Category Archives: Wine reviews

Fetzer Cabernet Sauvignon Valley Oaks 2010

08 Saturday Jun 2013

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Alas the evening was winding down, the good stuff was empty and this little Cabernet appears.  At first glimpse I was reticent.  After the first taste, not too shabby.  I have had this wine before, it is not on my list of re-buys.  However, it showed pretty well with some primal red fruits, a dose of oak and a trace of tannic backbone.  I was stunned, this wine was actually pretty good.  I am not sure if it was the level of ‘palate fatigue’ that I was being influenced by, but as an evening closer, it did the job.  I would say 84 points and for the low price of around $7-8 a 3 star wine that you need to have in reserve should the need arise!

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Agua de Piedra Gran Seleccion Malbec 2012

06 Thursday Jun 2013

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Perhaps a little young, the tannins overcame the fruit on this one.  A green note along with blackberries on the palate was somewhat offset by an imbalance in the acidity.  I was not a huge fan of this bottle, and don’t see it evolving much even with its strong tannic frame.  85 points and for under a tenner, perhaps 3 stars.  It might do for a BBQ with ribs slathered in sauce, or perhaps a grea-zee burger.

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Clarendon Hills Syrah Piggott Range Vineyard 2006

04 Tuesday Jun 2013

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An iconic name from Australia that crafts some monumental wines.  Normally this varietal is called Shiraz downunder, yet Clarendon makes it in an Old World style and reverted to the Syrah moniker.  Unlike typical Aussie Shiraz, this offering is refined, understated and showing great class.  Plum compote, chocolate and some earth transcend from the nose to the palate.  Layers of fruit emerge in this complex wine and the tannins are ever so subtle, yet omni-present.  Extremely balanced and smooth, this is finesse at its finest.  Pricey at about $100, this is no Thursday night pop-n-pour.  I served it up on a Sunday evening with London Broil and roasted potatoes.  It would pair well with Lamb chops as well as by itself.  I believe that the pro’s ranged from 92-98.  I would give it 93 personally and 4 stars (Price taken into account).  I have three more in the cellar and will watch for further development, anticipating a drinking window from now until 2020 at the least.

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Van Ruiten Old Vines Zinfandel 2010

27 Monday May 2013

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Wow.  What a beautiful Zinfandel.  This wine was absolutely delicious.  Plums and blueberry galore, on the nose, the palate, the finish.  Not jammy, like many over-the-top Zins, but smooth, mellow and refined.  I can see a lot of care has been put into crafting this wine.  The winemaker has worked the old vine grapes into a powerful wine, yet hiding the massive 14.5% alcohol behind a balanced canvas of sweet tannins and bright acidity.  Very complex once you start to delve into it, the wine offered up some nuances that will no doubt further evolve when the wine is cellared.  I imagine it will develop over the next 6 years and drink beautifully until 2020 at the least.  For sure a 5 star wine and 91 points in my opinion.  If you can find a bottle of this, snag it…  Well worth the effort.

PS. This wine was a gift from a friend, I am duly grateful that he was able to share this spectacular bottle.

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Chateau Puynard 2010

27 Monday May 2013

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Dense and lovely.  On the nose, red cherries and earth translate into currants and some hints of oak.  Slightly young, but not overly tannic, it is drinking well and will do so for another 4 years. A Bordeaux wine with a decent price tag that will give pleasure with stews, steaks and roast chicken.  For the price, 4 stars and 89 points.

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Vigna Alta 2008

27 Monday May 2013

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From the south of Italy comes this almost black wine, made from Aglianico grapes.  I once had a waiter correct me on the pronunciation, which is technically “ahl-YAH-nee-koe”.  He insisted that it was Ag-lee-a-nicko.  His tip was commensurate to his wine knowledge…..

Anyway, I digress.  Aglianicos are tannic monsters, and this particular wine was tighter than a drum.  I had to pry it open with my Vinturi just to coax any semblance of juice from beneath its lurking , brooding shell.  Once there, it showed off some really nice blackberry and bramble.  A hint of earth and some flowers were noticed.  Extremely tannic, almost like painting your teeth with purple tannins, yet surprisingly fresh.  This wine is already 5 years into its aging and is still an infant.  The acidity is setup for long term cellaring, which should allow this wine to evolve, mellow and show itself much better.  It would be unfair to judge it too soon, however- 88 points initially and 3 stars for now.  I have more, and will re-taste them in the future after a severe decanting for several hours.

If you have never had an Aglianico, they are really delicious when ready, very similar to Tannat and perhaps Nero D’Avola from Sicily.  I enjoy these varietals as off-the-beaten path wines, they offer intrigue and spice up my cellar.

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Conundrum White 2011

21 Tuesday May 2013

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An interesting blend of white wines from California, from the same clan that make Caymus and Belle Glos.  Obviously a thoroughbred wine, this bottle is delicious.  The label does not name varietals, but I am guessing a healthy dose of Viognier, a good proportion of Sauvignon Blanc, some Chardonnay and what else?

The Viognier is forefront, giving it that rose and floral scent that I love.  Some apricots are also indicative of the semillon, let’s add that to the fray.  I sense some cat pee and grass, telltale signs of Sauvignon Blanc and the balancer is the chardonnay.  Acidity is decent, albeit not as sharp as I like in a white.  Elegant and smooth on the palate, it has a long finish.

This wine is intriguing.  It offers pre-dinner pleasure and paired well for my midweek fish and chips with the kids meal.  In fact, Moxie even had a glass, which says something.  It is not in everyone’s taste, yet I think it scores well technically and I really enjoyed it for the price.  As an aside, I served Moxie hers in a Riedel Vinum Sauvignon Blanc glass while mine was poured into the Chardonnay version.  Whilst you may be laughing at the sublety, there is a difference.  Hers tasted more cat-peeish and had stronger green grass notes, while mine was more aromatic and fuller in the mouth.  I had to really work hard at differentiating, but the proof is in the glass.  Make sure you use the right one, and always go for a quality brand, versus some fancy crystal one with useless carvings and engravings.  You can read about my unofficial taste test here.  Meantime, 4 stars and 88 points.  Great for a summer’s eve.

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Sav Blanc | Chardonnay

Killka Malbec 2011

19 Sunday May 2013

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An Argie Malbec for about $12, this wine was decent but lacked any umph.  I love the varietal, generally finding that the fruit is very tasty and usually quite extracted (I know, goes against my whole finesse thing).  Anyway, this wine offered up some decent blackberry and plums on the palate that seemed to fade rather fast.  I did notice some tannic bite, but nothing obtrusive.  I am used to this varietal showing off some ‘fruit bomb’ charachteristics and I love the Malbecs from Cahors (France) where they refer to them as The Black Wines.  This was just shy of my expectations and I felt a little shortchanged.  At a modest $11 you should at least give it a go, perhaps with some burgers and dogs.  I would also suggest a few bottles in the basement for unexpected guests, they would enjoy it for what it is.  3 stars for an even 84 points.

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Firesteed Pinot Noir 2006

19 Sunday May 2013

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Served at a party last night, I was somewhat surprised that they still had any 2006 vintage left.  I have probably had this wine, years previously and well before I started to take notes.

A decent reddish hue in the glass showed off some strawberry notes in the nose.  On the palate, I got some strawberry and plumish notes, pretty un-Pinot like.  Perhaps the bottle was trying to further develop after 7 years, but in what direction?  The wine did not taste over-the-hill, yet I sensed it has seen its peak.  Still tasty, just in a different way. I did notice good balance and there was a slight tannic content still lurking.  This wine is not expensive, yet delivers good value and is generally a decent Pinot Noir.  I hesitate to rate it but think in its day it would have been a solid 3 star wine.

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Barboursville Malvaxia 2007

18 Saturday May 2013

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If you have just read my previous post about this winery’s Phileo, you will know that it rocked my world.  Having the Malvaxia right after that one was like winning the World Series followed by the Superbowl, in one evening.  Talk about perfection, here it is, in two lithe little bottles.

At $32 for a skinny little 375 ml bottle, this one is not cheap.  The grapes are made in the Passito style, where they are air dried for a while to concentrate the juice and produce this elixir.  Oak barrel aged for an eternity, the wine is deep in color and has an almost honeyed look and consistency.  A huge nose of creme caramel and apricot just seemed to melt its way onto the palate.  Layers of aromatics came forth from the Muscat and Vidal blend transcending into an almost syrupy compote of ripe pineapple meets apricots and almonds.  Very complex without being cloying, the weight of this wine is perfectly balanced by the acidity.  A huge finish that seems to carry on forever.  We drank this one after the lighter Phileo, by itself.  It doesn’t need accompaniment, in fact it would take center stage if you tried to add any desserts to this stunning wine.  My only mistake was to chill it in the fridge for a while.  Unbeknownst to me, it shows far better at room temperature and I was able to enjoy the second part of it as such.  I am grateful to have been able to visit the Barboursville Winery where I first tasted this wine, now I know where I can stock up on it!  Technically speaking a 96 point wine, a huge score.  I have to be honest and say this wine deserves 5 stars, even at such a steep price.  The process and time involved in making this wine must be monumental, kudos to the winemaker.

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