A couple of weeks ago I had the pleaseure of attending the McLaren Vale Scarce Earth Shirz Project. Check out my views about the project and the tasting here. This post will continue my rieviews of these wines. As I discussed last week I will be reviewing the McLaren Vale Scarce Earth Shiraz Project wines over a few weeks, with each review I will be mainly discussing the differences between the wines and not that all of them have plum character. I hope you enjoy the comments and I welcome any of your comments as well.
Tatachillia Hall Entrance
Sabella J. Petrucci and Son Shiraz ($25)
Another value offering from the Sabella vineyard and winery. I have tried the last 3 vintages of Shiraz that Michael Petrucci has made and I think each year has been better than the last. I suppose one should make good or better wine from the 2010 vintage, but I get a sense of more. I get the feeling that Michael is getting to understand his craft and his raw materials (grapes from his father’s vineyard) better. The wine shows the aromas expected from Shiraz and a mild dose of white pepper. I really enjoyed the strength brought on by the fruit as much as any oak treatments. There is plenty of acid here also so the wine should last for ages.
Penny’s Hill Footprint Shiraz ($60)
Even though there is minimal American oak used in the making of this wine I got an immediate sense of the vanilla and sweetness brought on by oak of the American variety. What I also took away was the depth of character that lingered until the next mouthful.
Wirra Wirra Patritti Single Vineyard Shiraz ($132)
Grapes for this wine were from the Whittings Road vineyard in the Blewitt Springs area. The deep sands with peat layers have a distinct effect on both the aromas and flavours. I also got a feeling of blue-ness what tasting this wine – there is a Shiraz clone that exhibits blue berry, so I guess this is what I was experiencing. The spice mix was more towards pepper aromas but anise flavours. A special note about the packaging here, the bottle shows a contour map of the region showing the vineyard location (see the photo).
Wirra Wirra Scarce Earth Shiraz
Geoff Merrill Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz ($75)
Just making it into the McLaren Vale region being made from Kangarilla fruit next to the Mt Bold Reservoir. One special barrel was selected that shows anise aromas but a fruit driven front flavours with a big mid palate and a soft finish.
Hastwell and Lightfoot Scarce Earth Single Vineyard Shiraz ($28)
My first wine from this stable and I was not disappointed. This wine from the Foggo Road vineyard has lots of spice and length with an interesting mouthfeel that brings me back for more.
Chapel Hill The Chosen House Block Shiraz ($65)
Blue aromas mixed with a funky, earthy and almost barnyard stink style flavours. The fruit has been well looked after here.
Chapel Hill The Chosen Road Block Shiraz ($65)
The aromas were somewhat closed but the wine here is all about the fine structure and lovely spice. This wine will live for a long, long time and will reward anybody who cellars this wine.
Angoves Warboys Vineyard Shiraz
From a small section on the hill of the Warboys vineyard . Lots of spice and fruit sweetness that melds into an interesting viscocity and the resultant mouthfeel.
Dowie Doole Scarce Earth Shiraz ($45)
A little fruit sweetness here as well with a depth of fruit based character and the wonderful experience of mixed spice.
Brash Higgins SHZ ($37)
This wine really made me sit up and take notice. A meatiness like chorizo sausage loaded with paprika, the usual iodine character (that I seem to get consistently from this Malpas rod vineyard) and some slight citrus (most unusual). There is sufficient tannins here that act like all they want to do is to is to dry out your teeth. This wine is my second favorite from the Project wines.