Chain of Ponds. 2005 Nero

General: A random choice of an interesting red blend has yielded excellent results!

Varieties: Sangiovese 47%, Barbera 29% and Grenache 24%

Regions/GIs: Adelaide Hills 56%, Riverland 16%, Langhorne Creek 16% and Barossa Valley 12%

Alcohol: 14%

Bouquet: Mysterious and brooding. Sour cherry is the most recognisable

Flavour: Silky smooth on the tongue. Sour and regular cherry are balanced with gentle tannins. Medium length which has an undercurrent of vanilla as well. Delicious!

Points:85

Notes: Checking my spreadsheet, I am surprised that I picked this is for $12.35 (circa 200 Kc) given its age and wonderful smell and taste. I will have to pop to the shop for a few more

Rolf Binder Wines. 2007 Shiraz

General: Another of the Vintage Cellars' labelled bottles.

Variety: Shiraz

Region/GI: Barossa Valley, SA

Alcohol: 14.%

Bouquet: I was surprised to obtain a savoury smell. Instead of peppery plum I detected something earthy, a little dank in nature.

Flavour: If I had tasted this blind, I would have guessed a simple version of Tempranillo which was in barrels for too long. Dry and very woody, it was hard to avoid the wood. There was however, an underlying good tannic structure.

Points: 80

Notes: I will obviously have to try more Barossa Shiraz to see if this is typical. I suspect this is a simple version which has been over-oaked.

Frog Rock. 2006 Petit Verdot

General: I have bought a few bottles of Petit Verdot and actually enjoyed a bottle from Trentham estates last week. (It was shared and drunk at a bbq where I did not jot down its attributes. I'll buy another bottle and try again :-))

Variety: Petit Verdot

Region/GI: Mudgee, Central Ranges NSW

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Earthy. Some plum tones but mainly earthy.

Flavour: Very nice length. Interesting and enjoyable savoury, almost meaty flavour with a dry, tannic finish. I found the tannins ever so slightly harsh. Very nice complexity.

Points: 83

Notes: This was a present. I will get another bottle to age for a year to see how this develops. It was fine now but I suspect a little more time will make it great.

Matahiwi Estate. 2008 Sauvignon Blanc

General: This week's wine at work is delicious!

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Masterton, NZ
(Not sure of specific region name)

Alcohol: 12.5%

Bouquet: Rich gooseberry

Flavour: Nice and dry with very good length. The length is above the norm. Nice acidity. Very well done.

Points: 84

Notes: I guess this is about $20 (330Kc) for corporate clients. Impressive and enjoyed.

Vintage Cellars. 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

General: Although Vintage Cellars belongs to one of Australia's largest retail chains, it projects itself upmarket in competition with suburban wine stores. Their branded wines have been good value in the past and this was no exception.

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region/GI: Limestone Coast, SA

Subregion: Coonawarra

Alcohol: 15.0%

Bouquet: Blackcurrant with some hint of vanilla. Juicey.

Flavour: Medium length with gentle tannins. Lingering, smooth finish. Very nice drinking and a good example of the variety.

Points: 83

Notes: I am surprised the alcohol content was so high as it did not appear in the wine. This was one half of a two for $20 (330 Kc) buy i.e. 165Kc/bottle although its regular retail is $15 (248 Kc). Very nice stuff but I will continue working through the other offers as Cab Sav remains a prominent variety here. The actual producer of the wine credited on the bottle is Penley Estates from the Coonawarra.

Bridgewater Mill. 2009 Sauvignon Blanc

General: This is another of the wines from where I am currently contracting. Friday afternoon, it's warm and 16:00. This is a lovely way to finish the week.

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region/GI: Mount Lofty Ranges

Subregion: Adelaide Hills, SA

Alcohol: 13%

Bouquet: Rich, overripe gooseberry. Other tropical hints in existence.

Flavour: The flavour follows the nose. It's clean and crisp with good acidity and a lingering mineral finish.

Points: 84

Notes: This is one of the better Sav Blancs tasted this summer. I'm tempted to bump its scoring a little higher but this is the points scored as I was drinking it. Online, I can see it for $16.00 (265 Kc) per bottle when bought in case, so I guess it normally retails at $20-$22 per bottle. Looking forward to next Friday's drinks already...

Long Flat Destinations. 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

General: Another from the Long Flat Destinations series. This was a pleasant surprise.

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region/GI: Limestone Coast
Subregion: Coonawarra

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Generous blackcurrant and a hint of vanilla

Flavour: This is a straightforward, textbook Cab. Balanced, medium bodied and mild tannins that hold it together. Very good drinking now.

Points: 83

Notes: At $12.00 (circa 200 Kc) this is well priced and very tasty. First, though, I have to try the large choice of Cabs on the market.