Domaine Pascal Bouchard Bourgogne Cote d'Auxerre Chardonnay 2006

Unusual to find a Bourgogne at the local, so decided to give it a try. Opened to a slightly volitile bouquet of tropical fruits and some mineral characteristics. It did settle down after some airing, revealing not that much more. The palate likewise was initially borderline-volitile, with alcohol heat and residual sugar, but again did settle with some time out of the bottle. Respectable as it became, I found this chardonnay a bit nasty around the edges, and certainly not worth the $23 I paid. Shame as I would love to have had a cheap, good white burgundy source.
50+4+12+15+6 = 87/100

Pasqua Valpolicella DOC Valpantena 2005

Deb picked up this Italian red to have with dinner. Made (I think) from a blend of Corvina 70%, Rondinella 20%, Corvinone 10%, it opened to a fairly soft bouquet of cherries, plums and some earthy notes. On the palate it was quite light, with soft powdery tannins, savoury fruits and a dry balsamic-type finish. Overall quite a good light table red, which did go well with our pizza. Easy, easy drinking.

50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Henri Bourgeois Petit Bourgeois Sauvignon Blanc 2006

I do remember having the 2004 vintage of this Vin de Pays du Jardin de La France last year a couple of times, and quite enjoyed it, so was pleased to find a new vintage at our local bottle shop. Opened to a lovely floral bouquet of passionfruit, gooseberries, flowers, musk, a little sap and nuts. On the palate it had a nice powdery, chalky minerality, fresh but balanced acidity and quite a dry, almost salty finish. A little finer than the 2004, this wine makes lovely drinking as an aperitif. Very nice to have again. The only con is the crappy new label.

50+4+13+17+7 = 91/100

Arrowfield Estate Show Reserve Chardonnay 2005

Deb picked this up for dinner, well pre-dinner at least. From the Hunter Valley it opened to a rather smokey spicey bouquet, with melon, peach and some barrel funk. On the palate it showed fairly intense fruits, with a slightly wavering acidity. Fairly clean on the finish, this chardonnay was quite acceptable, but with a fair amount of chardonnay competition it didn't really stand out in any way.
50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Jacobs Creek Three Vines Shiraz Cabernet Tempranillo 2006

Deb brought home this new release from Orlando, which is a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet and Tempranillo, as the label clarifies. It seems that this new range from Orlando, which seems to have a bit of marketing hype around it, is targeted for primarily European and UK markets, where I believe their brand has suffered somewhat over the last couple of years. Opened to a rather mixed bouquet of sweet berryfruits, cherries, liquorice and some earthy notes. On the palate it was quite thin, with fresh but balanced acidity. Length was acceptable, and finish quite dry. A touch of residual sugar was evident but overall not a bad wine, and certainly not great. Easy drinking though.
50+4+11+15+7 = 87/100

Penola Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Needing some cheap wines for the weekend, Deborah picked this red up for around $11. From the Coonawarra, it opened to a reasonably generous bouquet of blackberries, cabernet leaf, capsicum, mint and some vanillan. On the palate it was fairly light bodied, but quite balanced in terms of acidity. A nice balance of sweetish fruits and savoury tannins this was a good example of the style, and even though it lacked depth and complexity it was quite enjoyable and easy drinking.
50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Borie de Maurel La Feline Minervois La Liviniere 2004

After enjoying their Esprit d'Automne so much, I had to try this from Borie de Maurel. Made from a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan this wine opened to a rather green bouquet, which did settle to show cherries, raspberry, blackcurrant, pastilles, sap, licorice and some black pepper. On the palate it was reasonably balanced, quite ripe fruits and drying tannins. It did need some time in a decanter to settle down, as initially there was some stink and greeness. Overall I don't think I enjoyed this one as much as the Esprit d'Automne, but still an interesting wine, which was sort of a cross between a Bordeaux and Cotes du Rhone. Reasonably good value at $20.
50+4+13+17+6 = 90/100

Segura Viudas Cava Brut Vintage 2002

The Brut NV version of this Cava is such a good value wine, and I was more than curious to try their vintage version. Opened to aromas of lemon, bread dough, white pepper and some nuts. On the palate it showed quite fine and lengthy beading, with a soft yet robust mouthfeel. Acidity was balanced and finished quite tight and dry. Overall showed a little more finesse than the NV version, with a tighter palate and I think drier finish. I still think both these wines are probably the best sparkling wines I have had for under $20 recently, and others do too.
50+4+13+17+7 = 91/100

Cusumano Insolia IGT 2005

I remember having the 2004 vintage of this Sicilian wine some time ago, and did like it somewhat. Opened to a fresh and floral bouquet of citrus peel, flowers, peach, nuts and a hint of apricot. On the palate it was quite fresh, with a soft and slightly slippery mouthfeel. Acidity was balanced, and length and finish decent. Overall quite easy drinking, and good with food. Well worth $10 or so.

50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Fontana Candida Frascati D.O.C. 2004

For our Friday night aperitif, Deb picked up this Italian wine from the Frascati region. Made from a blend of malvasia bianca, candia, trebbiano toscano and malvasia lazio grapes, the bouquet was quite soft and floral with wild flowers, green apple, vanilla and minerals. On the palate it was quite fresh, but soft and balanced with a slightly grainy minerality. Finished quite dry showing some almond notes. Overall this was quite a delicious wine, which would work very well with food, but also quite suited as a nice summer aperitif. Decent value at around $15.
50+4+13+17+7 = 91/100

Pillar Box Red 2006

And to the latest vintage of this fairly cheap red. Opened to big fruit cake aromas with chocolate, spice and a little pepper. On the palate it was a little heady, with alcohol somewhat evident and acidity a bit out of control. Still it was fairly easy to drink, and was quite rich and generous for a cheap red. Now around $13, which is still good value. I do think that the 2005 was a little finer, but not by a lot. Deserves a good decant.
50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz 2005

Deb brought this already opened bottle home from work, so decided to finish it off with our Kashmiri curry. On the bouquet was distinct evidence of egg aromas, residual fining no doubt, but underneath were some nice aromas of berries, redcurrant, chocolate, black pepper, cumin and sweet candied jubes. On the palate it was quite well balanced, with loose soft tannins, and some nice balsamic acidity. Finish was a little flat and short but apart from the pong of residual egg fining this seems a pretty decent shiraz. Probably needs some more time in the bottle and a big decant to blow off.
50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Chateau de Sours Bordeaux Blanc 2005

From the Entre-deux-mers region, this white AOC Bordeaux from St-Quentin-de-Baron opened to a rather muted yet fresh boquet of lemon, green apple, butterscotch, oak and some minerals. On the palate it was quite lean and clean with precise acidity and minerality. Some oak was evident, and the finish was quite dry and crisp. Overall quite an old fashioned and a little austere SSB, which did lack a little depth and complexity, but quite delightful as a clean and dry table wine or even aperitif. Would like to try their rose.
50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Mr. Riggs Yacca Paddock Tempranillo 2005

Failing to find some Rioja, Deb picked up a bottle of this Tempranillo, from the Adelaide Hills. Lovely big alternating bouquet of red currants, red berries, licorice, mocha, caramel, leather, cinnamon and oak. Again the palate was big and robust, with the 15% alcohol inevident. Lovely rich berry fruits over soft dry tannins, and acidity clean and in check. Long length and robust sherry-like finish made this an excellent treatment of tempranillo, and even though a little masculine, still manages to hold and restrain itself. Good value at $29 but can be had cheaper.
50+4+13+17+7 = 91/100

Alain Brumont Gros Manseng 2005

For our Friday night aperitif, picked up this wine, being a Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne, and made from a grape (Gros Manseng) of which I have never tried before. Opened confidently to a rather fresh array of fruits, with apricots, some tropicals, florals and a little minerality. On the palate it was rather rich and intense, with a slightly oily mouthfeel. Robust acidity and some sweetness as it warmed. The 13% alcohol did show itself somewhat. An unusual wine, which was reminiscent of a Viognier, a Soave, and perhaps a Godello. Overall quite interesting, albeit the noticeable alcohol did spoil it a little for me.
50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc 2007

This has to be my first 2007 vintage wine, and was curious to try this as I think Mark recommended it last time I saw him. From the Adelaide Hills, it was pale, crystal green-gold in colour. The bouquet was quite fresh with passionfruit, flowers, citrus peel/oil, minerals and a touch of grass. On the palate it was very clean and precise, with fine acidity and balance. Length was decent and finish dry and crisp, but restrained. Overall quite a fine Australian SB. A little pricey for $29.
50+4+13+17+7 = 91/100