so the Banana Boat song doesn’t quite go like that (it’s stuck in your head now isn’t it) but, the tropical feel of the song is indicative of the fruit that this wine purveys and more!

I don’t see much Verdelho in bottle shops around Hobart let alone get to try it.  That’s fair enough I suppose because it’s not exactly a well known variety in these parts, but mention it and people remember.  A bit like that song I mentioned, it’s rare you’ll here it on the radio but every knows it, and sings along, when they hear it.

Very good fruit salad nose to get things started and it doesn’t ease off at any stage of proceedings.  It has a rich, juicy, textural palate where pineapple, passionfruit and apple seem to be the main ingredients of this fruit assemblage.  I don’t know if it’s because of that generous fruit salad flavour of the wine but I could almost swear there was some creaminess too (on top, just how I like my fruit salad).  I really enjoyed the freshness of this Verdelho as well, which I reckon can be attributed to a nice touch of acid on the finish and it complemented the ample fruit.  Good work!

Gartelmann Website

Region: Hunter Valley, NSW     Price: $22     Source: Sample courtesy of Gartelmann Wines and Define Wine

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2018 Robert Stein Farm Series Riesling

Posted on February 7, 2019 by Tony Peters

I’ve never been one to have preconceived ideas about a wine, yet on the other hand, I can have high expectations of a wine if I’ve tried one of the same variety from the same producer.  That’s a contradiction in terms, there’s no denying that.  This wine is a case in point.

I have been lucky enough to try the 2018 Robert Stein dry Riesling (notes here ) and the 2018 half dry Riesling (notes here ).  Very, very good wines.  So, I think I’m justified in thinking this was going to be a another very, very good wine from the talented winemaker Jacob Stein.

Good aromas gets the ball rolling with citrus characters (mainly lemons/limes) and a touch floral.  Riesling to a ‘T’ so far and worth getting excited about.  There’s some good citrusy characters on the palate too with some nice texture and gentle acid (my wife really enjoyed this about the wine).  A touch of sweetness provides some ‘fatness’ and weight on the finish but unfortunately the fruit faded a bit too quickly for me.  Don’t get me wrong this has a place in the Aussie Riesling landscape, it just needs some spicy Thai food or similar to bring out more of the flavours I’m sure are hiding in there somewhere.  Shame I don’t have another bottle to find out.

Robert Stein Wines

Region: Mudgee, NSW     Price: $18     Source: Sample courtesy of Robert Stein Wines and Define Wine

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2018 Chapel Hill Vermentino

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Tony Peters

I’m not saying I’m an old fella by admitting to knowing who Dean Martin is (click here if you don’t know or want more information about him).  Some of his songs are legendary and he had such incredibly dulcet tones.  The reason I mention this is because I reckon he could have swooned many with a song about this grape variety.  It would’ve been so easy for him.

Vermentino seems such an, I don’t know, intimate yet strong word and how good is it that it’s attached to an Italian grape variety.   And, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if some Italian ‘Madre’ (Italian for mother in case you were wondering) named their children ‘Vermentino’.  This isn’t as silly as it sounds you know.  For instance, ‘Valentino’ means brave or strong in Italian so a suitable meaning for Vermentino could be something like “attractive and moreish”.  Something to think about…or not.

This is delicious from head to toe.  Quite aromatic with floral notes, pears and a hint of lemons/limes.  The nose is pretty much an invite to…”come on, you’re going to enjoy this wine”.  The palate is fruity but be prepared for a nice zesty punch that it has.  Pears make an appearance here too and probably adding the nice texture it has.   There’s some bit part players like grapefruit, lemon and a hint of apricot as well.  It sits very nicely on the palate with some subtle acid doing its bit on the finish.

For me it was singing out, “Where’s the food?!”  As much as we drank it on its own, this would shine with food but don’t get too fancy.  This is what Italian varieties are all about.  Ciao!!

Chapel Hill Website

Region: McLaren Vale, SA     Price: $20 (Sadly sold out at cellar door)     Source: Swap

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2015 Clemens Hill Old Clones Pinot Noir

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Tony Peters

The Coal River Valley is close, it’s not very far. We go there often, a leisurely drive in our car.

The Pinots are great they consistently shine through, with colour, perfume whether they’re old or new.

This Clemens Hill example is oh so fine, the structure is perfect and it’ll develop with time.

The colour is deep, like delicious blood plums, but it’s the nose that starts the roll of the drums.

Aromas of dark cherries and those plums again.  Just for the nose, it deserves a ten out of ten.

Flavours abound on the palate you’ll see.  Cherries, spice and plums are what impressed me.

It’s rich and delicate with finesse on its side and it keeps on going for a long sumptuous ride.

What a pleasure this was to smell and to taste. I suggest you buy it with the utmost haste.

It’s not on the website, I’m not sure why. The only reason I can think of is the quantities are not high.

So get in touch by clicking the link here What a way to start your wine buying year!

Clemens Hill Website

Region: Coal River Valley, Tasmania     Price: $55    Source: Gift

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2018 Gartelmann ‘Stephanie’ Pinot Gris

Posted on January 29, 2019 by Tony Peters

I’ve tried plenty of pinot gris and grigios in my time but I can not remember ever trying one from the Orange region of New South Wales.  Actually, I have to admit, I didn’t even know they grew it out that way.  If this is an example of what is available from the area, give me more please!

Dive your nose into the glass and you get pears, pears and more pears…and a touch of honey notes too.  On the palate there a plenty of those pear flavours but that’s not all you get with this model.  It’s a gris with cool bonus extras that present from the first sip to the last.  It’s creamy, textural with excellent palate weight, but wait, there’s more.  How would you like citrus flavours, delicate spice notes and a nice splash of acid adding to a pretty substantial finish?  Well, you get those as well at no extra cost.  It’s a Gris with more; providing style, substance and genuine interest.  I suggest you race to your local dealer now!

Gartelmann Wines Website

Region: Orange, NSW     Price: $27     Source: Sample courtesy of Gartelmann Wines and Define Wine

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2018 Robert Stein Farm Series Rosé

Posted on January 27, 2019 by Tony Peters

Remember when everyone had a box of barbeque shapes in the pantry or cupboard for when people dropped in unexpectedly?  You knew there’d be very few left by the time the crowd decided to go home.  How good is it to know that you can go to the fridge, pull out a wine, not necessarily a white or a red, that you can pour into anyone’s glass knowing it’s going to hit the mark.  Thanks to some good value examples now available, Rosé is fast becoming the ‘barbeque shape’ of wine.  I think this fits the mould perfectly.

This Rosé has been built using “…early harvested merlot and shiraz”.  I have to say, the wine confused me to start with.  Tart raspberries balanced by sweet dried cranberries and a nice smooth texture.    It was savoury but I detected some sweetness, a deft touch of spice and some fine acidity had a say on quite a good dry finish.

In the end I felt this was a pretty cool, refreshing drink at a very good price, however  don’t chill it too hard would be my advice.  It’ll please anyone that pops in unexpectedly.

Robert Stein Website

Region: Mudgee, NSW     Price: $18     Source: Sample courtesy of Robert Stein Wines and Define Wine

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2018 Robert Stein Farm Series Semillon Riesling Gewürztraminer

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Tony Peters

A few years ago I was lucky enough to do a short tour of Dublin.  I remember going to a particular area and a particular street, the names of which escape me, where the doors to the identically built homes were painted in different colours.  From what I remember being told by the tour guide, be it the truth or Irish fable, it was so when the drunk men came home from the pub, they would look for the coloured door to their house.  I must say, the doors stood out so much, they were the main attraction even though they were but a small part of the houses’ facades.

The Gewürztraminer in this wine is the facade’s coloured door of this Farm Series blend.  It is only 17% of the blend yet immediately had my attention when I stuck my nose in the glass after giving it a good swirl.  Not that it dominates, but it has its delicate pot pourri/rose petal nose in front at this stage.

I didn’t know what to expect when I tasted it and, to be honest, it was because of the price.  It offers up plenty of fruit and it’s a touch sweet although not enough to be a nuisance.  There’s stonefruits…sure, like apricots and (to a lesser extent) peaches that give it some nice flavour.  Texture presents too giving some breadth on the palate,  probably due to the 58% Semillon, and 25% Riesling chiming in adding freshness and some gentle acidity on the finish.  A very neat package indeed.

I couldn’t find it on the Robert Stein Website so check with David Cumming of  Define Wine I’m sure he will put you on the right track.

Region: Mudgee, NSW    Price: $18     Source: Sample courtesy of Robert Stein Wines and Define Wine.

 

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2017 Matriarch & Rogue M&R Riverland Saperavi

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Tony Peters

I knew there were red grapes that had red flesh, and subsequently red juice, but I didn’t know they had a name.  That name is teinturier grapes.  Saperavi is a teinturier type grape.  I’m sure there are others but I only know of one other; Alicante Bouchet.  In French, teinturier means to dye or stain and, as much as Saperavi has the red flesh, I’ve no doubt the juice has been suitably dyed or stained by coming in contact with the dark skin of the grape.  I must say, it presents like a glistening puddle of deep purple goodness in the glass.

The grapes themselves are (generally) pretty big and thin skinned like pinot noir but not as temperamental.  Winemakers need to be careful with this grape variety because, from what I’ve read, it can come across as extracted and acidic.  Apart from the pleasant acidity this one has, it certainly didn’t come across as extracted.  The rich fruit was oh so perfectly dominant.

It’s typically Sapervi.  Pretty intense and full of flavour.  Blackberries, boysenberries and dark plums fill out the palate.  There’s an earthiness about it that’s sort of like fresh, out of your garden, beetroot (if you know what I mean) and there’s a downright delicious licorice note too that carries it all to a fruit filled finish.  All sorts of yum!

Another terrific wine at such a good price.  I don’t know how Marnie does it.

Matriarch & Rogue Website

Region: Riverland, SA     Price: $22     Source: Gift courtesy of Marnie Roberts

 

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2017 Domaine Dawnelle Riesling

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Tony Peters

Isn’t time an interesting thing.  It can have such an effect on so many things and not always in a good way.  It’s pointless me giving you examples because they are endless but I’m going to tell you the story of how time was a friend to this wine.

It all started pretty much this time a year ago.  I was given a bottle of this wine to try by the owner/winemaker, Michael O’Brien, who asked me to let him know what I thought.  Well, I decided to involve a couple of mates of mine, both of whom had vast wine knowledge.  The unanimous verdict was, it was a bit disjointed, a bit all over the place to be honest.  We could all see the obvious potential, but it definitely needed that thing I was talking about earlier. Time.  Mind you, that didn’t phase Michael one little bit.  He entered it in the 2018 Tasmania Wine Show a couple of weeks later and it was draped with a bronze medal.

So, how’s it looking now?  Well it may be a bit shy on the nose but, if you’re like me, it’s the palate where everything counts.  There’s limes, grapefruit and obvious yet delicate acid.  It has good length although those flavours trail off leaving the acid component lingering, albeit briefly, all by itself.  It’s slightly more developed than I expected but, for me, this has helped the wine seem a bit calmer allowing it to show it’s best.  Regardless of this slight development over the year, I still think it has another 10 years left in it.

Grab yourself a big cone of fish and chips or some calamari and chips then a bottle of this.  Before you know it, you’ll be going back for seconds of both!

Disclaimer: I have helped Michael O’Brien at the Taste of Tasmania and Dark Mofo events.

It’s not available on the website at the moment so, give Michael a call if you want some.  He’ll sort it out for you.

Domaine Dawnelle Website

Region: Upper Derwent Valley, Tas     Price: $36     Source: Gift thanks to Michael O’Brien

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2017 Tamburlaine Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc

Posted on January 3, 2019 by Tony Peters

I feel a little sorry for Cabernet Franc.  It seems it’s the middle child of the Cabernet family, with Cabernet Sauvignon at one end and Merlot at the other end of the Bordeaux bunch of red grape varieties.  Not necessarily the ‘forgotten child’ of the family but almost.  In recent times it’s come out of the shadows and stolen the limelight, to a certain extent, from its siblings with one winning a trophy (or two if my memory serves me correctly) at Australian regional and/or capital city wine shows.  Now, it may not have been from this region or this wine but it was a Cab Franc nonetheless.

I have to admit, I’ve not had many straight Cab Francs.  I sort of knew what to expect but it wasn’t necessarily such good quality from this region!

From a certified organic vineyard in Orange, New South Wales, this certainly ticks a box or more for me.  Berries, cherries, some pepper and spice and more…and you don’t have to try hard to find all of these goodies as it rolls around every crevice of your mouth.  It’s deliciously medium bodied and ripe-ishly juicy without being over the top.  You can’t help but like this wine.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a wine that you need to sit in your cellar.  I don’t think it’s built for that and I reckon that’s a good thing.  It’s too nice a drink for that.

I wasn’t able to find it on the Tamburlaine website but I did find it here at Organic Wine

Region: Orange, NSW     Price: $25     Source: Swap (Thanks Simon Colwell )

Tamburlaine Cab Franc 2017

 

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