Review Archives - Chateau Blue

Rockford “Basket Press” Shiraz 2011

A clear, deep, garnet wine with a few thick legs appearing. Medium (+) intensity nose, clean and developing with red fruit and mocha – vanilla evident from oak treatment.

Dry with medium, fine tannins, medium+ acid and high alcohol (14.2%). A medium+ bodied wine with medium+ finish and medium(+) flavour intensity of raspberry, blackberry and a hint of dried herbs and black pepper.

This is an excellent wine (95 points), high-priced ($65) drinking well now, but will show improvement through to 2022.

A restrained version of the Basket Press, perhaps due to the difficult 2011 vintage, but a lovely wine nonetheless. Will benefit from decanting.

Alkoomi Shiraz Viognier 2012

A clear, medium, ruby wine with thick but clear legs. Medium intensity nose clean and developing with red fruit (cherry), plum, hint of black pepper. Oak treatment very subtle (only 33% in new French oak).

Dry with medium fine tannins, medium+ acid and high alcohol (14.5%). A medium+ bodied wine (despite the alcohol) with medium+ finish and medium flavour intensity cherry, pepper, hint of blackberry and a touch of the co-fermented Viognier coming through.

This is a very good wine (94 points), mid-priced ($23) and will drink now, but will show improvement through 2017 to 2019.

The Alkoomi is a very good expression of the Côte-Rôtie style and will pair barbecued foods, pizza, beef and pork.

UPDATE: (12 April 2020) I drank one of three remaining bottles on the Easter weekend and I am happy to report that the wine has improved and is stunning – my points have increase to Gold (95 points). Tertiary characteristics really evident now, smoked meat, Viognier has receded a bit, a nuanced wine.

Dandelion Lionheart of the Barossa 2014

A clear, deep, ruby wine with thick legs. Medium+ intensity nose clean and developing with vanilla, baked plum, blackberries and a hint of cloves.

Dry with medium+ firm tannins, medium+ acid and high alcohol (14.5%). A medium+ bodied wine with long finish and flavours of jammy plum, blackberry, sweet spices and a touch of dark chocolate.

This is a very good wine (93 points), mid-priced ($27) and will drink now, but will improve to 2025. Quite young and tight at the moment so some aeration is advised.

This wine follows good vintages in 2012 and 2013 – it will suit barbecued and roasted beef / pork as well as cured meats. Will cut through big Mediterranean dishes too but will overpower lighter or subtler expressions.

Di Giorgio Tempranillo 2013

A clear, medium, ruby wine with pale rim and few, thick tears evident. Medium intensity nose clean and developing with red berry fruits, savouriness, cedar and a hint of white pepper.

Dry with medium+ smooth tannins, medium acid and medium+ alcohol (14%). A medium bodied wine with medium finish and flavours of red berry fruit (cherry) and oak characteristics (vanilla) on the palate.

This is a very good wine (92 points), mid-priced ($23) and will drink now, but may improve into 2020. Some decanting may help as it definitely opened up after a few minutes in the glass.

This wine will complement food perfectly especially the richer, meatier dishes and cured / smoked foods. An obvious match would be Spanish food like chorizo and jamon but it would equally pair roast lamb and Italian foods.

At this price point I would encourage you to make this your go-to everyday red!

Fun facts: Tempranillo is the fourth most planted grape in the world although we only have just over 700 hectares under vine in Australia. If you have ever had a Rioja then you would have had Tempranillo as it normally comprises 60%+ of the blend.

Leo Buring Eden Valley Riesling 2008

A great example of an aged Riesling. Clear, medium intensity and (just) gold in colour – a few pale legs evident. This is a fully developed wine with a clean, med+ intensity nose – minerality hits you first (kerosene / rubber) with grapefruit and perhaps a touch of elderflower following.

Dry, high acid and med alcohol (12%) on the palate, medium bodied with a med+ finish. Medium flavours follow the nose profile with apricot and grapefruit. The crisp acidity provides a clean finish and some lingering minerality.

This is a very good wine (93 points) which should be drunk now – it won’t improve much with further aging. Mid-priced and excellent value for money – a great match with an oily fish or roast chicken. It will even stand up against a desert – the second half of this bottle accompanied a flourless orange cake very nicely indeed! Grab it from Dan Murphy’s while you still can.

Altos Las Hormigas Clasico Malbec 2013

A clear, medium, ruby wine with tears evident. Medium intensity nose clean and developing with smoke and savoury aromas somewhat overpowering the blackberry fruit and plum.

Dry with medium+ acid, medium+ alcohol (14%) and medium silky tannins. A medium bodied wine with medium finish and flavours of plum and sour cherry, but hard to find under the smoke and tar nose. Not unpleasant, just different.

This is a good wine (90 points) but will benefit from decanting to lift the fruit a bit. Mid-priced and for drinking now, may improve until 2017.

The acid and tannin profile, in combination with the nose, will suit meat based dished from charcuterie through to hams and even heavier dishes like osso bucco.

Check out their range here.

Gipsie Jack Langhorne Creek Malbec 2014

A clear, deep, purple wine with a thick rim and tears. A clean, developing, medium intensity nose with plum, blueberry, hint of violet and subtle vanilla.

Dry on the palate with medium+ acid, medium+ alcohol (14.5%) and medium soft tannins. Medium+ bodied and finish. Medium flavour (perhaps slightly overshadowed by the alcohol) of black berry fruit (blackberry, blueberry) and touch of blackcurrant.

This is a very good wine (91 points), a creation from the partnership of John Glaetzer and Ben Potts. Can drink it now but it has the potential for aging up to 5 years. Displaying excellent value for money in the mid-priced category, at under $20 from your local retailer.

La Mechita Malbec 2014

A clear, medium to deep, purple wine with thin legs. Medium- intensity nose clean and youthful with raspberry, red cherry and vanilla.

Dry and slap bang medium on acid, alcohol (13.5%), tannins and finish with body just a tad under at medium-. The wine has a flat flavour profile of generalised red berries and on the whole, not a well-integrated wine.

This is an acceptable wine (87 points) but not a great example of Argentinian malbec. Although inexpensive at under $7 a bottle, what more could one expect! This wine is for drinking now, may improve with a year or two, but doesn’t really have the tannin or acid for aging beyond 2017.

I have tested this against my nephew, a tertiary student, and it falls into his drinkable category – so it’s better than student swill. Probably best kept for the barbecue or that bottle you bring out when everyone is too hammered to know any better!

Fox Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014

A clear, pale, ruby wine with some tears evident. Medium+ intensity nose clean and developing with red rose, red cherry and a hint of pepper (black).

Dry on the palate with medium+ acid, medium alcohol (13.5%) and medium fine tannins. Medium+ bodied, with medium+ flavour and finish. The palate complements the nose with red berries and some savoury spice.

This is a good to very good wine (91 points), made by John Belsham, and value for money in its mid-priced category. Can drink it now but it has the potential for aging up to 5 years. A good example of a new world burgundy – a perfect match for the roast chicken but would be equally at home with most meats, hot or cold.

Mulderbosch “Faithful Hound” 2011

A clear, deep, ruby wine with a few thick legs developing. Medium+ intensity nose clean and developing with a cassis, black currant leaf, hint of liquorice and cedar.

Dry on the palate with medium+ acid, alcohol (14%) and high chalky tannins. Full bodied, with medium+ flavour and long finish. The palate is a little overweight in acid and tannin but blackberry, mulberry fruits evident with vanilla and hint of spice (pepper?).

This is a very good wine (92 points), a Cabernet Franc dominated Bordeaux blend (a nod to Fronsac perhaps?) that punches about its mid-priced category (ZAR 150 but around AUD 22 locally). Can drink it now but it has the potential for aging 5 to 10 years.