Vintage Cellars. 2009 Sauvignon Blanc

General: The last of my Vintage Cellars branded purchases. This was well received by afternoon visitors

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Marlborough, NZ

Alcohol: 12.5%

Bouquet: This is a typical gooseberry flavoured wine with a nose to match

Flavour: Fresh, crisp gooseberry flavours. Generous.

Points: 82

Notes: This is done well and a very typical NZ styled wine. Uncomplicated and pleasureable drinking. At $13.00 (195 Kc) is represents good value but there is a huge choice to choose from. I was also surprised as this is the first 2009 wine I have tasted. One final selling point is that its production is Carbon Neutral as this is something the Kiwis are adding to their marketing portfolio.

De Bortoli. Windy Peak. 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon

General: After recent excellent tastings of this range from De Bortoli (see here), I was excited to try this. Our pleasant afternoon was made all the better for this beauty.



Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon

Region: listed on the bottle as Dixon's Creek. Website states multiple sites from Victoria

Alcohol: 12.0%

Bouquet: Grassy, fresh with a hint of lychee

Flavour: Lychee with a wonderful citrus finish. Well balanced and very smooth. Very well crafted.

Points: 85

Notes: A relative bargain at the undiscounted price of $12.00 (180 Kc)

Tahbilk. 2008 Marsanne

General: I bought this bottle as I have not previously tried Marsanne as a varietal. In addition, I previously enjoyed a blend from Nagambie Lakes. (Photo to come soon. Interim from internet)



Variety: Marsanne

Region: Goulburn Valley, VIC
Sub-region: Nagambie Lakes

Alcohol: 12.5%

Bouquet: Honey with secondary lemon fragrances. Unusual

Flavour: Consistent with the bouquet. Medium in length and interesting on the palate thanks to the combination of flavours. My only concern was that I didn't necessarily enjoy the flavours.

Points: 81 (but see below)

Notes: A quick search online (thanks Wikipedia) suggests that this wine is best suited aged and the wine maker also suggests this on the bottle. It is supposed to develop a nuttiness flavour. In this case I may have been harsh in scoring because I was not sure what to expect. I'll grab another bottle ($15.00/225 Kc) or two to age it and see how it develops.

Vintage Cellars. 2008 Verdelho

General: Another in the Vintage Cellars range



Variety: Verdelho

Region: Riverina, NSW

Alcohol: 14.0%

Bouquet: Very tangy mango

Flavour: Medium to long body with citrus flavours. A hint of vanilla.

Points: 82

Notes: This is excellent value for the undiscounted price of $10 (150 Kc). This style of white has lost favour here. It is a pity because this is a very enjoyable drink.

Vintage Cellars. 2008 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

General: Vintage Cellars is a chain of "fine wine" stores. Unusually for a chain, they have enthusiastic staff and give the impression of your local, upmarket wine store. Under their label they release a range of typical quality wines which I presume is for easy drinking.

Varieties: Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Margaret River, WA

Alcohol: 12.3%

Bouquet: Passionfruit is central, hints of other tropical fruit

Flavour: A good crisp, dry wine with citrus flavours, more towards lemon than grapefruit. "Zesty"

Points: 82

Notes: A solid, straightforward good drinking wine. My brother found it too dry but that's a matter of taste. Undiscounted it is $14.00 (210 Kc) which is fine but there is a lot of choice in this range. Bought with a 30% discount for a six bottle buy.

De Bortoli. Windy Peak. 2008 Pinot Grigio

General: Another good one from the Windy Peak range. In fact, this was very good and has sparked me buying more in their range

Variety: Pinot Grigio

Region: Dixon's Creek, Victoria

Alcohol: 12.5%

Bouquet: Honey and hints of pineapple

Flavour: Wonderfully long. A little sugar adds to the complexity. Full mouth of rich fruit and honey with some lingering mineral tones. Well done.

Points: 85

Notes: The purchase of this gem has been missed in my spreadsheet. Typically though, this range is priced around $12 (180 Kc)

Secret Stone. 2008 Sauvignon Blanc

General: This wine tasted in the midst of a dinner party so I did not get time (as host) to savour the nose. I'll be re-tasting.

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Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

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Region: Marlborough, NZ

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Alcohol: 13.0%

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Bouquet: Fruity and matching in taste....

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Flavour: A very good example of the typical New Zealand approach and results for this variety. Very crisp, gooseberry flavours. Dry.

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Points: 84

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Notes: Purchased at $15 (225 Kc). Well worth it but there is so many too choose from it may take some time to get back to this one for the retasting.

Tempus Two. Spring Rock Verdelho. 2008

General: Summer is here and it's time to try Verdelho. This was the first and it was an excellent start.

Variety: Verdelho

Region: Hunter Valley, NSW

Alcohol: 12%

Bouquet: Pungent tropical fruits, particularly pineapple

Flavour: Tangy tropical fruit as in the nose with a lovely citrus finish. A little complexity without being heavy.

Points: 84

Notes: At $11.00 (165 Kc) it's a great summer drinking wine.

Stuart Wines. Buddha's Wine. 2006 Tempranillo

General: This was the second of the "End of Bin" wines that I picked up and thankfully much better than the first.

Variety: Tempranillo

Region: Heathcote, Victoria

Alcohol: 13.3%

Bouquet: A very pleasant, spicey nose with cinnamon and wood at the fore.

Flavour: A long, gentle finish with smooth tannins. Almost no fruit at all.

Points: 82

Notes: At $8.00 (CZK 120) it is good wine for the autumn. I'll be grabbing a couple of bottles.