Pillastro 2009 Primitivo

General: A cold dark day was the perfect excuse to try the first from my recent case of Italian wines
Variety: Primitivo
Region: Puglia
Alcohol: 13.5%
Bouquet: Mostly wet-barn (soaked wood and some animal tones)
Flavour: Unlike the bouquet, the flavour had fruit flavours. Although a dry wine, it had sweet raspberry and red berry flavours with some savoury spice. The tannins were surprisingly mild given its young age.
Points: 86

Jacobs Creek 2002 St Hugo

General: From my brother's collection
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region/G.I.: Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
Alcohol: 14.2%
Bouquet: The nose is nuanced and gentle. Some brambly notes and feint fruit with the smallest hint of wood.
Flavour: In taste, it was very long and complex with a dry mouth feel. There is savoury spice, blueberry and mulberry. The tannins, gentle as silk, linger on.
Points: 90

Warburn 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

General: A hot afternoon and a reward required for cleaning the flat
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Marlborough, NZ
Alcohol: 13.0%
Bouquet: Ripe gooseberry
Flavour: Good gooseberry flavour. Nice and crisp with a hint of sourness in the finish. A very good quaffer
Points: 83
Notes: It's about $9.00 (~170 Kc). Great value.

Briar Ridge 2009 Karl Stockhausen Shiraz

General: The coldest summer in more than sixty years is reviving the taste for red

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: Hunter Valley, Hunter

Alcohol: 13.0%

Colour: More ruby than garnet. One would guess Australian Pinot by colour rather than Shiraz

Bouquet: barn smells, some pepper and other savoury aromas, plum jam

Flavour: Relatively light bodied asnd very smooth. Fruit is mulberry and black berries, some vanilla and earthy spices and the pepper finish lingers. Sophisticated

Points: 86

Notes: From the winery it's about $29 (~520 Kc) but through the wine club in a mixed case it's about half that price.

Saltram Wine Estate 2009 Metala Limited Release

General: A coolish day called for a red

Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon 49%, Shiraz 46%, Malbec 5%

Region/G.I.: Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek (SA)

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Dark plum, black pepper, other sweet dark berries. More sweet than savoury and a hint of vanilla. Every sniff throws this combination of aromas in differing strengths

Flavour: Good fruit in the mouth with a long finish. Tasting blind, I would have guessed this as a complex Shiraz. The tannins still have quite a kick suggesting this is being drunk too young. Flavour profile according to the nose with brooding complexity continuing

Points: 85

Price: Online bargain of $10 (180 Kc) although its heavily discounted price is usually $15

Notes: 3 more of these which will now sit it out to see how they develop.

Car Park 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon

General: A midweek quaffer

Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon

Region/G.I.:South West Australia, Margaret River

Alcohol: 12.5%

Bouquet: A big bouquet of passionfruit

Flavour: Nice acidity. Fruit flavour according to the noise. A very enjoyable drink. It is in the "Cloudy Bay" style. Not sure if that it a credible reference but it reminded me very much of it.

Points: 83

Notes: A little less than $12.00 (~214 Kc). Prices seem to be half what they were last year for Sauvignon but I would be happy to get more of this stuff.

Krondorf 2008 Chardonnay

General: A white wine to start the warm weather

Variety: Chardonnay

Region/G.I.: Barossa

Alcohol: 14.0%

Bouquet: Pleasant. Honey dew melon was the strongest smell. Not overripe.

Flavour: A bit bready in taste and medium length. I found it a bit heavy and what I take to be "flabby" - no so crisp or alternatively, not complex. Disappointing.

Points: 81

Notes: I've discovered this is another from the Cellarmasters wine club that I do not like. Luckily I have stopped buying from them and have switched to different clubs.

10 Acres by Katnook. 2006 Shiraz

General: Probably one of the last reds for the cooler period

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: Limestone Coast

Alcohol: 13.5%

Bouquet: More savoury in nose than fruit. Cedary and earthy aromas

Flavour: Very gentle with some tannins lingering. Medium length and some plum concentrate. The lingering flavour though, is the savouriness of the nose. There are dried herb flavours - some rosemary and oregano. There is also a hint of black pepper. Very satisfying.

Points: 85

Jim Barry. 2006 Clare Red

General: I'm a big fan of this House's rieslings.

Varieties: Shiraz (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%)

Region/G.I.: Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Round plum and blackcurrants

Flavour: Excellent. I didn't know the split when I tasted this and would have guessed it was a Cab given the dry finish and mild tannins. Some juicy plum fruit to start, supported by cedary flavours, dry spices like Rosemary and a hint of pepper as well. All very well balanced.

Points: 86

Plunkett Fowles. 2008 Alexander Park Shiraz

General: This week's Friday night celebration for the end of the week

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: Central Victoria

Alcohol: 15% (really!)

Bouquet: No burnt nose hair from the alcohol. In fact, the nose is a good one - a bit earthy, a bit plummy and some wood as well

Flavour: Medium length and full flavoured. It checks all the boxed for Shiraz. Fruit. Check. Pepper in the aftertaste. Check. Some wood. Check. True - it is a little hot but I am not sure whether I am particularly aware of this because I checked the alcohol before starting.

Points: 82

Notes: A good one.

Katnook 2008 Founder's Block Merlot

General: One from my latest case from Wine People

Variety: Merlot

Region/G.I.: Limestone Coast, Coonawarra

Alcohol: 13.5%

Bouquet: Round-red plum juice, other red fruits and a little (earthy/rotting) soaked oak

Flavour: Medium body, smooth and gentle. The fruit is true to nose and not overbearing. A hint of oak and the mildest touch of tannin. Pleasurable.

Points: 84

Notes: In the mixed case buy, they come in at about $12/bottle (216 Kc) which is great for this quality. As I've recently been tasting from cases bought from Wine People and Wine Selectors, there hasn't been a bad drop yet. A bit of a change from the other wine club...

Gramps. 2009 Shiraz

General: I tasted 2006 at a recent Institute lunch and bought a couple of the current release to lay down. I thought I better check how they are so I can compare later...

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: Barossa

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Predominately liquorice, then some plum and a hint of vanilla

Flavour: Medium to full body with a long finish. In the chewy category. The fruit flavours match that of the nose and are dense. Nice black pepper on the tongue and gentle finish. Very nice.

Points: 84

Notes: At $13.60 (c244 Kc) this is impressive. Will have to get more.

Allandale. 2009 Matthew Shiraz

General: I'm about to get my next case from the wine club so thought I best try this now

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: Hunter Valley, Hunter

Alcohol: 13.5%

Bouquet: Plum and liquorice in equal measure. Some nice vanilla there as well.

Flavour: Very ligh bodied (like a Pinot) - the flavour profile is gentle and complex. This is very savoury - dry herbs, think oregano, thyme with some white pepper. Medium length and no tannin. Interesting

Points: 84

Notes: Not necessarily my preferred style of Shiraz but it is enjoyable

Plantagenet 2008 Hazard Hill Shiraz

General: From a producer I first tried at Cellarius...

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: South West Australia, Great Southern

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Lovely. Plum conserve and some vanilla. Dense.

Flavour: Medium to full bodied with long finish. A lot of fruit at the start but it's kept in check by the tannic finish. Straightforward and good.

Points: 83

Margan Family Winegrowers. 2009 House of Certain Views Merlot

Variety: Merlot
Region/G.I.: Hunter, Broke Fordwich
Alcohol: 14.0%
Bouquet: A little earthy and a little woody as well. The fruit is plummy - the round, red/purple types
Flavour: Medium body with good length. Some nice tannin as well. The flavour of just-ripe (almost tart) plums is even throughout. A good drop.
Points: 84

Clare Wine Co. 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region/G.I.: Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Some earthiness giving way to some mint. Difficult to determine what fruit aromas exist

Flavour: Strangely, the flavour is like a black-currant lolly. This is a heavier style of Cab with a surprising pepperiness to it as well. Nice and dry. Big and bold. Not sure if my cup of tea for a Cab.

Points: 83

Loom Wine. 2009 "The Yelverton Reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon

General: This week's wine for Friday
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region/G.I.: Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
Alcohol: 14.0%
Bouquet: Brambly with blackcurrant and some mint
Flavour: Medium bodied with good length. Fruit flavour according to nose and flavour is dense. Very nice dry finish with some wood flavours as well. Good drop.
Points: 83
Notes: $11.67 (210 Kc) from the Wine People wine club. Another very nice wine from their selection.

Two Rivers. 2009 "The Confluence" Cabernet Merlot

General: Another from the Hunter Wine Society case

Varities: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in equal measure

Region/G.I.: Hunter Valley, Hunter, Upper Hunter Valley

Alcohol: 13.5%

Bouquet: Although plum, I think red berries may be slightly ahead in aromas with some lovely vanilla lurking in the background

Flavour: Nice fruit flavour matching the nose with good tannins to hold the back end of the taste. I found it a little short in length in spite of its medium body

Points: 83

Penmara 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

General: One from the Hunter Valley Wine Society case

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region/G.I.: Hunter Valley, Hunter

Alcohol: 13.5%

Bouquet: Complex nose where the fruit is raspberry with aromas of vanilla and a little wet earth in the mix as well

Flavour: Excellent. Medium body and length. The fruit again is raspberry but now with a little blackcurrant there as well. This has a good, dry finish.

Points: 85

Notes: Costing $14.77 (256Kc) per bottle in a mixed case, this is a very nice Cab in a gentle style.

Tenet Estate. 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region/G.I.: Barossa

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: I had to check the label as the nose was not what I expected. There was some plum as well as wet earth aromas

Flavour: Full bodied and good length. A very nice transition in the mouth. There is some blackcurrant in the flavour profile afterall, some brambly (forest floor) flavours and a good dry finish. Very enjoyable

Points: 85

Zonte's Footstep. 2008 Shiraz

General: A nice Shiraz for the cool nights...

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (This is marketed as a single vineyard wine from the Lake Doctor Vineyard)

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Dense plum, mulberry and some vanilla.

Flavour: Medium body with very good length. As expected, fruit at the fore, with some vanilla undertone and this leads nicely through to a dry, peppery finish. What makes this better than average is its length and good balance

Points: 84

Notes: This is a good Shiraz to have handy for an enjoyable drink.

Nova Vita 2009 "Mad Russian" Shiraz

General: From the Shiraz case I bought last year....

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Restrained. Dense plum fruit.

Flavour: Good full flavour that carries through consistently. Interesting flavours of plum, rosemary, thyme and some vanilla. Integrated very nicely. You can taste it's young but very enjoyable as is. Would be perfect with lamb chops.

Points: 84

Notes: In the wine club it was about $14 (c.250 Kc). Well worth it. A lovely Shiraz.

Brown Brothers. 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

General: From a producer known for consistent quality at a reasonable price

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region/G.I.: Central Victoria

Alcohol: 14.0%

Bouquet: Very typical blackcurrant with a hint of some earthy spice

Flavour: The fruit is there as expected as well as something I think of a "sticks" from the forest floor. Not so elegant but tasty and the tannins are very mild as well. Quite fine.

Points: 82

Dorrien Estate 2009 "The Valleys" Merlot

General: This is the average stuff that the wine club adds to their mixed cases. My expectation wasn't high and it was about right for a Friday night drink. My Wine tasted from the same producer here.

Variety: Merlot

Region/G.I.: Barossa, Barossa Valley

Alcohol: 14.0%

Bouquet: Small round plums and a bit gamey as well

Flavour: Uniform throughout. Balanced fruit as per nose but not really much there. Went well with the pizza

Notes: From the cheap and cheerful selection - $11.87 (214 Kc) which is about right

Terra Felix 2008 Shiraz Viognier

General: Cold and rainy day called for a Shiraz (even if the label is shockingly bad)

Varieties: Shiraz, Viognier

Region/G.I.: Central Victoria

Alcohol: 14.4%

Bouquet: It smelt "dense" with plum-fruit and some spice in equal measure. More restrained than I expected

Flavour: It has a strong mid-palette, with vanilla and black pepper in the finish. It is very mild and gentle - the antithesis of blow-you-head-off South Australian Shiraz.

Points: 83

Notes: Good but not exciting. It's nice to try this style for a change but I was looking for a little more complexity and weight. Maybe I'm just a heathen. It was about $12 (216 Kc) through a wine club. I'll try others in their range.

Te Henga 2009 Pinot Gris

General: From the small wine stash I keep down the coast, this was for the start of a long lunch in the autumn sun

Variety: Pinot Gris

Region: Marlborough, NZ

Alcohol: 14.0%

Bouquet: My mistake in having started this when too chilled, the nose was rather closed.

Flavour: Excellent. It is well balanced and had great length. The texture is very nice, and serves the flavours of pear with possibly some cinnammon well.

Points: 85

Notes: From one of the big discount chains. $14.00 (251 Kc), I'll grab a couple more bottles for the cellar.

Seaview. 2008 Barbera

General: Apologies for the delay. The weekend in Orange for tasting was rather heavy so there has been a small break in tasting

Variety: Barbera

Region/G.I.: Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

Alcohol: 14.0%

Bouquet: When first opened it gave the aroma of Shiraz - plummy with some wood

Flavour: When first opened, I thought the flavour was more toward raspberry with little in terms of tannins or structure. However, after an hour, there was more to enjoy. The flavour is quite even with gentle tannin and some meaty underlying flavour throughout. Very enjoyable after it has opened.

Points: 83

Notes: Discounted, it was $14.00 (251 Kc). I have not tasted much Barbera in Australia. The one I tasted in Orange was rather fruity but this meatier style is my preference

Moorebank 2007 "Shiela" Black Sheep Shiraz

General: The first of my wines from my new wine club Wine Selectors
Variety: Shiraz
Region/G.I.: Hunter
Alcohol: 14.0%
Bouquet: Raspberry, some plum and other red fruits
Flavour: A light bodied wine which is such a change to what I expect from the blockbusters from South Australia. The fruit flavour follows that of the nose with good pepper spiciness. As it's lighter bodied, it is medium in length. A good change and nice and smooth.
Points: 84
Notes: No image. A good start to this wine club.

Mount Avoca 1998 Shiraz

General: One of my brother's lost wines that we tried for Mother's Day today. The wine had worked its way almost to the end of the cork but the seal seems to have worked

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: Western Victoria, Pyrenees

Alcohol: 13.5%

Bouquet: Subdued and a little dusty. Plum still in existence.

Flavour: The highlight of this wine was its texture. It was so smooth - very gentle plum and some brambly flavours. No tannin left. Its beyond its peak but interesting anyway

Points: 85

Heartland 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

General: Cool days and nights call for a Cab Sav...

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region/G.I.: Most of the fruit is from the Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek region

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Blackcurrant and other dark berries

Flavour: Although relatively young, the fruit was not overdone and gentle. After the wine opened up, there was a lovely black pepper finish as well. My only criticism of the wine was that I thought it was a little short in length

Points: 83

Notes: $16.79 (circa 300 Kc) sale price. Reasonable value but there's plenty in the market to choose from.

Cellar Door Wine Tasting: Kreglinger Wine Estates

Location: East of the Tamar River, Northern Tasmania

General: I enjoyed a Pinot Gris at Christmas under their "Pipers Brook" label. What I found excellent was the minerality contained in the wine which is generally lacking in Australian whites

The Highlight:

There were many (but I lost my notes....) - both Chardonnays were very good, the Pinot Gris as great as I remembered. The surprise, not on the tasting list was:

Ninth Island 2010 Pinot Grigio (13.5%). Produced on the same estate as the Pinot Gris but in the Grigio style. The bouquet was zesty with some tropical notes as well. The flavour almost knocked me out. Grigio is often all lemon and acidity, yet this has body with that lovely minerality also making an appearance

The Others -

The only wine from the tasting I did not like was a 2010 Pinot (yes - they are releasing them). Awful young wine but I guess there is a market for it somewhere.... When I commented about it, I was given a taste of 2006 Pinot Noir that was beautiful as compensation :-)

Cellar Door Tasting: Josef Chromy Wines

Location: About 7 km outside Launceston, Tasmania

Wines Tasted:

The Good:

2010 Josef Chromy Sauvignon Blanc (13.5%). Excellent nose of typical passionfruit and tropical aromas. Good flavour contained with excellent acidity.

2009 Pepik Pinot Noir (13.2%). Delicate and refined. Although relatively young, it has lovely complexity. Although on the fruit driven style of Pinot, it is well balanced and controlled

The Others:

I found the offer of Rieslings either too dry or too sweet (and gluggy). The Pinot Gris has an excellent bouquet but disappoints in flavour.

Overall - Top of the line "Zdar" series was not offered at the free cellar door. Definitely worth a visit. The "beautiful people" of Launceston were lunching there when I attended.

Milton 2010 Gewurztraminer

General: The Milton winery was the first vineyard I tried in Tasmania. It is on the east coast. Lovely wines although I was not a fan of their "ice wine" (i.e. made from frozen grapes. Some Swiss guy showed them how....)

Variety: Gewurztraminer

Region/G.I.: Tasmania

Alcohol: 13.2%

Bouquet: Lychee and hints of white flowers

Flavour: Off-dry with nice acidity and some sourness. Refreshing. Perfect for a hot day.

Points: 83

Notes: I bought this instead of the Pinot Gris or Riesling on the basis that Tramin is not so common here and it is a nice change

Freycinet Vineyard. 2010 Riesling Schoenburger

General: I picked up this quaffer from a winery in the eastern part of Tasmania

Varieties: Riesling (75%), Schoenburger (25%)

Region/G.I.: Tasmania

Alcohol: 12.5%

Bouquet: Green apple

Flavour: A rush of fruit, dense but not gluggy helped by the fact that this wine has good acidity. Semi-sweet with good length. I also got slight sourness like the kernal from a pineapple which I liked

Points: 83

Notes: This was the quaffer in their range. Their Pinot Noir was excellent and is allegedly one of Australia's best although I have been enjoyng some good Pinots around wine cellars here

Black Wattle 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

General: After a few Shirazes I returned to an old favourite - Cab Sav...

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region/G.I.: Limestone Coast

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Restrained. I was surprised that plum was in evidence just as much as the blackcurrant aromas I expected

Flavour: Bad. Plummy juice with some blackcurrant in the background. Tannins still strong. The worst aspect was high acidity which I have not encountered before. (Not sure if this was the result of the high alcohol)

Points: 79

Notes: Part of a mixed case. Very disappointing. Checking online it seems that this Regional Selection was only produced in 2008 which makes me think they had a bad year and put this out through a wine distributer....

Brown Brothers. 2008 Shiraz

General: Another in the recent tastings of 2008 Shiraz...

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: Central Victoria

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Plummy but not overpowering. Some spice. In comparison to recent tastings, the bouquet was retrained.

Flavour: Juicy. Thick consistency with black pepper. Not as much spice as the nose suggests. Good tannins. A distant hint of oak.

Points: 83

Notes: This was a gift but I think it retails for about $15.00. It was enjoyable and ticks all the boxes for a good Shiraz quaffer. My only concern is that these Shirazes are not so different from each other so I will skip to another variety for a change.

Neil McGuigan. 2008 Signature Shiraz V

General: From a mixed case bought six months ago and a continuation of recent Shiraz tastings

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.s: Barossa - Barossa Valley, Eden Valley

Alcohol: 15.0%

Bouquet: On the nose this is more to plummy fruit than spice

Flavour: Surprisingly good. This outshines recent tastings due to its lovely integration and harmony of flavour. Initial fruit eases into black pepper, a hint of oak and nice tannins. Very enjoyable

Points: 85

Notes: $15 (270 Kc) in the mixed case. Very nice. Must try getting more.

Rosabrook 2008 Shiraz Viognier

General: Another from the "Ultimate Shiraz Collection" I bought last month

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: South West Australia, Margaret River

Alcohol: 14.0%

Bouquet: Very similar to the last couple of Shiraz' that I've had from the same group. This one was slightly more savoury than plummy in the nose and as expected there was the hint of vanilla tucked away in the end

Flavour: Initially, the fruit tastes a little overripe. Good length. Good tannins line the mouth. A hint of mint in the after taste differentiates it from other recent tastings

Points: 83

Notes: At the special mixed case price of $ 11.25 (202 Kc) this again is another gem. Checking online I can see its retail price is more than double this special price which confuses me. Regardless, it's very enjoyable.

Mount Langi Ghiran 2006 Billi Billi

General: After enjoying a ten year old blend on my birthday from this producer I eagerly bought a mixed Shiraz case recently which included Mount Langi Ghiran

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: Western Victoria, Grampians

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Spice and plum in equal measure. The spice is more towards clove, possibly some cinnamon. There is also a hint of vanilla and maybe some bulberry

Flavour: A dollop of vegetal flavour and nice tannins. A peppery finish ends a very pleasant transition in tasting this wine

Points: 84

Notes: This was in a special mixed case of Shiraz which resulted in a cost of $11.26 (202Kc) per bottle. Very enjoyable and the remaining two bottles of this will be held for another year to see how it ages.

Dalfarras 2005 Shiraz Viognier

General: I became of a fan of Dalfarras when I took my only bottle of their 2007 Pinot Gris/Viognier to a bbq and had to share a great bottle. I picked this up last week which is unusual given its age

Varieties: Shiraz, Viognier

Region/G.I.: Goulburn Valley/Nagambie Lakes (Vic)

Alcohol: 14.0%

Bouquet: Dark plum and a little savoury - something like rich Christmas cake, with a hint of vanilla

Flavour: Rich fruit with some black pepper and some vanilla in the tail. Good tannins remain and good length. Quite enjoyable.

Points: 84

Notes: $11.95 (215 Kc) from one of the big liquor discounting chains here. Great value and I will have to grab another couple of bottles as I am sure this will be a crowd pleaser.

Penley Estate 2007 Shiraz

General: From my "Ultimate Shiraz Mix" from the wine club

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: Limestone Coast, Coonawarra

Alcohol: 15.0%

Bouquet: First locorice, then dark-flesh plum followed by some vanilla. Dense.

Flavour: Not as complex as the nose suggests. Good medium length with smooth, silky tannins. Online reviews mention pepper but I did not detect any.

Points: 83

Notes: Special price of $11.26 (202 Kc) as part of a case. An enjoyable wine. Plenty more Shiraz to try, provided it stays cool.

Peter Lehmann. 2010 Riesling

General: After buying, I realised that Peter Lehmann Wines are part of The Hess Collection. We visited The Hess Collection at Mount Veeder, where we saw really old Shiraz vines.

Variety: Riesling

Region/G.I.: Barossa, Eden Valley

Alcohol: 11.0%

Bouquet: White flowers with secondary aromas of ripe lemon

Flavour: Medium dry with very good length. Lemon at the fore with some sourness in the tail. Very nice.

Points: 83

Notes: At $11.00 (198 Kc) it's a bargain.

Dopff au Moulin. 2008 Pinot Blanc

General: The first Alsatian wine in a long time

Variety: Pinot Blanc

Region: Alsace

Alcohol: 12.5%

Bouquet: Aged bottle aroma (surprising, given the age) with secondary, lighter, lemon, lime and possibly candied pineapple aromas

Flavour: Good length and lovely acidity. Although there was lemon and lime, there was also a certain sourness (kysela) that gave it a bottle aged flavour. Very enjoyable.

Points: 84

Notes: At $13.00 (234 Kc) it is a bargain. Would like to try a few more.

Greg Norman. 2008 Cabernet Merlot

General: Found this in the clearance bin at the big retail chain when I went to buy the Petaluma Chardonnay. It was a cool day for us, the start of autumn so I thought I'd give this a go.

Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

Region/G.I.: Limestone Coast (SA)

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Robust and brambly. Some oak there as well. The fruit lurks beneath and I had difficulty to name it.

Flavour: When tasted a few minutes after opening, all I could taste was incredible tannins. However, given half an hour for me to get dinner underway, I could then appreciate a nice, medium length wine with silky tannins. Some plum and spice in the flavour profile as well. A bit of a surprise.

Points: 82

Notes: For $9.90 (178 Kc) this is very enjoyable - a real quaffer/ Tuesday night pizza wine as you sometimes read. I presume it is normally priced higher.

Yalumba. 2008 Riesling

General: This was my Friday (4th March) finish to the week

Variety: Riesling

Region/G.I.: Barossa

Alcohol: 12.0%

Bouquet: Ripe. Some green apple and lime in the nose

Flavour: Good length. Body is medium which is not surprising given the density of the nose. Nice acidity in the tail.

Points: 82

Notes: At $8.35 (150 Kc) it's great value for what you get

Stoneleigh 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

General: The last of Sav Blancs I bought for summer tasting

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Marlborough

Alcohol: 13.0%

Bouquet: Lovely and pungent. Very ripe fruit (gooseberry)

Flavour: Excellent. Fruit as per nose to start with lemon zest in the mix. Nice and crisp. Surprisingly good length which distinguishes it from a lot of other Sav Blancs on the market

Points: 83

Notes: About $16.00 (288 Kc). One of the better Sav Blancs tried this summer.

Preece. 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

General: Bought this a while ago and was interested in tasting a Cab from one of the regions in Victoria

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region/G.I.: Central Victoria, Goulburn Valley, Nagambie Lakes

Alcohol: 13.7%

Bouquet: Had some complexity with spice (cinammon?) and some dark fruits. Plummy as well.

Flavour: Plum driven with good tannic finish. Some dark chocolate as well. However, I was distracted by something odd in the flavour. It seemed to throw the flavours out of balance. The description of this wine was "minty' and this is the second wine of that description I have taken a dislike to. Out of balance.

Points: 80

Notes: $11.39 (215 kc). I'll have to try another producer in Victoria.

Narrator. 2009 Sauvignon Blanc

General: From the last mixed case of wine I bought from Cellarmasters. Not sure if it is marketing, but I read that NZ Sav Blanc should be generally drunk young and 2010 should be had now.

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Marlborough, New Zealand

Alcohol: 13.0%

Bouquet: Tropical with pungent lychee being the most obvious aroma

Flavour: Follows the bouquet. Felt a little gluggy and not super crisp. A quaffer.

Points: 81

Notes: $11.87 (214 Kc). I prefer my Sav Blanc crisper.

Watershed. 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon

General: Based on good experience, I am continuing with the Sauvignin Blanc Semillon blended wines from the Margaret River region

Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon

Region/G.I.: South West Australia, Margaret River (WA)

Alcohol: 12.0%

Bouquet: Tropical, typical gooseberry. Nice and pungent.

Flavour: Citrus flavours but more juicy fruit, almost to Pineapple. Reasonable length and nice acidity. Not spectacular but a nice drop

Points: 82

Notes: $15 (270 Kc). Plenty on the market so I'll keep trying others. These guys do Zinfandel and Sangiovese so I will try some of those.

St Hallet 2002 Gamekeeper's Reserve

General: A southerly broke the one week heatwave this afternoon and temperatures cooled this evening. This was from my brother's collection and we celebrated his birthday with it

Varieties: Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre, Touriga Nacional

Region/G.I.: Barossa [SA]

Alcohol: 14.0%

Bouquet: Clearly aged, the bouquet had a consistent, long aroma of regular plum, with some tarry notes

Flavour: Very nice! Smooth and good length. Along with the fruit came black pepper notes. The Shiraz is evident.

Points: 84

Notes: When purchased, this was probably $10 (180 Kc). Although apparently not designed for ageing, I really enjoyed it. It seems that the Touriga Nacional and Mourvedre amounts are in such a small proportion that they no longer appear on more recent labels

Three Sisters 2009 Sauvignon Blanc

General: I bought a couple of these after tasting this at a wine exhibition last year

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Awatere Valley, Marlborough, NZ

Alcohol: 13.0%

Bouquet: Pungent. Aromas of gooseberry and a hint of grass as well

Flavour: Off-dry giving it some weight on the tongue. Good fruit with a sour (kysely)finish

Points: 82

Notes: Discounted, I think I got it for about $15 (270 Kc). I enjoyed this slightly heavier style of Sav Blanc.

Primo Estate. 2008 La Biondina

General: I bought and enjoyed one of these last summer but took it to a bbq and didn't get to taste it for too long. We tried it this evening at the end of a hot day for our outdoor meal. This wine is often recommended in the wine magazine. See page 148 for the recommendation for the 2010 version.

Varieties: Colombard Sauvignon Blanc

Region/G.I.: Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (SA)

Alcohol: 12.0%

Bouquet: I am not sure what Colombard usually smells like, but this had typical Sauvignon aromas of pungent tropical notes and gooseberry

Flavour: Fruity, true to the aromas with very nice length and some minerality (which is what I remembered about this from tasting it last year). Good acidity. A simple wine which lives up to its name of "young blonde"

Points: 82

Notes: At $15.00 (270 Kc) it's good value.

Plantagenet Wines. 2008 Hazard Hill Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

General: Plantagenet Wines, in particular their entry level Hazard Hill range has been available at Cellarius in Prague, where I first tried their wines. I wanted to try their summer drinking wine

Varieties: Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

Region/G.I.: South West Australia, Great Southern

Alcohol: 12.5%

Bouquet: Citrus with secondary aromas of lychee/rich tropical fruit

Flavour: Lemon flavoured with a refreshing crisp finish. Good acidity. A simple pleasure.

Points: 82

Notes: $12 (215 Kc) well spent. A lovely summer quaffer.