Wine Code Breaker #379

2019 Yangarra Estate Old Vine Grenache, McLaren Vale, South Australia International Grenache Day is celebrated on the 17th September each year and it is an opportunity to celebrate all that is good about Grenache. It can be lightly crushed for a rose, blended with Shiraz and Mataro to create a GSM or vinified on itsContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #379”

Wine Code Breaker #378

2017 RockBare Grenache, McLaren Vale, South Australia In the arts, a fine piece is one that is said to have light and shade. Simply put, light and shade can be a metaphor for things that evoke an emotional response. In wine, light and shade can be the colours as they are swirled, the aromas asContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #378”

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 anywhereContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #377”

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 presentContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #376”

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, thereContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #375”

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 providedContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #374”

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,Continue reading “Wine Code Breaker #373”

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 ponderContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #372”

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,”Continue reading “Wine Code Breaker #371”

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 moreContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #370”