David Owen The Advocate 2008 Red

General: One of six from the online wine shop "Cellarmasters"

Varieties: Shiraz 52%, Cabernet Sauvignon 48%

Region/G.I.: Fleurieu/Langhorne Creek

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Rich, deep, ripe plum with some blackcurrant flavour in there as well. A consistent oaky undertone

Flavour: A sensation to drink. Fruit flavours, primarily blackcurrant are supported by dense spice and a solid, chewy tannic finish. Very well done. Well balanced and a delight.

Points: 84

Notes: It will be interesting to see how it ages. It drinks very well now but it is obvious that it is a relatively young wine. At $17 (288 Kc) I am keen to add a couple to the cellar to see how this develops.

Moothi Estate 2006 Moothi Rocks

General: Continuing my tasting of red blends this winter, I picked up this wine as it is from the Mudgee region and I have not tried many wines from there

Varieties: Merlot 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 30%, Shiraz 30%

Region/G.I.: Central Ranges/Mudgee (NSW)

Alcohol: 13.7%

Bouquet: Complex. Plum jam and savoury spice and a touch of wood. Very pleasant to the nose

Flavour: Not as complex as the nose suggests. Dry with a good tannic finish holding this medium bodied wine together. Very little in terms of fruit flavour. Rather simple.

Points: 82

Notes: At $15 (254 Kc) from a wine shop it was a good drop. Plenty of choice in the market though, so it will be a while before I try this again

Littore Family Wines. 2008 Tempranillo

General: This was remarkably cheap so I thought I'd give it a go.

Variety: Tempranillo

Region/G.I.: Central Victoria, Heathcote and Northern Victoria

Alcohol: 13.5%

Bouquet: Surprisingly complex. It is quite plummy with some menthol and a touch of oak

Flavour: Disappointing after the nose. This is a straightforward wine which is very plummy without much tannin or dryness to provide much complexity in flavour. A weak savoury dryness exists but more needed to support the fruit up front.

Points: 80

Notes: At $5.70 (97 Kc) it's a bargain. A fine, simple drink!

De Bortoli "Sero". 2005 Syrah Tempranillo

General: I tasted another of the "Sero" range last year and was impressed. I found this at a local bottle shop. Very nice choice.

Varieties: Syrah, Tempranillo (it appears that from 2006 the maker reverts to the more common "Shiraz" usage)

Region/G.I.: North East Victoria, King Valley, VIC

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Moderate, not over-powering earthy and animal tones. I really enjoy these smells but I know I am in the minority. There are hints of raspberry there as well.

Flavour: Medium bodied with a nice dry finish. This wine opened up considerably after an hour. There is an initial rush of fruit, raspberry being predominant followed by the dry finish. Once properly opened, the wine flavour is much more even with meaty flavours and cedary tones complementing well. Still, I thought it not so complex.

Points: 83

Notes: This is very enjoyable and I will be buying a few more as I like this style of wine. At $14 (252 Kc) - undiscounted, it is very good. De Bortoli seems to be a group which can do no wrong.

Pensilva Estate 2008. Shiraz

General: It's a good time of the year for Shiraz. I discovered after buying this that it is a "home brand" for one of the big supermarket chains. As Shiraz goes, it's fine. Fine but not great.

Variety: Shiraz

Region/GI: Fleurieu, McLaren Vale, SA

Alcohol: 14%

Bouquet: Fleshy, ripe plums with some secondary tones of woody oak

Flavour: Silky smooth. Fruit matches that of the nose. Light-to-medium body. Nice dry finish. Not complex but enjoyable

Points: 82

Notes: Quite a nice bottle of wine. It does not stand out as remarkable and given the choice here, it may be some time before I return to it. Discounted at $11 (187 Kc) it's a fair price.