Yalumba Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2019

Yalumba Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2019

  15:46    Stu.

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Yalumba branches out to the Limestone Coast to bring this wild ferment Sauvignon Blanc to the table.

Whilst offering that initial aromatic calling card of the variety - think passionfruit, lychee and a touch of cut grass - it also has a slight underlying flinty, mineral quality that adds extra appeal and definition.

A lively mineral acid cuts a swathe and brings carry of flavour across the palate. Seems a touch harsher on the finish, but will surely quench the most stubborn of thirsts. 89 

Tasted on: Tuesday 18th August
Source: Sample
Price: $ 26
Alcohol: TBC
Closure: Screwcap
Website: https://www.yalumba.com/

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Heartland Shiraz 2018

Heartland Shiraz 2018

  08:30    Stu.

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Opens slightly reductive, veering to meaty pan juices, black fruit with a softer edge of blue fruit. The palate is beautifully balanced, enticing with an almost sweet/savoury mix, both driven by fruit and a complex edge of hedgerow like fruit, supplemented with a just sour tang. 

You'd seek complexity and quality in a wine twice the asking price of this. More than happy to have cracked the screw on this on a Monday night, thinking I was getting a sub-$20 wine. Great drinking. 91 

Tasted on: Monday 29th June 
Source: Sample
Price: $19
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: https://www.heartlandwines.com.au/

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Yalumba Wild Ferment Pinot Grigio 2019

Yalumba Wild Ferment Pinot Grigio 2019

  15:30    Stu.

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Spiced pears, white florals, faint rock melon notes in the frame too. Delicate Crispness through the middle, spiced and with acidity adding drive and thrust. 

Well executed on the style and true to name 90 

Tasted on: Sunday 17th November, a Flower to Leaf day 
Source: Sample
Price: $TBC
Alcohol:TBC
Closure: Screwcap
Website: https://www.yalumba.com/

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I Am George Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

I Am George Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

  16:30    Stu.

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Chocolate, cedar and blue/black fruit mix invite the imbiber in from the get go.

Hints of gum leaf, bitter twists leading to twists of tannin. Lighter body than initial aspects might be suggestive. Latent licorice elements, reasonable length, 88 

Tasted on: Wednesday 25th September, a Leaf day
Source: Sample
Price: $19.99
Alcohol: 14%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: https://www.iamgeorge.com.au/

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Mr Mick Pinot Grigio 2018

Mr Mick Pinot Grigio 2018

  12:30    Stu.

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Winery website shows the 2019 as now available, so unsure if this one just slipped to the back of the pile or what.

Lemons, Limes, Pear - it's almost perfectly like a Clare - although fruit is from Limestone Coast - take on the Grigio! 

Simple lick of flavour through the middle, a nice flourish of acid - not overdone. Perfectly clean, and crisp, if not particularly exciting. 87 

Tasted on: Wednesday 17th July, a Fruit to Root day 
Source: Sample
Price: $17
Alcohol: 12%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: mrmick.com.au

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Heartland Shiraz 2015

Heartland Shiraz 2015

  08:30    Stu.

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A crowd-pleaser for sure, with Ben Glaetzer's moniker writ large across it. 

It's a dark and rich mix of fruit, toasty oak remnants and a mix of spice that runs from pepper through sweeter accents like cinnamon. 

Dark chocolate, mocha notes dominate the palate - a deep wine to sink yourself into, it's comforting embrace familiar. 91

Tasted on: Thursday 20th September 
Source: Sample
Price: $19
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: https://heartlandwines.com.au

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Cape Jaffa Mesmer Eyes White and Red blend 2016

Cape Jaffa Mesmer Eyes White and Red blend 2016

  08:30    Stu.

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Either my eyes deceive, or this wine - made of both red and white grape varieties - clocks in at 15% alcohol!

Curious aromatics, has that musky, rose and bergamot scent I so often see (seek?) in skin contact wines. 

It's lavish, thickly textured, berry driven palate. Something like macerated strawberry, and tinned peach syrup. I initially had this chilled as if a white wine (4c) and then allowed to come up to room temperature (19c) and preferred somewhere as a mid-point. At the lower temps it was rather suppressed; warmer it became a little viscous and a hint of bitterness creeping in. 

Creative and curious, adding colour to a shifting wine landscape. 90 

Tasted on: Sunday 11th March, a Fruit day 
Source: Sample
Price: $29
Alcohol: 15%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: www.capejaffawines.com.au

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Cape Jaffa Samphire 2016

Cape Jaffa Samphire 2016

  08:30    Stu.

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Skin contact white wine from the Limestone Coast. Predominantly Chardonnay, spends 6m on skins and then a further 6 in barrel. 

Comes across with this Creamy, almost Vanilla edge. Musky hints, almond paste, certainly much going on. 

Textural, chewy and thick for ostensibly a white wine. Richly spiced, almost gingery, a veritable explosion of flavour in the mouth. Hints of the almond, cinnamon, almost reminding of something like a liebkuchen biscuit. 

Certainly challenges and I'm not particularly sure i could consume anything more than a glass at this point. Time may pose a different opinion 91+  

Tasted on: Saturday 28th October, a Root day

Source: Sample
Price: $29
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: 

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Cape Jaffa 'Samphire' Skin Contact White 2015

Cape Jaffa 'Samphire' Skin Contact White 2015

  08:29    Stu.

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A blend of Chardonnay, Gewurtztraminer, Viognier that spent six months on skins with a further six months in barrel. It's a textural monster, full, lavish. Dry, chalky tannin, a little bitterness on the back palate, white pepper. 

It's not the strongest aromatically: there's a suggestion of stonefruit in the mix, particularly some dried apricot. A light squeeze of lemon. 

Hard to rate. 89 

Tasted on: Tuesday 16th August
Source: Sample
Price: $29
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: www.capejaffawines.com.au

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Cape Jaffa 'Riptide' Red Blend 2015

Cape Jaffa 'Riptide' Red Blend 2015

  18:18    Stu.

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"The Inspiration:  I was inspired by my travels to do something totally bizarre so blended white viognier juice with red Shiraz skins prior to fermentation."

Creative licence for the artist looking to have a bit of fun. Now comes in a tall, brown, Germanic Riesling-esque bottle. Stonefruit, squashed blueberry, a little raspberry. Curious, fruit-driven aromatic mix. 

I remember the 2014 of this wine, ah....there it is, the loose, open and slippery textured minx I remember. Light, nimble...airy - likely a word I'll come back to. More than a suggestion of stonefruit on the back palate. 

Doesn't seem like it will have length - yet it keeps on giving. Smashed this down with a Rio 2016 inspired Feijoa (with added chilli). Enjoyable. 90

Tasted on: Tuesday 16th August, a Fruit to Root
Source: Sample
Price: $29
Alcohol: 14%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: www.capejaffawines.com.au

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Cape Jaffa La Lune Shiraz 2013

Cape Jaffa La Lune Shiraz 2013

  08:30    Stu.

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Exclusive to winery club members, approximately 200 dozen made.

Ripe, rich, almost porty. Sweet oak, fruits of the forest jam. It settles with some time and air.

More of the same on the palate. Dense, chewy; intensity of flavour here for sure.

Length. There's no denying the quality, if the construct of the parts is somewhat cumbersome and clunky. Give it some time to come together, good for up to a ten stretch. 91 

Tasted on: Sunday 12th June, a Root day
Source: Sample
Price: $60
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: DIAM
Website: http://www.capejaffawines.com.au/

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Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy Tempranillo 2014

Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy Tempranillo 2014

  08:30    Stu.

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Blue fruits, florals, dusky dark chocolate/cocoa; a little red fruit, suggestive of macerated raspberry. 

Medium bodied, palate enlivening acid, citrus tang; chocolate and blue fruit, cracked pepper and a good rasp of tannin. Length: tannin has staying power for the wine to linger long. 89 

Tasted on: Monday 9th May: Root to Flower
Source: Sample
Price: $30
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.winesbygeoffhardy.com.au/

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Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy Montepulciano 2014

Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy Montepulciano 2014

  09:31    Stu.

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Very purple smelling, violets and blue/black fruit mix - a handful of blackberries crushed in the hand, juice dribbling down the wrist; darker aromatics lie beneath: a little resinous edge, sweet accents.

Light and lively, brisk acidity - lends energy, carries the plum and black cherry long to the finish. Tannin is fine grained, adding an extra dimension. 92

Tasted on: Thursday 24th March: a Root day

Source: Sample
Price: $30
Alcohol: 13.7%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.winesbygeoffhardy.com.au/

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Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy Lagrein 2014

Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy Lagrein 2014

  16:30    Stu.

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Inky black, violets and black currants: cracked pepper, Earth and mushroom. 

Bold mouthful of black fruit, silken threaded, spiced, peppery and powder puff tannin. 

Finishes well, on a good length - combination of fruit, spice; 91 

Tasted on: Thursday 24th March: a Root day
Source: Sample
Price: $30
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.winesbygeoffhardy.com.au/

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St Mary’s Pinot Noir 2013

St Mary’s Pinot Noir 2013

  08:00    Stu.

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Bold aromas force their way out of the glass, spirited - the alcohol making itself known as it tickles the olfactory organ. There’s pomegranate molasses, cherry and menthol-eucalypt here in large quantities. 

The palate has a strange medicinal feel to it - all that eucalyptus and cherry throat sweet - there’s fruit, vanilla oak, all in abundance - a fairly substantive wine.

The fruit itself feels of good quality - but it does get flooded with the regional eucalyptus hints. Not quite doing it for me, the plus sign to see how that oak and eucalypt settles. 87+

Tasted on: Saturday 12th March: a Fruit day
Source: Sample
Price: $35
Alcohol: 14%
Closure: Cork
Website: http://stmaryswines.com/

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St Mary's Carillon 2013

St Mary's Carillon 2013

  13:10    Stu.

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Something approaching a 'Bordeaux' blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc), but with an Aussie twist (Shiraz).

Blackcurrant, black fruit, cedar and seasoned oak. A little sandy earth and sweet grass in the mix too.

It's medium bodied, has a beautiful glossy texture with a persistence of flavour through the wine. Acid is noticeable, and would suggest that - with the fruit quality - will age very well. That said, it drinks remarkably well in youth. 92

Tasted on: Thursday 1st October, a Fruit to Root day
Source: Sample
Price: $40
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Cork
Website: http://stmaryswines.com/

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St Mary's Shiraz 2013

St Mary's Shiraz 2013

  08:41    Stu.

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Situated 15 kilometres west of Penola, outside the boundaries of the Coonawarra GI. The Mulligan family has owned the property since the 30s, establishing a vineyard in 1984. The first vintage was in 1990.

Curiously smells a little like Mortein on opening, with blackberry, leather and nuts lurking behind.

Mint on a medium bodied entry, slick and silken. Pippy black fruit about the place with a seam of fine tannin. Lots to like here. 91

Tasted on: Sunday 9th August, a Root day
Source: Sample
Price: $30
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Cork
Website: http://stmaryswines.com/

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Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy Montepulciano 2013

Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy Montepulciano 2013

  10:48    Stu.

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Fresh Mediterranean herb (Thyme, oregano) over a base of fruit. Inviting, appealing - Italianate? Has a little earthen truffle, some woody spice with bright blue-ish fruit writ large across its attractive profile.

Medium bodied, rounded, plump - perhaps. Good presence of acid for freshness, a bitter herbal twist backed up with fruit - good balanced package. 89

Tasted on: Thursday 30th April, a Fruit to Root day
Source: Sample
Price: $30
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.handcraftedbygeoffhardy.com.au/

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Mawson's 'The Vickers' Limestone Coast Chardonnay 2013

Mawson's 'The Vickers' Limestone Coast Chardonnay 2013

  20:45    Stu.

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The third of the releases in the attractively packaged Mawson's range.

Aromatics are somewhat pleasing, in a simple, comely way. Citrus, sherbet-esque sweetness and a little underlying caramel in the mix too.

Loses its way on the palate a bit, a touch sweet with a flow-on bitter lemon feel. It's in balance, and the length is decent - a touch of citrus punch at the back. 88

Tasted on: Saturday 23rd August, a Leaf day
Source: Sample
Price: $15.95
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.samsmith.com.au/library/MAWCHA13.pdf

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Mawson's 'Far Eastern Party' Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Mawson's 'Far Eastern Party' Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

  14:32    Stu.

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Tasted blind in a bracket of 7 Cabernet Sauvignon/ dominant blends.

Plum, damson, play-doh touches; smooth, plump and rounded. Plenty of soft black fruit coursing through the palate, backed-up with some savoury touches of tobacco and a little clove derived spice. 87

Tasted on: Tuesday 1st April, a Leaf to Fruit day 
Source: Sample
Price: $15.95
Alcohol: 14%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.hsfv.com/

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