Skillogalee Basket Pressed Shiraz 2003 – very rich, sweet, pure berry fruit with chocolate and leather notes.
Two Hands Brave Faces Shiraz Grenache 2003 – fragrant mulberry and blueberry nose; these fruits follow through on the velvet textured, chocolatey palate. Seductive.
Glaetzer Shiraz 2004 - I’m a firm fan of Glaetzer wines following my visit to the winery last year and this is shows why: rich, spicy, round Shiraz with plenty of Barossa oomph and joyfully supple tannins.
Ainsworth & Snelson Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 – plum and mulberry with an edge of meat pan juice savouriness and well groomed fine tannins.
Hollick Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2002 – perfumed, leafy nose with hints of mint, lifted parma violets and abundant fleshy berry fruit and cassis.
Best’s Great Western Bin No. 1 Shiraz 2003 – minerally (iron/blood), savoury, dry shiraz; firm tannins. Very good, needs time.
Yering Station Reserve Shiraz Viognier 2003 – lush house style, loaded with crushed raspberry fruit underscored by spicy orange and black pepper; exotic.
Capel Vale Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2001 – seamless, streamlined blend with lovely fruit purity and great poise.
Cape Mentelle Shiraz 2002 – intense mulberry and blueberry with bay leaf and smoky bacon; elegant frame.
Howard Park Leston Shiraz 2002 – surprisingly fresh style put me in mind of a St Joseph – pure, lively fruit with a savoury edge.
Tamar Ridge Batman Selection Pinot Noir 2002 – this has shrugged off some of its puppy fat since I last tasted it and, while still ample with lashings of rich, spicy, tobacco-edged curranty red and black fruits, is wearing its 14.5% alcohol well! Much appreciated by the last Introductory Course “students”. Stockists include Novum Wines, London, Wine in Cornwall and The Harrow at Little Bedwyn.
Tamar Ridge Riesling 2004 – clean as a whistle with rapier –like acidity and, after a few days open but refrigerated, some enticing petrol notes. Fine, minerally finish – very good for those who like their wines bone dry.
Plantagenet Omrah Sauvignon Blanc 2005 – good intensity, crisp, dry focused and lively with a hint of passionfruit.
Mount Horrocks Watervale Semillon 2003 – super toasty, and tight knit with a streak of lime – very Graves.
Mount Horrocks Clare Valley Riesling 2004 – focused, lime and flint; good length.
Jeffrey Grosset Watervale Riesling 2004 – Watervale is the warmer of the Clare’s sub-regions (compared with Polish Hill) and it shows with the broader, earthy palate – very minerally with “bath salts”/sweet talc notes.
Jeffrey Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2004 – tight, minerally, impressive and austere with some spicy (orange peel) hints.
Jeffrey Grosset Piccadilly Chardonnay 2002 – good depth of minerally apple and white peach fruit, nicely structured with well integrated oak.
Cullen Chardonnay 2003 – wild, earthy and tangy this is not fruit led! Well-integrated oak, complex and well-structured.
Cullen Ellen Bussell Red 2003 – very youthful, unadulterated sappy red & black fruits.
Balnaves Cabernet Merlot 2001 – meat pan juices on the nose – very Coonawarra – with a trace of mint; sweet cassis with savoury undertones and cedar spice; lovely texture – very good.
Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2002 (stelvin) – very pure, honest wine with lots of bay leaf, fresh black fruits and super subtle oak – accomplished, hands off winemaking.
Brokenwood Graveyard Hunter Valley Shiraz 2003 – tight, wild blackcurrant with hints of linseed oil and earth; good acidity and ripe tannins – a keeper.
Battle of Bosworth Shiraz Viognier 2005 – quite fresh for McClaren Vale with savoury black pepper and smoky bacon notes – very good.
Ferngrove Orchid Cossack Riesling 2004 – located in Frankland, Great Southern in Western Australia I’ve been really taken with these cool climate wines which tend to be more austere than their Margaret River counterparts. The Riesling is minerally (bath salts) shot through with pure lime; tight, long and focused – very good.
Ferngrove Orchid Dragon Shiraz 2003 – grippy rather than fleshy with fine tannins and good fruit purity.
Ferngrove Orchid King Malbec 2003 – loved this – great colour, fresh, perfumed nose and palate with coffee, violets, succulent black cherry and an attractive, lively, silky (nice change from chunky/clunky) structure.
Ferngrove Estate The Stirlings 2001 – Bordeaux blend with lots of finesse.
Langmeil Eden Valley Riesling 2004 – tight and minerally – very good.
Langmeil Three Gardens Shiraz/Grenache/Mourvedre 2004 – fresh nose with black pepper, smoky bacon and red and black fruits – well done.
Nepenthe Handpicked Riesling 2004 – hints of petrol and bath salts mingle with lime on a rich palate; closer to Alsace than Clare or Eden Valley riesling.
Nepenthe Pinot Noir 2002 – pretty pinot with a delicate nose and violets, cherry and cranberry on the palate.
Wakefield St Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 – textured palate of succulent plum and cassis with hints of mint alongside developed meat pan juices; very approachable/enjoyable now – £21.99, Oddbins Fine Wine.
Sarah Ahmed
The Wine Detective
October 2005
? Two Hands Brave Faces Shiraz Grenache 2003 – fragrant mulberry and blueberry nose; these fruits follow through on the velvet textured, chocolatey palate. Seductive.
? Glaetzer Shiraz 2004 – I’m a firm fan of Glaetzer wines following my visit to the winery last year and this is shows why: rich, spicy, round Shiraz with plenty of Barossa oomph and joyfully supple tannins.
? Ainsworth & Snelson Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 – plum and mulberry with an edge of meat pan juice savouriness and well groomed fine tannins.
? Hollick Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2002 – perfumed, leafy nose with hints of mint, lifted parma violets and abundant fleshy berry fruit and cassis.
? Best’s Great Western Bin No. 1 Shiraz 2003 – minerally (iron/blood), savoury, dry shiraz; firm tannins. Very good, needs time.
? Yering Station Reserve Shiraz Viognier 2003 – lush house style, loaded with crushed raspberry fruit underscored by spicy orange and black pepper; exotic.
? Capel Vale Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2001 – seamless, streamlined blend with lovely fruit purity and great poise.
? Cape Mentelle Shiraz 2002 – intense mulberry and blueberry with bay leaf and smoky bacon; elegant frame.
? Howard Park Leston Shiraz 2002 – surprisingly fresh style put me in mind of a St Joseph – pure, lively fruit with a savoury edge.
? Tamar Ridge Batman Selection Pinot Noir 2002 – this has shrugged off some of its puppy fat since I last tasted it and, while still ample with lashings of rich, spicy, tobacco-edged curranty red and black fruits, is wearing its 14.5% alcohol well! Much appreciated by the last Introductory Course “students”. Stockists include Novum Wines, London, Wine in Cornwall and The Harrow at Little Bedwyn.
? Tamar Ridge Riesling 2004 – clean as a whistle with rapier –like acidity and, after a few days open but refrigerated, some enticing petrol notes. Fine, minerally finish – very good for those who like their wines bone dry.
? Plantagenet Omrah Sauvignon Blanc 2005 – good intensity, crisp, dry focused and lively with a hint of passionfruit.
? Mount Horrocks Watervale Semillon 2003 – super toasty, and tight knit with a streak of lime – very Graves.
? Mount Horrocks Clare Valley Riesling 2004 – focused, lime and flint; good length.
? Jeffrey Grosset Watervale Riesling 2004 – Watervale is the warmer of the Clare’s sub-regions (compared with Polish Hill) and it shows with the broader, earthy palate – very minerally with “bath salts”/sweet talc notes.
? Jeffrey Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2004 – tight, minerally, impressive and austere with some spicy (orange peel) hints.
? Jeffrey Grosset Piccadilly Chardonnay 2002 – good depth of minerally apple and white peach fruit, nicely structured with well integrated oak.
? Cullen Chardonnay 2003 – wild, earthy and tangy this is not fruit led! Well-integrated oak, complex and well-structured.
? Cullen Ellen Bussell Red 2003 – very youthful, unadulterated sappy red & black fruits.
? Balnaves Cabernet Merlot 2001 – meat pan juices on the nose – very Coonawarra – with a trace of mint; sweet cassis with savoury undertones and cedar spice; lovely texture – very good.
? Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2002 (stelvin) – very pure, honest wine with lots of bay leaf, fresh black fruits and super subtle oak – accomplished, hands off winemaking.
? Brokenwood Graveyard Hunter Valley Shiraz 2003 – tight, wild blackcurrant with hints of linseed oil and earth; good acidity and ripe tannins – a keeper.
? Battle of Bosworth Shiraz Viognier 2005 – quite fresh for McClaren Vale with savoury black pepper and smoky bacon notes – very good.
? Ferngrove Orchid Cossack Riesling 2004 – located in Frankland, Great Southern in Western Australia I’ve been really taken with these cool climate wines which tend to be more austere than their Margaret River counterparts. The Riesling is minerally (bath salts) shot through with pure lime; tight, long and focused – very good.
? Ferngrove Orchid Dragon Shiraz 2003 – grippy rather than fleshy with fine tannins and good fruit purity.
? Ferngrove Orchid King Malbec 2003 – loved this – great colour, fresh, perfumed nose and palate with coffee, violets, succulent black cherry and an attractive, lively, silky (nice change from chunky/clunky) structure.
? Ferngrove Estate The Stirlings 2001 – Bordeaux blend with lots of finesse.
? Langmeil Eden Valley Riesling 2004 – tight and minerally – very good.
? Langmeil Three Gardens Shiraz/Grenache/Mourvedre 2004 – fresh nose with black pepper, smoky bacon and red and black fruits – well done.
? Nepenthe Handpicked Riesling 2004 – hints of petrol and bath salts mingle with lime on a rich palate; closer to Alsace than Clare or Eden Valley riesling.
? Nepenthe Pinot Noir 2002 – pretty pinot with a delicate nose and violets, cherry and cranberry on the palate.
? Wakefield St Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 – textured palate of succulent plum and cassis with hints of mint alongside developed meat pan juices; very approachable/enjoyable now – £21.99, Oddbins Fine Wine.
Sarah Ahmed
The Wine Detective
October 2005
