Ipso facto Margaret River Chenin Blanc 2010

For a grape variety so well made in the Loire and so bastardised here in Australia, Kate Morgan has produced a wine that can easliy comne from Vouvray or Montlouis and not the back blocks of Margaret River. Huzzah to you Kate!!!

The Ipso facto Margaret River Chenin Blanc 2010 by pure fact is a super little drop of flintiness and tart acid, and the longer in the glass comes a great swell of cracked ginger, orange blossum and subtle pear notes. I am sure my mother-in-law, who holds Amberley close to her heart, will disagree, but the Ipso facto may certainly be the game changer that Chenin Blanc needs in Australia.

Drink with chicken and ginger stir fry
Drink till 2016
96
Screwcap 12.5%v/v $28

Spring blooming

"Who are the violets now
That strewn the green lap of the new come spring?"
William Shakespeare - Richard II

Forest Hill Mount Barker Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Just hear me out for a sec. Block 5. Block 5 wines are fast becoming a marketing tool to so many producers. Don't quote me on this, but I think the first Block 5 in Australia was from Bindi in 1997 - the Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir 1997 I recall was listed at $400 not so long ago at The Lincoln in Carlton; not bad for a vineyard that was planted in 1992!

Anyway, the Block 5 tag seems to have that marketing 'midas touch'. Here's just a few that I can recall of the top:

• Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir, Macedon Ranges
• Yabby Lake Block 5 Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula
• Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir, Central Otago
• Chalice Bridge Chapman Series Block 5 Shiraz/Cabernet, Margaret River
• Saint Clair Pioneer Block 5 Pinot Noir, Marlborough
• Forrest Estate Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon, Marlborough 

Talk about doing your block!!

So it was about 2 weeks ago that I had a tasting of the new Forest Hill wines from Mount Barker with their very pregnant winemaker Clémence Haselgrove; for me the Springvale Estate Riesling is pound-for-pound one of the best in Australia, but thats for another post. The last wine in the bracket was, now wait for it, the Forest Hill Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. Block 5's aside, this is truly a cracking wine.

Deep ox blood colour in the glass, the nose throws up aroma's of whispy mint and eucalypt with the smallest hint of dusty tannins to come. The palate is all Left Bank with subtle blueberry notes woven together with pitch perfect acid, tannins and dry dusty cocoa powder. This wine has all the hallmarks of spending another 20 years in the bottle for plenty of reward.

Drink with shephards pie - I did last night
Drink till 2025+
96
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $60ish

Moondog Black Lung II

So the story goes .... Devilishly handsome boy meets devilishly handsome image in the mirror and its love at first sight. Years later devilishly handsome boy witnesses devilishly handsome friends incinerate at local gas station in innocent petrol fight. Blah blahs aside, devilishly handsome boy becomes muse for crazy brewers in downtown Abbotsford where a devilishly awesome stout is produced. You know the story ....

The Moondog Black Lung II is liquid gold. And yes, looks can kill. Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. Thats all I got.

Just drink it!

Byrne Ballarat Pinot Noir 2010

The second I laid eyes on this wine I was instantly back in my Grandmothers house where she had a crazy felt like wallpaper in the toilet that I was completely mesmerised with. I'm happy to say this wine did not have any similarities with the humble crapper. But the label....

The Byrne Ballarat Pinot Noir 2010 is a really good wine, with all the hallmarks of a gamey prickly Pinot that I have come to love; plenty of juicy red fruit woven with a gamey pong of sappy whole bunch and bacon fat - thats the funky shit. In the mouth the wine follows the palate with abundent prickly plums without being ripe, and more gamey goodness blended in with fine tannins and bolt acidity. Cracking drop.

Drink with beer braised beef short ribs
Drink till 2016
94
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $30-40 Blackheart & Sparrows, Brunswick

Fathers Day Reuben sandwich

The start of the greatest sandwich in the history of mankind - The Reuben.

• lots of corned beef
• lots of Swiss cheese, or Jarlsberg for the politically correct
• lots of Noisette multi grain bread
• lots of my Russian dressing - home made mayo, mustard, tomato sauce, horseradish cream and Worcestershire sauce
• lots of Sauerkraut
• lots of paper towel to wipe sauce from running down arm
• a good Chardonnay

The wine today is Sinapius Tasmanian Chardonnay 2010 from Pipers Brook; pretty much cos there was a glass left-over from last night, but also cos it has just enough acid to cut through the sauerkraut and corned beef. Not that I am proposing this is a great match to sauerkraut - don't think any wine would be, just cos once again it was convenient.

Happy Fathers day boys!!!!

Egly-Ouriet Les Vignes De Vrigny 1er Cru, Ambonnay

Its Spring. The suns out. Lawnmowers are churning away around the neighbourhood and I feel pretty good after a 15 hour day at Albert Street yesterday. Champagne anyone? The Egly-Ouriet Les Vines de Vrigny 1^er  from Ambonnay is 100% Pinot Meunier and is everything today is in downtown Brunswick; bright, crisp and singing - no lawnmowers though.

 

Drink with Pambula rock oysters

Drink now

95

Quality cork 12.5%v/v