Thirst of July

Thirst of JulyThirst of July by Rob Geddes MW

Winery Wine    Varietal  Vintage  Rating  Drink By  Alcohol   RRP

Chapel Hill         The Parson         Cabernet Sauvignon      

2014       91           2018       14.5        $18.00

Aromas of black cherry, raspberry and black currant. The palate swings in ripe fruited fresh and varietal black currant fruits with evenness and purposeful length. A very complete wine that over delivers for the price.

Blue Pyrenees Estate     The Richardson Series   Cabernet Sauvignon      

2012      95           2040       14.5        $50.00

Deep brooding, concentrated mixed berry conserve with remarkable freshness for the age. Back ground notes of bay leaf and oak spice form an additional complexity. The palate has classy black fruits that launch onto your tongue arm in arm with fine tannins together and pull like a train for the full length of the palate keeping classic varietal length and tightness, tannin finesse and black currant flavours that are youthfully unevolved.

Mount Mary      Quintet                Cabernet Sauvignon       Merlot  Cabernet Franc 2014       96           2043       13           $150.00                

Very complex, pure wine with fruit, mineral and dried spice seamless entwined curling out of the glass like smoke. The youthful vibrant palate balances ripe and dry tannins, offer red and blue fruits off set by dried herb from the oak, the grape tannins and oak march in step with the blue and red fruits with gentle energy and precision too the farthest reaches of your tongue where the red fruits lingers. Drink young or age. More left bank to the 2013 right bank. One of the wines of the year.              Malbec, Petit Verdot

Craiglee Wines                 Cabernet Sauvignon                      

2012       93           2023       13.5        $30.00

Aromas are pretty, varietal with cranberry and black currant fruit with a leafy edge to the aromas. The palate is soft, quite complete with red fruits turning leafy varietal cabernet and slightly drying on the finish. A very complete medium bodied wine with charm and very different to the rest of Australia.

Jansz     Late Disgorged Vintage Cuvee   Chardonnay       Pinot Noir          

2007      94           2020       12           $55.95

Aromas are from very long yeast age with oatmeal like yeast lees cloaking the white fruit. The palate is slippery in texture showing mature up front rich sparkling wine complexity, width and length with oatmeal lees richness, even and long the  creamy yoghurt like texture wraps long flavours of subtle lemon citrus fruits with saline acidity lasting long in the mouth.

Printhie               MCC      Chardonnay                                      

2014       88           2018       12.5        $35.00

Aromas are complex and diverse showing a weave of winemaking lees, fruity white nectarine, complex oak spice and Belgian white butter aromas. The youthful ‘still to come together’ palate has medium weight fruit, piquant acidity with vanilla oatmeal complex with bergamot and herbal tea.

Primo Estate      La Biondina        Colombard                        

 2016       88           2017       12           $17.00

Big punchy pineapple lime fruits with plenty of personality. The tropical flavours are juicy, ripe middle palate, full flavoured with zippy acidity. A fabulous flavourful casual glass of wine with friends.

Sevenhill Cellars              Inigo      Merlot                                  2013       92           2019       14.5        $ 28.00

2013       92           2019       14.5        $ 28.00

Spot on harvesting captures the upfront charm of the variety really well with the classic perfume and structure. Aromas lead with a floral top note, ripe blue berry fruits and plum conserve fruit aromas with dark spice. The palate captures the silky fine tannin floral middle palate mouth filling qualities of merlot. The flavours are juicy and generous with layers of fruit violets into blue berry and plum and very fine tannins.

Yangarra              McLaren Vale    Mourvedre                         2014       95           2023       14           $32.00  

2014       95           2023       14           $32.00  

Brooding complexity and layers of red fruits, bitter chocolate notes and dark oregano with cinnamon spices.  The palate is assured, fresh red fruits fine and slightly firm varietal tannins flavours run wide and full middle and past with silty  grained and drying on the long finish. Has the frame to age the fruit magnificently.

Black Wines                       Pinot Gris                            2015       91           2019       12           $24.00

2015       91           2019       12           $24.00

Pear and chamomile fruit aromas with overall ripe fruit giving a good middle palate composed of fresh and cooked pears fruits, subtle spice and a slightly firm pear skin pith finish indicating it will age 2 – 3 years and partner food well.

Vickery Watervale          Riesling                                                2016       92           2022       12.5        $23.00

2016       92           2022       12.5        $23.00

A ripe clean fresh drink showing florals, pine lime/kaffir lime and the spice of great riesling. The palate is vibrant, plush and generous with ripe lively length. Very good weight of fruits, modern and stylish. Drink young or age.

Jansz     Premium Rose  Rose                                      NV          92           2018       12           $24.95

NV          92           2018       12           $24.95

Cool climate quality with perfumed fruit that, as a generalisation, dominates the yeast notes, strawberry saline mineral quality and cracked yeast. The palate is tight and focused with well balanced ripeness fruit and acidity with medium length.

Shaw + Smith                    Sauvignon Blanc               2016       93           2019       12           $26.00

2016       93           2019       12           $26.00

Meticulous vineyard management and hand picking helps retain the perfume in this variety and doubles the cost of wine making which explains part of this wine continuing charm. Low cropping is another aspect that helps lower the ripeness at harvest offering subtlety, ripe restraint and purity slightly punchy pear drops white fruits with the house style complexity. Ripe and round not a NZ herb in sight white fruits juicy ripe pears and applies in the middle palate and a food friendly finish.

Henschke            Louis     Semillon                              2014       92           2025       12           $27.50

2014       92           2025       12           $27.50

Good colour with a youthful shyness, thyme-like oak, lemon subtleties. The palate is true to the Barossa with a regional varietal generosity, flavour evenness and length, harmonious, round and long medium bodied with the dried herb oak spice briefly appearing. The shy fruit has the lead role here with the subtle oak spice of carbon dried herbs.

Glenguin                             Semillon                                              2015       90           2021       10           $25.00

    2015       90           2021       10           $25.00

This has presence with appealing ripe lemon fruit notes. Glides across the tongue, softly balanced light bodied long moderate acidity soft flowing middle palate flavours.

Karrawatta          Joseph  Shiraz                                    

2014       95           2035       14.5        $54.00

The price might seem steep but for the quality, it is not a lot. Juicy, vivid ripe aromatics of black berry, bay leaf and green garden herbs, an edge of pith and pulp of freshly squeezed berry juices.  The palate is plush, ripe, smooth, even and long, alongside well-judged oak. The liqueured red fruits are persistent and wed to classy tannins. Going for beauty, not bulk this is a silky sheet of rippling fruit across the tongue.

Rosnay Grand-Pere        Shiraz    Mourvedre                         2015       94           2023       14           $30.00

2015       94           2023       14           $30.00

A very complete medium full bodied wine with youthful freshness that is virtually irresistible as a young wine. Starts out red fruit aromas with a top note of lush red fruit ripeness and underlying umami savoury meaty dried rosemary offering both ripeness and fresh balance. The palate has a dive right in quality with front palate silky red fruits rush the palate with a more subtle longer slower mineral quality showing in the drying medium intense tannins.

St John’s Road   Block 8  Shiraz                                    2015       94           2034       13.4        $38.00

2015       94           2034       13.4        $38.00

Vivid colour with a big, expansive aroma with a steep incline of intensity that layers liquorice and berry fruit from clean red cherry fruits into black berry with raspberry fruits offering the peak. The palate has form and depth, firm earthy tannins and dark fruit flavours are the outer rings and concentric circles of the flavours. Fresh acidity and silky tannins create a safety net of tension to keep the flavour long and focused with lingering red fruits. The fruit richness mid-weight tannin balance is superb. not over ripe or over made. Hands off winemaking in the right places.

Yalumba              The Virgilius      Viognier                             

2015       95           2021       14           $45.00

In 2015 this is a complete wine with toned back varietal flavours and inbuilt layers of texture which, because of the nature of the variety is a great success. As a youngster, it plays it cards close to its chest. Very complex gentle peach, citrus and pith notes with restrained oak, wild ferment tones down the exuberant fruit. In the mouth very complex length of apricot flavour and a savoury smoked meats edge with bounding energy filling the mouth and each layer building on the other.

Kangarilla Road                Black St Peters  Zinfandel                           

2013       93           2025       16           $32.00

A good zin that catches the varietal wave of ripe fruit not raisined fruit. Ripe dark fruits with balanced oak spices cedar plum cake and Christmas plum pudding that avoids rum and raisin dried fruit qualities. The palate is ripe fruited sweet fruits and juicy soft tannins fleshy fruits and keeps its line of fruit punch.

Thirst of July by Rob Geddes MW

[wcm_restrict] Download [/wcm_restrict]