Wine Reviews
Mount Mary Chardonnay 2008
Mount Mary Chardonnay is a balanced and elegant wine. Its white fruit flavours are somewhere between subtle and rich. The flavours are reserved and take time to evolve in the glass. A well structured wine that lingers on the palate.
Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No 3
This is something different, far away from the cabernet, shiraz, pinot mainstream. And in the traditional labelling style of Yarra Yering, the label doesn't help much either. Apart from all that its a lovely wine and its nice to try something new and different. Dry Red Wine No 3 is in fact a blend of 6 Portuguese varieties. Yarra Yering. The vines were planted in 1990 in an area of the vineyard well suited to this variety. The wine takes a a little while to open up in the glass, and decanting is recommended, but after that it just keeps getting better and better. Over all, quite savoury flavours with plum and cherries. Its a medium weight wine but is complex and well balanced and easy to drink. Its not cheap but it is a quality wine and pleasantly different.
Cable Bay Five Hills Merlot Malbec 2010
This is an unusual blend of two of the five classic Bordeaux varieties Merlot and Malbec. It has strong and rather sharp flavours of plum and blueberry with hints of coffee and cedar. As it breathes it opens up and the sharpness goes. It is a good wine but either needs more time in the cellar or opening and decanting an hour or two before drinking if you want to see it at its best.
Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2002
This wine has been in the cellar for a while, nearly 11 years and it has aged beautifully, no doubt that is partly due to it being under screw cap. It is a classic Grosset Riesling with citrus flavours and acidity that have mellowed and developed over time. So the sharp acidity has gone but it has not become burdened with mineral or petrol flavours, instead there is mild honey and toast. A beautiful wine that has been worth the wait, and it still has some time to go.
Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock Viognier 2011
Very much a lighter style of Viognier. Most Viogniers have distinct apricot flavours, but this one is more white peach. A light, clear, clean wine that is quite subtle in its flavours and takes a little time to open up in the glass. Not a traditional Australian Viognier, but still a good wine.
Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc 2010
This wine is not a typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as it has been barrel fermented in French oak. It still has the underlying Sauvignon Blanc flavours but they are complimented by full fruit flavours of peach and pear. Still a very straight clean wine, but the flavours are more developed and matured, and are further enhanced when drinking it with food.
Bass Phillip Estate Pinot Noir 2002
This wine was not up to the usual Bass Phillip standard. I don't know if it was too old, or maybe it just wasn't such a good year. Whatever the reason the taste had gone beyond briary to stalky and bitter. There were some cherry and red fruit flavours but they were outdone by the bitterness.
Riposte The Sabre Pinot Noir 2010
The Sabre is a new wine but already has quite a reputation. In February 2013 it was named top Australian Pinot Noir at the 2013 Winewise Annual Championship after finishing second and third in 2012 and 2011. This wine impresses from the moment it is poured. In the glass it is clear and clean looking. On the nose dark cherries which carry through on to the palate with fine integrated tannins. An elegant and complex wines that is well integrated and has quality stamped all over it. An absolute bargain at this price.
Riposte The Stiletto Pinot Gris 2012
A fine and mouthfilling Pinot Gris. Typical flavours of pear and subtle citrus, crisp and refreshing. A good Pinot Gris that is a bargain at this price.
Riposte The Scimitar Riesling 2011
This is the only wine that Riposte makes that is not from the Adelaide Hills, with the grapes coming from the Clare Valley, the original home ground for Tim Knappstein. It has typical citrusy lime flavours with balanced acidity. Yet another quality Clare Valley Riesling
