The Vinsomniac - Stuart Robinson

An Australian Wine Blog

This Wine Blog

This Australian wine blog was formerly known as thewinewankers.com

I'm a wine drinker, and this blog is about wine, not just Australian wine.

If you wish to contact me, please do so here.
All content of this Australian Wine Blog © Stuart Robinson - The Vinsomniac. Powered by Blogger.

Friday, 29 April 2011

Summit Estate Alto The Spanish Collection 2008

  08:10    

A wine born in Spain, of Granite Belt fruit from an Argentinean winemaker.  Paola Cabezas-Rhymer is not your typical Stanthorpe resident, check out her naked self on the Summit Estate home page for a start.  

Yet with over a dozen vintages in a decade including time with French winemaker Jacques Lurton under her belt, it was the Summit Estate 2008 wines that had none other than James Halliday saying ""Made me sit up and take notice in no uncertain fashion". 

A blend of Monastrell (Mataro), Garnacha (Grenache), Shyra (Catalan for Shiraz; James Halliday calls it as Austrian for the same), Tempranillo, Cabernet and Tannat.  The component parts are all there.  Black fruits, sour cherry - quite a brooding savoury nose; a touch of tar even.

Yet its the mellifluous body that had me in raptures.  It's balanced, smooth, medium bodied.  A meld of savoury with fruit presence.  Smooth fine tannins, a touch of good acid in harmony and good driving length.  Enjoy this blend for the fusion of the Varietals.

Source: Retail, Stewart's The Barracks
Price: $29.99
Alcohol: 14%
Closure: Screwcap


[Edited at 11:16 on the 16/11/2011 to show that it also contains some Tannat]

   / / / / / / /

  No Comments

Friday, 22 April 2011

Peter Lehmann Eight Songs Shiraz 2004

  12:56    

The first cellar door I visited in the Barossa was PLW - great CD, more like a boutique hotel and conference centre than some cellar doors, but the legend behind the name and man makes it a must see in my book.

Everything I like about Barossan Shiraz - and this is a blend of Marananga and Light Pass fruit.  Nigh the perfect wine for Easter. Aromas of chocolate and plump juicy berry fruit invade your nasal passage. In the mouth: unctuous.  Mocha, integrated oak, plush - like sinking into a mocha scented pillow - the wine sinks into you.

Some fine tannin present, a touch of spice and a giving length.  Well balanced, gloriously giving and it just got better over the (frighteningly short) duration it was open for.

Source: Winery
Price: $40
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Cork

   / /

  No Comments

Eden Road "The Long Road" Shiraz 2009

  12:33    

A mix of fruit from selected Canberra and Hilltops vineyards.  Loving the work coming out of Hilltops.

Meaty, juicy and peppery aroma as I have come to expect from this cool climate region.  Medium bodied, smooth on entry.  Some cola on the palate, checked acids, structure and some 'nuttiness' in there too.

The finish shows peppery and spicy length to over-deliver at this price point.  Give it a decant, and enjoy it over time.




Source: Retail, Era Bottle Shop
Price: $22
Alcohol: 14.1%
Closure: Screwcap

   / / /

  No Comments

Samuel's Gorge "Cadenzia" Grenache 2008

  12:19    

In a rather uneventful sales career sales post-university, one of the things instilled in me was that people buy from people.  Get your product right, build relationships, and by and large folks will buy from you.

So, I like the work of Justin McNamee, thus I bought this wine.  But it challenged me somewhat. On opening, the wine showed varietal McLaren Vale Grenache notes - a heady perfume, raspberry, jooby aromas, quince -  and on day two I was picking up some sea spray notes too.  Smooth on entry, good interest in the mouth, some rustic texture.

It was the warmth on the finish - a product of the 2008 vintage - dominating the palate that troubled me.  Though it did settle over the second day to deliver some cola, liquorice and mouth coating firm tannin.

Source: Retail, Stewart's Wine Co
Price: $35 (RRP)
Alcohol: 14.4%
Closure: Cork
Website: www.gorge.com.au 

   / /

  No Comments

Saturday, 16 April 2011

Blue Poles Reserve Merlot 2007

  15:39    

The remainder of this bottle was kindly donated to me by Mark Gifford - proprietor, winemaker, wit, orator, dashing host - after attending a Blue Poles get together in Brisbane.

So the wine was consumed when it had already been opened in excess of 24 hours - gives a hint to its longevity there.  Aromas of tobacco, a touch of gum, savoury earthy notes primarily - yet even over the short duration that I had the wine it also exhibited some good berry fruit.  It's of medium weight, well structured, its parts in harmony.

Tannins: firm and fine, the finish showing a touch of spice.  Exemplary Merlot from a winemaker who knows where he wants it to be and sells his wines typically when they are there.

You'd do well to sign yourself up to the Blue Poles mailing list - this way you'll not only get access to wines earlier, but also receive Mark's monthly newsletter: brilliant, insightful, educational.

Source: Donated from the Winemaker
Price: $35
Alcohol: 14%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.bluepolesvineyard.com.au/

   / /

  No Comments

Majella Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

  15:10    

Tough vintage 2007, with frost wiping out about 1/2 the fruit; the quality of the fruit that remained was apparently high - but yields decimated.

So from that, Majella have managed to craft a comely cabernet exhibit typical cassis, cedar and plum on the nose.  Yet it is also redolent of Coonawarra, you can almost sense that Terra Rossa soil.  The palate shows an incredibly light mouthfeel, rendering as quite a thin medium bodied wine.

Tannins are fine and deliver well into a decent lengthy finish; whilst the length is good there is a slight raw edge - some green capsicum - to it on initial opening.  This shakes off over a 24 hours, the palate showing more primary fruit and allowing some classy oak to shine through on the finish.

Majella have managed to craft a decent wine from a tough year.  Coonawarra fans would have stuck by them and everyone no doubt would have heralded the well received 2008 vintage.  To see where this wine was around 2 years ago, visit Chris Plummer's Australian Wine Journal (where I borrowed the bottle image from :).

Source: Winery
Price: $33
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.majellawines.com.au/home.asp

Follow me: http://twitter.com/WineWankers

   / /

  2 Comments

Golden Grove Estate Granite Belt Durif 2008

  14:47    

Reductive on first opening, it eventually shook off its sulphurous cloak to reveal a black, brooding liquid, displaying some minty notes.  A creosote coated mint Tim Tam (waifer theen meent anyone?) springs too mind.

Given that, I was quite surprised to find it quite pleasantly medium bodied.  There's a touch more mint on the finish, but nowhere near as much brutish tannin - which is what I expect from Durif.  It was a even a touch porty. 

I've not had Durif for a while - so I'd be keen to try this again but maybe at CD and discuss with the winery, or even look at another Durif from the region.

Source: Retail, The Wine Experience
Price: $20
Alcohol: 15.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.goldengroveestate.com.au/

   / /

  No Comments

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)