Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

[phillisc]

Yes and no
Sydney is the top C/S in the range.
The Reserve Cabernets is a new line looking at a blend.
Then the standard straight Cab.
I agree Manor House, Front 20, DGR and 76 are lost in range.

I do worry about wineries in Coonawarra constantly adding more and more wines. It seems that there's far too many grapes being grown. They can't sell the stuff they make now.
Cheers Craig

[Matt]

well I just got the bargain of the century…

Miles From Nowhere Origin Of Now Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 Cleanskin

$13

I shoulda bought the whole pallet.

Every bit of $100 bottle.

GetWinesDirect finally have a cracker which isn’t a dud.

Reminds me of the Watershed liquidation.

No affiliation - just bragging rights.

[phillisc]

Matt, reflects the desperation of the industry, somewhat unfortunately.
I, as many hundreds of others do, receive emails everyday with claims of 80+% off a wine...reminds me of those cheesy fraudulent Persian rug sellers.
GWD don't pull any punches and I guess that's how it should be, was very happy to pick up Seppelts St Peters at $28/bottle a few months back.

Cheers Craig

[Matt]

Yeh they occasionally have a real deal.

Plenty of duds though.

[Matt@5453]

Matt, reflects the desperation of the industry, somewhat unfortunately.
I, as many hundreds of others do, receive emails everyday with claims of 80+% off a wine...reminds me of those cheesy fraudulent Persian rug sellers.
GWD don't pull any punches and I guess that's how it should be, was very happy to pick up Seppelts St Peters at $28/bottle a few months back.

Cheers Craig

probably going to see a fair bit of export stock through GWD too

[phillisc]

Yeh they occasionally have a real deal.

Plenty of duds though.

Absolutely 100%, the duds outnumber anything I would be remotely interested in by 50 to 1. Again a sad reflection of how many wines should never have been made, or will never find a home, or that the market correction continues to evolve and the race to the bottom is a long way from being over. The big boys have the ability to absorb the pressures, the little guys less so.
It occasionally surprises me what labels are flogged through etailers and they certainly don't share sentiment, its just another bottle, 85% H2O and there will be a buyer somewhere out there who will pick it up.
Cheers Craig

[Sean]

Chalmers Nero d’Avola 22 - We have been drinking the 24, but found another bottle of the 22. Really good with a few years on it. Garnet red colour. Softer and harmonious. Still very fresh on the palate. Mixed berries, cherry, herbs and smooth, savoury tannins. - 26/7/26

Quealy Campbell & Christine Pinot Noir 24 - A Balnarring vineyard. Wild yeast and 10 months in French oak. Deep ruby colour and florals. Red fruits, dark cherry, spice and forest floor. Got 25% new oak, but the fruit has just about soaked that up. Not as much obvious tannin as I remember in other vintages. Fresh and vibrant with nice subtlety. Drink or cellar this one. - 27/7/26

Campbells Cabernets 21 - A blend of Cab Sav (59%), Ruby Cabernet (39%) and Shiraz (2%). The Ruby Cab adding rich fruit character and a bit of warmth. A bright red-purple colour and legs in the glass. This is 14.5% a/v. Lovely lifted aromatics. Blackberry, cassis, mulberry and spice. Sweet fruited mid-palate with persistent tannins through the finish. - 28/7/26

Stanton & Killeen Shiraz Durif 19 - A 50/50 blend (I think) and it’s hard work early on. Need to decant this for the sediment. Also give it plenty of air time to open up. A lovely red-purple colour, lighter at the rim. Blackberry, plums, red berries and spice. Big full-bodied wine with rich fruit intensity and firm, grainy tannins. Give it 10+ years. - 29/7/26

Pizzini Nonna Gisella Sangiovese 24 - Picked up this from the local bottleshop. Drunk it a number of times now. Ruby coloured and fragrant. Cherry, red fruits, earth and herbs. No oak influence and medium-bodied with soft, savoury tannins. - 30/7/26

Warrabilla Reserve Shiraz 21 - I wish I had more of this. Open fermenter and 70% new American oak. A lovely bright red-purple colour and really good fruit intensity. Blackberry, plums, red fruits, vanilla and oak spice. Rich and full-bodied. This is 15% a/v (moderate by their standards) and beautifully balanced. Lush mid-palate and svelte tannins through the finish. - 1/8/26

[Chuck]

Dowie Doole 2017 The Architect McLaren Vale Cabernet (cork). Last bottle of a 6 pack. Fruit from sub region of Blewitt Springs, higher up the valley wall to the north. Wonderful black and blue fruits. A bit too much oak IMO but I don't mind oak. Tending to the richer end of medium to full bodied. Well balanced with all components coming together. Silky tannins and acid resolved. I do love the dark chocolate flavour evident in MV cabernets. We were fighting over the last drops which is always a good sign of quality. It's always the last bottle of a 6 pack that shows the best so now I'm tending to buy in 12 pack lots.

[felixp21]

Yeh they occasionally have a real deal.

Plenty of duds though.

Absolutely 100%, the duds outnumber anything I would be remotely interested in by 50 to 1. Again a sad reflection of how many wines should never have been made, or will never find a home, or that the market correction continues to evolve and the race to the bottom is a long way from being over. The big boys have the ability to absorb the pressures, the little guys less so.
It occasionally surprises me what labels are flogged through etailers and they certainly don't share sentiment, its just another bottle, 85% H2O and there will be a buyer somewhere out there who will pick it up.
Cheers Craig

Very true Craig. Sadly, it also is a reflection of how poor the vast majority of Australian wine critics are. After all, virtually all of these utterly dud wines come with glowing reviews from a multitude of local critics, most of whom clearly have the palate of a yak.

[phillisc]

Thanks Felix, always back your own palate which I am sure is what we both do.
I have been on the receiving end of fierce arguments with critics, with one taking me to task that the 2017 Coonawarra vintage was outstanding.
I thought he was on drugs, and eyeballed him, to justify green, acidic, weedy, unripe Cabernet that should be blown into the weeds, was actually his thing...what a dickhead!
Numerous winemakers freely admit that you can't beat mother nature, and magically convert unripe fruit into something special, so do what you can with a poor vintage/wine, or move on.
Pity critics can't adopt the same attitude
Cheers Craig

[mjs]

Just to support what Craig is saying, and its not just Coonawarra in 2017, but my group of wine buddies bought half a tonne of A grade grapes from the premium vineyard (dead something or other!) of a well known winery in Coonawarra in 2017 (as we seem to do from various vineyards in Barossa, McLaren Vale and Eden Valley every year from 2016 to now) and we made a pretty good Cabernet which we called The Mally (what a giveaway!). Apart from the fact that I twisted the arm of the winemaker, the only reason we were are able to buy the grapes was because the winery didn't make their premium cabernet that year as it was a wet and cold year, so they had a few grapes to spare. As it turned out, the grapes were only picked on Easter Thursday, which was very late. Anyway, The Mally was a bit of fun and is still going strong, even though 2017 was an average year in Coonawarra. So, for someone to say that the 2017 vintage in Coonawarra was outstanding, well, they are seriously on another planet. For example, I don't buy any of the heavily discounted wines from the 2017 vintage that appear at the usual e-tailer suspects. 2020 not far behind.

[Ian S]

FWIW it's a little dangerous to think of right/wrong. In this case, if they started it by taking you to task, then yes they're at fault for confusing opinion/personal taste with fact.

I like a little greenness in my CS, and very much like Loire Cab Franc, where that's often its calling card. Sounds like I'd like 2017 wines.

[phillisc]

Just to support what Craig is saying, and its not just Coonawarra in 2017, but my group of wine buddies bought half a tonne of A grade grapes from the premium vineyard (dead something or other!) of a well known winery in Coonawarra in 2017 (as we seem to do from various vineyards in Barossa, McLaren Vale and Eden Valley every year from 2016 to now) and we made a pretty good Cabernet which we called The Mally (what a giveaway!). Apart from the fact that I twisted the arm of the winemaker, the only reason we were are able to buy the grapes was because the winery didn't make their premium cabernet that year as it was a wet and cold year, so they had a few grapes to spare. As it turned out, the grapes were only picked on Easter Thursday, which was very late. Anyway, The Mally was a bit of fun and is still going strong, even though 2017 was an average year in Coonawarra. So, for someone to say that the 2017 vintage in Coonawarra was outstanding, well, they are seriously on another planet. For example, I don't buy any of the heavily discounted wines from the 2017 vintage that appear at the usual e-tailer suspects. 2020 not far behind.

The other issue with 2017 and to a ever so likely lesser extent 2020, is the surrounding vintages just magnify how bad 2017 was. 2012-16 and 2018/19 were all above average or better. I can tolerate a slight green stalky note, but then when you line up 2017 against the other 7 surrounding vintages, its chalk and cheese.
Cheers Craig

[mjs]

Not to mention '21 and '22, we are spoiled for choice

[Matt@5453]

Concur too. For me, apart from 2017, 2020, 2023 - everything else around it are solid vintages in most SA regions. 2025 & 2026 looking good too, albeit smaller makes for most.

An exception for these wetter years like 2011 and 2017 are whites. A lot of good white wines were made as they were picked prior to the rain events.
For 2026, particularly Clare Valley, good Riesling blocks were picked slightly earlier this year to avoid that first rain event. Looking forward to the regional tasting events later this year to compare producers.

[Gavin Trott]

(as we seem to do from various vineyards in Barossa, McLaren Vale and Eden Valley every year from 2016 to now) and we made a pretty good Cabernet which we called The Mally (what a giveaway!).

As do I, tell me more about your wine making?

Gavin

[felixp21]

FWIW it's a little dangerous to think of right/wrong. In this case, if they started it by taking you to task, then yes they're at fault for confusing opinion/personal taste with fact.

I like a little greenness in my CS, and very much like Loire Cab Franc, where that's often its calling card. Sounds like I'd like 2017 wines.

I get where you are coming from, Ian, but the "green" in ripe Cab Franc in the Loire, also a favourite region of mine, bears little resemblance to the "green" of unripe cabernet from Coonawarra picked when there was basically no other option.
Coonawarra, like the YV, is more of a marginal wine region than most of Australia, and is prone to ups and downs far more than regions such as the Barossa, Central Victoria, or even MR.
Great vintages in Coonawarra are fabulous, poor vintages (of which 2017 is certainly one) are bloody average, to be polite. Sit a 1976 Black Label next to a 1973 Black Label and you'll get the picture.

[Ian S]

It would be interesting to taste it. Having tasted a few 'rasping' wines from Bordeaux in years gone by, it would be impressive if the wine could challenge them in that respect

[Chuck]

Leconfield 2015 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. Nice but a bit one dimensional. Last bottle will be left for a few years as there is some potential tertiary flavours evident

[Sean]

Phaedrus Reserve Pinot Noir 14 - This comes off a one acre block, wild yeast and best barrels. Just 800 bottles, so getting back vintages is harder each year now. These Reserves really come into their own with age on them too. Ruby coloured. Dark cherry, rhubarb, spice and earthy. Right in the drinking window, but no hurry. A lovely fresh sweet fruited mid-palate with subtle savoury tannins. Long finish. - 4/8/26

Pfeiffer Pfriends of Pfeiffer Heathcote Shiraz 22 - Got this in the wine club order. The fruit comes from the Davies family Colbinabbin vineyard. A deep red-purple colour and perfumed. Blackberry, dark plums, mint, chocolate and spice. Notice the oak in this, but it is velvety smooth. A bit warm and rich on the palate with moderate powdery tannin. - 6/8/26

Pfeiffer Marsanne 24 - A little similar to the unoaked Tahbilk style. A bit more fruit in this. Picked in February, free-run juice, tank fermented and some leesy influence. Light straw colour. Clean and very aromatic. Citrus, pears and stonefruit with refreshing vibrant acidity and a minerally dry finish. - 7/8/26

Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz 24 - Sourced from various vineyards around Barossa Valley, basket-pressed and matured for 12 months in hogsheads and foudres. Deeply coloured and very fresh and vibrant. Dark plums, blackberry, cherry and spice. Plush and sweet fruited. This has a punchy, velvety feel to it with perfectly weighted tannin through the finish. - 8/8/26

Coriole Sangiovese 25 - They have been doing these Mediterranean varietals for a while now. Recent vintages of this have been a bit more fruit driven and less tannic. Open fermenter and matured in older oak. A lustrous dark red colour and fragrant. Red fruits, cherry, aniseed and dried herbs. Feels supple and medium-bodied with savoury tannins. - 9/8/26

Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 23 - Feels like a house style now. Not as polished as I was expecting however. A mix of different fermenters and extended maceration for colour and extract. Got 14 months in French oak, 40% new. Deep, lush purple colour. Cassis, mulberry, cherry, malt and oak spice. This is full-bodied and robust on the palate with layers of powdery tannin. - 11/8/26

[Chuck]

Tamburlaine 2020 Orange Malbec. Nice mid week quaffer. Good example of the variety. Ripe fruit from a cool climate area.

[Sean]

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 20 - The “Rum Rage” front label. A bit of malbec in this. Got 23 months in French oak, 50% new barrels. Red-purple colour and instantly recognisable as Cabernet. Pure blackcurrant, cherry, aniseed, tobacco and cedar. Some herbal character rather than green or under-ripe pyrazines. Elegant and structured with fine, powdery tannins. - 12/8/26

Stonier Pinot Noir 24 - Big lift in quality since the change of owners. A blend of fruit from a handful of vineyards around Mornington Peninsula. Some of it is whole bunch. Aged for 9 months in puncheons. Ruby colour and jumping out of the glass. Red and dark cherry, rhubarb, earth, dried herbs and spice. Fresh and vibrant with beautiful tannins. I did a double take on the latter. Drink now and keep a few bottles too. - 13/8/26

Bird in Hand Pinot Rose 25 - This went pretty quick. Free-run juice and tank fermented. A pale pink colour and musky aromatics. Red fruits, cherry and red apple. Clean and very fresh on the palate with a dry finish. - 14/8/26

Xanadu Chardonnay 24 - The 25 is out now, but spotted a bottle of the 24 among them. Gin Gin, whole bunch, wild yeast, 9 months in French oak, no malo. Had this a few times and just getting better. Straw coloured. Citrus, stonefruit and oak spice. Flavours building nicely in the glass with smoky barrel influences and a deep line of acidity running through it. - 15/8/26

Pfeiffer Durif 23 - Spring flooding and wet weather after that into the harvest, so the 2023 vintage not ideal. Sourced from 3 Rutherglen vineyards. Aged for 15 months in French and American oak. Drinking this over a couple of nights. A deep red-purple colour. Cherry ripe, blackberry, spice, vanilla oak and chocolate. Rich and intense with old style big tannins slowly coating the palate. - 16/8/26

Sidewood Pinot Noir 24 - Moved on from the 23 and this is even better. A bit more structure. Under the radar coming from Adelaide Hills maybe. (That said it shouldn’t be.) Wild yeast, some whole bunch/berry and 8 months in French oak. Ruby coloured. Cherry, red fruits, herbs and forest floor. Feels medium-bodied with nice fruit intensity and mid-weight tannins. - 19/8/26

Spinifex Lola 24 - A blend of 91% Semillon, 6% Clairette and 3% Grenache Gris. Some skin contact and older French oak, though mostly tank matured. Light gold colour and flowery aromatics. Citrus, peach and herbs. Really like the mix of vibrant freshness and leesy influences. Nice texture and a savoury dry finish. - 20/8/26

Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles Blanc 25 - A blend of Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Viognier. First two the bulk of it. Handpicked and just a few months in a mix of tank and older barrels. Light straw colour and very fresh. Tropical fruit, stonefruit, pear and honeysuckle. Loads of flavour (take your pick) with some texture on the palate and a savoury dry finish. - 21/8/26

Leconfield Cabernet Franc 22 - Remember first drinking their Cab Franc 30 yrs ago. Got its own style I guess. Comes off a 1ha block on terra rossa planted in 1982. Aged for 15 months in French and American oak. A bit softer than the Cab Sav, but similarities too. Red-purple colour and fragrant. Violets, blue and dark fruits, cherry, subtle oak and dried herbs. Also showing that distinctive leafy/earthy character with moderate tannins. - 22/8/26

Leconfield Merlot 22 - Comes off vines planted mostly from 1982 to 1999. The terra rossa and mix of clones now as well as winemaking will have an influence on this wine. Matured for 18 months in French oak. Full-bodied and 14.5% a/v. Often a richer and more structured Merlot than others. A lush red-purple colour. Mulberry, plums, earth, herbs and mocha oak. Robust with deep fruit intensity and smooth, dusty tannins. - 23/8/26

Campbells Bobbie Burns Shiraz 19 - This is the 50th Anniversary vintage of the Bobbie Burns. Got a mix of French and American oak. A slow burner and 10+ yrs in the cellar is probably the go. A deep red-purple colour and a little peppery. Red cherry, blackberry, aniseed, earth and spice. The oak is still settling in, and it feels wound up rather than expressive. Good intensity of fruit and some obvious tannin. - 24/8/26

Pfeiffer Merlot 23 - Yields down a lot this vintage after the flooding event and cooler weather. A blend of fruit from Rutherglen and Great Western. Got 12 months in French oak. A firmer and heavier wine than usual, with 14.8% a/v. Feels more extracted rather than smooth and plush on the palate. Good colour. Plums, mulberry, red currants, earth, some cedar and noticeable tannin. - 25/8/26

Warrabilla Reserve Durif 24 - Open fermenter and matured for 12 months in mostly American oak puncheons. Deeply coloured and full-bodied with 15.5% a/v. Noticed that a bit more after a glass or two. Feels fresh and robust on the palate however. Dark berries, cherry, spice, aniseed and sweet oak. Long finish of fruit and powdery tannin. - 27/8/26

Stonier Windmill Vineyard Pinot Noir 23 - Got this at the cellar door last year. All MV6 clone on red volcanic soil. Guessing some whole bunch and new French oak. A light red colour and fragrant. Red fruits, cherry, rhubarb, herbs and earth. Feels fine boned with fresh, vibrant acidity and brambly tannins. Should fill out more with a bit of age on it. - 28/8/26

d’Arenberg The Moon Surfer Fiano 25 - Gotta love the imaginative name and the wine is OK too. Gently basket-pressed and tank fermented for a fruit driven style. Straw colour and aromatic. Peach, melon, stonefruit, honeysuckle and subtle spice. Some mid-palate depth of fruit and a moderately dry finish. - 29/8/26

Stanton & Killeen Fortitude Reserve Durif 22 - A long way from the big tannic durifs I used to drink. A fresher, balanced style these days with moderate oak influence. Deep red-purple colour and perfumed. Dark berries, blood plums, cherry, herbs and oak spice. Lush mid-palate and silky smooth texture with a nice mix of fruit and powdery tannins. - 30/8/26

[JamieAdelaide]

2004 Wendouree Vintage ( can’t find the old post with grouped Wendouree notes )

Exclusively I drank 2004 Wendouree reds this week. All excellent wines and I hope everyone fairly allocated the 2024 vintage.

2004 Wendouree wines are just starting to uncoil into a long drinking window with further upside in development. At the moment, with all wines spending a few hours in the decanter, complexity sits in the edges of a powerful core of fruit. The straight Shiraz has evolved the fastest.

Once again I’ve found a preference for the Shiraz blends. There’s a little bit more going on at times and in 2004 they are in fine form!

2004 Wendouree Shiraz Malbec- I opened two bottles this week. The first was more developed as the cork hadn’t sealed as well as following 2004’s. Masses of fruit density still-just with more truffle and earth like notes in the edges.

The more representative bottle has a full two hours in a decanter and its aromatic concentration was quite something. Many shades of dark fruits, iodine, truffle and black tea. The Malbec delivers fruit mass and a plumpness of palate. The wine rounds out perfectly and overall, the line and length is even with a gentle gobsmacking wall of fruit tannin completing.

2004 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro- The blends are on song in 2004. As with the Shiraz Malbec the even sheen of the wine is complete. Runs a similar line and length as the Shiraz Malbec though there’s an earthy polish with fruit clarity at this stage rather than complexity.

I could drink this all week. A powerful wine though in no ways overwhelming. It captures the blend with high grade Shiraz dark fruits and spice and the echoing earthy Mataro. Halliday’s fist in a velvet glove comment, comes to mind.

2004 Wendouree Shiraz- Seems to be the wine open for business in 2004. Delightful blackberry flavours and malty oak. Doesn’t have that ferrous minerality and 2-Iron drive of the best Shiraz vintages. But it has the length and is a well defined and relatively easygoing Shiraz for Wendouree.

2004 Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon - Wow the 2002 recently was like a chicken dance and this a commanding though idiosyncratic Cabernet I was thoroughly mesmerised with! Power, structure and density. Tobacco and friends on the edges in early phase complexity and finishes long with saline-like or blood tannins.

Poetic wine writers would have a field day with descriptors for the 2004 Cabernet. Needs Beef Wellington to tame! I booked into Penny Blue this week in Adelaide who make a great Beef Wellington. Was going to BYO a great Bordeaux from my cellar but now I’ll take a Wendouree Cabernet.

2004 Wendouree Cabernet Malbec- This needs another decade! Crazy stuff. Reminds me of those Bordeaux vintages of old that are just unyielding and outlive their cellar master. I just didn’t get enough of a handle on the wine to give a decent report. Just after the Cabernet so much more expressive in this stage of Wendouree youth . It did uncoil a touch.

[phillisc]

Thanks for the notes!!
It was the 02 vintage where I first purchased a few bottles of each of the wines. Prior to that it was just the Shiraz, Cabernet and Pressings. I'm glad based on your drinking windows that I've picked up a full allocation ever since.
Cheers Craig

[Chuck]

I recall a couple of the Pressings that were just sensational but needed time. Last bottle was over 20 years old (1985 I think) and it was still just a pup. Huge sediment too.

[JamieAdelaide]

Yattarna 2006 - really nice drink up !

Fennochio Barolo Bussia 2015- 3 hours in a decanter and perfecto! Super good.

Bartolo Mascarello 1997- Soft and long ride. Cerebral Barolo with decay setting in on the edges in complimentary fashion.

Who’s going the footy? Carn those Bulldogs.

[Matt@5453]

2004 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro- The blends are on song in 2004. As with the Shiraz Malbec the even sheen of the wine is complete. Runs a similar line and length as the Shiraz Malbec though there’s an earthy polish with fruit clarity at this stage rather than complexity.

I could drink this all week. A powerful wine though in no ways overwhelming. It captures the blend with high grade Shiraz dark fruits and spice and the echoing earthy Mataro. Halliday’s fist in a velvet glove comment, comes to mind.

The Shiraz Mataro is becoming my preferred wine from the Wendouree range. Echoing your thoughts of the high grade shiraz and earthy tones of the Mataro.

I opened at 2024 last weekend; drank from Friday - Sunday in a big Riedel glass. To sum it up, it is a stunning wine now in a medium bodied/weight style, with loads of potential.

[JamieAdelaide]

Oooh I must be brave and break my habit of only friends drinking mature Wendouree, trying a young Shiraz blend .

Crazy stuff for Aussie wine that’s how I’d drink young Barolo- big glass and many nights of enjoyment.

[Sean]

Ten Minutes By Tractor Up The Hill Estate Pinot Noir 23 - Sourced from their Main Ridge vineyards. Wild yeast and aged in a mix of different sized French oak barrels. Feels a little oaky actually. Ruby coloured and fragrant. Both elegant and densely fruited. Rose petal, dark cherry, raspberry, spice and cedary oak. Got a subtle minerally texture with acidity to burn and fine tannins. - 3/9/26

Kooyong Ferrous Single Block Pinot Noir 23 - Wild yeast, some whole bunch, fermented in concrete and matured for 12 months in French oak. Ruby coloured and florals. Dark cherry, pomegranate, earth and spice. Also a very distinctive minerally feel to it. Suggestive I know, but you taste the ironstone in this wine. Nicely balanced and medium-bodied with svelte tannins. - 4/9/26

Coulter Wines White Field Blend 23 - A blend of Vermentino, Verdicchio Blanco and Inzolia. Sourced from the Farquhar vineyard in the Barossa, just one row of each picked together. The fruit is handpicked and crushed the same day. Some colour in this. Lemon zest, green apple, pear and almond. Nice subtle phenolics. Fresh vibrant acidity on the palate with a dry finish. - 5/9/26

Wild Duck Creek Estate Yellow Hammer Hill 22 - Got this from my local bottleshop. Last one I had was back in Feb and they only have a few bottles left. Really enjoying this over a couple of nights. Grab another one or two? Maybe. A blend of Shiraz, Malbec and Cabernet with 20 months maturation in various oak or cement vessels. Yes this is over 15% a/v. Smooth and loads of rich dark fruits, cherry, herbs and spice. Lush and long. - 6/9/26

[phillisc]

Thanks for the note on the WDC YHH, have the last 8 or so vintages... absolute bargain and a wonderful wine.

2017 Mt Pleasant Philip Shiraz HV. Only brought these due to the winery doing a deal, $100/dozen, but should have known better. The late 90s and 2012-14 vintages of this were cracking quaffers, this less so. Nice savoury earthy leathery nose, palate soft, but quickly dies with slightly harsh tannins. Seems 2017 continues its status of a dog of a vintage.

2014 Petaluma B&V Shiraz. Adelaide Hills. Comes in at 15% alcohol but not overly noticeable. Bright colour, red currants, lovely peppery palate, medium weight, plush, rich and very good. Apparently this vineyard has been sold and vines ripped out.
Cheers Craig