Hello, Feastlings,
While our Last Sunday of the month customarily falls on the Last Sunday of the Month, this year we’ve made an exception. Aware as we are that many of you might have plans on the 25th of December, we moved this month’s Last Sunday tasting to the penultimate Sunday. The tasting, then, begins at 3:30 on Sunday the 18th. Its price is a mere $30 plus tax and tip and might just afford you the opportunity to taste something that would make an excellent Christmas gift for that person you haven’t gotten around to just yet. Our friend Kerry Chilcote of Quail Distributing leads us in a tasting of Aussie wines that range from lush and sparkling through austere dry Riesling to opulent reds. As usual, reservations made by web or email won’t hold you a place at the tasting, so if you’d like to join us, you’ll want to give us a ring at 326-9363. We hope you can join us.
Wines from Down Under
N.V. Jansz Premium Cuvée, Tasmania $23.00
To maximize blending options and complexity in the final wine, batches are kept separate during winemaking. Secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle and is aged on yeast lees for as long as possible. The perfect balance for the Premium Cuvée is reached at just over two years. Honeysuckle and citrus scents are immediately apparent with slight aromas of nougat, roasted nuts and a hint of strawberry from the Pinot Noir. A well-balanced palate of delicate fruits and creaminess fills the mouth with a lingering finish of citrus and nougat.
2015 Pewsey Vale Dry Riesling, Eden Valley $17.00
Pewsey Vale Vineyard Riesling 2015 is a classic example of dry Eden Valley Riesling, showing the flavours we see so consistently each year from this wonderful single vineyard. This wine shows intense aromas of talcum and lemon lime fruit, with a fine floral perfume overlaying dried herb. The palate shows great length and depth with limes, white flowers and fresh rosemary. The wine finishes with a fresh natural acidity, which balances the flavor intensity, and a minerality that will reward medium to long-term cellaring.
2012 Langmeil “Hangin’ Snakes” Shiraz/Viognier, Barossa $18.00
Langmeil is one of the Barossa’s great modern success stories, although its recent achievements are built on ancient roots. The first vines were planted on the estate in 1843 by a German settler, Christian Auricht, and a winery was in operation here from 1932 to 1988. The property was bought in 1996 by the local Lindner and Bitter families, and they set about meticulously restoring both its buildings and its reputation. Amazingly, the 1843 vines are still alive and producing; they are believed to be the oldest Shiraz vines in the world. A full-bodied wine with a lightness of touch, the Hangin’ Snakes shows the typical plum and mulberry fruit of Shiraz lifted by the delicate apricot and floral notes of Viognier. The palate is rich and spicy but still retains a seam of elegance and a long, poised finish.
2013 Yalumba “The Strapper” GSM, Barossa Valley $18.00
The Strapper in thoroughbred parlance is the reliable and trustworthy member of the team – not generally in the limelight. The Strapper, Barossa Valley GSM is not the showy type, rather the wine that the winemakers drink, when they’re not having a Riesling or an ale. Authentic Barossa Shiraz is sandwiched between the understated fragrant perfume of Grenache and the earthy, rustic tannins of Mataro – a well-bred, strapping and savory wine. Deep garnet in color, this is a wine of many layers. It shows licorice, blackberry and plum, supported by notes of sandalwood and white pepper. A robust palate, full of chocolate and juicy Satsuma plum with a gravelly tannin finish.
2010 Yalumba “The Cigar” Cabernet Sauvignon, ‘the Menzies’ Vineyard, Coonawarra $28.00
Yalumba Coonawarra Estate ‘The Menzies’ vineyard is in the heart of the Coonawarra terra rossa country. ‘The Cigar’ is Yalumba’s newest wine released from ‘The Menzies’ vineyard. This wine is named after the unique Cigar-shaped strip of rich red terra rossa soil. Yalumba The Cigar 2010 is deep crimson red in color with purple highlights. The nose is classic Cabernet Sauvignon showing cedar notes, hints of clove and briar, dark berry compote predominately cassis and blackcurrant. The first impression of the wine on the palate is that it is medium bodied, but it quickly builds to give a more substantial impression. The palate shows bright red fruits
and includes rosehip and cassis, which lingers with a textured tannin finish.
2009 Mitolo “G.A.M.” Shiraz, McLaren Vale $56.00
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2009 G.A.M. Shiraz gives notes of blackberry preserves, warm black plums and creme de cassis over olives, underbrush, Ceylon tea and mace, plus a hint of dark chocolate. Full bodied and richly fruited in the mouth, it has a medium level of finely grained tannins, lively acid and a long finish. Drink it now to 2019