An uncensored guide to wine…
2019 Mac Forbes EB57 Concrete Schoolyard Pinot Noir, Yarra Junction, Yarra Valley, Victoria Mac Forbes’s approach to winemaking starts in the vineyard. As he states, “the vines are only as good as the soil they are anchored in.” And with this, he works with the constraints of the seasons. His EB – Experimental Batch –Continue reading “Wine Code Breaker #356”
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2019 Soumah Syrah, Yarra Valley, Victoria International Syrah Day appears to have got lost this year. Celebrated on the 16th of February, it seems to have slipped most of us by. Perhaps it was the hangover of the romance of the 14th or was it Global Drink Wine Day on the 18th. Perhaps it wasContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #355”
2018 Mayford Tempranillo, Porepunkah, Alpine Valley, Victoria A puppy whining in its youth for company can drive you spare. Without giving puppy raising guidance, they need to be left alone to cope by themselves. “Let it mature with you not in spite of you,” would appear to be the mantra. So to with Tempranillo. FromContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #354”
2017 Golden Ball ‘là-bas’ Chardonnay, Beechworth, Victoria A rural property located near the gold mining town of Beechworth is named Golden Ball. As the story goes, it was named after the original settler’s favourite hotel in London (c1850s). Golden Ball is also the name given to the granite that dominates the region. The granite shapesContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #353”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
The Unexpurgated Wine Code