Forward and fragrant, the aroma of this wine is a whole market basket of fresh fruits like peach, tangerine and guava. Hazard Hill, Western Australia (Australia) Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($12, Robert Whale Selections): This blend of 55% Semillon and 45% Sauvignon Blanc is a great value and a supremely versatile wine. Angoves, McLaren Vale (Southeastern Australia) Shiraz 'Vineyard Select' 2005 ($19): Angoves eschews the conventions when making its McLaren Vale Shiraz, striving for elegance and balance rather than power and tongue-coating thickness. There is nothing flirtatious about it; the wine has no soft contours or honeyed elasticity. The blackberry and cassis fruit notes are clear as a bell, and they are backed with eucalyptus scents and spicy oak that trumpet Aussie origins. Yellow Tail, Southeastern Australia (Australia) Shiraz 2017 ($8): Yellow Tail always delivers a Shiraz that is enjoyable and delicious for a modest price. It does not display, though, as much of Viognier's succulent and seductive honeysuckle bouquet as other renditions (including Yalumba's much less expensive 'Y Series' Viognier). Yalumba, South Australia (Australia) Cabernet Sauvignon "Y Series" 2010 ($13, Negociants USA): A full-bodied but smooth and harmonious Cabernet, this wine offers plenty of flavor without ever seeming overbearing. Wine Advent Calendar | Portrait of a Wallflower | Flying Blue Imports. Firmly structured and fresh, offering a long, complex aftertaste. In my experience, these assertive forceful flavors are something of an acquired taste. Tamar Ridge, Tasmania (Australia) Pinot Noir "Devil's Corner" 2005 ($18, Robert Whale Selections): Youthful and vibrant, with ripe cherry fruit flavors at the fore, this wine has a smoky, spicy undertone that gains intensity when it is paired with food.
The wine furthermore is redolent of pure, summery peach and nectarine aromas and flavors unfettered by oak barrel elements. An impressive blend that's drinking nicely now but will age further. Expansion: 18 months barrique. What the label fails to mention is that it's a touch sweet. The influence of oak aging enhances and doesn't dominate. Costco Just Announced These 4 Boozy Holiday Calendars. Capel Vale, Mount Barker (Great Southern, Western Australia, Australia) Shiraz Kinnaird Vineyard Black Label 2003 ($45, multiple distributors): Less meaty than the 2001, presumably because it is younger and bottled under screw cap, it still has a hint of that lovely gamy quality. Lindemans, South Eastern Australia (Australia) Cabernet Sauvignon "Bin 45" 2008 ($8, FWE Imports): Here's an $8 Cabernet that was awarded a Gold Medal at the San Diego International Wine Competition. A case in point, this bottling offers up plenty of juicy, substantial fruit that shows notes of red raspberries and dark cherries, along with light subtleties drawn from oak.
The red Paringa 2003s are all macerated and pressed to the hilt, and though they'd be out of place at the ballet, they'd fit right in at a rugby match. My favorite Viogniers from the northen Rhone Valley of France, where the grape variety performs at extraordinary levels, do have ripeness and alcohol, but it's all in balance with refreshing acidity. Accordingly, if you were returning to this after an interim of some years, you'd expect a lot more for you money. Herbs, chocolate, and black cherries are all mixed together in the nose and on the palate. Decant this and enjoy with a grilled steak now, or lay it down for your grandchildren.
8% alcohol and good length. A blast of dark cherry, plum, espresso, menthol and licorice infuses the 2018 with notable depth that continues to build over time. " The jaunty sea horse on the label is not an example of 'critter label' trendiness, but rather a reference to three tiny fossilized seahorses unearthed during excavation on the estate, proof that an ancient inland sea once covered this land. ) The 2008 is still quite austere, especially when first opened and fully chilled, but even at this tender age it shows much more body, depth and dimension if one lets it warm a bit and get some air. It shows juicy red fruits with a pleasing hint of eucalyptus and spice, richness and density, sweet tannins and a lingering finish that doesn't have the heat you would expect from a wine with 15. Wakefield, Clare Valley and Eden Valley (South Australia) Riesling 'Jaraman' 2013 ($25): Some of my favorite dry Rieslings come from, of all places, Australia, specifically the Clare and Eden valleys in South Australia. The wine has good length and structure; a bit fuller than your typical Italian Pinot Grigio. It is undoubtedly the finest pinot grigio produced outside of Italy. Don't write an epitaph for this vibrant Shiraz. Rich and densely textured, the beautiful fruit shines through without the distraction of new oak (St. Henri is matured in huge, old vats that impart just enough oak to add subtle complexity and texture minus the attention-grabbing harshness new oak often brings to a young red wine). This is a bargain, but also a very well made wine regardless of price. Given the price tag, it would be an excellent choice to pour at a party.
Barossa Valley Estate, Barossa Valley (Australia) Shiraz "Black Pepper" 2002 ($85, International Cellars): Not for the faint of heart, this bottling is always one of the most intense and wild rides in the entire world of wine, and 2002 proves no exception. His father, Mort, had planted vineyards of Shiraz, Cabernet, Grenache and Riesling in the 1960s. It has texture, ample fruit, 12% alcohol, structure and good length through the finish. Although drinkable now, with a few years bottle age, this Cabernet will meld its various components into a more harmonious wine. A slight touch of eucalyptus enhances the black fruit aromas of this lovely Pinot. John Duval Wines, Barossa Valley (South Australia, Australia) "Plexus" 2006 ($40, Old Bridge Cellars): Blended from 52% Shiraz, 30% Grenache and 18% Mourvédre, this is a 'SGM' bottling that is likely to heighten your estimation of the entire genre.
If you are a fan of big wines, you should definitely jump at this one if you find it. Here, temperatures are generally cool and are moderated by ocean breezes. The Lane Vineyard, Adelaide Hills (South Australia, Australia) Sauvignon "Estate Grown" 2006 ($30, Vintage New World): Bright and pungent, but not overly piercing, this Sauvignon Blanc has an attractive texture and weight in the mid-palate. That's an impressive feat, and this is a very impressive wine precisely because it comes off seeming so natural, integrated and…odd as this may seem, effortless. Clarendon Hills, McLaren Vale (South Australia, Australia) Syrah Hickinbotham Vineyard 2004 ($100, Wine Brokers Unlimited): Powerful and fruity amply describes this juicy Syrah. Dandelion Vineyards, Eden Valley (Australia) Riesling "Wonderland of the Eden Valley" 2018 ($60, Liberty Wines): I've had the pleasure of raving about this wine for several vintages now, and I am happy to oblige yet again. Palandri, Western Australia (Australia) Riesling 2006 ($12, Palandri America): Bright and fresh, this wine offers lots of zesty refreshment for the money. With its soft, delicate texture and hints of wet pebbles and lemon-lime flavors, it's a bottle of wine that is guaranteed to convey sheer hedonistic sipping bliss. The vines behind this are still young, and there's every reason to believe that they will produce more profound wines in the future, but they're already off to an impressive start. It would be a fine choice of steakhouses and other restaurants to pour by the glass. This was my first experience with 'The Yard, ' so I can only guess; but I would wager that those appealing secondary aromas and flavors will gain intensity with time spent in bottle.