Musella Valpolicella Superiore DOC Ripasso 2003

And for our steak dinner, we opened this Valpolicella, of which we have had another vintage and did enjoy very much. Made from a blend of Corvina, Rondinella, Barbera and Croatina, it opened to quite a sweet and soft bouquet of black cherries, strawberry, herbs and some sap and earth notes. On the palate it was quite light, with very soft, almost elusive tannins. Length was not great and finish quite soft. Again a great food wine which did compliment our steak with mushroom and marsala sauce very well.
50+4+12+17+7 = 90/100

Domaine Henry Pelle La Croix au Garde Sancerre 2006

New Years eve, and after our Champagne, tried this Sancerre from Henry Pelle. Opened to a relatively muted bouquet of citrus, sap, musk and some herbs. On the palate it was quite relaxed with powdery minerality and clean fruits. Not a lot of depth or length but still quite a refined and well made Sancerre, and makes a very nice aperitif.
50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Cloudy Bay Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc 2004

After a Martini, we decided to venture out for dinner, and grabbed this rather expensive NZ SB from Cloudy Bay which we had with some lovely oysters. Opened to a wonderful and complex bouquet, showing rockmelon, minerals, crab-shell, smoke and herbs. On the palate it was quite highly toned and beautifully balanced, with acidity soft and mouthfeel quite creamy and soft. Lovely dry and lengthy sherberty finish. Overall a very complex and sofisticated SB, unlike any other NZ SB I have ever had. Superb.
50+4+13+18+8 = 93/100

Te Mata Estate Woodthorpe Chardonnay 2006

Another wine from our xmas case, and one which we have had the previous vintage. Opened to quite a nice and focused bouquet of melon, peach, spices, cream and a little smoke. On the palate again quite focused fruits, some nice minerality and tight integrated oak on the finish. Again this is a well made chardonnay. Seems a little leaner than the 2005 vintage.
50+4+12+17+7 = 90/100

Salomon Undhof Kremser Kögl Riesling 2002

For our christmas lunch of roast pork, I tentatively opened this riesling, as my ability to smell was quite limited due to my recent flu. Mid golden in colour, Deborah indicated aromas of green apples, pear, honey and some minerals. On the palate it seemed quite fine and dry, with some nice minerals and decent length. Overall a very nice and reasonably developed wine, of which I could only imagine.
50+4+12+17+8 = 91/100

Villa Simone Frascati Superiore DOC 2005

One of Deb's picks for the xmas case, as she has a taste for Frascati these days. Opened to quite an attractive bouquet of melon, citrus, flowers, herbs and some vanilla. On the palate it was quite fine, with acidity smooth and balanced. Worked very well with food and really a very nice Italian table wine.
50+4+12+17+7 = 90/100

Cullen Ellen Bussell Red 2005

Was fortunate to receive this wine from my co-workers at our christmas lunch, which was very enjoyable. A blend of 48% Malbec, 41% Merlot and 11% Cab Sav it opened to quite a fruity bouquet of plum, blueberry, spices and some herbaceous notes. On the palate acidity was a little edgy, with fruit and tannins working reasonably well together. Finished with a nice savoury character. Overall quite a decent blend and would suit I think some bbq meats.
50+4+13+16+7 = 90/100

Ballast Stone Estate Stonemason Currency Creek Rose 2006

This rose made from Cabernet Sauvignon was a quick purchase from my local and looked reasonable. Opened to a fruity and relatively sweet bouquet of raspberry, cherry, mint and some spice. On the palate it was a little thin, but well balanced with decent length and flavour. There was some residual sugars evident, but overall not a bad wine.
50+4+12+15+7 = 88/100

Tobacco Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

We have been drinking a lot of the 2003 vintage of this wine, which is really is a well made, cheap and quintessential cab sav, so now to the 2006 vintage. Opened to classic cabernet leaf, blackberries, capsicum, spice and a little sweet musk. On the palate the acidity was a little sharper than the 2003, but probably due to its youth. Competent structure and generous length again makes this wine quite a bargain at $14. Could do with some time in the bottle and does need a good decant but still good stuff.
50+4+13+16+7 = 90/100

Petaluma Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2005

On special we decided to give this chardonnay a try, which I think I have had many many years ago but don't quite remember it's qualities. Opened to a rather fruity bouquet of melon, stonefruit, some banana flavours, pear, hazelnuts, a little cream and spicy oak. On the palate it was quite clean and balanced with juicy fruits over some nice minerals. Finished quite dry and relatively taught. Overall quite a distinct and well made chardonnay, and well worth $35.
50+4+13+17+8 = 92/100

Hardys Oomoo Shiraz 2006

And for dinner, Deb grabbed a couple of these as they were discounted. The bouquet on this shiraz was not quite as deep or complex as the 2005, with soft plums, raspberry, violets and a little spice. On the palate it was medium bodied, with fruits a little aneamic. It was fairly well balanced with some chewiness on the finish but really no problems other than being just a little too light. Just worth $12.50.
50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Yarra Burn Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Meunier 2005

I had read some good reviews about this sparkling wine, and others made by Yarra Burn so we got a bottle for our aperitif. Opened to quite a lovely bouquet of soft citrus notes, melon, yeast, hazelnuts and some herbs. On the palate it was relatively light, with beading fine but not that persistant. Mouthfeel was quite soft and creamy, with some nice sherberty notes, making it quite an easy wine to drink. Overall this was quite delightful drinking, and although it lacked a little depth it certainly is one of the finer and more enjoyable mid-priced vintage Australian sparkling wines around. A good way to celebrate, it being the 500th wine now posted on Woine Toime.
50+4+13+16+7 = 90/100

Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2005

Some Burgundy for dinner, and since I did enjoy the Jadot Beaujolais last week decided to try out a pinot. Opened tentatively to a locked bouquet, which opened somewhat to reveal cherry fruits, caramel, earth, mushrooms and some sweet jube fruit. On the palate it was relatively tart, with sour cherries, caramel and some earthy tones flowing through. It did settle a little over time but didn't give a lot much else. Overall not a great pinot, but neither bad. So so I think, and a little overpriced at $40.
50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Mountadam Estate Chardonnay 2006

We used to drink this chardonnay quite a bit some years ago, until its quality dropped but not its price. So after a long hiatus decided to get the latest vintage. Opened to relatively muted aromas of melon, fig, nuts, smoke and spice. On the palate it was much leaner than I remember, with big grapefruit flavours, and a soft powdery minerality beneath. Length was a little short, and body thinner than I remember. Really quite a different wine these days, but still quite a refined result. Perhaps just a little too fashionable and generic for me.
50+4+12+17+7 = 90/100

Wolf Blass Gold Label Sauvignon Blanc 2007

This SB from the Adelaide hills showed quite a robust bouquet of gooseberry, citrus, herbs and a touch of cream cheese. On the palate it was well balanced, with taught acidity, good length and nice tight and dry finish. Overall this is a very confidently made wine, which is has some complexity despite its youth. I think the Gold Label range is really quite a safe buy and value for money, and this SB was particulary fine drinking.
50+4+13+17+7 = 91/100

Louis Jadot ‘Combe Aux Jacques’ Beaujolais Villages 2006

I am having a little Beaujolais renaissance, as I do think they can be lovely light reds and suitable spring or perhaps summer wines in this country, so grabbed this one from DJ's on the way home. Opened to a floral perfumed bouquet of strawberries, cherries, violets, plum, sap, caramel/honey and some savory spice. On the palate it was initially a touch sharp, but did settle down to show lovely fruits over softening tannins. Some earthy tones emerged and finish became increasingly light and soft. It was a little more interesting and complex than other Beaujolais I have tried, and did raise itself in quality towards a pinot based Burgundy. Would benefit a long decant, and perhaps some cellaring. Overall a delightful wine, and an above average Beaujolais, and quite a bargain I think at $25. Worthy of a case me thinks.
50+4+13+18+7 = 92/100

Ninth Island Pinot Noir 2006

After the Toscana failure, I opened this pinot from Tasmania. Again initially it smelt sharp but after about an hour it blew off to show an array of cherry, raspberry, some mocca and feint sappy notes. On the palate again initially sharp but did settle to display quite a soft and balanced palate with nice fruit and tannins. Overall quite a competent and agreeable pinot, and while not showing a great deal of depth or character, still quite a good value wine at $19, and a lovely painting on the label.
50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Cipresse Toscana IGT 2005

With Debs fondness for Toscana, she grabbed this one for our dinner. Opened to quite a sharp and fruity bouquet, so decanted for about an hour. The bouquet didn't show anything that interesting other than sharp berry fruits and some plums. On the palate it was very sharp and thin, with lots of un-balanced acidity and astringent tannins. We decided things were not going to improve with this wine so made the very easy decision to pour down the sink. Pitty, as it wasn't that cheap at $25. A wine that is simply undrinkable for us, and one we will avoid at all costs.
50+4+8+5+1 = 68/100

Hardys Siegersdorf Riesling 2006

This bottle was initially part of a case I sent to my Father, but somehow never made it to him and was sent to me. We decided not to bother with posting it and had it for our pre-dinner wine. Opened to quite a fresh bouquet of limes, lemon, verbena, with some undertones of honey and minerals. On the palate it was quite juicy with more citrus, nice balance and a short but pleasant finish. A little light and uncomplicated at the moment, but probably would develop over time, like the 1997 vintage did.
50+4+12+16+7 = 89/100

Château Villerambert-Julien La Syrah 2004

A new French import at my local, I had to give a try as I did enjoy this makers red blend L'Opèra some time ago. Opened to quite a racy and fruity bouquet of cherry, raspberry, mulberry, plums, sweet musk, earth and classic Minervois cumin. Initially the palate was a little sharp, but did settle after some airing to show quite a delicate and balanced structure of soft fruits over softer tannins. Nice mouthfeel and decent length, this was quite an elegant syrah, and made for very pleasant drinking. Quite good value at $24.
50+4+13+17+7 = 91/100

Vasse Felix Chardonnay 2006

For our aperitif I decided to get some chardonnay, and this seemed interesting. Opened to a relatively reserved bouquet of melon, peach, fig, some tropical notes, grapefruit and a little white pepper. On the palate it was quite well balanced, with quite crisp acidity, lots of citrus and decent but not great length. Quite a clean and structured palate, but did lack a little dimension. Overall quite a fine chardonnay and decently priced at $26.
50+4+13+17+7 = 91/100