White - Other
New Release - Mixed Whites
Reviewed: 2 January 2011
New Release Whites
30 December 2010
New Release Tasting
24 November 2010
Aromatic Whites
And an appology to the producers
19 May 2010
New Release Mixed Whites
During the year we receive dozens of wines from each of the mainstream varieties. This makes it easy to put together a line up of 15 – 20 wines made from a single grape or in a similar style. We also receive a wide variety of wines that are not mainstream in Australia. Today's tasting provided an opportunity to look through a range of wines made from less common grapes.
The wines from Millbrook really caught my attention. Along with Yalumba, Millbrook is producing some of the best examples of a grape that was made famous in the northern Rhone Valley. Small amounts of viognier have been grown alongside the shiraz in Cote Rotie. Often this would be picked and fermented with the shiraz. This has been embraced by the Australian wine industry and there are now hundreds of shiraz/viognier blends on the market. Read More...
Reviewed
Also Tasted
-
Banrock Station – Fiano - Mediterranean Collection – 2009.
-
Charlie's Origins - Chenin Blanc – 2008.
Aromatic White Wines
31 January 2010.
As many of you know, this tasting group is the highlight of my tasting life. Good friends and fantastic wines - what could be better? This tasting was made even more special by the temporary return of Brendan Jansen from his Italian hideaway.
Having been set a theme of Aromatic White Wine by Brendan, I had to stop and think - what is an aromatic white? The consensus amongst the group was that everything other than chardonnay and semillon would be OK.
Having a tasting with mainly European wine proved a little challenging, as they have different characteristics and it takes a while for my palate to adjust. Interestingly, the wines were more fragile than I would have expected with most having fallen over by the next day. Perhaps this reflects the wine-making styles and is only a problem if you do not finish the bottle. Tasting Notes...
Tasted
New Release Whites
21 January 2010
The change to screw cap closures on wines has been something that I have publicly embraced as a great compromise for wine lovers. Being free of all of the imperfections of cork is what it is all about. Whilst the screw cap is inert and reliable, it is not fool-proof. One important difference that I have noted is that wines stay fresher for longer. This impacts on both wines that you buy to age and wines that are best drunk young.
With wines designed for early consumption, like most of the wines in this tasting, the increased freshness has had another consequence that we need to bear in mind. By being slower to develop, they appear to take a little longer in bottle to show there best. Full Report...
Tasted