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Southern Tasmania – a photo diary
The International Cool Climate Conference in Hobart wrapped up yesterday and I head up Tasmania’s east coast today. I’m told it’s gorgeous but, I must say, the south has been a feast for the eyes! And of course the palate. Here’s a photo diary to give you a feel for my week. [...]
Continue reading...Interviewing Tasmania’s biggest Shiraz producer, Jimmy Watson Trophy Winner Nick Glaetzer
Posted Thursday 2nd February 2012
Drier and warmer than the rest of Tasmania, the southerly Coal River Valley has form when it comes to vinous surprises. Who would have believed Zinfandel could be grown on this cool climate island, less still that Stoney Vineyard’s 1982 Zin (pictured below) would still be in the game. In the 90s, Stoney Vineyard’s then new owners, [...]
Continue reading...February Wines of the Month: Clos Clare Watervale Riesling 2011 & Filipa Pato Nossa Calcario Branco 2010
Posted Wednesday 1st February 2012
There’s a common thread between my February Wines of the Month. Both are made by producers from famous winemaking stock. Clos Clare is made by Sam, Tom and Olivia Barry whose dad is Peter Barry of Jim Barry (their grandfather), while Filipa Pato is Luis Pato’s daughter. Here are my notes on the wines: Clos [...]
Continue reading...Tasmania: toying with perceptions
Posted Tuesday 31st January 2012
Two days in and Tasmania is already toying with my perceptions. On Sunday, Hobart, the capital of this cool climate region hit 31 degrees. And so far, with the notable exception of Pressing Matters (who make four Rieslings ranging from bone dry to fully sweet, pictured), local Rieslings have been bone dry. Most surprising of all, there’s no great [...]
Continue reading...Stonier International Pinot Noir Tasting 2011 comes to London, & stirs it up again
Posted Tuesday 17th January 2012
1997 was the year wine got under my skin. And, after my first wine tasting course had finished if you’d asked me my favourite grape variety, without hesitation or deviation, I’d have shot back Pinot Noir. Ask that question now and you’ll be waiting a long time for an answer, if you get one at all. At [...]
Continue reading...January sales heads up: including a couple of my 2011 high fives & rare Madeira
Posted Thursday 12th January 2012
Yesterday Jamie Goode gave the heads up on some rather tasty deals in Noble Green’s January sale. Jamie bought some top Portuguese wines and I snapped up 6 bottles of Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2010 – one of my Top Five Australian Wines of 2011 (click here for my review). It’s reduced from £19.69 to £12.99/bottle. Click here for details [...]
Continue reading...First taste: Coriole Fiano 2011, ‘Best White Wine in Show,’ McLaren Vale Wine Show
Posted Wednesday 11th January 2012
Say what you like about the 2011 vintage in Australia, but the whites I’ve tasted have been terrific. Coriole Fiano 2011, which recently scooped ’Best White Wine in Show’ at McLaren Vale Wine Show, is no exception. And before I sing the praises of the Fiano, for an insight into the strengths and weaknesses of this atypical vintage, [...]
Continue reading...Dishing up the dirt: a focus on the Barossa’s rich and diverse terroirs
Posted Tuesday 10th January 2012
Following on from yesterday’s blog focusing on St Hallett’s single vineyard Shiraz range, here’s a hot off the press link to my Barossa Shiraz feature, “A Broad Church,” for Imbibe magazine. Thanks to all who contributed, mentioned or not. It was an eye-opening visit! If you’d like to find out more about the Barossa, check out [...]
Continue reading...St Hallett’s latest releases, including five taste the difference single vineyard Barossa Shiraz
Posted Monday 9th January 2012
This month’s Imbibe magazine will feature my in depth look at Barossa Shiraz following up on my visit last July to this iconic South Australian region. It really opened my eyes to the region’s diversity, which is finding vivid expression in a growing raft of single vineyard wines. When these form part of a range, it’s [...]
Continue reading...Heads up: Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 2005 for £12.95 in Berry Bros & Rudd sale
Posted Wednesday 4th January 2012
Put your skates on! Berry Bros & Rudd’s January Sale starts today and I’ve already placed my order for a case of this iconic Hunter Valley Semillon. For £155.40/case of 12 this single vineyard beaut works out at just £12.95/bottle – not much more than it’s younger sibling, Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon…. Not bad when you [...]
Continue reading...My Top 5 Wines of the Year: Australia
Posted Wednesday 28th December 2011
They say that life’s too short to drink bad wine and, in my case, it’s most certainly too short to taste bad wine and write about it! With the exception of lesser vintages in vertical reports, I rate highly every wine which makes its way onto my website, so it’s no easy task to select [...]
Continue reading...Forget the claret: squeals on great Cabernet deals
Posted Wednesday 21st December 2011
I swung by Majestic in the week and they’ve got some pretty smart Cabernets/Cab blends from Australia and South Africa on deal for around a tenner (as part of the usual case purchase, which can be mixed). These polished, elegant wines seriously over deliver: Vasse Felix Cabernet Merlot 2009 (Margaret River, W. Australia) Virginia Willcock puts [...]
Continue reading...Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2006: the best 2006 Margaret River Cabernet I’ve tasted?
Posted Wednesday 14th December 2011
This year, I’ve shown Leeuwin Estate’s Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 twice. It was a big hit at a London International Wine Fair masterclass I presented on behalf of Margaret River Wine Industry Association in May and, in June, was one of my Wines of the Month (see here). (Coincidentally, with Vasse Felix Chardonnay which is back [...]
Continue reading...Taking coals to Newcastle: Kaesler Touriga Nacional 2007 travels to Oporto
Posted Tuesday 6th December 2011
I’m just back from Oporto and, invited to dinner with a winemaker who loves to blind taste, took the opportunity to “take coals to Newcastle” in the rather tasty form of a bottle of Kaesler’s fortified Touriga Nacional 2007. It’s from the Barossa Valley, South Australia. He immediately recognised it wasn’t a Port. Not because [...]
Continue reading...Margaret River: business as usual
Posted Thursday 1st December 2011
An update on Monday’s blog from Margaret River Winemakers’ Association Vice President Stuart Watson of Woodland Wines. It confirms that there was minimal damage to Margaret River’s vineyards as a result of last week’s bush fires, no permanent damage has been done and this year’s vintage will not be affected by smoke taint. It’s also open [...]
Continue reading...Margaret River bush fires: update & appeal
Posted Monday 28th November 2011
Last week bush fires led to a major evacuation of homes and wineries in the south of Margaret River. Most fortunately, it seems no-one was seriously hurt. However the town of Prevelly was badly hit, leading to the loss of homes, also the historic homestead, Wallcliffe House (see here). So far, it would seem that [...]
Continue reading...Heads up – a fiver off benchmark Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, Wynn’s Black Label 2006/7
Posted Wednesday 16th November 2011
At full price (£14.99), I reckon Wynn’s Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is good value for money so, with a fiver off, it’s a sharp buy on deal at £9.99 at The Co-operative (premium stores only) from today, 16 November – 3 January inclusive. Both the 2006 & 2007 vintage are in stock -and, if you have [...]
Continue reading...A visit with First Drop at Home of the Brave, the Barossa – another revolution
Posted Monday 14th November 2011
Former St Hallett boys Matt Gant (winemaker) and John Retsas (marketeer, pictured) are “the players” behind First Drop wines. With a Shiraz named Mother’s Milk and a Cabernet called Mother’s Ruin, I reckon Dr Freud would have plenty to say about the pair. But personal psychology aside, there’s no question that they’re helping kick into [...]
Continue reading...Highlights from Les Caves de Pyrene goes Down Under tasting
Posted Friday 11th November 2011
Les Caves de Pyrene shows no signs of changing its name though the portfolio has long since extended beyond France. This tasting showed off its burgeoning New World Portfolio and I made a bee line for the Australia section which, as the labels pictured above suggest, has a distinctly artisanal/natural bent as you’d expect from Les Caves. My highlights. [...]
Continue reading...Towards the voice of the vineyard: Cullen Wines’ 40th Anniversary Chardonnay vertical (1997-2010)
Posted Friday 21st October 2011
Cullen Wines Annual Chardonnay tasting took place last weekend. The blind tasting, which was the brainchild of the late Dr Kevin John Cullen, pits leading Chardonnays from around the world against one another. Dr Cullen felt that the lessons learned from these comparisons would help Cullen Wines optimise the quality of their Chardonnay. So he’d have [...]
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Posted Saturday 4th February 2012
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