2010 GEVREY CHAMBERTIN VILLAGES by OLIVIER BERNSTEIN - PATIENCE

In less than a decade, Olivier Bernstein as establish himself as one of Burgundy’s leading micro-negociants. His wines are characterised by the sheen of new oak and pristine fruit picked at full ripeness. Cheap they are not, but it is fair to say that quality shines through the Bernstein portfolio.

His village level Gevrey Chambertin, from the 2010 vintage is a precocious youngster. It has shed some of the puppy fat of youth, but is in a transitory phase from youth to adolescence. It displays a complex array of red fruits, but remains tightly coiled, sinewy tannins asserting themselves. There is quality here, but this is a wine needing another 5 years in bottle to strut its stuff.

2010 GEVREY CHAMBERTIN VILLAGES by OLIVIER BERNSTEIN
Producer: Maison Oliver Bernstein
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2010
Region: Burgundy, France
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $100.00
Date tasted: 24 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Attractive nose of cherry, pomegranate and redcurrant, spicy oak. Dry, medium bodied, quite tightly coiled. Sour red fruits follow through from the nose, but you get the sense the wine is holding back a bit at present. Leave for 4-5 years.
Score: 16.5+/20

NV EL SIERRA MAESTRO FINO - I SHOULD LIVE IN SALT

El Maestro Sierra is a lesser known Jerez-based bodega founded in 1830. It was originally established by Jose Antonio Sierra, a cooper who made barrels for Gonzalez Byass. He eventually succeeded in his mission and established the bodega as one of the region’s leading almacenistas, supplying wine to larger houses.

These days, El Sierra Maestro bottles under its own name, and its Sherries are worth hunting down. At under $30 for a 750ml bottle, the Fino represents exceptional value for money. It possesses an intensely briny/saline personality overlaid by fresh sourdough. There’s lots to like here.

NV EL SIERRA MAESTRO FINO
Producer: Bodegas El Sierra Maestro
Variety: Sherry
Vintage: Non-vintage
Region: Jerez, Spain
ABV: 15.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $27.00
Date tasted: 24 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright lemon yellow. Attractive nose of freshly baked sourdough, ozone, brine/fish rope, honeyed/nutty notes. Bone dry and limpid, saline, suggestions of brioche/sourdough. Finishes long and fine. Delicious and exceptional value for money.
Score: 17/20

2014 THICK AS THIEVES ‘THE SHOW PONY’ - A HORSE WITH NO NAME

For many, Sauvignon Blanc is a ‘take it or leave it’ grape, its herbaceous personality being somewhat devisive. Introduce it to wood, and it can be a more interesting customer, the barrel fermentation lending texturing and toning down its more extreme traits.

‘The Show Pony’, from one-man show Thick as Thieves just about gets it right. It possesses a delicate, citrus-laden (grapefruit, lemon) palate, grassy/herbaceous notes emerging over time with air. It’s not a super complex wine, but refreshes and would be a more than able dinner table companion to simply grilled fish with a green salad.

2014 THICK AS THIEVES ‘THE SHOW PONY’
Producer: Thick as Thieves
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2014
Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria
ABV: 12.4%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $26.00
Date tasted: 18 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery yellow in appearance. Grapefruit pith, lemon zest, slightly herbaceous. Dry, medium bodied, round shouldered and compact, citrusy, becoming more grassy/herbaceous with aeration. A very solid wine, the barrel ferment lending texture.
Score: 16/20

2013 KELVEDON ESTATE PINOT NOIR - HIGH FIDELITY

Kelvedon Estate is a small Swansea-based vineyard producing small volumes of estate-bottled Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Most of its fruit is contracted, with all of the Chardonnay fruit sold to the House of Arras, and Pinot Noir sold under contract to Bay of Fires.

With demand from prestigious premium labels, it is no surprise that the estate wines are pretty classy. Kelvedon Estate Pinot Noir is a very impressive modern Australian Pinot Noir, with a relatively modest price-tag.

There is real quality to be had here, with depth and structure that should support medium term cellaring.

2013 KELVEDON ESTATE PINOT NOIR
Producer: Kelvedon Estate
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2013
Region: East Coast, Tasmania
ABV: 13.9%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $40.00
Date tasted: 19 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright ruby. Clean nose of cherry, plum and smoky oak. Dry, initially fruit-driven but with good structure, depth of flavour and balancing acidity. Cherry, plum, raspberry and pomegranate interwoven with spicy oak. Impressive intensity and length. Has the structure to develop well in bottle.
Score: 17/20

2014 DENIS POMMIER PETIT CHABLIS - LITTLE BY LITTLE

2014 has widely been talked of as an excellent vintage for white Burgundy and Chablis. The quality of the vintage shines through in this modest Petit Chablis from Denis Pommier. Although relatively simple, it has excellent fruit intensity and a touch of gunflint one associates with Chablis.

There is a lot to like about Pommier’s Petit Chablis. It is a wine that delivers well above the appellation norm and is dangerously drinkable.

2014 DENIS POMMIER PETIT CHABLIS
Producer: Denis Pommier
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2014
Region: Burgundy, France
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $33.00
Date tasted: 12 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale greenish yellow. Typical nose of fresh green apples, lemon zest, touch of gunflint. Dry, medium bodied, very fresh and bright. Excellent fruit intensity for a modest appellation. Relatively simple, yet extremely moreish. Refreshing and delicious.
Score: 16/20

2014 PODERE 414 TOSCANA ROSATO 'FLOWER POWER' - SINK THE PINK

Little needs to be said about Podere 414’s Sangiovese-based Rosato than ‘bloody delicious’. Delicate, pretty and dry, it is a fine, refreshing rose that is immensely satisfying on its own, wih a Caesar salad or just about anything. One bottle is simply not enough!

2014 PODERE 414 TOSCANA ROSATO 'FLOWER POWER'
Producer: Podere 414
Variety: Rose
Vintage: 2014
Region: Tuscany, Italy
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $28.00
Date tasted: 14 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale orangey pink. Pretty nose of strawberry and redcurrant. Delicate and gentle, the palate in the same vein as the nose, lemony acidity carrying the finish. Does what one wants from a good rose – sates and refreshes.
Score: 16/20

2014 CA DEI FRATI LUGANA BIANCO - LADY OF THE LAKE

Lugana was the very first DOC to be registered in Lombardy and one of the first in Italy. The grape in question here is a localised variant of Trebbiano, Trebbiano di Lugana, also known as Turbiana. In the hands of benchmark producer Ca dei Frati, it produces an attractive, aromatic wine capable of developing in bottle for several years.

Although 2014 was a challenging vintage in northern Italy, the 2014 Lugana Bianco from Ca dei Frati is, if anything, more immediately complex than the 2013 that preceded it. Although acidity drives the structure of the wine, it possesses a complex array of orchard, stone and citrus fruits, an exotic twist of apricot blossom lending further interest.  

2014 CA DEI FRATI LUGANA BIANCO 
Producer: Ca dei Frati
Variety: Trebbiano di Lugana (Turbiana)
Vintage: 2014
Region: Lombardy, Italy
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $38.00
Date tasted: 4 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright yellow. Attractive nose of pear, apricot blossom, acacia, lemon citrus. Dry, medium bodied, vibrant and lively, fresh acidity. Zippier and zestier than the 2013 of the same wine. Melange of orchard fruits and citrus with a twist of apricot on the finish. More please!
Score: 17/20

2014 SHAW + SMITH RIESLING - INTERLOPER

Shaw + Smith is best known for its iconic Sauvignon Blanc and excellent M3 Chardonnay. However, with Adam Wadewitz, formerly of Best’s Great Western, in charge of winemaking, it is logical that there should be a Riesling in the line-up.

This particular wine is sourced from a vineyard in Echunga, some distance from the Shaw + Smith winery in Balhannah. The 2014 is quite backward, perhaps lacking some of the more flamboyant aspects of Adelaide Hills Riesling (see earlier tasting notes on Kanta Riesling 2010).

There is clearly good potential here, and with the Shaw + Smith team behind it, this could be another star in the making.

2014 SHAW + SMITH RIESLING
Producer: Shaw + Smith
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2014
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 11.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 23 November 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery yellow in appearance. Clean aromatic nose of crab apple, lime zest and talc. Dry, steely, slightly austere, tart green apple, lemon/lime. Slightly backward. Acidity provides the structure. Solid.
Score: 16/20

NV ANDRÉ CLOUET BRUT RÉSERVE - i'M FOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES

Based in the village of Bouzy, André Clouet is the source of some of the best value examples of Pinot Noir-dominant Champagne. Its Brut Réserve is a delight to drink showcasing delicate red fruits. The dosage is modest, providing for a dry, but not austere, wine that is dangerously drinkable. More please!

NV ANDRÉ CLOUET BRUT RÉSERVE
Producer: André Clouet
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: Non-vintage
Region: Champagne, France
ABV: 12.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $60.00
Date tasted: 23 November 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery yellow in appearance. Fine persistent bubbles. Bright nose of candied red fruits, slightly floral. Dry, elegant, very plush on the palate. Red fruits follow through. Not a great deal of autolysis, but delicious and moreish. Top notch grower fizz.
Score: 16.5/20

2012 PRESSING MATTERS RIESLING R0 - UNDER PRESSURE

Tasmania is arguably the darling of the Australian wine scene at present – superb Pinot Noirs, vibrant Chardonnay, Australia’s best sparkling wines and then you have Domaine A, source of Australia’s best Sauvignon Blanc and exceptional Bordeaux-like Cabernet Sauvignon.

Riesling is another thing that Tasmania does exceptionally well. This example, from Pressing Matters, shows typical Tasmanian Riesling characters of apple and pear. Three years from vintage, it is showing some bottle development and may well be starting to enter the Riesling dip, with the vibrant primary fruit fading ever so slightly. This is a solid Tasmanian Rieslin, distinct from Clare and Edent Valley examples.

2012 PRESSING MATTERS RIESLING R0
Producer: Pressing Matters
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2012
Region: Coal River Valley, Tasmania
ABV: 11.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 22 November 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery yellow in appearance. Attractive nose – straight from the apple orchard, pear, lemon citrus. Bone dry, showing a touch of development on the palate – rounded. Decent drive, but lacks ‘wow’ factor – may be entering the Riesling dip.
Score: 16/20

2015 PIKES ‘TRADITIONALE’ RIESLING - ORIGINAL

Pikes is one of the ‘big guns’ of the Clare Valley. There comes a point when Clare Valley Riesling can become a little tiresome, even for a Riesling-lover like this imbiber. The stereotypical lemon/lime profile of Clare Valley Riesling can become a touch one-dimensional.

Pikes ‘Traditionale’ Riesling 2015 is a step up from run of the mill Clare Valley Riesling, pear and apple fruits sitting alongside lemon and lime citrus with a floral twist lending further complexity. Although there is plenty to enjoy now, this wine should develop well in bottle over the medium term.

2015 PIKES ‘TRADITIONALE’ RIESLING
Producer: Pikes
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2015
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
ABV: 12.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 19 November 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery yellow in appearance. Attractive nose of apple, pear, lemon zest and lime. Dry. Good fruit intensity in a similar realm to the bouquet. More vibrant and complex than your average Clare Valley Riesling. Good length. Should develop well, but plenty to enjoy now.
Score: 16.5/20

2012 KILIKANOON PRODIGAL GRENACHE - THE GOOD SON

Going back to the late 1980’s, Grenache was starting to witness a revival in Australia, inspired by the likes of Charles Melton with his Nine Popes. Many examples of Australian Grenache at this time suffered from being overly sweet and confected, clumsy oak handling making matters worse.

Australian Grenache has come a long way in 25-30 years, to the extent that contemporary examples are savoury, spicy and expressive of their place of origin. When we think of Grenache in Australia, the Barossa Valley and McLaren Valley are the first regions that come to mind. Leading Clare Valley producer, Kilikanoon, has long championed Grenache.

Its Prodigal Grenache, from the excellent 2012 vintage, is a stylish example of modern Australian Grenache. It may not have the depth or complexity of the very best examples of Grenache, but there is plenty to enjoy in a sweet, savoury and spicy sort of a way.

2012 KILIKANOON PRODIGAL GRENACHE
Producer: Kilikanoon
Variety: Grenache
Vintage: 2012
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 15 November 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright plum red in appearance. Clean nose of spiced plum and confit cherry, strawberry. Dry, full bodied, plenty of up-front fruit, but not over the top. Moves to savoury on the mid-palate, with spice and tar lending complexity on the finish. Australian Grenache has come a long way and this is a solid example.
Score: 16/20

2012 TB RILEY ‘GRUETZNER VINEYARD’ SHIRAZ CABERNET SAUVIGNON - TAILOR MADE

Don’t know where Apsley is? You wouldn’t be the only one. It’s a remote town in far western Victoria, not that far from the South Australian border. It is the home of Gruetzner Vineyard, a relatively cool site that has provided fruit for Penfolds Grange. Being cool and dry, it produces modest yields of small Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that have abundant tannins and good natural acidity.

Now to the maker, Tom Riley is a one-time member of the Penfolds winemaking team turned high-end tailor. Trained as a winemaker, Tom ‘saw the light’ and moving into the more lucrative of cutting the finest cloth. Thanks for us drinkers, Tom still makes a little bit of wine on the side.

Gruetzner Vineyard Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon from the excellent 2012 vintage is his first effort, and it has a real wow factor. A classic Australian ‘Claret’, Riley’s take on Bin 389 is a real beauty. It sees no new oak being matured exclusively in seasoned oak barrels. The wine displays excellent fruit concentration and plenty of structure by way of fine powdery tannin.

In some ways, this is an anti-Penfolds wine, being the product of a single vineyard, no new wood and notably made without the use of ‘exogenous tannins’. This is a cracker of a wine for the cellar, but patience is needed. Leave for at least a decade.

2012 TB RILEY ‘GRUETZNER VINEYARD’ SHIRAZ CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Producer: TB Riley
Variety: Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon blend
Vintage: 2012
Region: Far Western Victoria, Victoria
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $40.00
Date tasted: 31 October 2015

Tasting Note:
Impenetrable crimson. Stern nose of dark fruit, minerals, wet earth, graphite. Medium bodied, silky in texture, blueberry, blackberry, cassis. Very ‘dark’. Savoury. Powdery tannins assert themselves on the finish. Classic dry Australian red executed with aplomb. Needs time – at least 5 years.
Score: 17.5/20

2013 TERZINI PECORINO D’ABRUZZO - ONLY FOR SHEEP

We tend to associate Pecorino with the famous ewe’s milk cheese more than wine. However, it is grown in Abruzzo and Le Marche on Italy’s east coast, producing white wines of considerable style. This particular example possesses lively stonefruit aromatics and a wonderfully textured palate. It is a food-friendly wine well suited to seafood, white meat and creamy pasta dishes.

Pecorino translates to English as little sheep, and we are led to believe that the fruit of the Pecorino vine were favoured by the flocks of sheep driven to lower pastures in Italy’s east. The sheep certainly had good taste, as it makes a delicious wine!

2013 TERZINI PECORINO D’ABRUZZO
Producer: Terzini
Variety: Pecorino
Vintage: 2013
Region: Abruzzo, Italy
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 30 October 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright golden yellow. Interesting nose of white peach/nectarine, yellow plum. Dry, medium bodied, lovely texture. Flavour profile is the same as the nose – stonefruit. Only downside is a slight suggestion of oxidation – perhaps not a pristine bottle. Still plenty to enjoy.
Score: 16/20

2014 PALACIOS REMONDO ‘LA VENDIMIA’ - HARVEST SONG

Alvaro Palacios, Decanter ‘Man of the Year’ is Spain’s reigning superstar. With interests in Priorat, Bierzo and Rioja, he fashions an eclectic set of wines, l’Ermita being the most famous, ranking alongside Vega Sicilia as a Spain’s greatest wine.

In Rioja, Palacios heads up the family estate Palacios Remondo. While Tempranillo generally takes centre stage in Rioja, Palacios prefers to showcase Garnacha. ‘La Vendimia’, aka ‘the harvest’ is a 50:50 blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo. This is not a super-complex or intellectual wine, but a wine that cries ‘drink me’. Juicy is the best word to describe it.

The 2014 rendition of ‘La Vendimia’ benefits from gentle aeration, so there’s no harm to decant if drinking now. It should flesh out in bottle and continue to drink well for another 2-3 years.

2014 PALACIOS REMONDO ‘LA VENDIMIA’
Producer: Palacios Remondo
Variety: Tempranillo et al
Vintage: 2014
Region: Rioja, Spain
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $33.00
Date tasted: 28 October 2015

Tasting Note:
Mid-ruby in appearance. Open nose of macerated red fruits (strawberry, cherry), aniseed. Lively and vibrant, initially sweet-fruited moving to savoury on the mid-palate. Quite soft and gentle, fine tannins providing texture. Juicy. Good length.
Score: 16.5/20

2015 HAREWOOD ESTATE RIESLING - WALK THE LINE

Westerm Australia’s remote Great Southern region is the home of some of Australia’s finest Riesling, Frankland Estate being its shining star. Unlike Clare and Eden Valley Riesling, the fruit spectrum moves from the citrus grove to the apple and pear orchard. This is certainly the case for the Harewood Estate Riesling 2015.

This is a delicate Riesling, medium in body, bone dry. Initially it’s quite reticent, slowly unfolding in the glass. It grows on one and should develop well in bottle. There’s plenty to like here and, as ever, the price is wallet friendly.

2015 HAREWOOD ESTATE RIESLING
Producer: Harewood Estate
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2015
Region: Great Southern, Western Australia
ABV: 12.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 26 October 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale greenish yellow. Alluring aromatic nose of grapefruit, green apple and pear. Dry, medium bodied, linear acidity provided the structure. Straight out of the apple/pear orchard – definitely not Clare or Eden Valley Riesling. Delicate and restrained, zesty grapefruit acidity drawing out the finish. Grows on one as the bottle slowly empties.
Score: 16/20

2014 SC PANNELL TEMPRANILLO TOURIGA - JUKEBOX IN IBERIA

It would be an understatement to say that Steve Pannell is on a hot streak. Put simply, the man can do no wrong. Winemaker of the year, 2014 Jimmy Watson trophy-winner, the plaudits keep coming. Pannell is deservedly credited with producing wines that are bright, fresh and suited to the contemporary Australian palate.

One such wine is the Iberian-inspired Tempranillo Touriga. Medium in body and savoury in character, this blend is perfectly suited to McLaren Vale’s warm climate and even better suited to the Australian outdoors lifestyle and summer of endless barbecues.

This is a wine that took out the trophy for Best Red Blend at the Royal Victorian Wine Awards, a signpost, if ever, that Australian wine has entered a new era. It is the sort of wine that merits good food and good company, so fire up the barbie and get that marinated leg of lamb on!

2014 SC PANNELL TEMPRANILLO TOURIGA
Producer: SC Pannell
Variety: Tempranillo et al
Vintage: 2014
Region: McLaren Vale, South Australia
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $28.00
Date tasted: 24 October 2015

Tasting Note:
Mid-ruby in appearance. Open nose of dark cherry, plum, sarsaparilla, floral notes. Medium bodied, The nose flows through to the palate which is medium in body, fine and supple. Savoury in character; a food style well suited to contemporary Mediterranean cuisine – BBQ butterflied leg of lamb would be a perfect match.
Score: 17/20

2013 CHATEAU GRÉZAN FAUGÈRES ROSÉ - BEAUTIFUL SOUTH

While Languedoc rosé may lack the sexy appeal of Provence, better examples can at least as good as those from its southern French counterpart. This particular wine, from the Faugères appellation, is a class act.

A blend of Cinsault (60%) and Syrah (40%), it delivers attractive aromatics that combine orange zest, apricot pulp and dried herbs allied with typical red fruits. Vibrant and lively, it is a delicious rosé that simply says ‘drink me’. What more can one ask?!

2013 CHATEAU GRÉZAN FAUGÈRES ROSÉ
Producer: Chateau Grézan
Variety: Rosé
Vintage: 2013
Region: Languedoc, France
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Glass Vinolok
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 18 October 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale coral pink. Interesting nose of orange zest, apricot pulp, floral notes. Dry, medium bodied, delicate red fruits, touch of spice, fresh citrus acidity on the finish. Quite a funky rosé – lively, with plenty of personality. A good drink.
Score: 16.5/20

2013 FIEGL ‘VILLA DUGO’ CABERNET FRANC - DIFFERENT CLASS

North-east Italy is best known for its texture, aromatic and spicy white wines, some of which are among the best white wines made anywhere. While reds generally play a secondary role, there are many good examples made from varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Refosco.

We generally don’t associate Friuli with inexpensive, everyday wines. Fiegl is one producer that defies perceptions. Its ‘Villa Dugo’ Cabernet Franc, with a retail price of around $22 per bottle, is a genuine bargain. It possesses perfectly balanced, ripe Cabernet Franc fruit, with no sign of excess or green herbaceousness.

This is a highly elegant, refined and supple wine. It invites one in with attractive aromatics. No more than medium in body, it is restrained. While unmistakably Cabernet Franc, it avoids its herbaceousness tendencies. For those who enjoy understated wines rather than simple, ‘big fruit’, there is a lot to like here.

2013 FIEGL ‘VILLA DUGO’ CABERNET FRANC
Producer: Soc. Agricole Fiegl
Variety: Cabernet Franc
Vintage: 2013
Region: Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Italy
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Diam
Retail Price: $22.00
Date tasted: 16 October 2015

Tasting Note:
Mid-garnet. Attractive nose of blackcurrant, cherry, freshly tilled earth, truffle, pencil shavings, pine resin. Dry, medium bodied, elegant and stylish. Epitome of restraint. Fine, supple and suave with nothing out of place – immaculately balanced. Soft and silky in a Pinot Noir way, but definitely Cabernet Franc. Drink now. Genuine bargain.
Score: 17.5/20

2013 PALACIOS REMONDO LA VENDIMIA RIOJA - SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THIS

Alvaro Palacios is one of the big names of Spanish wine. His Priorat flagship, l’Ermita is one of Spain’s most expensive and lauded wines. Palacios Remondo is his family estate in Rioja. Stylistically, the wines of Palacios Remondo straddle the line of modern and traditional.

La Vendimia is the estate’s entry level wine, a Rioja Joven that sees a mere kiss of oak. Sweet juicy fruit is the emphasis here, and the wine delivers that in spades. Confit cherry and plum are to the fore, with spice lending complexity on the finish. While it may be relatively uncomplicated, this is a wine that scores very high on the drinkability scale. With its upfront fruit, it is very well suited to lightly spiced cuisine such as Moroccan tagines. Delicious!

2013 PALACIOS REMONDO LA VENDIMIA RIOJA
Producer: Palacios Remondo
Variety: Tempranillo, Grenache
Vintage: 2013
Region: Rioja, Spain
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 17 October 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Attractive nose of berry fruit, touch of vanilla. Sweet fruited, ripe and juicy. Lots to like here – assortment of summer berry fruits. Modern in style, but self assured and rather delicious. The bottle disappeared all too quickly!
Score: 16.5/20

2014 PAULETT POLISH HILL RIVER RIESLING - LEMON

Paulett is a respected Clare Valley producer. When it comes to Riesling, Paulett is one of the few to release a Riesling when semi-mature, an excellent initiative that gives those without a cellar, or the patience to age their wines, the opportunity to see Clare Valley Riesling in its full glory.

The 2014 vintage rendition of the standard Paulett Polish Hill River Riesling is unmistakeably Clare Riesling. Lemon, lime and talc are writ large over this wine. Flavours are moderate in intensity and the acidity is relatively soft, suggesting that it will be a relatively early maturing wine. While there is little complain about, the wine lacks a touch in terms of excitement and wow factor.

2014 PAULETT POLISH HILL RIVER RIESLING
Producer: Paulett Wines
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2014
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $22.00
Date tasted: 15 October 2015

Tasting Note:
Greenish yellow in appearance. Typical Clare Valley Riesling nose of lemon, lime and talc. Dry, medium bodied, moderate concentration. Quite soft acids. Gentle and easy, but lacks wow factor. Likely to be a medium term proposition. Solid.
Score: 15/20

2014 CHATEAU LA GORDONNE COTES DE PROVENCE ROSÉ - WHOLE LOTTA ROSÉ

When it comes to rosé, Provence, for many, sets the benchmark. Over 50% of the wine made in Provence is rosé and many drinkers favour Provence rosé over other examples of the style. In recent years, there has been an explosion in the volume of Cotes de Provence rosés imported into Australia, not all of which are particularly compelling examples of the style.

Chateau La Gordonne does pretty much everything one could want of a Provence rosé at $25 per bottle. Pale salmon pink in appearance, it delivers fragrant red-fruited aromatics typical of the genre. On the palate, it is medium in body, with good weight and vibrant acidity which carries the finish.

2014 CHATEAU LA GORDONNE COTES DE PROVENCE ROSÉ
Producer: Chateau la Gordonne
Variety: Rosé
Vintage: 2014
Region: Provence, France
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 10 October 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale salmon pink. Typical Provence rosé nose of strawberry and aniseed, floral notes. Medium bodied, dry and savoury. Delicate interplay of light red fruits. Good concentration and palate weight. Better than the 2013 of the same wine.
Score: 16/20

2013 LADERAS DE MONTEJURRA ‘EMILIO VALERIO’ - UNDERDOG

When it comes to Spanish wine, Navarra is not the most fashionable region. It well and truly sits in the shade of established heavyweights Rioja and Ribera del Duero and the uber-trendy north-west.

Hot and dry, Navarra has long been a reliable source of solid table wines of all colours, often employing international varieties, sometimes alongside Tempranillo and Garnacha. Producers such as Laderas de Montejurra fly the flag for Navarra.

‘Emilio Valerio’, a three-way blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Garnacha is an exceptionally well balanced wine, one that favours savoury over sweet fruit. Medium weight in build, it is a little tight and backward on this showing, a touch less open for business than on another recent showing. That said, there is plenty to like and, as is often the case with Spanish wines, the value for money proposition is a strong one.


2013 LADERAS DE MONTEJURRA ‘EMILIO VALERIO’
Producer: Laderas de Montejurra
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Garnacha
Vintage: 2013
Region: Navarra, Spain
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 4 October 2015

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby. Attractive nose of blackberry, plum, dark cherry, truffle, tilled earth, dusty dried herbs (bay, rosemary). Dry, medium bodied, savoury, slightly earthbound, powdery cocoa-like tannins suggest the wine will benefit from a few years bottle age. Solid.
Score: 16/20

2012 TERRAZAS RESERVA MALBEC - BACK IN BLACK

Argentinean Malbec rolls off the tongue with almost the same ease and familiarity as Aussie Shiraz, so established has the style become. Terrazas, owned by luxury goods giant Moet Hennessy, has produced a Mendoza Malbec that is as Argentinen as a Lionel Messi hat-trick.

Deep crimson in appearance, it aboumds with back fruits, typical of the variety. It is sweet fruited and round, almost easy, but that is in keeping with the style. While there is a familial link between Malbec from Mendoza and Malbec from Cahors, the Argentinean example is altogether, richer, sweeter and rounder.

This is not a particularly complex wine, nor is it particularly intellectual. However, it is highly drinkable and it drinks extremely well with a thick rare steak, as it should!

2012 TERRAZAS RESERVA MALBEC
Producer: Terrazas
Variety: Malbec
Vintage: 2012
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 4 October 2015

Tasting Note:
Deep crimson. Brooding nose of blackberry, dark cherry, tar and woodsmoke. Full bodied, sweet fruited up-front, flavour profile much the same as the nose. Round, soft and easy, gentle powdery tannin on the finish. Not particularly complex, but eminently drinkable and true to type. As one would expect, it works very well with a rare steak.
Score: 15.5/20

2011 ESPORAO QUINTA DOS MURCAS ‘ASSOBIO’ - WHEN THE RIVER RUNS DRY

Dry wines play as important a role in the Douro Valley these days as the great fortified wines that originally made the region famous. Given the quality of wines that can be produced at a competitive price, it should be no surprise.

Although Esporao’s base is in the south of Portugal, it has a presence in the Douro Valley in the form of Quinta dos Murcas. ‘Assobio’, a blend of varieties based on Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) showcaases the region to a tee.

2011 was an exceptional vintage in the Douro Valley, so good that it was widely declared. The dry wines also deliver. The 2011 vintage rendition of Esporao has excellent fruit intensity and good structure matched by ripe but savoury black fruits. It should develop in bottle, gaining complexity, for several years.

2011 ESPORAO QUINTA DOS MURCAS ‘ASSOBIO’ 
Producer: Esporao
Variety: Tempranilo et al
Vintage: 2011
Region: Douro Valley, Portugal
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $35.00
Date tasted: 3 October 2015

Tasting Note:
Deep crimson. Brooding nose of dark cherry, blackberry, star anise, oak char. Dry, medium bodied, excellent fruit intensity – real drive. Black fruit shrouded by a cloak of fine powdery tannin. Savoury on the mid-palate. Should improve in bottle over 5-6 years.
Score: 16.5/20