The Vinsomniac - Stuart Robinson

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This Australian wine blog was formerly known as thewinewankers.com

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Thursday, 31 May 2012

Zette Cahors 2005

  10:18    

Zette is a secondary label of the rather well known Domaine de Lagrézette, owned by luxury goods label Cartier, with wine production overseen by the Rolls-Royce driving Michel Rolland.

This wine is made in a slightly more modern style, entirely tank fermented, but still exhibiting good Cahors character.  Cahors is situated South and East of Bordeaux, on the Garonne river, appellation rules state a minimum of 70% Malbec in the wines.

Wild herb and hints of wild flower around a core of dark damson and spice tinged fruit.  The palate shows a wine of medium weight, concentration with a core of juicy berry and sour cherry fruit.  Good raspy, firm tannin.  Of moderate length, good tannic framework providing the structure.  90 - Good

Source: Vinomofo
Price: $15
Alcohol:
Closure: Cork
Importer: www.discovervin.com.au

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Hollick 2008 'Icon' Release Dinner

  07:21    

Hollick: established 1982, Jimmy Watson winning Coonawarra stalwart, at the crossroads that many family owned businesses face, as founder Ian Hollick looks to enjoy the fruits of his labours, and daughter's Mel and Kate - both already working in the business for 6 years -  take on increasingly responsibility.

The new release 2008 icon wines, set against their counterparts from 1999, a perfect showcase for the quality the winery strives to maintain, and providing glimpses to their inherent longevity.


What follows is my personal overview from the major wines that wine.  No scores applied given they were enjoyed in context.

Neilson's Block Merlot
The 2008 release is the first since 2001.  Approximately 200 cases made, all estate fruit.  The Neilson Block is named Australian poet John Shaw Neilson, whose home exists at the entrance to the Hollick cellar door..

1999: Requisite leaf and plum, but so much more than that.  

Extremely fine tannin, well integrated, generous structured length.

2008: Dark and rich, expensive French oak mingling with glossy cherry fruit.  Generous, smooth, pastille-like black fruit.  

Fine, polished tannin, plush - exquisite length.  Undoubtedly up there as one of Australia's finest Merlots.





Wilgha Shiraz
Planted in 1975, the Wilgha represents the best fruit selected from the vineyard and further selection based assessment in the winery.

1999: Integrated, delicate, yet at turns rich and spicy.  Pepper - searing, building spice, yet with an inherent freshness of fruit that pops its little head up.  Complex.

2008: Generous plush plum fruit, oak sensitive. Black fruited equation, allow yourself time for the puzzle to reveal itself.  

Deft, balance, at turns showing tarry notes; concluded by generous spice and pepper.






Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon
The icon of the icons.  What Coonawarra, and Hollick, are known for.  

1999: Integrated, twiggy, bay - regional thumbprint with sensitive eucalypt note.  

Rich palate, hints of mocha.  Dark fruited core, rather serious, suggestive of such life still ahead of it.

2008: Richness at you from the off, black dense fruit - rather an intense fellow.  Needs time, it has much ahead of it.  

Dense black fruited length wrapped around generous grainy tannin.  Exquisite.




2008 Chateaux Lynch-Bages
To provide an indication of where the Hollick family are looking to pitch the Ravensworth, the 2008 Lynch-Bages was included too: tight aromatics, some lifted florals/ violets; light/ deft on entry - before puckering, drying tannin greets you.  Floral and textured.  Another baby. 
  
Worthwhile comparative tasting.  I'd like to express my sincere thanks to Mel Hollick and also to red+white, Hollick's national distributor, of whom I was a guest at this release dinner.

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Wednesday, 30 May 2012

Attollo 'The Black Wine' Malbec 2007

  20:10    

Julian Scott is the Winery Manager for Flametree Wines, also making his own wines under the Attollo label.  This is Julian's first wine from 2007.

Malbec is one of the permitted varieties of Bordeaux, is a marginal variety at best there nowadays, is the key variety in Cahors and has really made a name for itself in Argentina.  Increasingly being found in Australia, where in dry and warm climates it gives dark, damsony perfumed wines.

This example shows one such qualitative indicator, the lovely lifted violet accent.  Supplemented by notes of cherry and blackberry; further enhanced by leafy, leathery, fresh turned sod notes.  Entry shows a wine that is smooth, there's the freshening presence of a good core of fruit, followed by cedary wood.  Tannin, ripe emery board tannin, pleasingly raspy, with a curious savoury-sweet mix providing a generous finish.  Impressive wine, a wine of detail.  Oh and the name? Attollo is a Latin term meaning: "to lift up, excite".  Does it for me.  93 - Very Good    

Source: Sample
Price: $30
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: This sample: Screwcap, 125 6 packs under cork available too.
Website: n/a, but you can eMail Julian here

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Tuesday, 29 May 2012

Waywood Wines Pinot Grigio 2011

  10:30    

Opened this alongside the Te Aro Pinot Grigio, an interesting comparison regardless of differences in vintage and region.

Lovely clarity to the wine, a faint golden tinge to it.  Pronounced apple and pear - good aroma - a hint of blossom, some citrus providing further allure.

Weightier on the palate, the extra degree of alcohol showing itself, a broader profile - some might say it's straying toward Gris territory.

A hint of spice of the finish, acid a little angular, works with the spicier elements to provide a little extra dimension.  88/ 89 - Good

Source: Sample
Price: $130/ 6 pack or $110/ 6 to members
Alcohol: 13%
Closure: Screwcap

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Monday, 28 May 2012

Wild Soul Shiraz 2008

  20:54    

I kept coming back to this wine over 5 days, it barely seemed to budge, indicative of a pretty good life ahead. 

Opened a touched bretty, not distractingly so - on the contrary, the stable-like aroma was rather complementary to fresh sod and leafy character.  Fruit was present by way of plum and mulberry.

Light, juicy in the mouth - really good acid structure, needed to provide a leg-up to the fruit in the mouth - and extra nudge if you like.  And it was this juiciness that I kept coming back to, lovely fresh, juicy wine.  It provided vitality to the wine and worked with fine grain tannin to provide a moderate to good length.

I really liked winemaker Andy Boullier's approach: just simply trying to make the best wine possible with the fruit vintage provides - all off his tiny 1.3ha block.  Organically farmed, following biodynamic principles, no interest in certification.  Minimal input, inoculated ferments until a time he's happy to go 'wild', minimal sulphur (although would a little more knock out the Brett?), and priced according to the vintage conditions.  89 - Good

Source: Cellar Door
Price: $20
Alcohol: 13.4%
Closure: Cork

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Saturday, 26 May 2012

Te Aro Estate 'Minnie & Elsa' Pinot Grigio 2012

  08:17    

My first 2012 wine written up on the site.  Te Aro - or 'Happy Home' - is located at the Southern end of the Barossa, in Williamstown.  Starting out as growers in 1919, 3-4 generations later- 2001 - sees them take on a new guise as producer.

Crystalline pure in colour, fresh like a mountain stream.  Aromatically crisp also, pear and crunchy apple with salad like crispness further enhancing it.

Clean entry - yes crisp sprung to mind again, it's good Grigio - there's a hint of tropical fruit in the mix here, guava-esque.  Adds to the refreshment, inoffensive.  Good pitched acidity and a gentle waxy feel on the finish concludes matters.  This is good Pinot Grigio. 88 - Good   

Source: Sample
Price: $22
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Screwcap

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Friday, 25 May 2012

Taylor's Winter Red Releases

  07:22    

Reviews of the Taylor's Winter Reds releases across the Estate range and the cross-regional Jaraman range.

Taylor's Estate Pinot Noir 2011: Screwcap, $18.95, 14%
Fruit sourced from South Australia and Western Australia.  Hints of cherry with aromatics otherwise somewhat muted.  Palate fairly clean, hints of red fruit.  But it's all suggestion, not substance.  Touch of group/ tannin.  85 - Average

Taylor's Estate Merlot 2010: Screwcap, $18.95, 14.5%
Clare Valley fruit.  A hint of plum, little else to entice.  More to offer on the palate, bit of tannic grip: some leafy, fruit elements present here.  Modicum of spice carried by loose tannin.  86 - Average

Taylor's Jaraman Shiraz 2010: Screwcap, $29.95, 14.5%
The Taylor's Jaraman range showcases cross-regional blending, in this case a mix of Clare and McLaren Vale.  Not one for the terroirists - though regional input is present.  Sweet cherry, blackcurrant and polished oak.  Smooth, sweet fruited mix with a punch of liquorice toward the back end, augmented by some fine-grained tannin.  88 - Good

Taylor's Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon 2010: Screwcap, $29.95, 14.5%
Mix of Clare and Coonawarra Cabernets.  The latter evident with a hint of Eucalypt.  Leafy Cabernet notes, clean plate with cherry cola and cassis.  Grainy tannin, faint hint of cedar and bay.  Moderate length, carrying some flavour through.  88/89 - Good

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