Some more samples hit the tasting table on this edition of Let’s Taste, this time two wines from one of the biggest producers on the Bellarine Peninsula, Scotchmans Hill. The Bellarine Peninsula is on the cusp of cool and moderate in terms of climate, so a range of varieties can produce wine. Here I’m tasting the 2014 Chardonnay and the 2013 Shiraz, let me know what you think in the comments below!
Scotchmans Hill Chardonnay 2014 & Shiraz 2013
My most recent guest on my wine podcast – The Vincast – was Caroline Mooney, a celebrated Yarra Valley winemaker who worked for many years at Yering Station. She spoke about her journey and her particular love of the Marsanne grape. When we spoke she generously gave me a bottle of each of her Bird On A Wire wines from the 2013 vintage, which I was more than happy to taste on this edition of Let’s Taste.
Bird On A Wire 2013 Wines
Caroline Mooney grew up in the Yarra Valley, very influenced by the wines and other agricultural products of the region. Her family has been farmers for decades and still run the Yarra Valley Dairy. Although inspired by art in her teens, she became more influenced by wine as a young adult, working in a cellar door. This began her journey in winemaking, which has included vintages outside the region and study at Charles Sturt. After working for Yering Station for many years she now has her own brand of Yarra Valley wine, Bird On A Wire.
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Carol Mooney from Bird On A Wire Wines
I’m no stranger to Tahbilk Wines, having not only tasted a number of releases over the last 12 months on Let’s Taste, but also having chatted with owner Alister Purbrick on my wine podcast The Vincast about one year ago. They sent me some new releases for Spring, and I opened them up to have a look. The four wines were;
Marsanne 2016
Riesling 2016
Viognier 2016
Cane Cut Marsanne 2012 (500ml)
Tahbilk Marsanne, Riesling & Viognier 2016 and Cane Cut Marsanne 2012
Filed under Tasting Notes, Videos
Another in a series of Yalumba Let’s Taste videos, this time some incredible white wines from Yalumba Family Vignerons in the Barossa. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Yalumba Roussanne & Viognier 2015
I’ve been in contact with Lawrence Scanlon from Dirty Black Denim for a while through social media, but it wasn’t until recently that I finally met him in person. He and his brother make a range of wines, focused particularly on Italian grape varieties, and I’ve been hassling him to try some of them. I was thrilled to finally be able to do so with two of the recently released 2016 wines. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Dirty Black Denim 2016 wines
You may have heard my chats on The Vincast wine podcast with Nathan Reeves and Dave Chatfield on Episode 76. You may also have seen me taste a few of their Out of Step wines on previous editions of Let’s Taste. Based out in the Yarra Valley, they make a range of wines from fruit sourced from a number of vineyards. Amongst the most important is Lusatia Park in the Upper Yarra Valley, particularly for the white varieties. The newly released Margin Walker is from a particularly good parcel of Lusatia Park fruit, here are my impressions of the wine, let me know what you think in the comments below.
Out of Step Margin Walker 2015
I was recently contacted by Angela Brown who is one of the owners of the historic All Saints Estate in the North-East Victorian region of Rutherglen. Considered to be one of the best producers in one of the best regions for fortified wines, All Saints also makes some outstanding table wines. On this episode of Let’s Taste I look at their Family Cellar wines and share my impressions.
All Saints Estate Family Cellar Marsanne & Shiraz 2013 and Durif 2012
Catherine & Pierre Breton farm 11 hectares of vines organically and biodynamically, just outside of Bourgeuil in the middle-Loire Valley. They produce Chinon & Bourgeuil wines from cabernet franc, and some Vouvray from chenin blanc as well. All the estate was founded in 1982, they introduced organic viticulture in 1991 and biodynamics in 1994. The wines are being imported by George McCullough Imports, who I bought these bottles from and am happy to share my notes.
La Dilettante Vouvray 2014
Creamy pithy melons leesy pear, quince tart, oxidative vanilla. Warm apple pie, some savoury custard notes, fresh but not crunchy, quite creamy in texture.
La Ritournelle Bourgueil Rosé 2014
Sharp stalky savoury celery tomato leaf herbs, raspberries. Brisk and tight, nice crunchy tannins, fresh and focused, compelling and delicious savoury rosé.
Avis de Vin Fort Bourgueil 2014 Clairet
On the funky side, raw wild stinky, very vibrant aromatically, sour plums, blackberries and middle eastern spices. Crunchy again, darker but lighter in style, some earthy black fruit expressions, a fresh but wild finish.
Nuits d’Ivresse Bourgueil 2013
Black olive tapenade, syrupy balsamic, black cherries, wild herbal notes, brambles. Crunchy fresh, dancing tannins, wild acids, oxidative savoury bitter almonds.
Les Perrieres Bourgueil 2011
Dark pomegranate blackberry sour blood plums, earthy undergrowth, sweet carob notes. Soft but tight, lithe light crunchy, broad and mellow on the back, very long, dense but lively.
Domaine Breton wines
Filed under Tasting Notes
My first real wine job was working in the cellar door at Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley, which I did for 18 months from the beginning of 2006. One of my colleagues there lived at Coldstream Hills as her partner was one of the winemakers. She very generously put together a mixed dozen of back vintages of their Reserve wines, many of which are still in my cellar. I decided to open the three wines from the 2004 vintage (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Cabernet Sauvignon), and these are my impressions. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Coldstream Hills Reserve Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, & Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
A podcast about wine, wine culture and wine people. Every week a different guest from the wine industry joins host The Intrepid Wino (aka James Scarcebrook) for a casual chat about the world of wine.
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