The last tomatoes of summer

I think there is some buffalo mozzarella in the fridge ...

Dinny Goonan Geelong Riesling 2011

A very smart wine this one. The Dinny Goonan Geelong Riesling 2011 is a wine that may not be on the tips of the rockstar sets tounges, but who cares. This winery is hidden on the northern foothills of the Otways and only surfaced on my radar while I was looking for Geelong wineries to pour at Albert St for March.

Perfectly restrained on the nose with a tickle of flint and tart lime, the palate is sort of a mix of half citrus acid, half minerality and half white phenolics (a Seinfeld grab for those who remember). But the great thing about this wine is that no flavour profile hogs the spot light, and the flavour profile is quite gentle and, as I said before, restraint. This is a great little wine.

Drink with kingfisk cerviche
Drink till 2016
95
Screwcap 12%v/v $24 at Albert St Food & Wine in March

4 Pines Stout, Manly NSW

In what seems to be a never ending growth industry of micro breweries, another label has hit the ground running (maybe a bit premature perhaps) with a band of lads from the inner northern beaches of Sydney coming up with 4 Pines Brewing Company. It also seems to be a trend nowadays to position a numeral in the brand name - 2 Brothers, 3 Ravens, 5 Numbnuts - the last one will be my label hitting the market soon. Maybe. Dunno know.

The trend is Pale Ale, Wheat beers and pretty much all and sundry. One style that is I see as semi-uncommon is stout. Stout done well is pure sex. Stout just done is pure pedestrian. The 4 Pines Stout is the former!

The primary aroma is pure espresso coffee, the like I quite possibly have never seen before - intense, powerful and all other adjectives that describe strength! The head even looks like coffee crema too. This stout doesn't have the brain swelling headiness of most, and I found this cos I nailed it toot-sweet. What I did find however was that the aromoa was gone after about two or three minutes. Saying this though, the palate of toffeed raisens and dark chocolate hung around to the sweet-bitter end.

All in all, a great entry to the market and a stout you'll see in the cooler months down at Albert St I would suggest.

Drink with shephards pie
5.1%v/v www.4pinesbeer.com.au

Jamsheed Healesville Syrah 2010 - Third down and plenty!

So here I am. Its 12.20am and I’m watching the replay of Super Bowl forty something-or-rather and Madonna is singing something from when it was Super Bowl twenty something-or-rather. I’m watching the replay because I am a New York Giants fan and I got through the day without finding out the score, so if you know – zip-it!

As I said, its half time and Madonna interests me as much as a hernia so I thought I’d write a post. The Jamsheed Healesville Vineyard Yarra Valley Syrah 2010. Had this one a few days ago for the third time and loved it as much as, well as much as the first I guess. Quite dense in the glass, the Healesville Syrah for me is hard to separate from Silvan or Yarra Glen, but I guess it is pretty common these days to highlight mesoclimate, so Healesville, you rock! The nose throws a good amount of tart fruit and savoury notes and a good amount of dust which suggests a good amount of chewy tannins. I suggested right. Long and persistent with acid and tight chewy tannins built around subtle raspberry and red licorice with quite an intense purity throughout the glass. All in all I loved it.

There’s a flag on the play so I’m going to wrap up. Great length and plenty of time left in the tank. And for the rest of the mesoclimates in the Valley – lift your game!

Drink with Buffalo wings, in honour of the Super Bowl
Drink till 2018
96
Diam cork under wax seal 13.7%v/v $46 Albert St Food & Wine, Brunswick

Go Giants!!!