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Every now and then I like the selected mixed packs from Wine Selectors which can offer something a bit different with a more regional focus. A couple of white varieties that I tasted over the last week which were included in the pack, were offerings from West Cape Howe and Peos Estate from Western Australia.

Starting with the West Cape Howe Pinot Gris 2018, this wonderful, crisp and flavour filled white, really surprised at how well balanced it was. The combination of light, pale yellow appearance, with aromas of pears and apples, finished with a smooth taste showed how well integrated this wine has been made. A great white to drink chilled with a brie cheese and my afternoon next to the pool was complete. A very well deserved 82/100 on the Welly’s Wine Score and a big thumbs up for more of it in the future.

Next we have the Peos Estate Four Kings Chardonnay 2017. From the moment it hit the glass you could see that the wine exhibits a more mineral, lighter appearance to a traditional chardonnay. On tasting, the overpowering acidity threw me right off from the beginning with too much of a sour aftertaste. This took away from the peachy taste and smell. Not for me this one, Welly’s Wine Score of 62/100.

Hey all, sorry I’ve been a bit quiet for a bit. I have been busy organising a few things that will hopefully help me extend and enhance my experiences in the various wine regions around Australia. However that news is for another time!

The opportunity to taste the Walter’s Cabernet from Bremerton wines is never lost on me, it has to be one of the greats for the price! The 2012 vintage has an amazing smell which changes complexity the longer it sits in the glass. You get that very stemmy, green initial hit but slowly transforms to heavy oak the longer you can leave it. That can be an issue as well, it’s so delicious it doesn’t last long with a terrific, full mouth feel, an abundance of fruit and a lingering spicy finish. It scores a superb 90/100 on Welly’s Wine Score.

The weather in Adelaide has been cold and the one, bright, sunny day we had, was an opportunity to try something conducive to the conditions………although, to be honest, wine drinking conditions are 24 hours, 7 days a week 😁. The Pinot on tasting was from Byron and Harold in WA, costs just under $30 a bottle but obviously cheaper if you buy multiple. On the nose, it’s quintessentially cherries, in the glass, alot darker colour with a nice shiny almost filtered appearance. On tasting, there is a hint of sweetness from the vanillin oak and an almost overipened strawberry type flavour. It was definitely velvety smooth, however it finished a little short for my tastebuds. This is certainly not a poor trait as this would be a superb, refreshing starter drink on a warmer day. The Rose and Thorns Pinot Noir from Byron and Harold finished with a Welly’s Wine Score of 79/100.

So it’s time to delve into something a bit more serious with the current tasting of a 2015 Curtis Vineyards Limited Series Shiraz. The wine was initially closed on popping the cork, but once it ran through the aerator and left to it’s own devices for a couple of hours the fragrant released was outstanding. This was a hint of what was to come when tasting. It’s an initial fruit blast full of berries and plums with a subtle vanilla sweetness from the American oak. There are smooth tannins, great legs, great colour and a nice spicy, chocolaty finish which seemingly keeps going and going. This is a complex but outstanding wine but is it worth the rrp of $100? Well, not really, because it always seems to be discounted online for about $70 and at that price it’s worthwhile to dip the toe in for a few and sit them down for another 10 years if cellared correctly. It finishes with a Welly’s Wine Score of 88/100.

I first discovered the Bellevue Estate Shiraz, made by Corey Vandeleur, over 10 years ago at the Edinburgh Hotel Shiraz Challenge and I’ve been buying cases of the wine yearly ever since. At $20 a bottle I believe there is no competitor in the current market that can compete with it for value for money. It has won the Challenge multiple times as voted by the public, so it’s connection with the general drinker is tight. With only 1000 cases made for the 2016 vintage, the Bellevue Shiraz shows amazing length and balance with blackberry fruit characteristics and just a hint of white pepper to excite the taste buds of those more seasoned wine tasters. It’s definitely not trying to be a big, bold, leave alone for a decade Shiraz, and this is what appeals to me. It’s drinkable straight away but i would suggest a quick decant to open up those fruit flavours. A Welly’s Wine Score of 86 will cement this as a must have in anyones cellar.

It was a cold, wet and windy night and the slow cooker was full of chicken madras curry. Hmmm……..what to have? Why not try a Western Australian Wignalls Sav Blanc and see how it goes. It made me smile as soon as the wine hit the glass with a very aromatic herb smell, very pale golden colour and a terrific grapefruit taste. It actually paired really well with the curry. As I finally relaxed onto the couch after dinner, with a movie playing and a glass of zesty Sav Blanc in hand, my night was set.

The 2018 Wignalls Sav Blanc gets a Welly’s Wine Score of 78/100.

The Heysen vines are based in the Piccadilly area of the Adelaide Hills. Based on a small 1.5 acre plot with 1500 vines, the 2015 harvest produced about 2 ton of grapes. The 2015 Heysen single vineyard Pinot Noir provided another fine version of the Pinot grape from the Adelaide Hills with a strawberry and cherry flavour, quite light on the palate and a short slightly acidic finish.

Welly’s Wine Score of 72/100

The III Associates winery have been producing stellar wines for years and with the Backbone they have made another special wine. It was purposely made with their loyal customers in mind. This particular GSM exhibits a typical aroma of berries but as a good friend of mine mentioned, the oaky smell was like walking into an old church. The hidden wonder though is the very spicy notes which dominate the tastebuds and such a rare find in a GSM, which is normally full of fruit and and softer on the palate. Matching it with a beef schnitzel and pepper sauce provided an ideal dinner! A Welly’s Wine Score of 83/100 really shows how III Associates continue to provide top quality wines.

Hey all, just a quick review of something I really enjoyed the other night. The Sparkling Pinot from Bird In Hand was quite tart on opening and I thought it was going to be a disappointment, but boy was I wrong. With a lovely vibrant pink colour and a wonderful bubble column rising from the centre, the wine took a few minutes to open up and settle in the glass. A few gentle swirls and the strawberry and cherry aromas came to the fore and were followed by subtle floral notes. A wine so fresh and bubbly, it’s definitely a wine to to get people in the mood.

A solid Welly’s Wine Score of 81/100 should have this wine close to the top on anyone’s party wish list.

It was an early Saturday morning as we set off for a day in the Barossa. We booked an early lunch at Ferment Asian so there was enough time to properly sample 2 wineries in the afternoon.

The early arrival at Ferment Asian meant we had the restaurant almost all to ourselves. I’ve been there before a few years ago, and as usual the food presentation and the standard of food was excellent. The wine list is one of the most extensive I’ve seen, if you ask the host they will match the wines with the food for you. We didn’t go with that option and decided on the A Rodda Willow Lake Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2017. At about $38, it’s a 96 point Halliday wine so expectations were high. It didn’t disappoint as the wine exhibited a wonderful creamy texture with full round grapefruit flavours.

As the mains dishes started being served, the next bottle of choice was the 2017 Sang de Pigeon Pinot Noir from the Adelaide Hills which can be found for around $30. This was full flavoured, had surprisingly good depth and a great aroma. Matched up with the pork belly, it was delicious!

With our stomachs full from a fantastic lunch, the decision was made to visit Turkey Flat vineyards and try out, not only their award winning Grenache, but their extensive range of other grape varieties.

The entrance to the vineyard greeted us with the view of the beautiful old bush vines.

With some of the oldest vines in the world, Turkey flat wines are not for the quaffer drinkers. Most of their wines are made to last the distance and are full bodied with heavy tannin. Their Jimmy Watson Memorial trophy winner was the 2016 Grenache and the talent for wine making is well on show. With a terrific balance between fruit, tannin and acidity, the wine is slightly sweet and a bit dry but the bold fruit shines brightly.

The 2016 Turkey Flat Grenache has a Welly’s Wine Score of 86/100.

Our next stop was at Rockford Wines and with the members tasting room booked, this was my most anticipated wine tasting experience for a long time. I can tell you straight off the bat that all the talk and hype around Rockford is well and truly justified with an awesome intimate tasting room with underground cellar to stroll through and admire. Starting the tasting with Riesling and ending with fortifieds, my personal favourite was the 2016 Rifle Range Cabernet Sauvignon which was, for my taste, the business. It was juicy and full bodied, but balanced with just the right amount of tannin. However, dry enough at the finish while still providing a length on the palate which amazes. All in all, a terrific day was had, with great company, great food and great wine.

The Rockford Rifle Range has a Welly’s Wine Score of 94/100.