Tag Archives: aussie shiraz

First Drop Mothers Milk Shiraz Barossa 2014

16 Wednesday Nov 2016

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I have tasted the 2010 Mothers Milk before and really enjoyed it, so much so that I have been on the lookout ever since.  Moxie and I were in New Jersey this past weekend and I took the opportunity to visit The Wine Library, a wine store I have shopped from online and have been following for some time.  They used to have a great podcast on wine tastings and they started http://cinderellawine.com.

I was super excited to revisit this wine.  On the nose- cherry and blackberry with red licorice.  On the initial attack there is raspberry coulis and black cherry juice flavors.  Really slight tannins open up after a while on the mid palate through to the finish, where I’m getting sour cherry from the acid.  Easy to drink and delightful, this wine is not complex but offers a balanced mouthfeel and hides the 14.5% alcohol beautifully.  This is an easy wine to quaff but would pair nicely with pizza, grilled lamb chops or a hearty winter stew.  89 points and 4 stars for this $13 effort.  Salut…

first drop mothers milk 2014

Yering Station Shiraz Viognier 2010, Yarra Valley Australia

31 Wednesday Aug 2016

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I got an email recently advertising this wine at a crazy good price, under $10 for a 90+point wine.  I was intrigued and bought a few bottles.

A nice purple that did not quite show over the top extraction that presented a nose of baked plums, blackcurrants and vanilla. The initial taste is somewhat expected with respect to my comment about extraction. This wine is far more subtle and refined compared to some of the more bombastic Aussie Shiraz’s I have tasted. It does come with a price though, 14.5% alcohol that just slips by unnoticed. The flavors are delicious, with blue fruits, a hint of pepper and violets. Tannins still lurk in the background and give the wine a nice crunch.  The acidity is ever so slight and does not overpower. The mid palate is where this wine shines, the fruit is very much alive and the mouthfeel hits its pinnacle. The finish is decent in length and gives a nice tannic coating that does not overpower. Overall a delicious wine that I am having with homemade pizza baked in the Big Green Egg.  89 points and 4 stars based on it’s normal retail of $16. Drink now- 2020.  Salut….

bering station shiraz viognier yarra valley

Sigston Swift Tatachilla Block Reserve Shiraz 2011, McLaren Vale

31 Wednesday Aug 2016

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This was the second Sigston Swift bottle at our tasting, the other being the Aunt Prissy Tempranillo.  This Reserve Shiraz has a bit of bottle age on it and is drinking well.  A nice purple color that leaves a sexy set of legs on the glass and introduces you to a nose of gorgeous black and blue currants. I’m missing the telltale white pepper notes associated with Mclaren Vale Shiraz, but they are replaced with some vanilla that I’m really liking. On the initial attack I get black berry torte, some blueberry pie and a touch of cinnamon. Mid palate wise it just flows on from the front end. The wine finishes with perfume, some slight tannins and black cherries. I think this wine is worthy of 87 points and 3 stars for its $15 price point.  Drink now-2018.  Salut….

sigston swift tatachilla block reserve shiraz

Two Hands ‘Bella’s Garden’ Barossa Shiraz 2010

30 Thursday Jun 2016

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A few posts ago I wrote about buying up wines from a shop that was closing.  I picked up two bottles of this delicious, heady Shiraz and sat on them for a few years.  Turns out my timing was just about right.

Nearly black in the glass and super brooding. A nose of plum jam and hoisin with a baconny hint as well. The first sip reveals gorgeous plum reduction, violets and rich, thick blueberry pie. This wine is full on, with layers of extraction and polish. To say it is meaty is an understatement. The alcohol (15.5%) becomes evident in the mid palate, as well as the acidity. It refreshes where the tannins left off. A telltale Shiraz hint of pepper and some tar come out eventually.  The finish is somewhat abrupt after a decent length of time but leaves some tannic residue on the gums. This wine begs for a Sunday roast, Lamb or beef- with horseradish. It is a fall or winter wine that will reward more cellaring but is hitting all the notes right now. Drink from now until 2026. 93 points from me but the pro’s went higher at 95.  My only concern is the undeniable hit of heat on the mid palate.  If you can still find it they cost $75 at retail making this a serious 4 star contender.  Glad I have one left!  Salut….

two hands bella's garden barossa shiraz

Tahbilk Shiraz 2010

27 Saturday Feb 2016

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This is bottle number 2. Number 1 was opened last night and I was too tired to take notes. It mellowed out tremendously after 24 hours. Meanwhile, back at the tasting table……
Full frontal assault on the nose and palate. Hints of spice, white pepper and rich plum pudding hit the nose right off the bat. The first taste is exotic, purple everything….. Plums, violets, dark blueberries and some blackberry. The spiciness is intriguing. Medium grade tannins follow through into a mid palate of red raspberry and blueberry jam. They continue all the way to the end where they balance out with the acidity. A decent length finish make this an all-around delicious wine. With shipping I paid just under $13 per bottle. 5 stars as this wine rates 91 in my books and sits on top of my 2016 best buys. WS gave this Aussie gem 90 points and it normally retails for $23, still a great deal!  Salut….

tahbilk shiraz

Dominique Portet Heathcote Shiraz 2008

10 Tuesday Feb 2015

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I bought this wine on spec for $40, pretty pricey I know- but one of the pro’s gave it 95 points.  Upon opening the bottle I noticed the cork was nearly black with stain.  Pouring the wine into the glass I could already smell it.  5 minutes of letting it just sit there and I can sense plums, lavender and blackberry jam.  I have not even sniffed it yet, this is going to be a powerhouse.

I was right.  This wine has a huge nose- black fruits, cinnamon, oak, fennel.  The wine is very dark with dark legs sliding down the glass showing off it’s 14.5% alcohol.  The first sip is pretty big.  Loads of black berry, with striking tannins and a touch of heat.  I am going to let this wine sit for a few minutes.

It is a brooding beast, I may run it through an aerator as the wine seems to be stuck, not showing off it’s fruit properly and displaying too much tannic bite with a slight overdose of the wood.

I was right, it needed some air.  The tannins have smoothed, the balance is good and the fruit has shone through, all is right with the world.  Blackberry coulis dominates with spice box and cedar.  The finish is rather long, me likes.  The wine is not an everyday drinker, probably better suited to a big roast leg of lamb with all the fixings.  It rated 95 with one pro and 88 with another.  I must say it is a baffling decision, but 90 points is where I see it and that makes it a 3 star wine in my books.  It already has 6 years of bottle age but will last until 2022 in my opinion.  Salut….dominiqu portet heathcote shiraz

Mollydooker Enchanted Path 2012

08 Sunday Feb 2015

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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….

mollydooker enchanted path

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz Barossa 2012

30 Friday Jan 2015

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My friend brought this one to the table.  I believe he paid $12 for it at the local mart.  It was popped and poured first as I wanted a fresh palate to get a sense of what this Barossa Shiraz was all about.  Blackberry jam and some spice box on the nose mingled with star anise as well.  It made for an interesting intro.  A slightly hollow entrance but good mid palate of black fruits, grapefruit (weird) and bramble. Mild tannins with hidden acidity make it easy to drink right now.  The lack of much fruit on the front was detrimental to this wine’s score, but the grapefruit note was really bizarre and added a bitterness than I did not care for.  The wine blew over slightly and gained some character after being open but I don’t think I would purchase it again, just not my style.   Technically speaking I would give it 87 points and 3 stars.  It may perform better with some food, perhaps a mixed grill, even veal parmesan.  Salut….

jacobs creek reserve shiraz barossa

Mollydooker Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz 2012

08 Thursday Jan 2015

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Wow- talk about extraction, power, depth, complexity and a mouth full of blueberry.  This is a huge wine, with some really great flavors intertwined with fresh acidity and smooth tannins.  Just by pouring it I knew I was in for a treat.  Nearly black in the glass with a huge nose of blueberry, vanilla and black cherry.  The initial attack was uber long with sweet dark berries, mocha, plum and lavender hints.  More fruits evolved as I swirled the wine, showing off cassis and oak.  The long finish was impressive as was the way they managed to hide the whopping alcohol.  This is a well made, very precise wine that is not for the faint of heart.  Atypical in style it appeals to me for it’s purity of fruit and ease of drinking.  The mouthfeel is impeccable.  I always enjoy Mollydooker wines and this one is no exception.  Priced at $50 it gets 92 points from me and 5 stars.  Salut….

Mollydooker Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz

 

D’Arenberg ‘The Dead Arm’ Shiraz 2006

22 Monday Dec 2014

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I have had the 2008 Dead Arm from Mclaren Vale before and thoroughly enjoyed it.  This bottle has been sitting longer in the cellar and comes with very lofty ratings from the pros.  I decided it was just what I needed with the Sunday Roast.  It was a perfect pairing.  I found myself wondering about this wine and how best to describe it.  My thoughts are this- it is pubescent.  Not young and primal anymore, yet not fully blossomed into that full blown creature it has the potential for.  It is at a crossroads in its evolution.  Stick with me…

A hazy purple in the glass with a nose of mature plum, star anise and cocoa.
Super smooth entry with blueberry, damson and oak. Levels of flavor lead to a somewhat complex wine that is primarily fruit driven right now but I could see evolution into secondary flavors. Still quite tannic with opposing acidity make this a young and balanced wine that will age gracefully. 92 points, 2014-2025 and for $50 make this a 4 star wine worthy of cellaring.  Here’s the kick:  RP gave it 95 points with a drinking window of 2018-2036 while on the other side of the fence WS gave it 91 points with a drinking window of 2009-2016.  Very opposing views of aging capacity and technical merits.  Five years after their initial write-ups and I am in the middle of both parties as to the ratings and aging potential.  Perhaps provenance and cellar conditions will be the greatest influence from here on in.  Either way, bang for the buck you can’t go wrong with this polished Shiraz from down under.  Salut….

d'arenberg dead arm shiraz