A huge backlog of notes accumulated over the Christmas and New Years period. I’m going to pick the eyes out of them, so to speak, and try to keep it brief. I’m hugely indebted to my brother for the notes below!
2006 TEN MINUTES BY TRACTOR WALLIS CHARDONNAY (Mornington Peninsula ?% Screwcap)
Almond meal, nougat, cashews and grapefruit on the nose supported by barrel ferment and lees notes with just a touch of spice. Palate delivers on the inviting nose convincingly, adding a whisper of peach; full, intense, expansive and extremely long. Slightly cheesy in a good way. Texture, mouthfeel and acidity all spot on. The Wallis vineyard produces the best 10X Tractor Chardonnay in my opinion. More finesse than the McCutcheon.
2005 OCCAM’S RAZOR SHIRAZ (Heathcote ?% Cork)
I don’t usually like Heacote Shiraz that much but this was a beauty and had settled in nicely. The tannin structure was the real highlight. Truly superb and ultra fine. Dark plums, Asian spice, coffee and savoury liquorice. Simple flavour profile but it was how the whole wine came together that made it stand out. This will get even better in the next couple of years. Only a touch above medium bodied.
2003 PIZZINI CORONAMENTO NEBBIOLO (King Valley 13.8% Cork)
The second time I’ve had the pleasure of tasting this wine. Brilliant stuff even if there is a touch of infanticide in consuming it right now. Beginning to head towards dull orange at the edges. Pleasantly smoky nose with tar, orange peel, spice, some rosy florals & meatiness, cherries & liquorice, earth and minerals. Chewy nutty tannins and some gravel/bitumen aspects as well. Complex and brooding. Everything a great Australian Nebbiolo can be. The finish goes on to meet the horizon.
2006 CURLY FLAT CHARDONNAY (Macedon ?% Screwcap)
Still a bub built around limes, grapefruit and natural acidity. The potential is obvious. Focused, pure, minerally and fine boned. I’ll crack another bottle in two years time. It will be even better. Who says Australian Chardonnay doesn’t age well?
1996 MOUNT PLEASANT LOVEDALE SEMILLON (Hunter Valley ?% Cork)
Serious contender for wine of the year. A developed deep yellow gold, with a beautiful nose of lemon, toast, under-stated honey, nuts and hay. Still has a few hints of youth remaining if your cork holds up. The essence of what makes aged Hunter Semillon as good as any other wine on God’s green earth.
1996 CHARLES MELTON NINE POPES GRENACHE SHIRAZ MOURVEDRE (Barossa ?% Cork)
I need to get some more GSMs in the cellar if this is any indication of how well they can age. Gamey, leathery, earthy and savoury yet the light grenache raspberry flavours ride effortlessly above the more serious aged characters. The bottle actually just improved the longer it was open.