2016 Yagarra Estate Ovitelli Grenache, McLaren Vale, South Australia Counting crows is a pastime oft spent during the long dry Summer months. They argk and squawk as only they can awaiting a carcass to appear. Counting Crows is also an alternative rock music group from California. In “Mrs Potter’s Lullaby” they poetically proposition, “if dreamsContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #352”
Category Archives: 2020
Wine Code Breaker #351
2018 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, South Australia The greatest wines are out of the reach of most of us. They are wines that fill your dreams. Their costs far exceed your bank balances, or the consequences of an extravagant spend far exceed the perceived benefit to the palate experience. Then there are wines thatContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #351”
Wine Code Breaker #350
Non-Vintage Sparkling Shiraz, Turkey Flat, Barossa Valley, South Australia A BBQ is an Australian institution. Snags, salad and steak on a paper plate, all to be eaten with one hand and an implement. But which implement is best? What do you really need? A fork, a spoon or a knife? A splayd of course! CombiningContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #350”
Wine Code Breaker #349
2017 Simonnet-Febvre Cesar Coteaux Bourguignons, Burgundy, France Asterix and Obelix stories tell the tale of the Julius Caesar’s Romans and their fateful interactions with the Gauls in the territories that are now France. Of course Getafix, the Druid, has access to a magic potion that keeps the Gauls and Romans in a semi-conflicted peace. TheContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #349”
Wine Code Breaker #348
2020 Dormilona Yokel Trebbiano Pet Nat, Swan Valley, Western Australia Trebbiano is thought to have originated in Italy and during Roman times, made its way to France. Today it is one of the most widely grown varieties in the world, but will mostly be seen in balsamic vinegars and some fortifieds. It was introduced intoContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #348”
Wine Code Breaker #347
2018 Coldstream Hills Merlot, Yarra Valley, Victoria Miles is the somewhat hard to love character from Sideways, a movie that almost killed the sales of Merlot. He had some self esteem issues; best summed up when he remarked, “half my life is over and I have nothing to show for it. Nothing. I’m a thumbprintContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #347”
Wine Code Breaker #346
2017 Paradigm Hill les Cinq Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria “Il fait la queue du paon.” What the? If you use your favourite translator it comes out as something like “he faith the peacock tail”. Again, what the? Apply this to wine and Pinot Noir in particular, swirl the glass, sniff, take a sip andContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #346”
Wine Code Breaker #345
2019 Coldstream Hills Deer Farm Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley November 29 is World Ballet Day and at first glance you might think there is not much in common between this artistic pursuit and wine. Take the Arabian scene from The Nutcracker. Dancers with excellent training are the fruit. The music and lighting is theContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #345”
Wine Code Breaker #344
Non Vintage House of Arras Brut Elite Cuvée No. 1501 Methode Traditionelle, Tasmania October 19 is Champagne Day. What a great day to recognise the euphoric elixir that is a sparkling white or pink shaded wine. This day ignores the fact that the English invented the Methode Traditionelle of which, yes the French perfected. ItContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #344”
Wine Code Breaker #343
2018 Duke’s Magpie Hill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Porongurup, Western Australia Frost is a killer of crops and farming ingenuity can help manage this exposure. The best though, is a site that has a natural buffer, and the sub-region of Porongurup in the Great Southern wine region of Western Australia is one. Firstly, the Great SouthernContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #343”
The Unexpurgated Wine Code 