2010 Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Grenache

Happy first Saturday of October, which of course means it's Cellar Saturday, that magical day where I raid the cellar for a wine at least a decade in the making.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that hasn't been in my cellar very long, as I bought it from Wines Till Sold Out back in August.  The 2010 Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Grenache is a 100% Grenache grown from old vines in South Eastern Australia, using whole berry fermentation with wild yeast, in an effort to enhance the Provencal character of the wine.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting 14 years after harvest!

The wine is a lovely ruby color in the glass, with a hint of amber along the edges as you might expect from such a vintage.  A gently swirl of the glass reveals aromas of earthy tar, black cherry, vanilla bean and hints of leather.  The first sip is a rather surprising rush of fruit, with black cherry, fig and plum that easily transition to some earthy notes of peat and wild mushroom midpalate, before easing into some black pepper spice at the finish.  The tannins are silky smooth, providing for a velvety smooth dry finish that will have you quickly reaching for another sip.

Overall, I appreciate this wine for it's decidedly French character, despite being grown a half a world away.  This wine would pair well with a variety of Mediterranean dishes, from grilled lamb, mellow seafood or braised short ribs.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a Mediterranean classic of grilled octopus with grilled summer squash, red onions and peppers.  Cheers!

2011 Clarendon Hills Grenache

Happy Cellar Saturday! It's the first Saturday of the month, that wonderful time when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making to enjoy.  Tonight I've open a bottle that's older, but hasn't been in my cellar very long, as it was a recent purchase from Wines Till Sold out.  The 2011 Clarendon Hills Grenache is a 100% Grenache from the McLaren Vale region of southern Australia.  Though this region is well known for Syrah, let's see what this fellow Rhone varietal has to offer.

The wine is a bright ruby in the glass, with a hint of amber along the edges.  Take a whiff and you're treated to aromas of strawberry, cherry and blackberry intermingled with earthy notes of peat and dusty loam.  Take a sip and your palate is awash in vibrant berry fruit flavors, with just a hint of sweetness, before transitioning to some wonderful earthy mineral notes and white pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are robust, providing a solid backbone for the long, smooth dry finish that lingers until your next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a real testament to the potential for this varietal under extended maturity.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from steaks and chops to barbecue or classis paella.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a classic pairing of herb crusted rack of lamb, with a wine and berry cardamom reduction and oven roasted rainbow cauliflower.  Cheers!

2012 Penfolds Bin 138

Well, it's the first Saturday of February, making this Cellar Saturday!  It's a magical day where I raid the cellar to find a wine to open that's at least a decade in the making.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that was a recent holiday gift from some longtime friends, the 2012 Penfolds Bin 138 Red Wine.  This wine is a classic GSM blend of Shiraz (aka Syrah 66%), Grenache (23%) and Mataro (aka Mourvèdre, 11%) from the Barossa Valley of South Australia.  So, let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from this blend.  A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of ripe red fruit, currant, strawberry and cherry intermingled with earthy notes of tar, black olive and cedar.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of ripe fruit, cherry, raspberry and currant that transition to some notes of green olive, basalt and tobacco midpalate.  The tannins are wonderfully structured to provide for a velvety, dry and meaty finish on this Australian bulldog.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a pleasant wine with some interesting, earthy and meaty characteristics that make for great conversation, but perhaps a more challenging pairing.  This wine would be good with some heartier meals, with bold spice and flavor, like a venison tenderloin, curried lamb or spicy bison chili.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a gilled veal loin chop, rice and Madras lentils and steamed asparagus.  Cheers!

2011 Clarendon Hills Brookman Vineyard Merlot

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of the month and a perfect opportunity to raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Though I often have to dig deep for Cellar Saturday wines, this one I didn't have to dig at all since it's only been in my cellar a few weeks thanks to an opportune buy from Wines Till Sold Out!  The 2011 Clarendon Hills Brookman Vineyard Merlot is a 100% Merlot from the Brookman Vineyard in the McLaren Vale in South Australia.  It's been a while since I've enjoyed an Australian wine that wasn't Syrah, so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from a nice Merlot.  As you lift the glass, you catch aromas of black cherry, currant and hints of mocha with undertones of leather and earthy spice.  On your first sip you are greeted with a rush of black plum, cherry and currant that dance with notes of vanilla, before transitioning to wonderful fresh herb notes of thyme and white pepper midpalate.  The tannins are well structured and velvety, providing for a wonderfully dry finish that lingers amid a reprise of herb notes.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasant drinking Merlot and a terrific value at just $22!  This wine would pair well with many hearty dishes, from lamb to steak, or a warm shepherd's pie as the temperature dips near zero here this evening.  But tonight, I'm taking the road less traveled and enjoying this wine with a homemade risotto Milanese topped with pan seared sea scallops.  Cheers!

2014 Woodstock McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  So after work and going to the gym, I've decided to open a bottle of this month's office wine club selection, the 2014 Woodstock McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon from the heart of Australia!  It's been a while since I've had an Australian wine, which usually would be a Shiraz as they say, but they are also very adept at Cabernet Sauvignon, so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep, inky indigo with bright ruby along the edges,  The nose is a cavalcade of rich leather, green grass, blackberries and a bit of smoke.  The taste is quite nice, with a rush of rich, ripe black fruit, blackberry, plum and currant that transitions nicely to some mocha and caramel notes midpalate.  The tannins are still a bit youthful, with nice acidity to balance the long, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very nice, easy-drinking Cabernet and an everyday value of a wine, I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $15!  This wine would pair well with a variety of summer dishes, from barbecue to steaks and tacos, and tonight I am enjoying it with hamburgers!  Truly a wine that can go with the simplest of fare, cheers!

2012 Flegenheimer Bros. Reserve Red Wine

Happy Sunday!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of wine that my boss gave me last year, and although I really liked it for the label, soon after reading the label I was hopelessly confused!  The 2012 Flegenheimer Bros. Reserve Red Wine has a label that exudes late 19th century Americana, complete with American flags and shield, a lovely lady holding up a glass of wine seated next to some wine barrels, but this particular wine is made from Shiraz (85%) and Petite Sirah grown in the McLaren Vale of South Australia!  Hence you can see my confusion.  As it turns out, the family history of the winemaker goes back to a wine import and distribution business that was established in New York City back in 1876 which thrived until prohibition.  The family is now in Australia making wine, and the reserve red was paired with an old trade card that dates back to 1890.  So there we have it, wine and history, a fabulous combination, now let's see how the wine tastes!

The wine is a very deep, inky indigo color in the glass, much darker than many mass market Shiraz.  The nose is a pleasant combination of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and plum interlaced with some earthy notes of leather and clay.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward, with a rush of jammy black fruit at the outset that transitions smoothly to some spice notes midpalate.  The finish is nice, though rather brief, with a lingering of ripe fruit with some tart cherry notes as well.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant and easy drinking wine.  It would pair well with lamb, roasts or wild game, or just as a pleasant sipping wine to enjoy in the evening as I am doing tonight.  Cheers!

2013 Are You Game? Shiraz

Happy Sunday, another day another million leaves gathered from the lawn (this makes me thankful that it gets dark so early!) but at least there's wine.  Tonight I've opened another bottle that came from my boss' excess wine club selections, the 2013 Are You Game Shiraz!  This interesting wine was blended with a bit of viognier for a bit of enhanced fruit, and comes from the Strathbogie Ranges region of Victoria, the southernmost state in mainland Australia.  So let's see what this "real wine for real food" has to offer.

The wine is an inky indigo at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a pleasant combination of green grass, earth and sweet blackberry.  The taste is a sweet jammy rush of fruit up front, with flavors of blackberry and black currant that transition gradually to a brief moment of black pepper spice midpalate.  The finish is smooth and very dry, but a bit to brief in my view.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very fruit forward and food friendly wine that's also easy to sip on a Sunday afternoon.  And it's definitely food friendly, as it would pair nicely with a variety of dishes, from steaks to lamb to roasts, but tonight I've taken a different route and am enjoying this wine with some barbecued chicken, made with a dry rub from Jack Stack Barbecue in Kansas City, along with some cajun roasted fingerling potatoes and steamed broccoli.  Cheers!

2014 Lindeman's Bin 85 Pinot Grigio

Happy Tuesday!  We have a truly rare occasion tonight in that I am reviewing a white wine!  Yes, I am a super red wine fan, but I happened to have this wine in the house and opened it for a friend who was visiting last week and decided to taste it myself, the 2014 Lindeman's Bin 85 Pinot Grigio from southeastern Australia.  So here goes nothing!

The wine is a classic, very light coloration so typical of a Pinot Grigio.  The nose exhibits lovely aromas of pear, rose petals and a bit of apple blossom.  The taste is quite refreshing, with lovely crisp fruit up front, pear, apple and white grapefruit that transition to some nice earthy elements of iron, peat and granite.  The finish is quite refreshing, with a crispness of fresh citrus that's not sweet but rather dry, perfect for a red wine guy like me.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's not perfect, but really what white wine could be?  In any case, it's easy drinking and food friendly and a terrific value at about $6!  Tonight I am enjoying this with a classic dinner that begs for a white wine, a gunflint walleye (I got the recipe from a Minnesota fishing website here, but needless to say, garlic lemon butter combined with a bread crumb and romano crust makes this a fish to make your midweek, perfect with a crisp refreshing Pinot Grigio!), some pesto linguine and steamed Brussels sprouts.  What a fantastic combination!

2012 John George Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon

Well the Superbowl was a bust, despite my drinking lots of Washington wine leading up the the game, the Seahawks couldn't pull of a victory.  So not we're back to drinking whatever wine peaks my interest, regardless of where it comes from.  Tonight we're taking a trip to the land down under, a place with many great wines (which I haven't really had in quite some time), Australia!  I'm opening a bottle of 2012 John George Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine is a deep, brooding garnet color, with a center that looks almost black.  The nose is quite subdued, with soft notes of leather, charred oak and cherry cola, certainly a departure from the typical big bold Cabernets that are so popular today.  The taste is very nice, with some black cherry and mocha notes up front, leading into some fine minerality and notes of limestone and basalt midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, the tannins are still very young, yet it's still quite long, smooth and exceptionally dry.  This wine will likely improve with some time in the cellar, but it's quite pleasant right now as well.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's a super Cabernet at a great value, as I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $20!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a basic mid-week meal of a rare grilled ribeye, baked potato and steamed cauliflower, as this Cabernet is a perfect big steak wine, with nice fruit, great minerality and a strong backbone!  Cheers mate!

2013 19 Crimes Red Wine

Well tonight I've selected a wine on a whim, hmm...that seems like an ideal title for a wine blog, or maybe a selection for a blog...have to think on that one some more.  In any case, tonight's selection was totally purchased based on the packaging, both the label and the bottle wrap was very cool looking as I was pushing my cart through the grocery store, so I bought a bottle and am not trying the 2013 19 Crimes Red Wine from where else, Southeastern Australia!  This wine, a blend of Shiraz and Durif (aka Petit Sirah in the USA), which should be ideal for my dinner tonight.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, while the nose is classic Syrah/Petit Sirah, bursting with jammy fruit, blackberry, cherry and a bit of strawberry along with some lovely spice notes, cinnamon, baking spice and cocoa powder.  The taste is lovely and classic in the sense of an Australian Shiraz, with a burst of jammy fruit, blackberry, plum and cherry that shifts to some warm spice notes mid palate.  The finish has some classic Shiraz twang as the soft tannins provide for a smooth warm finish that ideal for summer cooking.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, making it an ideal everyday table wine, particularly with the $10 price tag (not to mention it's got a pretty cool bottle and label, did I mention that?).  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some grilled dyngus sausage with carmelized onions and peppers on a pretzle bun along with some creamy potato salad, a perfect late summer supper!  Cheers, and try not to commit any of the "19 crimes" that will get you sent to Botany Bay!

2005 Steve Hoff Barossa Shiraz

Sometimes you just need to open a bottle of wine to remind yourself of the many blessings you have in life, wonderful people, friends and family, health and wonderful food to share, and even summer days that are cooler than normal (like much of this summer it seems!).  So to remind myself of all these wonderful things, I've decided to open a nice bottle from down under, the 2005 Steve Hoff Barossa Shiraz, or Syrah as they say in the northern hemisphere!

When I opened the wine, the cork was almost black, and for an 8-year old wine, that's not a bad thing, and it certainly showed it in the color in the glass, a deep, majestic purple at the center and a bright ruby along the edges.  The nose was lovely, rich ripe black fruit, blackberries, cherries and prune, overlaid with lovely notes of leather and anise and some exotic spice notes that just scream Aussie Shiraz!  The taste was very nice, with some rich ripe fruit at the outset, almost jammy at times, blueberries, plum and cassis that transitions to some wild spice midpalate, baking powder and Asian spice.  The tannins are very subdued, yet the finish was still quite nice, smooth and dry.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant example of a classic Barossa Shiraz, and I don't recall if this was a bargain or not since it's been in my cellar a few years (this should be a prompt for me to keep better records eh?).  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with, of course, a grilled lamb chop with a dry spice rub, some linguine tossed with garlic and olive oil and some steamed purple, yellow and green beans that I bought from the farmers' market this past weekend.  Cheers!

2008 Mawson's Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon

Tonight we have the time change, where we get to lose an hour of sleep so that farmers in the 19th century would have more daylight to plant and harvest their crops, and apparently now it helps with greenhouse gas emissions or global warming or some other hokum.  All I know is that I'm getting up effectively an hour early on one of two days a week I actually get to sleep in!  Man I could use a glass of wine to get ready for this...

Oh yes that's right, this is a wine blog!  And tonight, to celebrate the loss of an hour, I'm enjoying a wine from the land down under, a place where if you traveled there you'd lose the better part of a day, let alone an hour!  Tonight's feature is the 2008 Mawson's Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is an interesting wine for it's names, Sir Douglas Mawson was a famous Australian explorer who embarked on expeditions to the Antarctic in the early 20th century.  Wrattonbully is an emerging wine region in south Australia along the Limestone Coast.  Certainly Australia has produced some absolutely wonderful wines, particularly their Shiraz, and more common now their Merlots and Cabernets.

This wine is a wonderful ruby red color in the glass and exhibits a nose of leather, oak, dried herbs and subtle fruit, cherry and blackberry.  I was expecting some bright fruit at the outset, but this one surprised me, as the taste of cassis was quite subdued, with a touch of berry at the high notes.  Mid-palate, there is a touch of woodiness, followed by well integrated tannins for a nice smooth finish.  Based on prior experience with Australian Cabs, I was expecting this wine to be much more fruit forward, but somewhat less bold that a typical California Cab, but this one is really elegant, medium bodied and subtle in unexpected ways.  It's the kind of wine that would be shocked and ashamed if it overpowered the dish it accompanies, rather I envision that it would provide a playful counterpart for a variety of savory dishes, from lamb or braised short ribs, to a hearty steak or a variety of seafood dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying it with some cod, rice and steamed asparagus. 

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8, especially at the price, I bought a lot of 4 bottles from wineshopper.com for $40.  The only negative was the screw cap, but for $10 and a lovely wine, I'm willing to overlook that discretion!

2004 St. Mary's Bells & Whistles

Happy New Year! 

Well now that we've got that out of the way, let's get to the wine!  So I must admit I've been somewhat slacking over the holidays, but it's 2012, and time to start taking this wine blog seriously!  So tonight, as I wait for my roast chicken to finish cooking, I decided to try a new wine from Australia, the 2004 St. Mary's Bells & Whistles. 

Now Australia has done a fine bit of wine making over the last few decades, but I think what still impresses me is the wonderfully friendly, irreverent and self deprecating attitudes of so many wine makers from the land down under, and this wine is a case in point.  St. Mary's vineyard is located in the "Limestone Coast" region of the extreme southeastern section of South Australia, lying almost midway between Adelaide and Melbourne, and it produces a very prototypical Coonawarra style wine, but at a much more affordable price.  St. Mary's produces mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, but they pulled out all the stops for the Bells & Whistles.  As they say on the label, "When you're making wine these days, everybody is looking for something special and exciting.  It just ain't good enough to make great wine and sell it at a fair price...So we decided to load up one wine with all the goodies available in our winery." 

Hence they threw in all the "Bells & Whistles" and came up with a wonderful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Shiraz (20%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and Merlot (10%).  The wine exhibits a nose of leather and tobacco with a hint of tart fruit and spice at the end.  At first taste, this wine is full of juicy fruit, but mid palate surrenders to a wave of herbs and a touch of oak.  The finish is quite nice, with mild tannins supporting a smooth finish of tart cherry notes.  Although this wine is now 8 years old, I am of the opinion that most Australian wines are better enjoyed young, so this wine is drinking quite well at the moment, but may move past its prime in relatively short order.  I am having this with roast chicken and all the fixins, but it would pair nicely with pasta, or some lovely Mexican or South American fare with a bit of a kick to it.

I bought this one from wineshopper.com, and it was a wonderful bargain at only $8.  As for the wine itself, I would rate it a 7, with a half point knocked off for the screw cap (you know how I love good cork!) so head on out and grab a nice Australian for dinner tonight!