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Tag Archives: Moscato

McLaren Vale Wine – Foggo Wines Part 2 (Sweet Wines)

Sunday, 12 August 2012 20:10
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Check out Part 1 of this review here.

2011 Moscato White ($15)

Made from muscatel grapes and only has 5% alcohol normally means a refreshing and sweet drink.  This is no exception with real tropical-ness about it that is just nice and light.  Do not expect too much from this wine – it is made to drink very cold on a Sunday afternoon and still be able to drive away when you have finished.  A bit seller at cellar door but a bit light for me.

2011 Moscato Rosa ($15)

With the use of Grenache skins I thought this wine may show a sense of difference and I was not disappointed.  The red fruits one associates with Grenache comes though in spades and the sugar is less apparent.  Both of these characters appeal more that the straight white variety.

2010 Golden Botrytis ($20 375ml bottle)

Made from mainly Chardonnay and a little Semillon to produce a honey, grassy marmalade sensation.  The Semillon makes all the difference to the final product.  Another good seller from the cellar door.

 Muscat ($20)

An eight year old fortified that starts with honey and raisins but is so much lighter than expected.  This equates to something that is potentially far to easy to drink – the 19% alcohol will catch up with you.

Tawny ($18)

A Grenache and Shiraz based 8 year old fortified that shows interesting cherry, strawberry and cranberry notes that is dryer on the palate than anyone would expect.  Much lighter than the classic tawny offerings from the Barossa.  For me it lacks the thick viscous feel one gets from many fortifides but it tends to sell very well.

2007 3 Sheds Grenache ($55)

I suspect this wine will provide arguments over the quality and if the wine is enjoyable – it is just so different and thus is may polarise many.  The grapes are cordon cut (the grape stems are partially cut and left on the vine ) this technique allows the grapes to shrivel as the grapes do not get any nutrients from the vine and water from the grapes start to evaporate.  This technique concentrates the sugars and flavours of the grapes.  The differences do not stop there – the grapes are hand picked, foot crushed and then barrel fermented.

The aromas were just reminiscent of ripe Grenache grapes – sweet red fruits and florals.  The flavours are just intense with red raisins and chewy tannins that give the wine an interesting mouthfeel.  For interest alone I had to purchase a bottle, but I know many people that would hate this wine.

2005 3 Sheds Shiraz ($55)

Made in the same way as the 3 Sheds Grenache.  This time the wine smells concentrated fruits with intense star anise and chocolate (yes the McLaren Vale influence on Shiraz happens again).  The flavours are oh so concentrated raisins and, of all things, grape seeds.  I also found the finish to be long and dry – not what I was expecting.

McLaren Vale Wine – Angoves

Monday, 02 January 2012 20:47
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Angove Wines McLaren Vale Cellar Door

I have been watching this new cellar door being built over the last few months and so I was quite excited about visiting the newest cellar door in McLaren Vale.  I was also excited by seeing how this new facility was going to be set up.  I grew up near Tea Tree Gully (TTG) where a considerable part of the Angoves story has unfolded.  Until recently, a small cellar door was situated in TTG and while I have been working all around the wonderful country I would always visit this facility when I visited home.  This old cellar door really was bargain central where bin ends overseas stock and wrongly bottled wines would be available for sale.  This new cellar door could not be further away from the old TTG facility.  Here there are 2 whole ranges that are McLaren Vale based.  Firstly, the Warboys Vineyard range that is made from the single vineyard around the new cellar door, which has the family crest in silver on the label.  Secondly, a McLaren Vale range that is sourced from various growers in McLaren Vale and has a coloured family crest on the label.  These 2 ranges are only available at the McLaren Vale cellar door.  To compliment these 2 ranges there are some other options at both ends of the spectrum.  There are quite a few wines available for tasting so I will review the wines over 2 blog entries.

Angoves Cellar Door

Added attractions at the cellar door are the regional platters (cheese, olives and bread) or a coffee and cake or biscuits.  It was very hot the day of my visit but there is a outside courtyard area with tables and chairs – a great spot to look over the vineyard.  The “Boardroom” is available for small corporate functions and has a table made from hardwood recycled from large wooded vats previously used in the winery (the tasting bar shown above is made from the same wood).  There is also Pizza Oven hidden down one side of the cellar door that I am sure will be able to tell many stories in a couple of years time.

Cellar Door Courtyard

Anyway, enough of this lets talk about the wine………….

2011 Vineyard Select Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc ($A18)

From a Woodside vineyard in the Adelaide Hills from the Wicks stable.  The wine was surprisingly good as most areas of the Adelaide Hills were devastated by disease in 2011.  And surprised I was – the wine showed lots of passionfruit with a little grass on the nose, the palate showed tropical fruits and grass again with a length brought on by the good acid structure.  Still not for me but a good example of what the Adelaide Hills can provide that is not a NZ clone.

2011 Nine Vines Pinot Grigio ($A15)

As expected the Nine Popes range is from the vast Angove Riverland vineyards.  I was expecting pear characters but instead got citrus acid being dominate with a really interesting (and refreshing) grapefruit flavor profile.  A good clean and crisp drink that should be consumed on a Sunday afternoon with friends and Tapas.

2010 Organic Chardonnay ($A20)

One third from the Battle of Bosworth vineyard in McLaren Vale and 2 thirds from the family Renmark vineyard that has been converted to organic practices.  Some of the wine has seen 2 or 3 year old oak barrels for about 8 months.  Great to see the light use of oak as opposed to no oak at all.  A chardonnay with no oak does not seem right in my book.  This wine shows the complexity of a light oak touch with peach, nectarines with a creamy nature right before the wonderful tangy acid finish.  I am thinking a creamy chicken dish to have with this wine.

2010 McLaren Vale Chardonnay ($A20)

Only just released for the opening of the new cellar door and made from grapes from a vineyard just outside the township of McLaren Vale.  The grapes were pressed directly into 1 or 2 year old french oak barrels and the fermentation occurred with the indigenous yeasts and stirred weekly.  The result is a refined aroma of minerality and stone fruits (peach and nectarine) wrapped up in an acidity that wraps around your tongue as well.  I found this the most interesting white wine from this tasting.  The wine could be matched with many food types so maybe a Chinese banquet may go down well here.

2011 Nine Vines Moscato ($A15)

The interesting thing about Moscato is is that what you smell is what it is – grapes.  Wines made from other grapes can smell of so many other things but Moscato is very uncomplicated as it smells and tastes like the grapes it is made from.  At only 8% alcohol and not too much sugar left one can see the uncomplicated freshness is the reasoning behind the large increase in sales of this wine style.

2011 Nine Vines Grenache Shiraz Rose ($A15)

The Nine Vines Rose has been in my glass a number of times over the last 6 or 7 years,  Over this time there has been a consistent theme of quality here.  There is always the red berries and cream with clean acid.  What is a little different now is the wine seems to have a touch less sugar and for me, the resultant wine is better for it.  Sunday lunch with cheese, preserved meats, home made chutneys and fresh crusty bread – nothing more, nothing less.

2010 Organic Shiraz Cabernet ($A16)

As for the chardonnay the grapes for this wine is about 1 third from McLaren Vale’s Battle of Bosworth and 2 thirds from the Riverland.  There is a real berry and licorice theme with this wine.  The berries of black current and blackberry drive the up front flavors and the finish is driven by the licorice.

2010 Vineyard Select McLaren Vale Shiraz ($A18)

A blend from regional vineyards from the McLaren Vale region that shows all the usual elements one sees in McLaren Vale Shiraz – dark plums, generous mid palate, the spices of pepper and cardamon combined with a generous dusting of oak.  The tannins dominate the finish and one would recommend a bit longer in the bottle to let this soften a tad.

Next week I review the rest of the Angoves McLaren Vale cellar door wine list.

Mclaren Vale Wine – Zimmermann Wine

Sunday, 23 October 2011 22:09
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Zimmermann Wines are found in the Willunga area on the foothills of the Willunga escarpment between Willunga and Sellicks Beach.  If you check the Geological Map of the region this vineyard is the only one in this rock/soil type.

Zimmermann Entry Sign

Hans & Ulrike moved to Australia over 20 years ago with the aim to make quality wine they were drawn to the McLaren Vale.  They were even more drawn to the Willunga area of the McLaren Vale region and finally settled on 23 acres of sloping land that has a creek running through it during the winter months.  The valley has allowed different sections of vineyard to be planted that has different aspects and thus differing micro climates.  This allows differences in grapes and small batches of grapes are generally picked at optimal times thus providing the best possible wine from this vineyard.  It is attention to detail and an un-waivering belief in their vineyard and wine products that make the Zimmermann wines something that one should check out.

Zimmermann Cellar Door and B&B Complex

The cellar door complex also holds a 4.5 star bed and breakfast accommodation where you can be spoilt, not just with the wine but with the service and the substantial breakfast provided.  The Blue Grape B&B has a excellent reputation and holds 6 people in a house style lodgings (not just a couple of rooms).

Ulrike is an artist, with some of her paintings on the walls in the cellar door area, and has an eye for detail.  This flows over to food and the wine – which makes sense as food and wine production is an art form as well.

Zimmermann Vineyard

Anyway, I should talk about the wine……..

2010 Arneis ($A18)

Available from the Zimmermann Wine Cellar Door only and is made from Adelaide Hills fruit.  This is the first Arneis wine I have tried and I was not sure what to expect.  I got grape and apple aromas, which made me think of a wine with a good acid level.  I was not disappointed with the flavors where the same grape and red apple flavors were there.  The acid levels were good but not as high as I thought when I smelt the wine.  Overall I thought the wine was quite light and refreshing.  I was able to try a taste of the same wine from a bottle that had been opened for a week.  On comparison the wine had lost it’s freshness but was not bad – maybe a hit of the aging potential for this wine.  It was described as halfway between Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc – I am not sure about the description but I understand it.  The wine was crisp but not as acidic as Riesling plus the wine was flavorsome and light so an easy drinking wine like Sauvignon Blanc can be.  For me, it does not knock off Riesling as my favorite white variety however, there is interest here – enough to keep an eye on this variety.

2008 Shiraz ($A18)

A difficult vintage but the location and wine making style may have been enough to pull it off – I was interested to see the outcome.  I was not disappointed.  The aromas were plum pudding but made with fresh plums not stewed.  Combined with a hint of American oak coconut and a slight perfume action which builds as the wine sits in the glass. on the palate the wine has lots of ripe flavors (but not stewed fruit) that was clearly plum based.  This wine was lighter than expected – one would call this medium bodied.  This was not expected – from this vintage I was thinking of a high alcohol, stewed fruit with lots of big flavors.  This was more refined, even through to the tannin structure.  Lots of new oak was NOT used here – instead the tannins were well matched with the medium bodied flavors.

Zimmermann WInes Vineyard

2007 Shiraz ($A28)

The wine has a few medals on the label including a Gold Medal at the AWC (Vienna) International Wine Challenge where it was up against a huge number of other Shiraz wines from all over the world.  Sounds impressive so I was looking forward to trying this wine.  And impressive it was – straight away there was an extra depth of aromas and flavors.  It was also obvious that there was no American oak influence here – just the cedar of French oak.  To add to the plum fruit character depth there are also layers of tannins and a clean acid finish.  All the part make to to one beauty of a whole wine.  The wine has been cellared for us to ensure it will be at it’s best and I recon it will last for a quite a few years yet.

N/V Sparkling Moscato Pink ($A14)

Moscato seems to be the flavor of the month – sweet and low alcohol that one can chug down and still not be alcohol effected.  In a word refreshing and anything to knock Sauvignon Blanc off it’s pedestal.

It was first served up as a cocktail with raspberries and lemon and was a very refreshing drink with all the grapiness one expects from Moscato with an intersting textural mouthfeel I suspect comes from some skin contact.  I have also tried it on it’s own and all the elements of a good Moscato are there.  I particularly like that the wine is not too sweet and so it is more than just sugar water.  At this price this is a real steal.

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