One of the simple joys of working for a wine club is that you get to try a large amount of wine. On any given day there are several bottles open (and sometimes many bottles open) and everyone is welcome to taste what's open.
Unsurprisingly then, there are some wines that just hit the spot. Often they are the wines that aren't actually part of any promotional offer, or even wines that we normally stock, yet they just win all of the staff over based on sheer drinkability.
So I've listed below some of the wines that us Winemakers Choice staff can't get enough of. Many of these can be found on our website (www.winemakerschoice.com.au) but some of them can't (this isn't a sales pitch after all, we just want to talk about our favourite wines).
1. Grant Burge Miamba Shiraz: Delicious Barossan Shiraz, built in that beautiful, rich and full flavoured style. No harsh tannins, no excess, just lots of delightfully rich fruit flavours. The recently released 2008 vintage is particularly gluggable.
2. Yellowglen Bella: Some may roll their eyes at this sweet and juicy sparkling wine, but you can't doubt the attraction - light pink in colour with some juicy grapey sweetness, cleverly balanced by the froth and bubbles. Known to empty at great speed at sunny afternoon BBQ's.
3. Goldwater Sauvignon Blanc: Marlborough Sauv Blancs are (understandly) very popular with Winemakers Choice staff members, but this one has proven to be one of the favourites. What makes this one so attractive is it's flavour intensity, with a real depth of herbaceous aromatics and tropical fruit making for a wine of conviction.
4. Clairault Cabernet Sauvignon: It's not hard to see why this was popular - a bottle aged Margaret River Cabernet built dry, medium bodied and savoury but also with enough fruit sweetness to carry it all off. We only recently ran out of the 2003 vintage of this and a fair proportion of it was picked up by the staff....
5. Gramps Botrytis Semillon: 'Stickies' are hardly an everyday drink, so it's hardly a wine that sells by the pallet load, but it is still surprisingly popular amongst the staff. Why? Have you tried one? It is delicious! A sensationally rich, toffed, marmalade drenched sticky in the classic Riverina mould. Goes very well with poached pears ('allegedly')
6. White Rabbit Beer: Yes, it's a beer, but it is such a good beer that it deserves a mention. White Rabbit is a dark ale brewed in the Yarra Valley by the crew behind Little Creatures. Produced in a classic style, using open fermenters and lots of hops, this is one charismatic and delicious ale for anyone who favours quality over quantity.
Showing posts with label What we've been drinking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What we've been drinking. Show all posts
Monday, May 3, 2010
Thursday, April 2, 2009
What we've been drinking
Gramps Shiraz 2006: There are few Barossan reds that can match this one for both consistency and flavour. Rich, medium bodied Shiraz that shows no excess of oak or alcohol, just generous, upfront fruit and integrated tannins. Already drinking well. Highly recommended.
Pepper Tree Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 A forgotten brand in the scheme of things, this now mature Cabernet has tomato leaf cool climate aromatics and a cedary, slightly meaty palate. Drinking near its peak.
Pepper Tree Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 A forgotten brand in the scheme of things, this now mature Cabernet has tomato leaf cool climate aromatics and a cedary, slightly meaty palate. Drinking near its peak.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
What we've been drinking
Luigi Bosca La Linda Malbec 2006
From a vineyard 15km South of Mendoza in the heart of Argentinian Malbec country. This has a nice purple maroon colour, the nose shows wild berries and spice with hints of licorice & some meaty overtones. On the palate it is meaty, spicy with some vanillan oak influences in a medium weight style. Its an interesting wine for a Summer BBQ.
From a vineyard 15km South of Mendoza in the heart of Argentinian Malbec country. This has a nice purple maroon colour, the nose shows wild berries and spice with hints of licorice & some meaty overtones. On the palate it is meaty, spicy with some vanillan oak influences in a medium weight style. Its an interesting wine for a Summer BBQ.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
What we've been drinking
Yalumba Y Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Sauvignon Blanc has recently overtaken Chardonnay as Australia's white wine of choice and with bargains like this available its not hard to see why - available for under $10 around the place, this light, crisp and very well made Savvy couples the Herbaceous early picked Sauvignon Blanc aromatics with some riper notes of passionfruit & melon. The dry palate closely follows this, with the acidity closely matched by a dollop of residual sugar.
Impeccably well made, this reminds us once again that the our medium sized, family owned wine companies (Yalumba, Brown Brothers, De Bortoli, Mcwilliams, Tyrrells, Angoves etc) make Australia's best value wines.
Redbank Emily Brut NV
These days the Redbank label is also owned by Yalumba, with the Robb family selling the Redbank label to them some years back (even though, confusingly, the family retained the Redbank winery, which is still called the Redbank winery, yet make wines under their own label).
A light green colour, this soft and slightly sherbety sparkling white has clear lemon, pink grapefruit & candied lime fruit with a tinge of creamy softness. Light & simple this very easy drinking quaffer is only let down by some excessive sweetness, leaving a mildly confected finish. Still, its a good quality sparkles that would be perfect at a Summer picnic.
Sauvignon Blanc has recently overtaken Chardonnay as Australia's white wine of choice and with bargains like this available its not hard to see why - available for under $10 around the place, this light, crisp and very well made Savvy couples the Herbaceous early picked Sauvignon Blanc aromatics with some riper notes of passionfruit & melon. The dry palate closely follows this, with the acidity closely matched by a dollop of residual sugar.
Impeccably well made, this reminds us once again that the our medium sized, family owned wine companies (Yalumba, Brown Brothers, De Bortoli, Mcwilliams, Tyrrells, Angoves etc) make Australia's best value wines.
Redbank Emily Brut NV
These days the Redbank label is also owned by Yalumba, with the Robb family selling the Redbank label to them some years back (even though, confusingly, the family retained the Redbank winery, which is still called the Redbank winery, yet make wines under their own label).
A light green colour, this soft and slightly sherbety sparkling white has clear lemon, pink grapefruit & candied lime fruit with a tinge of creamy softness. Light & simple this very easy drinking quaffer is only let down by some excessive sweetness, leaving a mildly confected finish. Still, its a good quality sparkles that would be perfect at a Summer picnic.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
What we've been drinking
Majella Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
A previous winner of the Stoddart trophy (best 1 yr old red at the Brisbane wine show) and always an entertaining drink, this is quite classic Coonawarra Cabernet, if drying out a little now. Cedar, blackcurrant and blackberries on the very Cabernetish nose, the palate is a touch angular with very dry tannins and an element of toughness. It probably needs a few more years in the bottle to settle down or some red meat to control the tannins.
Benfield & Delamere Red Blend 2005
One of the few Cabernet blends to come out of Martinborough, this is one outstanding leafy red - a leafy, dusty blackberry & spice nose with some herbaceousness to remind how cool a climate this comes from. The palate is light to medium bodied dry and refreshing, with natural acidity making for a very taut and long palate. The beauty here is the pristine, leafy blackberry fruit characters that make for a beautifully elegant dry red. Very much modelled on Bordeaux, this is excellent stuff (and impossible to find in Australia).
A previous winner of the Stoddart trophy (best 1 yr old red at the Brisbane wine show) and always an entertaining drink, this is quite classic Coonawarra Cabernet, if drying out a little now. Cedar, blackcurrant and blackberries on the very Cabernetish nose, the palate is a touch angular with very dry tannins and an element of toughness. It probably needs a few more years in the bottle to settle down or some red meat to control the tannins.
Benfield & Delamere Red Blend 2005
One of the few Cabernet blends to come out of Martinborough, this is one outstanding leafy red - a leafy, dusty blackberry & spice nose with some herbaceousness to remind how cool a climate this comes from. The palate is light to medium bodied dry and refreshing, with natural acidity making for a very taut and long palate. The beauty here is the pristine, leafy blackberry fruit characters that make for a beautifully elegant dry red. Very much modelled on Bordeaux, this is excellent stuff (and impossible to find in Australia).
Monday, December 15, 2008
What we've been drinking
Barwang Cafe Series Pinot Chardonnay NV
Whilst the winery is listed as being from the Hilltops, the fruit could really come from anywhere for this bubbly. But we aren't bitching, for what's in the bottle is top class - a crisp, fruit driven yet classically dry base wine, with some nutty yeasty overtones indicating that whoever put this together knew a thing or two about what makes a good sparkling. Top stuff, at a very realistic price. (Disclosure - we have this on special at the moment!)
Pierro Chardonnay 2006
Such an impressive Chardonnay. The positively chilly 2006 vintage brought us this classic Pierro Chardonnay, with overt toasty oak and malo mixing with dense, beautifully textured powerful grapefruit fruit. Its definitely not a subtle wine, but it is a superb Aussie Chardonnay. Still available if you search for it.
Whilst the winery is listed as being from the Hilltops, the fruit could really come from anywhere for this bubbly. But we aren't bitching, for what's in the bottle is top class - a crisp, fruit driven yet classically dry base wine, with some nutty yeasty overtones indicating that whoever put this together knew a thing or two about what makes a good sparkling. Top stuff, at a very realistic price. (Disclosure - we have this on special at the moment!)
Pierro Chardonnay 2006
Such an impressive Chardonnay. The positively chilly 2006 vintage brought us this classic Pierro Chardonnay, with overt toasty oak and malo mixing with dense, beautifully textured powerful grapefruit fruit. Its definitely not a subtle wine, but it is a superb Aussie Chardonnay. Still available if you search for it.
Friday, December 5, 2008
What we've been drinking
Charles Cimicky Reserve Barossa Shiraz 1998
A big, full bodied red in its youth, age has mellowed this somewhat into a more rounded red fruit style & chocolate style. Drinking at its peak now, but with time on its side, its a nice aged Barossan Shiraz but without hitting the absolute high notes.
Jim Barry Armagh Shiraz 1998
This also was a monster in its youth and is still incredibly intense even now. The nose carries the trademark super ripe Armagh nose of raisins, turkish delight and roasted meat with a sumptuously rich and sweet fruited palate. This is probably drinking at its peak, for there is a creep of mushroomy development that takes over this wine pretty quickly (though the cork was very soft in this). Drink up (good bottles are probably still going strong).
A big, full bodied red in its youth, age has mellowed this somewhat into a more rounded red fruit style & chocolate style. Drinking at its peak now, but with time on its side, its a nice aged Barossan Shiraz but without hitting the absolute high notes.
Jim Barry Armagh Shiraz 1998
This also was a monster in its youth and is still incredibly intense even now. The nose carries the trademark super ripe Armagh nose of raisins, turkish delight and roasted meat with a sumptuously rich and sweet fruited palate. This is probably drinking at its peak, for there is a creep of mushroomy development that takes over this wine pretty quickly (though the cork was very soft in this). Drink up (good bottles are probably still going strong).
Monday, November 17, 2008
What we've been drinking
Voyager Estate Margaret River Cabernet Merlot 2001
The bottle we tried was a little dried out, but still an excellent example of classic cool climate Cabernet. Leafy, cassis & secondary cedar on the nose, the palate linear, very dry and showing a little meaty developed characters. It's very Bordeaux like in its savoury character & would be fantastic with a lamb rack.
Hoddles Creek 1er Cru Pinot Blanc 2008
Seriously sexy packaging. The bottle is enormous (can't see this fitting into many wine racks) & the label is ornately European. The wine itself is quite European too, with a crystalline honey character to it that is very pure and light. Very dry and pure, this really needs some bottle age to flesh out. Drink with a Thai Noodle salad
The bottle we tried was a little dried out, but still an excellent example of classic cool climate Cabernet. Leafy, cassis & secondary cedar on the nose, the palate linear, very dry and showing a little meaty developed characters. It's very Bordeaux like in its savoury character & would be fantastic with a lamb rack.
Hoddles Creek 1er Cru Pinot Blanc 2008
Seriously sexy packaging. The bottle is enormous (can't see this fitting into many wine racks) & the label is ornately European. The wine itself is quite European too, with a crystalline honey character to it that is very pure and light. Very dry and pure, this really needs some bottle age to flesh out. Drink with a Thai Noodle salad
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