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.