Wine Reviews By Barry Weinman
In a change from the ordinary, this week I have published my recipe for a quick and simple chicken curry. Perfect for a cold night, served with a rich, generous shiraz!
Wines of the Week
Evoi – Reserve – Chardonnay – 2017. This smells expensive, with curry leaf minerality reminding me of a powerful Corton. The white nectarine fruit is textured, reserved and slightly chewy, with gentle tropical and pineapple notes. Minerality builds on the finish. With density and richness, the power belies the cooler year. 95pts – $69. (Sept 10).
Evoi – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2015. Serious fruit that has depth, texture and power. Impressive density of fruit for a wine at this price point and worthy of time in the cellar. A bargain. 93pts – $35. (Sept 10).
Evoi – The Satyr – Cabernet Blend – 2014. Impenetrable density of fruit. There is so much on offer, but this is so tightly wound that you are assailed by the power without the fruit getting a chance to fully express its character right now. A special wine that demands a decade in the cellar to unwind. 95+pts – $69. (Sept 10).
Evoi – The Satyr – Cabernet Blend – 2016. Here, the vibrant fruit and the skilled winemaking collide to make for a great drinking wine. Serious? Yes, but also full of life and personality. Worthy of time in the cellar, but hard to resist now. 95+pts – $69. (Sept 10).
Grosset – Springvale- Riesling – 2021. Exquisite wine. Precise, taut and restrained, but with a core of amazing fruit. Gentle lime comes to the fore, with a touch of zest adding the high notes. The silky mouthfeel is seamless, with amazingly fine and polished acidity that has the ability to carry this wine for decades in the cellar. Delicious and profound all at once. 96+pts. (Sept 1).
Grosset – Polish Hill – Riesling – 2021 . The aromatics here are a highlight. This is fleshy, juicy and packed with citrus fruit over a hint of musk. The palate is supple and has amazing intensity, with the fruit framed by slate and mineral notes. Great depth and length of fruit. With a riot of flavours, this is a super-fun wine now but also guaranteed to age for decades. 97pts. (Sept 1).
Grosset – Apiana – Fiano – 2021. This is quite superb. Fine, elegant and very long, with fresh floral fruit notes over perfumed talc and gentle spice. Length and persistence are a highlight with perhaps just a hint of residual sugar adding texture. A real surprise! 93pts. (Sept 1).
Recent Articles
Evoi: Pre-Release Tasting – Sept 2021
10th September 2021
I first became acquainted with Evoi wines 18 months ago at the behest of Brendan Jansen MW. He raved about the quality and value on offer. At the end of my visit, I was in full agreement…
New Releases Whites: September 2021
5th September 2021
The latest Castle Rock Rieslings are a fascinating trio of wines. The fruit for the Porongurup and Skywalk is exactly the same, with the free run juice going into the Porongurup and the light pressings going into the Skywalk…
Grosset 2021 Rieslings
1st September 2021
If, like me, you are a fan of Riesling, then the wines of Grosset need no introduction. After all, they have been lauded by both consumers and critics for more than two decades…
August 2021: New Releases
23th August 2021
In what must surely be the most exciting news in Australian wine this year, Ross Pamment has taken on the role of Senior Winemaker at Sandalford. Given the mature vineyard holdings that Sandalford have, I am very keen to see the results.
Peccavi Estate 2021 Release Highlights
17th August 2021
Peccavi Estate was founded by Jeremy Muller, as the culmination of a global search for an ideal vineyard location.
Muller purchased an established 16-hectare vineyard sitting in the Yallingup sub-region of Margaret River and set about adding new clones of Merlot to further improve the varietal composition.
Vasse Felix New Releases for 2021
15th August 2021
Virginia Wilcox and the team at Vasse Felix could never be accused of resting on their laurels. Vintage after vintage, Vasse Felix has produced superb wines at all price points. Yet each year, they look to make incremental changes to try and elevate each wine just that little bit more.
New Kid on the Block: Nikola Estate
8th August 2021
I was saddened when Houghton closed down their Swan Valley operations and sold off the winery. So much of Western Australia’s winemaking history can be linked to the winery and the people who have worked there.
Spoilt for Choice: Shiraz and Friends
5th August 2021
When it comes to Shiraz, Australia really is the lucky country! As a consumer, not only are we spoilt for choice when it comes to the different expressions of Shiraz, we are also blessed that there is extraordinary value to be had.
Pot of Gold: Australian Fortified Wines
1st August 2021
Australian fortified wines are amongst the great bargains in the wine world. The price to quality ratio is right off the scale.
A Year to Remember
27th June 2021
Margaret River has been blessed with a seemingly never-ending run of very good vintages, starting with the 2007 vintage and continuing to this day. I am not aware of any other region globally that has ever been able to achieve this level of consistency!
The Duke Who Would be King
Barry Weinman: 12th June 2021
Porongorup producer Duke’s has developed a reputation in recent years for making some of Australia’s best rieslings. The combination of high quality fruit and sympathetic winemaking by the talented Rob Diletti has proved a winner.
Winter Warmers
3rd June 2021
With the change in the weather, my mind automatically drifts to bigger, richer reds to drink with a hearty winter casserole or a comforting curry.
Simple Chicken Curry (Serves 4 people)
Barry Weinman
Prep time: 15 Minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes
This really is the easiest of recipes, is healthy and delicious, and takes almost no effort. And the ingredients are straight from the supermarket. The only proviso is that it is best to cook this the day before, to allow the flavours to infuse the meat.
Bargains at any price
Barry Weinman: 28th May 2021
When it comes to reviewing and recommending wine, perspective is everything in my opinion. There are three steps that I take to reduce bias and improve objectivity.
Reaching for the Skigh
Brendan Jansen MW: 19th May 2021
It is rare that I taste the range of wines from a single producer and am enamoured by all of them. I set out to write this article intending to utilise one or two wines from the range to showcase the producer, but I simply could not choose!
Bargains from the Tasting Bench
Barry Weinman: 11th April 2020
Like many other wineries in Australia, the land on which 3drops vineyards sit started life as a farm in Mt Barker. In the late 1990’s the Bradbury family diversified into olives and wine.
Pinot Noir: April 2021
Barry Weinman: 8th March 2021
For many wine lovers, Pinot Noir remains the holy grail of wine drinking. There is the potential to produce great great wines, however the variety can be almost impossible to get right in less than ideal climatic conditions. to get right in the vineyard and in the winery.
New Release Premium Chardonnay: March 2021
27th March 2021
Whilst it is good to be able to review wines from a cross-section of producers, there are some wines that justify being reviewed each year, as they form the standard by which all other producers are judged.
22nd March 2021
I was lucky enough to have a sneak preview of several yet to be released Margaret River Cabernets, including the 2018s from Brookland Valley. As good as the Estate is, the Reserve is just that little bit more special. Both are worth looking out for.
Premium Chardonnay – First Impressions
25th February 2021
This was one of the more interesting tastings that I have done recently, as it gave me the opportunity to review a number of current release wines, as well as several excellent wines that will not be released for some time.