Paul Ippolito Talks Wine: Wines Of the Week

With Paul Ippolito

Something To Keep You Warm

Lillypilly Moscato 2006

Sweet fragrant with lashings of passionfruit, lychees, musk, rose petals and frangipani. Delicate and lightweight yet also alluring and inviting. Smooth and easy drinking with good acidity that balances the ripe fresh fruit characters. Lingers long on the finish. A very gluggable drop. Try this with stuffed King prawns.

Drink Now. About $15.

Value Drinking

Bremerton Langhorne Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2006

Citrine lemons and limes and grapefruit all exude from the nose - quite forwardly as well. A certain minerality and an earthiness accompany the fruit characters. Soft acidity follows as well a tangy finish, making overall for nice easy drinking. Try this with oysters natural.
 
Drink Now. About $16.

Fruit Driven In Style

Far Flung Corner Unwooded Chardonnay 2006

This one is a new label from the Smithbrook winery in Western Australia - more specifically the far flung South Western corner of it. Ripe tropical fruits, coupled with musk and a touch of citrine character on the nose. Good lively acidity underpinning the fruit providing a slight tanginess as well. Lemon citrus on the finish making for easy pleasant drinking. Try it with green pea risotto.

Drink Now. About $17.

Quality Red Blend

D'Arenberg The Sticks and Stones Tempranillo Grenache Souzao 2004

This delicious red savoury blend has been beautifully put together by D'Arenberg. Raspberry fruit, black olives, blueberries, red earth, red cherries, prunes, truffles, roasted meats, all meld together in an intricate manner and are slowly unravelled through the layers of aromas of the wine and then its palate. Fresh and vibrant yet also soft and well rounded on the other. This is well blended and an interesting red. You also get beautiful plump raisins and milk chocolate as well as dark liquorice characters adding to its drinkability. Try this with paella.

Drink Now to 2012. About $30.

Bargain Red

Water Wheel Bendigo Shiraz 2005

Ripe, rich and full flavoured, this is real red wine drinking from Peter Cumming, winemaker at Water Wheel. Dark blackish glass staining purple. Glorious ripe blackberries, stewed plums and dark smooth cherries emanate along with milk chocolate, cinnamon spice along with roasted meat characters. Quite seamless in presentation along with integrated oak. Well balanced despite the 15.5% alcohol making it very drinkable, very affordable and a very nice big red. Drink this with a bbq rump steak with mushroom sauce.

Drink Now to 2012. About $15.

Elegant Red Drinking

Terra Felix Shiraz Viognier 2006

This has an evocative nose filled with ripe rich apricots from the Viognier. The grapes are grown in the regions of the Upper Goulburn and Central Victoria. Hints of spice, blueberries and blackberries follow. An invigorating set of aromas, followed by seamless silky oak, lively acidity and ultra fine tannins. Really easy fruit driven red wine drinking - effortless in fact, oh, and really good value as well. Try this red with bbq pork ribs.

Drink Now to 2010. About $15.

Finesse

O’Leary Walker Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2006

A vibrant earthy spice filled Pinot Noir with good cherry and strawberry fruit from the aromas. Allspice, rhubarb, mushroom, tar and forest floor complete quite a distinctive nose. Silky fine tannins and quite a lean body follow with strawberry dominating on a light weight finish. The alcohol is up there as well. With time in the glass the palate develops with a well roundedness. Try this with grilled whiting fillets.
 
Drink Now to 2010. About $22.

Boutique Drinking

Five Oaks Merlot 2005

A Yarra Valley red from boutique winemaker Wally Zuk. This one took a fair while to open up in the glass. It was tight, indeed very tight and ungiving at first. Lots of swirls and a bit of time and it unwound with quite deep rich intense and spicy aromas following. Dark plums, plum fruitcake like, currants, mulberry, allspice, tomato bush and a hint of black olives followed. A well rounded mid to medium bodied Merlot with succulent fruit and also a touch of savoury character on the palate. Quite well melded with the oak, it is a balanced and drinkable red. Try it with grilled salmon fillets.

Drink Now to 2009. About $25.

Something To Impress

Capercaillie The Ghillie Shiraz 2005

Alasdair Sutherland and Daniel Binet are the winemaking team from this well regarded Hunter Valley winery. A wine still in its relative infancy winding up for a big future. Having said that, it also drinks very well now. Aromatic and vibrant in fruit profile. Quite an intense spicy and upfront nose follows as well. Persistent dark fruit characters ensue, think blueberries, blackberries and plums - lively acidity supports the fruit, which is distinct and quite pure in character. Silky fine tannins along with cedary, spicy oak and dark liquorice and subtle earthy characters complete what is complex red wine. Try it with pot roasted beef with Thai herbs.

Drink Now to 2020. About $35.

Wine Rating Scale - Out Of 100 Points

98-100 – Exceptional – A truly world class wine
95-97 – Superb – A memorable drinking experience
91-94 – Excellent – A wonderful mix of a top wine at a decent price
88-90 - Very Good – Really well made wine that should impress
85-87 – Good – Honest everyday drinking

Paul Ippolito is a Sydney wine writer who writes for publications across Australia, the internet and overseas. Read more of his work at www.paulippolito.com.au

About Paul Ippolito.