Paul Ippolito's Wines of the Week

With Paul Ippolito

Pikes Clare Valley’s End Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2007
 
The Pikes are good blenders – they seem to understand synergy and balance as well as drinkability quite well. A touch of spice comes out of this one, then glorious musk exudes and ensues and abounds through, cascading layer upon layer then opening up for glorious tropical fruits to take charge, invigoratingly so and yet imparted with a soft smooth well roundness on the long lingering finish. Some peach melon as well as citrus characters mix along, making for an interesting white blend. Try this with grilled swordfish fillets.
 
Drink Now. About $22. 88/100 – Good.  
 
Brokenwood Sangiovese 2006 
 
Nowadays Brokenwood produces quite a few wines that originate from grapes other than from its Hunter Valley base. This medium bodied food friendly varietal of Italian origins is sourced from the Rayner family vineyards in McLaren Vale in South Australia. Sangiovese is one of the better Italian varietals to acclimatise here and hits the mark on a number of fronts including being suited for Australian warm weather red wine drinking. It is somewhere between Pinot Noir and Merlot on the density scale but more towards the Pinot side in terms of its evocative aroma profile. Anyway enough of the wine lesson for today. Exuding lashings of violets, savoury and dusty cherries and black olives, there is an intermingling of characters coming from the perfumed quite pronounced aromas. The alcohol is also there as is the McLaren earthiness. Unfolding and ensuing is a fair bit of raspberry as is also an underlying gaminess. It has the sort of aromas where you don’t mind being anti social and sticking your nose in the glass for longer than you normally would. The taste, you ask, well is medium with an imparted delicacy with cherries, strawberries and prunes, leaving a delightful savoury finish. Tis one of the better Sangiovese’s I’ve had of late. Really nice stuff to drink as well with some spaghetti with a puttanesca sauce.
 
Drink Now. About $30. 92/100 – Excellent.
 
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2007
 
What impresses me with the Oyster Bay range is their consistency, quality and affordability – hard things to get right year in year out with your wines. So if you want to try something from the other side of the Tasman, i.e New Zealand this one hits the spot nicely with a balance between its tropical fruit array of characters against a backdrop of more classic gooseberry and herbaceous notes. A 50/50 bet if you care to put it this way. Enjoyable easy delicious drinking whether you like your Savvy Blanc with a tad of fruit or a tad of savoury dimension.
 
Drink Now. About $15. 90/100 – Very Good.
 
Little Rebel Cabernet Merlot 2005
 
Whoever put out this wine together knew what they were doing. By the way I think it was their winemaker Kate Goodman. It is fruit driven, well rounded and full of fleshy ripe succulent and luscious red and black fruits. The Merlot has been judiciously added, not compromising the Cabernet origins but yet producing a delicious easy well blended wine that goes down the throat a treat. Try it with lamb kebabs.
 
Drink Now. About $15. 90/100 – Very Good.

Tim Adams Riesling 2007
 
Limes, more limes, lemons and grapefruits. By now you get the hint that citrine is the major player here. Very citrine in fact. Yet with a touch of delicacy as well and a hint of minerality to take the edge off it and give it a good clean fresh acid structure. It lingers long and finishes with a delightful tanginess and zest. Try it with battered whiting fillets.
 
Drink to 2020. About $25. 90/100 – Very Good.
 
Kreglinger Tasmania Vintage Brut 2001 
 
A glorious sparkling wine from Kreglinger Wine Estates in Tasmania. Just succulent and translucent in its light yellow goldness. This is delicate and fragrant in kits aromas, that unwind slowly and with restraint. Frangipani, rose petals, light honey, tropical fruit nuances all enterwined together spectacularly so. Tightly beaded, seamless in presentation, this is so soft yet also elegant and classy in structure to drink, you will want to savour each delightful mouthful. Creamy with a light richness on the palate, this is my kind of sparkling wine drinking. Try it with slow roasted pork belly.
 
Drink to 2016. About $45. 95/100 – Superb. 
 
Wolf Blass Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Malbec 2004

This is one of the benchmark reds from the Wolf Blass label. Sourced from South Australian fruit from the Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale and Barossa regions, the blending of such is just spot-on. Dense dark blackish inky purple. It exudes quite upfront black fruit characters, blackberries, mulberries and currants with robustness and is accompanied by quite assertive oak. An earthiness, with a touch of grit along with lash of black liquorice, a hint of coffee mocha and milk chocolate and some menthol character all ensue as well. This is a wine for the long haul, with fine assertive tannins and that robust fruit and oak, in its early stages together, will develop and with time and lessen its youthfulness exuberance and develop into a more seamless well melded and highly drinkable red wine. Try it with aged char grilled rump.
 
Drink 2010 to 2024 plus. About $130. 95/100 – Superb. 
 
Cookoothama Botrytis Semillon 2006
 
This stickie is just superb. I’m tempted to stop there with my expert advice and return to my homemade fruit and custard flan and polish off the rest of the bottle, but in the name of professionalism, I shall continue with some more of my musings. Right, well – the thing that makes this such a good drop is balance! Yes anyone, well almost anyone can, under the right conditions put together a sweet wine, but one with balance my friends, presents it share of challenges. Anyway, here yes you do get the ripe delicious sweet characters of honeysuckle, fresh oranges and marmalade on one hand, but this is also countenanced beautifully by lively fresh acidity, a certain minerality that acts as an undercurrent and invigoratingness on the other and places the wine into its own dimension of majestic balance. Top stuff, and back to my drinking session (and the flan).
 
Drink to 2016. About $23 – 375ml. 95/100 – Superb.
 
Andrew Thomas Kiss Shiraz Limited Release 2006
 
Andrew Thomas, or Thommo as he is also affectionately known, is a respected Hunter Valley winemaker. He has earnt his reputation doing what the Hunter Valley does best, making really good Semillon and Shiraz and in an uncompromising manner. His wines are typically varietal Hunter Valley, and the wines ooze and reflect Hunter Valleyness from their opening. This Shiraz is one of his benchmark reds, and is testimony to his abilities and his capacity to maintain consistency and high quality across his wines, year in year out. This Shiraz opened quite tight and restrained on its first days, the earthy characters were always there from the start as were the briary fruits with blackberries, cherries, currants and mulberries all poking their heads out. Quite a powerful wine with assertive oak and a robust nature, clearly, this is a wine built for the future. Raw black liquorice, black tea and bitter dark chocolate characters ensue however with a further day or two in the bottle, the textures and mouthfeel become quite so seamless and extraordinarily well put together and ever so balanced. The moral of my story is buy some now and drink and enjoy a couple of bottles over a few days of opening or else stick the rest away for a year or two, then start drinking them over the next decade and you will again be immensely rewarded. Either way you win. Try this with Wagyu beef.
 
Drink to 2026. About $50. 95/100 – Superb.
 
Postcode [2320] Shiraz 2004
 
This is a red from the new Postcode label from Rhys and Garth Eather of Meerea Park fame in the NSW’s Hunter Valley. The Postcode label is a series of wines that clearly show their postcode by exhibiting true regional and varietal character, according to Garth Eather. May I say it is absolutely seamlessly balanced Shiraz drinking. Red and black fruits abound along with integrated oak, smooth soft and well rounded with balance and a good expression of their Hunter valley origins. A velvety mouthfeel makes for moreish and stylish drinking, my sort of drinking. Watch this space – more good things will follow, for certain. Try it with spaghetti bolognese (slow cooked).
 
Drink to 2012. About $22. 92/100 – Excellent.

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.