Tag Archives: Shiraz

Let’s Taste – d’Arenberg 2013 reds

Let’s make this clear, d’Arenberg Wines in McLaren Vale make more than a few products. Here are three of the best known red wines, all with a recommended retail price of $18, all from the 2013 vintage. let me know what you think in the comments below.

d'Arenberg The Custodian 2013

d’Arenberg The Custodian 2013

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Let’s Taste – Tahbilk 2013 reds

Tahbilk Winery in the Nagambie region of Victoria sent me samples of their 2013 Reds for my appraisal. You may have seen previous Let’s Taste episodes looking at Tahbilk wines, and you may have heard my episode of The Vincast with owner Alister Purbrick. If you haven’t, head to the Intrepid Wino website.

Tahbilk 2013 red wines

Tahbilk 2013 red wines

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April 26, 2016 · 11:40 am

The Vincast with Iain Riggs from Brokenwood Wines

Iain Riggs is one of the most respected winemakers in Australia, with decades of experience making wine from regions across the country, as well as a wine show judge. He has been at the helm of Brokenwood Wines in the historic Hunter Valley for some time, elevating them to one of the top producers of semillon and shiraz in Australia. Having worked closely with the likes of Len Evans and his incredible tutorial, Iain took the reigns of this illustrious institution when Len passed away. Iain joined me on the podcast while he was recently in Melbourne, and we talked about his background and his views on Australian wine.

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Iain Riggs

Iain Riggs

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Let’s Taste – Millon Estate 2014 wines

Josh got in touch with me via intrepidwino.com and offered me the chance to look at some wines from a brand that has recently been introduced into the domestic market, previously only being available overseas. The four Millon Estate wines I tasted are made from Eden Valley fruit, and are all from the 2014 vintage. Here are my impressions, let me know what you think in the comments below!

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Subscribe to the Intrepid Wino channel on YouTube and watch a few videos!

Subscribe to The Vincast on iTunesStitcher or PlayerFM and don’t forget to rate and review!

Go to Different Drop, and make sure to enter the special code INTREPIDWINO to get a 10% discount on ANY WINE!

Head to Wine Companion and use the promo code INTREPID30 to get a 30% discount on ANY subscription package!

Millon Estate 2014 Wines

Millon Estate 2014 Wines

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Best’s Wines Great Western – 31/01/2016

These were wines that I tasted while visiting Best’s Wines in Great Western, on their invitation to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the estate’s establishment , and also to record an episode of The Vincast with owner Viv Thompson. Make sure to listen to the episode to hear how you can win a bottle of the 2014 Bin 0 Shiraz that I tasted. Many thanks again to the Thompson family and everyone at Best’s for the wonderful opportunity, for the bottles of wine, and of course to Fireworks PR for facilitating an amazing visit.

Riesling 2003
Lime sherbet floral. Quite viscous fresh broad, very shy at the moment, possibly an awkward phase.

Riesling 2014
Flinty spritzy zippy zesty like cordial yellow flowers. Nice intensity.

Foudre Ferment Riesling 2014
Lemon barley cordial, a little toasty. Dried pear, toasty honey, crystallised ginger.

Chardonnay 2013
Pithy grapefruit white peach kiwi. Quite toasty but not too flabby, hints of smokiness dried orange and a bit leesy too.

Pinot Noir 2014
Tight light bright lithe cherries strawberries. Actually quite yummy and drinkable.

Dolcetto 2013
Black fruits, sweet black olives, fresh soft but without the bite of Langhe dolcetto.

Riesling 1995
Oily viscous ambrosial lime blossom, walnuts maple syrup blue cheese, apricot. Constantly evolving.

Foudre Ferment Riesling 2015
Toasty almonds, peaches and cream.

Bin. 0 Shiraz 2014
Peppery briny spicy pickles and black fruits. Solid soft focused fresh juicy fruits and spices.

Bin. 0 Shiraz 1984
Savoury earthy meaty leathery red fruits. Still exceptionally fresh bright fruits, lively acids, some dried red fruits but fresh black fruits, rosemary sage, unctuous soft delicious.

DSC04271

Best’s winemaker Justin Purser

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The Vincast with Viv Thomson from Best’s Wines

When the Thomson family bought the Best’s vineyard and winery in the 1920s they were continuing and building on a tradition that began 150 years ago. Great Western is one of the most historic regions in Australian wine, and it is here that some of the oldest vines and winemaking history continue to this day. Viv Thomson is the fourth generation to run this historic estate, and has been involved with the family business for the better part of 50 years. On this episode of The Vincast he shared with me not only his family’s story, but also how the wine industry has changed since the 1960s.

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Follow James on TwitterInstagram and Facebook

Subscribe to the Intrepid Wino channel on YouTube and watch a few videos!

Follow The Vincast on Twitter and download all the previous episodes here

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunesStitcher or PlayerFM and don’t forget to rate and review!

Viv Thompson from Best's Wines

Viv Thomson from Best’s Wines

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Let’s Taste – My Granny’s Cellar!!

Last September my amazing Grandmother passed away at the incredible age of 89 (vintage 1927). As my family went through the emotional process of organising and cleaning her house of 40 years, I discovered a number of bottles of wine in the cupboard under the stairs. With permission from my family I opened some of these bottles on this video, and the results were quite surprising.

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February 8, 2016 · 10:28 am

Let’s Taste – d’Arenberg The Ironstone Pressings, The Dead Arm, and The Coppermine Road 2012

The lovely Tash Stoodley from d’Arenberg was lovely enough to send me some more bottles of wine to taste. These are the three icon reds from the McLaren Vale d’Arenberg vineyards; The Ironstone Pressings Grenache Shiraz Mouvedre, The Dead Arm Shiraz, and The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon. All three have a recommended retail price of $65.00, and were from the 2012 vintage.

d'Arenberg Icon 2012 Wines

d’Arenberg Icon 2012 Wines

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December 14, 2015 · 11:50 am

Let’s Taste – d’Arenberg New Releases November 2015

The lovely Tash Stoodley from d’Arenberg wines got in touch and sent me some samples of their new releases, which I was happy to open! I separated the whites and most of the reds into two tastings, here are the whites;

  • The Olive Grove Viognier Marsanne 2014; and
  • The Hermit Crab Chardonnay 2015

The red wines were;

  • The Sticks & Stones Tempranillo, Grenache, Souzao, Tinta Cao 2011
  • The Derelict Vineyard Grenache 2012
  • The Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier 2011
d'Arenberg new-release red wines

d’Arenberg new-release red wines

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November 16, 2015 · 4:12 pm

Let’s Taste – Mount Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz 1998

Back when I was scouring the Langtons auctions for good wine with a bit of age on it, I managed to secure a lot of six bottles of the Mount Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz 1998. This is the last of those six bottles, and I’ve enjoyed all of them to varying levels. This was probably the best of the six, and I was happy to share why. Let me know in the comments what you thought of this tasting, if you’ve had a chance to taste this wine, and what experiences you’ve had with mature Australian shiraz.

Mount Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz 1998

Mount Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz 1998

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November 11, 2015 · 9:52 am