McLaren Vale Wines – Tim Geddes Wines

31 07 2010

Tim Geddes Wines Basket Press

To say that Tim Geddes is an interesting character would be an understatement.  With making wines from the old Maxwells winery (that is now owned by Scarpontoni) he has developed a number of wine making gigs as a contractor and just for fun he makes his own wine as well.  The Seldom Inn label is a tribute to his father and reflects Tim’s sense of family.  The Seldom Inn label started in 2003 with 1 or 2 barrels of wine to being a full time thing in 2007 with 800 cases of wine and progressing to 1800 cases of wine made in 2008.

Tim exudes a bum down and get things done persona from the moment you meet him and his passion to produce a product that has his mark on it is also very evident.

After tasting his 2008 reds and the 2009 whites I can use 1 word to describe his wine – Strength.  There is nothing shy here, in it’s place is full flavored offerings that express a want to be different and to show what a winemaker can do.

Tim has a web site for Tim Geddes Wines and you can contact Tim through this web site.

2009 Seldom Inn Viognier ($A22)

Crisp and clean just describes this wine to a “T”.  Passionfruit and melons with lots of acid length with an interesting finish with a hint of grape tannin.  Good to see an everyday drinking white wine from McLaren Vale that is not Sauvignon Blanc.  This is a wine to drink with friends on a hot summers Sunday.

2009 Wild Ferment Viognier (~$A30)

Wow, it this different or what.  Tim wanted something more from his white wines, than just standard stainless steel non wooded white wines.  His winemakers want to “play” with some wine to make something different and with lots of character.  Well he has succeeded.  The use of native yeast, new french oak maturation for 10 months (on lees) has lead to another level compared to the Seldom Inn wine above.  The aromas have passionfruit led tropical aromas with just a hint of creaminess.  This creaminess just rolls into the palate that starts with creamy melons and has a wonderful mouthfeel texture from all this plus interesting layers of tannin.  I expect this tannin is a combination of wood and grape tannins.  In a word – “Funky”.  There has only been about 20 dozen bottles produced but have not been labeled.  The complexity here means this is a food wine and these flavors would match well with so many foods.  The creaminess could go with rick cream based pasta dishes, or enough funkiness to match with coconut cream Thai curries.

2008 Seldom Inn GSM ($A22)

A Grenache (60%), Shiraz (30%) and Mataro (10%) blend that is one of my favorite styles at the moment.  However, this wine would not be one of them – there is a tar and bitterness component here that spoils the red fruits and dry dusty tannins.  After discussing this with Tim, I believe that the Grenache was over ripe and many of the bunches were heat damaged.  The 15% alcohol is another indicator of the potential for over ripeness.  Though not a bad wine, I would leave this one.  As a note, I tasted the 2009 Grenache and it was wonderful (though not a finished wine) and I hope Tim makes a GSM and a straight Grenache from this base wine.

2008 Seldom Inn Cabernet Sauvignon ($A22)

This wine was certainly back on track.  The fruit for this was mainly from 40 year old vines with this vintage picked early for McLaren Vale Cabernet that year and it missed most of the heat wave of that year.  The best word for the aromas was “Black”.  The flavors were just layers of black current fruit with just lovely tannin complexity that leaves the mouth screaming for more.  This wine needs more time to reach it’s best but worth the wait it would be.  Sit it aside for 5+ years and try it with Beef Wellington.

2008 Seldom Inn Shiraz ($A22)

Matured for 16 months in 40% new oak (both French & American) and the rest 1 year old oak.  Big fruit here but with big oak and together it pulls the components together to make something better than each component would be on it’s own.  Lots of dark plums, subtle spices and teeth coating dry tannins.  Probably needs 10 years in the bottle, but I suspect little will make it that far.  Such strength is this wine needs extremely strong flavored red meats.

2008 Seldom Inn Petit Verdot ($A22)

The surprise packet of the whole bunch from Tim this year.  The aromas and palate just tasted like a quality quince paste with a good dose of tannins thrown in.  As for the other reds here, it needs time to mature, however it is more approachable now than these other reds.  I would try with with the sweetness of Hoisin Sauce based dishes.

2008 Grey Label Shiraz (~$A35)

A barrel sample as the wine was not finished at time of tasting, but I was ready to drink this one now.  The 13% new American oak was evident with the vanilla aromas and the fruit characters were just luscious.   The best fruit with the different oak treatment has made a big difference – one to watch out for and the suggested $35 price tag is worth every cent.


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Lonely Grape TV Episode #44 – Waywood Wines Pt2

27 07 2010

Another experiment. @ Waywood wines that have been kept for 10 days under vacuvun (ie air removed from the partially empty bottle). The idea was is to see the development over the 10 days……


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McLaren Vale Wines – Fall From Grace / S.C. Pannell Wines

24 07 2010

Fall From Grace is one of the most interesting Jewels of McLaren Vale.  At the smallest wine store I have ever experienced one can find:-

  • French & Italian wines from artisan producers
  • high quality glassware
  • restaurant cookware
  • French & Italian wine region maps
  • wine related books
  • Opinel Knives
  • Vinturi wine aerators
  • French Spirits (Gill is the brand ambassador for Cerbaco)
  • French Market baskets
  • The only tasting outlet for S.C. Pannell wines

All this in a space no more than 2.5 meters wide and 6 meters long.

But a list such as this cannot fully convey what this special outlet can provide the visitor.  Gill has spent many years travelling the wine world with Qantas and calls McLaren Vale home.  As such she knows most people that walk past and those that drop in for something different – either as a gift or a wine that would just go well with what is being cooked for tea tonight.  The room is bordered by seating so you can take your time.  I spent a couple of hours there today and just enjoyed watching and meeting people that just dropped in.  I must say it was a very enjoyable time – and even met a reader of the Lonely Grape.

What an interesting mix of wines and what a concept.  Who would have thought a shop selling overseas wine would have such an interest in one of Australia’s best wine producing areas (McLaren Vale of course).  Gill does not sell Australian wine – even though Fall From Grace is the only tasting outlet for S.C. Pannell Wines.  Every weekend there will be one of Steve’s wines available for tasting (however you cannot purchase these wines from there).  Steve’s wines have received acclaim from just about everywhere so even 1 wine for tasting is worth just dropping in.

Fall From Grace is in the Main Street of McLaren Vale, in what I would call, the trendy area of the street and just next to Blessed Cheese Cafe.

The owner of Fall From Grace, Gill, alone is worth the effort to call in.  Not only can she talk about each wine and who makes each wine from her shop but she is just so passionate about every aspect of wine – so much so that her real overall passion is wine education and conducts courses for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust plus conducts 1 day tasting courses (over lunch) that sound very civilized.

As well as a wine from S.C. Pannell available for tasting there is usually a wine from her shop also available for tasting.

Fall from Grace has a blog – check it out here.

S.C. Pannell web site (including sales) is also worth checking out.

Well enough about Fall From Grace but lets discuss wine:-

Le Pere Jules Poire (De St Desir-De-Lisieux) ($A20)

This is a pear cider from Normandy, that funnily enough smells and tastes like pear.  I hear that during the recent vintage here in McLaren Vale this was a drink of choice after maany a long day in the winery.

2007 S.C. Pannell Nebbiolo ($A45)

This Adelaide Hills Nebbiolo wine is a blend of many different clones which just adds to the overall complexity here.  One of the very interesting things with this wine is that only yeast was added to this wine and then it was aged in large old oak barrels for 24 months.  The aromas just keep developing while the wine is in the glass – I got an earthy mixture of roses, tar and cherries.  Very different to the citrus characters of the Nebbiolo wines I have tasted from McLaren Vale.  The flavors were just this wonderfully savory mixture of cherries, tar, great acid levels and this lovely tannin structure.  The tannins must have mainly been delivered from the fruit (as only old oak was used) helps the wine to produce this layering effect that just keeps rolling well after you have finished the last sip.

I agree with Gill that a Porcini Mushroom Risotto with lots of “stinky” hard Italian cheese would be worth traveling a long way for the combination.

2007 Montefalco Rosso ($A34)

Straight away one can tell this is different and when I heard the words “this is a blend of Sangiovese, Sagrantino, Cabernet & Merlot” I knew this was!  Both the aromas and the palate had lovely fruit layerings of cherries and raspberries that finished with lovely tannins.  These tannins I felt were soft to start with, but I soon found there was an underlying strength to these tannins that worked so well with the tannins.  All I could think of as a food match while I was tasting this wine was to continue the Italian theme, with pizza.


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Lonely Grape TV Episode #43 – Waywood Wines

22 07 2010

What a great day – in a winery tasting wines during a sunny winters day in McLaren Vale. The Waywood wines are what I would call food wines.  What do you think?


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McLaren Vale Wine – Waywood Wines

17 07 2010

Andrew Wood from Waywood Wines contacted me via e-mail with the intention to have a look at his wines.  His tone from the first moment was one of wanting feedback on his wines – not just a review that would go out to the wine public via the Lonely Grape Blog.  This was certainly different for me as most tastings have been based on just getting a good review.

Andrew’s background was as a Sommelier in London and then deciding to take his love of wine further by undertaking studies and working vintage in Europe.  Having a Queenslander as his partner has lead Andrew to Australia – firstly in the Granite Belt and then the last 6 vintages in McLaren Vale.  As you could imagine the passion for wine has also lead to a want to express himself by making his own wines – and so Waywood Wines was born.

It was also very obvious that Andrew’s passion extends to wine and food matching so not surprising that the wines are made to consume with food.

Check out their web site.

The wines are sold by the dozen so prices are supplied as dozen prices as advertised in the 2010 Winter Newsletter.

Anyway – now for the wines (note that the wines were open for a couple of hours prior to the tasting):-

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ($100/dozen – winter 2010 special)

Black & brambly fruits on the nose makes way for light blackcurrent fruit flavors with good tannins and acidity and ends in a quite dry finish.  I suspect the fruit characters are fading however, there is evidence of structure.  For the price this would work well in “easy drinking” occasions so maybe lets pear it up with something spicy like a lamb based tagine.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($180/dozen)

I found the aromas on this wine to be closed and almost nothing there.  This Willunga Cabernet was picked young and it shows with such a good level of acid.  There are good black fruits here (blackcurrents & mulberries) with firm chalky tannin layers that coat the teeth.  This wine needs some more time in the bottle to show it’s best.  Definitely a food wine so try it with something robust to match the secondary flavors such as Turkey Lasagna.

2008 Shiraz ($150/dozen)

I got black fruits and hits of vanilla aromas.  The flavors started with black and red fruits and straight away showed a great acid and tannin structure.  There was distinct ironstone steely acid here as well.  I suspect the wine is still a little tight and another 12 months in bottle will spring something even more wonderful.  The wine was picked after the heatwave of the vintage so it just proves how cool Clarendon actually is.  Bring on charred meats – I am cooking a BBQ tomorrow night and I wish I had a bottle of this to drink while cooking and eating.  At this price I would put some of this away.

2005 Shiraz Cabernet (only available in mixed dozens)

I got more developed aromas here than fruit ones – some leather and spice.  Interestingly, I got a hit of sweet fruits when I first put the wine in my mouth.  Then I got an oak hit, then finished with some good savory fruits mixed with good acid and tannins.  Another food wine that would go well with roast lamb.

2007 Shiraz Cabernet ($180/dozen)

This Willunga Cabernet and Clarendon Shiraz was my favorite wine here.  The aromas were again closed and just hid what was to come.  There was some cherry and chocolate flavors so a bit cherry ripe like.  The french oak kicks in with some spice (clove and fennel) that is so well balanced with the oak.  Lots happening here so I would try this with a mushroom risotto with lots and lots of Parmesan cheese.

2007 Tempranillo ($180/dozen)

A really interesting series of aromas here – the best from this wineries offering.  A distinctive smell that took me some time to get a handle on – iodine.  Plus black olive, cherries and black fruits that trails into some perfume and flowers.  The best nose of these wines – by a long way.  The wine is almost textural when you drink it – plums, red fruits  matching well with the dry and chalky tannins (from the extended maceration).  Give this a year or 2 to reach its best and give it a try with complex foods – sizzling Mongolian steak and special fried rice.


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Lonely Grape TV Episode #42 – Kay Brothers Cellar Door

13 07 2010

It was such a pleasure to conduct a tasting at the oldest family owned winery in McLaren Vale. Part of the Kay family since 1890. This time I try their Basket Press Shiraz and a Liqueor Muscat.


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McLaren Vale Wine – Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards

10 07 2010

Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards Road Sign

Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards is one of the original vineyards of the McLaren Vale region.  First plantings were in 1859 with the Kay Brothers purchasing the property in 1890.  The current winemaker, Colin Kay, is third generation family winemaker.  The winery is well know for it’s flagship red wine – the Block 6 Shiraz.  The old vines for this wine produce such small amounts that you can only purchase the wine from the winery if you are a wine club member and commit to purchasing 6 other wines.    The wine club is worth signing up for as you get discounts on the wine (available from the time you join ie if you join at the cellar door then you can get the discount straight away).

Kay Brothers Gardens & Surrounds

The cellar door has a a wonderful view of the vineyard covered valley running down from the winery.  There are old vineyard equipment examples and picnic tables around the large grassed areas – perfect for kids to safely run around.  I have been to the cellar door on  may occasions and there is definitely a sense of old world and a smiling face to greet you.  If you have not been there yet it is one that you should visit.

The cellar door is open 9 – 5 on weekdays and 12 – 5 on weekends and public holidays.  Their new web site is at www.kaybrothersamerywines.com

Kay Brothers Cellar Door

2008 Eden Valley Riesling ($A22)

Not what I was expecting to see an Eden Valley Riesling here in McLaren Vale.  The fruit came from 60 year old vines and produces a wine full with lemons and limes with some apples and the usual flintyness that one expects from Eden Valley Riesling.  The wine was just starting to show some aged characters on the nose, so I expect this wine will soon be transitioning from the fruit driven youthfulness to kerosene nuances of older Riesling.  The crisp acid finish is just begging to be consumed with freshly cooked but cold shellfish.

2008 Amery Vineyards Viognier ($A22)

The nose on this wine was closed, however the flavors had pears and nectarines and quite a lengthy finish.  These flavors were unusual for a Viognier, but there was no real interest for me to purchase this wine – so a pass for me.

2010 Amery Vineyards Viognier ($A22)

Even before I got the glass up to my nose I could get some significant aromas of passionfruit and other tropical fruits with a hint of grassyness.  The flavors just kept on going with the same theme with lots of good acid.  A marked step up from the previous wine (note that there was no Viognier made in 2009 due to the heat wave conditions).  This would go well with many different Asian foods – how about an old favorite Thai Green Chicken Curry.

Amery Vineyards

2005 Amery Vineyards Merlot (A$22)

Another unusual offering.  This Merlot sparked my interest.  The aromas had the usual plum, but there was rhubarb and a hint of peppermint as well.  The flavors had cherries and mulberries with quite pleasant layers of tannin that drew you into a slightly bitter finish.  One of the more interesting Merlots I have found for a long time – a pitty about the hint of bitterness on the finish.  Still if you like Merlot and would drink it with food then I would check this out.  Food matching would lead me to a Beef stir fry – say Broccoli Beef Noodle Stir Fry.

2007 Amery Basket Pressed Cabernet Merlot ($A22)

The floral aromas blend into flavors of blackcurrent and mulberries.  The finish is very dry – the tannins seem to suck all the moisture from your mouth and even coat the tongue.  The overall effect is lingering however the very dry finish makes me think this wine needs a year or 2 to mellow before being at it’s drinking best.

2005 Amery Shiraz ($A22)

An interesting blend of blackberry and vanilla aromas make way for the flavors of ripe plums, vanilla (from the American oak) and really nice white pepper.  The overall effect was good and was lingering.  A step up from the other reds so far.  It is also good to see reds with a bit of age on them being sold through cellar door (though I hope this is not because they have not been able to sell the wine).  How about a Tuscan Burger to go with this.

2006 Amery Basket Pressed Shiraz ($A22)

Another step up! the 2006 was a good vintage and this shows in this wine – Yum.  An interesting aroma mix of plums with tobacco and eucalyptus (just on the back of the nose).  The flavors infuse plum, fennel, blackberry and oak (well balanced).  The fruit flavors are from fleshy fresh fruit and not your stewed styles and the finish is just so persistent.  At this price I seriously suggest you get some of this wine.  As a winter comfort food lets have a big plate of ricotta gnocchi with a spicy tomato and basil based sauce.

2004 Hillside Shiraz ($A40)

Oh how I love these steps – the 28 months in oak (about 50% new oak) has really made a difference in this wine.  Black cherries on the nose and flavors of blackberry spices (fennel, nutmeg and pepper), vanilla and milk chocolate.  There is no oak monster here the fruit and oak blend well together to make a very interesting whole.  This wine is just made to go with slow braised lamb shanks.

2006 Hillside Shiraz ($A40)

What a difference a couple of years and a good vintage makes.  The quality that the 2006 vintage brings to the table is shown with this wine output.  This wine is significantly more a fruit wine combined with very cleaver oak use with aromas of floral plums, pepper and hints of fresh leather.  The flavors start with spicy mulberries and finish with cedar, tar and dark chocolate.  A very pleasant dry finish that leaves the mouth wanting more.  I can see that both the 2004 and 2006 wines are very different and will appeal to different people and with different foods – this is one of the reasons I love wine the variations and permutations available to the skilled winemaker for us to taste.  How about a serving of Rosemary and garlic roast lamb with crispy roast potatoes and peas?

2010 Moscato ($A22)

This sweet offering has quite a following from the cellar door patrons and the last time I was at the cellar door this wine was sold out.  It is good to see more to this wine than just sugar and grapyness.  On both the nose and the palate there were lots of green apples and a lovely finish of cleansing acid.  I can see many a bottle of this being consumed in the great outdoors during summer.

Amery Founders Very Old Tawny Solera ($A22 375 mL bottle)

This wine was first released to celebrate the winery centenary (I still have my bottle of the first release sitting in my wine fridge).  This blend has an average age of 16 years and I must say this shows everything a tawny “port” should bring to the table.  The richness, the nuttiness combined with just so many flavors into an experience that needs to be shared.

Amery Founders Grand Liqueur Muscat ($A22 375 mL bottle)

This one is about 14 years old (on average) and is just like drinking a raisin based Christmas Pudding.  There is a lovely viscous mouthfeel here that just lingers and lingers.  I am thinking a nice runny Brie with dried fruits and nuts while drinking this – but I must warn you I may not share this wine.  Worth every cent!

Rare Liqueur Muscat ($A60 375 mL bottle)

Made mainly from the 1992 vintage there is a real difference here compared to the above wine.  Here there is none of the freshness a solera system can provide – this is just concentrated yummyness.  This is a concentrated and intense viscous mothfull of toffee, figs, coffee and raisins.  If you can afford this then it is an experience just to try.  You will have to get your own though – I will not be sharing any of this with anybody!


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Lonely Grape TV Episode #41 – Paxton Wines Cellar Door

6 07 2010

Check out my video at Paxton’s Cellar Door. I taste their Marsanne and the Shiraz/Grenache blend.


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McLaren Vale Wines – Rosemount Wines Part 2

3 07 2010

This blog entry is part 2 of a 2 part review of the Rosemount Cellar Door.  Check out my Rosemount Cellar Door Review Part 1 .  This entry is reviewing the desert/fortifieds plus their flagship range.  The Flagship Wines tasting costs $12 which includes a generous tasting of the 3 wines plus nibbles.  It should be noted that the tasting fee is refunded if you purchase any wines from the Flagship range.

Rosemount Cellars

Note that the prices are volume related so the prices below are set as (1 bottle price / 6 bottle price / 12 bottle price).

N/V Vineyard Series Muscat ($A25/$A20/$A17.50)

I was expecting a liqueur style wine and this is not it.  The wine is a lighter fruit driven style that has hints of candied peel on both the aromas and flavors.  The wine is not viscous but has high acid levels as the wine has a clean finish.  This is a blend of 2007 & 2008 wine.  The 2007 has been stored in old oak (which I did not find obvious) with the 2008 portion being oak free.  Most deserts would work well with the sweetness of the wine.

Old Benson Tawny Port ($A40)

A blend of Shiraz, Cabernet & Tokay with an average age of 10 years.  The  wine has lost any red tones and is quite light garnet colour.  This turns into a luscious nutty, sweet, mouth coating liquid that leaves the mouth with a dry finish.  Quite a classy style and the current stocks are from a returned overseas order.  There is not much of this made, however there seems to be a small dedicated group that just loves “their Old Benson”.  Bring on the after dinner chocolates to consume with this one.

2007 Roxburgh Chardonnay ($A42/$A33.50/$A29.30)

This Hunter Chardonnay is just as I remembered it from a previous tasting over 5 years ago.  The Chardonnay is very different to those I have been tasting from McLaren Vale.  The melon character is there but there is loads of stone fruits (peaches and nectarines) and a lovely balance from the fermentation and 11 months in french oak.  The oak provides a nutty and almost viscous mouthfeel that just keeps on giving after you have swallowed.  This is one of the best Chardonnay’s I have had this year.  For those that know the wine would consider the price to be acceptable for the quality.  As seems to be the case for Australian Chardonnay – this wine will be phased out with the Roxburgh Vineyard I believe has been sold.  The texture of this wine would go well with a Prawn Cesar Salad.

2006 Mountain Blue Mudgee Shiraz Cabernet ($A50/$A40/$35)

Now I was looking forward to this – a classic Australian blend from a region that is often seen as a poor cousin to the Hunter Valley.  A very interesting wine that has red fruits dominating the aromas but flavors are dominated by black fruits.  The 15 months in oak (both French & American) contributes to the silky smooth tannins and chocolate flavors that cause an exquisite complex wine.  If this what Mudgee can produce that I should check out this region’s wines more often.  For me this was the best wine from the whole Rosemount range tasted on this day.  How about a stout and beef pie with a bottle of this while with a loved one in front of an open fire.

2004 Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah ($A68/$A54/$A47.50)

I found the aromas were a little closed which may have been due to the wine being opened just prior to being poured for this tasting.  The aromas did seem to be lifting with a short time in the glass before I drank it.  This is just what McLaren Vale Shiraz should be – black fruits with a hint of dark plums.  There is a deep spice here – the closest I can get is Star Anise and a real layered tannin structure.  There has been smart use of oak here with 18 months of new oak maturation – 20% French and 80% American.  This is interesting as I would have thought the wine was mainly matured in French oak with little vanilla oak characters one normally expects from American oak.  The complex structure here would lend itself well to game meats – maybe try a seared kangaroo fillet with lots of mushroom sauce.


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Lonely Grape TV Episode #40 – McLaren Vale Roadway Wine Signs

29 06 2010

A change up to the normal video – no wine tasting. Instead I thought I would share with you the new McLaren Vale entrance winery road signs. At last they have been updated and show some of the wineries you can visit in the area.


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