Eden Road The Long Road Pinot Gris 2013

Eden Road The Long Road Pinot Gris 2013

  10:31    Stu.

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Interesting wine this, quality obvious and inherent, varietal character clear. Classic poached pear with a little spice, suggestions of under-ripe mandarin.

Lavishly textural, spice and mineral that give way to a little pickled ginger and phenolic bitterness. The wine spends time on skins, some 6 months, accounting for the blush - or paleish bronze - hue. Good quality, but finish dominated by the phenolics. 90

Tasted on: Saturday 31st May, a Flower Day
Source: Sample
Price: $27
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://edenroadwines.com.au/

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Wirra Wirra Woodhenge Shiraz 2012

Wirra Wirra Woodhenge Shiraz 2012

  06:10    Stu.

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The inky blackness within is what is first noticed, the aromatics of blue fruit, cherry, chocolate and florals next. Cedary spice and a little toasty oak - it sees 17 months in wood, 35% of which is new.

Smooth, lithe and medium-full in body - a surprise at its lightness, for a 'Woodhenge' carries a certain, expectation perhaps, of a weighty wine - with blueberry, black fruit and cherry. There's latent spice, a touch of fruitcake, and cedar rounding out the palate.

Tanning is fine, wrapping up a wine of substance, persistence. Will go well in the cellar too, 8-10 years easily. 93

Tasted on: Monday 26th May, a Fruit day 
Source: Sample
Price: $35
Alcohol: 14.55
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://wirrawirra.com/

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Wirra Wirra 'Catapult' Shiraz 2012

Wirra Wirra 'Catapult' Shiraz 2012

  12:02    Stu.

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The late Gregg Trott succumbed to cancer in March 2005, but his legacy lives on in many of the (oft hairbrained) ideas and pipedreams that he set about turning from vision to reality. Many now adorn the the labels of Wirra Wirra wines, the winery he founded with cousin Roger in 1969.

A visit to the Wirra Wirra cellar door, a pretty special place in my opinion, is like stepping into the over-active imagination of R.G.Trott - the visitor greeted by the rather large redgum carved cricket ball on arrival. Turn right into the tasting room, make your way over to the counter on the left and start tasting your way through the range of wines that now themselves bear witness to Trott's lust for life and sense of fun.

The 'Catapult' was so named for the 'siege engine' that Trott wanted to build, ostensibly to 'bomb' neighbouring wineries with wine in the hope they would return the 'favour'.

In the past, this wine also bore the variety Viognier, that white grape is still present in this wine (1%), noticeable for a little 'prettiness' brought to the party and by way of the vibrant rim of the wine in glass.

Vanilla, plum, black fruit initially - before a little savoury meatiness. Smooth, polished; pepper anis and five-spice. The wine has a slippery feel, a velvet-textured delight, fine-tannin wine with good intensity of flavour.

Persistent, possessing depth with dutch licorice forming the spine of flavour here. It's a wine for now, a pleasure to drink from the off, but no harm will come for a short stay in the cellar if you're so inclined. 91

Tasted on: Monday 26th May,  a Fruit day 
Source: Sample
Price: $25
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://wirrawirra.com/

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Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva 2008

Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva 2008

  14:25    Stu.

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Rioja when on song truly enthrals. A silken slip of a wine with a curious combination of savoury elements and primary fruit. You've got to have pretty deep pockets to make it, for a Reserva - as this - has to be aged for three years prior to release and at least a year of that is in oak. So three years before you see any return.

That's pretty serious investment. Good job it tastes so good.

Enticing perfume: vanilla, cherry, blueberry, touches of cola before segueing into woody spice. Secondary notes of black fruit, red cherry and a little polish.

Enticing, yes. Intoxicating, enveloping - I could happily give myself  up to it. Beautifully weighted, glass like feel, fine tannin - carries flavour: cherry, suggestions of almond, blue fruits and coffee grounds. Finishes well, good carry of flavour - length, if not necessarily of intensity. Then subtlety here seems the calling card, guile and grace over aggression. 92

Tasted on: Sunday 25th May 
Source: Retail, Cru Bar & Cellars
Price: $50ish
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Cork
Website: http://www.bodegasmuga.com/

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Shaw & Smith Adelaide Hills Shiraz 2012

Shaw & Smith Adelaide Hills Shiraz 2012

  16:47    Stu.

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A strong vintage for Shiraz in the Adelaide Hills, and when you add in to the equation the Shaw & Smith team you end up with a quite fantastic example of cool climate Shiraz.

Touches of cassis, damson and blackberry; flecks of pepper and pan juices herald the wine's introduction.

Cooler climate - a wine like this would normally have the marketing team running to embrace the 'Syrah' moniker - here the wine is squarely medium-bodied, exquisitely grained tannin: fine, tight and yet at the same time also generous. A delight. 94 

Tasted on: Thursday 22nd May, a Flower  Day 
Source: Noosa International Food and Wine Show
Price: 5 tokens ($44 online via winery)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.shawandsmith.com/

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Pertaringa Undercover Shiraz 2012

Pertaringa Undercover Shiraz 2012

  13:08    Stu.

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Bearing similarities in profile to its bigger brother, the 'Over the Top' Shiraz, by virtue of choc-plum. The path becomes a little divergent with the presence of some red fruit that pops up its head.

This is on the face of it, a sweeter wine with red and black fruit present, lighter in feel, drying fine-grained tannin and even a touched of grilled meat. 

Finishes with black fruit, flashes of violet, smooth and easy going in nature. One for now, now harm will be done with up to 6-7 years in the cellar. 90-91 

Tasted on: Wednesday 21st May, a Root transitioning to Flower day 
Source: Sample
Price: $22
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.pertaringa.com.au/

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Pertaringa Over The Top Shiraz 2012

Pertaringa Over The Top Shiraz 2012

  12:20    Stu.

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The biggest surprise with this wine was the choice of closure, it's not so often these days that you find an Aussie wine under cork.

That aside: choc-plum-hazelnut oak; a big, bold and rich wine - but not brutish. Red and black fruits abound on entry, we catch glimpse of a little acid balanced against spice by way of pepper and anis. Tannin is gorgeously fine-grained, backed up by a little toasty oak bitterness and a suggestion of citrus oil.

Depth and intensity of flavour, carries its weight well - I wish I could say the same. 93

Tasted on: 20th May 
Source: Sample
Price: $40
Alcohol: 15%
Closure: DIAM
Website: http://www.pertaringa.com.au/

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