Constable Hershon Hunter Valley Semillon 2004 $14.80-$18.50 On a recent trip to Newcastle I found several local wines available by the glass at Terminal One Bar + Dine, on the harbour foreshore. The locals apparently know Constable Hershon well. But as this tiny Pokolbin-based winery sells most of its wine at cellar door, and the … Continue reading Wine review — Constable Hershon, Briar Ridge & Kooyong
Howard Park: Riesling 2007 $25; Sauvignon Blanc 2007 $25; Scotsdale/Leston Park Shirazes 2005 $40 and Cabernet Sauvignons 2005 $40; Cabernet Merlot 2004 $90 Behind Madfish, Howard Park’s wildly successful (and excellent) $15-$20-a-bottle second label, lies a rich winemaking culture, built on top-quality fruit from a number of Western Australian regions. Proprietor Jeff Burch showed the … Continue reading Wine review — Howard Park, Mitchell & Balgownie Estate
Mistletoe Hunter Valley Silvereye Semillon 2006 (8.1% alcohol) $17 You might call this a Hunter semillon for people who don’t like Hunter semillon. The classic style tends to low alcohol and a bone-dry austerity in youth. Although time adds meat to the bone, its appeal remains limited. But Silvereye captures the fresh, lemony flavour and … Continue reading Wine review — Misteltoe, Tulloch & Chrismont La Zona
‘Although alcohol does not have a taste’, writes Professor A. Dinsmoor Webb (Oenologist, UC Davis, retired), ‘it has an effect, not just on the human nervous system, but on how a wine tastes. The alcohol content in a perfectly balanced wine should be unfathomable, but wines that are slightly too high in alcohol can have … Continue reading Alcohol and wine flavour
Tulloch Hunter Valley Pokolbin Dry Red Shiraz 2005 $20-$25 Petite Verdot 2006 $$17.60-$22, Viognier 2007 $16-$20, Marsanne $16.20 With the Tulloch family back in control after thirty-odd years in the corporate wilderness, the old firm is a must-visit if you’re in the Hunter. The semillons and shirazes are classic lower Hunter styles made with the … Continue reading Wine review — Tulloch & Kalleske
Sauvignon Blanc. Kath and Kym once called it sauvignon plonk. Others call it cat’s pee. Over a glass or two, a vet I know enquired if the horse had been shot. Wine man, the late Len Evans listed it with goat’s cheese amongst his pet hates. And England’s wine luminary, Jancis Robinson, once wrote that … Continue reading Sauvignon blanc — cat’s pee or god’s nectar
In a good year Australia crushes about two million tonnes of grapes, equivalent to about 150 million dozen bottles of wine. About one quarter of that comes from New South Wales, second in volume to our undisputed winemaking monarch, South Australia on fifty per cent. Scratch below the surface of these big figures and we … Continue reading Lots to like in New South Wales
Yalumba Wrattonbully Vineyards Marsanne Viognier 2006 $18.55 What a scrumptious drop – oozing with vibrant rich viognier, tempered somewhat by the more restrained marsanne, and with the silk-smooth texture that comes from barrel fermentation and ageing. It’s one of several outstanding new releases from Yalumba: Mawson’s Hill Block 3 Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 and Bridge … Continue reading Wine review — Yalumba Wrattonbully, Paxton & Oakvale
With more than a hundred thousand visitors a year, you’d have to say that Moet’s Yarra Valley winery knows what its customers wants. That such a multitude of wine drinkers have opted for luxury and location consistently for almost twenty years is surely a lesson in the service standards premium wine drinkers expect and are … Continue reading Setting a bubbly standard
Madfish Western Australia Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2007 $15–$19 Cape Mentelle Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2007 $25 Today’s summer-drinking selections feature three pairs of proven regional varietal specialties. The first pair are brilliant, contrasting examples of one of Australia’s most popular blends – sauvignon blanc and semillon from southwestern Western Australia. Madfish is all about … Continue reading Wine review — Madfish, Cape Mentelle, Jacob’s Creek, Chandon, Tyrrell’s & La Chablisienne