Clonakilla Murrumbateman Shiraz Viognier 2009

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”
― John Keats, Endymion: A Poetic Romance

Not knowing how long forever may be, the Clonakilla Murrumbateman Shiraz Viognier 2009 was, and will be no doubt, a thing of beauty. Opened and finished last Saturday night, all I could write was 'majestic'. You're a good egg Mr. Kirk. More beauty please.

Drink with something stonkingly good
Drink till 2025+
100/100
Screwcap 14%v/v $105 Seddon Wine Store

Ettore Germano Piedmont Serralunga Barolo 2006

"When viewing the universe as a closed system, it also stands to reason the universe began in a state of high order, and when it ends, will be in a state of extreme disorder." Stephen Hawking on order and disorder.

Order - a full bottle of Ettore Germano Barolo 2006.
Disorder - an empty bottle of Ettore Germano Barolo 2006.

It stands to reason that Stephen Hawking is right. The man has never been wrong in his life. The Ettore Germano Piedmont Serralunga Barolo 2006 is simply quite stunning, and in the life of a Barolo, still very much an infant. Very dusty on the nose, the wine opens up with dusty dry morello cherries, ink, garden herbs and dried flowers. The palate is achingly dry like to nose with more morello cherries, violets and bitter chocolate all woven together by endless acid and tannins. A wonderful, wonderful wine.

Drink with steak au poivre
Drink till 2025+
97
Quality cork 13.%v/v $90 Seddon Wine Store

Austins Geelong Shiraz 2008

This wine reminded me of what simple good wine is all about. A Shiraz. From Geelong. A good year. It looks and sounds like a simple formula, and that's exactly what you get here. The Austins Geelong Shiraz 2008 label reads just that. In the bottle you get s great whack of cool climate shiraz, a lick of regionality and a touch of age which is something odd these days with wine producers often getting their wine out the same year as the vintage.

Black licorice and subtle spice - white pepper notably - come to the fore on the nose with white pepper being quite dominant in the primary palate. I did decant this after my first sip; very big acid early. After about 30 minutes the wine was still focused around the acid and white pepper but time in the decanter brings black licorice and half tart half ripe blackberries. Good to have you back Austins!

Drink till 2016
Drink with chilli con carne
93
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $30 Carlton Cellars 

Andrew Thomas Hunter Valley Sweetwater Shiraz 2009

Day 1 – a bit clumsy
Day 2 – a bit awesome
The Andrew Thomas Hunter Valley Sweetwater Shiraz 2009 is exactly that. After the first glass, decanted also, it was pretty clear that this wine is not a lazy quaffer but something that needs a little time. Controlled by great dusty tannins, this wine on the second day shows wonderful hints of pepper and spice with a great whack of black olive tapenade sticking at the back of the palate. The best thing I can say about this wine though is that it will definitely better in a few years and brilliant in about 10 years. Pretty simple really.

Drink with five spice roast duck
Drink till 2025
95
Screwcap 13.5%v/v Rathdowne Cellars, Carlton North

Cascina Morassino Barbaresco 2006 DOCG

Spotted on the 'end of bin' table at Blackhearts a month or so ago, the Cascina Morassino Barbaresco 2006 DOCG was in my mind a no-brainer at $65; as it turned out my brain was right again! A purple ink colour in the glass, this wine after about 30 minutes in the decanter was positively singing with floral and savoury notes as well as bright tart fruit - cranberry my notes say. The palate was definitely showing its age with tort chewy tannins and piercing acidity. When you get passed that, lovely violet, dark cherry and chocolate notes take over but not all the way with the tannins still primary. In hindsight the wine would have been much better in about 4-6 years, but being a lush good things don't always happen to those who wait; they happen when you are impatient too!

Drink with cumin crusted slow roasted shoulder of lamb
Drink 2015-2025+
96
Quality cork 13.5%v/v $65 Blackhearts, Fitzroy North

Domaine A Stoney Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

In my endeavour as Business Development Manager for Vranken-Pommery-Monopole in Australia, one of my tasks is to go out there and source quality producers for our domestic (including NZ) wine portfolio. Real tough job that one! Over the past twelve months I am happy to say that I have managed to bring in Paradigm Hill, Ostler Vineyards, Blue Poles Vineyard and Vinea Marson. My task is simple; approach producers from each region, represent only one producer from each region, but most importantly approach a producer whom I really like and wine I reeeaaalllyy like. Keep it simple stupid!

So with a good chunk of the mainland and NZ sorted, my attention turned to the apple isle. For me there is one producer down there doing it spot on. All rather there is only one producer I could think of off the top my head whom I would like to represent. Domaine A. Simple. But not so simple. I also believe in not poaching producers from other wine businesses; if they wish to contact me all the good, but I like to think I have some sort of integrity.

Not long ago I posted Domaine A’s 2003 Cabernet, a wine which I believe is Australia’s best Left Bank version; a theory that has met with much guffaw I must say. Anyhoo, Matt from marketing down at Domaine A was kind enough to write me an email thanking me for the write-up. And for the write-up came a bottle of the Domaine A Stoney Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – with a little Cab Franc, merlot and Petit Verdot. What a Stirling chap!

The wine. Dark and lush in the glass with flowing aromas of chocolate, soy sauce and cherry with licorice coming the longer in the decanter. The palate followed the nose with more cherry and chocolate with coffee imparted at the end. An amazing balance also with the acid and fine and savoury tannins. A winner, no doubt about it!

It’s interesting; however, that Domaine A markets this wine to be drunk early and the flagship wines to be cellared. In an age of second and entry level wines, Domaine A is producing two distinct wine labels that can both be struck in the premium category. Again, simple!

Drink with lamb rack
Drink till 2020
96
Quality cork 13.9%v/v from http://www.domaine-a.com.au/

François Chidaine Les Argiles Vouvray 2008

Such a sexy wine. In an almost Mills & Boon way this wine grabbed me around the waist and drew me to its plump bosom in a fit of ecstasy! The François Chidaine Les Argiles Vouvray 2008 is quite easily my favourite white for 2011 for the simple reason that it has everything. Pale straw to look at, the wine offers up a hint of tropical fruit on the nose, but that was it. In to the decanter for you then my pretty! After a while a real whack of flint was followed by ripe pineapple and papaya – funky shit right. The palate was where it was for me with a great mix of minerality and sweetness, but it wasn’t like one followed the other. This dance ebbed and flowed between the both, sort of like dancing to The Chemical Brothers and Anne Murray both at the same time; told you it was the funky shit!

All in all, a brilliant Chenin Blanc!

Drink with crumbed lambs brains - an easy Susan!
Drink till 2015
97
Quality cork 13.5%v/v; didn’t put $$ on wine notes sorry, but got it from Blackheart & Sparrows in Brunswick

Wolf Blass Clare Valley/Eden Valley Gold Label Riesling 2005

I love Riesling. I also love Riesling with some age; the ageier the better I say. Seeing this Wolf Blass Clare Valley/Eden Valley Gold Label Riesling 2005 at Psarakos in Thornbury I thought 'you beauty' - I really did! And $28, another 'you beauty'.

So I'm at home, and with my best Butthead voice, it was time for, 'Beavis, the test!' - my first Beavis and Butthead reference. Nice. But anyway, the wine. Golden in the glass so all good thus far. Prickly ripe pineapple on the nose - 2/2. In the mouth? Blousy, Flabby, Blah. Absolutely nothing that would suggest this is an aged Riesling, even a young Riesling for that matter; no acid or white phenolics either.

But hang on. What happened when I put it in the decanter. Lovely and soft, then almost a brute, and honestly, in a weird way almost tangible. A great wine.

Drink with sole and buerre blanc sauce
Drink till 2015
91
Screwcap 12%v/v $28 Psarakos Market, Thornbury

Tommy Ruff Barossa Valley Shiraz Mourvédre 2009 and a very, very long weekend

It’s almost over. The longest long weekend in living memory is as good as done. After what seemed an eternity in the car driving back from Aireys Inlet and a detour through Footscray thanks to some dopey cement truck driver on the Bolte Bridge lost his load and closed it both ways on one of the busiest ‘coming home’ days in, as I said, living memory.

Yes it was rough. So while sitting in traffic just out of Geelong I was thinking about wines that have been, well rough, and the wine that could double as a traffic snarl is the Tommy Ruff Barossa Valley Shiraz Mourvédre 2009. Now don’t get me wrong, this is a very good wine, but without decanting or food, this wine will be seen as nothing but mouth torture. Made by Tom Shobbrook – bit of a favourite for me right now – from fruit coming from Western Barossa, this wine is pure and simply a food wine. Deep crimson in the glass and a brooding mix of ash, dust and brambly fruit, it is in the palate that this bad boy hits its straps. Tonnes of tannin and acid with olive tapenade and licorice more than plentiful; it’s by no means a JABS, but it does need respect.

So there you go. A belter, but just keep it out of the right lane OK; needs plenty of time in the left side of the highway.

Happy Easter and of course, lest we forget.

Drink with bloody rib eye
Drink till 2014
93
Screwcap 14.5%v/v $30 Seddon Wine Store, Victoria St Seddon

Massena Barossa Valley Barbera 2009

Lately I have been rediscovering the joys of the Barossa Valley. No more is it a place where you go for high alcohol jars of jam, instead there are a group of new and young producers making, dare I say, exciting styles of Shiraz/Syrah in the guise of Northern Rhône wines.

But this is where it sort of goes off track a little. I like Barbera, always have. So when I tried the Massena Barossa Valley Barbera 2009, I was instantly wowed, but had to have a double take cos' this was for me not what Barbera is about. To me Barbera is flavors and aromas of fresh fruit and dried fruits and herbs.

Don't get me wrong this wine is great, and I am happy to see Barbera planted in ther Barossa, for the acidity of Barbera makes it ideal for planting in the warm to hot climate Barossa where acidification is usually needed.

So, about the wine then. Really dark in ther glass with no real hint of a ruby hue. ripe blueberries and mulberries come through on the nose with the palate very smooth with acid very much in the background. After about 45 minutes in the decanter the wine delivers red licorice at the end of the mouthful.

A good wine in the end and something that isn't what I would call garden variety.

Drink with slow braised lamd
Drink till 2013
90Screwcap 14.5%v/v $22 Blackheart and Sparrows, Brunswick

Paradigm Hill Mornington Peninsula L' ami Sage Pinot Noir 2008

'Well done is better than well said.’ Benjamin Franklin

Such a stonkingly good wine!

I could easily sit here in my sunny little home in Brunswick and pontificate about this wine but I shant. The Paradigm Hill Mornington Peninsula L’ami Sage Pinot Noir 2008 is such a good wine. Simple. So here is what I saw.

Great colour with virtually no translucency at all. Tight nose, so I decanted. After about 30 minutes the wine opened up to gorgeous tart red fruits of cranberry and brimming raspberry with brown spice’s the longer in the glass. Super clean acid held in check by the littlest of super fine tannins. Musk, tart red fruits again and just super gorgeous.

The wine I must say is at its peak three days later (I decanted about two glasses back into the bottle to see how it travelled). It is so Burgundy like, with descriptors I can’t give justice to. But I’ll have a stab anyway. Definite 5 spice aroma’s that meld deliciously into mushrooms, blackberry and more spice in the form of cinnamon. Mazel tov George and Ruth!

Drink with Asian style duck
Drink till 2018
98
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $55 Armadale Cellars

McWilliams Barwang Hilltops Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

This is a wine that is far too often over looked for something cheap from SA. The McWilliams Barwang Hilltops Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 is one of the best cheap wines you will find this and for that matter any year.

Quite bright in colour, with a real purple hue, the nose of this wine is jam packed with blueberries and herbs such as bay leaf and oregano wafting up tea from the billy in the bush – very bloody Aussie! This is a wine that certainly needs decanting; dark chocolate and licorice comes out towards the end with tight furry tannins driving this wine all the way to the bottom of the glass.

Drink with roast leg of lamb
Drink till 2014
90
Screwcap 14%v/v $14.99 from Purvis Cellar Surrey Hills

Garagiste Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2008

‘Mystery is at the heart of creativity: that, and surprise’ – Julian Cameron

Isn’t it nice when things are not what they seem? This is the case for the Garagiste Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2008.

For a while now, Pinot’s coming out of the Peninsula have pretty much followed the mantra of being sweet fruit driven with deep colour from heavy extraction of skins (I reckon a few wine makers are adding enzymes in the fermenting pots to get some of the colours I have seen lately); but not this bad-boy. Now, back to the wine at hand.

I would definitely give this sometime in the decanter before drinking; still a bit of SO2 hanging about as you can see in the picture below (the SO2 is the soapy looking film clinging to the perimeter of the wine). A good Pinot colour with the wine quite translucent. Right away on the nose there is a good whack of tart raspberry and what seems to be dry tea. More tart fruit in the way of cranberries and more raspberries are all kept in check by racy acid and tight soft tannins. A cracking wine from Barney and Dave from allies wines!


Drink with moules verde
Drink till 2016
95
Screwcap 13%v/v $40 from http://www.allies.com.au/

Pio Cesare Piedmont Barolo 1997

One of the best food wines I have ever had. The Pio Cesare Piedmont Barolo 1997 is an absolute monty for a Susan when paired up with osso bucco or cep risotto. An achingly dark colour with the nose throwing an abundance of roses, ripe strawberries, tart cherry, spice, earth and tar – busier than Bourke St mall in December! Even though it has 12 years on it, I would still decant this wine using a Pomerol decanter; this one has a very small egress as not to allow too much air contact with the wine. Thick tar on the palate with the acid still very relevant. A long, elegant finish with plenty of time left in this one – simply incredible!

Drink with osso bucco
Drink till 2025
99
Cork 13.5%v/v $$$$ from http://www.langtons.com.au/

Pierro Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot L.T.Cf 2005

‘Lucky is he who has been able to understand the causes of things.’ Virgil 70-19BC.

Lucky indeed are the people who are able to blend wonderful wines. The Bordelaise have been doing it for quite some time, with their wines constructed based on geography; left bank based on Cabernet Sauvignon with flavours dominated by blackcurrant and the right bank based on Merlot with a more fruitcakey flavour and more aromatic in character.

If this Pierro Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot L.T.Cf 2005 were to be imported from Bordeaux rather than Margaret River (the L.T.Cf standing for little touch of Cabernet Franc), it would definitely be a first or second growth from the left bank. Decanted for a while, this wine shows visible SO2 dissolving through the dark deep garnet colour. The nose is absolutely dripping in cassis and other red fruit – totally seductive. More cassis in the palate but it is not the dominating presence however; spine tingling acid and firm grippy tannins drive this wine. An dead-set food wine this one; definitely not a quaffer and definitely not a wine that belies it's massive 14.5%v/v.


Seamless balance and complexity and a bargain at $35!

Drink with roasted shoulder of lamb
Drink till 2025
96
Quality cork 14.5%v/v $35 Dan Murphy’s Parkdale

Shaw & Smith Adelaide Hills Shiraz 2007

I do love my cool climate wines; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sparkling and Shiraz – all have great demand in my Brunswick habitat. All of these wines can easily be grown and made in virtually every wine region in Victoria, bar the Murray Darling of course, yet it is to that hot of hot states South Australia that we go to today, who are in fact enjoying (sic) their hottest November on record, for some cool climate juice in the guise of the Shaw & Smith Adelaide Hills Shiraz 2007.

Now most of you out there know I am not a fan of over ripe South Australian juice from Barossa or Mac Vale, but the Adelaide Hills throw up wine that is made with all the savoury nuances that describe food friendly wines for the discerning wine drinker (or snob). After about an hour in the decanter, the colour of this wine (though nothing to do with the decanter) is deep red with a crimson purplish hue. The nose has an instant hit of licorice all-sorts and morello cherry with white pepper playing a role after a while. More sweet licorice in the mouth up front with fine grippy chappie tannins followed by a whack of pepper and more morello cherry. This is a delicious wine.

Super balance and length without having the weight of the world on its shoulders.

Drink with BBQ venison cooked rare
Drink till 2019
96
Screwcap 14%v/v $39 from Randalls, Bridport St Albert Park
http://www.randalls.net.au/

Mount Gisborne Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir 2005

When people talk about wine and food matches, the two obvious to me are lamb with Cabernet Sauvignon – a no-brainer in my books, and Pinot Noir with duck – ditto. Yet the Pinot Noir/duck pair is based on the old world Burgundy style Pinot Noir and not so much the new world style that is usually dominated with strawberries. There are however some very good Pinot Noirs in Australia that are very duck friendly, but these tend to be quite expensive; think Bindi Block 5, By Farr and Bass Phillip which all come in $100 and then some.

Just down the road from Bindi is Mount Gisborne Wines, and for those of you who are regulars you would know I am a massive fan. A part of the selection of wines proprietor David Ell dropped off for me to taste, the Mount Gisborne Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir 2005 is a fair dinkum super wine and a Susan with Duck.

With no fining or filtering, this wine presents a very dirty nebulous red with a tinge of brick red hue. The nose has plenty of funk and wet earth with plenty of prickly acid tickling the olfactory. There is massive acid to this so I would definitely decant this one for a good hour or so before getting stuck in. Soft spice of cinnamon and bay leaf gives way to a more green tomato leaf feel. Bloody good wine this one.

Fantastic balance, great length with plenty of complexity. Mucho Fantastico.

Drink with, well, duck!
Drink till 2017
97
Diam 14%v/v $58 from Gertrude Street Enoteca, Gertrude Street Fitzroy
http://www.gertrudestreetenoteca.com.au/

Paesi Tuoi Piedmont Barolo DOCG 2003

Do me a favour; just humour me for a sec. You know the song they play at baseball games where it ends with, ‘Charrrrrge!!!’ When I first had this wine, all I that was happening in my head was the baseball Charge song, with ‘yum yum yum yum yum.....’ – It was a Kodak moment I guess. Anyway, that wine was the Paesi Tuoi Piedmont Barolo 2003, and it was fantastic!

Yet another find from Mediterranean Wholesalers on Sydney Road, this wine gave me everything I wanted for a very good price, for Barolo anyway. There is plenty of SO2 in this wine so give it a good decanting before drinking. The colour of this wine had a real deep red garnet to it, yet still had a subtle translucency with the onset of an orange hue. As I said, give it plenty of time in the decanter – it needs it, and after a while the nose shows plenty of dried apricot and tar. The palate is puckery dry with a very distinct cranberry tart flavour about it; lovely and long and very Nebbiolo. Mucho Fantastico!!

Drink with Corsican slow braised beef with papadelle
Drink till 2035
97
Quality cork 13.5%v/v $45 at Mediterranean Wholesalers.

Leo Buring Clare Valley Riesling 2007 and Lemon Tart from Babka Bakery, Brunswick Street Fitzroy

Quite possibly Australia’s most consistent wine – period! Year in and year out, Leo Buring Riesling can be counted on to produce young and vibrant wine, or with careful cellaring, a gorgeous glass of stewed pineapple and kero. Every wine list that I have run has had Leo Buring on the Riesling page, and I have no doubt that the next one will have it also.

So, on to the wine. Leo Buring Clare Valley Riesling 2007.

Viticulturaly speaking, 2007 was pretty ordinary in the Clare with little rain after flowering coupled with extreme heat in December and January. Riesling tends to favour conditions that are more on the cooler side, with plenty of rain when it is needed; in 2007 this did not occur. Yet this wine, through skilled wine making, offers all that is great about Riesling.

The colour still has a straw look about it, but you can already see a little bit of yellowy gold coming through. On the nose there is wax with a little bit of pineapple, un-ripe pineapple, also. In the mouth there is a wee bit of spritz with prickly acid being the primary feel. There is a little hole in the mid-palate, with more pineapple towards the end. After an hour the wine really gets going with stewed pineapple coming out quite big. It is here that I would recommend decanting wines such as Riesling and Pinot Gris so as to get through the initial acid whack and enhances the aromatics to come through, and I would use a cornetto decanter for this job.

The tart in question from Babka bakery in Fitzroy was really a side note for this wine. It was only the next day that Erin bought this home for me, and within three seconds of the tart being shoved in my gob, I realised that there was about a glass left of the Leo Buring. I left the rest of the tart and decanted the remainder of the wine and went back to it an hour or so later. Pure delight!! This worked because of the contrast of acid that the tart and wine both gave out; lemony puckery acid from the tart and prickly warm acid from the Riesling. Balance can be achieved through contrast. Acid with the acid and richness with the pastry and stewed pineapple.

Great balance, great length with the right amount of complexity for a young Riesling. And yes, mucho fantastico.

Drink till 2019
Drink with lemon tart from Babka in Fitzroy
17.8/20
Screwcap $19