McLaren Vale Wine – Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards

Posted on July 10, 2010 by Lonely Grape

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

Posted on July 6, 2010 by Lonely Grape

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

Posted on July 3, 2010 by Lonely Grape

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

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Lonely Grape

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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McLaren Vale Wines – Rosemount Wines

Posted on June 26, 2010 by Lonely Grape

Firstly, I need to make one thing clear.  I was a fan of this facility being Seaview Estate – in the late 80’s I visited this cellar door many times and I visited the old Seaview Glenloth Winery a number of times also.  When I came back to the Vale (about 2.5 years ago) I was upset that the Seaview Cellars had a name change.  I though Penfolds bought Seaview and Rosemount – it felt like it was the other way around.  Call me old fashioned but for me this old facility on Caffrey Road will always be Seaview to me.  Now I got this off my chest I can talk about the winery and the wines.

Rosemount Wines Cellars

This cellar looks like it is a facility to store wines as the Ingoldby Road winery now makes the wines.  The facility has extensive gardens for the kids to run around in or to have a picnic.  Inside there is the old huge vats and a barrel room that looks like it is set up for functions.  In this area is quite often an art display.  The tasting area has an area for the kids to do some drawings and general seating – where one can be served a cheese platter or some nice brewed coffee.

Not all the Rosemount wines are available for tasting as there is a large number of wines.  It was good to see some cellar door only wines as there is a limited reason to visit this cellar door to buy wine – discount liquor stores can sell their wines at a discount compared to the cellar door prices.

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

2009 Diamond Label Sauvignon Blanc ($A16/$A13/$A11)
This Adelaide Hills wine is typical for variety with very herbaceous and cut grass aromas that lead into passionfruit and gooseberry flavors.  Not really my style but I could see a lot of people liking this wine.

2009 Twilight Harvest Unoaked Chardonnay ($A20/$A16/$14)
This limited distribution wine (cellar door and restaurant sales only) is quite aromatic for an unoaked chardonnay the palate has good acid and all the flavors expected from the variety – melons and peach.  I would still rather an oaked Chardonnay.

2009 Show Reserve Robe Chardonnay ($A22/$A17.60/$15.40)
Now we are getting somewhere – the 3 months of oak treatment makes a distance difference to the wine.  The wine is currently slightly dominated by the oak and probably needs some more time to integrate with the grapefruit flavors.  The finish is long with some good tangy acid.

2009 Limited Release Adelaide Hills Chardonnay ($A30/$A24/$A21)
There is some classy french oak treatment here.  The aromas have a real lemon peel with an underlying nuttyness – very pleasant.  The flavors are well balanced with stone fruit (maybe nectarines) instead of the expected melons and lovely oak right through the palate with a lovely oak finish.  This was certainly the best of the white wines with the complexity here would go well with a variety of foods so why not match it with a Chinese or Thai banquet.

2008 Vineyard Series Ripe White ($A20/$A16/$A14)
Here is a late harvest Riesling that is only available at the cellar door (due to the limited quantities made).  There was a real citrus aroma with some aged, slightly oxidative characters showing through.  The palate was not as sweet as I expected and one can tell there is some good Riesling fruit here and such a good acid finish for a late harvest style.  I suspect this wine is the product of of the hot 2008 vintage.  Drink very cold and very young.

2009 “O” ($A18/$A14.40/$A12.60)
This low alcohol (7.5%) slightly carbonated Moscato has turned into a large volume marketing success for Rosemount.  Served on ice (even at the cellar door) is just a refreshing drink that tastes just like grape juice.  This is a classic drinking with friends wine – I used to call this a veranda wine, and not really a food style.

2009 Ruby “O” ($18/$A14.40/$A12.60)
Served so cold it is difficult to get the full aromas for this wine but the flavors are something else.  The 5% Shiraz added to this wine makes such a difference – it creates a typically Shiraz (red grape) notes to the sweet grapey flavors.

2008 Vineyard Series Ripe Red ($A20/$A16/$A14)

A Cabernet, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir and Muscat blend that has a relatively high level of sweetness and is served cold.  I would suggest this needs to be drunk very cold as this wine just shows over ripe “porty” characters.   This is a big pass for me and my palate.

2009 Twilight Harvest Grenache Shiraz Viognier ($A20/$A16/$A14)

Another wine with residual sweetness and is made to be served chilled.  The aromas are cherry and red fruits (raspberry) dominate.  The flavors show an initial hit of red Grenache fruit that transitions into some Shiraz based black fruits.  There is enough tannins here to leave a drying effect even though there is a lot of sugar here.  I can see a large number of people liking this wine, but again not for me.

2006 Show Reserve McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre (($A22/$A17.60/$A15.40)

This blend of 47% Grenache, 47% Shiraz and 6% Mourvedre is one of my favorite styles.  The aromas start with quite strong red fruits with some underlying strength from the Mourvedre and the toast oak.  The flavors start with the expected red fruits and then layers of depth come on through.  Nuances of cinnamon combine nicely with the oak tannins.  The finish was softer than I expected but it was lingering.  I keep thinking of a caramelized onion tart with roasted cherry tomatoes.

2005 Show Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz ($A22/$A17.60/$A15.40)

The wine has seen both American and French oak and shows all the aromas typical for McLaren vale Shiraz – mulberries, spice and even some coffee.  The flavors continue with mulberries and blackberries but has a slight bitter finish.  Seeing this is a 2005 wine the bitterness will probably remain – unfortunately a pass for me again.

2008 Show Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon ($A22/$A16.60/$A15.40)

This wine has been in bottle for about 6 months and my first thoughts were that this wine would be quite young.  My suspicions were correct this wine has lots of strength and would do well with a number of years before opening.  I was particularly pleased there was none of vegetative characters I quite often find with Coonawarra Cabernet.  The aromas were complex with blackcurrent, licorice and nutmeg.  The flavors are black fruit dominate  with very dry dusty tannins.  Too early to tell the best food match but I suspect that some lamb with a good mint sauce may be close.

2007 Show Reserve McLaren Vale Traditional ($A22/$A16.60/$A15.40)

An unusual blend with 83% Cabernet, 9% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot.  I got cassis aromas and some plum from the Merlot.  The blackberries and plum continue in the flavor regime with some spice and layers of tannins that give the wine a wonderful length.  This wine also needs a number of years before showing it’s best.

My next post will have reviews on the dessert wine, port and the Flagship wines.

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McLaren Vale Wines – Yangarra Estate

Posted on June 20, 2010 by Lonely Grape

Yangarra Estate is an organic and biodynamic vineyard that concentrates on winemaking in the vineyard and then minimal winemaking interferences.  Wines are picked based on flavor and not on laboratory results.  The small wine batches from each section of the vineyard are kept separate to ensure blending options and the native yeasts are used to ferment the wines instead of things from the packet.  Even barrels are chosen for subtlety and not for any any overpowering influences.

Yangarra Estate Cellar Door Decking

The cellar door overlooks a grassed area that is next to a creek which my son had a great time playing around while dad was wine tasting.  I could see this area being suitable for a picnic – bring a basket and get some good wine there ready for you.

Yangarra Estate Cellar Door Views

The winery has the latest in technology but they are trying to reproduce what is done in the Old World of wine.  The crusher is a de-stemmer that even has a blower that is there to remove any shriveled berries.  I am told that the conveyor is just a clean set of rolling berries.  The numerous vats all have heating and cooling to ensure the temperature can be maintained no matter what the ambient temperature.  The vats also have a mechanical cap plunger that can be moved from one vat to another – that is almost cheating.

Yangarra Estate Vats showing Cap Plunger

I admit that I did not enjoy the white wines – too soft for me.  The red wines are another thing, as I am sure you will see from my descriptions below.

2008 Chardonnay ($A18)

The aromas where restrained (possibly as the wines were cold and it was a cold day).  The flavors were dominated by melons with good acidity (giving a minerality mouthfeel) and an inherent creaminess (from lees stirring).  The wine is un-oaked and no malolactic fermentation so it is an unusual chardonnay where the fruit is just left to it’s own thing.  I am thinking of sitting on an island in Queensland eating a seafood platter with a glass or so of this.

2009 Rousanne ($A28)

This wine is all about the minerals and citrus fruits.  There is a excellent long acid finish and leaves the mouth feeling like you have been licking a lump of stainless steel dipped in lime juice – I think I would prefer the wine instead.  The acid would cut through the fat of a creamy sauce so I recommend a creamy poached chicken breast served on a bed of fresh and crisp blanched beans.

2009 Viognier ($A25)

Green apples was the only real aroma I could determine here.  By this time I could see a theme for the Yangarra whites – let the fruit do the talking with a lovely long acid finish.  Quite restrained and elegant.

2008 Mourvedre ($A28)

Bringing this wine up to the nose brought a smile to my face and the word “WOW” to my lips.  It was such a different wine.  I tasted this wine with a group of people and I took note of what each person was saying about the aromas.  The list was the smell of fruitloops and milk, perfume, rose, creamy, cooked garlic and thick balsamic vinegar.  What a range of aromatic delights.  My comments about the flavors were cranberries and bitter cherries.  This is a smart wine that I am sure will age and it would be interesting to decant the wine and taste progressively over 1 to 2 hours.

2008 Grenache ($A28)

My favorite grape variety did not disappoint all the red fruits one expects backed up with a savory finish.  Bring on a plate full of garlic marinated BBQ’d lamb chops (thanks to Michelle for the suggestion) and a bottle of this – I would be in heaven.  Don’t ask me to share!

2008 Cadensia (Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre) ($A28)

Again I applaud the Cadensia project, where McLaren Vale winemakers are showcasing the unique McLaren Vale grenache based wines under this name.  The aromas are wonderfully complex with the red fruits of the grenache, some perfume and a creamy finish.  On the palate starts with the red fruits (cherries dominated) again and complexes into freshly roasted beetroot and lavender.

2008 Shiraz ($A28)

Oh this is just what one thinks about when you hear the term McLaren Vale Shiraz from Blewitt Springs area.  Concentrated, strong mid palate, plum and red fruit character and the hint of Blewitt Springs peatyness.  Bring on some char grilled kangaroo with a side of bush tomatoes seasoned with saltbush flakes.

2007 Iron Heart Shiraz ($A80)

As one would expect based on the price, this wine is a significant step up from the above wine.  There is an increase in aromatics with some more obvious oak and blackberries.  The flavors are a meaty combination of a plum/blackberry conserve with even a licorice and meaty finish.  The flavor is lasting and bring on the osso bucco with a bottle of this and I would be happy – but not happy to share.

2007 High Sands Grenache ($A90)

If I though the Iron Heart was a memorable wine then I had to hold onto my head when I tried this as I thought my head was going to explode.  An expression of my favorite grape variety where there is just so much happening!  The old old bush vine grenache from the highest part of the vineyard makes something I believe everybody should try just to see how good Grenache can be.  Aromas of red fruits and creme caramel moves through such a concentrated mouthful of red and black fruits, chocolate and fennel with such a lovely savory finish.  My words almost do not do justice to this wine.

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Lonely Grape TV Episode #39 – Genders Cabernet & Madeleines Shiraz

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Lonely Grape

Join me at my home bar for a fun tasting of 2 small producers – Genders Wines & Madeleines. Both are producing wonderful wines that are worth checking out.

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McLaren Vale Wines – Paxton Wines

Posted on June 12, 2010 by Lonely Grape

Outside Paxton's Cellar Door

Paxton Wines was one of the first wineries I visited about 2 1/2 years ago when we moved to McLaren Vale.  The smiling face then was one Ben Paxton.  I was destined to meet Ben a few times between then and now and we even friend-ed each other on FaceBook.  I enjoy their wine then and I was looking forward to my visit.  The next couple of hours were very enjoyable.  The Paxton Cellar Door Manager knew the Lonely Grape blog – I was excited.  After tasting some excellent wines and catching up with Ben a couple of people walked into the cellar door.  One of them came straight up to me and said – “aren’t you Shane!”.  It was Tim from Secret Vines – a wine sales web site and he has been checking out the blog.  The lady next to him turned out to be Marion from Master Chef Australia.  Well I had fun chatting about all sorts of things like wine, food and TV.

Inside Paxton's Cellar Door

The surrounds for the cellar door has lots of grassed areas where kids could run around and have fun while Mum & Dad taste some wine.  For those of us that likes wine information the cellar door has a historical video for the vineyard, an overview of biodynamic viticulture (which they are using) and an aerial photo of the property.  Then there is the reason why most of us would visit – the wines………

2009 Pinot Gris ($A20)

Generally I am not a Pinot Gris fan.  I find this varietal quite flavorless and at times almost like drinking water.  In this case there was a citrus minerality with a green apple and pear thing happening.  Not enough happening here for me to part with 20 bucks, however I can see this wine appealing to the Sauvignon Blanc drinkers amongst us.

2008 Chardonnay ($A27.50)

The tasting notes for this wine sparked my interest straight away – french oak fermentation (40% of this oak was new).  Some of the wine was fermented using the indigenous or wild yeast plus malolactic acid fermentation – my interest was sparked.  The wine did not disappoint.  Using a large volume glass the aromas were just a big bowl of peaches and cream.  The palate was just tremendous with a lovely mouth feel driven with nuts and stone fruit complexity.  This wine is without doubt the best chardonnay I have had for a long time.  The complexity here means this wine would match well with a lot of foods, so how about a Chinese or Thai banquet.

2009 Marsanne ($A20)

This wine is a cellar door only offering from a grape variety that has such a small amount of vines planted around the world.  The only varietal Marsanne I can remember drinking was from Chateau Thabilk.  The juice was fermented in old oak barrels and had the lees stirred periodically over 12 months.  As for the Chardonnay, there was a wonderful mouthfeel here.  Lots of quinces, nuts and nectarines coming together in a long savory finish.  If you are looking for a different white wine then this is it!

2009 Rose ($A20)

The second making of this wine shows a balance – not the normal balance one talks about, but a balance of sugar.  The wine sits between the sweet and dry offerings one normally puts Rose into down from the more sweeter first offering.  The result is an infusion of Turkish Delight and strawberries and cream.  The comment from the cellar door folks is that the wine does not sell well via direct sales, but when people taste it then it sells quite well.  Bring on chilli based Asian foods or a Sunday lunch of cheese and crusty bread.

2008 AAA Shiraz Grenache ($A20)

The biggest seller from the Paxton stable is this year a blend of 72% Shiraz and 28% Grenache and I hear it has just won a gold medal at the London International Wine Show.  This wine is such a lovely everyday drinking wine that every year I have tasted it, is quite consistent.  There is lots of the red fruits from the Grenache and white pepper spiciness that has a finish that has bits of cedar and licorice.  You could drink this with just about any food or you could just drink it with friends.

2008 MV Shiraz ($A20)

The wine is a blend of material from 4 vineyards ie it is the higher quality grapes from the owned vineyards that did  not go into the AAA blend.  This wine does not disappoint, with a range of red and black fruits and a savory finish of balanced oak tannins, spice and licorice.  There is plenty of flavor here so the food match also needs lots of flavor – maybe Mediterranean style Lamb Shanks.

2003 Shiraz ($A37)

This museum release was part of an experiment for screw caps – this release is from the component that was under these screw caps.  Ben informs me that the wines under cork were more “developed” than the wines under screw cap when tasted at the same time – so this wine was kept back for later release.  The aromas were sweet berries mixed with vanilla, spice and earth.  the flavors are a rich full and savory infusion of plums and berries.  It maybe boring but I had a marinated steak with a mushroom, onion, tomato and balsamic vinegar sauce tonight and this would go so well with the wine.

2008 Late Harvest ($A15)

Another cellar door only wine which is made from different grape varieties depending on vintage and vineyard conditions.  For the 2008 vintage the wine was made from 100% chardonnay.  The style aim is to have about 70 g/L sugar and about 10% alcohol.  The aromas are soft tropical fruits.  The flavors are sweet but crisp (indicating good acid levels) of honey dew melons.  the finish is not cloying and finishes fresh and clean.  As Ben would say – just get them to try it and we normally sell it!  How about just drinking this well chilled on a hot summers day (food not required).

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Lonely Grape TV Episode #38 – J&J Vineyards 2009 Reds Experiment Part 2

Posted on June 9, 2010 by Lonely Grape

Join me for part 2 of my 2009 J&J Red Wine experiment. This video shows me tasting the wines after 7 days of being open (screw cap on). Part 1 was after 2.5 days of being opened.

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McLaren Vale Wine – Scarpantoni Estate Wines Part 2

Posted on June 5, 2010 by Lonely Grape

This is part 2 of a 2 part review of Scarpantoni Estate Wines – check out Part 1, which reviews the cleanskins, sparkling and white wines).

Scarpantoni Cellar Door & Winery Complex

This winery has a long history of a close Italian family producing wine quality grapes and wines.  From the hard work in clearing the land to plant the vines, we can now savour the fruits of this labour.  The wines have won many awards over the years with the 2007 Jimmy Watson Award being the most recent of the prestigious awards.

Red Wines

2009 Ceres Rose ($A14)
I remember when this wine was first released I was eager to get some to try.  I had not tried an Australian wine that was predominately Gamay.  I was not disappointed then and I am not disappointed now.  There is some complexity here in a light red.  Aromas of rose water, cherries and strawberry finish leads through to the flavors of fresh raspberries and cherries.  This wine is perfectly suited to consumption with a weekend lunch of a cheese platter and breads or a Ploughman’s Lunch (cheese, sliced meats, salami, pickles, pickled onions and crusty bread).

2007 Pedler Creek Merlot ($A14)
I got a sense of clever use of oak here – there is lots of plums here (both aromas and flavors) plus some oak driven chocolate/spice aromas and pepper/cedar flavors.  There was good length here, much longer than many sub $15 Merlots that I have tasted.  Lets share this one over a big bowl of pasta with a tomato and chilli sauce with lots of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese – with 2 forks, one for you and one for me.

2006 Pedler Creek Cabernet Sauvignon ($A14)
What we have here is a wine driven by smart use of oak – this is not a fruit driven wine.  The aromas are toasty chocolate with just a little green capsicum “herbaceous” character.  The flavours are dominated by oak driven toastyness, spice and chocolate – with the spice being particularly dominate on the finish.  There are black berries here as well – so it is not just oak!  There is a lot of complexity here – so much more than expected from a $14/bottle wine.  This is a definite wine to drink now and how about a pepper steak or sizzling Mongolian lamb.

2007 Pedler Creek Shiraz ($A14)
Another wine from the Pedler Creek wine that over delivers.  The black fruits of the Shiraz grapes are mixed well with the nutmeg and pepper combined with vanilla oak.  The finish is soft on tannins but long on effect.  Roast lamb shoulder roast with garlic slithers & rosemary sprigs pushed into slits made into the flesh before roasting.

2005 School Block ($A15)
Made from 60% Shiraz with 30% Cabernet Sauvignon plus 10% Merlot.  The berries and toasty oak on the nose makes way to sweet black berries fruit that finishes with dry dusty tannins and hints of chocolate.

2008 Block 3 Shiraz ($A36)
The wine is made from on of the blocks that is close to the winery with these vines being about 60 years old.  Most of the grapes were picked before the 2008 heat wave.  The wine was maturated in 100% American oak of which about 50% was new oak barrels.  The wine aromas were a little closed – probably due to the wine being recently bottled.  The components of the type of Shiraz that McLaren Vale is known for – plums and black fruits combined with vanillin oak character with little licorice and spices.


2008 Brothers Block Cabernet Sauvignon ($A30)
Due to winery space constraints during the 2008 vintage, some of their Cabernet Sauvignon was picked latter that would have been seen as ideal.  The resultant wine is high in alcohol – labeled as 15%.  There is enough structure in this wine that the wine did not show any “alcohol hotness”.  The nose shows some of the ripeness with licorice and chocolate notes combining with blackcurrent fruits.  The flavors show sweet blackberry fruits with some mintyness, the spice character of cinnamon and nutmeg.  There is plenty of structure here that produces a lingering effect.

2008 Estate Reserve ($A36)
This wine is made from what is considered as the best wine from their individual wine barrel tastings.  This vintage this means a 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Shiraz.  I suspect the wine needs time to open up – at this tasting the nose was closed.  But the palate was a different matter – lots of red and black fruits with the cedar and vanillin oak characteristics.  The effect has a richness that I was not expecting and a soft tannin finish – but this finish lingers.  It is good to see Shiraz Cabernet or Cabernet Shiraz wines.

Liqueurs and Fortifides

Liqueur Riesling ($A26 375 mL bottle)
This wine used to be made at Scarpantoni’s in the late 80’s and the hot vintage conditions created an opportunity for a re-appearance.  I must say this wine was nothing like I was expecting.  I was looking for a viscous infusion of Riesling and old wood rancio character.  Well I could not have been more wrong.  On the nose I got a whiff of Mums old style baked apples with lots of cinnamon spice followed with a hint of stewed nectarine.  The palate was light, and not cloying, nashi pear with the spices from the nose still coming through.  Even this wine was fortified with neutral spirit the wine is only 17.5% alcohol, which probably goes with the lighter style.  I would try this with mum’s apple pie or even just pour some over some vanilla ice cream.

Liqueur Shiraz ($A30 375 mL bottle)
After trying the Liqueur Riesling I was looking forward to this Liqueur!  I was not disappointed, The aromas start with some lifted plums combined with a spiced rhubarb and go onto spice and blackberry notes.  The flavors were an infusion of plum, cherry, rhubarb, raisins with just a hint of chocolate.  The finish is not cloying and a fresh overall finish.  This would be a great mix with a plate of dried fruit and cheese.

1999 Vintage Port ($A28 500mL bottle)
Vintage Port is not a fashionable drink as is shown by a comment at the cellar door that this wine has not been made since 1999.  I enjoy the style but I do not drink it much as there is not many people I know to share it with – as once the bottle is open the wine “goes off” after a day or 2.  This wine is quite good with both the aromas and flavours of dark chocolate, raisins and a licorice finish.  There is nice warming spirit here as well.  This wine would be perfect with After Dinner Mints.

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