Artisans of the Barossa tasting on Saturday

[markg]

Wow, what a great Saturday; wine tasting, hockey and beer.

For $25 we got to taste the full range of top class wines by 12 different cult Barossa producers (artisans of the Barossa), plus some wonderful gourmet food to snack on and a nice glass to add to my growing collection.

I just wish I didn't have that extra gourmet sausage, it kept creeping back up on me later that afternoon as I was sprinting up and down the hockey pitch - Oh and for anybody thats interested; Port Adelaide Division 6 men defeated Forestville 4-3 Saturday night to take out the premiership - thank you very much. Go you mighty Magpies !!

[n4sir]

This is a fantastic, well organised event - I'm glad it wasn't on AFL Grand Final day this year so I could make it.

The $25 entry fee is a bargain; I had a great time and caught up with quite a few familar faces. It's interesting to see such a wide range of wines on the day from these dozen small producers too, with a few 03s & 04s sprinkled among the majority of 05/06 current releases. On this experience the 04 & 05 vintages looked generally much stronger which maybe isn't much of a surprise.

I'm already looking forward to next year's event.

Cheers,
Ian

[tpang]

Reviving this thread to post my TNs for those interested.

Mt Billy 'Harmony' Shiraz Mataro Grenache 2004: $23. This southern Rhone inspired blend comprises of 50% shiraz, 25% mataro from 70yo vines and 25% grenache from 80yo vines. All vines were dry grown from the Gomersal region of sandy limestone soil. Matured in seasoned French oak of varying age for 26 months. This is a lovely food wine. 14.5%alc. Savoury meaty nose (smoked bacon?), yet its smooth and elegant. Fantastic finish and aftertaste. 92-93/100.
Mt Billy 'Antiquity' Shiraz 2004: $43. 110yo vines that are dry grown are handpicked for this Barossa flagship. Matured for 27 months in 20% new French oak. "The most structured 'Antiquity' to date." Black earthy purple colour. Nose is a bit inhibited now yet still exudes notes of violets, black plum and beef stock. Velvety palate of black plum and black olives are in brilliant balance with the fine tannins. To be enjoyed in 3-4 years. 93-94/100.

Kalleske Clarry's Barossa White 2006: $14. A 50-50 blend of semillon and chenin blanc. A terrific white. Lovely nose offered by the lightness of the chenin blanc with the robustness from the semillon. Good firm structure, not wobbly at all. Great balance and well-weighted and just enough acidity. 90/100.
Kalleske Lorraine Semillon (Late Harvest) 2006: $10. Picked at 14Be and ultimately with 70g residual, this semi-dry sweet dessert white offers extreme value for money because it's clean and fresh, yet elegantly luscious. 89-90/100.

Kalleske Clarrys Grenache/Shiraz 2006: $18-20. I hesitated when Troy offered the Clarry's and I mentioned how I felt previous vintages of the Clarrys were a little too light for my liking. Then I noticed the colour. Wow! What a huge upgrade in terms of depth! This is a blend of old and new vines, in thirds of 60yo, 40yo and 5-10yo. Dense opaque purple colour, lovely aromatics contributed by the Kalleske grenache that I've come to love. The shiraz adds to the firmness of this wine, with fine tannins at the end. Incredible QPR, stock up! 91-92/100.
Kalleske Greenock Shiraz 2005: $38. The 2006 will be released in October. Vibrant ruby colour, nose of fresh red berries and white flowers. Great blend of flavours supported by soft tannins. Excellent aftertaste and finish. 94/100.
Kalleske Old Vine Grenache 2005: $45. I don't know, might have been just me but I wasn't captivated like I was with this one.
Kalleske Johann Georg 2005: $100. Dense purple colour with an intense summer nose of white acacia flowers. Great plum flavours and excellent aftertaste and finish. 97/100.
Kalleske JMK Shiraz VP 2005: $23. Juice from greenock shiraz is run off and 15yo brandy is added. Great nutty nose (almond?). Dry, firm and crisp aftertaste. 93/100.

Hobbs Shiraz Viognier 2005: $110, ~130 doz produced. 4% viognier co-fermented, aged for 24 months in new French oak. Dark red in colour, a great nose of warm red berries, spice, touch of pepper. Great fruit is kept within the drink, Viognier also adds the element of subtle exoticness. Great aftertaste. Double-decant suggested if drinking within the next 5 years. Put this aside and drink in 10 years. 94-95/100.
Hobbs Shiraz 2005: $130, ~200 doz made. Fruit from 100yo vines, aged for 27 months in new French oak hogsheads. Subtle brooding nose of spice and dark fruit. Great intense flavours of black fruit. Chewy oaky tannins. Allow 5 years of ageing before opening. 94-96/100.
Hobbs 'Gregor' Shiraz 2005: $130, ~230 doz made. Made in the Amarone style, grapes from 20yo vines are dry racked to intensify the flavours before pressing. Juice is then aged for 24 months in new French oak. Fantastic black red colour, great nose of purple flowers, swirl of ripe black berries, white summer flowers. Great balanced flavours with the tannin level reflecting its youth. This will be so good in years. 96-97/100.

Hobbs White Frontignac 2006: $39, 90 doz. Pale gold colour, rich intense aromas of honeyed apple. Flavours of dried apricot, apple and pear. Finish is light and pleasing. 92/100.
Hobbs Semillon 2006: $39, 240 doz. Pale gold in colour. Wow! This is richer than the fronti. Aromas of ripe stone fruit with wafts of passionfruit. Loads of sweet jammy flavours, coupled with a long aftertaste that lingers, yet it's not flat, finishes clean and fresh. 94/100.
Hobbs Viognier 2006: $39, 170 doz. Pale gold in colour. Rich intense flavours of honeysuckle and ripe peach! Wow.. this is great stuff. The flavours on the palate, the linger aftertaste and the clean finish. Fantastic! I'd load up on this one. 95-96/100.

Clancy Fuller Two Little Dickie Birds Rose 2006: A 50-50 blend of Grenache and Mataro from the Clancy vineyard. Made in the style of the Rhone roses, so whole bunch presses and minimal skin contact. Colour is pale salmon pink, light fruity nose of unripe white peach. Light sweetness, good well balanced flavours and acidity. Only $15 or $120/case, this is perfect for a warm summer's day. 89-90/100.
Clancy Fuller Two Little Dickie Birds Rose 2007: Barely bottled for a week for this tasting event. Similar colour to the 2006, but what a world of difference on the nose! Beautiful sweet fruity flavours of mallee honey and fresh apple. Great finish, just perfect. 93-95/100. Also $15,$120/case, I'd strongly advice anyone to buy cases of this for the upcoming summer!

Clancy Fuller 'The Scribblers' Grenache Shiraz 2002: $15/$120 case. 60% grenache and 40$ shiraz, both from the Clancy vineyards at Jacob's Creek. Matured in seasoned French oak hogsheads for 18 months, sits in bottle for further 18 months before release. A nice, dark red colour. Floral notes from the grenache are a great compliment to the bolder shiraz. Flavours of red fruit and savoury plum, good structure and tannins. Good aftertaste. 91-92/100.
Clancy Fuller 'Silesian' Shiraz 2002: $25, $180/case. Named as a tribute to the Silesian settlers who planted the original vines in the 1840s. Mainly a shiraz, just a touch of cab. The shiraz is 60% Clancy, 40% Fuller. 14% cabernet from Krondorf. Matured in new French oak for 18 months and sits in bottle before release. A good dark colour, great structure with flavours of black cherry and plum. Good finish. 92/100.
Clancy Fuller 'Silesian' Shiraz 2006: This is a 100% shiraz for the 2006, with the cabernet fruit sold to Rockford. Good fruit flavours but still a bit too young to be approached now. Loads of gripping tannins. 92-93/100.
Clancy Fuller 'Three Hogsheads' Shiraz 2002: $35, $180/ 6 bottle case. Depending on vintage, three hogsheads (roughly 1.5 tonnes of fruit) are put aside from the 120yo vines of the Fuller vineyard at Bethany. Total production is about 120 dozen. Matured in new French oak barrels (barriques if yields are even less than usual). This is not a big typical shiraz. It's elegant but complex. Loads of flavours just inundate your senses. There is light blackberry, dark cherry, hint of dark chocolate, touch of fresh minty eucalypt even. Smooth drink with a very satisfying aftertaste. This is one for the cellar 12-15 years. 95/100.

Spinifex Papillon 2006: A blend of 46% grenache, 28% cinsault, 26% carignan. Great fleshy, lifted nose of raspberry, plum and cherry with perfumed spice undertones. Medium-bodied with plum and dark cherry flavours, a hint of spice and good aftertaste. Drink over 3-4 years. 92/100.
Spinifex Esprit 2005: Full throttle version of the Papillon. Blend of five - 40% grenache, 34% shiraz, 12% cinsault, 8% mataro and 6% carignan, matured for 22 months in French oak. Nice shiny dark red. The aroma profile on this is fantastic, rich in plum, cherry, touch of summer leaf. Flavours of spiced plum stew mingled with fine tannins. Approachable now, but I think optimal drinking in 5-7 years. 92+/100.
Spinifex Shiraz Viognier 2005: 95% Eden Valley shiraz with 5% viognier. Nice dark red colour. Intense, carpeted perfume of dark berry aromas. Full-bodied, flowing with silky, subtle tannins that hide behind the bold forward flavours of black currant, plum and some smokiness. This will go 8 - 10 years. 94-95/100.
Spinifex Indigene 2005: 55% Mataro with 45% shiraz. Excellent blend showcasing the savouriness of mataro with the strength of shiraz. Deep dark colour. Needs time in the cellar, still coming together. Great aromas of black cherry, plums, sweet spice and white flower. Full-bodied, flavours of black plum and bitter dark chocolate. The finish is backed with prominent tannins which should level out over 5-6 years, this looks to go beyond 10. 94-95/100.

Schwarz Wine Co Thiele Rd Grenache 2005: $26. Hand-picked old vines, 50% destemmed before press. Extended maceration of 8-12 days and 20 months maturation in old French oak. Dark ruby colour. Fresh nose of India summer white flowers, brooding and sullen spices. Great level of intense fruitiness of plum, with ripe tannins and soft acidity. 92-93/100.
Schwarz Wine Co Thiele Rd Grenache 2006: Deeper undertones on the nose with no let up. Intense flavours! 93-94/100.
Schwarz Wine Co Nitschke Block Shiraz 2005: $32. Handpicked from ~40yo dry-grown vines. Extended maceration and 20 years in seasoned French oak. Dark red, purplish colour. Great nose of brandied plum, cherry and touch of dark chocolate. Great flavour profile of plum and dark berries with ripe supple tannins. 92-94/100.
Schwarz Wine Co Nitschke Block Shiraz 2006: Incredible nose of raspberry, white chocolate and hint of tobacco. Young tannins present but blend very well with the great plum flavours lingering on towards the finish. 93-94/100.
Schwarz Wine Co Dust Kicker 2006: The new blend, 300-500 dozen produced. Consists of stuff I tried earlier this year, Schilling Rd Cab Sauv blended into Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz. Floral nose, fantastically multilayered. Rich vibrant flavours of red fruit and berries. Very well-balanced. Est retail < $25. 94-95/100.

Radford Dale Eden Valley Riesling 2005: $18-22. Clear and peary pink colour, great nose of white stone fruit and flowers.White peach flavours. Crisp, fresh and a dry, mineraly aftertaste.91-92/100.
Radford Dale Eden Valley Riesling 2006: More yellowish in colour than the 2005. Richer and a more intense aromatic profile too. Flavours of pear and stone fruit. Finishing with crisp minerality. 92-94/100.
Radford Dale Shiraz 2005: $33-35. Nice deep colour. Nose of mulberry, white acacia flower. Complex flavours mingling with loads of primary plum flavours. Intense and dense. For this price, excellent value for money! 97/100.

[markg]

Hey, nice notes Terrence - thanx.

[albus]

I just wish I didn't have that extra gourmet sausage, it kept creeping back up on me later that afternoon as I was sprinting up and down the hockey pitch - Oh and for anybody thats interested; Port Adelaide Division 6 men defeated Forestville 4-3 Saturday night to take out the premiership - thank you very much. Go you mighty Magpies !!

hmmm

the tasting sounded great but in reading all those posts of yours I had not realised that you played for THEM! - even living in Canberra as I have for many years now, one does not lose that instinctive reaction to the words "Port Adelaide Hockey Club" – a legacy of twenty years playing for Kingswood and Adelaide and all that blood and all those bruises – if I were the cat from whom I stole this moniker, my tail would be all fluffed up right now

god, I don’t have to do one of those smiley faces now do I?

[markg]

I just wish I didn't have that extra gourmet sausage, it kept creeping back up on me later that afternoon as I was sprinting up and down the hockey pitch - Oh and for anybody thats interested; Port Adelaide Division 6 men defeated Forestville 4-3 Saturday night to take out the premiership - thank you very much. Go you mighty Magpies !!

hmmm

the tasting sounded great but in reading all those posts of yours I had not realised that you played for THEM! - even living in Canberra as I have for many years now, one does not lose that instinctive reaction to the words "Port Adelaide Hockey Club" – a legacy of twenty years playing for Kingswood and Adelaide and all that blood and all those bruises – if I were the cat from whom I stole this moniker, my tail would be all fluffed up right now

god, I don’t have to do one of those smiley faces now do I?

I am a bit of a late starter, I have only commenced playing hockey in the last two years (pressured into it from my children), and love every minute of it, although its a bit rough on the bones at my age. I love the rivalry between Port and all the other clubs, everybody hates us but its only because we 're so good - I mean, how many clubs this year can boast that out of 22 divisions entered, 15 of them get into a grand final - every single mens division this year played in a grand final