Wine Code Breaker #377

2019 Tobin Estate Max Shiraz Block Two, Granite Belt, Queensland

If you come by someone who has a property in the Granite Belt area and innocently ask them what they grow, their response might be “granite”.  It is an area where the parent material pokes out through the soil as mounds that can be anywhere from small to enormous.  Finding a site for a vineyard becomes that little bit harder and then managing it within the constraints imposed by the climate gets a tad more challenging.  Get it right, or perhaps having the conditions to get it right, and the granitic soils become a haven for cool climate wines that will more than please the senses.

The 2019 Tobin Estate Max Shiraz Block Two is from the Granite Belt region in Queensland. An at once vibrantly coloured wine that splashes bright dark reds around the glass. The nose is highly perfumed with plums and cherries transitioning to blueberries as the dominant fruit. Herbs of rosemary and bay leaf play with a quite spicy lift of white pepper, vanilla, fennel and cardamoms. On the palate, the blueberries and spices mingle easily within a tapestry of super fine tannins. A delightful mouthfeel is aided by the lively acidity. This and the persistence of flavours belies the efforts it has taken to get this to a glass.

Enjoy!

Rating: 93 pts

Closure: Screwtop

Alc: 14%

Drink: Now; 3-10 yrs

Price: $60

Tasted: August 2021

Source: Sample from Tobin Estate. This is featured because it was delicious.

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Wine Code Breaker #376

2019 Paradigm Hill Les cinq Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

When is a single vineyard wine not a single vineyard wine? Perhaps it is when it is only a row or two from within the vineyard. Many wineries are starting to appreciate the complexity of their vineyard particularly where there is a desire to present a sense of place. You buy a block, put a fence around it and plant rows of vines. The rules of the slopes and soils do not follow the rules of estates. Of course this observation is not new. The vineyards of Burgundy in France have spent a millennia working through this process. The strict keeping of records aided their seasonal observations and we thank the monks for starting us off down this path.

2019 Paradigm Hill Les cinq is from Pinot Noir grapes that were sourced from a couple of rows with a single vineyard site in theMornington Peninsula region of Victoria. It is a light crimson coloured that is at once pretty and teasing to the senses. The nose is shy at first but easily encouraged blooming perfumes, red fruits, cherries and delicate spice. An earthy savoury influence builds its class. The palate dances delicately and delightfully with raspberries and cherries. It is a silken texture that supports a crescendo of flavours yet retains an elegance that is quite superb. We pause to thank the grower and maker for their efforts to capture detailed observations across the seasons that selected these few rows.

Enjoy!

Rating: 96 pts

Closure: Screwtop

Alc: 13.5%

Drink: Now; 10+ yrs

Price: $99

Tasted: July 2021

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Wine Code Breaker #375

2019 School House Headmaster Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, South Australia

A sheep station and a hotel were established to the north east of Penola in 1850 and both were but one of a few. Grape plantings followed soon after in 1861. With sheep and grapes there came jobs and with these, workers, and with workers, there came families. Families needed schooling and so in 1888, Comaum School became a small rural school on this sheep station to support this growing community. Today, this site is now a vineyard that teaches us the lessons of Coonawarra, the wine region.

The 2019 School House Headmaster Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra in South Australia is a brightly coloured crimson wine. The nose is at once varietal and regional; spicy cassis, touches of mint and herbs wafting above the glass. On the palate, there are blackberries that are dark, ripe and classy. The texture is firm with fine chalky tannins that creates an elegant and persistent palate. This glass is a class a lesson in Coonawarra Cabernet that is worth attending.

Enjoy!

Rating: 93 pts

Closure: Screwtop

Alc: 14%

Drink: Now; 7-10 yrs

Price: $50

Tasted: July 2021

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Wine Code Breaker #374

2018 Shaw + Smith Shiraz, Adelaide Hills, South Australia

National Shiraz Day is marked down as the 22nd of July and I hope you celebrated this day in style. This day provides us with an opportunity to reflect on how Australian Shiraz has evolved in becoming the sheep’s back of the wine industry. It provided me with an opportunity to wonder if I taste and drink too much Shiraz…what better way to do this than over a glass of Shiraz.

The 2018 Shaw + Smith Shiraz is from the cooler climate area of Adelaide Hills in South Australia. Its dark garnet colour provides a mesmerising backdrop as I ponder if I taste and drink too much Shiraz. The aromas lift longingly from the glass; plums, cherries, blackberries, a little chocolate and herbs. A little soy and spices too, with time to pause and ponder if I taste and drink too much Shiraz. The flavours gently caress the palate with waves of blackberries and plums and cherries as cocoa, soy and herbs wax and wane. Its texture is velvety. Its persistence is remarkable, leaving me almost breathless with ample time to dismiss the thought that I taste and drink too much Shiraz.

Enjoy!

Rating: 96 pts

Closure: Screwtop

Alc: 14%

Drink: Now; 10+ yrs

Price: $60

Tasted: May 2021

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Wine Code Breaker #373

2020 Alejandro (Alex Russell Wines) Saperavi, Murray Darling, Victoria

Georgia is a small country that happens to be considered the “cradle of wine”. This tag was bestowed upon Georgia with the discovery that burying grape juice in a qvevris underground for the winter creates wine. A method with historical records dating back to 6,000 BC, wine has influenced Georgian and human culture ever since. Saperavi is one of the oldest cultivars from Georgia and remains its principal grape variety. With a history as renowned as this, it is no surprise that Saperavi is making its presence known in regions far from the Black Sea.

The 2020 Alejandro Saperavi is produced by Alex Russell Wines from grapes sourced from the Murray Darling region in Victoria. A very bright purple-coloured wine, it perhaps unsurprisingly appears as if it would glow in the dark. The nose is all bramble and forest floor berries, with savoury tones and spices. On the palate, the berry flavours come with sprinkles of spices and herbs. It is a well-structured wine with high acidity, balanced by a soft texture and reasonably persistent finish. All in all, it cries out to be served on with a plate of Mtsvadi.

Enjoy!

Rating: 91 pts

Closure: Screwtop

Alc: 15%

Drink: Now; 3-7 yrs

Price: $20

Tasted: June 2021

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Wine Code Breaker #372

2019 Paradigm Hill L’ami sage Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Decanters are more than just a lump of glass or crystal sitting on a shelf. The core purpose is twofold. For younger wines, the graceful mixing of the wine with air brings forward the aromas and flavours offering you purity and an opportunity to ponder over the present and play out its future. For older wines, you can delicately separate the wine from any sediment that may be contained within the bottle. This will separate the cruddy, gritty bitterness from the delicately, patiently developed flavours of a mature wine. They also add brightness to the table as you enjoy the wine in front of you.

The 2019 Paradigm Hill L’ami sage is a single vineyard Pinot Noir from Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. As it is poured into the decanter, its colour flashes brightly as an array of crimson hues. This experience is delightfully repeated as you pour from decanter to glass, where the aromas waft gently, displaying beautiful red fruits. There are complexing floral notes, crushed nuts and earth, with a savoury and gentle cedar. The palate, now aerated, flows gracefully and crescendos with red fruits, forest floor berries, earth and delicate spices along a textural masterpiece that is silky, fanning and lingering.

Enjoy!

Rating: 95 pts

Closure: Screwtop

Alc: 13.8%

Drink: Now; 10+ yrs

Price: $69

Tasted: June 2021

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Wine Code Breaker #371

2019 Thomas Wines The Dam Block Shiraz, Hunter Valley, New South Wales

The etymology of the word “yum” has been the subject of debate. One theory suggests it is derived from the Sanskrit “yum,” which is said during meditation to focus on love and pleasurable things. Another suggests it is derived from the African “nyam,” meaning to taste. More simply, it could be an onomatopoeic of a sound we make whilst eating. Whichever way you look at it, the word arrived in the English dictionaries in the 19th century and is an exclamation of pleasure or enjoyment. It is a simple and easy expression that is readily understood at all levels. Some of life’s simple pleasures can induce a reflexive “yum”. A sniff of wine can do it. A sip of wine can also do it. A sip can also re-confirm it leading to an outwardly expressed “yum”. Andrew Thomas wines is a “yum” inducing experience no matter which one is poured.

The 2019 Thomas Wines The Dam Block Shiraz is from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. A bright crimson-coloured wine hints a “yum” is coming. The nose forces you to sit up and take notice with an array of peppers; black, white, and freshly cracked. There are expressive raspberries and blue fruits that mingle easily with soy, earth,and pencil shavings. The palate is “yum” inducing with its floral fruits, raspberries, blueberries, savoury black olives, and herbs. It is deftly structured with its tannins, acidity and lingering flavours, leaving you with a sigh of “yum”.

Enjoy!

Rating: 96 pts

Closure: Screwtop

Alc: 13.7%

Drink: Now; 10+ yrs

Price: $45

Tasted: June 2021

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Wine Code Breaker #370

2017 Garden of Earthly Delights (by Syrahmi) Nebbiolo, Heathcote, Victoria

The “Nebb Off” highlights are completed with a comparison of the fruits. As with all grapes, the flavours will be a function of place and season. The warmer the climate, the fuller and rounder the fruits will be. The cooler will be finer, perhaps more elegant. With Nebbiolo, you still get to see the tar, leather and earth, but you may also see variations around the red fruits and the spectrum they can splay before you.

The 2017 Garden of Earthly Delights Nebbiolo is from Heathcote in Victoria. A lightly coloured crimson wine as it splashes as alluring as the first apple offered to man. The nose has leather and earth entwined through a mix of sarsaparilla and cherries. Some oak deftly placed in the background. The palate has the tannins and acid pulling against each other yet appearing to act in union. The raspberry is less cola, yet highly appealing against the cherries and tar presenting a long lingering finish.

Enjoy!

Rating: 94 pts

Closure: Screwtop

Alc: 13.8%

Drink: Now; 3-10 yrs

Price: $37

Tasted: March 2021

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Wine Code Breaker #369

2018 Prōterō Gumeracha (by SC Pannell) Nebbiolo, Adelaide Hills, South Australia

The “Nebb Off” highlights continue where a comparison of tannins can be made. Nebbiolo tannins are inherently obvious and if mishandled, will dominate to deliver a chunky and chewy wine that will just not soften. Handled deftly, the tannins will balance the fruit and acid, giving you something to sip and marvel at.

The 2018 Prōterō Gumeracha (by SC Pannell) is a Nebbiolo from Adelaide Hills in South Australia. A light crimson-coloured wine leads into a nose that has tar and leather, delightfully contrasting the cherry fruits. Of course the tannins are firm, yet dance lightly across the palate where the acidity is the seesaw that teeters the cherries, cola and sarsaparilla. Lovely persistence that is a marvel.

Enjoy!

Rating: 95 pts

Closure: Screwtop

Alc: 14%

Drink: Now; 3-10 yrs

Price: $35

Tasted: March 2021

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Wine Code Breaker #368

2017 Mac Forbes EB40 Flaming Nebbiolo, Yarra Valley, Victoria

Ever heard of a “Nebb Off?” No? Let me explain. With the increased interest in Australian Nebbiolo, a “Nebb Off” is a flight of wines at a tasting that are, of course, Nebbiolo. A recent “Nebb Off” allowed for a comparison of Nebbiolo across three different regions. Needless to say, this was good fun with a highlight below.

The 2017 Mac Forbes EB40 Flaming Nebbiolo is from the Yarra Valley in Victoria and is a light cerise in colour. The nose of the Experimental Batch is perfumed, herbal with leather and earth. The palate sees the leather paired with tobacco, earth, and coffee beans on a tapestry of firm tannins, stitched together by crunchy acidity making it a “Nebb Off” standout.

Enjoy!

Rating: 94 pts

Closure: Cork

Alc: 13.5%

Drink: Now; 3-10 yrs

Price: $40

Tasted: March 2021

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