Archive for August, 2008
Artadi Orobio 2006
The wines of Artadi have finally arrived in Australia, it has been a good while coming and the first wine is this young Tempranillo. I expect this to be a real hit, it’s very tasty, its under a screwcap and costs about $27. It’s Tempranillo from the very high Rioja Alvesa region, 50% is given some french oak treatment for 6 months, while the rest stays in stainless steel tank. Be prepared for the prices of the top level 2006 wines from Artadi, they are not cheap!
Gonzalez Byass Apostles Palo Cortado
I think this is the first Palo Cortado I have done a full post on, which is strange as I love the style. So what is Palo Cortado? Well it’s not a fino and it’s not an oloroso, it’s a wine that goes a bit wierd in inital stages of againg and doesn’t show the traits of either fino or oloroso. It’s a rare thing when it happens naturally, however there are now bodegas that make an artifical style. Don’t ask me how that works, I have no idea.
Naia Verdejo 2007
This wine has been dubbed the giraffe wine at home. I like giraffes, but I’m not sure I’d like to get too close to one in the flesh. This wine however is very friendly. And it is long and textured too.
Quinta do Noval Masterclass
A last minute invitation got me into a Quinta do Noval Masterclass a couple of weeks. A great opportunity to have a look at just about all of the current releases and a few back vintages, including a couple of vintages of the revered Nacional Vintage Port.
Cillar de Silos Torresilo 2006
These 2006 wines for Cillar de Silos are looking quite smart. I’d rate this on par with the 05, which was very impressive in my book. If you don’t have any of this in your cellar and you’re a fan ofRibera del Duero you could do a lot worse than a couple of bottle of this in the cellar. A trio of Alion, Pesquera and this would be a very interesting look at modern style Ribera del Duero in 10 years…
Gonzalez Byass ‘Del Duque’ Amontillado
The heating at Casa Tinto y Blanco is not really up to scratch at the moment, so a glass or two of good sherry is in order to keep yourself warm in the Melbourne winter. I’m not sure if it’s the warming effects of the alcohol or the intoxicating effects, but after I couple I don’t seem to notice the cold anymore. So I’m very thankful to Broadway Liquor for sending in this, it’s an excellent example of old Amontillado.
Cillar de Silos Crianza 2006
Cillar de Silos is an old favourite, and this 2006 is showing very well. It was a challenging vintage, but the guys here seem to have to made all the right decicions and have producded something well worth drinking and cellaring over the short term.
Gonzalez Byass ‘Solera 1847′ Oloroso Dulce
Yes, its time for another cream sherry tasting note. This one kicks goals however…A buggar to take photos of though.
Augusti Torello Mata Reserva 2005
I like some bubbles on a Friday night, its always a good way to kick of the weekend I have been drinking a bit of the Raventos i Blanc Reserva 2005 and needed something a bit different so I grabbed a bottle of this fairly new import from The Spanish Aquisition. I tend to favour the more focused and lower dosage sparkling wines, and this pressed all the right buttons.
Gonzalez Byass ‘Elegante’ Sweet Cream
Cream sherry is the quintessential ‘Nana’ sherry. It’s what many people reference of when they think of sherry, the big jugs of McWilliams Cream Sherry sitting at the bottom of cupboard that their grandmother used ‘just for cooking’. More often than not, if I give someone a glass of good sherry, more often than not I’ll get a comment about drinking it withnana in the kitchen while no-one was looking. Anyway, this is another blend of PX and palomino sherry, but it works a bit better than the last one.
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