Tinto y Blanco » Australia

Los Hermanos Homenaje a Cataluña 2009

Dave Worthington — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:56:42 +0000

I’ve been a big fan of this project, and I have to say that this is the best wine from the project in it’s short history. It’s a blend of Tempranillo (47% Tempranillo from the King Valley), Mataro/Monastrell (35%), and Grenache/Garnacha (18%, both from Patersons Lakes) aged in 3 year old barrels. As Campbell from The Winefront said in his review, there isn’t a lot of wine made from Mataro or Grenache in Victoria. If this is anything to go by, there should be a hell of a lot more of it.

The thing that really strikes me with this wine is it’s focus on texture and a savory fruit profile. There is not that mid palate fruit sweetness that I often find in Aussie attempts at Spanish (and Italian) varieties, and while not majorly tannic, the tannins lend a silky texture with a grippy finish. Nothing wrong with that sweetness, it’s not sugar, just ripe, sweet fruit and to my mind this is something of a stamp of Australia on the wines. However, I do have a preference for the savory side of things.

Wild herbs and raspberry, cinnamon and fig, earth and cherry. It’s a very pleasing nose, confident and enticing. The palate is really savoury, with zingy acid and lovely fine tannins that give texture and body. The kind of wine that is both casual and serious depending on your mood. Raspberry, cherry and wild herbs, very little in the way of oak influence. Hugely enjoyable, I can see myself drinking a fair bit of this. An educated guess on aging: drink over the next 5 year, but it will more than likely live much longer. 92 Pts.

Source: Crittenden Estate Cost: $30 Closure:Screwcap

Los Hermanos ‘Tributo a Galacia’ 2009

Dave Worthington — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:47:41 +0000

If I was going to pick a wine scandal of the year, it would have to be Albarinogate. But there are those out there with the cunning and guile to recover and release something with a great name like ‘A tribute to Galacia’. I loved this label last year, but it seems to go better with the new name.

White peach and white flowers get things moving on the nose, followed up by a base of an apple/pear combo. Taught and firm in the mouth, nice menerally acid and a long tangy finish. More of that apple and pear on the palate with some lime and lemon and a very slight herbal note. Good stuff. Get on board S.S. Savignin! 89 Pts

Source: Crittenden Estate Cost: $28 Closure:Screwcap

Mount Majura TSG 2008

Dave Worthington — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:49:17 +0000

Another cracking wine from Mount Majura, this time a blend of Tempranillo (56%) Shiraz (31%) Graciano (13%) aged in older wood. I haven’t seen a lot of Graciano aorund, I’d be interested in seeing what else is being done with this variety here. These kind of blends are really showing potential in Australia, and the resulting show a bit of Spain, a bit of France, but show through very much as Australian. Putting an Aussie stamp on Tempranillo can only be a good thing.

The photos might be a little wierd for the next couple of posts, I’ve upgraded a much more complicated and capable camera (a Canon 7D). However, my skill level still leaves a lot to be desired!

A good robust nose full of cherries and plums,`earthy notes, a little herb and pepper action. Soft and gentle in terms of texture, but the flavour profile is robust. More of that cherry and plum, a little liqorice, some cola notes and black pepper. It’s an open weave kind of wine, easy to drink but highly enjoyable. Excellent value too. 89 Pts.

Source: Winery Sample Price: $21 Closure: Screwcap

Web: www.mountmajura.com.au

Mount Majura Tempranillo 2008

Dave Worthington — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:26:45 +0000

There was a little pile of foam wine mailers in my office when I got back from the US, a couple of bottles from Mouth Majura was stashed away at the bottom. Complete with a hand written note (I haven’t had one of those in years!) from Frank, the winemaker. I’ve had a couple of bottles of this wine, of various vintages, over the years and I’ve always been impressed. But this is taking Canberra Tempranillo to another level. Canberra has a couple of features that make it, on paper at least, an ideal proposition for growing Tempranillo: climate and limestone in the soil. There is an old wifes tale in Spain that the best Tempranillo grows in soil rich in limestone…

In terms of line and length, this is similar to a crianza from Ribera del Duero: the nose offers up cherry, blackberry, licorice, a bit of woody spice and a slight herby note. Its savoury with a bit of sweet fruit mid palate, fine grained tannins balanced out by tangy acid. This shows depth of flavour, character and style. A bit of added mineraly cola on the palate, which is always welcome. A solid example of what can be done with Tempranillo in Australia in the right conditions. 93 Pts.

Source: Winery Sample Price: $35 Closure: Screwcap

Web: www.mountmajura.com.au

Los Hermanos Tempranillo 2008

Dave Worthington — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:03:47 +0000

I’m tight for time at the moment, so I’ve done some quick notes to keep things moving…This is the hermano (brother) wine to the albarino that I had a look at last year. I think this is a great first crack at a the joven style, this looks a little like a joven tempranillo from the warmer climates of Valdepenas.

Rustic, raw and a bit wild (in a good way) on the nose, sappy plums and darker cherry show through with a bit of earthy undergrowth. Savoury and earthy, as opposed to sweet and sunny. Fresh and ready to go, there’s some lush tannins that lend texture and softness, with enough acid to keep it fresh. A nice long finish too. More plummy goodness on the palate, very savoury with a touch of spice and cinnamon with some cherry after a bit of air time. A good homage to the joven style. 87 Pts.

Source: Crittenden Estate Cost: $28 Closure:Screwcap

Rusty Fig Verdelho 2008

Dave Worthington — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:00:16 +0000

Now I’m not too sure how closely related Verdejo and Verdelho are, depending on who you talk to they are exactly the same with different names, or they are completely different. The theory that I like is that it started out in North Africa and worked it’s way up to Rueda via Madeira, then mainland Portugal. It makes sense. However, it would appear that the two are so distantly related that DNA sampling shows very little commonality at all according to the 2006 version of the Oxford Companionto Wine. It’s either Spanish or Portuguese, so that’s fine for Tinto y Blanco…

The nose shows plenty of lemon and grapefruit, very fresh with a touch of melon in there too. A good backbone of acid in the mouth, zippy and tart with fresh fruit to balance everything up. More lemon, with a bit of lime and fennel on the palate, a bit of mineral and a shake of wild herb. Very refreshing, a convincing Verdelho. 89 Pts.

Source: Rusty Fig Wines Price: $23 Closure:Screwcap

Web: www.rustyfigwines.com.au

Rusty Fig Albarino 2008

Dave Worthington — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:00:20 +0000

A couple of Aussie whites turned up in the post the other day, an Albarino and a Verdelho from Rusty Fig in Bermagui. I know Bermaguai in Queensland, this one is on the south coast in NSW. I had a look at these on the weekend, they are both really interesting and show plenty of promise. This is the first wine I remember having from this region, so I have nothing smart to say on the climate etc, however these look good.

The nose opens up with plenty of lemon and bay leaf, just a touch of white flowers followed by some melon. Very tight and focused in the mouth, plenty of chalky acid and good length. Lean and fresh. On the palate things are more in the lemon, melon and underripe peach (in a good way) spectrum. I’d like a bit more ripe fruit here, some white peach etc, however it is difficult to get the fruit ripe enough yet keep the acid up in many areas of Australia. None the less, very enjoyable. 87 Pts.

Source: Rusty Fig Wines Price: $25 Closure:Screwcap

Web: www.rustyfigwines.com.au

Los Hermanos Albariño 2008

Dave Worthington — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:50:50 +0000

I don’t drink enough of the local wines made from Spanish or Portuguese varieties. It’s not that I don’t think they’re up to scratch, but I usually have my hands full keeping up with the imported stuff. With the ever dropping dollar, imports are going to get more expensive and wines like this may well fill the hole when most imported Albariños are pushing $35 to $40 bucks a bottle.

This is the first wine from this label, which means the siblings in spanish. The packaging is outstanding, the wine shows real promise too. The fruit is from the King Valley.

Peach, jasmine a little lime and even a some rocky minerals. Tight with a backbone of driving acid underneath some good fruit. Apple and and just ripe white peach, lemony acid with a lime sherbet thing on finish, which is quite long. A bit of talc at times too. This is a very good example of Aussie albariño, it had me ticking all of the varietal boxes on the way through. 89 Pts.

Source: Crittenden Estate Cost: $28 Closure:Screwcap

Telmo Rodriguez Pago la Jara 2005

Dave Worthington — Mon, 19 May 2008 23:04:19 +0000

This is the top wine from Toro for Telmo Rodriguez and it must be hardest bottle in the world to take a photo of, its a good thing that the wine is bloody good. Toro generally grows big and bold fruit that can handle plenty of oak, so there is always a temptation to bung the wine in loads of new, high toast oak. As a result there are some oak milkshake type wines that come out of Toro, however this wine fruit shows through with great pruity and plenty of earthy, gamey character. There is some expertly handled oak in there too, but it’s aiming for best supporting actor, not the big gong.

Very dark in the glass, with a purple rim. The nose is off and going from the start: gamey dark cherry, blackberry, sarsaparilla, a shake of black pepper with some rose and violet high notes. In the mouth the tannins slowly build into big, soft things followed up by some minerally acid. A bit tight in the mouth, but showing show meaty, juby dark cherry with some sars, espresso coffee, and sage. A good long finish with a herbal note wraps it all up. It has all the stuffing to go well in the cellar for 3-4 years then drink well over the following 10. 94+ Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $130 Closure: Conventional Cork

Back Pocket Wines Castanets 2007

Dave Worthington — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:10:11 +0000

The Granite Belt region in Queensland seems to have had quite a few acres of Tempranillo planted over the past 5 or so years. This wine is made from 5 year old vines in the joven style, with partial carbonic maceration. The vines are D8V12 clone, which is a UC Davis clone and seems to be the main clone in use in Australia at the moment. I'd be interested to hear from anyone using a different clone in Australia, as there is surely more available (there are something like 200+ clones of Tempranillo in Spain).

Deep red in colour with purple to the rim. The wine opened up with a bit of rubber and nuts on the nose, however this blew off in a few minutes to reveal some earthy blackberry and cherry pie. In the mouth it shows a very correct expression of a joven Tempranillo: savoury red cherry and blackberry with dusty tannins. Fairly good balance, the acid pokes out a little at this stage. But all in all a very encouraging example. 86 Pts.

Source: Winery Sample Price: $19 Closure: Screwcap

Web: www.backpocket.com.au

Mr. Riggs Tempranillo 2005

Dave Worthington — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 23:51:14 +0000

The Adelaide Hills region is producing some outstanding Tempranillo based wines. I liked the 2004 edition of this wine, but the 05 is a step up again. I can't tell if its the vines getting older, a good season in 2005 or different wine making, but Mr. Riggs has made a very good tempranillo with varietal definition and structure.

Deep red, with a ruby edge. Coffee, rhubarb and cherry on the nose, a few flakes of dark chocolate sprinkled in for good measure. The very smooth and silky texture captures your mouth straight away. Tart dark cherry and blackberry on the palate with some licorice and spice. The 15% alc raises its head above the parapet with a bit of heat that adds a cherry liquor flavour. Nice sandy tannins and a spike of acid on the medium length finish. Overall, very enjoyable and drinkable. I'd like a bit less alcohol, but as the wine builds in the glass it disappears into the background. 90 Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars RRP: $25 Closure: Screwcap

Web: www.mrriggs.com.au

Pindarie Bar Rossa 2006

Dave Worthington — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 21:22:37 +0000

Anthony at Baccaccio Cellars put this aside for me months ago. Luckily he runs a booze shop and isn't hard pressed to find something to take home to drink with dinner.

Its been in the press a bit this wine, and it deserves it. An unusual blend of 70% Tempranillo, 25% Sangiovese and 5% shiraz that is ready to go as soon as you rip the screwcap off.

Deep red in colour with a purple tint. The nose is quiet for the most part, a bit of earth and spice with light red berry fruit. In the mouth is where all the action is. Its brimming with soft tannins that give the wine a great mouthfeel, plum and dark cherry fruit jubes. Overall its a savory wine that's not afraid to show some fruit and would be perfect with anything hot of the BBQ. Great value. 88 Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars RRP: Around $20 Closure: Screwcap

Web: www.pindarie.com.au

Pondalowie Vineyard Blend 2004

Dave Worthington — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 22:32:33 +0000

I have written about how good the wines being made at Pondalowie are, so I won't harp on about that. This wine is a blend of Cabernet, Shiraz and 20% Tempranillo and sees some time in american and french oak. The addition of tempranillo to the classic aussie blend really works well if this wine is anything to go by.

A nice nose of mulberry, a bit of cherry and toasty oak. Medium bodied and savory in the mouth, the wine is really well balanced and satisfying. Really good fruit, tart cherry and mulbery fruit is enhanced with a bit of undergrowth and spice. With more time a great plum character makes it self known, adding to the complexity. Soft tannins and a medium finish. I drank this in no time, its very morish - you will need at least two bottles. You will be hard pressed to find better value for $20. 91 Pts.

Source: Winery Sample RRP: $20 Closure: Screwcap

Web: www.pondalowie.com.au

Samuel’s Gorge Tempranillo 2005

Dave Worthington — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 07:37:05 +0000

Mclaren Vale is well known for lush, full wines with loads of tannin and fruit. This one is no exception. It's not over the top however, quite subtle in flavor actually. There is no new oak treatment, and the wine is all the better for it. This is the second release of Tempranillo for this label.

Some really appealing aromas of red berry fruit, earth and mocha as the bottle is opened, the colour is a solid deep red. Velvety and savory in the mouth, there is some lush dark fruit that coats my mouth and matches very well with the tannin and acid profile. Well balanced and a medium finish. Very McLaren Vale with a lot of tempranillo character. 90 Pts.

Source: Winery Sample RRP: $35 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.gorge.com.au

Mount Majura Tempranillo 2003

Dave Worthington — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 23:58:55 +0000

I've heard a lot about the Tempranillo produced by the crew at Mount Majura, all very good things of course. The Canberra region is very similar in climate to Rioja Alta, 600-700 meters in elevation, warm enough to get the grapes ripe but very much cool climate. Even the soil types are similar, clay loam with a bit of limestone and volcanic material.

Thats all good in theory, a lot of places are similar to Rioja and produce average wine. If you open up a bottle of this stuff you'll find that the theory seems to work in this case. This is a spectacular wine. This may sound a little over the top, but if this wine from young vines is anything to go buy, this producer will do great things with Tempranillo.

The wine is a dark cherry colour with a purple tint. Aromas of dark cherry, licorice and anise with some leather and rose oil. Savory and beautifully balanced in the mouth with good acid and supple tannins. The oak treatment is very discrete and controlled. Great gobs of concentrated black current and cherry fruit in mouth followed up with a bit of liquorice. The finish is quite long and shows of the soft tannins. How good? Bloody good. 92 Pts.

Source: Winestar Price: $25 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.mountmajura.com.au