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Cabernet Franc
Cabernet France is not a common variety in Australia.It is from the Cabernet Sauvignon variety as the name suggests and is traditionally blended with Cabernet Sauvignon.
Deep purples and dark reds typify the colour of the wine.
On the nose Cabernet Franc is quite distinctive with lifted violet aromas being quite prominent.
On the palate it is quite different from Cabernet Sauvignon, being much more austere.
The tannins are quite strong and it doesn’t have the same breadth when compared to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Starvedog Lane No Oak Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the biggest selling white varietal in Australia.We are fortunate enough to have a choice of two styles, unoaked or oaked Chardonnay.
The unoaked style is very reliant on the fruit and does not have the added complexity of oak.
The wines are designed to be consumed in their youth as an oaked Chardonnay will bottle age much better.
The colour is light pale yellow with light tinges of green through it.
On the nose it has strong peach and melon characters with citrus fruits in the background.
On the palate it has a soft and broadness of flavour across the tongue.
St. Agnes 7 Star XO Very Old Brandy
The St. Agnes range of brandies was founded in 1925.
The company philosophy on brandy production revolves around the pot still - batch process followed by many years maturation in small, oak casks.
While the minimum age is 20 years, some batches of this extraordinary brandy are 50 years of age.
St. Agnes 7 Star XO Very Old Brandy is a deeply coloured, full-bodied and extremely complex brandy.
The long maturation in small oak hogsheads has achieved an unsurpassed mellowing of the brandy.
The marriage of spirit, wood and time has produced an aromatic brandy with subtle rancio aromas evident.
The palate is smooth, dry and long in flavour with a nutty oak after taste.
Penfolds Cellar Door Sangiovese
Sangiovese originates from Italy, where it is very popular.
It's a great lifestyle variety and goes well with Mediterranean food.
It is becoming increasingly popular in Australia and the Penfolds Cellar Door Sangiovese, as the name suggests, is only available from the cellar door.
Sangiovese doesn't have a great depth of colour and mainly has tinges of red through it.
On the nose it has almost an orange rind character with some citrus quite distinct from Shiraz.
On the palate it is light and soft with good depth of flavour and has a soft velvet finish.
Tempranillo from Crabtree Wines
Tempranillo is a relatively new wine to Australia, although it has been in Europe for centuries.
The variety originates from Spain. There are only small plantings of Tempranillo in Australia and Crabtree Wines has one of them.
The wine has a beautiful red and purple hue, but is not deep in colour like shiraz.
It is very much a fruit driven wine and usually very little oak is used. It is not suppose to be a serious wine but is a fun wine, a food wine in the way it is treated in Spain.
On the nose it has lovely cherry and black cherry characters.
On the palate it is very fresh, light and clean.
Lenswood Vineyards Gewurztraminer for 2003
Gewürztraminer is not very well known in Australia. The variety originates from Germany.
Interestingly the grapes are pink in colour when the fruit is ripe but the juice is virtually clear.
Gewürztraminer is a very aromatic wine made to be consumed in its youth.
The wine is quite pale in colour with tinges of green.
On the nose you notice a combination of musket, lychee and tropical fruit characters.
On the palate you notice the same tropical characters and a bit of spice
Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris is widely recognized throughout the world and has its origins in France. It is widely grown throughout Europe and Italy and plantings in Australia are also increasing.
Pinot Gris is a variety that is non-aromatic. For example Riesling and Muscat are aromatic varieties but Semillon and Chardonnay are not.
The fruit for the Henscke Pinot Gris is sourced from the Adelaide Hills where the climate is quite cool.
The wine has a depth of colour with tinges of green and deep straw. On the nose there is a distinctive lychee armor with a touch of honey, and honeydew.
It is very much a fruit wine, very ripe fruit.
On the palate the wine is very generous. Once again straight away you notice the lychee characters.
It has a rounded soft palate with a hint of sweetness - not sugar sweetness but fruit sweetness. It is a great food wine.
d’Arenberg: The Laughing Magpie
The Laughing Magpie from d’Arenberg is based on a wine style from the Rhone Valley in France.
Chester and wife Bernadette’s daughters, Ruby and Alicia claim the naming rights for The Laughing Magpie. The young Osborn girls found it far easier to say ‘Laughing Magpie’ than ‘Kookaburra’.
The wine is a blend of Shiraz and Viognier, which is unusual because Shiraz is a red and Viognier is a white variety.
Although the Viogner is only a small percentage of the blend, it changes the style of the wine and gives it an aromatic lift.
You will notice some ginger, herbal and rose petal characters that soften the normal blockbuster shiraz chocolate and mint characters.
These same characters are also evident on the palate and prevail with a smooth glycerol impact, following through to the mid palate with fruity tannin.
The accent is on fine structure and a gritty long fruit tannin.
Coopers' Ales
Known as the wine makers' beers, Coopers' ales are often referred to as palate refreshers. After tasting a number of wines, the palate can become quite jaded, and Coopers Pale Ale is ideal for refreshing the palate.
The Coopers Special Old Stout and Pale Ale are quite distinctively different beers. The Pale Ale is cloudy in appearance due to the unique fermentation process used by Coopers.
It gives the beer a lot more flavour and depth.
Although made from hops and barley there is a distinctly fruity character on the nose. On the palate it is rich creamy and soft.
The Coopers Special Old Stout by comparison is black in colour and very different on the nose. It displays strong coffee and mocha characters by comparison.
On the palate it is very rich with chocolate characters and a creamy soft mouth feel.
Clare Valley and Eden Valley Riesling
Riesling is known as the noble white wine variety of Australia. Although Riesling is grown in almost every wine growing district, two regions in particular produce fruit superior to anywhere else. These are the Clare Valley and Eden Valley in South Australia
Eden Valley and the Clare Valley are less the 100 kilometres apart. Due to the slightly different soil and climatic conditions, the two regions produce quite distinctly different wines.
The St Hallett Eden Valley Riesling and the Stephen John Watervale Riesling (Watervale is a sub region of the Clare Valley) are both fine examples of each region.
Riesling is a very aromatic variety and the wines are very much fruit driven and never oaked. The 2003 vintages both show the distinctive bright green tinges of colour in the wine.
On the nose the Watervale Riesling is more limey backed up by citrus characters. The Eden Valley Riesling is more lemony with similar citrus characters.
On the palate both wines reflect what you detect on the nose. The Stephen John Riesling is very generous, mouth filling characters with the limejuice flavours riding on top. The wine finishes a beautiful length of citrus acid through the wine.
The St Hallett is similar but with more lemon and is perhaps a little more austere on the palate.
Zinfandel
Zinfandel is a red grape variety that originally came from Croatia. The biggest following of Zinfandel is actually in California. Most sales however are a blush wine or what they refer to as white Zinfandel.
There are only a small number of wineries making Zinfandel in Australia. Irvine Wines based in the Eden Valley grafted a number of vines over to Zinfandel a number of years ago and have been steadily perfecting the style. Zinfandel is in some ways similar to Shiraz.
The colour is a deep red with tinges of purple. On the nose it is quite different to Shiraz. You immediately notice the smell of plums, a bit of spice and some vanilla essence from the oak. On the palate, it once again quite different to Shiraz.
The taste is much more like black cherries, moving into white pepper and quite a strong tannic finish. Zinfandel is a wine that goes well with Mediterranean foods, particularly when olive oil is used.
Tank and Bottle Fermented Sparkling wine
Both Banrock Station and Omni sparkling wines are made from the same grape varieties: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Chardonnay is the dominant variety. The Omni sparkling is bottle fermented while the Banrock Station Sparkling is tank fermented.
The first thing you notice is the difference in colour. The Omni bottle fermented sparkling is a darker straw colour compared to the tank fermented Banrock sparkling.
Tank-fermented sparkling wines tend to be the more affordable wines, but still display fresh fruity characters on the nose.
The Omni is the more complex, and displays more cracked yeast characters on the nose. On the palate it's lively and leaves a lingering creaminess
The Banrock is similar, very lively and a little sweeter, but as expected, a little less complex. A fresh crisp finish, it makes a great party wine
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is one of those varieties that is really dependant on the district it grows in for its character.
The Marlborough region in New Zealand is recognized as arguably the best area in the world to grow Sauvignon Blanc.
In Australia two outstanding regions are the Adelaide hills and Margaret River.
It’s a varietal that prefers cooler climates.
The bouquet of Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc displays lychee and exotic fruit characters.
Sauvignon Blanc from the Margaret River is very similar but displays more guava and passion fruit characters.
On the palate the Brookland Valley Sauvignon Blanc is very soft, full and elegant.
You will also notice passion fruit and nectarine flavors that typify a Brookland Valley wine.
Annabella Moscato
Annabella is a unique range of table wines with fruit driven characters that appeal to the sweeter palate. This is the first release of Annabella Moscato.
The natural spritz and lower alcohol content of this wine is created from the suspension of fermentation where not all the sugar has been converted into alcohol.
The result is luscious and lightly effervescent and when chilled, is delightful to enjoy indulgently with chocolate mud cake or fresh fruits.
The colour is a clear, brilliant pale straw. On the nose you will notice lifted perfume of floral jasmine and orange blossom with luscious fruits of lychee and paw paw.
The wine displays a sweet, effervescent, naturally spritzy palate of ripe tropical and citrus fruits. Zesty lime and mandarin add acid balance to lush lychee and paw paw characters.
Novello Rosso
Novello Rosso, or new red wine, is a European style of wine that is relatively new to Australia.
It’s a lighter style of wine and is meant to be drunk slightly chilled in summer.
The Chain of Ponds Novello Rosso is a blend of Sangiovese and Grenache with the former being the dominate varietal.
After chilling, a lifted combination of juicy fruits, stewed rhubarb, all savoury Sangiovese combined with Grenache based violets and svelte blackberry describes the fresh lively aroma this wine throws at you.
The wine commences with a ripe raspberry and black cherry fruitiness that extends throughout the middle palate. Juicy fruits and a very pleasant viscosity continue throughout the length of this very easy drinking wine.
Heartland Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Blend
Blending wines is one of the major jobs a winemaker has to perform. The idea is to make the resultant wine superior.
The blending of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is not unusual.Typically Cabernet Sauvignon is the major percentage of the blend with Merlot being added to give softness and length.
All varieties have a flavour profile and Cabernet Sauvignon is know to be short in length hence the addition of Merlot.
On the nose the wine doesn’t display a dominance of either variety but rather exhibits a combination of fruit characters.The strength of the Merlot comes through with the soft violetty characters of the Cabernet sitting on top.
On the palate a young Cabernet can be quite austere. With this blend the Merlot has softened the wine and given it great length.
Shiraz
Shiraz is grown in every wine-growing region in Australia. The different climatic conditions and soils from the different regions mean the same varietal can produce quite different flavours in the wine.
In this comparison we are looking at the different characters in a Paulett Shiraz from the Clare Valley compared with a Tapestry Shiraz from McLaren Vale.
The colour of the cooler climate Clare Valley Shiraz has more shades of purple. On the nose it has strong berry characters such as Mulberry with an elegance and a background of oak. On the palate it has a rich middle palate with great length, almost layered.
The Tapestry Shiraz is stronger and darker in colour. Being from a warmer climate it displays more chocolaty characters on the nose almost choc. mint characters. On the palate it is broad and rich with good structure, very generous on the palate.
Stonehaven Viognier
The fruit is sourced from a single vineyard and fermented in older oak.
The 2002 release shows an intensely fragrant nose with aromas of apricot, nectarines and preserved lemon, supported by underlying ginger spice. The palate reflects these characters and complements them with zesty citrus flavours, a viscous palate and luscious finish.
Only 1200 cases are produced.
Devil’s Lair Fifth leg White
The fifth leg white is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Chardonnay. The blending of these classic varieties provides a lively fruit driven wine.
The colour is pale straw with fresh green hues.
On the nose is fresh nectarine, passion fruit and citrus, with some underlying gooseberry and lemon zest. There is a faint grassy and flinty edge from the Semillon.
On the palate it is a fresh fruit driven wine typifying the Margaret River style. Good fruit complexity from the nectarine and gooseberry, through to citrus and grassy notes.
The palate shows great length, and finishes clean with refreshing acid.
Houghton White Burgundy
White Burgundy is the name of a wine style and it is an Australian term for soft white wine.It is a blended wine and therefore non-varietal. It’s known for its softness and flavour and is an ideal casual food wine.It’s delicate in colour and on the nose is lively and herbaceous.
On the palate it is very clean and fresh with a zesty finish. It has a soft mouth feel, hence the name White Burgundy.
The Sevenhill Cellars STM
The Sevenhill Cellars STM, is a blend of Shiraz, Touriga and Malbec.
This creates quite an intriguing combination. The wine is made in Australia, the shiraz grape originates from Persia, Touriga from Portugal and Malbec from France.
The wine is very fruity and peppery on the nose with a touch of oak.
On the palate it is soft and gentle with some nice length. It is an ideal food wine.
Sangiovese from Eldredge Vineyards
Premium Sangiovese fruit for this wine was handpicked, crushed and fermented in open fermenters.
The grapes were plunged by hand to extract colour, tannins and flavour. The fruit was then pressed through a small basket press and the wine pumped into old French oak barriques where it remained for three years.
Prior to bottling, Cabernet Sauvignon was blended to add complexity and structure.
It has developed into a medium bodied dry red with attractive cherry, olive and savoury aromas and flavours supported by fine grain tannins giving good length and depth to the clean dry finish.
Seppelt Fino Sherry
From a winemakers point of view fino sherry is one of the most exciting wines made. A fino sherry is an aperitif, tends to liven up the taste buds and refresh the palette. It’s worth breaking away from tradition and trying it over crushed ice on a hot summers day.
The Seppelt DP 117 Show Fino Sherry is the most decorated sherry in Australia.
The wine is made as a dry table wine and then fortified. It is put in barrels for perhaps seven years or longer.
On the nose it displays typical crushed nutty characters, enveloped by the vanilla armours from the oak.
On the palette it is extremely dry and fresh. It demonstrates great length and lingers on the back of the palette.Banrock Station Petit Verdot
Petit Verdot is a relatively new variety to Australia and has just been added to the Banrock Station portfolio.Traditionally it was used as a blending component with red wines, in particular Cabernet Sauvignon. The variety tends to grow well in the warmer wine growing regions such as the Riverland.
The warmer climate tends to reduce the acid level in the fruit.
To the eye Petit Verdot has an appealing purply line running through it.On the nose you will notice violets and other characters similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, as it is related to that variety. There are also some subtle oak characters.
On the palate it has a lovely mid weight structure, freshness, with alert oak running through it.
The finish is a little short but this should improve with age.
Rosemount GSM
Rosemount GSM is a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourve`dre. Aged for 18 months in American oak, this premium McLaren Vale wine typically combines the rich, spicy flavours of Grenache (50%) with the opulent fruit of Syrah (40%) and firm structure of Mourve`dre (10%).
On the nose you notice straight away the spiciness of the Grenache that is balanced by the oak.
On the palate the soft rich flavor of the shiraz is evident followed by a firmness on the finish which comes from the Mourve`dre. The long, perfumed finish with dusty soft tannins lingers in the mouth.
Woodstock Botrytis sweet white
Botrytis is a mould that develops on the grapes and is commonly known as the noble rot. It has the effect of concentrating the sugars and acid in the fruit. Botrytis reduces the volume of juice you get from the grapes but intensifies the flavour. The Woodstock 1997&1998 Botrytis sweet white blended vintage shows apricot and citrus aromas with honey overtones.
The 1997 heavily raisined Botrytis affected fruit made a heavy, intense wine which was freshened by the more lively citrus flavours of the 1998 grapes. A gentle marmalade tartness will grow into peaches and cream flavours with proper cellaring for four to six years.
Merlot
Australian Merlot is fast gaining recognition in its own right, as a varietal dry red. It has been used for many decades as an integral blending component of the famous red wines of Bordeaux.
Australian Merlot is best described as having richness, depth of fruit and lingering softness. A variety that does not require great lashings of oak.Crimson red colour. Aromas of fresh plums, mulberries, chocolate-mint and a subtle background of oak. The palate is generous in flavour with long tannins on the finish.
Elderton Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé
Rosé is making a come back after languishing and losing popularity over the last ten years or so. Rosé is a great drink, a fun drink and is ideal for summer. Alfresco dining on a warm summer's night with a chilled glass of Rosé is a superb combination. It a wine not to be taken seriously but is unpretentious and enjoyable with food.On the nose it is fresh and lively with clean beautiful fruit characters. You will notice the scent of strawberries and raspberries.
On the palate it is light, clean and fresh and very easy to drink.
Nepenthe Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir was made famous by the district of Burgundy in France. Pinot Noir tends to be a lighter style but it is still a serious wine. It is one of the hardest varieties to make consistent year after year.
The colour is lighter than for example shiraz, and has a delicacy about it, with a tinge of purple.
The nose is very intense, with sweet fruit reminiscent of dark cherries and strawberries. There is also a touch of spiciness about it.
On the palate Nepenthe Pinot Noir is very alert and emulates the nose. Being a new release, the palate at this early stage is still quite closed. The sweetness of the fruit is in balance and the drying tannins are present from mid to late palate.
Sparkling Shiraz
Sparkling Shiraz is unique to Australia and was introduced into Australia by a Frenchman called Charles Pierlot who was employed by Hans Irvine at Great Western. The 1996 Seppelt Original Sparkling Shiraz is made in the traditional sparkling burgundy style from ripe flavoursome shiraz grapes sourced predominately from the Padthaway, Clare and Barossa Valley districts.
As with sparkling white wine you will notice the mousse or the froth that sits on top of the wine. It should be persistent and a pleasing pink colour. It also provides an indication of how long the wine has been aged.
On the nose you should notice a complexity of fruit characters and with the Seppelt's Sparkling Shiraz intense pepper spice and a berry fruit aroma. On the palate it is full bodied yet has soft supple tannins. The berry fruit characters are combined with complex yeasty characters.
Sparkling Wine
In a sparkling wine you are looking for freshness, zest, vitality and bit of fun. One of the first things you will notice when pouring a glass of sparkling wine is the mousse. This is the froth that sits on the surface of the wine when it is poured. It provides an indication of how long the wine has spent on its yeast lees in the bottle. It also adds to the complexity of flavours.
On the nose you will notice bready, yeasty characters with a bit of fruit. On the palate you should be looking for zesty lemony characters, cleanness and freshness without cloying sweetness. The acid finish should not make you shudder but should be well balanced
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most famous grape variety in the world. It was originally made famous by the great wine vineyards of Bordeaux.
On the nose Cabernet Sauvignon typically demonstrates violets, sweet fruit characters and even black currant.These characters are particularly receptive to oak - in particular French oak.
On the palate it should have finesse, structure and elegance, a firm middle and finish. It is the ideal dinner party wine.Riesling
The Clare Valley is renowned as one of the greatest Riesling growing areas in Australia if not the world. The Stelvin Closure is becoming increasingly popular with winemakers as it preserves the fruit flavours and freshness associated with Riesling and avoids cork taint. (The scourge of the wine industry).
Riesling is an expression of fruit and is not influenced by oak so therefore you are looking for straight fruit characters. In appearance a young Riesling should be showing lively green characters and be attractive to the eye.
On the nose you are looking for apple blossom, possibly talcum powder, and citrus flavours.
On the palate, delicacy of flavour and a crisp acid finish.
Shiraz
is considered to be the icon of the Australian Wine Industry. Shiraz, Petit Shiraz, or Hermitage are all the same grape variety and you are looking for a full flavoured style. Australia has great climate advantages over our European competitors and all that great sunshine dramatically improves the fruit quality.
On the nose you should notice chocolate, black currant and strong fruit flavours with a combination of oak.
On the palate a lovely rich soft mouth full of flavour that is uniquely Australian. Shiraz like a mouth full of sunshine.
Port
Australia makes some of the greatest tawny ports in the world. A tawny port is a red wine that has been fortified and aged in oak. The combination of oxidation and aging in oak barrels causes the port to change colour from purple to a brownish colour, hence the name tawny.
Due to this process, on the nose it presents a character known as rancio.
Rancio is a nutty character and comes from the oxidation and the subtle flavours of the oak coming through.
On the palate you will notice the sweetness from the natural sugars, the dryness from the spirit and delicate tannins from the oak.
Semillon
Semillon is one of the great work horses in the Australian Wine industry. It has great versatility and can be used to make champagne base, fortified wine and table wine.
The colour of Semillon traditionally has a great depth of green.With age the wine develops more golden tones and hues.
Penny's Hill Semillon is unoaked and purely fruit driven. On the nose it produces grassy herbaceous characters but more importantly it smells clean and fresh.
On the palate Semillon is one of those unique varietals that has a creamy flavour. Penny's Hill Semillon has good length and a broad mouth feel. A fine example of what Semillon should be.
Chardonnay
The McLaren Vale region is famous for growing chardonnay. The fruit from this area produces rich flavorsome chardonnay style wines.
Colour is an important factor and soft golden colours are usually found in chardonnay.
The natural flavours of the grape make it very receptive to oak. The vanilla flavours in oak blend nicely with those of chardonnay.On the nose you will notice slightly toasty almost cashew nut aromas, quite different to Semillon and Riesling.
On the palate the Woodstock Chardonnay provided a depth of flavour and a little alcohol tingle on the back of the throat. That's what you really want from chardonnay, a mouthful of flavour.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc originates from New Zealand but Australia in particular the Adelaide Hills is becoming one of the leading districts for producing fruit to grow Sauvignon Blanc.
The bouquet of a Sauvignon Blanc should provide grassy herbaceous characters and freshness.
On the palette it should be crisp and alert.
Starvedog lane Sauvignon Blanc is a true expression of fruit and an excellent example of the qualities you expect in a great Sauvignon Blanc.
