Matt Holden, the sales manager for Fine Wine Wholesalers, arranged this tasting to showcase some of the new releases in their portfolio. The wines were tasted blind, and they are listed in the order tasted.

Matt is one of the best operators that I have come across in the industry. Competition in the wholesale industry is fierce. There are little or no barriers to entry, and there are new wineries appearing every week that need some-one to sell their wines. Little wonder that wine wholesaling is considered a challenge. Matt’s success is due to hard work and an excellent product range, (think Mosswood, Grosset, Pierro etc).

There were two highlights for the tasting. One was the Castle Rock riesling, a wine bursting with vitality. The other was the Seresin’s Leah pinot noir. This is a fantastic wine. Whilst it displays many of the characteristics of a good burgundy, it also has fantastic drinkability, (something that a lot of premium wines can lack).

Reviewed

Seresin – Pinot – Leah – 2008 (18.5). More complex and alluring, with spicy cedary overtones. The palate is quite lovely, showing pristine fresh fruit characters with a hint of oak toast to bring it all together. Tannins are fine and supple and the finish is long. Good mouth-feel and texture too. This got gold medal points for sheer drinkability and will show up a few burgundies over the next 5 years.

Castle rock – Riesling – 2010 (18+). More classically structured than the Alkoomi. Lime juice and minerals to the fore on the nose. The palate is fresh and zesty with lovely tingling acidity. Very long. Will be a star!

Bird in Hand – Shiraz – 2008 (18). Quite dumb to start, but hints at potential. Satsuma plum, cherry, anise and blackcurrant. The palate is complex and savoury. The fruit is very dense and only hints at potential. The fine tannins and quality oak add to the finish. Chocolate and coffee on the finish.

Feet First – Cabernet/Merlot – 2009 (18). Attractive blackcurrant fruit on the nose. The palate is flooded with quality fruit and the oak sits backstage to fine tannins and acid. Mouth feel is good and the fruit evolves. Give it time. Very good value.

Bird in Hand – Shiraz – Nest Egg – 2007 (17.8+). Lovely, seductive nose with plum, blackcurrant, forest floor and a touch of quality oak. Follows on the palate in a medium bodied style. Will develop well and has superb fruit quality.

Deepwoods – Cabernet – Reserve – 2008 (17.8). Restrained and elegant, with cedar and dark fruit aromas. The palate is long, vibrant and dense. The mouth-feel is silky with a very soft finish. Wow, this really opens up and builds lovely, vibrant fruit. Just gets better.

Deepwoods – Cabernet/Shiraz – Ebony – 2009 – (17.8). Structured and closed. The palate is very dense and layered, but the fruit has trouble escaping. Very fine tannins and oak completely shut down fruit. Well crafted.

Ten Men – Shiraz – – 2008 (17.8). Complex and dense. The colour is almost impenetrable. Dark forest fruits, with a hint of earth and tar. Spice and cedar add interest. Complex and dense, the fruit is restrained. The licorice and tar add to the finish. Will evolve. (From the Yarra Valley).

Deepwoods – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – Ivory – 2010 (17.6). Balanced and attractive fruit. Good attack and complex fruit, but the middle palate is quite suppressed. Should open up with a year in the bottle. There is good mouth-feel, and plenty of tangy fruit on the finish.

Castle rock – Pinot – 2009 (17.5). Big glass full of earthy aromas to start. Freshens with air, showing cherry and plum fruit. The palate has cherry, spice and some textural wine-making inputs. Not so complex, but easy to like, the souring finish adds interest.

Alkoomi – Riesling – 2009 (17). Quite floral and fresh. There is a floral soap/talc aroma. Supple and soft, yet with a fine acidity providing the back bone. Has ability to develop.

Chapel Hill – Shiraz – Parson’s Nose – 2009 (17). Classic confectionary Mclaren Vale fruit. Opens up to show some sour plum notes. Attractive red fruits on the palate with licorice and a touch of dried herbs to close. Excellent value.

Chapel Hill – Tempranillo – il Vescovo – 2009 (17). Wow, a riot of vibrant fruit. Plums, blackcurrant and spice all add to make an excellent drinking wine. Excellent value at under $20. Grenache based.

Kingston – Cabernet – 2008 (17). Closed. Has red fruit, currants and cedary oak. Succulent and juicy in a modern style. Builds complexity in the mouth and should develop over 5 years. Value.

Kingston – Shiraz – 2009 (17). Vibrant but slightly medicinal fruit characters. The palate is big and powerful, but the tannins shut down the fruit. A big blokes red. Not my style, but an impressive wine for the price.

Millsreef – Sauvignon Blanc – Reserve – 2010 (17). Floral and fresh, Tropical and grassy notes on the nose. Sherbet and musk fruit with a fresh acidity. Not quite together on the finish yet.

Ten Men – Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (17). They tried really hard with this wine, using all available winemakers’ inputs. Complex nose with barrel-worked and lees characters. Minerals and curry leaf too. The palate is very long and quite complex. There is a touch more residual sugar than I expected. 100% barrel aged.

Castle rock – Shiraz – 2008 (16.9). A touch earthy and with a whiff of dried herbs. Raspberry fruit on the palate in an easy drinking style. A lighter style.

Bird in Hand – Cabernet – 2008 (16.5). Lovely dense fruit on the nose. Wow, this is a big wine. Menthol, cedar and very ripe fruit. A bit to shiraz-like for me, but if you like a big red, then this is for you.

Bird in Hand – Sauvignon Blanc – 2010 (16.3). Floral and very pretty. Some confectionary characters that tend towards cough lollies.