Kooyong Mornington Peninsula Clonale Chardonnay 2008

Sandro Mosele is a very busy man. Not only is he making wine for Kooyong, he is also making wine for Port Phillip Estate, Scorpo and some new wine starting with ‘B’ – that’s all I’ve got on a Saturday morning folks! At Kooyong, Sandro not only has the Estate wine, he also has several single vineyard wines and the very user friendly Clonale range, for what this post is based on – the Kooyong Mornington Peninsula Clonale Chardonnay 2008.

Coming in around $10 cheaper that the Estate and up to $40 cheaper than some of the single vineyard wines, the Clonale Chardonnay is a good example of a clean, fresh Chardonnay from the Peninsula. The wine has a very clear straw look to it in the glass with soft stonefruit and citrus coming through on the nose. It is very soft in the mouth with clean tight acid and, like I said, a good example of a Mornington Chardonnay with a nutty citrusy feel with an even an unobtrusive integration from the oak. It’s a nice wine.

Drink with BBQ prawns
Drink till 2011
86
Diam cork 13.5%v/v $25 Armadale Cellars, Armadale

Clyde Park Geelong Shiraz 2005

How ‘bout that cool change today, thank Trevor! Well, with a cool change, how about a cool climate Shiraz; the Clyde Park Geelong Shiraz 2005. Almost pitch black in the glass, the nose is loaded with plenty of everything, like pepper, licorice, raspberry, cloves and brown spices. There is a very Rhone like feel to this wine with a wonderful marriage of pepper and brown spices of nutmeg and cinnamon. The mid-palate is packed with ripe plum and tart raspberry and this is all held together with grippy fine tannins.

Another reason why I think Geelong makes the best Shiraz in Australia!

Drink with game pie and black pudding
Drink till 2018
94
Screwcap 14.5%v/v Hawthorn East Dan Murphy’s

...easy as 1-2-3!!!

Guess what I’m drinking right now?

‘A-sa-hi... easy as 1-2-3.....’

Ashbrook Margaret River Chardonnay 2007

Pound for pound the best Chardonnay coming out of the West, with a real challenge to the Leeuwin Estate Art Series. The Ashbrook Margaret River Chardonnay 2007 is a wine that continues to get better with every vintage.

Margaret River, I have been told by certain 'Wine Experts', is Semillon Sauvignon country, with Chardy just making up the numbers. Yet, it was the Ashbrook Chardonnay about 4 or 5 years ago that was judged by James Halliday as Australia's best, with wines such as Leeuwin Estate, Bindi Quartz and Yabby Lake all rating considerably less.

I really only noticed this wine from the 2005 vintage. At around $25 from Uncle Dan's, this wine a couple of years ago was the most frequent visitor through our doors in Brunswickistan. It seemed that this vintage was a never ending one, with Dan's having it on the shelves for what seemed like two years. The day came, however, when the 2005 was gone, and in its place stood the 2007 (I don't know why we didn't get any of the 2006 vintage). At the same price, it was a no brainer. Pale straw and a quick whack of grapefruit and almond meal suggested this wine was going to be like its 05' sibling; and it was. Great length in the mouth with more racy grapefruit and spine-tingling acid that could cut through a diamond, with soft licorice powder bringing up the rear with fine style.

This is a wine that I believe will be drinking near its peak in about two years, though right now with another heat-wave upon us this wine will surely play another pivotal role in down-town Brunswickistan. And one more thing, do not be put off by the whopping great 14.5%v/v - to me this is a wonderful example of first class wine-making with the ease that the oak intergration seems to chew up all of the alcohol.

Drink with grilled whiting
Drink till 2014
96
Screwcap 14.5%v/v $24 Hawthorn East Dan Murphy’s

Hugel Alsace Pinot Blanc 'Blanc de Blancs' 2006

There are a few ways to beat the heat this summer;

1. Buy a pool
2. Live near a pool
3. Live near the beach
4. Spend a shirt-load on a/c
5. Drink crisp white wine

Of the five options above, it is the last one that I am following the most. This summer Erin and I have been drinking a bit of Riesling, but it is this wine today that has me going back time and again - the Hugel Alsace Pinot Blanc 'Blanc de Blancs' 2006.

This is as simple a wine as I have tasted for some time, yet it is its simplicity that I find so enticing. A very faint straw look to the wine with not much on the nose except for a faint waft of wax; it's almost neutral really. In the mouth there is once again a very neutral feel to the wine with more wax and a touch a white flower with tight, clean acid. It all sounds very boring, but this wine is a gem when straight out of cold fridge. An absolute must this summer!

Drink with friends
Drink now
89
Diam cork 12%v/v King & Godfree, Carlton

Gembrook Hill Yarra Valley Mayer Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007

It seems that getting the complete series of 'The West Wing' - the greatest TV show ever made, and having a full-time job which does not entail regular domestic duties* has lead me to somewhat ignore my blogging. So what better way to amend this then write about something that rocks baby!

The Gembrook Hill Yarra Valley Mayer Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007 is a smashing wine! A dirty translucent red introduces a rather earthy floor and crushed strawberry nose; surprised with earthy floor and disappointed with crushed strawberries - I just want a Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley to offer somethig else!

Did I say I was disappointed; well that quickly changed. Gorgoeous tart cranberry with super fine subtle tannins - almost like a double negative isn't it - flowed seamlessly through the mouth and had absolutly no trouble gobbling up the fatty lamb chops that were sizzling on the BBQ. Super wine this one folks!

Drink with Greek style BBQ lamb chops
Drink till 2014
95
Screwcap 13.2%v/v $24 Dan Murphy's Hawthorn East


*Disclosure - by no means am I discounting the role of the full-time parent, be them female or male, it's just full-time work outside of the picket fences seems a bit more exhausting - that and bloody peak hour traffic!

Wine by Some Young Punks - Quickie! South Australia Shiraz Nebbiolo 2009

You could just stare at it for hours couldn't you!

Another mouth watering wine from the gang of punks from SA. The Quickie! South Australia Shiraz Nebbiolo 2009 is jam packed with ripe fruit courtesy of the Shiraz (58%) and balanced neatly by fine tannins and tort tartness from the Nebbiolo (42%). Put simply, a great wine that does not take itself too seriously!


Drink with beef sausages and potato salad
Drink till 2013
90
Screwcap 14%v/v $24 from Blackhearts and Sparrows, Lygon Street Brunswick