2009 Black Minnow from Minnow Creek Wines – a blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet and 5% Malbec. Interesting blend and an interesting wine.
Lonely Grape TV Episode # 85 – 2009 Black Minnow
24 09 2011Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Mclaren Vale, McLaren Vale Wine, Oak, Sangiovese, Small Producer, wine, wine McLaren Vale
Categories : Mclaren Vale, wine
McLaren Vale Wines – Backyard Shed Cru Red Pack #5
17 09 2011
Backyard Shed Cru Red Pack #5
My wine sales web site www.tastemclarenvale.com.au is about to roll out the new Backyard Shed Cru wine tasting pack. The idea of the Backyard Shed Cru packs is to showcase small artiesan wineries from the McLaren Vale region. The web site also offers a membership deal where one can sign up and recieve these packs every 6 months automatically and with a discount on the normal price as well as freight fee. Check this out at Taste McLaren Vale’s Membership page.
And now for the important stuff – the wines…….
2009 Minnow Creek Black Minnow
Interesting name for an interesting blend of Sangiovese (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and 5% Malbec. I cannot remember having this blend before other than previous vintages of the Black Minnow. Aromas are basically cherry based – just like having a bowl of freshly macerated cherries. There is some difference to the cherries so I suggest there is aromas of both black and red cherries – smells like Christmas time with the local McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills cherries. There is a bit of dust on the nose as well from the smattering of oak that has gone into the maturation of this wine.
Cherries dominate the fruit flavour but there is secondary red and black fruits in abundance. As one may expect from Sangiovese there is a feeling of earthiness while the wine sits in the mouth and as you swallow it the tannins dry the mouth which makes you wanting more. Not a wine to cellar but a wine to enjoy now.
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
This was the surprise for me – I am not normally a Cabernet drinker but I could drink a heap of this. The aromas of blackcurrent and mint just fly out of the glass so much so, you don’t even have to do the “wanky thing” to get the aromas. I get cassis and chocolate with a minty finish. As I am finding with McLaren Vale Cabernet the usual donut effect where the flavors disappear in the mid palate, does not happen here. Good old McLaren Vale is having it’s effect and so the mid palate is there is spades.
2010 Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre
One of my favorite blends and this wine does not disappoint. there was something immediately interesting here and I will admit that I could not work out what it was. The Shiraz portion of the wine was co-fermented with the Roussanne pressings (from the above wine). The result is a real lift added to the aromas from the red fruits that comes through the from the Grenache. The wine had a portion unoaked and the remainder oaked with various aged barrels – in other words they have been smart by producing the best wine they can from small volume by keeping small parcels separate and treating them differently. Blending of these small batches allows the winemaker to produce the style they are looking for without compromise. This outcome is worth the efforts. There is balance here the red fruits from the Grenache, with the structure of Shiraz and the strength of Mourvedre mixed with a layered tannin structure that is not over bearing. I can see a big pan full of chilli mussels in this wines future.
2005 McLaren Park Shiraz
Firstly, this is a classical Genders wine with all the developed characters but more importantly for me the wines change so much over a period of time. One of the reasons I was there so long (well that was my excuse anyway). The aromas started with developed dark briary fruits but after a while changed to that typically shown from Dianna’s wines – floral notes. Then some cinnamon kicks in as well. The flavors also change dramatically. Firstly starts with the briary / black fruits with oak tannins not over done and lots of good acid i.e. Really good structure. Over time the flavors change to include lots of spices and not your normal spices. I got more of cardamon and sage as the wine opened up. After being open for nearly 2 hours there were more changes – the fruits of blackberries and blueberries came through.
2006 Grenache
A lighter that expected offering from the Blewitt Springs vineyard. The peatyness comes through again on the nose with red spicy fruits – Yum. The flavors are a medium bodied mixture of raspberries, cherries & spice with just a hint of oak. This is a drink now wine but I am sorry, as if I open a bottle it is unlikely I will be sharing this.
2010 Graham Stevens Wines Vintage Shiraz
I will admit this wine was a surprise. Firstly, it was the first wine I tasted from the 2010 vintage – a port style being an early release. Then I was shown the bottle and it was a screw cap! I thought this unusual and I asked Graham about it. His response was the Vintage style requires clean conditions and minimal oxygen contact so why not a screw cap. Upon thinking about it more, I remembered that some old vintage port styles I have opened from the 70′s had cork disintegration issues. So I should talk about the wine.
Straight away the wine is all about the plum character that is McLaren Vale Shiraz as well as the clean spirit. The aromas and flavors are like Shiraz grapes have been hand squeezed into your glass. The plum is so clean and intense that the spirit does not interfere at all. Once in the mouth the plum explosion is just complemented and cleaned up by the spirit and acid. Wines such as this are a joy to consume and it can only make one wonder why this style has almost disappeared from the Australian and McLaren Vale winemaking scene. Do yourself a favour and try this wine – I cannot see you will do anything but enjoy it.
Please note that I have conducted video tastings of these wines and can be viewed in the coming weeks as Lonely Grape TV.
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Tags: Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Mclaren Vale, McLaren Vale Wine, Mourvedre, Sangiovese, Shiraz, Small Producer, wine, wine McLaren Vale
Categories : Mclaren Vale, wine
McLaren Vale Wines – Assorted wines from Maximus, Coriole, Penny’s Hill and Primo Estate
16 07 2011I have not been feeling well this weekend and I was concerned about what I could write about for this weekend’s blog. So I went looking through my recent wine notes and though I would share some interesting wines I have tried over the last few weeks (while I have been checking out the Scarce Earth Project wines). I hope you enjoy these select wines and hopefully my cold will be over soon so I can share more winery reviews soon.
2009 Maximus GSM
This wine was only 0.1 point from the Bushings King award from the 2010 McLaren Vale wine show. At the same show the wine was award the Trophy for the best Grenache based blend. Others have like it as it is now being served at our Prime Minister Hosted dinners. With this build up, I was looking forward to this wine. The wine did not disappoint. I enjoyed the 2008 wine from the same stable but this is just one big step up. The aromas are dominated initially by the red fruits of Grenache (raspberry and cherry). There is an interesting transfer to a savory aroma that I suspect comes from the Mourvedre. The flavors can be summed up by one word – balance. The red fruits of the Grenache come through again in spades and the tannin structure is just so complementary to that fruit. Plenty of acid here as well so it made my mouth water and think of food. This combination produces plenty of flavor that lasts and lasts at $25 per bottle this wine is a steal.
2009 Primo Estate Joseph Double Pruned Cabernet Magnum ($A275)
Joe Grilli, owner and senior winemaker has mad a career of being innovative. 10 years ago he made a wine from Angle Vale Cabernet (very hot climate area) and I am told the wine was an absolute beauty. The secrete was the vines were double pruned. In this case the primary crop was pruned early so a second crop would be produced by the vines. This second crop is much less than the initial crop would have been and the grapes ripen much later. In 2009 Joe decided to have another go at this unusually produced wine and put all of the wine into magnums. Well I am glad I was told this wine was from Angle Vale fruit as I would have made somewhat of a fool of myself with this review as all I could see were cool climate characters. The aromas showed the customary blackcurrent but then I got green herbaceous characters with an interesting hint of mint – which would immediately make me think this was a cool climate wine and even potentially from Coonawarra. There is also evidence of dusty oak. I do not like wines that show to many green characters and I was concerned this wine was going to be very green. Well I was wrong again – the wine was an amalgam of blackcurrent and very fine tannins. Lots and lots of character and lots and lots of time ahead of this wine. An absolute beauty that so many people will never see – what a pitty.
2007 Coriole Vita Reserve Sangiovese ($A50)
Coriole has a long history of growing and making wine from the Italian grape variety of Sangiovese. As a warming area McLaren Vale should be well suited to this variety. They have also been working on a Reserve style to produce a “Super Tuscan” wine. I have tasted earlier Reserve efforts and had felt they were just aged versions of their estate wines. This wine, however, was different straight away. The aromas were a mouth watering mix of juicy black fruits. The flavors continued in the juicy fruits mode with layers of very fine tannins. The oak influence is there but it plays an integrated part. Balanced and long lasting means this wine was wrapped up and brought home with me. My mouth is watering while writing this and I have put the wine away so I do not get tempted to drink it just yet.
2009 Penny’s Hill The Experiment Grenache ($A30)
The last 2 times I have been to the Penny’s Hill cellar door this wine was not available, so when I heard there Grenache was available then I just had to drop in. The aromas showed both the expected red fruits but a lot more cedar from the oak than I would expect for this variety. Even though the oak continued in the same vain in the flavors this wine was what I would call lovely McLaren Vale Grenache – all those red fruits and the oak mixed with a great acid profile that assisted the wonderfully long flavors and mouthfeel of the wine. Yes I love this variety and yes the wine has more wood treatment that I would normally agree with, but the whole thing works. Put the wine away for a couple of years and I would expect an even better wine.
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Tags: Australia, cellar door, Grenache, Mclaren Vale, McLaren Vale Wine, Mourvedre, Sangiovese, Shiraz
Categories : Mclaren Vale, wine
McLaren Vale Wines – Minnow Creek Wines
13 11 2010Minnow Creek Wines comes from 2 friends – Bill who as a businessman enjoyed his wine and thought it would be good to make some plus Tony who was a winemaker friend who had just finished with another winery. So they got together and Minnow Creek was born. They do not own any vineyards but instead look to get the best fruit that shows regional characters. The wines are made at other wineries but under the instruction of Tony. They try to source their wines from McLaren Vale, but have settled on Sauvignon Blanc from Adelaide Hills and the use of Langhorne Creek as a varietal supplement.
I found the use of wild yeast fermentation on small portions of their wines and then back blended to add complexity and textural feel to some of the wines.
The wines are value for money and I would recommend that one checks out the wines if you get a chance. The wines are found in some Adelaide restaurants and bottle shops or you can get them on line at www.minnowcreekwines.com.au.
2009 “The Silver Minnow” Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon ($A17 or $A14 by the dozen)
The Semillon makes up a small proportion of the blend but is makes a big difference. The reason for this is the Semillon has been fermented using wild yeasts in French oak. The aromas are not over the top like a lot of Sauvignon Blanc’s can be and I get passionfruit and an interesting undertone of stone fruits. The flavors are arranges in 3 waves. The first is the immediate hit of tropical fruits, the second on the mid palate is a creaminess that suspect is coming from the oak treatment and then the third component is a strong acid finish that has a citrus feel. I do not normally like Sauvignon Blanc, however this wine has interest and appeal – I even took a bottle home with me to have with Homemade Pesto Chicken Fettuccine.
2009 Rose ($A14 or $A12.50 by the dozen)
Yes – a dry style Rose wine (less than 5 g/L sugar) and made from Cabernet Sauvignon plus Sangiovese. Interestingly a portion of the Sangiovese has been fermented with wild yeasts in 3 year old French oak Hogsheads. The aromas are red berries (mainly cherries with some strawberries) and a creamy finish. The flavours continue wiyh sour cherries and some earthiness from the Sangiovese. All in all it is well balanced and would go well with a really creamy Brie on freshly baked crusty bread.
2008 “The Black Minnow” McLaren Vale Sangiovese / Cabernet / Malbec ($A17 or $A15 by the dozen)
This is the largest seller for Minnow Creek with this vintage receiving 4 stars from Winestate Magazine in their Regional McLaren Vale tasting. The 2008 vintage was difficult and so sourcing quality fruit was also challenging – for this wine some of the grapes were sourced from Langhorne Creek.
The first thing that hit me when I got the glass near my nose was what appeared to me to be a bouquet of different herbs and then the cherries and rhubarb with an interesting dustyness in the background. The were a ssoft balance of black fruits, anise, spice, soft acids and soft tannins. It is easy to see this wine being very popular – particularly for the drink now cafe set. A well made wine and well priced. The wine would have gone well with the fantastic home made Lasagna my wife made a couple of days ago.
2007 Shiraz ($A24 or $A20 by the dozen)
There must be something right here as this wine won a trophy for the Dry Red Still Wine >$25 in the 2008 McLaren Vale Wine Show. The wine is a single vineyard from Aldinga fruit with most of seeing 4 – 4 year old oak – both French & American. The aromas start with black fruits and move into licorice wrapped in a cigar box. The flavors were interesting as they are dominated by blackberry and not the usual plum and again with some cedary oak. Nothing is out of balance here so I believe this wine is drinking well now. There is a finesse here that is sometimes missing from the up front fruit and oak bombs that you sometimes see around. The structure here means this wine would be at home being served with charred BBQ meats or with a pizza.
2008 Shiraz ($A24 or $A20 by the dozen)
Mostly made from the same vineyard fruit as the 2007 wine but so so different. Here you immediately get the vanilla sweetness from the American oak. This continues with aromas based on plums, blackberry & rhubarb. Interestingly I got red and black fruits on the palate with the fruit and oak sweetness (again developed from the use of the American oak). I felt the flavors were not as lingering as the 2007 Shiraz. I can see a lot of people going for this wine even though it lacks the finesse of the 2007 wine. This wine would go well with richer meat dishes or highly flavored Thai dishes such as Beef Massaman Curry.
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Tags: Adelaide Hills, Australia, Mclaren Vale, McLaren Vale Wine, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, semillon, Shiraz, Small Producer, wine, wine McLaren Vale
Categories : Mclaren Vale, wine
McLaren Vale Wines – Middlebrook Estate
23 10 2010
Middlebrook Estate Cellar Door & Function Centre
Middlebrook is a McLaren Vale restaurant and function center that specialises on Weddings (where the Rotunda comes into it’s own). I have been visiting the cellar door on an infrequent basis since 1986 and the inside of the function center has seen many changes for this McLaren Vale function institution.
I can still remember my first visit when I was introduced to Duris (see below) and it was just so different I was not sure about it on the first try – so I asked for another taste. Well the look from the lady working the cellar door indicated she thought this was a request of some drunk. Anyway, I did get another taste and then there was no complaints as I walked out with a case of this very unusual liqueur.
Now days the wines seem to be made to suit the catering for the masses at wedding functions ie lighter bodied and sweet wines. If this is their aim they do well – so well that a number of the wines were not available for tasting as they were in limited quantities and those remaining were reserved for future functions.
To me all I really care about is to see they keep making Duris!
Middlebrook Estate Gazebo
N/V Cogno Brothers Cuve Brut ($A10)
A nice clean and neutral bubbly that is popular for the wedding parties that utilise the facility.
2005 Cogno Brothers “Cin Cin” Pinot Grigio ($A15)
Shows that aging of this variety does not make much sense. There were developed characters here with most of the fruit flavors almost gone. There was also a slight bitter after taste. Life is too short………
2008 Middelbrook “Contessa” Unwooded Chardonnay ($A15)
After the disappointment of the Pinot Grigio and then to be offered an unwooded Chardonnay, I started to think this was going to be a long, long tasting! Well I was wrong again. This wine showed really nice dried peach aromas (maybe some residual sulphur coming through). The flavors were peach again plus some apricot that provided an interesting textural mouthfeel. I could see why this wine was only available for functions as it would just evaporate on a hot day with a few people at a gathering.
N/V Middlebrook Ma Cheri Moscato ($A15)
As expected there was loads of grapey sweetness with some bubbles added – again a walk in start at most functions.
2008 “Cin Cin” Sangiovese ($A15)
Macerated cherries that were dropped and rolled around on the ground – if you can imagine this and add some oak tannins and this is what I was tasting. Sangiovese and value for money means a match for many menus at such a function house.
2006 Cogno Brothers Family Selection Merlot ($A15)
Mulberries and cherries in an obvious tannic mix and a dry finish. Merlot oh Merlot you are still not my style of wine.
2006 Cogno Brothers Family Selection Barbera ($A15)
This wine was all about drinking spiced fruit cake. All the aromas and flavors brought one back to this fruit cake recipe. I can see a lot of people liking this style. Matching food with this would be challenging to ensure the flavors are complimentary.
2006 Cogno Brothers Family Selection Shiraz ($A15)
So typical of a lot of Shiraz one finds around. Sweet fruit (plums & Cherries) aromas that evolve into the plum fruit that is Shiraz. The overall wine experience is a little lighter than what I would consider “normal” and again I can see a lot of people liking it for that reason. It also works well as this wine would suit many different food styles – just like the differences at a function.
2005 Joseph Cogno “Il Padrino” Cabernet Shiraz ($A20)
The aromas were closed but this does not give a clear indication of what is to come. The flavors are well balanced between black fruits, soft tannins and good acid length. Again this good old Aussie blend does good things. The wine has length but is not too heavy – again a theme for this winery.
N/V Middlebrook Duris ($A25)
Again a treat that has been bringing me back to Middlebrook Estate in McLaren Vale since 1986. A Honey Cumquot Liqueur that has great length and citrus character. The flavors start with the honey and continue onto the citrus that is the cumquot (probably best described as a mix of mandarin and lemons). There is a hint of complexity here that seems like the cumquot peel. This blend has less obvious alcohol than what I remember from previous tastings, but the overall effect is not diminished. Other than drinking it straight after a meal, my best use has been as an integrate part of the fruit mince used for the Xmas pudding and Fruit Mice Pies. I macerate the dried fruits in Duris, Brandy and fortified wines that are handy.
Wines not taste or not availiable:-
Cobbity Cooler range
Cogno Brothers Deluxe Rose (sparkling)
Cogno Brothers “Black Harvest” Sparkling Grenache
Cogno Brothers Frontignan Spaetlese
Cogno Brothers Bin 77 Fruity White
Cogno Brothers Camden Gold
Cogno Brothers La Morra Rose
Cogno Brothers Cobbitty Classic Red (sweet)
Cogno Brothers “Black Harvest” Still Grenache
Middelbrook Scenario (Viognier Chardonnay)
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Tags: Cabernet Sauvignon, cellar door, Chardonnay, Mclaren Vale, McLaren Vale Wine, Merlot, Sangiovese, Shiraz, Small Producer, South Australia, sparkling wine, wine, wine McLaren Vale
Categories : Mclaren Vale, wine
McLaren Vale Wines – Chapel Hill
15 08 2010
Chapel Hill Barrel
Chapel Hill has come a long way since I first remember visiting the old Chapel in the late 1980′s. The Chapel was built in 1865 and was a Christian Bible Church and a parish school and now the central part of the cellar door and art gallery complex portion of what is the whole of Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill Cellar Door
In this area of McLaren Vale, I suspect it is part of the Seaview subregion, there is a winery, cellar door, art gallery and what is called The Retreat. The Retreat is a high class accommodation getaway that has function space for corporate functions, cooking classes, weddings etc. It is famous for high profile cooking classes that all over look some of the Chapel Hill vineyards.
The Chapel
The cellar door not only provides the visitor with a large selection of wines but also seasonal produce produced at the retreat. You can find such delights as Olive Oil, Dukkah, Verjuice and preserves. Bring on some fresh crusty bread and I can feel a meal coming on!
Chapel Hill Art Gallery
The latest bottlings show a new direction for the labels from the 4 ranges of wines – The Foundation Series, Il Vescovo, McLaren Vale and Vicar. The new labels look classy and puts them in good stead for the new few years.
Well I suppose I had better talk about the wines…….
2009 Il Vescovo Savagnin ($A22)
Sourced from the cooler climate Kangarilla vineyard and is my first taste of this emerging variety. Straight away this was different as I got a restrained orange blossom aromas with nectarine and tropical fruit flavors backed with some good acid. An interesting wine and I really want to taste more Savagnin to better understand this variety.
2009 Il Vescovo Pinot Grigio ($A22)
My experience with this variety has not been overly positive, but this wine made me think I should have a kinder mindset to Pinot Grigio. There were hints of grass, lemongrasss and lychees on the nose and really interesting Guava flavor. Jury still out but still deliberating.
2008 Verdelho ($A16)
A lighter style with a slight fruit salad aroma through to some melons on the palate. There seemed to be a hint of residual sugar here in an attempt to lift the wine. I suggest this wine would be one that a number of people either love or hate. Does the 2008 vintage for a white wine mean this wine has not been a good seller.
2009 Unwooded Chardonnay ($A16)
Naked Chardy – I get quite concerned about this style. In an attempt to reverse the trend of over oaked styles we have had to endure about 10 years of going the absolute opposite. This is a good clean wine with a real nice citrus (acid) finish. This wine is a good seller but for me bring on a balanced chardonnay that includes some oak character.
2008 McLaren Vale Chardonnay ($A25)
Straight away I could tell I was onto something here. Barrel fermented soft wood characters mixed with some ripe fig aromas led to a spicy, creamy, yeasty melon mouthful. I just enjoyed this wine and it was the standout white wine here. Why would one go for so much of the average white wine in the country (alot of it labeled SB) when such a wine is offered. The complex flavors here go well with complex foods such as a caramelized onion tart with roasted cherry tomatoes and seasoned sliced chicken breast.
2009 Il Vescovo Rose ($A22)
Made from Sangiovese fruit from their Kangarilla Vineyard (not in McLaren Vale and cooler climate). The aromas were like smelling the red roses from my backyard (sorry I do not know the Rose variety) and flavors of sour cranberries and plenty of acid to cover the 2.1 g/L sugar. For the Rose drinkers this wine has good structure and would be worth finding. It would work with Chinese Fried Rice or a cheese platter on a Sunday while watching the footy.
2009 Il Vescovo Tempranillo ($A22)
This Adelaide Hills offering is a relatively soft blend of Mulberries and Cherries with not alot of tannins but has a savoury finish. My first thoughts was this was a surprise as a number of Tempranillo wines I have been tasting are “stronger” wines and that this has a similar tannin structure of Merlot. I am thinking a big bowl of pasta with a tomato based sauce and sitting around the table with the family to “share the spoils”.
2009 Il Vescovo Sangiovese ($A22)
Quite a difference with this wine after the last one – the aromas were almost meaty and transformed into a cherry tannin mix that wants to coat the tongue and teeth. There are more wines of this variety popping up around McLaren Vale and I would say this wine is true to it’s variety and one to check out particularly to be enjoyed with food.
2008 GSM ($A18)
Aromas of violets, plum and some perfume from the Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre components to this wine are a good start. The flavors show some up front sweetness (probably from the ripe fruit expected from this hot vintage) and flows through to some typical Mourvedre strength with a few tannin layers. I enjoyed the Mourvedre tones to this wine but the fruit sweetness makes the wine a little disjointed.
2008 McLaren Vale Bush Vine Grenache ($A30)
Of course I was looking forward to this wine – it is my favorite McLaren Vale grape. I was not disappointed from this offering from vines planted in 1926 and 1959. All the red fruits combined with nutty and complex spice nuisances from the old wood barrels this wine has been aged in. Oak plays a supporting role to such lovely fruit that anybody who comes to McLaren Vale should try this wine style. Bring on the slow cooked lamb shanks and there is no way I would share this wine with you.
2009 McLaren Vale Mourvedre ($A30)
Here was where I was blessed – this wine was bottled but not available at the time of my visit. Due to comments on their Facebook page I knew this wine was around – so I asked and Amelia (cellar door manager) organised a bottle for me to try. I am so glad I was awarded this favor as the wine was a pleasure. This variety either on it’s own or as a blender brings serious stuff. There are wonderful floral and mulberry aromas and flavors with lovely complex spices and dry, dry tannins. The tannins are so dry that it seems like they are drying your teeth. The 15% alcohol was not noticeable either on the nose or palate, which also indicated there is complexity here. The wine needs more time to settle down, but I can see it lasting many years in the bottle – if we let it. I am thinking of a marinated kangaroo stir fry, with some gamey complexity, as a wine match.
2008 McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon ($A30)
An interesting mix of smoky blackberries and blackcurrents on the nose. The flavors are mulberry based fruit with licorice complexity and drying tannins. This wine probably suffers from being the next in the lineup after 2 such wonderful wine (for my palate). This wine stands the McLaren Vale Cabernet test well, but it is not my favorite variety at the moment. As I drank this I could see a big bowl of Hoisin Beef with Singapore Noodles complementing the wine and vice versa.
2008 Parsons Nose Shiraz ($A16)
An interesting play here – a lower price wine with an unusual name, in an attempt to bring in more sales. A certain well known wine writer has given this wine a 92 point score, so it sparked my interest, even though the 2008 vintage was at best challenging. Straight away I got the unusual scent of blueberries with some star anise and cinnamon. There is a particular shiraz clone that give some blueberry character, so I guess this is it. The flavors were dark plums and I was very happy there was no stewed fruit or over oaked character. I do not rate this as a 92 point wine, however this is quite good everyday drinking, so I guess it has met the criteria. Bring on plated of different BBQ’d sausages smothered in onions.
2008 McLaren Vale Shiraz ($A30)
Wow – a very interesting roasted almonds aroma combined with some of the blueberries I mentioned above, just draw me in. The flavors are just what one expects from classic McLaren Vale Shiraz – almost sweet plum fruit combined with the cedar oak with tannins from both the oak and the grapes themselves. What more can I say but pass on the plate overlapping rump steak and use the wine as the “vegies”.
Wines not tasted
Vicar Shiraz ($A60) & Devil Tawny Port ($A30)
The Vicar is only available for tasting on weekends and the Devil was just being bottled. I have previously tried these wines (before I took notes) and they both are good wines with a following that means selling these wines at the cellar door is not difficult.
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Tags: Cabernet, Cabernet Sauvignon, cellar door, Chardonnay, Grenache, Mclaren Vale, McLaren Vale Wine, Mourvedre, Sangiovese, Shiraz, tempranillo, wine, wine McLaren Vale
Categories : Mclaren Vale, wine
McLaren Vale Wines – Charlatan Wines
10 04 2010It is sometimes amazing the people you meet when you go wine tasting and it makes you realise how small the wine industry can be. A number of months ago, I went to the cellar door of Lloyd Brothers Winery & Olive Grove, to review the cellar door and their wines (see my review on Lloyd Brothers). When I discussed that I was going to review the winery on my blog, the person working at the cellar door was very interested in what I was doing and it turned out that I was talking to a small scale winemaker who was interested in getting a write up in my blog as well. I was also interested as the wine Chad had available was a Sangiovese and had some positive reviews.
Within a whisker Chad had organised for me to taste his wine to review and I was impressed with the wine (see my video review). Also check out Charlatan Wines web site.
Instead of me rehashing Chad’s information regarding his wine making journey please see below his supplied information of his venture……..
“I think I have one of the many McLaren Vale small winery winemaker to thank for getting me out of the rainwater tank industry and into the wine industry; back in 2005, although I think about it a lot I haven’t ever been able to drop a bottle into him and say thanks! I was working as a Sales Manager in the not so glamorous rainwater tank industry, starting my sixth year during the 2005 vintage. I think I became bored and dreamt of greater things… or something. During the vintage of 2005, I saw winemaker after winemaker from the Vale come through the showroom gates to buy our fermenting tanks and tubs. Every single day with dirty, red stained hands (and lips), purple stained jeans and crimson-soaked shoes. Tired, dirty and usually pretty unshaven! But always, without a fail, with smiles on their faces.
Wow, I thought, maybe it was possible to work your ass off, and love what you do?
This winery was small…very small in fact. Housed in a shed in the main street of the Vale, I quickly realized there was no work for me here. The winemaker showed me around, apologized for not being able to give me anything. But he mentioned, almost as an afterthought, that I might try a place called Redheads Studio, to see if they could keep me busy until this bizarre curiosity for winemaking subsided. I said thanks and headed in their direction. My first impression of Redheads was a mixture of excitement, action and a fair bit of chaos. Actually, mostly just chaos. There were around a dozen people here and there, all working and talking (or yelling) in different accents. There were grapes and juice and must and mess everywhere. I was quickly in the action with a pitchfork and suddenly I was helping to fork several ton of grapes into a tiny, rickety crusher. Red juice splashed onto my clean jeans; my inadequate sneakers quickly became sticky, wet and cold.
Once the day’s crushing was complete, the guys asked me to hand plunge several 2 ton tubs of fermenting grapes. This is the moment the skin on my hands first became stained a nice shade of pinkish-red with red wine juice, and they would stay this color for the next 3 weeks. I think this might have been the time that I realized, ‘this is for me’. The smells of carbon dioxide, alcohol and yeast, all the different aromas of the different ferments, and the feel of warm must on my hands. And that same day I was able to get my hands on some unsold fruit which I agreed to buy (somehow, with no money) my first half a ton of shiraz from a local grower who had filled his contract to Hardy’s and still had a few rows left over. We hand picked it ourselves the next Saturday and I don’t think I spent many nights that month away from Redheads, watching my first Shiraz grow and evolve…
I purchased a ton of Shiraz in 2006 and made a cracker of a fruit driven purple 2006 Shiraz. I wish I had made more now – it’s long gone. I got licensed. In 2007, I had some beloved Grenache fruit lined up, only to have it stolen from under my nose. So I made no wine in 2007, and I missed it.
Then, later in 2007 my girlfriend and I visited a fairly newish cellar door run by a local wine nut, after a 90 minutes tasting of some amazing wines, we were both inspired by his passion, his honest, enthusiastic love of the game. The very next day, I applied to study Oenology at the University of Adelaide. I got accepted; and quit my job in October. Now I balance full time study, a tiny wine label and 3 part time jobs at at different McLaren Vale wineries! Only once have I failed to arrive at the right job on the right day… so far.
2008 it was the Sangiovese. I was working at as a cellar hand during vintage at a local winery on the crusher and weighbridge during vintage watching the infamous 2008 March heat wave desiccate anything with an ounce of moisture. I was still hanging around at Redheads waiting for a delivery of Sangiovese to arrive – my new favorite variety. One balmy 35 degree night my Sangiovese came in, and it was fresh, turgid and juicy! So I doubled my buy and took just over 2 ton. Still, might I add, without any money. The Sangiovese was fermented cool, we tried to keep it under 15 degrees and we did chill it right down to under 8 degrees once it hit 2 or 3 Baume. I think that was the key to the cherry characters being preserved even though the must was at 35 degrees at the start of ferment! We used mostly 3 and 4 year old oak, and one new barrel for 8 months trying to keep those tannins at bay, although I think they crept in there more than I would have liked. They actually seemed to develop in bottle.
In 2009 I scored some sensational Merlot, and I made a ton of Cab Franc as well which is looking superb. Both will be bottled soon.
So, in a LONG nutshell… that’s the background! The 2006 Shiraz scored 92 points and the Sangiovese 93 in Halliday 2010. Bronze at the MVWS, bronze at the Australian Alternative Wine show and a Hottest 100 showing for the Sangiovese as well.”
Thanks Chad but I suppose I should talk about the wine!
Charlatan Sangiovese on the Beach
2008 Charlatan Sangiovese ($A15)
This wine is all about cherries, cherries and more cherries. The aromas also have some clove action and ever so slight cedar oak, which works so well with the cherries. The fresh cherry flavors are mid weight (not your usual McLaren Vale full bodied wines here) with just a hint of tannins on the back of the palate. Great as a lighter option for Pizza or pork dishes. This wine just sings summer drinking when you do not want a rose or a heavy bodied style, but still something refreshing all the same.
The wine is sold via a 6 pack from the web site.
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Tags: Mclaren Vale, McLaren Vale Wine, Sangiovese, Small Producer, wine, wine McLaren Vale
Categories : Mclaren Vale, wine
Lonely Grape TV Episode #26 – 2005 Coriole Semillon & 2008 Charlatan Sangiovese
16 03 2010Lets try again. Thanks to Heath for letting me know the first version of this video did not load correctly – all fixed now!
How great is this – I get to share with you my tasting of a 2005 Coriole Semillon and a 2008 Charlatan Sangiovese.
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Tags: McLaren Vale Wine, Sangiovese, semillon, Small Producer, wine, wine McLaren Vale
Categories : Mclaren Vale, wine
McLaren Vale Wineries – Hugh Hamilton
27 02 2010Hugh Hamilton Wines has a theme of Hugh being the black sheep of the family and this theme is branded right across the business. From the wine labels to the wine names to the merchandise and even the road signs entering the winery.
Hugh Hamilton Wines Cellar Door
The views from the cellar door are worth the visit alone. You can get about 300 degree views of the surrounding vineyard based countryside – just spectacular! For the location check out the Cellar Door Map.
The merchandise is high quality and are really promote the Black Sheep brand. The white t-shirt range is a particular favorite with a play on some of the wine names – I will leave it to your imagination what “The Madam” looks like!
They also have a wine club that allows you to obtain their rare wines, discounts and functions, on the basis of purchasing 2 dozen wines per year.
Black Sheep Club Benefits are:-
| FREE membership & FREE freight for whole cases | ||
| Priority access to our scarcest wines | ||
| Our premium wines automatically delivered to your door, anywhere in Australia, twice a year | ||
| Significant savings of up to $50-00 per case for each allocation including rare wines | ||
| 15% saving on all Hugh Hamilton wines and merchandise all year round | ||
| Gift service – we will send wine & merchandise on your behalf to family & friends with a personalised card | ||
| Invitations to cellar door events and bonus offers | ||
| Hugh’s vintage report & tasting notes with suggestions of when to drink and food accompaniments | ||
| Replacement guarantee for any damaged wines | ||
| Your choice of a red, white or mixed pack for your ongoing allocation | ||
| Surprise gift or special offer in each allocation |
You can check out the wine club and all the other aspects of this winery at their web site www.hamiltonwines.com.au.
Along with the branding the wines are also something that is different and shows individual character.
2009 “The Trickster” Verdelho ($A18.50)
This wine is interesting if for no other reason that is has only 11% alcohol. Either the grapes for this wine were picked earlier than is normal McLaren Vale practice or alcohol has been removed from the wine via reverse osmosis technology. Either way the product is a light and refreshing infusion of fruit salad and citrus on the nose and grassy citrus on the palate. There is not as much acid on the finish as I would expect. The light nature of the wine means it is an excellent hot afternoon with family & friends. It would also work with a fish entree – I had a smoked salmon dish tonight that would have gone well with this wine.
2009 “The Scallywag” Unwooded Chardonnay ($A18.50)
The grapes here are from 1975 planting of the “OF” clone. The subtle nose is a mixture of melons and guava. The melon theme continues on the palate with hints of tropical fruits. I normally think that Chardonnay should have some oak treatment to get the best from this variety however I could imagine drinking this with a Cesar Salad and enjoying the matching.
2008 “The Loose Cannon” Viognier ($A22.50)
An interesting expression of orange blossom and nashi on the nose followed by the nashi and lime finish on the palate.
2009 “The Floozie” Tempranillo Rose
The 24 hour skin contact has waved its magic wand to produce a musky and Turkish Delight (both on the nose and palate) with a lovely stone fruit but dry finish. How about a plate of Salt and Pepper Squid.
2008 “The Mongrel” Sangiovese Blend ($A22.50)
A blend of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 5% Tempranillo. When I saw this wine on offer I straight away thought of the standard earthy and grainy taninic styles (such as from Coriole). I was wrong (again) – yes there was some earthyness on the nose but this was no where near being dominate. Instead I got hints of Rosemary and Cloves on the nose with a medium bodied cherries on the palate with smooth tannins. Any tomato based pasta dish would do justice to a bottle or two of this wine.
2008 “The Ratbag” Merlot ($A24.50)
I have not made is a secret that Merlot is not my drink of choice, as the style tends to be a softer and a short soft tannin finish. For my palate I tend towards the bigger red wine styles. That is a generalisation and I will admit generalisations can be dangerous to hang your hat on! Here is one of those times. When I tasted the wine my first thought was that I had the wrong wine poured into my glass as this wine had “body”! After checking the label I was convinced that, in fact, it was a Merlot I gave it another try. The nose was really nice spiced plums. Red plums continue on the palate combined with dark berries and a tobacco leaf finish. I would love to have this wine with some Italian Sausages with a pan fried melody of seasonal vegetables.
2008 “The Scoundrel” Tempranillo ($A24.50)
WOW!!!!!!! This is the most pleasantly different example of Tempranillo. The nose had white pepper with preserved strawberries. Strawberries continued on the palate with plums and a soft tannin finish. Such a difference compared to other Tempranillo wines I have tasted, and I am better for this experience. Some of this wine came home with me and I look forward to drinking it with either grilled pork chops or one of my home made pizzas – now the only decision is do I share the wine!
2007 “The Rascal” Shiraz ($A24.50)
Shiraz does so well in McLaren Vale and for 2007 being a drought year the wine is of high quality and worth checking out. It has ripe fresh plums with cardamon and black olives mixed in. The palate has vanilla (from the oak treatment) with plums, spice and fine tannins on the finish. Nothing here is over the top and the components are well balanced. Bring on a thick juicy Wychwood Meats T-bone steak.
2007 “The Villain” Cabernet Sauvignon ($A24.50)
I cannot help but think about lamb while I was tasting this wine – with no pun intended. This has the expected nose of blackcurrents but there are hints of freshly picked thyme and other spices. The palate continues with the blackcurrents and black olives with the oak as a supportive role only as there is a soft tannic finish. How could you not think of lamb with this wine?
N/V “The Madam” Sparkling Tempranillo Sangiovese ($A22.50)
For the regular readers of the Lonely Grape would know that I am a sparkling red fan. Hug Hamilton used to make a sparkling Merlot that was not on my “to drink list”. Now this is some thing different – a sparkling Tempranillo Sangiovese blend. I just had to try this one.
Well this was worth the visit to the cellar door! The nose had an earthy, spiced dark plums (fresh plums not stewed). When you drink this you are immediately seduced by a full bodied wine (hints of plums, olives and a little chocolate) followed by soft silky tannins. There is some sweetness here but not excessive.
2009 “Goldilocks” Light Fruity White
This “light fruity wine” is made from Gewurtztraminer – an unfashionable variety. It has been picked early and is only 11% alcohol. Hugh says that this wine is to be enjoyed and who cares about the wine snobs that would dismiss this wine. There is a mixture of musk lollies with rose water and the palate drives straight into tropical melons and lemon zest clean finish. I was surprised that there was 31 g/L in the wine as it did not seem overly sweet – there must be a lot of acid here to offset. Try something spicy with this – maybe a Thai Noodle Salad.
N/V “The Ruffian” Liqueur Muscat ($A24.50)
Along with the usual alcohol nose tingle the nose was full of raisins, Christmas pudding and candied citrus peel. When tasted I directly thought of 2 words – luscious and lingering. The high viscosity of the wine coated the mouth with liquid raisins, peel and slightly burnt caramel – somebody please pass the blue cheese.
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Tags: Cabernet Sauvignon, cellar door, Chardonnay, Mclaren Vale, McLaren Vale Wine, Sangiovese, Shiraz, tempranillo, Viognier, wine
Categories : Mclaren Vale, wine
McLaren Vale Wines – Alpha Box & Dice Cellar Door
19 12 2009Justin Lane (the Alpha Box & Dice winemaker) has a reputation for being something different and that he does things his own way. Their facility – including the cellar door is across the road from Maxwell Wines in what I remember as the Manning Park cellar door and more recently Settlement Wines cellar door. There has been an effort to clean up the site and make it reflect the Lane family philosophy. The cellar door is not your new style with lots of polished wood and glass – here is all about character. With Justin being a character and his wines showing a lot of character then it should follow that the cellar door has character. There is also a view to setting up a courtyard area for BBQ’s etc.
The wines are very different in a positive way. When I was offered a Dolcetto as the first wine to taste from his range, I was concerned as in my very limited experience with this variety it was sweet wine style. How wrong I was! The wines show an overall structure with selected fruit parcels (the emphasis is on sourcing the correct fruit to produce a style) with old oak maturation in specially sourced oak barrels plus some funky treatments to produce experience wines.
The cellar door is open weekends and I recommend this as a visit
Dead Winemakers Society 2008 Dolcetto ($A20)
The Dolcetto grapes comes from a Scott Hicks Kupito vineyard and is aged in old 500L puncheons. The wine is a pleasant surprise with distinct orange peel aromas. The low tannic nature of the wine strikes you the moment it hits the palate with the orange peel nature continuing with some fennel overtones and a eucalypt finish (the vineyard is surrounded with gum trees). Oak plays only a minimum part on the flavour profile and there is long acid finish that is complementary to the rest of the flavours. The wine is very dry wine that would go well with complex slow cooked food or the citrus nature would appeal to the duck lovers out there.
Fog 2006 Nebbiolo Cabernet Tanant ($A30)
The wine is made up of 80% Nebbiolo from Blewitt Springs and aged in old 500L oak puncheons, 10% McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon (aged in new french oak) and 10% Kupitto Tanant (also aged in new french oak). The Nebbiolo had extended skins contact (4 weeks) and then a long time in barrel to ensure the different tannins to integrate.
The citrus characters continue on the nose - this time it is reminiscent of mandarin peel. On the palate there is a fruit sweetness (though it is a dry wine) with lots of sour cherries. There is a layering effect of tannins (grape tannins and oak tannins) probably assisted by the use of Tanant, fruit and citrus flavours, high volatile acid and high acids generally. All of these components make this an enjoyable and complex wine. Food matches would be the same as for the Dolcetta.
Blood of Jupiter 2006 Sangiovese Cabernet ($A25)
The wine is made of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon – both from McLaren Vale. The Sangiovese free run juice went straight into old oak pungeons and the Sangiovese pressings and the Cabernet Sauvignon went into new Burgundian Bariques and had extended time on the lees.
The nose showed the typical Sangivese earthy and peaty characters with distinct sour cherries. These carry over onto the palate that has layers of fine tannins, oak char and fruit sweetness. Again there is an almost viscous mouthfeel that is very pleasant.
Apostie 2008 Shiraz Durif ($A30)
The wine is made of 50% McLaren Vale Shiraz, 23% Barossa Shiraz and 27% Durif, that went into Burgundian Buriques of which 70% were new. The first item of note for this wine is that it is 14.1% alcohol - the wine is neither a fruit or alcohol bomb. The nose has elements of spice with red and black fruits – but is not typical of Shiraz I have drunk lately, it has a more refined and delicate. The palate has lots of plums and layered tannins with a real lift due to the textural structure and wonderful acid.
Changing Lanes 2005 Tempranillo Cabernet ($A35)
An interesting mix of 50/50 blend of Margaret River Tempranillo with McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon (from the Willunga foothills) – again the wine has seen Burgundian Bariques of which 70% were new. Three years in oak and 1 year in bottle was required for Justin to be happy to release this wine. Some Tempranillo funkyness came through on the nose. On the palate was this fruit sweetness even though the wine would be considered dry. Combining well with this fruitiness was layers of dry and dusty layers of tannins that was just starting to show some aged characteristics. Another wine to buy and experieince a wine that is enjoyable but not main stream.
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Tags: cellar door, dolcetta, Mclaren Vale, McLaren Vale Wine, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Shiraz, Small Producer, tempranillo, wine, wine McLaren Vale
Categories : Mclaren Vale, wine
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