Madeleines Primitivo 2008

This is somewhat of a new variety in the Australian scene, where Primitivo has it's roots in Italy and is a close DNA sibling of Zinfandel. Both are probably originally cloned from a parent vine in Croatia.

I opened this about 3 hours before dinner to decant. Early tasting at that time it had some green stalks, and bit of sulpher to blow off. The acid was fairly noticable with a slight raspberry tang. It improved a fair bit after breathing.

Drank most of it with dinner, a Moroccan Beef Tagine, and it was an excellent match. The wine coped with the strong spices well, and the lower than Shiraz fruit sweetness was a bonus with such rich food.

Finishing a glass after dinner, the black fruits were more obvious, as too the floral aromas. Tannins firm but not too dry. One of my guests guessed it was a BV shiraz, and I can see why given some of the 2007 Shiraz we've had lately with their imposing tannins, but this one is a bit of an individual and the best Primitivo/Zinfandel I've had in Australia, though sadly that group is small for now.

Rated as Highly Recommended, particularly with food.

Big Chardonnay - The Red Drinker's White, R.I.P

Summer is coming soon to Adelaide, and I'm here in Broome at the moment which is reminding me a cool white on a hot night is a good thing. The trouble is I'm really not much of a white fan, they are generally quite acidic without any strong fruit to offset that for my palate.

Dear Winemaker,
I used to enjoy the truly big Aussie Chardonnay, the type with the kitchen sink thrown at it, not picked too early, buttery malolactic ferment, considerable time on lees, and a fair whack of oak resulting in a full flavour white. I say 'used to' because they seem to be dead, gone, forgotten. At least by winemakers.

I appreciate that acidic bland Sav Blanc has been on a growth spurt lately, but did you really need to completely abandon lovers of  truly big Aussie Chard? Is there any sense in all of you moving all of your Chard production to the new 'compete with SB' acidic style Chard? Did you not consider big whites to be a taste bud stepping stone to developing an interest in reds?

The funny thing is one producer didn't and Giaconda gets $150 a bottle for their Chard simply because it is truly big, and Parker in the US loves em big.

So, here's my challenge, if any winemaker thinks they still make a big old fashioned Aussie chard, send me a bottle and if it really truly is big I'll sing your praises for a year, at least, not to mention buying a few cases, probably every year, for life. Because I'm tired of buying promises not kept.

I somehow think I'm more likely to see a Thylacine this summer. The madmen killed that off to make room for other things too.

In the meantime I'm also wondering why there are so few sparkling reds out there, it's another market segment mostly being ignored right now.

Thank Baccus for the golden one known as aged Reisling this summer.

Tim Smith MGS 2009

As I said on twitter, you know a wine is good when you've finished you first glass, (which you've poured to review), and not a word written yet.

(10 minutes later...second glass)

I seem to be having trouble describing this wine.

Ok, so I'm getting the typical Grenache red fruit aromas but there's a level of complexity added by the Mataro which is hard to describe, and therefore I'll throw out words like cedar, tobacco and old socks. I'm admitting right here to stealing the term 'old socks', it's what a friend uses when she can't describe a certain aroma. We reckon she means the kind of smell that Silton has, though somewhat more subtle in wines usually.

The flavour is savoury and spicy, but not peppery. The fruit is definitely there but slightly hanging back like the cute girl who hasn't worked out she's cute yet. The oak is hiding behind the cute girl. The tannins can't seem to decide what they want to do for me; at first I decided they're a bit clingy, then next taste I reckon they're just self assured, but quite frankly they're clearly female tannins cos they have me quite confused yet wanting more of whatever they want to give. 

There's probably a long lingering finish, but I seem to take another sip before the previous one fades.

Drink it with beef burgundy. I did.

Highly recommended. Very cellarable, 10 years at least.

* No MGS was harmed in the making of the boeuf bourguignon, though a pitiful wretch from Moppa Rd redeemed himself.

Karrawirra Barossa Valley Shiraz 2008

Another one from the Glug Shiraz dozen packs (mostly sold out now) this wine is pretty decent. Typical fruity Barossa Shiraz, a bit on the rustic side with somewhat coarse tannins but otherwise balanced with the oak, acid, and fruit. A bit of a simple fruit driven wine at this time, but a good gusty red overall.

Don't know that I can see the $16 they want outside of the tasting pack but if you can get on special it's good quaffer. I reckon I like it slightly more than the Bin 221 and 222 which sell for more individually, and it would certainly improve with a coupla years cellaring to soften the tannins.

Sons of Eden Kennedy GSM 2008

The Grenache is obvious on the nose with it's red fruit aromas but I reckon I can smell the hayshed from the orchard too. I found there was quite a spicey zing on the tongue well before I swallowed. A long peppery finish with the fruit showing through, before fading into a bantam-weight fight between the tannins and the acid, with no clear winner by the end of the bout.

A very good food wine as my butter chicken with a hint of chilli would attest to, if it could speak. And if it does speak, pray you're not in hearing range.

Recommended, but it's sold out at cellar door so I'm clearly not the only one who liked it.

Old Moppa Road Shiraz 2008

Horrible stuff. No idea what Glug were thinking when including this in their mixed tasting dozens, but this makes cask wine look good.

To be fair, most of the Shiraz pack was indeed quite good value, this one was an aberration. And lets be honest, you need a few cooking reds and it's offset by the Teusner and Wheatsheaf which are well above par.

Marius Wines

I didn't know Roman Generals have beards, but apparently some do, and perhaps this is why Roger Pike has named his winery Marius Wines. He did sort of look like a Roman General himself standing there on his balcony, overseeing his legionnaires who were arrayed down the hill in precise columns looking up at him. Unfortunately the persona of ruthless leadership was slightly marred by Roger's smiling eyes. I'm pretty sure even bewhiskered Roman Generals don't smile.

Thankfully Roger kept his own moobs hidden

If Roger was the General, then the fellow alongside him, an imposing bloke with a human skull hanging from his ear, must be the Praetor's assassin. Luckily, despite his lobe manifesting a headhunter's trophy, it turns out whilst he actually might like to assassinate a colourbond loving local politician or two, that Philip is a rather jovial bloke and excellent company to taste wines with. He also grows French truffles in his pocket, which he generously shares.

We were also introduced to a fellow who wanted to be called Mandingo, but as he was not black I can only assume he meant Man-Dingo, perhaps a kind of native Australian werewolf, and I think the scraggly chin hair supported that theory. We found out that he was actually from the local council and was the 'wine spitting police' - apparently it's required. Bloody councils!

The Legionnaires, with McLaren Vale in the background. (Looking to the northwest)

I was going to descriptively review the wines but it's already been said far better than I can and it's better if I just tell you that I agree with almost everything said by Philip of truffles about the Simpatico, Symphony and Symposium. The only thing I disagree with is the scores since I'd add at least 1 point more for each of them, and probably 2 points for the Symposium.

On a more personal impression of the wines I found all of them to have a unique herbal bouquet, that I had to check several times wasn't coming from the garden or Philip's truffle, but really it was much more of an earthy herb aroma like someone in another room was bruising up some oregano, thyme and spices ready for an Italian stew - they weren't though, it really was the wine.

At first I preferred the Simpatico to it's slightly more expensive brother the Symphony, and no that isn't my wallet talking, it's more that Simpatico is a slightly simpler wine and easier on the brain when trying to understand what you're tasting. By the end of the glass of Symphony, Gilligan's brain had finally decided that whilst Mary Anne Simpatico would keep you happy most of the time, it was Ginger Symphony who was going to make your life a lot more interesting.

But Ginger didn't have to compete with the Spanish Queen. The Symposium is fabulous stuff, and frankly later I was a little concerned that the quantity of good wine and good company enjoyed by that point might have influenced my opinion. So I just had to have a bottle with dinner later and it was even better, probably because it had been decanted and breathed longer. I haven't been able to get it out of my head for days. Don't tell me Missus but I think I'm in love with a Spanish Queen.

And then sometimes the good days just get better. Roger gave us a taste of his new baby direct from it's wooden womb, the 2010 Shiraz. Phenomenal stuff. Philip was a tad concerned that an early sunset would be the result of this 'black hole in a glass' sucking all the light from the Vale. ManDingo just wished he were as black.

And then the best days can have a surprise ending. For some reason Roger decided we should try his new unreleased wine; End Play. Actually the reason was made clear when I let him use my alcohol breath tester and he registered 0.340 (Philip was somewhat behind with only 0.188 but apparently he wakes up at 0.100 and has a highly active liver). What's in End Play? Roger won't say, but I will tell you what's in it - all the bloody good stuff!

Roger laughing that most mortals would be dead at this point.

If you're not on Marius Wine's mailing list then hopefully you're in the queue behind me somewhere. If you're on the list or in front of me in the queue, then have you considered the health of your liver?

Vini Vidi Bibi - we came, we saw, we drank

Update: 2008 vintage wines have been released.