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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
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Category Archives: Canberra
2012 Eden Road The Long Road Shiraz
This Long Road utilises mostly Gundagai fruit. It would be crass if I quoted the song that immediately comes to mind. There’s a dash from the Canberra District and the Hilltops as well. The incorporation of 15% whole bunches is pronounced. The … Continue reading
2013 Eden Road The Long Road Pinot Gris
Grapes are sourced from a single vineyard in the Murrumbatemen area of the Canberra District. Fermentation takes place in old French hogsheads where the wine is left for six months. Before that it spends 12 hours on skins, imparting a … Continue reading
2013 Lark Hill Grüner Veltliner
The best Australian Grüner Veltliner I’ve tasted and not just because it presents as the closest to the Austrian models. It has brisk acidity which provides excellent structure yet there is a softness and a sense of texture. It creates … Continue reading
2013 Lark Hill Viognier
After nailing the 2012 Chardonnay, Lark Hill have done the same with the 2013 Viognier. The words ‘Biodynamic Wine’ are proudly emblazoned on these bottles and I feel that’s only right given Chris Carpenter’s commitment to this viticultural practice. What … Continue reading
2012 Lark Hill Chardonnay
Pretty much the Chardonnay I’d always thought and hoped the Canberra District could produce. The site sits 860 metres above sea level and is over 30 years old. Winemaker Chris Carpenter has always been a strong advocate of biodynamics and … Continue reading
2012 Clonakilla Riesling
Sold out ex winery but still available at a retail level and well worth seeking out. I first tasted it at a Clonakilla dinner next to the simply brilliant 2005 and a lovely, golden and toasty 2002. This will age … Continue reading
Re-evaluating Australian Merlot: Taking a Step Back from Fear and Loathing
If Bordeaux is unfashionable these days amongst the wine media, sommeliers and the cognoscenti, then it’s not too far off the mark to say that Australian Merlot is loathed. There are reasons for this (apart from plain ignorance, which still … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Australia, Canberra, Eden Valley, Granite Belt, Margaret River, McLaren Vale, Merlot, Yarra Valley
Tagged Articles, Wine Events, Wine Musings, Wine Reviews
4 Comments
2011 Four Winds Vineyard Riesling
The potential that I sensed in the 2010 release goes a long way towards being realised here. Low level sweetness (13g/l) is matched to crystalline acidity, creating a sense of tension that you don’t often see in Australian Riesling full-stop let alone … Continue reading
2010 Clonakilla O’Riada Shiraz
I love the angular elegance Tim Kirk brings to Shiraz. The Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier has priced itself out of my range but this O’Riada makes that fact a whole lot more bearable. There’s 5% Viognier in the mix here and it’s masterfully integrated into the … Continue reading
2010 Capital Wines The Ambassador Tempranillo
Canberra 13.2% Screwcap $27 Another impressive rendition of Tempranillo in this country. Capital Wines seem to be developing a very good working relationship with the variety. This one is bright, juicy and enticingly flavoured. Particularly impressive for six year old vines and a … Continue reading