This offering from Stuart Olsen of Eloquesta wines is a made using multiple vintages:
Sur-lees aged pressings of Shiraz and Petit Verdot from 2009 and 2010 were double fermented with fresh ripe fruit from the exceptional vintage 2013 – then poured back into French Oak to finish on total lees to protect aromatics and mouth feel for 6 months. Cabernet was added at 15% to give structure and backbone
Half of it is cofermented with Viognier. Olsen refers to it as a ‘pastiche of varietals and techniques I have experimented with over five years’. A postmodern wine? A sense of playfulness at the very least. The fruit feels darker and much more concentrated here. Plush. More Mudgee if you will. Plums, mulberries and blackcurrants. Light and shade though. A herbal thread yet full-bodied. White pepper, leaf, anise, cedar and wilted florals. Plenty of character and complexity even if it isn’t totally cohesive. Indeed, the discordance only adds to the intrigue. The feel of the plump yet assertive tannins on the tongue is a highlight. While it wasn’t love at first sight I do have plenty of time for this. 90
Region: Mudgee
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $28
Tasted: May 2014