Words from a Wine Glass

Take a moment to think about the wines that have got you really excited and I mean really excited.  The ones that bring an instant smile to your face, has you looking around in wonder then back at the glass to check to see what you just tasted.  Depending on who is reading this, that number could vary but I’ve no doubt everyone has had those moments.

I can put my hand on my heart and say this Mataro did exactly that to me from the start to the finish…of the bottle.  🙂

Very aromatic.  Fresh and bold, berries and spicyness straight away.  Eyes wide open!

Tasting this wine (that soon turned into drinking) brought with it dark berries, black cherries, and plums which are full on but it sits nicely at medium bodied.  What may sound strange is, even though I’ve used the words ‘dark’ and ‘black’, the fruit is so bright and lively and it is delicately spiced up.  Well that is what it seemed to be to me.  The ‘mouth open, looking around and then back into the glass’ moment I mentioned earlier.

I don’t mind admitting to repeating this process a number of times.  That is, smell – smile – taste – look around – look back in the glass right up until the bottle was empty.

Yelland and Papps Website

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

The other day I was talking to a mate, who likes his wine, and the discussion went a bit like this.

Me: “I tried a really good Barbera the other day.”

My mate: “Barbera?  Never heard of it.”

My ‘wine snob’ response was, “Really?” (coupled with that stupid quizzical look on my face)

My mate: “Have you ever tried Appleton Estate”

Me: “Are they a new Tassie vineyard?”

My mate: “It’s a Caribbean Rum! (There’s a reality check for me)  What’s this Barbera like then?

Me: “Well, it’s a young wine so, fruit forward with plenty of fresh berries on the nose.  When you get to your favourite part, drinking it, it’s medium bodied, mainly dark berries, a bit of oak and tannin giving you plenty to think about long after you swallow it.  It’s pretty bloody good. How does that sound?”

My mate:  “Sounds pretty good to me! Right up my alley (nodding his head).

Me:  “It’s right up everyone’s alley I reckon”.

angullong.com.au

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

Those who know me will wonder if this is a rhetorical question, but here goes.  Is it wrong to drink almost the entire bottle of wine on your own…in one night?  Those same ones will answer, “depends on the wine.”  I have understanding friends.  I have to throw in here that it was for no reason other than it is a bloody good wine.

Now, if you’re not familiar with whole bunch, don’t despair.  It may not be obvious in this wine but you shouldn’t discount it when you see it next time on any bottle that takes your fancy.  Same with “unfined and unfiltered”.  Don’t be scared.  This is that ‘wine friend’ you can trust to help get you past those characters.

It definitely has the grenache personality.  Red fruits shining with a little bit of sweet fruit hanging in there.  For me blue fruits play a part but just so and, of course, spice has to poke its toes in.  It all comes together very well and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ll have to use your pin number for a couple bottles after using pay pass.  That’s if you can find it in a bottle-O.

I’ve been lucky enough to try the last three vintages of this wine and I reckon each one seems to want to try and out do the last.  Almost like sibling rivalry.  They can fight it out, I’ll happily be the referee.

Yelland and Papps Website

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

For those who don’t know, the photo above is of a Tasmanian Tiger.  Thylacinus cynocephalus to be precise.  Believed to be extinct, there have been reported sightings of this meat eating marsupial but nothing confirmed of its actual existence.  If you see one of these, don’t tell anyone.  The poor thing deserves to be left alone I reckon.

The photo at the bottom of this page is of another rarity on this island state.  It’s called Malbec.  Yep, Tasmanian Malbec.

The colour was pretty well as expected.  Deep red at the core with a youthful red/purple colour at the rim.

When I poured the wine the rich juicy fruit aromas burst from the glass.  It was quite exciting.  But then it seemed to go into almost like a sleepy stage giving almost nothing.

After another pour, the employment of an aerator (sorry Bob & Rita) and swirl after swirl after swirl this opened up beautifully!  Lovely fresh red and black fruits proudly showed themselves.  Patience is the key here.

This is where I could type forever because from here, things just got better with the nose and palate the longer it sat in the glass.  I’ll do my best to keep it short.

On the palate it was a stubborn bugger of a thing too.  Clearly a pup, the dark fruits were as primary as can be.  A hint of menthol and steminess added interest early but they soon melded into the ‘bigger picture’ of this wine.

Gee it got better with time.  This allowed those abundant dark fruits (think blackberries, plums, even cherries) to ‘come on down’ and drag savouriness and some white pepper notes with them.  As is a trait with a young Grey Sands wine, the finish may be nice and rich, fruity and long but the tannins are bit dry at the moment.  Definitely throw some red protein at it because, as with most wines of this ilk, it is made to be enjoyed with food.

My advice is to buy some of this wine before it succumbs to the same fate as the Tasmanian Tiger…extinct.

Grey Sands Website

Region: Glengarry, Tasmania     Price: $40     Source: Cellar Door Purchase

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