2013 ~ The Vinsomniac - Stuart Robinson

An Australian Wine Blog

Thursday, 26 December 2013

Yalumba The Guardian Shiraz Viognier 2010

14:45 Stu.

Initially little sign of the Viognier here - indeed it "should be seen and not heard" as someone once told me. Meaty, a little ferrous, florals start to come through with a little time. Medium bodied, has a juicy, cola-ish feel mixed with delicious berry fruit. Offers...

2010 / Eden Valley / Shiraz / Viognier

Rocland Estate Lot 147 Shiraz 2008

12:13 Stu.

Has the slightly porty, leathery, raisined notes of dried out fruit. There's a fair whack of oak lain over the top. Given a little time, it settles itself - takes on a more subtle bent. Thick, creamy oak, a slightly burnt edge; feels a little hollow in the middle, fleshes out a little with some aniseed, pepper. Again it's rawness on opening settles with time - seems a touch more balanced and altogether...

2008 / Barossa Valley / Shiraz / Single Vineyard

Criminal Minds 'Miss Devine' Brut NV

12:05 Stu.

Here we have a happy, bargain, entry-level sparkler that delivers above its pricepoint. Toasty on entry, backed up with some grilled stonefruits, citrus and red berries. Toasty, bready entry; a little mid-palate sweetness is perfectly positioned against a touch of mineral...

NV / South Australia / Sparkling

Monday, 16 December 2013

Ferngrove Symbols Sauvignon Semillon 2013

18:24 Stu.

Opens a touch sweaty with the presence of aromatic compounds known as 'mercaptans' present (specifically ethanethiol if you wish to get sexy on terminology). Hints of nettle here too - not altogether uncommon in cooler region sauvignon blanc. The palate...

2013 / Great Southern / Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon

Thursday, 28 November 2013

Tahbilk Marsanne 2013

12:41 Stu.

Opened this pair with 'Summer Pasta' (creme fraiche, garlic and lemon zest sauce; zucchini, yellow squash and some frozen peas) as I thought so many of the flavours and aromas would be complimentary. Winner. Suggestions of honey and honeydew melon, florals and citrus...

2013 / Marsanne / Nagambie Lakes

Meerea Park Terracotta Syrah 2011

12:25 Stu.

The Meerea Park 'Terracotta' wines are so named for the red basalt/ clay soils of Pokolbin the fruit is nurtured on. That said, there is a highly-suggestive feel to the tannin in the wine, like drawing your tongue over a slightly coarse planter. Forgive me my proclivities. Labelled...

2011 / Hunter Valley / Syrah

Wednesday, 27 November 2013

Grant Burge Moscato Rosa Frizzante 2013

16:22 Stu.

A few years back, I was in my local bottle-o when in walked a young lass, off to the races the next day, she requested of the store attendant: "what do you have that's good for drinking in the morning?". In the spirit of the responsible service of alcohol, he dutifully...

2013 / Moscato / Sparkling

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

Chapel Hill Parson's Nose Shiraz 2012

13:10 Stu.

Regional and varietal for $16 - happy days. Shows a bit beefy and oxo/ stock cube on opening, loosens up a little to give black fruit, chocolate and dried earth. Full bodied, minerality in the body, oodles of dark fruit and raspy tannin to boot. Generous persistence...

2012 / McLaren Vale / Shiraz

Tuesday, 19 November 2013

Teusner Righteous Mataro 2011

12:26 Stu.

In a bottle that could double as a dumb-bell and with a punt so deep it'd no doubt have the cool kids scurrying to sup something orange from it. Drawn from an old 'fruit-salad' vineyard planted in the 30's towards the northern end of the Barossa. Sits on red brown...

#ProjectMataro / 2011 / Barossa Valley / Mataro et al

Yalumba The Strapper GSM 2012

11:50 Stu.

Bloody delicious is how I'd characterise this. Joyous, juicy with bright bubbly aromatics. Full of red fruit - think raspberry and boysenberry - with a little savoury undercarriage. Medium bodied, soft and juicy with red fruit in abundance. Some gentle spice...

#Vegan / 2012 / Barossa Valley / grenache / Mataro et al / Shiraz

Monday, 18 November 2013

Yalumba Eden Valley Roussanne 2012

12:18 Stu.

Quite subtle on introduction: florals, a little citrus, white peach and honeyed pear. Nicely textured, a little width that grabs your attention. Thread of acid through the wine guides you, for what it's worth I wrote "food friendly" - whatever the hell that means (but...

2012 / Eden Valley / Roussanne

Toolangi Emanai 2013

12:08 Stu.

A Chardonnay and Viognier blend, fruit drawn from Dixon's Creek in the Yarra Valey, wine made by the steady hand of Franco d'Anna of Hoddles Creek. Despite Chardonnay taking lead billing on the wine, I saw more Viognier in it. Fleshy stonefruit leads backed up with hints...

2013 / Chardonnay / Viognier / Yarra Valley

Cook's Lot 'Lot 666' Pinot Gris 2013

11:58 Stu.

"If you meet me, have some courtesy, have some sympathy, and some taste". So, Lot 666 eh? Some may consider Pinot G the devil's juice, for its ubiquity, and - more so in its Grigio guise - it's temptation to consume and be consumed. Here, Duncan Cook has taken on the grape...

2013 / Orange / Pinot Gris

Friday, 15 November 2013

Howard Park Jeté Brut NV

13:52 Stu.

The Brut NV younger sibling to the Grand Vintage reviewed earlier. Possesses a very lively bead with a little mousse Aromas of a little apple skin with some suggestion of baked goods - aromatically shy compared to the big brother. The palate shows a little...

Chardonnay / Great Southern / NV / pinot noir / Sparkling

Howard Park Jeté Grand Vintage 2009

13:31 Stu.

The Burch family of Howard Park have released some sparklers before and from the looks of their website also some possible interests in Champagne. I've Natalie Burch to thank for a wee twitter conversation and for these samples that made there way across the threshold. This...

2009 / Chardonnay / Great Southern / pinot noir / Sparkling

Thursday, 14 November 2013

Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache 2012

12:44 Stu.

Stewed fruits, crumble-esque; raspberry and hints of strawberry conserve - deliberately avoiding use of the word jam, lest you -dear reader - get the wrong gist. Once it gets going it adds a little woody spice into the frame. Good start. Was expecting a little more from...

2012 / Barossa Valley / grenache

Rocland Estate Grenache 2012

12:23 Stu.

Some good gear coming out of Rocland Estate, a Barossa winery hitherto unknown to me. They're ramping things up a little with a Cellar Door due to open soon. Earth and leather initially, then sweeter notes: sugar plum, fruits of the forest - a good red/black fruit mix...

2012 / Barossa Valley / grenache

Kirrihill Grenache Sangiovese Tempranillo 2012

11:55 Stu.

Opened this on a Saturday evening, pairing it with a chorizo and bean stew, thinking it would work. It didn't. It just exaggerated a bitterness that wasn't there when consumed on its own. Live and learn. All sorts of aromas flying out here, initially more savoury but...

2012 / Clare Valley / grenache / sangiovese / Tempranillo

Friday, 8 November 2013

Torzi Matthews Vigna Cantina Sangiovese 2012

14:20 Stu.

"The go to wine in our house when family & friends swarm to eat." ~ Dom Torzi Opted to open this with a lazy bolognese, the kind where - as a family - we have to sneak in some veggies to increase the intake of same into our increasingly fussy 3 year old. I'm sure...

2012 / Barossa Valley / sangiovese

Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

12:36 Stu.

Mint, eucalypt with a little chocolate. Mulberry taking a back seat, but making itself known. Glossy and polished, tannin firm and grainy. Acid too high for my liking - eroding my enamel - that said it will aid longevity if the rest of the wine can hold...

2010 / Cabernet Sauvignon / Nagambie Lakes

Cook's Lot Lot 9999 Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

12:27 Stu.

I've a limited frame of reference for Cabernet Sauvignon from Orange, and I am undecided here. Opens dusty, a touch of plum and baked raspberry. Faint, hints of cedar and a touch of tapenade - something I am more used to seeing in Merlot. Still, it exhibits some depth to the palate with blood plum, damson/ mulberry. Sweet fruit and spice with rubbery tannin make up the composition - the latter giving...

2012 / Cabernet Sauvignon / Orange

Saturday, 2 November 2013

Alkoomi Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

08:52 Stu.

Initially very aromatically expressive, pretty you might say, given a little time it takes on a more savoury bent. Core to the variety and the cooler expressions thus from the Frankland River region, the wine exhibited mineral and graphite with violets, lilac and dusky...

2011 / Cabernet Sauvignon / Frankland River / Great Southern

Chapel Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

08:32 Stu.

Vintage 2011 is not exactly the elephant in the room not talked of, but there is a tendency for the vintage to be written off with a broad stroke that covers all regions and producers. Following that English idiom, one must doff one's cap to the team at Chapel...

2011 / Cabernet Sauvignon / McLaren Vale

Friday, 1 November 2013

Torzi Matthews Schist Rock Shiraz 2012

12:19 Stu.

The son of Frost Dodger. Fruit comes off of Dom Torzi and Tracey Matthews Mount McKenzie (Eden Valley) vineyard, the majority of which goes into this wine, with a smaller portion reserved for the appasimento Frost Dodger. Believe the high regard that that the wines of...

2012 / Eden Valley / Shiraz

Tuesday, 29 October 2013

Taylor's St Andrews Riesling 2013

20:31 Stu.

Tasted single blind (the identity is known but is hidden when being poured) in a bracket of Rieslings: 3 2013 releases from Taylor's and a 10 year that was included for extra colour - literally. The most 'mute' of the three - took a while to open, slowly, hints of...

2013 / Clare Valley / riesling / Single Vineyard

Taylor's Jaraman Riesling 2013

12:25 Stu.

Tasted single blind (the identity is known but is hidden when being poured) in a bracket of Rieslings: 3 2013 releases from Taylor's and a 10 year that was included for extra colour - literally. Somewhat closed initially (comparatively to Wine #1), hints of celeriac/fennel,...

2013 / Clare Valley / Eden Valley / riesling

Taylor's Estate Riesling 2013

08:54 Stu.

Tasted single blind (the identity is known but is hidden when being poured) in a bracket of Rieslings: 3 2013 releases from Taylor's and a 10 year that was included for extra colour - literally. Aromatically pronounced - almost forward. Lemon, kumquat ...

2013 / Clare Valley / riesling

Monday, 28 October 2013

Yelland and Papps Delight Shiraz 2011

10:51 Stu.

Opens with mocha, a little oak - sees 9% new and 63% old French, 14% new and 14% old American - and good fruit ripeness, a character missing in many reds from 2011. Full in the mouth, tannin is fine with some good spicy detail - a hint of clove present - if overall it...

2011 / Barossa Valley / Shiraz

Friday, 25 October 2013

Vinteloper: a New Identity and New Releases

09:19 Stu.

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a gathering in Brisbane's New Farm Park for the launch of two new wines, and the reveal of a new visual identity, from winemaker David Bowley of Vinteloper Wines. Opting to go the way of the trend of creating a version...

2013 / Clare Valley / Fleurieu / Pinot Gris / riesling

Thursday, 24 October 2013

Tahbilk Viognier 2013

13:25 Stu.

Plantings back to 1990, first vintage in 1996 marks this 2013 example as the 18th consecutive vintage of Viognier for Tahbilk. Initially closed, then honeysuckle, citrus blossom, a little lemon sherbet and peach. The cool Nagambie Lakes region helps avoid the 'shrill...

2013 / Nagambie Lakes / Viognier

Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Yalumba Virgilius 2010

08:11 Stu.

The finest presentation of Viognier in Australia. A barrel selection, the wine possesses power and concentration, yet also shows a deft aromatic touch. Apricot, ground ginger, background citrus following up as part of its aromatic profile. Power packed palate;...

2010 / Eden Valley / Viognier

Monday, 21 October 2013

Yalumba Organic Viognier 2012

14:14 Stu.

Spring is such a magical season, blossom appearing, a visible sign of the awakening life within the trees. Here we have a wine from Australia's leading producer of the variety, a wine that shows honeysuckle with a little citrus and apricot blossom. It's not all...

2012 / South Australia / Viognier

Friday, 18 October 2013

Rocland Estate Chocolate Box Shiraz 2012

12:43 Stu.

Second of the Rocland 'Chocolate Box' wines tasted, you can find the GSM note here. The wines are packaged with a look reminiscent of advertising from the late 50s and early 60s. Suggestive of chocolate packaging and featuring the words chocolate prominently. They are wines...

2012 / Barossa Valley / Shiraz

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