The Laughing Magpie – A taste of Oz

The Vintage: “A vintage summarised as a vintage that ripened without interruptions and producing moderate yields. Low to moderate winter rain with good follow-up rains in November enabled adequate moisture to support the potential crop load and allow it to slowly develop over summer. The summer was cool and dry followed by a very dry, warm autumn, which was unusual. This allowed many varieties to ripen early and without interruptions. The fruit has great floral aromatics with good intensity and perfectly balanced with excellent concentration, flavour development and length as well as lovely ripe, gritty tannins. Nearly every variety we have harvested exceeded classified expectations due to the exceptional autumn conditions.”

The Winemaking: “Very concentrated ripe bunches of Shiraz and Viognier were gently crushed by the “Demoisy” open mouthed, rubber toothed crusher, then co-fermented together in traditional, headed down open fermenters where the traditional foot-treading in wader- clad feet takes place. After about 2 weeks the must (the still fermenting juice) was then gently basket pressed by our 19th Century “Coq” and “Bromley & Tregoning” presses, and then transferred into American and French oak barriques for maturation.”

d’Arenberg “The Laughing Magpie” McLaren Vale 2005
Tasting Notes: 94% Shiraz, 6% Viognier, aged 12 months in American and French oak. 0.7 g/L sugars, 6.8 g/L acidity, 15% vol. Blood red in the glass. On the nose there are strong black fruits, pretty floral notes, balanced oakiness, and sweet vanilla-cinnamon spices. Dark chocolate dominates on the palate, accompanied by ripe cassis and blackberries, a juicy and balanced acidity and smooth tannins. This is a big but also well-integrated wine.
Rating: 16/20 (91/100)
Price: US$19.99 @ Winelibrary.com

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Thelema Mountain South African Shiraz 2003

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Stellenbosch “Shiraz” 2003
Tasting Notes : 100% shiraz, aged 18 months in oak barrel, about half new oak, 13.5% vol. A deep purpleish, ruby red in the glass. Sweet oak, cinnamon, and mint notes, followed by red and black fruits on the nose. Overall the aromas display an elegant and sweet spicyness. Smooth texture, light tannins and a juicy acidity in the mouth. This is a medium-bodied, well-balanched wine with notes of bitter dark chocolate and sweet black cherry, lingering on through the rather nice finish.
Rating : 15/20 (90/100)
Price : $35.99 @ estate

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A winner, a loser, and a tough sell – Wines of the Week

About six months ago, I got a new job.  Same company, I just got shuffled due to a very significant reorganization.  Turned out, not only was it better than getting a severance package, it was a bit of a promotion, which is nice.

Alas, as is often the case, promotions mean more responsibility.  I’m also learning about parts of our business in which I have no experience, so I’m pretty busy.  Blogging took a back seat (as did taking many notes when drinking wine.)

I’m finding more balance now, and should at least be good for a weekly wrap up of the wines I had during the week.

This week, we have a winner, a loser, and a tough sell.

The Winner:

2010 Domaine Guy Mousset Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Réservée

Appellation:  Côtes du Rhône

Tasting Notes:  13% ABV.  Very light pink.  Nose is fresh, sour cherry and strawberry, roses.  Very nice!  Good acid, minerals, some heft, but crisp.  Bright red fruit.  Complex for a rose.  Very good.

Rating:  4/5

Price:  Under $10 (not sure, exactly, my wife bought it)

The Loser:

2008 R. Stuart & Co. Pinot Noir Big Fire

Appellation:  Oregon

Tasting Notes:  100% Pinot Noir.  13.1% ABV.  Very light in the glass, almost rose.  Nose is red jam, some funk, not exciting.  Tasted like sour fruit juice.  Terrible.  Dumped the bottle.

Maybe it’s me.  Maybe (for the sake of the winemaker) it was a bad bottle; but this was like the worst of mass produced Pinot.

Rating:  1/5

Price:  $19 at the winery.

The Tough Sell:

2005 Two Hands Shiraz Sophie’s Garden

Appellation:  Padthaway, South Australia

Tasting Notes:  100% Shiraz.  15.6% ABV.  Very dark color.  Inky.  Nose is strawberry and grape jam, then some dust.  The nose makes me think big Aussie Shiraz, which is not a good thing for my palate.  On the palate is big bright red fruit, pepper, anise, some minerals.  More complex than I thought it might be.  Some acid, tannins are there but not overpowering.  Hot on the finish.  Not as hefty as I thought it would be.  Ended up better than the nose would indicate.

Take my notes with a grain of salt, as this is not my favorite style of wine, but it’s a pretty good example.  Decanting will help, and I plan to do so before having the rest of it with steak.  Good, not great.  A hint more smoothness and weight would have helped, and I think some air might add that dimension.

Rating: 3/5

Price:  $30

 

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Review : Boolaroo Australian Shiraz

Pettavel “Boolaroo Shiraz” Victoria 2003
Tasting Notes : 100% shiraz, 14.5% vol. Brick red in the glass. The nose is very rich, sweet and fruity. The high alcohol is a little too much but not an overkill. There’s a mild, yet pleasant funk, accompanied by savory and spicy notes, subtle oak, as well as red and black fruits. Bold and rich in the mouth with more ripe black fruits, sour black cherries and some jamminess. The tannins are sweet and smooth. There is a fairly good balance although this wine is a little bitter, sour and alcoholic, and a little too jammy. Savory is the key word on the finish. Notes of rare and bloody red meat linger, not fully unpleasant, but a little disjointed. Drink this wine with food definitely !
Rating : 13+/20 (85/100)
Price : US$9.99 @ Winelibrary

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