2016 Angullong ‘Fossil Hill’ Tempranillo

Posted on April 13, 2018 by Tony Peters

Living in the southern most capital city in Australia, we tend to miss out on a lot of things.  Famous entertainers (sadly), stage shows (take it or leave it), peak hour traffic (a good thing) or more importantly (as far as I’m concerned) quite a few wines from places that are not given space on a bottle shop shelf in these parts.

Thanks to David Cumming of  Define Wine  for this wine I have been introduced to, not only a region but a producer that I would have been none the wiser about.  That would have been a shame because if this one, my first from Angullong, is anything to go by, the bar has been set so high even Australian Commonwealth Games Pole Vaulter, Kym Howe, would struggle to get over it.

It’s a pretty deep colour for a young wine but the purplish rim is the indicator of its youth.  It has a fresh, vibrant berriness about it on the nose that, as I was taking it all in, I imagined throwing some ice cream on it and scooping it up with the biggest spoon I could find.  Mmmm!

So, back to the wine.  Tasting it provides that proof again that this is indeed still making its way through primary stages of its life.  Those aromas have brought with them a hint of spice plus some juicy plum characters that sit nicely on the palate.  Even though it is just below the ‘medium bodied’ spectrum, there is good texture and length.  So much so,  the screw cap was made redundant and the bottom of the bottle was exposed to the elements by the end of entrée.

I can certainly see why it won a Trophy and a gold medal for Best Other Red Variety at the 2017 Orange Wine Show and for the Best Dry Red Table Wine (Spanish & Italian Varieties) at the 2017 NSW Small Winemakers Wine Show.

angullong.com.au

Region: Orange, NSW     Price: $26     Source: Sample

AngullongTempranillo

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2016 Taylors Promised Land Cabernet Sauvignon

Posted on April 12, 2018 by Tony Peters

Cabernet Sauvignon doesn’t have to be expensive to be good and there are plenty of examples around in the category of ‘very good’ without being expensive.  And on that note I present to you…this one.

It is a ‘full-of-fruit’ style of wine in every facet and this is what was intended.  Take your pick of some colourful fresh fruits.  It’ll give you blackberries, black cherries, red fruits to a lesser extent adding a juicy lift to the wine, and lush plums all playing a part.  There is some oak in there adding a spicy touch rather than it’s own character and the finish is really smooth, and I mean really smooth.

Now, I have to say, it comes close to being full bodied which, for the price and the fruit forward nature of this wine, is bloody good considering the price.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not a complex bugger of a Cabernet that is going to set the world on fire but it is, without a doubt, a crowd pleaser and, most importantly, a ‘Tony’ pleaser.

They are out of stock of this vintage on the website so if you see it in any bottle shop, buy one, buy six or buy the lot!  You can’t go wrong.

taylorswines.com.au

Region: Clare Valley, SA     Price: $14 (often discounted)     Source: Sample

Promised Land Cab Sav

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2013 Clemens Hill Aurelia Chardonnay

Posted on April 11, 2018 by Tony Peters

When I found out this wine was named after one of the owners of Clemens Hill, Aurelia D’Ettorre (the other owner is Rob Ware and, lets face it, ‘Rob Chardonnay’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it), it still wasn’t enough for me when it came to the name.  I had to know more about the name ‘Aurelia’.  When the curiosity button is pushed, I do what most people do.  I turn to Google.

Okay so, there is an Aurelia Fashion House (yawn) and a Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter (applause) by that name.  However the meaning, or should I say explanation that caught my attention was, “Aurelia is a feminine given name from the Latin family name Aurelius, which was derived from aureus meaning “golden”. The name began from minor early saints but was given as a name due to its meaning, and not from where it originated“.  How about that!

This Chardonnay may not be “golden” in colour just yet but has more like a lovely pale gold hue.  It is aromatic if you give it a chance and of course some air (actually, don’t be afraid to decant this.  I might give that a go next time).  I got citrusy characters on the nose but the main one, and not necessarily dominant one, was a sort of steely note.  I was almost going to say minerally and others may see that but it doesn’t quite fit this wine for me.

It’s superb on the palate.  Beautifully weighted, fresh and delicate yet it has abundant rich flavours with those citrus characters showing through.  Any oak used has integrated nicely yet there is still enough acid present, even after five years, to tell me this still has time on its side.  One last thing, don’t chill it too hard…please!

clemenshill.com.au

Region: Coal Valley, Tasmania     Price: $55     Source: Cellar Door Purchase

Aurelia

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2017 Huntington Estate ‘Special Reserve’ Chardonnay

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Tony Peters

We are well into Autumn which means the warmer days are behind us, well certainly here in Tassie, so releasing a white wine now seems to me to be a tad risky.  For this reason, when this and another Huntington Estate Chardonnay arrived at my home recently, I thought it strange.  But after tasting this those thoughts disappeared and a feeling of gratitude took over.

I took the extra step of placing this in an appropriate glass and when I poured it, I could tell it did the wine justice.  Tropical fruits aplenty provided a nice aromatic introduction for me.  Those fruits weren’t so obvious when drinking it.  They were still there but I found they had been tamed somewhat by peaches and cream, and some pear characteristics adding plenty of flavour, weight and mouth-filling texture.  There was a nice touch of acid on the finish, when it eventually got there, telling me this has a good future.

This deserves the ‘Special Reserve’ tag.  Up a notch, upper class and elegant Chardonnay right here.  My information tells me there was only 1000 litres made which means only 1,333.333′ bottles, minus this one leaves 1,332.333′ left.  So, if you want some, get in quick.

huntingtonestate.com.au

Region: Mudgee, NSW     Price: $30     Source: Sample courtesy of Huntington Estate and Define Wine

Huntington-Estate-Special-Reserve-Chardonnay-2017

 

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2017 Yelland & Papps Second Take Rousanne

Posted on April 8, 2018 by Tony Peters

This is such a cool wine.  Another of the Yelland & Papps range that really gets my mouth watering in anticipation when I know it’s on its way to my home.  It’s certainly not your normal Rousanne of course but it’s definitely generating interest in wine drinkers.

With first pour the colour was cloudy but nothing like the second pour after I gave the bottle a bit of a twist and shake.  It looked like home-made ginger beer.  That was where the ‘cool’ factor came into effect for me.  Take in the aromas and you’ll find it’s citrusy but also a bit spicy.  Sensory excitement for my eyes and nose setting up the taste buds for the best part.

Those citrusy characters are on the palate too with great texture and some acidic zing, zip and liveliness adding pretty good length to it plus, there’s that subtle spiciness again.  You can taste the personality in this wine.  Loved it!

yellandandpapps.com

Region: Barossa Valley, SA     Price: $40     Source: Sample

Y&P 2nd Take Roussanne

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2017 Robert Stein SRG (Semillon, Riesling, Gewürztraminer)

Posted on April 7, 2018 by Tony Peters

I love interesting varieties when it comes to wines and there are a few starting to poke their heads up around the country.  However, there are also some interesting blends starting to show up around the traps as well.

This one is not necessarily new.  It’s a bit of take on a blend that was introduced about 40 years ago thanks to (winemaker) Jacob Stein’s grandfather.  Jacob has added 17% Gewürztraminer to the original Semillon/Riesling blend and come up with a floral, flavoursome and fun-time wine.

It’s clean and pristine looking in the glass and gee the aromatics are good!  It smells deliciously citrusy and floral and so inviting! (last exclamation mark, promise).

As much as there are still some citrus notes (lemons/limes) when you taste this, they have been beautifully wrapped in a skin of texture that sits very nicely on the palate and hangs there for a while.  The gewürztraminer does make its presence known but more in the ‘musk’ vein as opposed to turkish delight/rose petal way.

Bearing in mind, this was fermented wild and left on skins for four days plus finishing fermentation on heavy lees.  You would expect quite a bit of texture and weight, which it has, but thanks to some obviously great fruit, everything has balanced out perfectly.

robertstein.com.au

Region: Mudgee, NSW     Price: $18     Source: Sample thanks to Robert Stein and Define Wine

Rob Stein SRG

 

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2017 Robert Stein Shiraz Nouveau

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Tony Peters

Shiraz Nouveau sounds very trendy and ‘now’.  Because I’m not a Millenial, I had to look up the meaning of Nouveau and in French it means new, in Old French it means novel so, it fits.

Love the colour.  I don’t often use this word but it’s pretty.  A pretty red with a very nice, complementary purple rim.

This is all about the fruit from the beginning.  Unmistakable juicy red fruits on the nose, maybe even a touch of spicy cherry-ness in there too.

Those red fruits continue and are joined by some plumminess, mixed italian herbs and hint of licorice with a nice addition of savouriness showing up on the finish.

This may seem a bit odd but it comes across as a pretty relaxed sort of wine.  It’s like it did not set out to reach any great heights yet found its ideal spot alongside my dinner of Chilli Con Carne.

robertstein.com.au

Region: Mudgee, NSW     Price: $30     Source: Sample courtesy of Robert Stein and  Define Wine

2017-Shiraz-Nouveau-Web2

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2017 Yelland & Papps Second Take Vermentino

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Tony Peters

There are many things I like about this wine (and another white wine in the Second Take range) but one I want to mention is that it sort of made me step outside my comfort zone when it comes to wine.  Most who know me are aware I’m a bit of a conservative and routine sort of bloke, but this wine made me take a look at other ways, and to a certain extent  good ways, to treat some varieties.

I really dig this wine.  When I served it up to some friends and it generated some interest and conversation.  Just what wine is supposed to do.

This pushes the intrigue button right from the start and that is just with the information on the bottle.  It gives the drinker everything they need to know about why this is why it is.  One snippet of that information to fire up the interest factor, two hundred and thirty one days on skins!  I dare you to google the normal time a white wine spends slothing about like this.

I picked up some wheat beer (banana) and ginger beer spice aromatics.  Drinking is so much the pleasure of this wine every time.  You don’t see it on the nose but citrus characters appear on the palate in the form of those lemon drop lollies that you suck on until they disappear slowly but they blend nicely with, sort of, subtle stone fruit characters.  That subtlety is right through the whole experience of this drinking part too.  I could easily drink a lot of this…easily!!

yellandandpapps.com

Region: Barossa Valley     Price: $40     Source: Sample

Yelland-Papps-Second-Take-Vermentino-2017

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2017 Huntington Estate ‘Barrel Ferment’ Chardonnay

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Tony Peters

I like Chardonnay.  No surprises there.

The term ‘Barrel Ferment’ will conjure up some interest I’ve no doubt regardless of its ‘sometimes use’ when it comes to Chardonnay.

Respect of regional tradition is something that needs to be considered when in the Chardonnay sphere too.  Combine them and you stir that interest again.  Especially for me considering I’ve not had the privilege of trying many Mudgee Chardonnays.  The crew at Huntington Estate have taken it all into consideration with this one.

For me it seems shy yet ‘up front’ on the nose.  I don’t know how else to describe it.  There are the typical and obvious Chardonnay aromatics yet it seems a bit restrained.

Tasting, or should I say drinking it, is where it became really interesting and grabbed my attention.  Here it’s almost like it’s telling you it has a future while wanting to be enjoyed now.  The old ‘two bob each way’ scenario.

Plenty of really good flavour hanging around thanks to some well managed texture (there’s that barrel fermentation showing itself) but some citrus acidity claiming its place in the make up of this wine to let you know of its capability to develop over a short period of time.  It’s very nice, moreish and so easily drinkable.

Region: Mudgee, NSW     Price: $24      Source: Sample courtesy of Huntington Estate and Define Wine

2017-HE-BarrelFermentedChard__21836.1510274664.500.800

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2016 Huntington Estate Special Reserve Semillon

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Tony Peters

Some wine varieties go out of fashion.  Some never actually become fashionable.  Some deserve to be fashionable but don’t seem to win over punters.  I think Semillon falls into the last category.  When there are great examples like this one, people don’t realise what they are missing out on including me.  I really don’t drink enough of this much ignored variety and I only have myself to blame.

It’s a shy young thing.  I had to give it a decent swirl and shake in the glass to get some subtle lemon and grassy notes on the nose and I thought this was a sign of things to come.

Well I was wrong.  Tasting this wine was a pleasure indeed.  That lemon aroma moves up a notch in this realm of the experience with that citrusy acid taking all before it.  However, it’s not like some ‘in your face acid’ that you can get from young Semillon.  Perfectly balanced by some nice weight and texture, it seems to get better the more you taste it.  The acid became soft, the wine seemed to fill out and it lingered long.

I’ve never known a wine to make me feel guilty like this one did, unintentional of course.  As I said earlier, after tasting this wine, I really don’t appreciate or drink Semillon enough.  It deserves better treatment not just by me but universally.

huntingtonestate.com.au

Region: Mudgee, NSW           Price: $30          Source: Sample thanks to Huntington Estate and Define Wine 

Huntington Estate 16 Semillon

 

 

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