I have liked recent reds from Mount Langi, and this one continues the trend. A bit reduced to start with, but was fine on the second night. An interesting nose. Black cherries, spice, vanilla pod, stalk, charcoal and gunsmoke. Quite oaky really. The palate showed cherries, menthol, coffee and a lovely richness. A nice body and great tannins. Some green sappy characters expanding on the finish. Not bad though. Needs a couple of years. Drink 2013+. Winery sample. Screwcap. 14.5% abv. 91 or 92 points; I cannot decide. Great value for money. A good option if you don’t want to buy their top end wines.

Pleasantly restrained: black cherries and spice, cedar, cinnamon, minerals, with a touch of spearmint. The palate is elegant, with fruits like cherries and red plums, juicy and lightly spicy, powdery tannins and some grip. Finish showed sour fruits; nice and drying. Good acid, adding freshness but there is a hint of greenness on the back palate. I’m thinking 88 points, and drink 2013-2018. A winery sample. RRP $18 but someone somewhere will be discounting it I bet; just talk to Mr Google.

A winery sample. The 2008 wine was a blend of Grampians and Henty fruit, so I’m guessing this one is too. I thought “Cliff Edge” was a vineyard in the former region, but perhaps there is precipitous terrain in both areas. Now I don’t drink much Riesling at home, and only normally have it when I get together with Andrew, who is an enthusiast to say the least.

A nose showing white blossoms, lemons and limes, green apple and chalk. The palate also has floral aspects, with rounded and broad flavours, pears laced with citrus fruits, crunchy acid and a sour dry finish. Pretty good length, but for me the acid is quite prominent. Maybe this is why I don’t drink much dry Riesling. RRP $25. Sealed under screwcap. 11.5% abv. Rated Very Good.

I must say I was pleased to get a sample of this wine recently; it is one of my favourite styles of Shiraz and a tremendous producer. A deep red/purple in colour. A luscious nose, offering red currants, raspberries, cinnamon, peppercorns and some creaminess; nuanced and layered. The palate is similarly impressive, red fruited with a touch of dark plums and cherries, liquorice and a dash of spice; fine tannins, medium bodied and a lovely sense of balance and restraint. Excellent length, and should handle some cellaring. A six pack buy for me, budgetary constraints permitting. Winery sample, with a RRP of $85. 14.5% abv. Drink 2012-2017+. 95 points.

Another single bottle taster from many months ago. Might even be more than a year. A rich red in colour, with traces of purple. The nose showed a mass of different aromas, plums, mulberries and blueberries, vanilla and a nuttiness, and lurking in the shadows black fruits and earthy spices. The palate showed bright clean fruit, mulberries and plums, with hints of currants and raspberries, nutty and savoury with a drying finish. Medium bodied, with beautiful tannins – the complete package. A very classy Shiraz. I just wish I had bought more. Sigh. Can be consumed now, but should improve with time.

Rated : 94 Points
Tasted : Aug09
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : $60
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2009-2014+
Source : Cellar
Website : Seppelt

The first from a quartet of Langi Shirazes: this wine, the Moyston Hills, the Nowhere Creek and the Cliff Edge. The Gap Vineyard is supposedly a slightly warmer site, and it shows it with aromas of plums and red berries, wood spice, earth, plump fruits, and almost a macerated character. The palate is quite plush, sweet red fruits, cream, and a bit of pencilly oak. There is not a lot of spice or pepper. The length is good and the balance spot on, though I would leave it a couple of years before trying again.

Rated : 89 Points
Tasted : Oct08
Alcohol : 14.0%
Price : $25
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2010-2015
Source : Winery Sample
Website : Mount Langi Ghiran

A rich red. Red cherries and red plums, lifted florals and strikingly deep seated peppery spices. There is also the impression of concentration, and hints of milk chocolate, cocoa and even chocolate. The palate is wonderfully balanced, cherries and plums, blackberries, maybe some raspberry acidity, milky and tangy, ripe but not too sweet, all with some beautiful tannins. Quite primary at the moment, but oh-so easy to drink. No sign of any heat whatsoever.

Rated : 92 Points
Tasted : May08
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : $55
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2008 – 2015
Source : Boccaccio Cellars

Mount Langi Ghiran has been off my radar for a few years now. In fact, 1999 was the last vintage I bought, and after drinking my last bottle last night I can hear a ‘bip’, ‘bip’, ‘bip’, ‘bip’, because this is just my type of wine (when I’m in a Shiraz mood). Sure, there is a core of cracked white pepper that some find distracting, but there is also lots of fruit and interest: red plums and blackberries, red cherries, cinnamon, vanilla pod and even some meatiness. The palate is beautiful, all those red and black fruits, fine fine tannins and then some creaminess and raspberries, pepper and dry spices. The length is excellent – a very satisfying wine, and better than my previous bottle a few years ago. Drink over the short term I think, as it dried out a touch after a few hours.

Rated : 93 Points
Tasted : Mar07
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : $38.16
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2007 – 2010
Source : Cellar