Last Sunday Tasting Group

Reviewed: 25 June 2011

For regular readers of this column, you will know that this tasting is the highlight of my tasting month. The combination of good friends, fine wine and lovely food is very compelling.

The theme this month was Barossa blends from 2004 or earlier. In my mind, I was thinking GSM type blends, but in retrospect, these blends have become a lot more common in recent years. So the tasting had a fair smattering of cabernet/shiraz blends.

The tasting served to remind me of just how good these blends are, delivering the structure of cabernet, with the richness of shiraz. I am not sure why we have become fixated on single vineyard wines from a single variety. This uniquely Australian blend is fantastic.

Thanks to Kerry and Norbert for a lovely meal!

Reviewed

Rockford – Grenache/Shiraz/Mataro – Moppa Springs 1998 (18.5). Superb nose on this. Leather, spice, plum, chocolate and coffee bean add up to a complex and alluring nose. The palate is velvety and long. Fully mature and drinking an absolute treat.

Spinifex – Grenache/Shiraz/Cinsault/Mataro – Esprit – 2002. (18.5). Very dense, old vine fruit. Rich and textured, the nose shows Christmas cake, coffee and chocolate pudding. The superb fruit is evident on the palate. This is textured, complex and very long. There is a savoury spiciness to close. Lovely wine.

Yalumba – Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz – The Reserve – 1990 (18.3). Like The Signature, shows plenty of earth and leather, with just enough barnyard characters to add real interest. The palate is very powerful and shows lovely dense fruit of real quality. The fruit is remarkably tight for a 21 year old wine.

Deisen – Shiraz/Mouvedre – Winter Sun – 2003/2004 (18+). Really complex wine with earthy components, leather, spice and sweet plummy fruit. Long, dense, fine and textured, the palate is quite superb. I have not seen any Deisen wines before, but this unorthodox blend of vintages works a treat.

Rosemount – Grenache/Shiraz/Mouvedre – 2001 (18). Fragrant and floral, with a hint of raspberry jam to the sweet ripe fruit. The palate is spicy, supple, textured and very long, with a core of ripe fruit running the length of the palate. Not quite on theme as this is a three region blend.

Grant Burge – Shiraz/Viognier – Balthasar – 2002 (17.8). Earthy/meaty notes to open, with a lovely floral/candied lift coming from the viognier and the vanillin oak. The palate shows licorice, spice, cinnamon and plum. Good mouth-feel, balance and texture. Good acidity to close.

Penfolds – Mouvedre/Grenache/Shiraz – Old Vines – 1992 (17.8). Aged and leathery with developed tarry notes. Lovely mouth-feel, texture and excellent length. This has thrown a big crust.

Yalumba – Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz – The Signature – 2001 (17.8). Fragrant, floral and quite delicious. The perfumed fruit is really quite fantastic. Again, there are the leather and earthy notes, but this is more medium bodied than some here. Cabernet adds to the structure and provides some tobacco and eucalypt notes.

Yalumba – Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz – The Signature – 1990 (17.7). Supple and silky, showing tar and leather with hints of spice and plum. The palate is earthy and complex, with a touch of herbal/tobacco leaf flavours courtesy of the cabernet. A savoury wine that has plenty of life left in it.

Charles Melton – Grenache/Shiraz/Mouvedre – Nine Popes – 1997 (17.5). Mature and developed, though the palate is still quite lively. An excellent drink.

Veritas – Shiraz/Mataro (pressings) – Bulls Blood – 2002 (17.5). Fresh red berries on a lovely nose that is dense and complex. Wafts of American oak in no way detract from the fruit. The palate highlights the excellent quality fruit. This is a generous and rich wine that is textured and long. Youthful tannins to close.