Wingara Wine Group 2009 Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region/G.I.: Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
Vintage: 20090
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 13.5%
Colour: Deep purple with brownish hues
Bouquet: Lots of cedar box, dried herbs and dehydrated plum
Flavour: Very long, textbook blackcurrant with soft tannins still in existence. Some charred flavours and bramble in the mix as well. Excellent length.

Points: 88 (3+7+12+8+8+50)

Notes: Thoroughly enjoyable Cab. Complexity and in balance. Originally bought for about $15.80~300Kc from a wine club a couple of years ago

 

Eclectic Wines 2008 Chambourcin

Variety: Chambourcin
Region/G.I.: Hunter Valley
Vintage: 2008
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 14.0%
Colour: Deep purple with brownish hues
Bouquet: Earthy aromas with hints of red currant conserve
Flavour: Rather plummy flavoured with some cedary notes in the mix. A touch of alcohol burn lingers. Some integrated tannins as well. Good finish for this medium bodied wine

Points: 82 (3+6+10+7+6+50)

Notes: Quite ok but I can't image ever having the desire for a Chambourcin. Nothing that stands out as a reason to come back. $15.80~300Kc. Adding Chambourcins into mixed cases of wine was the reason I abandoned wine club monthly plans

 

De Bortoli Wines 2012 Vermentino

Variety: Vermentino
Region/G.I.: North East Victoria, King Valley
Vintage: 2012
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 12.5%
Colour: Green-Yellow
Bouquet: Lemon
Flavour: Simple, lemon and lime flavours with nice length and a touch of sourness at the end. Refreshing.

Points: 83 (3+6+11+6+7+50)

Notes: Done well as a simple refreshing. This producer has a broad range and this is their summer balcony offering. At $8~150Kc, it meet its objective.

 

 

Mansfield Wines 2011 Petit Manseng

Variety: Petit Manseng
Region/G.I.: Central Ranges, Mudgee
Vintage: 2011
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 11.5%
Colour: Yellow
Bouquet: Bottle age, ripe pineapple and lemon soothers
Flavour: Mainly pear flavours with good body and acidity. Excellent sourness making it a refreshing

Points: 86 (3+7+12+7+7+50)

Notes: From one of our favourite discoveries from our Mudgee trip early in the year, this is the perfect wine for this time of the year. $19 ~ 350Kc from the cellar door. They do excellent reds from Spanish varietals as well.

 

Jackson Estate 2010 Vintage Widow Pinot Noir

We enjoyed this at our Sunday lunch and was clearly the preferred of the two wines. I tasted it almost 1 1/2 years ago and the description and scoring remains very similar. It was worth the wait between tastings.

Westend Estate 2012 Private Bin Pinot Bianco

The description from several months ago still applies. I especially like the honey dew melon flavours.

Lark Hill 2010 Auslese Riesling

Variety: Riesling
Region/G.I.: Canberra District
Vintage: 2010
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 9.5%
Colour: Golden yellow
Bouquet: Petroleum tones with underlying citrus
Flavour: A heavier style particularly in the mid-palate, with grapefruit flavours throughout and excellent sourness in the long finish

Points: 87 (4+7+12+7+7+50)

Notes: This was provided by the host, V.. I really liked this style but sadly finished my bottle down the coast earlier in the year. Will have to get to the winery again. I enjoyed the rose from this producer earlier in the year.

Centennial Vineyards 2008 Shiraz Vineyards

Varieties: Shiraz, Viognier (split not shown)
Region/G.I.: Likely to be Central Ranges, Orange although the winery is located in the region of South Coast, Southern Highlands
Vintage: 2008
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.6%
Colour: Purple with a browny/purple hue
Bouquet: Smokey meat fat; prunes
Flavour: Long, even, not overly complex but very nicely done with flavours of plum pie including some savour baked flavours in the mix (some charring of pastry, cinnamon)

Points: 86 (3+7+11+7+8+50)

Notes: This was the clear winner of our 3 bottle tasting. It was a lovely, brooding wine

Spinifex (Domain Jardin) 2009 La Maline Shiraz Viognier

Varieties: Shiraz, Viognier (split not shown)
Region/G.I.: Barossa Valley
Vintage: 2010
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Colour: Purple with purple hue
Bouquet: A lot of wet animal (cow) hide
Flavour: Leafy (tobacco) with medium length and no real finish

Points: 83 (3+7+11+6+6+50)

Notes: The nose suggested greatness but it didn't really follow through. The group ranked this weakest.

 

Cassegrain 2010 Edition Noir Shiraz Vioginer

Varieties: Shiraz, Viognier (split not shown)
Region/G.I.: Hunter Valley, Hunter, Pokolbin
Vintage: 2010
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13.5%
Colour: Purple with a lighter purple hue
Bouquet: Rather simple with ripe plum with hints of tartness of plum skin
Flavour: Lighter style, with plum and a hint of black pepper. Relatively short.

Points: 82 (3+7+10+6+6+50)

Notes: I've really gone off Shiraz and my scoring was much less than the rest of the group. I thought this was the weakest of the three we tasted. The group ranked it second.

 

Mount Langi Ghiran 2010 Cliff Edge Pinot Gris

Variety: Pinot Gris
Region/G.I.: Western Victoria, Grampians
Vintage: 2010
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13.0%
Colour: Limey-grey
Bouquet: Restrained notes of lemon buds and wet slate
Flavour: Excellent texture with flavours of rough pear skin, ginger and lemon sours. Nice acidity and sourness to finish, although finish is not long.

Points: 85 (3+6+11+7.5+7.5+50)

Notes: Something nice for my lazy Saturday lunch today. From a lesser known region, although I have tried this producer previously so it comes with some expectation. $14.90~280Kc. Reasonably priced. 

Angullong 2010 Cabernet Merlot

Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Region/G.I.: Central Ranges, Orange
Vintage: 2010
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13.5%
Colour: Deep purple
Bouquet: Plummy nose

Flavour: Fruit at front but quickly goes into a protected, gently drying tannin finish with flavour of tobacco leaf and tomato stalk. Very nice finish.

Points: 86 (3+7+11+8+7+50)

Notes: This is from the base level of a lovely producer in Orange. Their whites are pretty good as well. $17~310Kc