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McLaren Vale Wines – Mitolo Wines

Sunday, 17 February 2013 17:55
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Mitolo Wines is part of the Mitolo Group.  This group includes one of the largest potato and onion producers in the Southern Hemisphere and is also one of the largest Olive Oil suppliers through ollo Oils.  Frank Mitolo, who manages the whole group had an interest in wine that took him to amateur wine making in the 1990’s and undertaking wine making course led to Mitolo Wines.  Ben Glaetzer can on board as a business partner and winemaker in 2001.  Ben is no longer the winemaker but his influence remains with the Reiver Shiraz which is Barossa sourced fruit.  The most of the fruit in Mitolo Wines comes from the Sellicks area of McLaren Vale.

In early 2013 a Mitolo Wines cellar door was opened in the “The Producers” facility on Branson Road, McLaren Vale.  Seeing it was so close I just had to drop in and try the wines………

Jester Range

2012 Vermentino ($22)

Another wine of this variety that is making it’s way into the market.  Still considered an emerging variety and I am seeing quite a variation in quality while the vineyards and winemakers are finding out how to best treat this variety.  This wine I find intriguing.  Not for the nectarine, citrus and dried herb character, but for the low alcohol crispness (showing not all wines need to be alcohol monsters) and the almost salty finish.  This salty finish makes me think of seafood – particularly sardines.  Not the sardines in a can but fresh sardines skewered and BBQ grilled.  If you have not tried this variety before then I suggest this wine is one to try.

2012 Sangiovese Rose ($22)

Firstly it is great to see a Rose being made in the vineyard and winery as Rose – not just some free run juice or a portion of juice separated from the skins leaving the rest to make the “serious” wine.  Here the grapes were hand picked, cold soaked overnight and then the juice removed from the skins quickly.  This is the style Australians should drink more of a dry light wine just made for lunch time consumption.  There are layers of creaminess, red fruits, cleansing acid and a savory finish.  Bring on the Ploughmans Lunch.

2010 Shiraz ($25)

This wine spends 14 months in the barrels used the previous vintage for the GAM Shiraz and helps to produce a good everyday drinking Shiraz that has the McLaren Vale traits of plums and dark blackberry.  The French oak use is obvious more with the aromas as the wine has a very soft tannin structure that tells me this wine is ready to be consumed now.  With the softer tannins I could see this wine being consumed at a Chinese Banquet with things like sizzling steak, Mongolian Lamb and Chicken with Black Bean.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ($25)

20% of this wine is made in the traditional Amarone style where the grapes are picked and placed on drying racks.  The drying concentrates the flavours before the grapes are crushed and wine made.  In this case the grapes come from McLaren Vale and are transported to Virginia (North of Adelaide) and placed on Potato drying racks.

The wine is currant and pip centric.  The intense plum and currant character invades both the aromas and flavours.  The tannins give you the feel that you are crunching on some ripe grape pips.  The concentrated elements lead to a lingering after effect.  Well worth your 25 bucks.  I am thinking BBQ lamb chops with this one.

Mitolo Wines lineup

Single Vineyard Wines

2009 GAM Shiraz ($58)

When I first herd about this wine I was trying to work out what the blend was – Grenache and something and something with the Shiraz.  I could not have complicated this or been more off the mark.  The GAM is the first letter of each of the Mitolo children.

Made from single vineyard fruit from the Sellicks area of McLaren Vale this fruit gets to know new french oak barrels quite well.  Sweet oak notes mixed with the perfume of fresh plums and some dried herbs sees a silky smooth wine that is not over oaked as there is plenty of fruit character to soak up all the oak it has seen.  I suggest this wine needs to see a few more years in the bottle before it would go well with a beef wellington.

2009 Reiver Shiraz ($58)

Sometimes one cannot get away from the Barossa and this is one of those times through the influence of Ben Glaetzer who is a partner in the business.  The Reiver Shiraz fruit is sourced from  Greenock and wars the Barossa all over it.  The wine is dark and brooding with the hints of plum, raspberry and licorice.  There is a deep earthiness here that has dried oregano mixed with just a vanilla hint (some American oak here I sense).  Needs time and food.

2009 Savitar Shiraz ($80)

Selected rows were kept aside from the vineyard.  This fruit was from the rows next to the Almond trees.  Why does this matter, I hear you ask.  Well the trees compete for the soil moisture and thus these vines are more water stressed thus producing lower yields.  With the lower yields the flavour from the vineyard is packed into less grapes and thus these berries have more flavour than the rest of the vineyard.  In 2 words the wine is intense and smooth.  I suspect there has been some American oak used here as a minor oak component as one can get the toasty sweetness of the oak of the American kind.  Plums and blackberries packed around some dried herbs with a somewhat mouth drying (tannin) finish.  Needs lots more time in the bottle before getting let loose.

2008 Serpico Cabernet Sauvignon ($80)

A fully Amarone style as discussed above.  The wine was fermented on skins for 2 weeks and then left on skins for another 3 weeks before pressing.  This delay in pressing helps soften the wine as the Amarone process can produce aggressive tannins.   I have only tried a few Amarone style Cabernets and I was really taken with this one.  There was intense fruit character with the same dried herbs I got with most of the other reds.  This tells me that the oak that these wines see is similar across the range.  I also get a hint of eucalyptus and menthol or mint.   The tannins are very much in balance here and all that is needed is a bit of time.  As an indicator – I do not drink much Cabernet but I took a bottle of this home with me.

McLaren Vale Wine – McLaren Vale III Associates

Saturday, 09 February 2013 23:46
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III Associates Cellar Door

One of the more recent cellar doors to open is from III Associates on Foggo Road (off Kangarilla Road).  They had a facility on the McLaren Vale main street that was open infrequently and when it was I never saw anybody in there.  The new facility neighbors one of their vineyards so you can get some more of the “wine experience”.  The wines are made by one of McLaren Vale’s most well known contract wine maker – Brian Light.  The wines are mainly made from their Foggo Road vineyard (planted to Grenache and Shiraz in 1928), Blewitt Springs, McMurtrie Road (on Bay of Bisque or Cracking Black clays) and even some Sellicks Hill fruit makes an appearance.

The cellar door has an interesting twist for the chocolate lovers out their.  They have a range of chocolates from Chocome.  The chocolate range has quite varied and interesting flavours that when I visited in Late December 2012 the cellar door staff were reviewing different flavours to match their wines.  I suspect there will be a chocolate and wine matched tasting coming soon.

The cellar door is housed in a normal house that has been splashed on the outside with their stark colour used on the Squid Ink Shiraz wine labels.  All the staff are welcoming and the wine is well worth the time to check it out – so next time you are traveling from McLaren Vale to McLaren Flat make a right turn on Foggo Road and check them out.

And now for the wines…….

2011 White Ensign Chardonnay, Semillon & Pinot Gris ($20)

Straight away one could sense there has been no oak used in the making of this wine.  I got very strong white pack aromas followed by citrus, pear and peach flavours.  A very easy to drink wine that should be drunk cold and soon (don’t keep this one in the cellar).

2012 Sabbatical Sauvignon Blanc ($18)

For those Sauvy drinkers out there this one is sold out.  Made from Blewitt Springs fruit this wine exhibits the passion fruit led tropical fruits right across the sense spectrum.  The warmer climate of Blewitt Springs (compared to say Adelaide Hills) produces a different style which gravitates toward the topical flavours and not the cut grass and cats pee character of the cool climate Sauvignon Blanc’s.  Again a very much drink now style that the Sauvy lovers would imbibe with on a frequent basis.

2008 Renaissance Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Petit Verdot ($25)

This wine is all about drink-ability.  There is soft cherry and subtle french oak char here that blends into a drink now style – don’t bother to cellar this one.  I can see this as a BBQ wine or an all rounder for a Chinese banquette.

2010 Backbone Grenache, Shiraz & Mourvedre ($35)

The Mourvedre was sourced from Willunga with the Grenache plus the Shiraz being sourced from the Foggo Road property and at time of tasting the wine had only been bottled for 2.5 months.  Even though the wine had been recently bottled and I was unsure if the wine would have settled down after this bottling shock, I was impressed.  The redness of the Grenache was prevalent across both the aromas and flavours.  Two other items stuck out for me.  Firstly there was a real earthyness to the wine (not dirty or gritty) that probably comes from the Mourvedre and the second was the tannin structure.  There were plenty of tannins there but they were relatively soft and did not over power the fruit.  Bring on the Bangers and mash with lots of onion gravy and if you were lucky I might share some of this with you.

2010 Four Score Grenache ($30)

Good McLaren Vale Grenache, like this wine brings a smile to my face.  The fruit was from the Foggo Road vineyard and shows all the redness (particularly cherry and some raspberry) with some interesting white pepper spice.  The tannins play a supporting role and are certainly not overpowering the red fruits.  I had this with a turkey breast stir fry.

Squid Ink Shiraz Range with some Chocome chocolate

2010 The Descendent of Squid Ink Shiraz ($35)

The fruit from the McMurtrie Road vineyard was matured in older American oak (2 and 3 year old) and it shows.  The plum of the Shiraz was obvious and there was some blackberry lingering about.  The American oak influence showed up as coconut and vanilla seeping through on both the nose and the palate.  The wine had a textural feel that almost had a viscous feel in the mouth.  I would not cellar this one for long as it is balanced now.

2008 Squid Ink Shiraz ($55)

All the Squid Ink range get 18 months in new American oak before bottling.  In this case the aromas were quite distinct by their absence – it took a lot of concentrating just to get some oaky character.  The flavours were dominated by very ripe satsuma plums with puckering tannin and loads of oak on the finish.  I considered this wine a little unbalanced and thus I am not sure it will improve with age.

2009 Squid Ink Shiraz ($55)

Certainly different to the 2008 version of the Squid Ink.  The aromas showed a concentrated intensity of plums and oak char with the finish showing elegant herbs of lavender and thyme – interesting contrast.  The flavours followed with the fresh plum and herb characters and there was a distinct mouth feel to this wine – almost viscous in it’s intensity.  Yes there is considerable oak here but the fruit pulls it through.  The cracking black soils showing the intensity that can come from grapes grown in the thick black mud.

2010 Squid Ink Shiraz ($55)

By far the best of the 3 Squid ink wines I tried here.  The aromas showed off the American oak maturation with a coconut sweetness that I do enjoy mixed with the fresh plum intensity.  There is definitely room for American oak use in big fruit wines – the wine has the considerable body to soak up the Americanism.  That fruit character is here.  This wine is a mixture of concentration and viscosity mixed of plum, fresh herbs, tannin and oak char.  I suspect this wine is balanced well enough that it will age gracefully.

NV Sparkling Squid Ink Shiraz ($55)

Good sparkling Shiraz is, for me, a joy.  This bottle fermented living beast is one of the good ones – a serious wine base that has the character and body of the Squid Ink wines above.  It will not be for everybody but for the believers this is one to check out – I can feel turkey breast with cranberry sauce being consumed with the bottle I bought.

2010 Giant Squid Ink Shiraz ($150)

Firstly it was interesting to see a cellar door having a $150 bottle of wine open for the general wine drinking visitor.  It is always a tough call on the benefit of opening such an expensive bottle as most of the cellar door visitors will not purchase this wine.  However I like this move as it shows they want to show their wines and to sell their brand.  The wine has spent time in both new American and then into french oak and the result is definitely one for the “Robert Parker” school of red wines.  Lots of oak character but the intense Shiraz fruit is certainly not shy here either.  Needs time to show it’s best and I will be interested to see how it develops.

McLaren Vale Wine – Ducks in a Row

Sunday, 03 February 2013 22:26
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Ducks in a Row Cellar Door

There is a relatively new cellar door in town near Port Willunga just off South Road.  If you are in the area on a weekend between 12 and 4 then I would suggest this is one to check out.  Ducks in a Row comes from the stylings of Glen and Amanda Pritchard and their enthusiastic dog Roger.  Glen is a very experienced winemaker who has worked in senior roles for the big guys in the industry and he has taken the opportunity to make his own wine from little known or alternate varieties and to let the wines speak for themselves instead of using massive amounts of oak character.  Amanda markets the wines and is involved with a number of wine and food initiatives.

The Ducks in a Row branding comes from a painting by Mirka Mora with parts of this painting being used on each of the wine labels (other than the Pandora).

Their cellar door is rustic and has a charm that makes me want to sit down and just talk about stuff for hours (which, if my memory is correct, I probably did on my visit).

Now the wines……..

2012 Vermentino ($25)

Mainly from Heathcote (Victoria) grapes and made in McLaren Vale.  The wine screams stone fruit from the glass even before it gets anywhere near ones nose.  The flavours are soft and subtle with a really interesting textural feel.  The texture probably comes from the natural ferment being kept on solids for an extended period of time.  This textual feel gives a weight to the wines finish – more than the “flavours”.  The structure of the wine screams out for food and can think of nothing better than scallops or oysters,

2011 Fiano ($25)

The Heathcote connection continues with the Fiano.  The grapes were naturally fermented and the wine spend 12 months sitting on the less.  No oak was used in the making so the wine spent the 12 months in stainless steel vats.  Another interesting point was the wine had no sulphur compounds added until bottling.  I find this wine so different again to main stream.  The wine is almost oily to start with and has a really impressive acid backbone.  Not a fruit driven wine I get basil and pine nut notes.  Again the food wine and the oiliness leads me towards char grilled sardines – my mouth is watering just thinking about this combination.

Ducks in a Row Pandora’s Amphora

2011 Pandora’s Amphora ($80)

Heathcote fruit again – a mixture of Vermentino, Fiano, Moscato Giallo all co-fermented naturally in a single amphora.  The Amphora is a clay vessel that has been traditionally used in some Italian wineries and seems to be making a surge in interest here.  I do not know if the Amphora makes a difference in the wine product, but at the very least is sounds good.  This wine was not tasted and the was just over 500 bottles produced.

Ducks in a Row red wines

2011 Nero D’Avola ($25)

Described by Glen (winemaker) as this wine is like “Pinot on steroids”.  The wine has only seen large old oak and spent considerable time on skins and lees – all in the name of complexity.  The theme here is to let the grapes do the talking as the wood plays such a minor part.  Interestingly the wine was served, on a mild day, slightly chilled.  The dark cherry fruits abound but there is a dried herb background to provide a savory wine with good clean acid but the textural feel to the wine makes the interest.  Only the second wine of this variety I have tried but I look forward to more.  Again a food wine – maybe with char grilled octopus.

2011 Temranillo Graciano Mataro ($25)

All McLaren Vale fruit with the Tempranillo (40%) from Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards, the Graciano (40%) from Battle of Bosworth and the Mataro (10%) from a grower in Willunga.  This wine has seen no new oak so again it is all about the grapes.  Redness comes from all over the place here – initially red currents and then into cherries.  I also get the distinct hint of cloves.  There is plenty of structure here which I suspect comes from the addition of the Mataro.  I would like to drink this with a food that has flavour as well as texture to match – maybe some chorizo sausages.

2010 Straight Up Mataro ($25)

From a vineyard near Willunga (in the McLaren Vale region) and was matured in 7 year old oak.  Again the wine making direction to show off the fruit and not just load it up with obvious oak tannins.  I get vanilla plums (maybe a plum stored in a jar with a vanilla bean) but there is also a hint of blue character that is most intriguing.  The grape tannins work to provide a well structured wine that has length on it’s side.  I am going to keep a few bottles to see how this wine will age.

McLaren Vale Wine – Noon Wines

Sunday, 13 January 2013 23:10
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November is a wonderful time of the year.  To many it is the lead up to the Festive Season and the warmer weather is really upon us.  For me December has 2 milestones.  Firstly, Grenache normally flowers during November – and as readers of my blogs would know I love good McLaren Vale Grenache.  Secondly, November signals that Noon Wines cellar door will be open for 3 weekends (the only time the cellar door is open for the year).

Noon Winery and Grenache Vineyard

I have had the pleasure of visiting this cellar door since the mid 1980’s when the current winery and vineyard custodians father owned and operated the facility.  In those days the cellar door was nearly every day and I have many wonderful memories of those times.  Now people either line up on the first day the cellar door is open (as the wine allocated to the general public is usually sold on the first day) or by allocation to the Noon Wines mailing list members.  This mailing list is so sought after that their is a waiting list for the Mailing List.

The wines are made from estate plantings – with one of my favorite old, dry grown Grenache vineyards, plus grapes sourced from long term growers from Langhorne Creek.

I have not included the price for the below wines as they are already sold out.

Noon Winery Equipment

2011 High Noon Rose

A move back to the Grenache based wine after the Shiraz dominant wine from 2010 – after 2010 Grenache crops being so low.  This move has produced what I think is the best Noon Rose for many years.  The Grenache shows through with he redness of ripe cherry and strawberries.  On the palate this fruit character is complemented by spices and there is one thing missing.  In a number of the Noon Rose wines over the years the alcohol level has been quite high, particularly for a Rose, but in this case the alcohol is not obtrusive.  I will be enjoying this wine with an antipasto plate.

2011 Twelve Bells

As with the Rose the previous vintage of the Twelve Bells was Shiraz dominant also in line with the Rose this vintage offering is all the better for the higher proportion of Grenache.  The aromas were somewhat closed however I got a sense of redness there.  The flavours show a mid weight offering with the expected red fruit spiciness and relatively minimal oak influence.  Bring on this summer BBQ’s.

2011 Eclipse

This is an example of why I love McLaren Vale Grenache or in this case a Grenache dominate blend.  A wine with spiced redness where oak character takes second stage but at the same time a wine with strength.  Some people believe Grenache based wines do not cellar well – this wine disagrees with that thought.  The wine is a bit tight now but I suspect a grand opening when about 6 or 7 years old.

2011 M2M

A one of wine called Minute to Midnight.  The 2011 Shiraz crop normally used by Noon’s was not available due to disease.  A chance meeting of friends between Drew and Paul Petagna when Paul had some Shiraz that needed to be picked straight away.  Hands were shook and the grapes were picked for this one of wine.  This is a massive wine that is very characteristic of the vineyard (I know Paul’s wines well).  Lots of deep plums, big tannins and chocolate finish.  A wine that needs time (I have tasted wines from the same vineyard that were 6 years old that were drinking magnificently) and drinking a bottle at about 8 years old sounds like an aim.  Not sure I can wait that long.

Museum Wines

2008 Reserve Shiraz

Smells a bit porty due to the ripe Shiraz fruit from a very hot vintage.  Tannins well balanced with the fruit.  If one wanted to be critical the wine shows over ripe characters however I enjoy drinking it.

2005 Reserve Shiraz

A wine all about the darkness – dark rich character but fresh Satsuma plum flavours.  Drinking well now and still time to go.

2002 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

A wine that sparked my interest if for no other reason than I have never before described a wine as having the aroma of dried dates and blackcurrent.  This wine was not tired at all – still plenty of time left in it.  Much of the tannin seems to have dropped out as a crust in the bottle as the wine was very smooth and long with an almost powdery finish.

2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Aromas of blackberry and chocolate make for an interesting beginning that has intense cassis flavours that just seem to last forever. Perfect to drink now with seared pork fillet.

2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Different again with interestingly floral (violets) aromas with the expected cassis.  The length on this wine is not as impressive as the 2005 Cabernet.

2002 Eclipse

I was excited to see this wine.  As a Grenache based wine, I wanted to see how the wine had aged as I have suggested before there is a view that Grenache based wines do not age well.  To start with I was concerned as I smelt a port like character but I should not have been so concerned as this “blew off” quickly to show a brambly depth with a red fruit wrapping.  The flavours were lighter than expected but showed balance, depth and character.  All Australian red wine drinkers should try wines like his to show what mature red wines are like.

2002 Vintage Port

Soft and silky liquid Christmas cake in a glass.  Just a sensational experience of a wine style that is not often produced.

McLaren Vale Wine – Lavina Wines

Wednesday, 02 January 2013 23:47
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Lavina Wines have recently moved to their Blewitt Springs home in Beltunga Close.  This is an excellent part of McLaren Vale where wonderful vines produce some of McLaren Vale’s best wines.  The area is mainly covered in sand over peat moss and this combination works well.

The administration are is available for tastings by appointment only (contact info@lavinawines.com.au).  Lavina Wines have an interesting approach where they have targeted differing audiences with having a wide range of wines from the high volume Mitcham Estate range (marketed to the supermarket chains) through to the premium range that is targeted to asian markets and with various price levels in between.  In this way they have something for everybody.

The new estate has plantings of Cabernet Franc (40 and 20 years old) plus 10 year old Shiraz.  These vineyards are being revitalised and will form a part of the mix for future releases including Cabernet Franc as a varietal release.

View from Lavina Wines Cellar Door

The grapes are bought from contracted growers (a number of them in the Seaview area) that they work closely with and pay a premium for the grapes ie they are prepared to pay a premium for their insistence on how to look after some of the vines.  Most of the vineyards are either grown with organic or biodymanic principles.  The quality of the fruit is king here – it is not unusual for whole berry maceration in 2 tonne fermenters and after about 9 days in ferment the free run juice is separated with the remainder being foot stamped recombined and then basket pressed into french oak – larger puncheons are used.

As a general comment I find the Shiraz wines from Lavina very interesting as they show a very blue character which I am not used to.  I suspect it is due to either a specific clone, the outcome of a specific climate and geology or blending of a minor component of another variety or varieties – I am not sure which or all are relevent.

This is the second time I have tasted wines from Lavina Wines and I am continued to be impressed.  For red wine drinkers it would be difficult to not find something you liked at the price point you desire.  Well worth checking out.

And now the wines……..

lavina-bottles-300x113

Mitcham Estate

Shiraz, Shiraz Cabernet, Cabernet & Chardonnay (all $10)

Meritus-Shiraz2010-250x1024Meritus

2010 Shiraz ($20)

The aromas were somewhat difficult to get, all I was able to decipher was a little white pepper.  Then the McLaren Vale-ness kicked it on with the flavours – the pepper and plums on the front of the mouth and then chocolate and anise on the back palate.  The tannins were more pronounced than for the other wines tasted later and left the teeth feeling dry.  This wine has all the elements for a long life and if left for a year or 2 (at least) would pay dividends.

2010 Shiraz Grenache ($20)

At time of tasting this wine had been only bottled for 2 weeks.  With this the aromas were short (as was expected) – with oak based spices being dominant.  The flavours were another thing.  As expected, with Grenache, the wine was medium bodied.  What I was not expecting was the blue character of the fruit.  The spice from the aromas comes through as pepper and I was impressed with the length.  I suspect this wine will improve quickly over the next few months to become a real beauty and value a this price.

 

Gold Series

2010 ChGold-Series-Shiraz-BV-2010-317x1024ardonnay ($15)

Not tasted.

2010 Shiraz ($20)

The Barossa fruit shows all the classical element for the variety.  Cedar, plum and pepper aromas and then vibrant fresh plums and a clean acid fueled finish.  At this price it is a bargain and one should lap it up (even though it is not from McLaren Vale).

2010 Shiraz Cabernet ($20)

The fruit for this wine also comes from the Barossa.  Aromas of leather, cherry and plum indicate a young wine with a little something added to provide complexity – smart blending here.  The flavours show the expected blackcurrent up front and a finish of fresh plums.  the fruit is balanced well with the acid and tannins.  Another example of the classical Australian blend and it is good to see these good examples coming back into peoples thinking.

 

Elicere

Since the tasting a Cabernet Franc and a Grenache were due for release in this range.

2012 Riesling ($25)

Not tasted as it was not released at the time of tasting.  I note this is a Tasmanian wine and should be an interesting contrast to the McLaren Vale and a few Barossa wines.

2010 Grenache Shiraz ($35)

Straight away I could see this was a beauty.  Yes I enjoy Grenache based wines and I am told that Grenache is getting easier to sell – well this wine stands for why Grenache should be grown in McLaren Vale.  The aromas were like a waft of violets wrapped around star anise.  The flavours and mid weight palate show Grenache elegance of the red fruits and the soft tannin structure.  Even though the structure was soft is was lingering with the elements of violets, mint and a hint of meatiness.  “Bring it on”, I say.

While I was at the tasting the news came through that this wine had just won a gold medal at the 2012 Melbourne Wine Show – I would have to agree with the judges this wine is terrific.

2010 Shiraz ($35)

I find Shiraz from this winery very intriguing as there is an element of blue fruits on both the aroma and flavours.  I expect this is due to the Shiraz clone that the fruit comes from.  There is a spice mix here that mixes well with the licorice, plum and cedar notes.  Another element I have come to expect from this stable is the cleaver use of oak that provides a soft finish.  Hard to go past my written notes about this wine – “lovely”.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ($35)

Firstly I can report there is no element of greenness that I find in many Cabernet wines.  So far so good.  Clean and clear blackcurrent fruit here with a bouquet of mixed dried herbs.  I know this is only a few words but I really like this wine.

Limited Releases

2010_Lavina_Aurum 2009 The Aurum Release Shiraz ($50)

Aromas of blue fruits (again) and satsuma plums mixed with red licorice (never said that before).  The flavours show lovely lifted fruit (satsuma plum) with the usual blueness.  Hints of lavender polished the dry and dusty tannin finish.

2010 The Aurum Release Shiraz ($50)

So different to the 2009 Aurum!  The aromas were dominated by spices, lavender and violets.  Compared to the 2009 this wine is so much fuller with plums and licorice.  The wine is very structural with an interesting textural mouthfeel and a supporting tannin finish.  Classy.

 

 

2009 Grand Royale Shiraz ($120)

I found the aromas very similar to the 2009 The Aurum with herbs, plum and licorice.  The flavours show a difference with a distinct darkness (from the depth of plum fruit) and supporting tannins.  An elegant or even velvet wine that just screams out to drink a second glass – and well why not.

2010 Grand Royale Shiraz ($120)

Not a big nose here and mainly herbs but the flavours showed more dark chocolate and licorice with soft tannins.  In a word seamless.  Highly enjoyable and well worht checking out

2010 Grand Royale Cabernet Sauvignon ($95)

Cabernet and I have not always seen eye to eye – well this wine may have just changed this view.  There is a whole package here that is just a joy to consume.  Consume is not the right word – maybe experience.  There is the usual blackcurrent with some mint and dried herbs with an emphasis on lavender.  Silky smooth tannins and balanced acid leads to a wine that just screams out to enjoy the experience.  Match it with some lamb roast and I will be there!

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