Chalmers Murray-Darling Aglianico 2009

They call Aglianico (pronounced a-li-a-nico) the 'Barolo of the South', the south being Campania in Italy; around the bottom of the shin of the boot for those trying to place it. A big call yes, but when its good, its very schmick.

Change of time zone and we're in the Murray-Darling of NSW and in the very capable hands of the Chalmers family. These guys have been propagating cuttings from the old world for yonks, and it has been of recent that they have been takings these cuttings and making their own wine. The finished product is a ripper.

For today's post, that finished product id the Chalmers Murray-Darling Aglianico 2009. Plenty of red in the glass, the wine offers a great mix of red fruit and garden herbs - think a pot purri of dried sage, rosemary and friends. You are greeted by crisp acid and furry tannins up front which are followed with more red fruit and an almost medicinal finish, or orange acid blast as I wrote down. I don't know if its just me, but I get a whiff of iodine on the nose which translates to cough drop in the mouth; this is a good thing I reckon cos it displays what a unique variety this is, and not just a garden variety fruit bomb. This is definitely one to look for.

Drink with mushroom ragu
Drink till 2015
92
Diam cork 14%v/v $32

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