Category Archives: Tasting Notes

Notes on wines I have tasted

June 21, 2013 · 7:42 pm

Trembath & Taylor New Arrivals Tasting – 19/06/2013

Toscolo Vernaccia 2012
Lovely bright floral notes. Tight crisp a little green but fresh acids.

Marcarini Roero Arneis 2012
Bold full of fruit and juby, but still crisp fresh and light, with some nice carry on the palate.

Pieropan Soave 2012
Precise mineralic pure focused and very crisp. Light clean yet not without personality.

Villa Matilde Fiano di Avellino 2011
Beautiful shellfish expressive fruits. Pure and tight yet intense, a touch warm and generous but linear.

A.Mano Rosato 2012
Very floral rosy pomegranate musk. A little too light and without body and character.

Giovanna Tantini Bardolino 2011
Bright intense juicy plum and hints of clove. Soft mellow yet fresh and friendly. Sweet core of fruit lingers.

Hauner Salina Rosso 2011
Quite shy and subtle. Very savoury textural but enough flesh to fill the mouth and soften. Tough to assess without food.

Damiano Ciolli Silene Olevano Romano Cesanese 2011
A touch different, quite rustic stinky. Surprisingly dense and full, quite tannic and bold in dark fruit. Almost aggressive on the front.

Collemassari Rigoleto Montecucco 2011
Bold earthy rustic slightly oaky notes. Not as heavy and full as you’d expect, expressive but still light and fresh.

Poderi Colla Nebbiolo D’Alba 2010
Super tight and intense, will take a whole to open up.

Contorno Fantino Barbera D’Alba Vignota 2011
Earthy generous atypical of the variety. A little simple, product of the vintage.

Carnasciale Toscana IGT 2010
Spicy and peppery of all things. Broad generous and forward but earthy red fruits.

Pieropan Amarone 2009
Spicy and dark plum fruits. Bold intense builds in the palate, good whack on the back palate. Classic vintage expression.

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June 21, 2013 · 7:12 pm

Euan McKay New Arrivals tasting – 19/06/2013

J. Lassalle Brut Rosé Premier Cru
Bold brisk textured generous but balanced focused and fresh. Nice delicate berry components.

Domaine Thomas Sancerre 2011
Bright fruity musky nose. Clean pure fresh safe sancerre.

Billaud-Simon Chablis 2011
Very shy flinty brisk citrus, subdued. A bit dirty but certainly has personality. Worth looking at a different vintage.

Michelot White Burgundy 2009
Classic aromatics, fresh clean and slightly fruit sweet, focused and persistent. Nice savoury texture.

Max Ferdinand Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett 2009
Open and clean, classic example of the vintage.

Max Ferdinand Richter Auslese 2007
Tight clean fresh vibrant exquisitely balanced minerality and sweetness.

Thierry Violot-Guillemard Red Burgundy 2010
Nice clean precise cherry nose, delicate. Fresh balanced long and pleasant.

Tollot-Beaut & Fils Chorey-Les-Beaune 2010
Some earthy burnt elements, a touch dirty. Old-school style, very savoury and grainy textural, good acidity. Little fruit.

Domaine de l’Ameillaud Cairanne 2010
Spicy crushed clove. Hmmm tight and a touch volatile. Not really.

Domaine de la Mordoree Lirac 2009
Nice intense sweet dark plum notes, just a hint of spice. Full juicy building texture spice and acidity. Very fresh yet broad appeal. Warmish.

Domaine Raspail-Ay Gigondas 2010
Very tight intense acidity. Exceedingly fresh and linear.

Domaine Richards Muscat de Beaumes des Venise 2011
Wonderful.

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June 16, 2013 · 2:46 pm

Red + White Imports – 21/05/2013

Bianca Vigna Prosecco DOC
Nice crisp clean citrus apple, classic prosecco. Fresh bold fruit and warm mouthfeel. Super pleasant.

Louis Roederer Brut Premier
Creamy buttery autolysis, a little fat and rich bit still fresh and clean. Minimal complexity, certainly vibrant.

Louis Roederer Rosé 2007
Crisp bright citrus red grapefruit blood orange. Long and precise. A little mushroomy pinot on the nose.

Louis Roederer Cristal 2005
Quite wild and complex, nutty mushroom leesy Camembert. Extraordinarily delicate, fine and elegant, long and ethereal creaminess. A cut above the 2004.

Peramor Verdejo Rueda 2011
Quite subtle aromatically, thin and watery. Not giving much at all.

Monte Tondo Soave Classico 2012
Disappointing, suffers same problem as Verdejo.

Louis Jadot Macon Village White 2011
Subtle to say the least, fresh and clean but lacking much personality.

Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt RK Riesling Trocken 2011
Slightly spicy quince notes, clean and fresh but good level of mineral green notes.

Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Riesling Kaseler 2011
Showing a little more concentration, density but still clean precise and fairly straightforward.

Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Riesling Wiltinger 2011
Bolder still, lifting but still an easy vintage.

Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Josephshofer 2011
More RS texture and weight, great precision and length, some botrytis notes.

Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Piesporter Goltropchen Riesling Spatlese 2011
Dense creamy lanolin texture, balanced yet rich and subtle sweetness.

El Bos Tinta de Toro 2011
Spicy Black Forest plum notes, bright fresh but a little fruit and oak sweet.

Monte Tondo Valpolicella 2011
Lavender potpourri, herbal lemon tea. A little tight and weedy, lacking depth and plumpness for the tannin structure.

Mazzei Badiola IGT 2011
Focused tight balanced fresh yet bold. Is what it says.

Vietti Barbera d’Asti Tre Vigne 2010
Spicy nutmeg, black cherry red plum. Bright fresh approachable but focused.

Vietti Barbera d’Alba Vigna Scarrone 2010
Tighter leaner on the nose, density and focus. Fuller yet softer, more and longer tannins.

Louis Jadot Cote de Nuits Villages Le Vaucrain 2009
Safe. A tad hot. Serviceable.

Louis Jadot Chambolle-Musigny 2009
More depth and precision, more character and intensity. Delivers.

Pure Garrigue Cotes-du-Rhone Red 2011
Dense dark red fruits, very limited amounts of spice.

Domaine de la Renjarde Massif d’Uchaux 2010
Soft dense yet fresh and focused.

Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2009
Totally against the grain for the appellation and vintage. Light fresh and vibrant rather than full soft and dark.

Chateau de Pez 2008
Serviceable but uninteresting.

Mazzei Mix 36 2008
Very international oak maceration nose. Very tight and focused but not full heavy or overworked. Focused fine yet intense tannins. Needs a lot more time for oak to blow off.

Red + White Imports

Red + White Imports

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June 16, 2013 · 2:34 pm

Stoney Rise – 12/06/2013

Holyman Chardonnay 2012
Clean classic varietal citrus/peach, some lees barrel notes. Nice savoury creamy front, pure lines with depth, textured elements.

Stoney Rise Pinot noir 2012
Very bright fresh fleshy red berry fruits. Tight pure fresh clean crisp acids, tight light tannins, a bit of friendly extension.

Holyman Pinot Noir 2011
Tighter leaner more subdued, slightly earthy darker red fruits. A bit meatier, softer fuller more mellow, deeper extension.

Holyman Project X Pinot Noir 2010
Denser tighter more robust tannin structure, savoury earthy green whole bunch influence. Needs much time.

2010HolymanProjectX

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May 18, 2013 · 11:50 am

Shobbrook – 13/05/2013

Tommy Ruff Shiraz Mourvèdre 2011
Bright spicy fresh. Intense vibrant friendly yet interesting, great personality.

Syrah 2012
Pretty floral violets, tight fresh linear and long, amazing finesse for the variety.

Sangiovese 201
Intense pomegranate jam. A touch hot for the variety, a tad stripped.

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May 18, 2013 · 11:44 am

The Wanderer – 13/05/2013

Chenin Blanc 2012
Finesse and elegance, restraint and florals. Clean light fresh, not overly sweet but long.

Rosé 2011
Lovely savoury style. Plenty of personality and excitement, food friendly balanced and long.

Lower Yarra Pinot Noir 2011
Light style characteristic of the vintage, nice savoury fungal game aromas. Vibrant but fresh and intense, tight lean and long.

Upper Yarra Pinot noir 2011
A bit leaner and quieter, but bolder and more intense on the palate. Still very fresh but more contained and potential to be explosive.

Shiraz 2011
Wilder herbal pepper notes, a touch green spice. A little too raw and wild, too much whole bunch, overwhelms fruit.

Carinyena Catalunya 2010
Dense and reflective of variety and region.

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May 18, 2013 · 11:39 am

Ravensworth – 13/05/2013

Chardonnay 2012
Tight lean citrus, excellent purity, possibly lacking a bit of depth and weight. Nice balance though.

Marsanne 2010
Nice depth and concentration, somewhat ethereal, showing that lovely musk character.

Marsanne Roussanne 2011
Intense bold floral fruit nose. Fine delicate balanced and savoury. Restrained and very long.

Sangiovese 2012
Quite spicy savoury, very light and fresh but surprisingly explosive in vibrancy.

Shiraz Viognier 2012
Extremely intense violets and spice. Fresh intense clean and pure, long and approachable but with character.

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May 18, 2013 · 11:37 am

Punch – 13/05/2013

Gippsland Chardonnay 2010
Subtle and elegant, citrus pith. Intense lean straight elegant finesse and length. My kind of chardonnay.

Quartz Reef Pinot Noir 2010
Bright juicy floral pretty red fruit nose. Very intense and a little hot. Too concentrated.

Bannockburn Syrah 2010
Tight but very vibrant lifted aromas, juicy purple fruits but nice green spice and pepper. Bright juicy fresh yet fine and balanced in the palate.

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May 18, 2013 · 11:35 am

Jamsheed – 13/05/2013

Roussanne Beechworth 2012
Lovely floral quince brightness. Bold textural sweet depth. Very concentrated and generous.

Riesling Great Western 2012
Dense concentrated rich round, not your average riesling.

Healesville Syrah 2011
Lovely smoky ochre toasty. Wild spicy meaty character.

Garden Gully Syrah 2011
Insanely dark deep and intense, interesting celery character on the back.

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May 18, 2013 · 11:32 am

Pyramid Valley – 13/05/2013

Body Electric Sparkling Riesling 2010
Steely crisp and bright. Quite vibrant and fresh, a little maderised if that’s possible. A little bead, more frizzante.

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Nice green herbal asparagus green beans. Very green herbaceous profile, tight and great though.

Cowley Pinot Noir 2010
Intense red purple fruits, full and a touch over extracted, under fruited. Thin.

Howell Cabernet Franc 2010
Savoury olive green spice earthiness. Juicy intense but again on the green and thin side.

Angel Flower Pinot Noir 2010
Floral fine and restrained. Juicy and intense but lifted, on the hot side and a touch too astringent.

Earth Smoke Pinot Noir 2010
More intense brooding masculine nose. Juicier and bolder but long and fine. Still too early, a little bit weedy.

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