Vasse Felix Dry Red 2003

Have not had a Vasse Felix red, or white for that matter for quite a number of years, so got this as I couldnt find their Cabernet Sauvignon in the shop. From memory, this was a 5 grape blend of shiraz, merlot, cab franc, cab sav and malbec. On the bouquet it seemed quite soft, with rich plumfruit dominant. Also some spice, tropicals and dare I say banana towards the end. On the palate it was very soft and smooth, with balanced tannins and oak. The fruit did run-away somewhat, however this was quite a well crafted blend. I am very enticed to try more of their reds. (pic - Cab Sav)
50+4+12+17+7 = 90/100

Houghton White Classic 2006

The wine formerly known as White Burgundy, held tangy aromas of citrus, passionfruit and other tropical fruits. On the palate it had racy acidity, light-medium body and a very dry sherberty finish. A bit old fashioned, but I can see the popularity of this wine. Perfect for hot summers and bbq seafood. Serve reasonably chilled.
50+4+12+15+7 = 88/100

Temple Bruer Shiraz Malbec 2003

65% Shiraz and 35% Malbec, this new vintage had soft aromas of cherries, vanilla, nougat, pepper and a touch of mint. On the palate it was medium to full bodied, with lush rounded fruit, and lovely soft tannins. Compared to previous vintages, this did seem fruitier and younger, but still a wonderfully consistent well made wine. One of my favourite reds.
50+4+12+17+7 = 90/100

McWilliam's Barwang Chardonnay 2005

From Barwang NSW, this chardonnay had aromas primarily of sulphur and egg white, but beyond that melon, cashew, stonefruit and some cream. On the palate it was relatively thin, but clean, with not a great deal of length. Difficult to get beyound the sulpher to other flavours. A bit of a dissapointment, certainly due to the sulphur.
50+4+10+12+6 = 82/100

Domaine Denis Pommier Chablis 2004

From Poinchy near Chablis, the bouquet held soft aromas of apple, cream, almonds and candied citrus. On the palate it was quite soft and rounded, with a supple creamy-plush mouthfeel and lovely minerality. Good length and balance, finishing dry and softly citrussy, and suited our four cheeses gnocci. Overall a lovely example of Chablis, and would be very interested in trying their 1er crus. Oh how I love Chablis.
50+4+13+17+7 = 91/100

Mas Des Bressades Rose 2005

This wine from the Costières de Nimes in the south of France, made from 50% Syrah and 50% Grenache, had a bouquet of berries, particulary raspberry, with hints of tomatoe skin and herbs. On the palate it was very soft and round, but focussed. Good balance and length with a lovely savoury dry finish. Quite an elgant fruity rose, which would be quite popular with drinkers in this country.
50+4+13+16+7 = 90/100

Pikes Vintners Clare Valley Riesling 2006 (cleanskin)

Was quite excited about the new vintage of this cleanskin, as the 2005 was such great value.
Unfortunately this wine was the nemises of the 2005. Copious amounts of sulpher were present, rendering it quite undrinkable. But determined not to waste this, I did decant it, then chilled down to almost freezing, which did mask the offending sulphur enough to reveal some orange-sherberty aromas, as well as lime and musk. So there was some life to this wine. Pity some idiot had to kill it with a sack of SO2.
50+4+10+13+5 = 82/100 (with SO2)

Vavasour Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006

From the Awatere Valley, this SB had a crystal pale green gold colour. On the bouquet it held quite fresh aromas of gooseberry, passionfruit flower, grass and a touch of vanilla. The palate was crisp citrus, with a soft powdery minerality and long dry flinty finish. Nicely poised and well balanced, and while I am a little bored with NZ SB's, this one has piqued my interest again for them. Really lovely drinking.
50+4+13+16+8 = 91/100

De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate Pinot Noir 2004

From Victoria, the bouquet on this pinot was initially quite lush, with big cherry, plum, earth, forest, spice and mocha. On the palate it was quite well balanced, with decent oak integration, body and length, and a nice soft finish. However after the first glass, it seemed to drop away, becoming a bit thin, sharp and tangy. It did restore itself somewhat on the last glass, but other than that it was quite a well made mid-priced pinot, but have had better at the price.
50+4+12+16+6 = 88/100

Martinez Bujanda Conde de Valdemar Crianza Tempranillo Rioja 2002

My first Rioja, this wine made from tempranillo had a big bouquet of violets, cherries, raspberry licorice, dutch licorice, game and flashes of musk. On the palate it was light to medium bodied berry fruit, roast meat, with soft tannins and quite a dry finish. Silky dry drinking. Would have liked a little more depth on the palate, but the bouquet certainly makes up for the lack. A lovely mid-price Spanish red.
50+4+14+16+7 = 91/100

Peter Lehmann Eden Valley Riesling 2005

Pale green-gold, this riesling had aromas of lemon, lime, florals, musk and a touch of sulphur lurking. On the palate it was quite clean and balanced, with a powdery minerality and soft mouthfeel. Good body and length, and reasonably crisp on the finish. Although this is quite a fine Eden valley riesling, I have had better, and I do think the Lehmann Barossa Riesling is a better wine, and a little cheaper.
50+4+12+15+7 = 88/100

Chateau Villegeorge 2002 Cru Bourgeois Haut Medoc

Picked this up for Cheryl's party and to combat the filthy cold weather. A full bodied wine that opened with aromas of violet and raspberry and blackberry with some woody characteristics. On the palate the tannins were too astringent on first opening but over the evening mellowed to a lovelly velvety softness. This needed to be decanted except it was a fight to find a glass let alone a decanter. Would suit game very well.

93/100

Serge Dagueneau Pouilly Fume 2004

A gift from Simon and Heike, this Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-sur-Loire had a soft smokey bouquet of gooseberry, pineapple, blackcurrents, juniper, green-branches of some kind and some nuts. On the palate it was sour-savoury fruit, with a waxy, chewy mouthfeel and slatey-minerality. Overall this was relatively complex and austere to a degree, and didn't need much chilling. Certainly another great example of French SB craft and terroir, making for a wonderfully unique wine.
50+4+13+17+7 = 91/100

Taltarni Brut Tache 2004

This sparkling rose from Victoria had a very pale salmon colour, and on the bouquet it was relatively austere, with berries, sherbert, musk and a little biscuit. On the palate again, quite austere and not that generouls with flavour. Acidity was a little high, with beading dissapating fairly quickly. The finish was quite dry, and it certainly cleans (strips) the palate. Overall a little sharp and thin and would have liked more balance and flavour.
50+4+11+14+6 = 85/100

La Serre Merlot Vin De Pays d’OC 2004

This wine from Arzens Languedoc, had a bouquet of cherries, pepper and some herbs. On the palate it was quite soft and round, with a little runaway acidity. Not a lot of depth or length, but did become softer and revealing as it warmed. Perhaps needed decanting to give everything it had. Overall a cheap easy drinking red, with a very stylish new-world label.
50+4+11+15+7 = 87/100

Cuvee Gabriel Rouge Vin De Table NV

Probably the base wine in this producers portfolio, this red blend from the south of France had a nice, soft bouquet of cherries and spice, and not much else. On the palate it was quite soft again, with decent balance. Not much body or length, but nothing here that would offend anybody. Really a light, cheap table wine, with a slight Italian feel, which works quite well with most food. Not bad at $12 here, but would imagine be very cheap in Europe.
50+4+12+14+6 = 86/100

Royal Tokaji Blue Label 5 Puttonyos Aszú 1999

And finally, to finish off a wonderful birthday, a sticky from the Tokaji region in Hungary. This wine made from Furmint, plus Hárslevelü and Muscat de Lunel, had an amazing deep orange amber colour. The bouquet was nominal, perhaps due to my (over) chilling. On the palate, it had dense orange marmalade, lemon, raisons, toffee, nuts, lavender and some herbs lurking. Quite sweet, but not too cloying it was viscous and a touch waxy in the mouth, with quite a long finish. Worked very well with Debs chilled french pudding, and indeed I felt regal drinking this for about 10 minutes, until my body told my birthday had come to an end. Wonderful wine, and Louis XIV may have been right in saying it was “the wine of kings and the king of wines.”
50+5+11+18+9 = 93/100

Seppelt Salinger 2002

After dinner and a bottle of this to get people dancing. Nice bouqet of slightly confected citrus, yeast and biscuit. Relatively fine and persistant beading, with a mildly creamy palate. Nice dry finish and good length. Quite good value for around $25.
50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Rosé tasting results

A suitably hot and dry day graced this Rosé tasting, with six wines provided and tasted by Deborah, Simon, Heike, Greg, Phil and myself.

Opininon was divided, and initially it was a 3-way tie between 4, 5 and 6. But with further drinking I believe 4 became the favourite.

My thanks to everbody for coming, making for a fun afternoon and a great Birthday dinner later on. I had a lovely day and enjoyed myself stupid.


1. Wirra wirra Mrs Wigley Rosé 2006
Lovely pale pink fuscia, the bouquet was quite sweet and candied with a little musk. On the palate it was quite crisp, with twinkling berry fruits. Quite light and thin in body with not much complexity, it would be perfect for lazy afternoons and children's parties.

2. Dominique Portet Fontaine Rosé 2006
Pale copper pink, the bouquet held melon, white pepper, with strawberry and cherries. Palate wise it had a good rounded body, very soft and balanced. Nice length and finish. A cross between a soft French style and a dry Spaniard. Delicious.

3. SHW Altitude 676 Rosé 2006
A little deeper in colour, the bouquet I believe had passionfruit, grass, berries and spice, although others didn't find or chose to ignore the passionfruit. Quite well balanced with a very refreshing, soft, savoury and easy drinking quality. While it didn't win, I think this is a great value rosé, and the best wine I have had from this winemaker.

4. Cabernet D'Anjou Reserve Des Vignerons 2004 - WINNER
Delicate copper-pink, the bouquet is very soft and poised, with strawberry, bread and biscuit. On the palate it was very soft and dry, with superb balance, body and finish, not dissimilar to a Pink Champagne. Wonderful to taste some of the last bottles we can find.

5. Pepperjack Grenache Rosé 2005
Dark ruby red, the bouquet was quite robust with raspberry, strawberry, candy and a little spice. On the palate it was juicy, almost chewy, with acidity strong, but in balance. Probably the most masculine rose in the line up, but a very enjoyable and well made wine. Would suit a sausage sandwich.

6. Château de la Mallevieille Rosé 2004
From Bergerac, the colour was a vivid deep ruby fuscia, with a great crimson orange through it. On the bouquet it was quite woody, with soft berry fruits and some herbs. On the palate it was probably the driest of the wines, due to the oak. Racy but controlled acidity made it work well with pate and meats, but equally with fruit.

Pouilly-Fuissé Maison Champy 2001

Picked this up from Vintage Cellars with a twelve dollar discount, bargain. This chardonnay was dark and smoky, nutty and floral aromas. A full mouthful but dry and on the palate perhaps not brilliant but chrisp citrus flavour. The presence of oak is obvious but not over powering and well integrated. Decent length and refreshing

Region: Bourgogne, Mâcon
Vintage: 2001
Alchohol: 13%
Rating: 92/100

Concha Y Toro Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc 2005

One of a free 6 pack of Casillero del Diablo wines from vintage, this was the second time I have tried this Chilean SB. The bouquet was quite balanced, with gooseberry, lemon, a little grass, and musk (as it warmed). On the palate very clean and crisp, with sherberty citrus, a soft minerality and lovely mouthfeel. More balanced and in check than the 2004 which was under cork, which from memory was more aggressive and bordering on the volitle. This is a lovely cheap SB which works well with food, and handles mid to colder temperatures. Yum.
50+4+13+16+7 = 90/100

SHW Altitude 676 Rosé 2006

A little pensive about this purchase from my local, stocking what seems like the entire range of SHW wines, and myself usually being dissapointed by them. But it was only $10 so gave it a go.

This rosé, made from Sauvignon Blanc left on Shiraz skins, had an unusual bouquet of passionfruit, grass, berries and some spice. On the palate it was quite light and crunchy, not dissimilar to a SB, over a soft tannic layer which provided a spicy savouriness. Not a lot of depth or length, but curiously enjoyable drinking. Not quite a white and not quite a rosé. I hope they stick with this style, and perhaps fine tune it further.
50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Chardonnay 2005

Not finding my usual cheap chardonnay at the local, decided to give this Penfolds chardonnay a try. The nose held aromas of ripe rock-melon, fig, peach, cashew and some smokiness. On the palate it was quite rich and creamy, with the oak a little dominant over the fruit. Overall it was well made, and quite enjoyable, leaning perhaps towards and older oaky style. Surprisingly it went well with our Lamb Korma curry. Good drinking at $10.
50+4+11+16+7 = 88/100

Devil's Lair Fifth Leg Rose 2006

Beautiful pale pink-magenta in colour, this rose made from Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon had aromas of red berries, plums and herbs. On the palate it was crisp and crunchy, with a racy acidity and a savoury dryness, almost displaying carbonation. Lacked a little finesse, but had a balance and style which doesn't dissapoint. Could be a little cheaper, but overall a well made crowd pleasing rose.
50+5+12+15+7 = 89/100

Tittarelli Malbec 2004

Needing a cheap Wednesday red, tried this 100% malbec wine from the Mendoza region in Argentinia. Dark ruby red, the bouquet was quite 'Malbeccian', with sweet-sour cherries, eucalypt, spice and vanilla. The enticing bouquet did not follow to the palate, which was quite sharp, with tannins which were somewhat lean and lost. The body was thin, and length ditto. Not that nice to drink, which was a shame as the bouquet did show some promise.
50+4+12+12+6 = 84/100

Domaine de la Denante Saint-Véran 2002

This white Burgundy from the Maconnais, had a mid pale gold colour. Initially the boquet was quite fruit dominant, but as the wine warmed, other aromas were forthcoming, with honey, mint, sage and grilled nuts. On the palate it was slender in body, with a semi-lush viscous mouthfeel. Oak and fruit were well balanced, giving equally roundness and tightness. Length was decent and finish dry and light. Everything in balance here, however the wine does need to warm somewhat to express itself.
50+4+13+16+7 = 90/100

Wolfberger Crémant d'Alsace Brut NV

My first Alsatian Crémant, this sparkling pinot blanc had green apple, citrus and hints of musk on the nose. The beading was fair, and quite dry and clean on the palate. Not a lot of length or complexity here, but otherwise nice, balanced and uncomplicated drinking. Good as an aperitif, or a partner perhaps with shellfish or cheese.
50+4+11+16+7 = 88/100