Tag Archives: Wine Reviews

2013 Snake + Herring Tough Love Chardonnay

Incorporates fruit from both the Margaret River and Porongurup areas of Western Australia. Perhaps slightly more generous than the previous vintage. Light funk on the nose. Nectarine, lime and spiced pears are supported by a restrained veneer of oak. Hints … Continue reading

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2013 Smith & Hooper Wrattonbully Pinot Grigio

The Pinot G Style Spectrum™ on the back label has it three-quarters of the way to luscious. It’s certainly more Gris than Grigio. Both sweet and tart apples mix with brown pears. Any residual sugar isn’t overt. Indeed it’s rather … Continue reading

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2011 Evans & Tate Redbrook Margaret River Shiraz

One of the region’s better performed Shiraz wines. Surprisingly I preferred it to the Cabernet. Red fruits and mulberry, gum leaf and sage. Notable for its lithe shape and the finesse and length of its graphite tannin. Savoury dimensions and … Continue reading

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2012 Inkwell Infidels Primitivo

All American oak, 22% new. There’s a splash of Shiraz in here as well. Smells and tastes of custard coated plums, blackberries, kirsch and sweet coconut. A hint of blood orange. Creamy, liqueurous and more open-weave but the requisite strike … Continue reading

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2012 Inkwell Road to Joy Shiraz Primitivo

The blend is 85%/15% respectively. Wild ferment as is the case with each of these Inkwell releases. Twenty-one months in French and American hogsheads. Purple fruits, plum pudding, Old Jamaican chocolate and vanilla with baking spice. The acidity feels slightly … Continue reading

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2011 Evans & Tate Redbrook Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon

Very good Margaret River Cabernet if more steeply priced than I would like to see given a slight lack of depth and softness of fruit. Redcurrants, roasted capsicum, peanuts and plums. Gum leaf, pressed flowers and chocolate. Cuddly on entry … Continue reading

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2005 Tyrrell’s Vat 47 Chardonnay

Purchased on release and cellared at Wine Ark, then brought to my humble abode and shared by a friend. Quite simply this is what wine is all about. I would have been grateful had it turned out to be a … Continue reading

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2010 Domaine Bart Fixin-Hervelets 1er Cru

Humble Côte de Nuits from the secondary village of Fixin. Smells of lucerne pellets and red fruits. Quite feral and untamed. The palate contributes sour plum skins and beetroot with dusty, dried spice and herbs. Prominent cranberry acidity and stoney … Continue reading

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2012 Smith & Hooper Reserve Merlot

From Wrattonbully , a region which appears to have developed the reputation of being the poor man’s Coonawarra. With names like Tapanappa and Terre à Terre making their mark that may all change. This Merlot is more perfunctory than ‘Reserve’ … Continue reading

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2012 Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Vineyard Shiraz

My fascination with Shiraz from the Great Southern GI continues unabated. Its isolation may slow progress to an extent but I feel strongly that it will one day produce some of the leading examples of the grape in Australia. Deep, … Continue reading

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