Ployez Jacquemart Selection Rose: Lovely – just right, and its pinkness was Christmas-appropriate.  And it won over a non champagne crowd with its delicate strawberry and lemon notes.
Ployez Jacquemart Brut 2000: Served too warm – tasty nonetheless for being Christmas day.  Another bottle will get consumed very shortly.
Auburn Lowburn Riesling 2010: Improving out if sight with a year’s age (personal interest disclaimer on this label).
Joseph Sparkling Red 2010 disg: My favourite disgorgement of this wine so far. Sweeter and fruit-fresher than earlier versions, although the alcohol seems to stick out a little more these days. Like it a lot.
Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Auslese 1993: A cellar release from 2010.  Best bottle so far out of a sixpack. Shows its pradikat through weight rather than sweetness, with juicy acidity balance perfectly by racy green pineapple and lemon fruit which is nly now showing signs of its 18 years of age.

The current release. Made by Scott Heidrich in the McLaren Vale. Spices on the nose; white pepper, a bit of Szechuan and dark fruits. Sweet blackberries, blueberries, liquorice, mulberries and some tanginess on the palate. Supple tannins. Quite elemental, even at 5 years of age. Softened and showed some more savoury characters sitting in the cellar overnight. Winery sample. $25. 14.0% abv. Screwcap. Drink 2015. 88+ points.

A blend of Clare Valley and McLaren Vale fruit. Plum jam, mocha and vanilla. Quite domineering really. On the palate, plums and coconut oak, mint, and tangy raspberry acid. To be honest, almost painfully rich on the palate. Finishes with some rawness and burnt characters. Would be nice with a big oily pizza, like a Domino’s Pepperoni, though $30 seems a bit too much. 14.5% abv. Sealed under screwcap. RRP $29.95. A distributor sample. Needs some time to settle down. Drink 2014+, 87 points.

On the second night, the rawness on the finish has gone, but the palate seems a bit hollow. That said, I’ve seen it for $20 at Dans, which isn’t a bad price. 86 points.

This is not a wine by Lindsay McCall from the Mornington Peninsula, but one from David Hickinbotham in the McLaren Vale. I don’t know how it can be labelled as “Paringa”. By the way, this wine is something my father-in-law gets from Get Wines Direct for $9.99 per bottle, though it has a “buy 1 case, get 1 case free” deal associated with it at the moment. So he has spotted me a bottle. On the nose, warm dried spices and fruit, licorice. Sweetness dominates the palate, blackberries, black cherries and some spice. Simple and satisfying. Sweetness through the palate, with dry spice finish, black pepper and cinnamon. Drink now. Sealed under screwcap. 14.6% abv. 82 points. Amazing value for $4.99 per bottle (potentially). Cavaet: my wife refused to drink it; so there you go.

I have been re-organising the cellar and found a lone bottle of this wine. 2000 was a difficult vintage in South Australia, wasn’t it? Or maybe that was just in the Barossa Valley. Anyway, I decided that this wine’s number was up. Oh, I should mention I also discovered a small enclave of 1996 and 2001 Magill Estate Shiraz – I am planning to cook something nice on the weekend and will crack a bottle or two. But I digress. With the wine swirling in the glass, I see it has a dull red colour, with perhaps a touch of bricking. On the nose, blackberries, milk chocolate, old pepper spices, a sweet confection, with a touch of earthy compost and smoke. The palate is still showing some fruit sweetness, with bouncy black and red fruits, blackberries and raspberries, leathery complexity and a touch of stalkiness; still brightly acidic. No hard or firm tannins; it seems pretty well integrated. Not a classic 389, but still enjoyable. 13.5% abv. 88 points. Drink now to 2014.

It’s that time of the year again, the time when Penfolds release their “Bin” range of wines. I have read that this is probably the pick of the new red wines, so I bought myself a bottle. I also bought singles of the Bin 128, Bin 138 and Bin 389, and will have look at these in the coming weeks. I would also like to try the Bin 23 Pinot Noir, but haven’t seen it around yet. Anyway, this wine was a vibrant dark red in colour. A solid nose, showing coffee beans and mocha, black olives and juicy red berries, spice, and with time, some milkyness and almonds. The palate is tight and savoury, even after 5 hours in a decanter, with berry fruits, hard dry spices, nutmeg and coffee dryness. Good length, though there is a little bit of heat on the finish, but only a touch. Still quite youthful – I would like to see this again in a couple of years. Bottled under screwcap. 14.5% abv. Currently $19.80 from Dan Murphys in a six bottle purchase, but expect to pay around $25 for it from other retailers. Drink 2012-2017+. 89 points.

I popped into Stewarts Wine Co at the Barracks complex on Petrie Terrace on the weekend, and can recommend it for a good range of both local and imported wines, and for knowlegdeable and enthusiastic service. Anyway, this wine was pushed my way and I decided to give it a spin round the decanter on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Quite an intense and complex nose, showing dried meats, raspberry fruits, eucalyptus, milk chocolate, coconut and some spices. The palate is quite big at the moment, meaty and textured, with black plums, chocolate and cloves. Excellent length, impressive balance, concentration without any heat, and a lovely dry finish. Drink 2012-2017. 14.5% abv. Sealed under screwcap. RRP $46. 92 points.

A blend of 85% Shiraz and 15% Sangiovese. Consumed over 3 days and was one of those wines that got better and softened with time. In fact, I found it almost painful to drink on the first night, so most of it was consumed over the two succeeding days. A bulky nose, with rich red fruits, cola, plums, mulberries and spices; packed with fruits and flavours and goodness. The palate is also plummy, but also showed red cherry, black cherry, raspberries, peppery spices and acid. Tannins are ripe but big and plentiful. Should easily take a few years of cellaring.

Other vintages: 2007

Rated : 90 Points
Tasted : Dec09
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : $19
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2012-2016
Source : Cellar Door
Website : Primo Estate

In general, I am not a great fan of this marque, but I quite enjoyed this one. Floral, black fruit, warm tar, liquorice, some confection, earthy and spicy too. The palate showed soft tannins, red fruits, plums and olives, raspberries, a touch of acid on the finish. Very pleasant and really quite complex. Very good value too.

Rated : 90 Points
Tasted : May09
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : $18
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2010-2014
Source : Dan Murphys
Website : d’Arenberg

I’m in the middle of a bit of a Shiraz-a-thon, or would that be in the midst of a Shiraz-o-rama, or dancing at a Shiraz-a-palooza. A lifted nose, blackberries and black plums, jubes, acid and spice. The palate is friendly and jovial, blackberries and spice, with cleansing acid on the palate, and a slightly prickly finish. With time, it seems a bit hollow. Drink over the next few years.

Rated : 87 Points
Tasted : Apr09
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : $18.90
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2009 – 2013
Source : Dan Murphys
Website : Mitolo Wines