TN: Orlando Latest Releases

[n4sir]

2003 Orlando Trilogy Semillon Sauvignon Blanc Viognier Pale Yellow colour. The Viognier is very noticeable at first on the nose, contributing that unique touch of apricot to the citrus notes. This is also the case on the palate, although with breathing the lemony Semillon ends up the being dominant facet. Not a bad white quaffer, but it isn’t the bargain it used to be.

2003 Richmond Grove Watervale Riesling Extremely pale straw yellow colour. At first whiff the wine seemed to be unusually meaty and flinty, which was also the case on the palate. Realising I had this immediately after the blend with Viognier, I rinsed my glass out with water and asked for a refill. The replacement was far more predictable, with a very closed nose at first opening up to some delicate blossom, pithy lemon and mineral characters, and a palate dominated again by lemon flavours. I think they had these first two wines in the wrong order.

2002 Orlando St Hillary Chardonnay Pale yellow colour. The wine like all the whites was served extremely cold, and the slightly reserved nose was dominated by nutty French oak. At first the mid-weight palate was dominated by citrus/grapefruit characters and a fine acid cut providing a classy result, but with air and warmth that nutty oak began to intrude here also. I’d class it as an average Aussie Chardonnay.

2001 Richmond Grove Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Deep red/purple colour. The nose is dominated by tar and oak, with some bare hints of green lost in this arcane mess. The palate is worse, with tarry/sickly sweet vanilla oak, and corse, chalky tannins with absolutely no fruit to fill it out. This is the worst Cabernet I’ve tried in years, and that’s quite a statement after some of the disasters I’ve sampled the last few months.

2001 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz Deep red colour. Again the nose is slightly tarry, but there’s blackberry fruit, and hints of chocolate and mint this time. Like the nose the fruit matches the oak in the palate; the structure is very much medium weight, slightly hot for 14%, and there’s not an awful amount of length, but it’s an adequate sub $15 wine to match a Schnitzel at the local pub.

2001 Richmond Grove Barossa Shiraz Deep red/purple. A far more appealing nose on this wine, with chocolate, mint and blackberry making a what seems like an almost clean sensation compared to the previous two wines. The palate like the nose is more elegant than the preceding wine; it’s still mid weight and slightly hot, and finishes clean with a hint of dark chocolate. For me it’s worth the extra three bucks, and would go well with a pepper steak.

1998 Orlando Jacaranda Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Dark, inky crimson red. The bouquet is on another level compared to all these wines, a magnificently textured and complex masterpiece; there’s many layers of fruit and oak that constantly lift to reveal espresso, chocolate, peaty earth, tar, chalk, dried herbs, red berries and spices. The palate is more condensed in comparison, with earthy blackcurrant/blackberry fruit, and a big, powdery tannin structure that slowly builds in the mouth, leaving a sweet cassis and licorice finish. Easily the wine of the tasting, and a classic that will reward with 10+ years in a good cellar – wait for it!

1999 Orlando Lawsons Shiraz: Bright, clear, glowing purple colour. I first tried this last week at the forum tasting panel, and it was interesting to see how it fared tonight after the JR. The nose this time was dominated by the coffee oak and formic acid (VA), with bare hints of the minty chocolate and menthol fruit in the background. Again the VA was far more obvious on the palate this time, and I suspect there’s not enough fruit impact to prevent it getting out of balance in the distant future. From both tastings, I’m thinking this is a more medium term Lawsons to drink in the next 5-7 years.

2002 (?) Gramps Botrytis: Medium yellow colour. Despite being excessively chilled, this had a very big nose, with dried apricots and a touch of dried herbs and kerosene. The palate was just as impressive, again with those rich, dried apricot flavours developing complex nuances as the wine warmed up in the mouth. It’s not the biggest sticky on the market, but its complexity and keen pricing make it very attractive.


Cheers,
Ian