Scarborough 2009 yellow label Chardonnay (magnum)

That's a BIG bottle! No,  I didn't drink it all... 

Well, sadly,  I'm just not sold on this one. Which is a pity because Scarborough do some outstanding bottles of Chardonnay. 

It's overly rich,  it is frighteningly heavy, yellow, and leaves a slimey bitter taste at the end. 

Saying that,  I reckon this is a great bottle for  a party.  It is a good quoff if you like a typical Ozzie Chardonnay, and just because it isn't too my palate doesn't mean it is a bad bottle.  

Liqourland: McGuigan Black label 2014 (red)

RRP:  $8.00

Lets start by stating the bloody obvious.  This wine was $8.  Yup, 8 dollars. Furthermore, a quick search on good old google brings up the 2013 for a mere $5 on Dan Murphy's.  

I'll be blunt; I tend to not buy wines that don't list the the grape varieties used on its label, and i'll be honest in saying that I didn't buy this bottle.  The bloke needed a cooking wine and bought it without supervision. I'm so glad he did as what a lovely surprise!!  It is drinkable, it is fruity, it is medium bodied with a nice finish and it has no real harsh chemical toilet taste either. Win win so far... I could happily have a glass or two of this by itself, and I reckon it would go lovely with pasta.

  

Having a guess at the grapes used, I'd say that there is a decent dollop of merlot and cab sav.  Possibly some grenache or colder climate shiraz as it does have some length.  This wine is definitely NOT a harsh, young, full of tannin hunter shiraz that scrapes down the back of your throat. Give it a shot, its enjoyable and versatile enough for drinking AND cooking!  That's a first for me :)

Warning: it is def not a dry red, and some might say it is sweet.  I don't think so, it is just a lot more flavoursome that some might expect.

I reckon it will give you a stonking headache though... hopefully there will be some left after cooking for the test!

42 degrees south pinot noir 2014

What to buy at the bottlo? 

You can pick this bottle up for $23 at Dan Murphy's or $18.99 at wineonline.com.  It's a pretty good pinot.  Nothing too fruity or chemically.  It's average in alcohol at 13.5% vol and you don't taste even a hint of it.   

I had this with a fig pizza,  and it was light enough to be complimentary to the gentle boccinci cheese.  

Get this to take to a party if you don't want a hangover the following day,  but want a nice wine.  This comes into its own when sharing with friends.  It's non offensive in every way and it is a nice glass to share! .  

   

Meerea Park Black Shiraz 2011

"There is nothing but goodness in this glass..."

RRP: $190

 

GOOSEBUMPS!  Its quite simple.  You should just go and buy it.  

Nothing I can say can really do this wine justice.  It is creamy, rich and fruity.  The overwhelming pepper that ruins most hunter Shiraz's can be found only as a slight background acid; there to compliment the lingering blackberry flavour that develops and goes on and on and on.  Nothing beats a beautiful full bodied wine like this.

You can drink now and be blown away with it, or cellar it nicely for at least 10 years.  To me this means buy a case and try one every two years :)

Food: I had this with one of my awful (I'm no cook) spag bolls and left the food to just drink the wine.  It would obviously be a perfect accompaniment to most meats, but next time I'm going to have it with the tempura veggies & soy sauce from Mongers fish shop.  

It is quite expensive so for me it is a wine for special occasions, and not drinking every day.  If you buy for investment or this is your normal wine price range, I can't recommend it highly enough.  Much nicer than a grange in my humble opinion.

"For a young bottle of wine, it shows a maturity beyond its years!"
 

Moss Wood Chardonnay 2011 Margaret River

This is an absolute cracker.  Just buy it.  A friend recommended this over the Petaluma Chardy and I should have listened.

The smell is heavy fruit with the undertone of no nonsense lime.  I get a lot of citrus from this glass without it being an overripe sickening Verdelho.  It is just downright tasty and I genuinely could not stop drinking it.  I personally found it to be medium bodied.  It wasn't light and didn't disappear, yet it wasn't a heavy awkward glass that sat at the back of your throat like a bad mouthwash.  Everything about this Moss wood is just perfection.  The initial taste is spectacular, the finish is lingering yet not overpowering and the build of different fruit throughout the journey is interesting.  

It is a wine that can be drank in most situations, with most foods.  It is just an excellent, outstanding chardonnay.  More please!

Brokenwood Wade Block 2 Shiraz 2010

Good one? you betcha!

RRP: $65.00

Being on the expensive side I thought, what the hell! let's do this properly and decant it.  Thank god I did because it really comes into its own after about 30 mins.

When opened, I was pleasantly surprised by the abundance of fruity goodness that came billowing out.  This was going to be a very yummy wine.  Pouring it into the decanter, the shiraz showed the normal glorious purpley red colour, and none of the brown tinge that would hint at overmaturity.   (I just don't trust my wine fridge, and with recent temperatures of 40C+ in my kitchen, who knows what is going on with my poor wine!!!).  In the decanter, the smell relaxed into a rounded peppery rose.  The alcohol level is 14.5%, which gives you a touch of CBN (chemical burn nose) but don't let this distract you.

It is purpley. Trust me.

Drinking:  Wade is full bodied.  By this I mean that the initial taste explodes in your mouth, develops and leaves a gorgeous long follow up.  This is a wine that wants to be taken seriously, and will not just pass wishy-washy through your mouth.  Its rich flavour is cherry heavy, ending in the rose that you get from the initial smell.  I also get a wee touch of bergamot. Not orange, but bergamot.  It is spicier.  This wine has only the tiniest bit of tannin which is my book, makes it magnificent!  You are, however,  talking to a lass that can't really stomach Hunter Shiraz's for that tannic reason, so it is just my taste.

Food:  I had it with a tomato based bean dish, and it was terrible.  Brokenwood recommend beef, so I'll update this if and when I try it with meat.  I had a few squares of dairy milk and the sweetness was lovely with the pepper, however I'd love to try it as an accompaniment to a veggie burger with grilled (not fried, who on earth wants fried) halloumi sides. 

In summary:  buy a case of this.  Put half down for long term cellaring, knowing that whenever you choose to open it you will have a sterling Shiraz ready to go.  Drink half now with people who like a decent tipple and will appreciate it.  This is NOT a wine to be used in mulled wine.  Or sangria.  Ever.

Check out my posh decanter. I haven't broken it yet!!

Philip Shaw No. 8 Pinot Noir 2012

It definitely says no. 8...

RRP: $40.00

Not your normal pinot noir. No.8 lingers on the tongue and packs an exquisite fruit punch that you don't expect with a pinot. The honey gold tinge belies the strawberry and cherry taste and hints at the gentle oak that plays in the background.

Enjoy this by itself or with some salmon and cream cheese.  I reckon it goes nicely with a bit of galaxy chocolate, but others disagreed.

Lastly, this gets my vote for its beautiful label.  Definitely one to have in your label collection.

Stunning label art

Check out those golden honey tones... smell the oak!