A two barrel combo of Clone 95 and Mendoza Chardonnay ? one full of florals and prettiness, the other bass notes of rich, ripe stone fruits. Fermenting and aging in 50% new oak. Just all around awesome.
Translucent cherry color. Fragrant and very expressive nose with aromas of sweet red cherries, sour cranberries, burnt herbs, ripe blackcurrant and a lift of VA that won't bother anybody. Sleek, medium body with a brush of tannins and crisp acid. Strong savoury core.
Pinot(esque) Noir
Australia's most famous Pinot producer has changed hands and the winery is now helmed by Burgundian vigneron Jean-Marie Fourrier of Domaine Fourrier. The wine is marked with beautiful hints of red berry fruit, liquorice, mushrooms, graphite and fine minerality. No shortage of complexity, concentration and finesse. The finish has slightly sweet cherry notes, with zippy acidity and fine tannins.
Queen Chardonnay
Pours lemon yellow in the glass. Quite subtle on the nose, but shows some layers to it - lemon, lime, green apple, lemongrass and brioche. The palate is balanced, with medium depth. A nice, refreshing Chardonnay that is judiciously dosed with oak.
A very typical entry-level Montepulciano. The wine is bright, balanced and crunchy with good freshness. With its high acidity and low tannins, the wine can remind some of Barbera - the flavors are slightly different, but the style is quite the same. Not really worth cellaring, but drinks very nicely with a wide variety of everyday dishes. A perfect little weekday wine.
Cellars Sessions
A balanced and promising Riesling. There seems to be quite a bit of ripeness and sense of concentration with a good acid structure, suggesting some unrealized potential. Lots of freshness coming in the form of green apple, melon, citrus fruit. A mineral touch on the finish. Ready to be drunk now, but could also age a few more years easily.
Incredibly fragrant and perfumed nose with intense, expressive aromas of freshly picked forest fruit, crunchy blackcurrants and boysenberries, a vibrant floral streak of violets, a little bit of olive and a hint of dried shrubs. Very pure and incredibly captivating taste. Pretty structured, tightly-knit, refreshing and joyful. A vibrant Syrah that shows superb depth and breadth of flavor.
As a whole this is an enjoyable, heavy-set all-rounder with decent balance and supple, straightforward fruit. Concentrated, quite opaque black-red color with a thinner, slightly purple rim. Plummy dark fruit and a surprisingly sophisticated streak game meat. The tannins are quite soft and mellow, giving the wine quite chewy texture and round, easily approachable character. The finish is supple and long with ripe and sweet flavors of cherry, dark fruit and quite pronounced vanilla.
Surprising concentration where distinctly perfumed overtone together with red precise berries, coarser earthy fruit peel, hints of stall and leather create desire. Good full-bodied wine with a slightly blurry roughness in the middle with tougher fruit skins, redder berries, perfume, stable and herbal spicy tones that together create a great wine. Not enough concentration for a too long life, here & there approximately three more left. Nice acidity and excellent tannin structure.
Very tasty and enjoyable with no decant. Nice classic warm vintage profile, juicy dark plummy black currant profile. Enjoyable, not challenging, and good to go already - the benefit of the vintage. Will of course change over the next few years but it’s so accessible now with soft ripe tannins and juicy fruit, so why wait?
Boom, Old World, rustic Cab right off the nose. Fragrant and seductive, reminiscent of crushed peppercorns, blackberries, toasted oak and forest roots. Full-bodied, extremely dry with firm tannins and a mellow acidity. Savoury core. Big complexity coming from the 15-year bottle aging. Tremendous value for money here. You don’t see a lot of aged Cabs out there that are still holding up this well AND are reasonably priced. A dream combo.
Queen Chardonnay
This vintage displayed a totally different universe compared to 2015. Pronounced and attractive nose with slightly sweet and nuanced aromas of yellow fruit, some marzipan and crème à la vanille, a little bit of apple jam and a touch of crème brûlée. This is a wine you'd eat for breakfast, just from the smell of it. Bone-dry, yet so rich, offering spectacular mouth-watering acidity. Superb balance. A beast for the price.