Terra Felix Viognier 2009

Terra Felix Viognier 2009

  21:16    Stu.

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Apricot, grilled peach and lime brulee - not excessive aromatically, a point that stands in its stead.  Clean, little on the front palate.  Stone fruit builds on the mid, cranking the intensity up a little, leaving good apricot and peach toward towards the back.

Good varietal character, length and lingering finish a plus.  Lacks a little texture for my liking.  88 - Good
 
Tasted: 14th October, a Root Day
Source: Sample
Price: $17.50 SRP
Alcohol: 14%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.terrafelix.com.au/

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Voyager Estate Project 95 Chardonnay 2009

Voyager Estate Project 95 Chardonnay 2009

  16:18    Stu.

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This wine is produced solely from a clone of Charonnay known as clone 95.  The  predominant clone used in Margaret River is the gin-gin, or Mendoza, clone - which i've seen cited as lacking in the back palate.  The gin-gin clone provides the majority input into Voyager's Estate Chardonnay, supported by clone 95.

In the technical wine world, clones are almost at the pinnacle of geekery.  'Clones' are identified for certain properties or characters they exhibit, and in the case of Clone 95, one of a number of clones collectively referred to as the 'Bernard' clones, is widely regarded as having superior sugar content, producing full, rich and balanced wines. The alternate view is there are those who believe, above all, that, regardless of clone, terroir is the fundamental contributor to fruit character...but that's a discussion for another day.

100 dozen made in total.  Opening of citrus, meal and cashew - but not overly creamy.  Oak here unobtrusive - deliberately so to allow clonal (and fruit) character to shine.  Toasty hints present themselves also.

Rather delicate in the mouth, likened to fine bone china, balanced and elegant yet not to the point of being skinny.  Like a super-model: lean, fantastically structured, pure.  Acidity is fantastic, generating exquisite length and structure.  A remarkably long lived wine.  A joy to drink over 2-3 days.  94/ 95 - Outstanding

Tasted on: 14-15th October (Root Day)
Source: Retail, Grand Central Cellars
Price: $ 49.90
Alcohol: 12.9%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.voyagerestate.com.au/

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Castagna Genesis Syrah 2005

Castagna Genesis Syrah 2005

  21:47    Stu.

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Borrowed from winehouse.com.au

If there was any wine that made me realise that wine scribes are not infallible, it was this.  A distinctively average score form an individual lauded by many as the premier writer in Australia.  I'll say no more, save to say I don't agree with his assessment.

I've never seen a wine shift as much as this either over the 3 days of drinking - well, shift around and still retain a fantastic sense of drinkability.

I last looked at one around early 2010, my over-riding memory of that wine was of violets, violets and crushed black and red fruits.  Now, on day one it was more about savoury charm.  Of sandalwood, dried herbs, roasted meat.  Intoxicating.  Spice and pepper abound, fronting up against concentrated black fruits.  Day 2 saw the small percentage of Viognier more noticeable and day 3 it showed more of tomato, sweet sugo.

It's a fine wine, a wine of balance, poise.  It's well integrated, showing more wild herb character on the palate.  Incredibly smooth, there's a wave of refreshing fruit: of blueberry and blackcurrant, carrying flavour, awash through the mouth, freshening the palate before some incredibly fine tannin.  I'm glad there's three more whence this came.  96 - Outstanding

Tasted on: 13th (Fruit) and 14-15th (Root) October
Source: Retail, Cloudwine
Price: $65 in a 6 pack, normally around $90-95
Alcohol: 14%
Closure: Diam
Website: http://www.castagna.com.au/

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Yalumba Y Series Pinot Grigio 2012

Yalumba Y Series Pinot Grigio 2012

  20:14    Stu.

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The question I find myself asking of this range, is not why, but rather how Yalumba can turn out wines of this quality at the price often seen on the retailers shelves.

Winemaking inputs here are those often seen at wines twice the price.  Selective hand-picking, oxidative handling, wild yeast ferments etc.

Pear, poached pear, apple blossom, golden hints of flaxseed and florals.  The palate shows lovely crisp and crunchy pear, lemon accented.  An excellent to crisp acid, clean through the mid-section.

Finishes well with phenolic grip, generous length that belies the price.  90 - Good
 
Tasted on: 10th October, a Leaf Day
Source: Sample
Price: $14.95 SRP
Alcohol:12.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.yalumba.com

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La Linea Norteño Tempranillo 2009

La Linea Norteño Tempranillo 2009

  16:59    Stu.

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Essentially a barrel selection.  In making their 2009 Tempranillo, the La Linea team noticed some marked differences in four barriques made from fruit picked off a northern (Norteño is Spanish for North) vineyard at Kersbrook. 

Needed a little time to open up and express itself.  Initially woody and spicy, shifting toward highly complex perfume of florals, rose, cola, star anise and blueberries.

Medium bodied, actually quite light in the mouth.  Juicy and spice coated, with a captivating central core of flavour.  Day 2 saw the wine retain the tartness and central core, yet there was also a slight 'cold tea', bitter astringency.  

Consistently showed a good 'coat' of textured tannin and persistence of flavour.  Darker fruits  on the finish than seen elsewhere in the wine.  Preference here was for the wine on Day 1 - happy with this given my love:hate relationship with Australian Tempranillo.  91/ 92 - Very Good
 
Tasted on: 10th (Leaf Day) and 11th October (Fruit Day) 
Source: Retail, Cru Cellars
Price: $33
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.lalinea.com.au/

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Pertaringa Scarecrow Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Pertaringa Scarecrow Sauvignon Blanc 2012

  13:58    Stu.

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Aromatics that are the calling card of the variety.  Has a softness, a delicacy on approach; underlying tropicals with passionfruit, lychee, gooseberry - lemon citrus topping things off.

I like to see Sauvignon Blanc with an interest factor, here it comes by virtue of the common technique of lees stirring to build character and here provide a layered, textural quality. 

Gives the added benefit of supporting the fruit and adding mineral zing.  It's fresh, lively and vibrant  - demonstrating a good persistence of flavour on the finish, wrapping things up with some enhanced mouthfeel on the finish.  90 - Good

Tasted on: Tuesday 9th October, a Flower Day
Source: Sample
Price: $ 18
Alcohol: 13%
Closure: Screwcap

Website: http://www.pertaringa.com.au/

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Rusden Full Circle Mataro 2009

Rusden Full Circle Mataro 2009

  08:39    Stu.

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Lovely back label story, albeit tinged with sadness where Christian Canute (assumed) talks of growing up during the vine pull, seeing stacks of 80 year old Mataro piled up to burn.  How we suffer from those dark days, and from an oft-repeated failure to appreciate that which should be.

Oh Mataro, let me count the ways I love thee.  Cracked pepper over plum and black cherry.  Generously tinged with Moroccan spice.

Lightness on entry, almost in defiance of the variety.  Good fruit definition, in fact it is quite 'fruitsome' and also, here on the palate, complemented by generous hints of spice.  Enjoyable in that respect, but a little singular in its positive attributes.

Good length, a delight to drink and showing a little savoury twist on conclusion.  90 - Good

Tasted on: Tuesday 9th October, a Flower Day
Source: Sample
Price: $ 45
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Cork
Website: www.rusdenwines.com.au

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