Tasting notes from Australia trip

[sjw_11]

Most of these are wines that were out of my cellar except a few purchased in Sydney to drink before I got to Adelaide:

• NV Rockford Black Shiraz - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (5/25/2022)
  2015 disgorgement. What can one say? A perennial classic. Ripe and intense plum. Liquer. Sweet of course but not over sweet. Age has softened it just a little, but plenty of fizz still. Almost elegant on the palate, at least in the context of the style. A sparkling Basket Press. So much enjoyment to be had drinking this. Points irrelevant (but I will give it 94 anyway). (94 pts.)
• 2009 Briar Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard Currawong - Australia, New South Wales, Central Ranges, Orange (5/25/2022)
  Apparently this was never recordede in my cellar but here it is. An Orange Cabernet at >10 yrs old- expectations were low, but set to be exceeded. Deep red. Surprisingly fresh. Classic cooler climate Cab. Dusty red fruits. Cassis. Spice. Not much herbaceousness. Cedar oak. Impressive. (93 pts.)
• 2010 John's Blend Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek (5/25/2022)
  Deep red. Blackcurrant and vanillin oak. Gathers weight with air. Some cassis and eucalypt as well. Rich but elegant. Shows as always what this region can produce. Now to 2030. (93 pts.)
• 2010 Schwarz Wine Company Shiraz Nitschke Block - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (5/25/2022)
  Deep plum red. Classic Barossa nose. Ripe plum, plum liquer. Very fresh and intense, but not overripe. Carries the 14.5% abv without a hint of portiness. On the palate there is ripe plum, xmas pudding and spice. So drinkable now and examplar of the style. Excellent. 93-94pts. (s/cap) (93 pts.)
• 2021 Petaluma Riesling Hanlin Hill - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (5/25/2022)
  Excellent young riesling. Very pristine. Lemon/lime, sherbert, almost a musk like character. A classic Hanlin Hill. I expect this will drink well now as a young wine and age gracefully for many years. (93 pts.)
• 2012 Turkey Flat Shiraz - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (5/25/2022)
  These bottles saw a bit of pest damage to the box and labels but no impact on the wine. Classic semi mature Barossa shiraz. Dense plum but also a certain elegance. Vanilla. Spice. Overall quite youthful and fresh on the palate with good acidity. 92-93pts. (92 pts.)
• 2021 Rieslingfreak Riesling No. 34 - Australia, South Australia (5/25/2022)
  Fresh and crisp. Lovely classic young, dry Aussie rizza. Lime and lime cordial predominate. Racy acidity. Delicious drinking. (92 pts.)
• 2014 Head Wines Riesling Springton - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley (5/25/2022)
  Pale to mid yellow. Citrus on the nose. Gentle development but still pretty youthful. Crispy acidity. Delicious drinking now and no rush to finish these off. (91 pts.)
• 2007 Pirramimma Petit Verdot - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (5/25/2022)
  Just a brief note. This got lost in the cellar but it has survived in good shape. Still quite youthful with dense fruit and good intensity. Enjoyable to drink now or for a couple more years. (90 pts.)
• 2015 Head Wines Syrah The Brunette - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (5/25/2022)
  Just quick notes. Spicy and rhone like. Deep plum. Black pepper. Feels a little cool. Some greenness on day 2. Not sure this is for long aging. (90 pts.)
• 2020 Spinifex Esprit - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (5/25/2022)
  No formal notes but this drinks very nicely. Good balance of ripeness and acidity. Good value. (90 pts.)
• 2020 Teusner Shiraz 'The Riebke' Northern Barossa - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (5/25/2022)
  No formal notes but this was ripe and classically Australian. Good value. (90 pts.)
• 2009 Hugh Hamilton Jekyll & Hyde Shiraz Viognier - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (5/25/2022)
  Just a brief note. Rich but not soupy sweet. Still quite youthful. Pretty enjoyable still, but probably one to drink sooner than later now. (89 pts.)
• 2010 Grosset Gaia - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (5/25/2022)
  Deep magenta. Just a touch of browning. Fairly restrainted at first, giving away gentle notes of red berries. There is a touch of green as well- tobacco leaf character from the CF (this is 85% CS and 15% CF, 900 cases made). Feels a shade cool and thin. I thought it might gather weight but on day 2 it had already faded. On this showing, slightly disappointing for this label and the vintage. (89 pts.)
• 2002 Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Nagambie Lakes (5/25/2022)
  Just a brief impression but this was remarkable fresh. Red berries. Some mulch/green character. Drinking pretty well now, although obviously time to drink up. (87 pts.)
• 2010 Rockford Riesling Hand Picked Eden Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley (5/25/2022)
  Full yellow. Light citrus and some sherried character. The age is clear but there is no kero notes. Better on the palate than on the nose, for my tastes anyway. This is bottled under cork, so there could be a bottle variation element at play here. Not really my cup of tea. (87 pts.)
• 2019 Alkina Kin Field White - Australia, South Australia, Barossa (5/25/2022)
  Hazy orange colour. Scented and muscat like on the nose. Clearly this is faulty in a technical sense. Whatever this is, it isn't wine. Bruised apple and noticeable phenolic grip on the palate. Drinkable but barely. I just don't get why people go gaga for this style. (80 pts.)
• 2014 Head Wines Shiraz The Contrarian Moculta - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley (5/25/2022)
  No formal notes, but this was rich, dense and spicy. Well put together. No rush to drink.
• 2018 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Roche Roulée - France, Alsace (5/24/2022)
  Quite bright yellow. Reasonably dark but not unusual with this variety. Classic Gewurtz, rosewater, lychees, spice. Lovely balance and quite dry on the palate (on a relative basis). Impressive wine for under €20. 89-90 pts. (89 pts.)
• 2009 Rockford Rod & Spur - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (5/22/2022)
  No formal notes. This still shows notes of plum, spice, but also a touch of greenness which I also found last week in the 2009 cabernet. I wonder if the grapes were just a touch under ripe in '09? Still this drinks super well right now. 87-88pts. (87 pts.)
• 2006 Noonji Estate Sémillon Old Vine - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley (5/20/2022)
  All I will say to begin with is that this is a freak wine. Purchased based on a JH review that said cellaring potential to 2040+ (and one thing I trust him on is Hunter sem) this is my second bottle from a six pack. Pale yellow. Excellent and amazingly youthful nose. Bright citrus. Lemon peel. No development at all. Maybe some lemon sherbert going on as well. Quite fresh and clean on the palate, almost refreshing in the way a young semillon is. Ageless. Open for more than four days this barely budges. Astonishing from such an unheralded wine at a fairly modest price. (95 pts.)
• 2012 Grosset Chardonnay Piccadilly - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Piccadilly Valley (5/20/2022)
  Just 400 cases of this wine were made. Still glowing yellow even with flecks of green despite a decade of age. Pristine and youthful nose. Balanced ripe melon and cashew on the palate. Very fresh and clean. Restrained oak. Drink now to 2030+. 94-95 pts. (interestingly just checked their website and JH gave 97, drink to 2022... points a little high for me, but conservative on the drinking window!) (94 pts.)
• 2004 Jim Barry Shiraz The Lodge Hill - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (5/18/2022)
  The cork broke on this but I still got it out largely intact. No concerns otherwise, this remains remarkably fresh. Deep ruby red. It's getting hard to pick the precise region and variety here, but this remains a classic aged Aussie wine. Gentle plum, mulberry, spice. Still quite rich and full on the palate. It actually gathers weight and freshness with air. Frankly I love this and this is a perfect example why we cellar wine. (92 pts.)
• 2002 Jacob's Creek Riesling Steingarten - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley (5/17/2022)
  Bottle 03604. Full yellow, not quite trending to gold. Developed nose, with citrus, toast, lanolin. No kero though. The acid has faded in this bottle compared to the one I had in '19, with some slightly honied character appearing. Doesn't look 20Y old but I think time is finally catching up with this wine and for my taste I would drink soon but others may like to let it evolve even further which under screw cap and in a good cellar I am sure it will do. (93 pts.)
• 2004 Longview Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Devil's Elbow - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills (5/17/2022)
  I was worried about this bottle being past it, but I needn't have been concerned. Deep plum still, with fruit driven aromas. Blackcurrant, cassis, dusty red berries. Structured and layered, with just a touch of herbaceousness. Slightly sweet on the palate, but not porty. A real surprise package. (93 pts.)
• 2021 Heggies Vineyard Riesling - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley (5/17/2022)
  No formal notes, but this was delicious. A benchmark example of pristine young Australian riesling. (93 pts.)
• 2013 Wolf Blass Shiraz Brown Label Classic Shiraz - Australia, South Australia (5/17/2022)
  A blend of McV, Clare and Barossa shiraz, this is surprisingly elegant- even classic as the label puts it. Deeply fruited still with intense plum notes. Youthful even. Ripe but not over ripe, no dead fruit. Clear oak influence but nothing like the treatment this wine got back in the day. Pleasant intensity. Overall very enjoyable. (92 pts.)
• 2009 Moss Wood Chardonnay Moss Wood Vineyard - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River (5/17/2022)
  Deep yellow. Intense and complex nose. Notes of oak, toast, butter. Showing the age. Round and developed on the palate. Probably just into the downward slope, drink now. (90 pts.)
• 2009 Rockford Cabernet Sauvignon Rifle Range - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (5/17/2022)
  Medium ruby red. Slightly restrained nose. Medium red berries. Reflective of the Rockford house style. A touch of green, but only slightly. Nice balance, medium bodied red. This is holding up, but as per my last note- probably one to drink sooner than later. (90 pts.)
• 2013 Head Wines Shiraz The Contrarian Moculta - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley (5/17/2022)
  No formal notes, but this was pretty enjoyable, with restrained, medium red fruits and reasonable intensity. (90 pts.)
• 2013 Sons of Eden Riesling Freya - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley (5/17/2022)
  Mid yellow. Some obvious toast a kero reflecting the bottle age. Citrus notes as well. Still relatively fresh. Drinking well now but I am not sure this will make old bones so probably worth looking at soon if you have any. (89 pts.)
• 2005 Hugh Hamilton Cabernet Sauvignon The Villain - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (5/17/2022)
  Deep red colour (deeper than a 2009 Rockford cab had side by side with this). Ripe and fruit driven still on the nose, just a touch soupy/porty. Spicy red berries, but broadly balanced on the palate. Holding up surprisingly well for something that I suspect was not really intended to hold for 15+ years. (87 pts.)
• 2005 Yalumba The Signature - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (5/14/2022)
  I went looking for the specific blend of this vintage but it seems Yalumba will give you the precise % of each type of oak used but keeps secret the proportions of Cab and Shiraz. Terrible cork that crumbled away, but once the wine was out it was clear it had at least done its job and the wine itself was terrific. Rich stewed plum. Fruit pudding. Classic Barossa character. Gathers weight and intensity with air. Right in its drinking window now but might fractionally improve over a couple of years and should hold for 10 in a good cellar. (95 pts.)
• 2010 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (5/14/2022)
  This is absolutely delightful right now. Fragrant and juicy, with deep plum and cherry flavours and notes of purple flowers. When open a day or two and a touch of more green/mulch flavour emerges, which at the margin makes me wonder if this is one for only mid-term further cellaring, but either way this is excellent. (93 pts.)
• 2011 Mount Horrocks Riesling Watervale - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Watervale (5/14/2022)
  Pale yellow. Good colour. Citrus nose. Just a hint of toasty development, but no obvious kero/petrol notes. Quite youthful overall. Lovely poise on the palate. No rush to drink, under screw cap in a good cellar this should go another 10+ years with ease. Excellent, 93-94pts. (93 pts.)
• 2019 Marius Wines Shiraz Simpatico McLaren Vale - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (5/14/2022)
  This is a gorgeous little wine. No formal notes made, but as always the quality from this producer is exceptional. Won't open the others for a long while, especially since this is the last vintage. (92 pts.)
• 2021 Jim Barry Riesling Watervale - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Watervale (5/14/2022)
  Excellent young dry riesling, fresh and zippy, impeccably clean and pure, with lemon/lime characters and bright acidity. So drinkable now, would be the perfect match to a warm evening on the porch or a plate of fresh seafood. 92+ (92 pts.)
• 2010 Turkey Flat Mourvèdre - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (5/14/2022)
  This shows notes of deep plum and an almost iron/ferrous like note. Some violet as well. Still quite fresh, more so than the 2007 was at a similar age. Overall a lovely drop. (91 pts.)
• 2014 Grosset Fiano Apiana - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (5/14/2022)
  Textural and interesting wine. With air the Semillon comes through quite clearly. Notes of lemon pith, oil, almost a honeysuckle-like character. Viscous, and with excellent purity and just a touch of toast showing the eight years of bottle age. Drink now up to maybe even 2030. 90+ (90 pts.)
• 2007 Allandale Sémillon Winemakers Reserve - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley (5/12/2022)
  Not sure this was the Winemakers reserve but fruit predominantly from the then 25 year-old creek flat block and the Hindmarsh vineyard. The label says cellar 6-10 years but this is pretty youthful still. Clear, pale yellow. Classic nose of lemon, oil/lanolin, and toast. Still pretty fresh on the palate with a fair line of acidity. Enjoyable drinking and representative of the style... Under screw cap it's hard to know when that will change but I guess in a good cellar another 15 years would be achievable. (92 pts.)
• NV Turkey Flat Sparkling Shiraz - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (5/10/2022)
  Blend 12, disgorged 2017. No formal notes but this is just delicious. Classic rich Barossa sparkling Shiraz. Ripe plum, fruit cake, sweet but with balance. Excellent. (92 pts.)
• 2020 Mr. Riggs Shiraz The Gaffer - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (5/5/2022)
  Classic ripe, vibrant McLaren Shiraz. A robust, fruit forward style but maintains a good level of freshness and structure. Enjoyable. (87 pts.)
• 2018 Pierro Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot L.T.Cf. - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River (5/4/2022)
  Fairly cool red currant fruit and a distinct herbal, tobacco leaf component. A touch of cedary oak as well. Medium bodied on the palate with fairly angular acidity. Feels cool, but fills out a bit with air. Pretty decent but in this vintage at least the value feels a bit questionable. (88 pts.)

Posted from [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/]CellarTracker[/url]

[phillisc]

Thanks for the notes Sam, particularly the Rieslings. Heggies lives in the shadow of Pewsey Vale, I have a few older vintages, have found them to be really good.

Cheers Craig

[Matt@5453]

[*]2004 Jim Barry Shiraz The Lodge Hill - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (5/18/2022)
The cork broke on this but I still got it out largely intact. No concerns otherwise, this remains remarkably fresh. Deep ruby red. It's getting hard to pick the precise region and variety here, but this remains a classic aged Aussie wine. Gentle plum, mulberry, spice. Still quite rich and full on the palate. It actually gathers weight and freshness with air. Frankly I love this and this is a perfect example why we cellar wine. (92 pts.)

[*]2004 Longview Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Devil's Elbow - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills (5/17/2022)
I was worried about this bottle being past it, but I needn't have been concerned. Deep plum still, with fruit driven aromas. Blackcurrant, cassis, dusty red berries. Structured and layered, with just a touch of herbaceousness. Slightly sweet on the palate, but not porty. A real surprise package.
Posted from [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/]CellarTracker[/url]

Thank you for posting the notes.

The above two pricked my interest.

I have tried a number of older Lodge Hill Shiraz's over the last 4-5 years - all have been very good, especially for the price.

Glad to hear on the Longview Cabernet. 2004 was an excellent vintage in that area of the Hills. The wine was made by Darryl Catlin when he was at Shaw & Smith, using quality oak. On release it had a very good tannin profile (I have had a few bottles myself), so not surprised to hear its still in a good drinking zone. The 2001 and 2002 were very good also.

[GraemeG]

Grosset's Gaia might be in the running for the most inconsistent red in Oz!

[JamieAdelaide]

Maybe it’s partly the screw cap? I’ve had dreary development issues with Gaia. Had an 05 Abbotts’s Prayer last night and noted a distinct change in style that produced glacial development under screw cap. More merlot in style but gee it was Gaia-like in some respects.

[Michael McNally]

Thanks for the notes Sam, particularly the Rieslings. Heggies lives in the shadow of Pewsey Vale, I have a few older vintages, have found them to be really good.

Cheers Craig

Agree. Had some folks do a "how does wine age?" tasting and one of the pairings I had were the 2021 Heggies Riesling and 2012 Heggies Riesling and the wines were both excellent.

Will get some more of the 2021...

Cheers

Michael