Stanton and Killeen Rutherglen Topaque NV Rutherglen Australia

Stanton and Killeen Rutherglen Topaque NV Rutherglen Australia is a sweet fortified wine made from 100% Muscadelle grapes from Rutherglen in Victoria, Australia.
It is rich, luscious and sticky - yummy!Ooh and it is not sickly..... no fear there.

It is a deep, rich golde garnet and green tints, has aromas of baked nectarine, tangerine all fresh but with a marmalade edge and all mixed up with dried fruit and honey. Tasting it again the citric tangerine comes through, toffee and biscuit also show themselves, the acidity is fresh and the alcohol high - but fits with the style of the wine and feels balanced. A long length and finishing with honeyed oranges - a delight!
I would probably have this with a baked fruit pudding or a fruit tart - or just on its own after a long hard day, cool from the fridge, the perfect unwinder!
You can buy this from Corking Wines at a cost of £11.90.
Score : 90

Radcliffes Regional Classics Barolo DOCG 2002

Radcliffes Regional Classics Barolo DOCG 2002
We having some Rare-Breed Sausages last night that I bought at the local Farmers market ( tasted them and then could not resist), and I wanted to have something quite high in acidity that would cut through the fat and something that had a bit of a woody edge..... so I chose a Barolo that was on the rack in the cellar - and was a  pressie from somebody a few years ago and needed to be drunk.

 

 

We opened it and let it stand for about an hour before we decanted it ( very little sediment) and then we let it stand for another 45 minutes to breath ( though we did have a little sample..... just to make sure all was well, in the interest of ..well ..... us actually).
The wine had a definite medium depth, garnet colour, core with narrow rim, the legs that formed on the glass sides when swirled were slow and pale.
On popping our nose into the glass - cedar, smoke, tea, herbs, spice and generally perfumed, I would say a touch of Earl Grey Tea and there were faded red fruit notes, this wine has gone over the hill I feel, the fruit has faded and wood / tertiry notes have taken over.....but still beautiful and elegant.
On tasting it the first flavours noted were tea / herbs and near the bottom of the list was red fruits - faded but still present. Other notes were that the cedar and spice were overpowering, then rose, herbs and leather all played a part in this wines character. The tannins still obvious and chalky and green tasting, the acidity was fresh and the alcohol in balance, the length was very long with a cedar / cinnamon bark edge and a tea soaked, sharp sour cherry end.
Overall we really enjoyed the wine - despite the fading fruits, the tertiary notes really suited the wine and it went so well with our sausages, which were what I would call ' old fashioned Pork with a good mix of herbs', how good sausages are meant to taste, and they had texture was not smooth or homogenous - so a success!
Final thoughts on the wine - this was not an a-typical Barolo, the year 2002, was a difficult one with a 30 minute hail storm ruining many producers chances of a good crop of grapes, and this followed a wet summer, some producers were lucky and had good vintages, but I feel this wine was not the best example, and also should have been drunk a couple of years ago.

Radcliffe’s wines are owned and distributed by Thierry’s Wine Services, they pick 'the best' and have it bottled under their own lable to sell. The cost was probably around the £20 mark when purchased.

Blind Tasting Results from yesterdays Post

First I should note where my thoughts lay after the tasting - what hints about the wine told me what - right or wrong!!

• The viscous / oily texture - this was either a wine where there had been skin contact in the making or a grape that has that texture ( Semillon in the white varieties ).
• The Kerosene aroma - aged Riesling often has this aroma - esp from Eden and Clare valleys.
• The low alcohol, I felt the level lay in the range 10-11%abv, this could be Alsace - but often higher alcohol, Germany, often at this level the wine is sweeter, Australia cool regions, Clare, Eden, Hunter, Tasmania.
• Flavours and aromas - cool region apple-citric not meon - tropical fruit. And grapes Riesling/Semillon/ Chardonnay/ Albarino/Chenin Blanc could all be in the pick.
• Colour - in day light there was a darker lemon with a touch of straw - this points away from Riesling.
• High acidity points towards cool region and away from such grapes as Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Roussanne, Marsanne.

I came up with a choice of 2 - Riesling from the Eden/Clare Valley due to the lime aromas and Kerosene, and 5+ years old...... or Semillon from the Hunter Valley picked early to retain acidity and fresh fruits, again 5+ years old - and I could not decide between the two.


The Answer
It was a Denmans, Tesco Finest Hunter Valley Semillon from 2006 - bought at a special offer price of £4.49, reduced from £5.99 - a stunning bargain!! Thanks for choosing it Peter - and I think I will just go and have another glass!

Blind Tasting no.1

My husband has been down to the cellar to pick a mystery wine for me to Taste Blind.
I will have bought it, but there are probably 1000+ wines down there - so alot to choose from! His choice so it will be something he wants to drink........ ( He is actually on a lovely glass of Coonawarra Cab Sauv 2006 at the mo...... so a plan for tomorrow with our Tomatoe Tarte Tatin at lunch I think).

He poured me a small amount into a tasting glass and this is what it looked like.

 

 

How I saw this wine

Pale lemon core with a watery white rim, it was clear and bright with no sediment or bubbles. On swirling it there was a viscous texture too it and it coated the glass. Legs not apparent.

 

Aroma Character

Clean and fresh with a fruit driven start, apple, white stone fruit, lime and a definite peapod tinge. Minerality ( stoney / slatey) played heavily in the spectrum and then there was a floral cast, white flowers, herbs also figure. At the end I was aware of a kerosene aroma, this indicates some maturity in this wine.

 

On the Palate

The wine was dry with a little residual sugar, with flavours of white stone fruit, apple, lime, stoney minerality, all rounded and complete,  with  a  texture that was silky and mouth coating, the flavours grow in the mouth, this shows class and elegance. Great zesty acidity, low alcohol and medium body define this wine. It feels balanced and edgy, fresh on the palate with a bone dry finish.

Long, long length with a apple / apricot finish enrobed with stoney slate and the finish is dry!

 

My overall impression

A well made wine from a cool climate ( the fresh acidity, low alcohol and dry finish), good vineyard ( minerality) and a wine with some age 5+ years ( kerosene).

Worth noting : Acidity, Kerosene, Glass coating viscosity, low alcohol, colour, aromas of apple/white stone fruit and lime and the florality/herbal edge..

 

So I will leave you to ponder, any suggestions welcome, he is keeping it under wraps until tomorrow afternoon, I will post when I know - I will say it went well with our dinner, chicken breast stuffed with spinach and wrapped with proscuito and fennel baked carrots on the side..... That was after mushrooms with blue cheese / spinach topping.

 



De Bortoli Black Noble NV Riverina Australia

De Bortoli Black Noble is a Non-vintage wine from Riverina in New South Wales in Australia, it is a lovely deep brown colour that is reminiscent of syrup of figs ( nicely), it has aromas of honey, prunes and some tea and spice mixed in - and I can't wait to try it. On the palate it is rich, silky, lusciously sweet, prunes and figs, espresso coffee, toffee and marmalde all come to mind, layered and complex, but kept fresh by the acidity which balances those sweet notes. The finish is very long and tangy and dry at the end. This wine has made from the Semillon grape which has seen Botrytis Cinera and fermentation has been stopped early by fortifying it, the Solera sytem of maturation is used, 8 years being the average time. 30% new oak is used in the maturation the rest going into barrels previously used for Noble One's maturation. This wine is redolent of Madeira and would suit similar foods, some puddings, but paired with cheese it could be a marriage made in heaven. Yummy - the main word that comes to mind!

It is available at £15.95 from Four Walls Wine Company for a half bottle, but it is rich, luscious, unctious...... lovely to come home to in the fridge after a hard day.
Score : 93

Botrytis Cinerea is a fungus that can infect grapes in the correct conditions, good rot is called Noble rot - the desired one ( the bad one - grey rot results in wiping out the harvest), there are areas in the world that this can happen naturally and one of these is the area around Sauternes and Barsac in Bordeaux left bank.The aszu wines of Tokaji wines are also produced having been affected by Botrytis Cinerea. It needs a temperate climate and ideally early morning mists ( off cool water) and sun later in the day so the grapes are kept dry in those autumn afternoons. Not all grapes will be affected, and some may take longer to mature which is why several pickings - called Tries- are needed to get all the grapes at thier ideal condition.
The fungus affects the skins and feeds off sugars in the grape itself, but also uses about 50% of its water contained in the grape, so overall the grapes sugar concentration increases! Additionally acids are also consumed ( 5/6ths of the Tartaric acid in the grape is consumed). By products that are produced include glycerine ( the chemical which makes the wine feel viscous), acetic acidand a selection of enzymes. Phenolics of from the skins are also consumed so reducing the tannic structure.
Due to the reduction in water content of the grape the juice produced from Noble Rot infected grapes is low - often in the range of 15 hl/ha.

De Bortoli - how they started.
De Bortoli Wines is a third generation family wine company established by Vittorio and Giuseppina De Bortoli in 1928. The couple emigrated to Australia from Northern Italy, from mountain villages at the foothills of the Italian Alps, near the historic town of Asolo.

Their son, Deen De Bortoli, (b 1936 – d 2003) expanded and consolidated the business created by his parents. Deen's children continue De Bortoli's winemaking including icon dessert wine Noble One and the Yarra Valley wines.

De Bortoli Noble One 2008 Riverina Australia

De Bortoli Noble One 2008 from Riverina in New South Wales, Australia, a real 'sweetie', produced in a difficult year, it is complex with the Botrytic notes (see below) controlling the aroma palate. On the nose, honeyed marmalade with pithy lemon thrown into the mix, above all it smells rich and fresh.
On the palate, honeyed and sweet, nearly luscious, with citric notes across the board, a smatter of ginger and marmalade, a really long finish after that fresh zesty start. This is a wine to be savoured, it is complex and inticing, and at 10% abv - one feels that it is not such a sin to indulge. This would be great with some puddings - but adorable with cheese!
The vintage was a difficult one that started well with warm wet weather, but then dry warm conditions took over not to return to the wet conditions that the Botrytis likes until March with the harvest started in April and finished in June - the brave were strong and left the grapes to mature on the vine.


Botrytis Cinerea is a fungus that can infect grapes in the correct conditions, good rot is called Noble rot - the desired one ( the bad one - grey rot results in wiping out the harvest), there are areas in the world that this can happen naturally and one of these is the area around Sauternes and Barsac in Bordeaux left bank.The Aszu wines of Tokaji wines are also produced having been affected by Botrytis Cinerea. It needs a temperate climate and ideally early morning mists ( off cool water) and sun later in the day so the grapes are kept dry in those autumn afternoons. Not all grapes will be affected, and some may take longer to mature which is why several pickings - called 'tries'- are needed to get all the grapes at thier ideal condition.
The fungus affects the skins and feeds off sugars in the grape itself, but also uses about 50% of its water contained in the grape, so overall the grapes sugar concentration increases! Additionally acids are also consumed ( 5/6ths of the Tartaric acid in the grape is consumed). By products that are produced include glycerine ( the chemical which makes the wine feel viscous), acetic acidand a selection of enzymes. Phenolics of from the skins are also consumed so reducing the tannic structure.
Due to the reduction in water content of the grape the juice produced from Noble Rot infected grapes is low - often in the range of 15 hl/ha.
This wine is available from many retailers including Majestic at £20 or Ocado at £16.99 for a half bottle.
Score : 92

De Bortoli - how they started.
De Bortoli Wines is a third generation family wine company established by Vittorio and Giuseppina De Bortoli in 1928. The couple emigrated to Australia from Northern Italy, from mountain villages at the foothills of the Italian Alps, near the historic town of Asolo.

Their son, Deen De Bortoli, (b 1936 – d 2003) expanded and consolidated the business created by his parents. Deen's children continue De Bortoli's winemaking including icon dessert wine Noble One and the Yarra Valley wines.

This wine has been much feted with awards galore.

 

 

 

 

Mitolo Serpico Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 McLaren Vale Australia

Mitolo Serpico Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 from McLaren Vale in South Australia contains 10% Syrah in the blend, with the rest being Cabernet Sauvignon, and was made in the 'Amarone method' from grapes picked at around 12.5% potential alcohol and then semi-dried slowly until 70% of their original weight, finishing at around 15% potential alcohol. They are  then fermented on their skins for 2 weeks.  It is made by  winemaker Ben Glaetzer and Frank Mitolo ( who is Italian hence the Amarone method). The grapes come from a grower in Woolunga and are from a single block  at the southern end of the McLaren Vale which were picked early and so avoided the excessive heat  in 2008.
It was matured for 9 months in 100% new barriques, 90% French and this produces a rich, concentrated complex wine with alot to offer.
It has a deep, deep ruby core and abundant concentrated aromas of black berries, mint, leather,  olive oil and sweet spices - very tempting. On tasting, it is vibrant on the palate, sweet black fruits overlaid with sweet spices, cedar box smokiness and minty olive oil, all this is intertwined with intense dried fruit flavours which are redolent of Christmas and all things spicey . The texture is rich and silky, the structural tannins which enrobe the wine, are ripe, savoury and powerful and add another dimension to its structure. The succulent fruit is concentrated and fresh with a vibrancy that suggests it is only just beginning its journey.
I am sure at this point you can tell - I liked this wine, it was one to sit by a warm fire on a rainy Sunday - or eat with a lovely meal - and you can buy it from Slurp at a price of £29.95 or from Paul Adams Wines at £25, good value for this quality - Enjoy!

Score : 94

McLaren Vale is one of South Australia's oldest and most picturesque regions, nestled between the Mount Lofty Ranges and the white, sandy beaches of the Gulf of St Vincent. It has rolling vineyards, a rugged coastline and a charming collective of villages including Willunga, Clarendon, Kangarilla, Sellicks, Port Willunga, McLaren Flat and the township of McLaren Vale.

 

There is substantial climatic variation throughout McLaren Vale, due to varying exposure to the cooling influence of the nearby ocean. There are also significant changes in altitude as the region merges with the Adelaide Hills to the East and the Fleurieu Peninsula to the South. Summer rainfall is low, and supplementary irrigation is considered essential. Site selection and the marriage of site to variety are all-important; Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay all do very well in the appropriate location and with the wide variety of soils - red-brown sandy loams, grey-brown loamy sands with yellow clay subsoils interspersed with lime, distinctly sandy soils and patches of red or black friable loams are all to be found and again the grape to soil mix is all important.

Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Margaret River Australia

Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 from the gravelly slopes of their Stevens Valley vineyard in Margaret River, Western Australia. This Bordeaux blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot has spent 24 months in oak,  50% new, 50% in 1yr old barrels.

 

This deep ruby wine with a mere hint of garnet has fresh elegant aromas of blackberry cassis, sweet spices, cedar which all follow through to the palate, here there are additional savoury notes all kept fresh by the edgy acidity which also helps to balance the alcohol ( 14%) which feels well integrated. The tannins are fine and silky with a good structure and a savouriness and agin well integrated. Great length with cassis all the way through. This is a well made beautifully matured wine with lots of character and interest and tasted balanced and left me wanting more after each mouthful - the sign of a good wine in my book.
This is a wine that will improve in bottle for 3-5 years and would be lovely with a hearty meal! It is available from Justerini & Brooks at a cost of £29.17 .
Score : 90



Margaret River

Located approximately three hours' drive south of Perth, the region was ‘discovered’ in the early 1970s after various pieces of research from Professor Harold Olmo and Dr John Gladstones identified it as a potentially great grape growing region. The Margaret River area includes the rolling hills of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, extending 90 kilometres north-south between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, and is bounded to the west by the Indian Ocean. Highly regarded as a producer of powerful yet elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, the region has also forged a great reputation for its white wines notably Chardonnay and Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends. However, it is capable of producing all the classic varietal wines.

Margaret River wine region first saw European settlement as late as the 1830’s and has evolved from pioneer ‘outstation’, forestry, dairy, alternative life stylers who enjoyed the unique coast and its surfing, to an area dedicated to the pursuit of great vines and fine wine.

The climate is strongly maritime-influenced, as might be expected in a region surrounded by the ocean on three sides. With a mean annual temperature range of only 7.6°C (45.68°F), it has less than 25% of its annual rain falling between October and April. The low diurnal and seasonal temperature range means an unusually even accumulation of warmth. While spring frosts are very rare and highly localised, the lack of winter dormancy for the vines can cause problems that are unique to this region.

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Margaret River Australia

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 was made by winemaker Paul Atwood and only released recently when ready to drink. This wine from Margaret River has all the pedigree one would expect from this part of the world, deep blackberry aromas marry with a touch of mint blended with sweet spices. On the mouth there is a sort of saltiness which amplifies the black and red fruit flavours mixed up with spice and cedar box smokiness. The blend contains 13% Malbec and this shows in the sweetness of the fruit. The wine has a good acidic backbone with a slightly warming finish which is long and fruity, the overall feel of this wine is lean and fruity, not fat or flaccid, the strength of flavour runs through its heart. The tannins are fine and savoury and well integrated. Great for sitting on a cool Sunday afternoon next to an open fire - the bottle will not last long!
A great wine for food, enjoy with duck, beef and many savoury well seasoned foods. It is available at a cost of £27 from Four Wall Wines.
Score : 90


Margaret River

Located approximately three hours' drive south of Perth, the region was ‘discovered’ in the early 1970s after various pieces of research from Professor Harold Olmo and Dr John Gladstones identified it as a potentially great grape growing region. The Margaret River area includes the rolling hills of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, extending 90 kilometres north-south between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, and is bounded to the west by the Indian Ocean. Highly regarded as a producer of powerful yet elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, the region has also forged a great reputation for its white wines notably Chardonnay and Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends. However, it is capable of producing all the classic varietal wines. The region is a vibrant and popular wine destination for visitors from around the world.

Margaret River wine region first saw European settlement as late as the 1830’s and has evolved from pioneer ‘outstation’, forestry, dairy, alternative life stylers who enjoyed the unique coast and its surfing to an area dedicated to the pursuit of great vines and fine wine.

The climate is strongly maritime-influenced, as might be expected in a region surrounded by the ocean on three sides. With a mean annual temperature range of only 7.6°C (45.68°F), it has less than 25% of its annual rain falling between October and April. The low diurnal and seasonal temperature range means an unusually even accumulation of warmth. While spring frosts are very rare and highly localised, the lack of winter dormancy for the vines can cause problems that are unique to this region.

Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Clare Valley South Australia

Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 from the Polish Hill River sub-region of the Clare Valley  in Southern Australia is made by proprietor/Winemaker Stephanie Toole and she was at the tasting - vibrant lady who maintains the quality of the wines by restricting the output / yield. Her aim is for the wine to speak for itself and tell its own story about the terroir. Stephanie describes her wines as ‘essentially hand made food wines with an emphasis on structure as well as generous fruit flavours’.
All the grapes are 100% estate grown from three separate vineyard sites that have been managed using sustainable natural farming and organic practices totalling nearly 10 hectares in the Clare Valley. The grapes are hand-picked and then fermented in stainless steel fermenters, pumped over five times a day followed by gentle pressing then the wine was matured in barriques for 18 months, of which 35% was new French oak.
Ruby and a hint of garnet at the rim are the colours to describe this wine, the big aromas redolent of blackberries, olive oil and cedar box smokiness, the flavours follow accordingly with additional savoury ripe tannins of a slightly drying nature, and the wine had a silky sumptous texture. Very persistent finish with a warm end, juicy all the way through. This is a stylish elegant Cabernet Sauvignon which has a typical New World character - enrobing and luxurious.
Available from Aitken Wines at a cost of £23 .
Score : 90

The Clare Valley

The Clare Valley is less than a two-hour drive from Adelaide and is considered one of the most picturesque wine regions in South Australia. James Halliday ( Wine Companion ) described the Clare Valley as one of Australia’s most beautiful wine-producing regions where Hills fold in on themselves, streamlets meander and lines of gumtrees are forever twisting through pockets of vineyards and around old stone houses. Sounds stunning!

Situated in the northern Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia’s Clare Valley was settled in the late 1830s, with the first vineyards planted and wines produced in the early 1840s. The same features that make the Clare Valley inherently beautiful are also the foundation of Clare’s famed vineyards. The climate features a warm to hot summer where cool afternoon breezes are the key and play a major role in slowing down the ripening process, but cooling afternoon breezes play a major role in slowing down the ripening process. altitude and position within the Valley, as well as aspect, lead to considerable variations in individual site climate. The climate is moderately Continental, with cool to cold nights and warm to hot summer days. The rainfall is winter-spring dominant, while relatively low humidity (and summer rainfall) means a low incidence of fungal disease. Hence some of Australia's finest Riesling is grown in the Clare Valley, and the region also produces many other wine styles, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.