02 Tuesday Jun 2015
Posted in Wine reviews
I have had the Elderton Shiraz of the same label and I thought it was a great drop so when I saw this Cab I had to try it. It just wasn’t the same caliber unfortunately. Starting off with a floral nose and purple plum paste I was hopeful. Very smooth entry of black berries and blueberry jam. Nice easy acidity with a short finish. Mid palate hints of red currants and very gentle tannins. 87 points from me with a drinking window of 2015-2017. 3 stars and $11. Salut….
08 Sunday Feb 2015
Posted in Wine reviews
Wowsa, this is a huge, delicious, complex, layered, smooth killer of a wine. I wrote that it was purply purple in the glass, can you picture it? Like really beautiful purple hues dancing in the Riedel. Initial nose of heat but then layered plums, blackberries and a hint of eucalyptus. Long, drawn out introduction of plums, blue fruits and raspberry coulis that are wrapped in gorgeous tannins and a hint of acidity. The mid palate is a seamless extension of the upfront fruit and it glides into a long finish. This is one complete wine that absolutely rocks. The combo of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon has never been my favorite but it works so well in this wine. The skillful way in which they have coaxed all this fruit and finesse while hiding the 16% alcohol is amazing. I served this bottle up with some charred/blackened Ribeyes, which was a perfect pairing. I would love to get more and sit on them for another 10 years or so. Pricy at $65, it is a treat to open one of these for a special occasion. 95 points from me and 5 stars, this one is on my radar. Yet another stellar Mollydooker wine from Mclaren Vale, Australia. Salut….
08 Thursday Jan 2015
Posted in Wine reviews
I opened the Gigglepot from Mollydooker right after we finished the Blue Eyed Boy. It’s interesting to drink both $50 offerings in the same sitting and be able to compare the grape varietals. The Shiraz was to me more finite, focused and pure of fruit. The Cabernet based Gigglepot was more open, easier to drink and perhaps more appealing to the masses. Both are excellent wines and I enjoyed each for their merits. This one was equally dark in the glass, showing off a nose of plums, cherry and mint. I usually associate the minty note with Chilean Cabs and really enjoy it when I come across them. The palate had the same basic flavor profile I got but with some added black fruits. A certain spiciness that I cannot pinpoint was evident as were the fine grained tannins. The wine seemed to go on for ever on the palate and had a long finish. Balanced with nice acidity there is a healthy dose of alcohol that is neatly hidden, drinker beware! Drinking beautifully now, this wine has the structure to go long haul. I would guess a cellaring potential to 2022 at the least. I don’t have much experience with older vintages from this winery except for my Carnival Of Love tastings, where I did get to see a little bit of evolution in 4-5 year old vintages. I would imagine this particular bottle may gain some secondary flavors and complexity as it gets some cellar time. I am giving it 91 points and 4 stars. Salut….
20 Monday Oct 2014
Posted in Wine reviews
A Margaret River Cab Sauvignon we picked up for $9. A casual afternoon watching football was on the cards so we added a wine tasting to the fray. Blue fruit compote on the nose from the reddish purple glass. Tart cherries and some oak with blueberries on the palate lead me to think of this as a basic, drinkable red worthy of 85 points. It did the job, and well. Basic components tell me that this Aussie wine will drink between 2014-2016. 2 Stars, Salut….
12 Tuesday Aug 2014
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
$75, 5 stars, 94 points, Aussie Cabernet Sauvignon, cabernet sauvignon, mclaren vale, south australia
If you have read any of my Clarendon posts you will know that I love this winery and can’t get enough of their subtle yet complex Syrahs, Cabernets and Grenaches. This particular Mclaren Vale offering was opened to go along with my new favorite grilled meat- Chorizo. I loaded up two giant Ribeye steaks (the butcher had labelled them Delmonico’s, all hoity toity) some onions and a half dozen of the Mexican sausages on the charcoal grill and opened this beauty to sip while I got the rest of dinner ready.
Thick purple color is always a good start for Cabernet Sauvignon. Fresh blue fruits with some mint greeted my flaring nostrils- perhaps a touch of alcohol was coming off the glass. Unique plum compote and blueberry coulis flavors were my initial impression but I began to think the wine is still primal with full fruit and a whiff of heat attacking the mid palate. Moderate tannins and cutting acidity belie a still young wine waiting to mature. Eucalyptus and mulberry came into being on the back end with cassis and red fruits adding to the long finish. The 14.5% alcohol was hidden after a while, blown off from it’s early attack. The wine is structured, balanced and a joy to drink. I would imagine it could cellar for another 15 years easily. $75 and 94 points from me make this a treat of a wine that gets 5 stars for a special occasion. Salut….
06 Friday Jun 2014
Posted in Wine reviews
Along with the pure Shiraz I just wrote about there was this blend on sale for $10. Slightly better with more ‘real’ flavors- this bottle was passable. It had a subdued nose but opened up on the palate with blueberry and cherry. Slightly oaky, it had medium tannins and a balanced finish. Very basic everyday wine and priced right. I am going with 86 points and 3 stars, far better than the last bottle. Salut….
29 Thursday May 2014
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
$14, 3 stars, 87 points, Aussie Cabernet Sauvignon, aussie shiraz, australia, cabernet sauvignon, langhorne creek, Malbec, shiraz
I have never seen this label before and was intrigued. From Langhorne Creek this was the ‘original Yellow Label’ wine from Wolf(gang) Blass. A retro offering showcasing the winery’s heritage I guess. Nowadays, the blends from them are bottled in the Red Label series, the yellow being used for single varietals. Nonethless, it was an interesting amalgamation of three varietals.
When I poured the wine, it was nearly blackish purple, appropriate for the grapes used. It had a nose of candied plums and strawberry twizzlers. My first impression was ‘tinny’. A metallic note hit me the wrong way and I was initially put off by it. I got black currants and plum torte after that and as the wine mellowed out, the tinny component gave way to a minerality that was quite pleasing. Good acidity and moderate tannins made this an easy to drink aperitif. I would give it a maximum of 4 years in the cellar and pair it with pasta and red sauce, perhaps BBQ ribs or a big juicy burger. I’m giving 87 points and 3 stars for this interesting $14 effort. Salut….
17 Saturday May 2014
Posted in Wine reviews
Originally priced at $17, this was the other Wolf Blass I mentioned yesterday that was on sale for $10. A steal, and tasty to boot. This one came out of the gate with all cylinders firing. It was inky purple in the glass and showed off a delightful nose of black currants and star anise. My initial impression was very positive when I got Blackberry pie and some interesting vanilla on the first sip. I enjoyed the ‘crispy’ tannins as they carried the wine to the mid palate where I tasted plums with a touch of acidity. A very enjoyable wine that is a good buy at it’s regular price, making it a steal at the sale price. It had a good amount of length and the mouthfeel was just right. I would easily serve this up with beef stew on a cold night, or a juicy NY strip on the grill in the summer time. I am going 90 points and 4 stars for this easy to find wine. Salut….
09 Sunday Feb 2014
Posted in Wine reviews
The label says Limited Edition, but I think it’s just to celebrate their heritage rather than a specifically special blend. By the time we got to this wine, we were suffering from some ‘palate fatigue’ (we were pissed, I’ll admit it). I did enjoy this one more than I thought I would. The Shiraz was not overdone and the Cabernet provided a healthy framework and some nice sweet tannins. The nose of the wine was elegant with blackberry and blueberry dominating the oak influence. The flavors on the palate included blackberry pie, cinnamon spice, some blueberry jam and tobacco. Quite a compilation of nuances I must say. The acid, tannins and alcohol were all in check and balanced nicely. This really was a pleasure to drink and I am going with 89 points. I believe my mate paid $10 for it making it a 4 star effort and a sure-fire winner. I would serve this up with burgers, perhaps a pizza and probably a hearty pot roast. I have tried numerous Wolf Blass wines and this one was one of the better examples from this huge winery. Salut….
06 Monday Jan 2014
Posted in Wine reviews
A Mclaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon that garnered some pretty high scores from the pro’s. I thought it was really good as well! Inky in the glass it developed some interesting aromas after swirling around. Cassis and black fruits with some earth came through for me. On the first taste I was taken aback by the smoothness of the wine. Big, complex and layered with blackberry, blueberry, cassis and a dose of eucalyptus make this a delicious wine. Silky smooth tannins and a touch of acidity make it a delight to drink. I reckon this wine has years ahead of it but is drinking nicely now.
I bought Moxie a large cast iron frying pan recently, we cooked some amazing NY Strips with it and I composed a Port and Mustard sauce that was out of this world. The wine was impeccable with the dinner, but was great all by itself whilst I was cooking. Highly recommended but pricey at $75. The man himself gave this wine a 96, others went 93 and 89. I am thinking its a 91 pointer and worthy of 4 stars. Salut….
Caspernick's Blog 