Bodegas Palacio Glorioso Reserva Rioja 2005

Bodegas Palacio Glorioso Reserva Rioja 2005

  10:11    Stu.

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One issue with having limited experience of a particular variety is that you are not really familiar with a stylistic interpretation.  That said, I can only call out a particular wine as I see it. I picked this up as a nod to a good wine drinking buddy, The Wine...

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Konrad Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2010

Konrad Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2010

  08:51    Stu.

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My interest in Grüner was aroused through a bit of an online debate about it, combined with its apparent scarcity.  For I am aware of only two wineries in Australia produce  Grüner Veltliner, or GV as it is often known, and that is Lark Hill Winery and Hahndorf Hill.  In its home of Austria it is rather more common, accounting for 32% of all plantings, some 17,000 hectares - compared...

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Mike Press Wines Dinner

Mike Press Wines Dinner

  12:25    Stu.

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A distinguished 42 year career working for some of Australia's biggest names (Penfolds, Seppelts, Krondorf), Chief Winemaker for Mildara Blass, Jimmy Watson winner...some pretty impressive stuff, thus an opportunity to taste Mike's range of wines including verticals of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wasn't to be turned down. Thoughts of retiring to the Adelaide Hills on 85 acres, 30 of which Mike...

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The Bobby Dazzler Shiraz

The Bobby Dazzler Shiraz

  12:41    Stu.

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The Wife has not been too impressed with some of my recent purchases.  Attempting to rectify this, I enquired what her favourite wines were: "Grange and Two Hands Ares" she answered.  Hmm, $550 and about $270 per bottle respectively. Deep down knowing she is a fan of the fruit bomb I picked up a bottle of this.  A touch of violet on the nose that adds an additional layer to some...

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Allies 2009 Stone Axe Vineyard Heathcote Shiraz

Allies 2009 Stone Axe Vineyard Heathcote Shiraz

  10:00    Stu.

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After a number of years working on the restaurant scene, Barney Flanders (front of house) and David Chapman (in the kitchen) came together to turn their thoughts to wine.  Study at CSU for Barney, vintage experience across the Mornington, Yarra and overseas, and the collaborative effort yields Allies.  The pair own no vineyards, instead purchasing through lease arrangements. This wine...

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Moppity Vineyards Reserve Shiraz 2008

Moppity Vineyards Reserve Shiraz 2008

  16:46    Stu.

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From some of the oldest vines in the region, Jason Brown has crafted this exquisite wine.  The presence of a small amount of co-fermented Viognier can be detected with the slight lifted aromatics as you approach the wine. Entry shows an incredibly silken earthen...

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Moppity Vineyards Lock & Key Shiraz 2009

Moppity Vineyards Lock & Key Shiraz 2009

  15:20    Stu.

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One of my early goals with respect to setting up this blog was to establish what my thing 'is' in relation to the wine I drink.  I so often feel like a kid in a candy store when I go into a wine store: there's so much on offer, so many things I want to try. This blog is an attempt to try and make sense of some of that.  To refine my palate, and define my preferences. I've read somewhere...

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Witches Falls Winery

Witches Falls Winery

  11:05    Stu.

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With the recent floods, many people are looking to support Queensland producers to try and provide consumer led economic support through these difficult times.  The Australian Wine Community has been brilliant in coming together to raise funds, led by Tyson Stelzer. Consumers can also assist with supporting local producers directly - of all goods, not just wine - both in the local community...

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Union Bank Bon Vivant Rosé 2009

Union Bank Bon Vivant Rosé 2009

  17:11    Stu.

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Very little information available on this wine.  It was received as a sample for the Rosé Wine Revolution and appears is custom made for Orange food and wine hub, Union Bank.  An email enquiry to them has yielded little in the way of a response, so I'll post this up anyway. Salmon red in colour, nothing out of the ordinary compared to other Rosés I have looked at.  On the nose,...

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Hoddles Creek Estate Chardonnay 2005

Hoddles Creek Estate Chardonnay 2005

  10:46    Stu.

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I've little frame of reference for Aussie Chardonnay.  I don't subscribe to the "Anything But Chardonnay" group, preferring to think of Aussie Beautiful Chardonnay instead.  That said, this wine is exactly how I like Chardonnay to be. Aroma of varietal stonefruit: peach and nectarine; a touch of grapefruit and some good quality lightly toasted oak present.  The palate takes things...

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Patina Rosé 2008

Patina Rosé 2008

  15:27    Stu.

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“A revolution is not a bed of roses. A revolution is a struggle between the future and the past.” ~ Fidel Castro It may not be a bed of roses, but this one has certainly been fuelled by many a glass. I've been very impressed by the Rosé...

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Poonawatta Estate "The Eden" Eden Valley Riesling 2009

Poonawatta Estate "The Eden" Eden Valley Riesling 2009

  09:43    Stu.

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Happy New Year all.....I first tasted this back at a Purple Palate event in November.  For me it was the standout wine of the night, some claim given that this was an event focussing solely on wines from the Barossa region - a region I have a real fondness for...

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