Australia

 

 

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Grapes/Wine Styles

Cabernet Sauvignon - full flavoured with berries [especially black currants] & chocolate hints. Best is

grown in medium to cool regions. Coonawarra [terra rossa soil], Margaret River area & Yarra Valley

predominate. Its tannic wine benefits from some bottle age.

Grenache - rustically luscious cherry ripeness with raspberries. Best grown in warmer regions & are

high in alcohol & low in tannins.

Malbec - usually blended to add a deep colour, ample tannin and a particular plum-like complexity.

Merlot - soft, dry plush plum-like in warmer regions, more savoury with firmer tannins in cooler areas.

Mourvèdre - fabulously rich & spicy with liquorice hints. Mainly grown in Barossa & McClaren Valleys.

Pinot Noir - in its youth delicate strawberry & raspberry flavours predominate, with age it is more

savoury [mushroom]. It is grown in the coolest regions.

Shiraz - [known as Syrah in the Rhône] it is Australia’s premier grape. In general a cedary, mulberry,

spicy & “wild” flavour although its style varies markedly region to region - in Victoria’s cool climate it

is elegant & peppery, in Coonwarra & Margaret River more spicy, in Clare Valley powerful & minty,

in McLaren Vale sweet & chocolaty, in the Barossa Valley muscular & ripe & finally in the Hunter

Valley rich leather.

Chardonnay - formerly considered to be “oaky” & obvious, it is now better made with usually a hint of

vanilla oak. The warmer inland areas show peach & tropical fruit flavours whilst the cooler regions

exhibit more subtle citrus [grapefruit & lime] aromas.

Colombard - often blended with Chardonnay & Sauvignon Blanc, on its own it produces a full-bodied

wine with tropical-fruit overtones & good acidity, i.e. good with seafood. It favours warmer regions.

Gewürztraminer [Traminer] - usually pungent spicy lychee, Turkish delight &/or perfumed floral

flavours predominate. Grown mainly in Clare Valley, Hunter Valley & Tasmania.

Marsanne - powerfully flavoured with honey, lemon, peach & lemon. Grown primarily in Victoria.

Muscat - electrifying ambrosial sweet nectar raisins from the Rutherglen district of Victoria.

Semillon - whilst generally warm, creamy & peachy its style varies as Shiraz’s. In the Barossa it is a

luscious deep yellow with mangoes & peaches often wood-aged, around the Hunter Valley it is lean &

flinty at first but matures into a honey, nutty, complex classic whereas Margaret River produces a fine

balance between the two. It ages well. Botrytis Cinerea, the noble rot, produces intensely sweet wine.

Viognier - hard to grow but increasingly blended with Shiraz to add perfumed aromas & softer tannins.

 

Amon-Ra Barossa Valley

Bin No.
Name
£
RP
WS
           
392
Unfiltered Shiraz Ben Glaetzer 2005 14.5%
101
98

 

Angove’s Renmark South Australia

393 Chardonnay Classic Reserve 2000 13% 1/2 8   84

 

d’Arenberg McLaren Vale

394
Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre The Ironstone Pressings 2002 14.5%
48
92
87
395
Shiraz Grenache d’Arrys Original 2003 15%
21
89
396
Shiraz Viognier Laughing Magpie 2003 14.5%
27
90
91
397
Cabernet Sauvignon The Coppermine Road 2003 14.5%
48
94
398
Shiraz The Dead Arm 2003 15%
63
95
86

 

Best’s Wines Victoria

399
Colombard 2002 12.5%
16

 

Brown Brothers Victoria

400
Orange Muscat & Flora Special Late Harvested 2004 10%
17

 

Capercaillie Hunter Valley

401
Semillon The Creel 2002 10%
19
402
Dessert Style Gewürztraminer 2003 10%
1/2
19

 

“Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker, but to wine her is finer.” Ogden Nash

 

De Bortoli New South Wales

403
Botrytis Semillon Noble One 2002 11.5%
1/2
33

 

Henry’s Drive Padthaway South Australia

404
Shiraz 2003 16%
50
94
90

 

Henschke Eden Valley South Australia

405
Shiraz Hill of Grace 2001 14%
420
93
95
406
Semillon Louis 2005 13%
30
90
87

 

Ingleburne McLaren Vale

410
Shiraz Penny’s Hill 2002 15%
34
92

 

“I shall drink no wine before it is time! Okay it is time!” Groucho Marx

 

Kangarilla Road McLaren Vale

411
Shiraz 2002 14.5%
27
93
83

“I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.” Tom Waits

 

Knappstein Lenswood Adelaide Hills

412
Cabernet Merlot Malbec The Palatine 1998 13.5%
53
92
83
413
Pinot Noir 2000 14%
46
86
414
Chardonnay 2000 14%
31
415
Chardonnay 2001 14%
31

Mitchelton Central Victoria

416
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 25th Anniversary 1990 13.5%
64
417
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 25th Anniversary 1991 13.5%
64
418
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 25th Anniversary 1992 13.5%
64
419
Estate Marsanne 1995 12.5%
20
83

 

Parker Coonawarra Estate

420
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cabernet Franc First Growth Terra Rossa 1999 14%
51
92
421
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot First Growth Terra Rossa 2001 14%
53
92
90

 

 

Pauletts Clare Valley S. A.

422
Riesling 2006 12.5%
25

 

 

Penfolds South Australia

423
Shiraz Grange 1981 12.5%
315
94
89
424
Shiraz Grange 1998 14.5%
354
99
99
425
Shiraz Grange 1999 14%
253
92
94
426
Cabernet Shiraz Bin 389 2001 14%
39
88

 

Rawnsley Estate South Australia

427
Cabernet Merlot 2003 13.5%
18

“What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?” W.C.Fields

 

Two Hands Barossa Valley

430
Shiraz Bad Impersonator 2003 15%
57
93
90
431
Shiraz Bella’s Garden 2003 15%
67
95
94

 

Wolf Blass Barossa Valley

432
Shiraz Gold Label 2002 14%
28
91

 

Yalumba Barossa Valley

433
Shiraz Old Vine The Octavius 1998 14.5%
75
97
434
Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz The Signature 1999 14%
42
95
85
435
Cabernet Sauvignon Y Series 2004 13.5%
16
436
Viognier Y Series 2004 14.5%
16
88
85

 

“A man, fallen on hard times, sold his art collection but kept his wine cellar. When asked why he

did not sell his wine, he replied, ‘A man can live without art, but not without culture’.” Anon

 

 

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