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.

Sunday, 16 October 2011

Jean-Luc Colombo Les Gravières 2008 Crozes-Hermitage

  13:06    

UK scribe Jamie Goode has produced an excellent series of blog posts on the Northern Rhone, it was post #4 that brought this wine to my attention.

Jean-Luc Colombo apparently has a reputation for aversion to change in the wines he makes in Cornas, yet he's a somewhat different beast in Crozes-Hermitage, introducing innovative methods in the 40 year old vineyards this wine comes from and throughout the production process. 

Somewhat fruitier in style than I was expecting, black cherry and blackcurrant offered up with background supporting elements of tapenade and plum.  The medium bodied palate quickly makes way for generous amounts of spice.  Moderate tannins carry the spice further, defining the finish.

All up a bright, attractive medium bodied wine.  The finish, quite memorable.  That said I preferred the Yann Chave recently written up here to this.  The price differential on that wine enabling some extra work in the winery to bring the quality up further. 

Source: Retail, Waitrose (UK Supermarket)
Price: $13.99
Alcohol: 13%
Closure: Cork

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/TheVinsomniac

   / /

  No Comments

Friday, 14 October 2011

A Spot of Solo Dining

  10:18    

A blog post by friend Keira McIntosh - The Super Taster - on solo dining, inspired me to have a decent meal out whilst up in Townsville on a short business trip.  My host for the evening was Salt Cellar, self-billed as "Palmer Street's premier wine bar and restaurant" and in all fairness they are right.

My entree was a Ninth Island Pinot Noir 2010 (this website is about wine after all) paired with Maple Glazed Pork Belly, served with pear quinoa, tonka bean cream and sticky balsamic.  Some hastily sought advice from twitter identified this Tassy Pinot Noir (though incorrectly labelled from the Yarra Valley) as possibly the best option. 

Somewhat muted aromatics: sour cherry and a hint of balsamic that matched the pork.  Light chewy tannin - a good foil for the delicate pork. 

The quinoa had a nuttiness I mistook for a sesame snap (it was low-light)! The finish offered more sour cherry. All up rather simple, safe choice that paired well with the pork belly.  

For main course I opted for a Georges Debouef Chiroubles 2009.  From one of the higher sites in Beaujolais, this wine had an ethereal quality to it.  A soft aroma - if you can smell soft.  Juicy strawberry, cassis and redcurrant aromas.  Yes, I could smell it's delicate nature. 

The palate showed excellent harmony.  An incredible lightness followed by some perky acid and then a slight tannic grip to ensure that the mouth is well placed to handle the Confit Duck.  This wine is available in Australia for about $23. Try Cloud Wine

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/TheVinsomniac

   / / / /

  No Comments

Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Best's Great Western Bin 1 Shiraz 2010

  07:32    

There are some wineries operating today that are a living connection to the origins of the Australian wine industry.  Founded in 1866 and stronger than ever, Best's Bin 1 is the entry level Shiraz, an excellent introduction to the winery and regional style.

Hallmark aromatics of red and black fruits provide an introduction, a hint of background menthol, damp coffee grounds and the cool climate flag-bearer white pepper.  Each time I went back to the wine it seemed to offer more.

The aromas provided a perfect segue to a medium bodied spice laden palate, again with an elegant perfume - think crushed Parma Violets - carrying through to a good drying and spicy finish. 

Source: Prize
Price: $25 (online from winery)
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/TheVinsomniac

   / /

  No Comments

Friday, 7 October 2011

McLean's Farmgate Shiraz Cabernet 2003

  12:27    

"Big" Bob McLean was made a Baron of the Barossa in 2011 and I've heard it told that he had been offered inclusion previously, but such is the mark of the man, he didn't feel that his inclusion was worthy.

From those who know, I get the impression that a little bit of "Big" Bob is shown in his wines.  Fruit drawn from the Barossa (sub-region beginning with K I feel I can't mention) and the Eden Valley (Cabernet).  At 8 years of age this wine is still showing generous fruit interwoven with some rather more fragrant violet, and the integration of oak, mocha and chocolate.

Entry shows a silken wine, more chocolate, not necessarily a full wine on the palate, somewhat truncated.  But this is more than made up for it with some generous mouth-filling spice, concentration and carried finish.  Big, but balanced.  Eminently drinkable.

Source: Vinomofo
Price: $40 RRP 
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Cork
Website: www.mcleansfarm.com

Follow me on twitter:http://twitter.com/TheVinsomniac

   / / / /

  1 Comment

Monday, 3 October 2011

Rymill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

  15:48    

I like it when someone has done the hard work of cellaring a wine for you, and what a little beaut this one is.  Struck me as Bordeaux-esque, now I'm not prone to comparing other (particularly old world) regions to those in Australia, but this did strike me as more akin to Bordeaux than Coonawarra.  That could be the age and integration as much as a lack of mint/ eucalyptus, in addition to having been fortunate to taste some good Bordeaux recently.

On opening a heady concoction of cassis, cedary oak, a hint of chocolate and even some background florals.  The aromas combine to flutter intoxicatingly around your nostrils.

Entry shows a dusty wine, before more of that chocolate and oak makes a reappearance.  The finish is dry, some nice light twiggy tannin in this medium bodied number.  All up, it's balanced, structure and offers itself up rather elegantly.  Not necessarily sure it will go much longer, over a few hours of opening it started to lose a little vitality - if you're blessed to have some, simply open and enjoy.

Source: ?
Price: $?
Alcohol: 14%
Closure: Pro-cork

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/TheVinsomniac

   / /

  No Comments

Sunday, 2 October 2011

Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy Shiraz Viognier 2008

  14:40    

There's gold in them hills and K1 winery by Geoff Hardy turns out some liquid gems.  This, a Shiraz Viognier, showing the lifted aromatics of the Viognier in the foreground with some background 'meat', pepper and earth.

It's smooth and silken on entry before an initial hit of sweet black and red fruits hit you, leading to a touch of cola.  The wine demonstrates this interesting, almost in turns, balance of sweet and then savoury tastes.

The finish further shows smooth integrated spice, very fine tannins and a hint of resurgent cola.  All up good drinking.  No idea what it cost, I engaged in some playground 'swaps' with a colleague at work.  Can't recall what he got in return.

Source: Swapsies!
Price: $18
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/TheVinsomniac

[This post was edited at 12:28 on 04/10/2011 to include a price, bottle image and update the winery website to http://www.handcraftedbygeoffhardy.com.au/]

   / / /

  No Comments

Vinteloper Pinot Gris 2010

  13:32    

With just 65 cases made, it comes as no surprise that this wine is now sadly sold out ex-winery.  Vinteloper is David Bowley, a gent I consider a mate, a winemaker I consider a great talent - as his recent nomination for the Young Gun of Wine testifies.

I first tasted this wine back at a Vinteloper dinner in May 2011.  What impressed me then was the minerality found in the wine.On second taste, I was relieved to see this hadn't gone away.  

The fruit for this wine comes from a vineyard located 11KMs from the coast in the heart of the beautiful Fleurieu Peninsula.  The soil, a deep gravelly clay loam, is considered by David to be the wine's foundation - good wine is made in the vineyard.

A fragrant bouquet of the usual suspects: apple, pear, even a touch of brazil nut (i know, i know); entry shows an initial hit of spice before the aforementioned minerality kicks in.  

Good texture in the wine results in broad appeal across the palate.  The finish is crisp, fresh and bone dry - a mere 1.2 G/L residual sugar. 

Source: Winery
Price: $27
Alcohol: 13%
Closure: Screwcap 
Website: www.vinteloper.com.au

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/TheVinsomniac

   / /

  No Comments

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)