My #Gineration

There's a few things I'm loving at the moment: The World Cup - obviously. The Uruguayans defending the indefensible that is Luis Suarez. And closer to home, Gin.  I'm loving Gin at the moment. Why? Because its finger-lickin-sexy-as-nuts and its from the Yarra Valley.

This is My #Gineration

There is a massive explosion right now with Gin. A phenomenon really. Negroni's. Martini's. White Lady's. G&T. Ken Bruce has gone completely mad and we LOVE IT. And reason for this is quite simply The Melbourne Gin Company - Andrew Marks, and Four Pillars - Cameron MacKenzie. Both highly respected Yarra Valley winemakers who quite obviously love Gin Thank you boys.

The Melbourne Gin Company made my best of list for 2013. Its that good. Four Pillars, most notably the Barrel Aged jobby, is quite remarkable. Cinnamon. Vanilla. Orange. White pepper. It made working on my feet for 13 hours worth I tell ya.

Knock off last night

But get in quick with the Four Pillars Barrel Aged because its here for a good time, not a long time. Stocks are seriously slender. I got mine. The world is good. Cheers.

The Melbourne Gin Company - $69
Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin -  $75
Four Pillars Barrel Aged Gin - if you see it, buy it

Jericho Adelaide Hills Fumé Blanc 2013

Do not blink. This wine is all but sold out. Really.

The Jericho Adelaide Hills Fumé Blanc 2013 is part of a new project by the Jericho family (funny that) who if you add it up have been involved in the Australian wine scene for over 100 years. And this is the first release. Good things come to those who wait I guess.

So the wine. I guess it is no secret that I am a Sauvignon fan. A very rare beast in this industry I must say: lots of folk would rather walk blindly out in to Punt Road traffic then quaff a Savvy B. Dumbarses. Again, the wine. A great mix of pithy passionfruit and sharp pink grapefruit on the nose. The palate has an instant hit of chalky minerality followed with long dry herbal notes, more passionfruit pith and finishes with a creamy barrel leesy feel. Just great.

Drink with roast chook - will be doing that tonight. Again
Drink till 2015
96
Screwcap 12%v/v $24 Seddon Wine Store

François Villard Cornas L'appel des Sereines Syrah 2011

We have a new club house leader folks. The François Villard Cornas L'appel des Sereines Syrah 2011 is quite simply sexyasnuts!!!! Tart concentrated blackberry, grippy black olive tapanade and subtle salty soy sauce are all the hallmarks that make cool climate Syrah/Shiraz the sexiest beast around. If this wine was a rockstar it would be a combination of Jeff Buckley, Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix and Madonna; just oozing sex appeal. Thats it. Thats all I've got on this beast.

Drink with lust
Drink till empty, or 2016
98
Quality cork 13%v/v $28

Pipoli Campania Aglianico Senza Solfiti 2011

Have you ever taken a sip of wine and have a wacky flavour hit your senses that makes you blurt out loud, 'Really!?!?!??! Shit, where did that come from?' The Pipoli Campania Aglianico Senza Solfiti 2011 is that wine.

A couple of weeks ago at work a customer purchased this wine wanting a wine with little or know added sulphur or preservatives. For me, this is the best wine in that bracket, but with each purchase of sulphur free wine there is a warning, or more to the point letting the punter know what they may get when they open the wine; a volatile spritzy wine due to the introduction of O2 which is the kickoff for any active yeast to metabolise. A few hours later they brought the wine back, asked me to have a look at it because they thought it had turned. I thought the wine was fine but let them get something else if they wanted.

I understand that some people have acute reactions to SO2, but there are a lot of people who think SO2 is an inorganic compound. Incorrect. SO2 is allowed in all organic wine making processes. Even if SO2 is not added in the wine making process, yeasts create SO2 as a bi-product in the ferment, so the likelihood of 100% SO2 free wine is invariably unlikely.

So back to the wine in question. As I said in the opening paragraph, 'Really!?!?!??! Shit, where did that come from?', and with every sip it was the same reaction. WOW. So the flavour profile in question? A Snickers bar. Truly. It tasted like a Snickers. It was awesome tell you. But the thing is I have had this wine on numerous occasions and the flavour has been different and wacky, and sometimes very volatile. But that's what you get when the wine has no added SO2. Its somewhat of a lottery I guess. But do not get me wrong. I love this wine.

Drink till 2016
Drink with char grilled lamb
94
Diam cork 13%v/v $25