Australian Red Wines    October 2003 SHIRAZ . . . . . . . CABERNET . . . . . . . BLENDS & OTHERS SHIRAZ 2001 Kirralaa, Bushvine Shiraz - South Eastern Australia June 2003 Very dark colour, just showing a purple rim. The nose shows high tones set against deep plummy notes. There are medium tannins and good acidity. Really good concentration of fruit which finishes with a good creamy length. This is very tasty and for the price I'd say this is very interesting. 2000 Bremerton, Selkirk Shiraz - Langhorne Creek June 2003 Medium-deep cherry red. The nose is relatively subdued, showing a little pepper, chocolate and perhaps mint too. The palate is nicely fresh with very good acidity complimenting the black fruit. Good length. Whilst not outstanding in any way, the overall package makes for a very nice wine. 2001 Bremerton, Explorer Shiraz - Langhorne Creek June 2003 This is a special release to mark the 150th anniversary of vine planting in the Langhorne Creek area and my favourite wine of this bunch - I bought some. Deeply coloured with a purple rim. Excellent nose which can only be a concentrated oz shiraz. Sweet, concentrated palate of black fruits well integrated wood and good tannins. Very well balanced with a creamy length. This is very good even at this higher price (43 S.Fr) 2000 Langmeil Winery, Valley Floor Shiraz - Barossa June 2003 Medium-plus cherry red. Deep nose with sweet oak dominating the expresso! Fat palate with grainy tannin and good acidity. Again there's a lot of oak character on the palate too - in fact a little too much for my own taste - but good wine with a good length. 2000 Pirramimma, Stock's Hill Shiraz - McLaren Vale June 2003 Deep cherry red. High toned nose of black berry fruits. Explodes in the mouth with good acidity and grainy tannins. Again black fruit on the palate. This is very good, indeed excellent for the price - almost got the nod as the new house wine for chez nanson. 2000 Pirramimma, White Label Shiraz - McLaren Vale June 2003 I found the 1999 version an excellent wine - but because the nose was so obviously menthol - my wife didn't like the medicine effect. This wine is almost a saturated ruby colour. There's a pronounced, slightly spicy, plummy shiraz nose. Very concentrated palate with good acidity and medium-plus tannins. This is lovely - and despite the relatively high price (29 S.Fr) got the award as house wine 2003. 1999 Robertson's Well, Shiraz - Coonawarra June 2003 Medium-deep ruby colour. The nose shows meat notes together with plum pie. The fat palate has pronounced black fruit and strong acidity. The tannins are not bad and there's also a decent length to the finish. A good and quite interesting wine. 2001 Saltram, Mamre Brook Shiraz - Barossa June 2003 Medium-deep cherry colour. High toned nose of fresh blackcurrant and blueberry. Good concentration of of black fruits on the palate with medium tannins and nice acidity. Finishes with a hint of cream - this is very good. 2001 Paringa, Individual Vineyard Shiraz - South Australia June 2003 I'm not sure what 'individual vineyard' means, but here we go: Deep ruby colour with a cherry rim. Slightly subdued nose but it hints at extra depth. Very good fruit on the palate mainly black in profile. Slightly grainy tannin and good acidity. This is a very fruit-driven style which I find rather good. For the price of 16 S.Fr I'd say excellent - almost got the nod for the house wine. 1996 Rockford, SVS Hoffmann Barossa Shiraz March 2003 Wow ! Saturated ruby. A nose of caramel, coffee and big, very black fruits. The palate is full-on, concentrated blackberry with a roasted fruit undertone. The acidity helps the caramel finish go longer and the thick velvety tannins also help the fruit cling to the inside of your mouth. Very well balanced when compared to the '96 Moorooroo SVS and probably even better than the '97 Hoffmann SVS. Excellent. 2000 Dalwhinne, Moonambel Shiraz March 2003 Very deep colour, highlights of crimson at the rim. The nose is high toned with lots of ripe blackberry. The palate shows fine acidity together with black and blue berry fruit. The tannins are grainy with plenty of grab. This is a lovely wine. 1998 Rockford, Basket Press Barossa Shiraz March 2003 From a half bottle with a disappointingly small 'aggregate' cork. Very deep garnet colour, almost to the rim. Nose is alcoholic and very port-like, with a slight oxidised tone. It's complex though, with cooking plums and caramel too. The palate has well covered acidity and tannin plus satisfying length. I'm not keen on the nose but a very good wine. 2000 Shingleback, McLaren Vale Shiraz March 2003 Full, dark colour, some cherry at the rim. The nose is sweetly oaked and low toned, almost beetroot with blackcurrant. The palate is reasonably concentrated and very smooth - manages to do a good job of hiding the structure, just seems to lack a little interest. Very good length. Still a definitely above average wine. 1998 Tatachilla, Foundation McLaren Vale Shiraz February 2003 Very deep, virtually saturated garnet, only slightly lighter at the rim. Nose is chocolatey, covering summer pudding fruit. The palate is thick, showing excellent acidity and very furry tannins. There's fantastic concentration of virtually blackened plums. The finish is extra long (if a little bitter) thanks to those tannins clinging to the sides of your mouth. Very good. 1996 Rockford, SVS Moorooroo Barossa Shiraz February 2003 Medium-plus ruby colour, not so saturated as the 1997 (Hoffmann) Special Vineyard Selection. Sweet cocoa and cream, lifted (alcoholic) stewing plums and raspberry at the top end provides an interesting nose. The palate is much more concentrated than the colour suggests but seems a little dissjointed. Good acidity with controlled medium weight tannin, perhaps not the depth of the 1997 SVS. Certainly a very good wine but if you have the option, take the 1997 in preference. 2001 Simon Hackett, Clare Valley Shiraz January 2003 Deep saturated colour, some purple at the rim. Nose has traces of wood and vanilla behind big ripe fruits. The palate is smooth, with persistent fruit, good acidity and tannin, just finishing with vanilla again, but very well integrated. Over Christmas, this was second only to the considerably more expensive Knappstein Enterprise Shiraz. Very good. 1998 Knappstein, Enterprise Shiraz December 2002 The first vintage of this I tasted was the 1995. I found that one overly peppery and not as good as the price suggested. This one is deeply garnet coloured. The nose is a little peppery, but not overly so. The palate has lovely dense fruit coupled with good acidity and furry tannins. Nice length too. A very good wine. 2000 Peter Lehmann, Barrossa Shiraz December 2002 Hard to definitively rate this wine. The first examples I tasted (2 bottles) had superb Barrossa aromatics and were thick, chocolatey and very tasty. Subsequently I took advantage of the 3 for £20 offer in Oddbins (UK) and found all three of these bottles more subdued and less interesting - though still perfectly acceptable. I will assume I‘m at fault here as they are a bit young to have suffered from bad storage, perhaps I was more desperate when I drank the first ! 2000 d'Arenberg, Dead Arm Shiraz November 2002 Saturated ruby colour. Nose is pretty deep with some smokey elements from the barrel treatment. The palate is very concentrated with crunchy tannins and quite good acidity. A definite step up in terms of concentration and quite good value. A very good wine. 1999 Baileys, Glenrowan 1920's Block Shiraz November 2002 Deep garnet colour,still with a cherry rim. The nose is reticent but has high tones of cherry and blackberry. The palates shows medium-plus intesity with good acidity and medium tannins. More interest here than the 'Bobby Burns'. Good. 2000 Campbells, Rutherglen Bobby Burns Shiraz November 2002 Medium ruby colour. Redcurrant and even banana on the nose. The palate is sweet and quite jammy. Reasonable acidity and mainly red fruit. A nice wine, but this is less concentrated and also for my taste less interesting than previous 'Bobbys'. For this vintage at least, not up to the standard of its peers. 1996 Wakefield, St. Andrews Clare Valley Shiraz October 2002 Decanted 1 hour before drinking. Very deep garnet, almost to the rim. Cream and intense plum fruit, blackberry, kirsch and bacon fat on the nose. Like many premium shiraz's, there is no doubting both the quality and concentration of fruit on this beast, but what is most impressive is the fineness of the tannins. The last tannins that left such a smooth coating on my teeth were from de Vogüé's 1er Cru Chambolle-Musigny, i.e. young vine Musigny. As smooth as smooth can be. Top notch without a doubt - Excellent. 1999 Gemtree Vineyards, McLaren Vale Shiraz August 2002 Deep colour, still purple. The nose is also deep and concentrated, with heavy plum fruit and some caramel notes. The palate is like eating a velvety ‘summer pudding’. There is just so much juicy black fruit going on here. In the mouth it seems almost too sweet and out of balance, but the good acidity comes through late to save the day. Very good, and given time, perhaps much better than that. 1997 Mount Ida, Victoria Shiraz August 2002 Deep ruby colour. Nose is deep and wide, with stewing plums and cinnamon topped with brown sugar. Palate is equally sweet and fruity, but with really fine acidity which means that this wine is just as happy with food as without. Tannin is there if you look for it, and the acidity pushes the finish quite long. Always a favourite this one ! 1998 Rymill Winery, Coonawarra Shiraz June 2002 Concentrated ruby with purple edge. Nose has kirsch and red fruits. The palate has nice concentration, furry tannins and good acidity. Less of a bruiser than many, but still with good concentration. Very good at £11 1999 Pirramimma, McLaren Vale White label Shiraz June 2002 Again almost opaque. Nose is highly concentrated with peppery notes and a hint of cough mixture. The palate is equally concentrated and quite tannic with good acidity. The cough medicine came through strongly on the palate, which spoiled the effort for me. If you don't mind the night-nurse, an excellent effort. £13 2000 Langmeil Winery. Barossa Valley Shiraz June 2002 Dark with purple colour. Peppery shiraz bouquet with some coffee. Good tannins, relatively sweet and fruity with decent acidity and sweet caramel length. A good effort. £11 1996 St Hallett, Blackwell Shiraz April 2002 Quite deeply coloured, still with a little purple. Creamy oak on the nose together with high toned fruits, red and black. Very smooth with not bad acidity, but there's perhaps a small hole in middle. The tannin creeps up on you and there is good length. Still a good wine though. 1998 Henschke, Mount Edelstone February 2002 Deeply coloured, but not as 'super-saturated' as many premium shiraz's. Still purple at the rim. The nose is intruiging: very intense and reminiscent of a premium Chilean cabernet - I wouldn't guess this was shiraz. Strong blackcurrant with a little chocolate and crème brûlée in the background. On the palate, beautifully covered acidity. Only mild, furry tannins with liquorice and a blackcurrant and black cherry compote. Length is very good. A lovely wine which I would never have guessed as a straight shiraz. For me a 'one glass' wine right now, so definitely leave for 3 – 4 years before trying again. 1995 Yalumba, Reserve Clare Valley Shiraz February 2002 Almost saturated colour that is ruby but still purple at the rim. Nose is still the primary plum fruit, earth and crème brulée that I remember from 2 years ago. The palate has good acid with now less obvious tannins it's also very creamy and quite fat, admittedly mainly oak derived but still great fun. Good creamy length. Still worth leaving for a couple more years. Very good. 1994 Geoff Merrill, Reserve South Eastern Australia Shiraz February 2002 Saturated ruby colour. Nose is that fabulous mix of dark chocolate with sweet damson and cream that would be a dream desert. Tannins are still nice and furry with good acidity. Palate is a little 'thinner' than the Yalumba but I'm only being picky here, as overall I (just) prefer this to the Yalumba. Again very good. 1999 Groom, Barossa Valley Shiraz January 2002 Opaque, saturated ruby. From cold (15°C) no pepper and spice but there is coffee and crème caramel, the nose doesn't open up much more, but there is some black cherry. The dark chocolate palate has concentration and good acidity that is so well balanced it's initially quite hard to find, but your mouth keeps watering for minutes later. The tannin, similarly, is also very well hidden but it's there - I find this wine extraordinarily well balanced. Reminds me of the '94 Stonewell (drank a couple of years ago) but with a better length. Possibly the best young shiraz I've ever tried, excellent. 1994 Tim Adams, The Fergus January 2002 From magnum. Medium garnet colour lightening a bit at the rim, but not obviously mature. The nose was an incredibly piercing affair of leather and liquorice and also, perhaps, stewing rhubarb. The palate still has good acidity and some tannin, as for fruit it is a diffuse experience which although has good length, cannot match the interest generated by the nose. Very good, but I suspect, on the way down. 1999 Bleasdale, Bremerview Shiraz December 2001 Darkly coloured, the nose is high toned giving the expectation of an overly acidic palate – not so. Lovely mouthfeel, thick, fruity, the high acidity is covered by ample sweetness & nice tannins. I would have guessed £12-15+, but this is only £7.49 rrp – stunning value. I bought the last 8 in Oddbins to serve as 'house wine' over Xmas. 1998 Penfolds, Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz December 2001 Perhaps a hint darker than the above, a sweeter nose with subtle vanilla. High acidity which is not as well covered as the Bleasdale. Again nice tannins and good structure. Enjoyable, but the (cheaper) Bleasdale is significantly better. 1992 Seppelt, Chalambar Shiraz December 2001 Medium garnet, bricking towards the edge. The lovely nose is coffee and leather with some higher vanilla tones. In the mouth quite thin, reasonable acidity and the tannin is all gone as is the fruit, but unfortunately nothing has replaced it. The finish is now shorter and just becoming astringent. Bought 3 years ago for £7, two years ago I would have happily paid £20 for it, now (apart from the nose) it's not worth £7. Fortunately the last one. 1991 Penfolds, Grange December 2001 Medium to deep ruby colour, lighter at the rim but not yet tending to brown. Nose makes no bold statements, sweet plums with just a trace of spice. The palate has nice acidity, certainly prominent but luxurious tannins and good length with perceptible vanilla, but it is not 'multidimensional'. Basically, in a QPR context it is unremarkable (Maybe a Gluck 14 !). It is a lovely wine which I would possibly have bought again if it cost £20 ! Whilst not a 'lauded' vintage I expected considerably more – very disappointed. So given the choice between 1 bottle of Grange, or 3 bottles of La Chapelle for the same money . 1994 Penfolds, Shiraz Bin 128 April 2001 Deep red, just hinting at brick at the rim. The nose started quite high toned with a whiff of something volatile. After 45 minutes it was much more interesting, very well integrated vanilla with the plummy fruit. At the start, acidity seemed out of balance and there was a hollowness in the mid-palate. Again 45 minutes did the trick. The wine became smooth and long. Very good, but first leave it open for an hour ! 1996 Yarra Yering, The Underhill Shiraz February 2001 Very strange this one. A sniff in the bottle top indicated a slight damp/mushroomy element, in this context quite appealing. Unfortunatley in the glass, this was the dominant component. Behind the mushrooms was a little oak, but the fruit was overpowered. On the palate, medium bodied, controlled tannins, very fine acidity and a sweet finish. Everything I could have hope for - apart from the mushrooms. I couldn't enjoy this - but my wife did! 1995 Michelton, The Print Shiraz February 2001 Deep almost impenetrable ruby red. The nose was a warm and spicy/peppery mixture of plum and prune. Whilst full bodied, this is not a thick 'syruppy' brute. The tannin is soft, the acid balanced and the plummy fruit is sweet but not cloying. At last! Eureka! A 'premium' (though undoubtedly overpriced) Aussie shiraz which you can enjoy to the bottom of the bottle. Excellent. CABERNET 2000 Pirramimma, White Label Cabernet Sauvignon - McLaren Vale June 2003 Deep ruby colour. High blackcurrant tones on the nose, perhaps some plum too. Very fruit driven palate with good acidity. Not the fat of some wines, but I really liked the overall style - concentrated but highly drinkable. Very good. 1998 Rymill Winery, Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvigon June 2002 Almost opaque. Nose is lovely deep, ripe Cabernet fruit with a trace of vanilla. The palate has super concentration, really excellently melded tannin and acidity and a great finish. The pick of around 10 cabernets and cheaper than most - so QPR winner too at £11. 1999 Pirramimma, McLaren Vale White label Cabernet Sauvignon June 2002 Again almost opaque. Good nose, deeply tannic and long in the finish - excellent effort. £11 1995 Cape Methelle, Cabernet Sauvignon April 2002 Dark coloured, garnet with a little red at the edge. The nose started with soaring black fruits – lovely. After a few minutes it developed an undercurrent of damp, mushrooms and wet dog – as nice as it sounds !! The palate was excellent though; super concentrated very sweet black fruits, well hidden tannin and long acidity. Ignoring the strange nose, this wine is a peach. Normally we drink about 2/3rds of a bottle in one sitting, but this was finished on the night. Very good and very more-ish. 1996 Bannockburn, Cabernet Sauvignon January 2002 It’s been in the bottom of a cupboard for a couple of years – ‘lost’. A very mature looking medium brick colour. The nose is an almost overpowering concoction of blackberry and other ‘stewing’ black fruits, fabulous. If only the palate was a match, still a little acidity though the tannin is gone. There’s nothing particularly wrong, but there’s no interest either. Just a hint astringent on the medium finish – drink up. 1999 Bleasdale, Mulberry Tree Cabernet Sauvignon December 2001 The shiraz punches so far above it's weight I thought I should try the cabernet too. Medium ruby colour. Nose again high toned with a nice minty blackcurrant edge. Again expected an acidic palate, but once more nicely balanced. Not the luxurious mouthfeel of the shiraz but still good. Finished quite long, smooth with a little creamy vanilla. At £7.49 again very good value, but the shiraz is the star. 1994 Leasingham, Classic Clare Cabernet Sauvignon January 2001 Still impenetrable purple, maybe hinting at ruby. Strong primary blackcurrant and blackberry aromas with a hint of smoke from the oak at the end. Still looks and smells like a young wine. The nose and concentration of thick black fruits in the mouth gave an almost Port-like impression, only the lower alcohol was a giveaway. The tannins are soft and the acidity mild. Very good. BLENDS & OTHERS 2000 Pirramimma, White Label Petit Verdot - McLaren Vale June 2003 I remember getting a taste of the 1999 version but there wasn't enough for the retailer to sell. If my memory stretches back well enough I remember a striking wine with lots of interesting aspects - but which didn't quite gel on the night. This one does. Very deep in colour, showing just a little purple. The nose is a little spicy - even minty with an underlying sense of black fruit. Super concentrated fruit on the palate. Good acidity and velvetty medium-plus tannins. The flavours linger really well. This is excellent and another wine I bought - come to think of it, if I hadn't bought the Bremerton Explorer Shiraz - it would have been a clean sweep of Pirramimma purchases! 2001 Saltram, Metala Shiraz - Langhorne Creek June 2003 Almost saturated purple. Sweet blackberry nose - but corked. Next bottle showed a sweet palate with lots of confiture fruit, good acidity and well hidden tannins. Good, but for my taste not exceptional this year, 2000 was exceptional for the price this isn't - just a bit too jammy. So last year's house wine is demoted again! 1996 Penfolds, Bin 389 Cabernet-Shiraz August 2003 Been underwhelmed the last couple of times I drank this wine. Deep ruby colour - not quite saturated. Nose is a little high toned and almost orange toned. The palate shows good acidity and nice fat tannins almost resolved. Very blackcurrant fruit which is persistent. Still very primary but much less closed than than the last outings - perhaps this was still a good buy - 8 left in the cellar! 1999 d'Arenberg, Custodian Grenache December 2002 I’ve still some the 1996 in the cellar which is currently a bit ‘unbalanced’. This one is medium-full ruby in colour. High tones on the nose. Palate has pronounced red fruits and slightly sharp acidity with good tannins. The chilli which we ate at the same time, toned down the acidity and made the palate much smoother and fatter, bud did take away some of the fruit experience. Quite a good wine. 1997 Leeuwin, Prelude, Margaret River Cabernet-Merlot August 2002 Very deep garnet, only a little lighter at the rim. Nose has remnants of toasty oak, wet stones and higher notes of alcoholic prunes. Not too thick in the mouth. Quite good acidity, lingering into a very long finish. Tannins are still prominent and drying on the finish. A nice wine which comes together better with food. 1992 Petaluma, Coonawarra August 2002 For 78CHF in a restaurant (€54), remarkable value when you consider the current 1998/99 vintages retail for 45CHF (€31). So anyway; this 1992 is a Cabernet-Merlot blend. Still a deep ruby colour. The nose was cabernet dominated, but with more mature meaty notes. The palate had good plummy fruit density, tannins now quite mild. The acidity went with a zing, in an 'old world' style. This was subdued by the food, but possibly not enough. Still an excellent wine though, and no rush to drink. 2000 Metala, Langhorne Creek Shiraz-Cabernet June 2002 Good to see this back on form. 1997 & 1999 were light-ish affairs which were mainly good for guests (!) and barbecues. This is a deep garnet with some purple at the rim. Lovely nose with cherry and a hint of mint. Palate has very good concentration of cassis and tobacco. Fantastic at the price. £7 1999 Pirramimma, White label Petit Verdot June 2002 Very deep colour. Flowery high toned nose - similar to Parma violets. Palate was broad, lush and very spicy, though not very long. Reminded me of a tough Kent Rassmussen Petit Syrah I once had. Takes no prisoners and you can see why this is normally a grape for blending - but interesting none-the-less. Not for sale - just testing ! 1999 Langmeil Winery, Grenache Fifth Wave June 2002 Favourite wine of the night (together with the Rymill Cabernet Sauvignon). Deep colour. Lovely interesting nose of leather, earth - and even fruit ! Excellent concentration, good acidity and furry tannin. Finishing with a hint of cream. Pricey at £20, but excellent. 1998 Henschke, Keyneton Estate May 2002 Deeply coloured, and very purple. Nose is oh so intensely fruity; blueberry / blackcurrant in style. Palate is thick and oaky, you can chew this wine. That's not really being negative, because the fruit is so dense the oak is certainly not out of balance. Very good acidity and medium tannin. If you get home and there's no food in the cupboard, eat this wine instead. Very good/excellent. 1999 Cape d’Estaing, Kangaroo Island, Shiraz-Cabernet December 2001 Very dark, almost opaque with touches of purple. Subtle vanilla with blackcurrant cabernet fruit coming through with just a hint of volatile stuff. Whilst there is nice acidity and furry mouth coating tannins, there is not the thickness or richness in the mouth which I expected, but actually liked it all the more for that – big, but very easy to drink. Definitely above average. 1994 Wolf Blass, Black Label Cabernet Shiraz Merlot June 2001 An intriguing wine, one which has lots of interest but I found it hard to like. Good deep colour with little evidence of age. The nose is just a little too overpowering with the vanilla, a suggestion of mint and perhaps some volatile acidity. Big, smooth & creamy in the mouth - really good mouthfeel, despite high acidity. Also good length in a vanilla-y sort of way. This wine seems a bit disjointed and currently not too much pleasure to be gained in taking a second glass. If I wanted this much vanilla I'd eat ice-cream. 1997 Goundrey, Mount Barker Merlot June 2001 Just fading a little at the rim. Pronounced red cherries and redcurrant nose - particularly when the domestic management knocks your Reidel onto the ceramic tiled floor ! Good acidity and very smooth tannin. Surprisingly this wine is a mere 11.5% alc. - not that I would have known but for the label. Good. 1997 Tatachilla, The Clarendon Merlot December 2000 (Tasted vs a few Pomerols) Dark red, still with a hint of purple, clear at the rim. Sweeter nose than all the above with a cooking plum pie nose ending slightly ‘creamy’ from the French oak. Nice depth of fruit. The smooth tannins less obvious than in the Pomerols. Plenty of acidity and unlike the Feytit-Clinet, stayed in balance with food. Good length, again a creamy finish (I think) from the oak. My notes are consistent with a year ago, except that the finish seems better now, though slightly warm - 14%. Again very good. © nanson.ch 2000-2003