Daisy & The Tambourine Man 2009 Shiraz Cabernet

Varieties: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
Region/G.I.: Barossa, Barossa Valley
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14.5%
Bouquet: Blackcurrant, some cedary aromas and a touch of menthol
Flavour: Medium to heavy body with lovely length. Nice tannins.Flavour is slightly too cedary for me, which overpowers other tastes
Points: 82
Notes: A solid wine. Just under $9.00 (~150 Kc) from a recent mixed case

landsdale 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

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

Vintage: 2010

Alcohol: 14%

Bouquet: Almost without any expression. A small hint of red currant

Flavour: Acidic and foul tasting. Suspect bottle taint (in spite of screw cap seal)

Points: XX not drinkable

Notes: I picked this up a year ago from a wine club. Almost as bad as the Westend we had during the visit! Such a pity after the last bottle from the same region

Forest Hill Vineyard 2009 Night Eyes Cabernet Merlot

Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Region/G.I.: South West Australia, Great Southern, Mount Barker
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14.0%
Bouquet: Thick blackcurrant and plum juice with a hint of mint
Flavour: Fantastic length. Full bodied with luscious fruit according to the nose, followed by long, drying tannins. Balanced and harmonious
Points: 86
Notes: The price point for this is $17.00 but I picked it up in a special case of 15 for just less than $9.00 (~150 Kc). An excellent wine.

Songlines Estate 2009 bylines Pinot Noir

Variety: Pinot Noir
Region/G.I.: Tasmania
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.5%
Bouquet: Wet forest floor and pine nettle, with red currant in the background. 
Flavour: Fruitier than the nose would suggest. My biggest problem with this is that it is very light. Possibly marginally better than the 2008 that I tasted here recently but hard to say
Points: 81
Notes:  $15.74 (~$280). I tasted much better Pinot Noir in my recent visit to Tasmania. It is noteworthy that the company does not advertise Pinot on its website. 

Watershed 2009 Senses Shiraz

Variety: Shiraz
Region/G.I.: South West Australia, Margaret River
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14.5%
Bouquet: Meaty and leathery with undertones of stewed fruit (prunes, plums).
Flavour: Fully bodied with great length The initial fruit at the start is met with equally good tannins. A good drying finish. For me, an untypical Shiraz but excellent.
Points: 86
Notes: In a special mixed case it came in under $9.00 (~Kc 180), although its regular price is usually double that. Very good!

Sister's Run 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

This week's Friday night tipple:

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region/G.I.: Barossa, Barossa Valley (Bethlehem Block vineyard in Gomersal)
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 14.0%
Bouquet: Dense blackcurrant conserve/paste/povidla(?). Possibly liquorice as well
Flavour: Medium to full bodied. A rush of fruit at the start followed by some wood and drying tannins. Straightforward and well balanced
Points: 85
Notes: Its cellar door price is about $18.00 but I bought this for less than $10.00 (180 Kc) in a 15 mixed bottle case. It seems the wine glut continues. A good drop. Will drink the second bottle sooner rather than later.

Seville Estate 2010 Pinot Noir

Variety: Seville Estate
Region/G.I.: Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 13.0%
Bouquet: dry earth, a little cedar and hints of red currents
Flavour: Medium body - a heavier style of Pinot than one expects. Lovely complexity with delicate flavours of savoury spice, red current and sour cherry, brambles and a hint of wood, dancing across the tongue.
Points: 88
Notes: This has lived up to the expectation as the wine of the case recently purchased. Through the wine club it was $18.33 (~330 Kc) but is usually about $25. Well worth it. One of the nicest Pinots tasted in a long time.

Forester Estate 2008 Cabernet Merlot

Varieties: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc
Region/G.I.: Great South West, Margaret River
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13%
Bouquet: Tobacco leaf and cedary aromas with hints of mulberry and clove
Flavour: Great length. A full mouth of fruit to start followed by brambly flavours with fine, tannins to finish. Well rounded and enjoyable. The only surprise is that there is a little more fruit in the initial taste than the nose suggests
Points: 86
Notes: $18.33 (~330 Kc) - a lovely treat early in the week