- Subscribe
-
Recent Posts
For Your Pleasure
"For your pleasure
In our present state
Part false part true
Like anything
We present ourselvesThe words we use tumble
All over your shoulder
Gravel hard and looseThere all night lying
With your dark horse hiding
Abhorring such extremes" - Bryan FerryCategories
Archives
Category Archives: Cabernet et al
2012 Willow Bridge Dragonfly Cabernet Merlot
A blend of 55% Cabernet and 45% Merlot from the Ferguson Valley in Geographe. A little rough and ready perhaps but the personality hasn’t been polished away. That means a lot to me when we’re talking about a sub $20 red wine. … Continue reading
2011 Forester Estate Cabernet Merlot
A blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Smells much like these sort of blends from the Margaret River generally do. Bay leaf, raspberry, bitumen and blackcurrant. So far so good. It gets lost in translation on the palate … Continue reading
2011 Maxwell Little Demon Cabernet Merlot
Would you like me to insert a little introduction mentioning the trials of the 2011 vintage in certain areas of Australia? No, I didn’t think so… 70% Cabernet, 30% Merlot. Sweet, slightly confected black fruits on the palate with a … Continue reading
1992 Lake’s Folly Cabernets
It’s the 50th anniversary of Lake’s Folly this year. I didn’t even realise that when a friend brought this wine over. The growing season was dry in 1992 but the vintage itself was wet. Elegant and only medium-bodied with signs … Continue reading
2009 Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard Cabernet Shiraz
The Whalebone Vineyard reds are always swathed in oak. Unashamedly so. They’re built for the long haul. Still, they display a rare degree of refinement that sets them apart. The vineyard and the fruit is still clearly visible. It’s just framed … Continue reading
2009 Oakridge Over the Shoulder Cabernet Merlot
The bushfires that tore through the Yarra Valley in 2009 are strongly linked to the Wilco’s “Poor Places” in my head. I had become obsessed with the song’s lyrics and composition with its inexplicable yet compelling cascading piano coda which … Continue reading
2011 Cape Mentelle Trinders Cabernet Merlot
An almost introverted wine. One that makes its case quietly but convincingly. There’s 7% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc in here as well. I like that it doesn’t try to force itself on you. Violets, cassis, chocolate and cedar on … Continue reading
2011 Handpicked Margaret River Cabernet Merlot
Not a lot of finesse in this offering. And the Margaret River is certainly capable of producing Cabernet blends of poise and sophistication. Blackcurrants, mulberries, violets, autumnal and gum leaf on the nose. A bit of capsicum too and a fair whack … Continue reading
2012 Rob Dolan True Colours Cabernet Shiraz Merlot
Quite impressed by these Rob Dolan Tue Colours wines all up. Good quality, fair price. I’m tempted to call them honest. Polished and soft-fruited but it doesn’t feel concocted, cynical or confected. Mulberry, cherries and plum are framed by chocolate … Continue reading
2011 Dominique Portet Fontaine Shiraz Cabernet Merlot
A dual region blend and perhaps it’s played a role in ameliorating the wet vintage to an extent. Clever blending regardless. Sourced from the Pyrenees and the Yarra Valley. 50% Cabernet, 30% Shiraz and the rest Merlot. Leafy and slightly … Continue reading
Posted in Cabernet et al, Pyrenees, Shiraz et al, Syrah et al, Yarra Valley
Tagged Wine Reviews
Comments Off