Pepperilly Purple Patch GMS 2010

Pepperilly Purple Patch GMS 2010

  21:21    Stu.

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Loved the generosity of this wine. Bright and vibrant on entry, but to call it 'fruity' may lead some to think it simple. There's a fullness of flavour to it, excellent flow, tannins are well integrated and form a neat 1-2 with the fleshy and generous palate. Aromatically...

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Vinteloper Urban Winery Project Grenache 2012

Vinteloper Urban Winery Project Grenache 2012

  16:02    Stu.

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360 bottles produced, hand bottled and hand labelled, with the label drawn - by hand of course - by winemaker David Bowley's partner.  The Back Story David Bowley is a pretty innovative winemaker, straddling that line between artist and scientist. His Urban Winery...

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Terra Felix E'vette's Block Mourvèdre 2008

Terra Felix E'vette's Block Mourvèdre 2008

  07:08    Stu.

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I reviewed the 2006 version of this about a year or so ago, and whilst this is the better wine, that earlier version punches heavier in the QPR stakes. Unsure as to the price of this, $49.50 is stated on the website - if true that's a fair hike from the $15 of the 2006. To...

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Yelland & Papps Second Take Roussanne 2012

Yelland & Papps Second Take Roussanne 2012

  21:26    Stu.

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"So, is that a grape variety then?" enquired the Father-in-Law, who I was holidaying with. Upon having that question satisfactorily answered, he declared: "it's alright that, very easy to drink". My work here is done. Wild yeast fermented, lees stirred; in barrel for...

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Curly Flat Chardonnay 2008

Curly Flat Chardonnay 2008

  14:34    Stu.

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There are some wines you come across where you think: "I could happily drink that", and then there are wines where your first thought is often along the lines: "[insert expletive] why don't I have more of this in my cellar, where can i get more?". Yes, this is in the latter...

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O'Leary Walker Claire Reserve Shiraz 2008

O'Leary Walker Claire Reserve Shiraz 2008

  22:19    Stu.

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Oak. Dark black fruit at its core - cassis - concentrated, an inviting perfume; and beyond the darkness, light with floral notes. The palate is dark too, showing spice that builds, that creeps, the concentration mentioned earlier - a black hole of a wine. It's at turns...

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Bent Road Winery Marsanne 2010

Bent Road Winery Marsanne 2010

  11:32    Stu.

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Gently honeyed, more about white florals. A little almond, a hint of citrus. Comes across as quite a gentle wine, whispering, not shouting. Flavours flow through to the palate, there's a little texture - a slight waxy touch - my preference would have been to feel more. Back...

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Alkoomi Frankland River Wandoo Semillon 2006

Alkoomi Frankland River Wandoo Semillon 2006

  11:18    Stu.

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Preserved lemons over underlying tropical hints - green banana, a little papaya - citrus dominant, like licking sherbet off of a piece of slate. Palate profile no as congruent with the intense aromatics, acid still present and settling nicely.  A little honey...

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Boireann Estate Shiraz 2009

Boireann Estate Shiraz 2009

  10:59    Stu.

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Boireann unarguably represent the top-tier of the Granite Belt wine region. Located at the Northern, cooler, end of the Granite Belt; the Estate is strewn with large boulders of Granite, the igneous rock that gives the region its name. Boireann can be a marginal site,...

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Running With Bulls Barossa Tempranillo 2011

Running With Bulls Barossa Tempranillo 2011

  10:22    Stu.

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The Barossan partner to the Wrattonbully version, this a 2011 and the latter a 2012 example. Black and blue fruits, spice: mace and a little black pepper; cola-ish with a hint of black cherry. Slightly mulchy, some hints of green peppercorns in there too. Spice on...

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Shaw + Smith: Serious Sauvignon

Shaw + Smith: Serious Sauvignon

  22:27    Stu.

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"Sauvignon Blanc makes up a large amount of what you sell" opened Michael Hill-Smith MW at - what is becoming a hotly anticipated date on the wine nerds calendar - the Shaw + Smith Workshop series, and in this case the subject at hand "Serious Sauvignon". Setting forth...

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Ridgemill Estate Rosé 2012

Ridgemill Estate Rosé 2012

  21:56    Stu.

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Array of red berry aromatics, a hint of citrus thrown in too, assertive note once the soft berry fades away.  Strawberries dominate the palate, aby supported by a little over-ripe golden delicious apple. Some spice and a little phenolic tug in the mix too. Length...

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Boireann Barbera 2006

Boireann Barbera 2006

  09:54    Stu.

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Sadly, hail damage in 2012 has restricted output of Boireann's Barbera to a mere 10 dozen for that vintage - showing what a cruel mistress the weather can be, and how marginal growing conditions can be even in a good vintage. So it's to the cellar I turn for a 7 year old...

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