Koltz Autumn 2015 Release

2011 Koltz Etruscan
80% Sangiovese, 10% Shiraz, 10% Sagrantino

You know a wine has a great nose when you start getting a buzz even before the first sip. An absolutely stunning olfactory experience, though it has moderated slightly on the second day. I'd advise amateurs to avoid drinking it from Burgundy or tulip shaped glasses.

A bit of a dirty wine this, likely grown on sacred soil, and so has sucked up some of that righteousness. Earthy and savoury, and just a little floral, a bit like doing a face plant in a herb garden really. Mid weight on the palate, silky tannins and that beautiful mouth watering acid that is sadly very rare. The fruit somewhat in the red spectrum but a bit of black and blue too.

Ignore the year, I know some of you still have a mental bias, but this is from McLaren Vale and secondly my big Shiraz loving wife thinks it's bloody good (I may be paraphrasing here). My own confession is I am not much of a Sangiovese drinker, in fact I might not have any in my cellar, but this is bloody good (I am not paraphrasing) and clearly I need more of it.

Highly Recommend+ and *****


2013 Koltz Dog Day Sangiovese

As mentioned before, I don't drink a lot of Sangiovese but it's a grape with a relatively distinctive nose, and whilst I would not have picked the Etruscan as Sangio, I'd like to think I'd have picked this in a blind tasting. Of course I probably wouldn't have, but I have delusions of adequacy.

I like the nose on this better day 2, it's a little less fruit focussed and more clearly savoury. Blueberries for sure, some mulberry too. I had a bit of cigar box on day 1, but today I'm going with dried shiitake mushrooms grown under an old jarrah tree, as unlikely as that may seem.

At the lighter end of medium weight, very fine tannins, acid is light but in balance, it overall strikes me as a very pretty wine. Have with food to get the best from it, but sips just fine.

Recommended+ and ****


2014 Koltz Dog Day Shiraz

My wife wants to come back as a golden retreiver, 'cos ours spends a very large amount of time just laying around snoozing. Clearly a 'dog day' is a good day. Anyway, I'm not sure the Pope will be that keen on changing church dogma.

I reckon this might be my first 2014, if you don't considering me internally fermenting Marius grapes a year ago. I may be sharing too much information. I'll be even more honest and say I thought this was too young yesterday, but what a difference one day can make. Stating the obvious, it's still pretty young, but there's sometimes a bit of cool vivaciousness in young wines as they gangly run around, with knees and elbows seemingly juxtaposed yet weirdly in harmony.  

The more I drink it, the more I like it, and yes that sometimes happens with booze, but then again I've never gone back for a second glass of Cow Bombie, ever.

So, a powerful nose of rich red and blue fruits, there's something underneath but the fruit aromas overwhelming it at this early stage. More savoury on the palate than the nose suggested, full body, chewy tannin, chocolate and black cherry. Balance makes it absolutely good enough to drink now if you are an impatient type, but try for a year or 3 in the cellar and drink the Sangios in the meantime, I reckon.

Recommended++ and ****


Oh, and you can probably add a star above if you order soon as Koltz have an Autumn offer for the above 3 wines at a further reduced price. I secured mine before telling you about them, so feel free to load up.

Longwood 2013 Sellicks HIlls Cabernet Sauvignon

I started writing this quite some time back, then forgot I hadn't finished it until I cracked another bottle and wondered what I wrote back when I "first reviewed" it.

A nose of graphite, blackberries, mulberry, mace, and a hint of custard & apple. OK, I'm stretching on that last one, the Frenchies would say je nes sais quoi, which sounds all very clever until you know the direct translation is: "I haven't got a flamin clue". I wouldn't normally go with custard or apple as descriptors in a red, but this is all cuddly and rich without being sweet, so c'est ce que c'est.

Med to full body with very fine round tannins, and the acid is playing seesaw with the fruit, so all the kids are playing nice together.

Very good value wine this, a true bargain at $12ish. Drinks so easily now, and even better a day later, so I reckon hedge your bets and go short for fun and long for more complexity. Apparently there's some left, which is crazy.


Recommended++ and ***** for value.