Posted: April 5, 2017
Lovely rich strawberry bouquet with brioche-like notes. Complex and creamy in the mouth with nice balance of acidity.
Comments Off on Claymore This is Anfield Adelaide Hills Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Green melon nose with caramel characters developing and unctuous green melon flavours.
Comments Off on Drakesbrook Wild Bird Peel Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A clean spicy nose. Nice balance of spicy fruit with some aged characters on the palate.
Comments Off on The West Australian Collective Western Australia Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Strong aromas and vibrant flavours of cherry fruit, earthy elements and hints of chocolate.
Comments Off on Reillys Dry Land Clare Valley Tempranillo 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A big old school style with mature meaty aromas and powerful but elegant red/black fruit flavours on the well structured palate.
Comments Off on Reillys Old Bush Vine Clare Valley Grenache 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
“A big boy!” commented one judge. Hints of olive aromas and dusty fruit flavours. Not too tannic.
Comments Off on Byrne Limited Release Clare Grenache 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Youthful rhubarb and blackcurrant aromas and an elegant, smooth and chocolaty palate. Still very youthful with a tight finish.
Comments Off on Cirami Estate Riverland Lagrein 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Youthful Hawke’s Bay blend of roughly equal portions of malbec, cabernet franc, syrah and merlot. Fullish colour, with ripe, moderately rich berry and spice flavours, a smooth finish and a fragrant bouquet. $18
Comments Off on Coopers Creek Four Daughters 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Elegant, youthful, savoury red, with full but not dense colour. Ripe plum and spice flavours, showing good complexity (French oak, 30% new, for 15 months) and a persistent, well-structured finish. $25
Comments Off on Mission Reserve Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Notably dark, rich and youthful red, matured for well over a year in French oak barrels (60% new). Concentrated, with beautifully ripe plum, dark chocolate and licorice flavours, fairly firm tannins and a lasting finish. Very ageworthy. $60
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
From a mystery blend, this is a dense, dark Hawke’s Bay red with a complex bouquet of red and black fruits, seasoned with cedary oak. Showing lovely freshness and finesse, it’s a classy, finely balanced wine, tight and very ageworthy….
Comments Off on Crossroads Talisman 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Supple, generous red, estate-grown in the Esk Valley and French oak-aged. Deeply coloured and weighty, with berryish, slightly herbal flavours, strong and smooth. $30 (A)
Comments Off on Linden Estate Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Elegant, medium-bodied style with plenty of fresh, ripe berry, plum, spice and nut flavour, supple tannins, and a finely balanced, lingering finish. Good value. $20
Comments Off on Coopers Creek Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Maturing very gracefully and still youthful, this densely coloured red has concentrated, ripe, slightly nutty and leathery flavours, showing impressive complexity, and very fine-grained tannins. Weighty, rich and long, it should be long-lived. $60
Comments Off on Villa Maria Single Vineyard Braided Gravels Gimblett Gravels Organic Merlot 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Concentrated, ripe, slightly earthy, 50/50 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, grown at Maraekakaho. Some slightly herby and gamey notes, but fleshy, rich and complex. $60
Comments Off on Osawa Prestige Collection Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Deeply coloured blend of cabernet sauvignon (49%), merlot (45%) and cabernet franc (6%), French oak-aged for 15 months. Sweet-fruited, with firm, berryish flavours, hint of thyme and leather, and good density. $25 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Mission Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Merlot 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Gold, with a hint of amber, this soft, sweet wine was grown at Maraekakaho, in Hawke’s Bay. Drinking well now, it is floral, peachy and spicy, with bottle-aged complexity and a rich, well-rounded finish. $29
Comments Off on Osawa Prestige Collection Late Harvest (375ml) Gewurztraminer 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Delicious now, this elegant, gold/amber wine was hand-picked in late May and partly barrel-fermented. Rich, peachy and honeyed, it is sweet (204 grams/litre residual sugar), with balanced acidity and a fragrant, inviting bouquet of apricot and raisins. $30
Comments Off on Esk Valley Late Harvest (375ml) Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Built to last, this is a tightly structured red, with full, youthful colour and a fragrant bouquet, suggestive of spices and dried herbs. Concentrated, it has plummy, nutty flavours, complex and savoury, and a persistent finish. $40 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Domain Road Central Otago Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
“Nose smells like a Monte Carlo biscuit”, thought one judge. Nicely balanced fruit/oak palate.
Comments Off on Morris Bin No 186 Rutherglen Shiraz 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Lovely dark berry fruit bouquet with a long generous palate that has an excellent seamless balance between the sweet fruit, the oak and the grainy tannins.
Comments Off on Anderson Storyteller Rutherglen Durif 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Interesting and different! Smells like fruit-straps and has a slurpy and flavoursome palate.
Comments Off on Morris of Rutherglen Bin No 80 Rutherglen Blue Imperial 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Nose is a blend of stonefruit, melons, leesy characters and some flintiness. Flinty palate shows lovely texture and balance with the acid carrying the varietal fruit flavours.
Comments Off on Morris The Percheron Rutherglen Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A complex wine with overt lush stonefruit aromas, nice nutty notes and tropical hints. Powerful ‘slippery’ palate with good fruit flavours and vanilla oak influence. 5+
Comments Off on All Saints Estate Family Cellar Rutherglen Marsanne 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Savoury bouquet with a medicinal element. Palate shows good presence of varietal fruit, tannins and oak. 5+
Comments Off on Bream Creek Vineyards Tasmania Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A big ripe pinot with excellent structure and length. Nose shows a lift of dark red fruit with a slight medicinal edge. Good drive and intensity of varietal flavours. 5+
Comments Off on Giesen Clayvin Single Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A subtle wine. Simple lifted spicy fruit nose; a complexity of strawberry and smoky oak flavours. 5+
Comments Off on Lerida Estate Josephine Lake George Canberra District Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Deep brooding earthy/savoury nose with intense lifted red fruit aromas. Very varietal, full bodied palate that is long and well structured with deliciously intense flavours. 5+
Comments Off on Giesen Ridge Block Single Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Funky forest floor fragrances. Palate has some oak, some tannins and then fruit.
Comments Off on Tamar Ridge Reserve Tasmania Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A silky smooth and flavoursome wine with lingering varietal fruit and good level of acid. 3-5
Comments Off on Giesen The Brothers Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A good varietal with lots of oak. Has a smoky nose and some sweet fruit flavours.
Comments Off on Giesen Single Vineyard Ridge Block Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A big, well aged wine with spicy/sweet herbal fruit and fine drying tannins. Good food wine.
Comments Off on Giesen Single Vineyard Clayvin Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Incredibly vibrant wine that has a very complex bouquet and a tightly structured, austere, fruit/toasty oak palate with hints of violets. Needs more time to really shine.
Comments Off on Bream Creek Vineyard Tasmania Cabernet Merlot 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Tending more towards a dry red but a well made wine never-the-less. Has a complexity of fruit, oak and spices.
Comments Off on Bream Creek Vineyard Tasmania Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Some nice age adding complexity to the fresh fig, stonefruit and citrus characters. “Has years in it!”
Comments Off on Bream Creek Vineyard Tasmania Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Nose of lemon curd with nice toastiness. Creamy in the mouth with citrussy flavours.
Comments Off on MyattsField Vineyard Perth Hills Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Medium weight style that’s drinking well now. Has spicy aged notes to the nose and the well structured palate.
Comments Off on Tyrrell’s Wines Hunter Valley Shiraz 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A big, rich, full bodied wine that is still youthful with intense aromas and flavours.
Comments Off on Tyrrell’s Wines Vat 9 Hunter Valley Shiraz 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Subtle tropical aromas and a light tight palate. “Has potential to age into a classic”. 5+
Comments Off on RidgeView Impressions Single Vineyard Hunter Valley Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A creamy and complex food wine with lashings of very seductive oak and subtle hints of fruit.
Comments Off on Topper’s Mountain Barrel Ferment New England Sauvignon Blanc 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A lively sweet fruit style with refreshing acidity and hints of European-like characters.
Comments Off on Topper’s Mountain New England Sauvignon Blanc 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Nicely developing, well rounded cabernet with generosity, intensity and length of earthy chocolaty aromas and beautifully balanced ripe fruit flavours. Tannins are present but subtle.
Comments Off on Penola Estate Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Savoury cabernet dense with ripe sweet varietal fruit characters layered with some chocolaty notes and supported by big drying tannins.
Comments Off on Punters Corner Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Medium bodied wine with a good fruit base, spicy cedary oak and some slightly grippy tannins.
Comments Off on Brand’s Laira Foundation Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017