Celebrating the love of all things wine
Pleasant if not too restrained – primary fruit (cherry, plum) struggling to make an impact on the nose or palate.
Further savoury characteristics on the palate, toasted oak and fine tannins, medium acidity and a medium- finish. High alcohol but once again wasn’t evident in the body. Was expecting more for the price, just scrapes a 90, based on my love of this label.
Not sure that there is much to be gained from by leaving the rest in the cellar but I might wait another year.
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.
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.
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!
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.
A clear, deep, purple wine with thin pink legs evident. On the nose clean and developing with a medium+ intensity of black fruits – blackcurrant, blackberry – and hints of black olive and aniseed. Some vanilla suggesting judicious oak treatment.
A dry wine with high, firm tannins with structure for aging. Medium+ acidity with a medium+ body and finish. Medium+ alcohol (13.5%) with juicy blackcurrant and black cherry on the palate.
This is an outstanding wine (93 points) that punches above its mid-priced category. Let the wine breath a bit before drinking and enjoy it now but it has the potential for aging 10 to 15 years.