Paul Ippolito's Wines of the Week

With Paul Ippolito

Pikes The EWP Reserve Shiraz 2005

Named after patriarch of the Pike family, Edgar Walter Pike, this is a sumptuous red wine. Delicious black fruits ensue. Deep, dark and dense as well as intense in composition. Inky purple youthfulness stains the glass. A luxuriant impressive wine with melded and integrated oak, lashings of milk chocolate, liquorice and ripe plums as well as cherries and blackberries on the finish making it a ripe juicy full bodied style of Shiraz, albeit with class and a very good structure. Smooth velvet tannins augur for a long future as we. Try it with roast beef.

Drink to 2020. About $70. 95/100- Superb.
 
Green Point Sauvignon Blanc Victoria 2007

A delightful fresh vibrant Savvy Blanc – resplendent with tropical fruits – lively and uplifting. Quite evocative yet also restrained in another dimension. Good supporting acidity gives it classiness yet the palate is smooth soft and long, with the tropical and citrus fruits taking pride of place. Try with a chicken Caesar salad.

About $22. 89/100 – Very Good.
 
Kirrihill Companions Rose` 2007.

Writing this up reminds me of how far behind my tasting notes are – I seem to be in perpetual catch up mode. A tinge of guilt here as I pump this one out before the 2008 vintage arrives. Anyway this is a glorious fire engine red colour. Succulent ripe luscious strawberries and raspberries abound, upfront and well imparted. Well rounded in mouth feel, ripe and highly drinkable – enjoy this with bbq lamb cutlets in any remaining warm Autumnal day.

Drink Now. About $15. 89/100 – Very Good.
 
Capel Vale Debut Merlot 2005

Pure succulent ripe plums is all I can get from the nose – loads of them, brilliantly so. A touch of spice later, some violets, hints of red earth and sweet ripe red and black fruits all intertwined. Smooth on the palate with melded oak, making for a well rounded medium bodied highly drinkable red with a seamless finish. This is an excellent Merlot at a very decent price – and I don’t get to say that very often. Try it with Greek lamb.

Drink to 2010. About $15. 92/100- Excellent.
 
Dowie Doole Chenin Blanc 2006

Not a varietal that has really ever taken off in this country, even during the resurgence of alternative varietals over the past few years. Tropical fruits gush from the nose however of this one. Hints of spice as well, along with musk, citrus lemons and good supporting fresh acidity, along with a hint of wet stones – well balanced and smooth and round in mouth feel, lingering long and calling for Thai cuisine.

Drink Now. About $20. 87/100 – Good.
 
Nepenthe The Tryst Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Pinot Gris 2007

These white eclectic blends of interesting varietal combination seem to be on the rise and their success depends ultimately on the combination of the varietals in the right quantity and the blending of such. This one has lots of fresh tropical fruit, tinges of green herbs, grapefruits and lemons cascading through it along with a hint of spice and musk – all through a lifted nose and finishing in a soft smooth well rounded simple easy manner. Try it with stir fried prawns.

Drink now. About $15. 87/100 – Good.
 
O’Leary Walker Polish Hill River Riesling 2007

Tight with dominant polished wet stones on the elegant nose. Light hints of lime in the background, essences of ginger with a good minerality to it. Quite austere but yet evolving over time with lemons and limes and green apples. A dry white with firm acidity and one for the long haul. Try it with chicken boscaiala.

Drink to 2020. About $25. 92/100 – Excellent.
 
Galli Estate Artigiano Pinot Gris 2007

One of the better Pinot Gris sampled of late. From Sunbury in Victoria, comes this pale copper straw white with an invigorating and captivating nose full of fresh citrus lemons, a hint of musk and a touch of minerality. Some stone fruit there as well. The fruit is pure and distinctive in nature – the aromatics right up there yet with a crisp acidity resulting a wine that is well balanced well structured and excellent Pinot Gris. Try it with marinated baby octopus.

Drink to 2010. About $20. 91/100 – Excellent.
 
Shadowood Pinot Gris Viognier Traminer 2007

This one comes from the Saltram brand stable and is a very interesting and eclectic white blend, that goes together remarkably well. Sourced from Eden Valley and Adelaide Hills fruit, it is really well put together in fact. The combination of old and new white varietals, well blended together makes for an easy drinking delicious yet also stylish white wine. You get the Viognier and Traminer giving out really neat aromatics and substance and the Pinot Gris giving out cool climate structure and finesse. Try with a seasoned bbq chicken with smashed potatoes, Greek style.

Drink Now to 2010. About $24. 91/100 – Excellent.
 
Pipers Brook Vineyard Estate Chardonnay 2005

A glorious pale yellow. Pure and elegant are my first thoughts. Emerging and evolving classic varietal stone fruit, tight at first but then liberated with good ripe figs and yet with an underpinning of citrine character. Quite a stylish well structured and balanced Chardonnay with the goods there to augur a good long future. A certain mineral edge to the fruit coupled with very neat perfumed oak, emitting lovely cashew nuances adding to the wines overall complexity and dynamics. And it is surprisingly quite fulsome on the palate after a while in the glass. Some really excellent cool climate Tasmanian Chardonnay drinking here for a special occasion. Try it with a mezze`plate.

Drink to 2014. About $35. 93/100 – Excellent.   
 
Wolf Blass Platinum Label Barossa Shiraz 2005

Deep dark dense inky purple – the youthful vibrancy is clearly there. Dark black fruits – blackberries, blackcurrants and blueberries, really deep and intense. A robust wine still in its infancy, with edges of raw character with hints of black liquorice, aniseed and edges of cedary oak off the aromas. Having said that what dominates is the purity of the fruit, really pure and showing the black fruits off in a tremendous light. Soft pure smooth round mouth coating seamless fruit dominates the palate, in a really positive way. Balanced and just delicious in the mouth feel, it does not have any of those edges of youth that come through on the nose. Indeed this is drinking very well now, with fine tannins lingering and a tremendous length. Raspberry, plums and blackberries dominate the finish and there is a fair bit of oak present as well as alcohol for that matter but not in any distracting way. Try this with Greek lamb.

Drink to 2025. About $160. 96/100 – Superb.

All Saints Estate Rutherglen Muscat

A divine nose. Powerful, complex and luscious. Deep and intense. An impressive set of aromas – intertwined seamlessly. Polished persistent deep fruit – pure smooth yet distinctively Muscat. Thick and dense, long and warming. Nutty oak, smoothly imparted. A hint of cinnamon, nutmeg and all lightly spiced. Honey, toffee, molasses and golden syrup, then coffee ensue and envelope the senses both nose and mouth then mind. Figs and nougat as well, viscous, smooth, warming and all encompassing on the palate – yet balanced and not cloying. This good folk has it all. Try this on your own and make sure no-one else of adult age is around – you have been warned. 

Drink Now and all through this Winter. About $20 – 375ml. 97/100 – Superb.

Bremerton Tamblyn Cabernet Shiraz Malbec Merlot 2005

Deep dark dense black and red fruits abound from this Langhorne Creek red blend from respected winemaker Rebecca Willson. Balance is the key word here as all comes across in sync – fruit, oak, tannins, acidity and alcohol – measured and balanced. It’s my sort of red because whilst it is laden with ripe quite rich fruit character and flavours it also has a vibrant and quite evocative structure, a good dosage of oak and smooth ripe tannins, making for a balanced (there’s that word again) drink now wine that also augurs for a long future. I could make a few more words up (for the sake of filling in time and space) to describe this wine (but I wont) but really the blending does the trick really well turning it in a highly drinkable pleasure experience that calls out for more. Try it with lasagna.

Drink Now. About $22. 93/100 – Excellent.

Innocent Bystander Moscato 2008

It is a warm autumnal day where I’m standing and I’m yearning for something light and breezy (and alcoholic) – delicately so because its lunchtime and I’ll fall into a deep long slumber if I have anything too heavy foodie or wine like. Anyway a nice little antipasto platter has been put together – salami, prosciutto, coppa, black kalamata olives, provolone cheese and a slice of pecorino as well. A slab of ciabatta bread and the scene is all set for a leisurely luncheon. So out comes this Moscato, to complement it all – delicate, invigorating, slightly spritz and some lovely Muscat ripe fruit sweetness underpinned with lively acidity – nice, very nice indeed. All perfectly balanced and perfectly matched and hitting the spot nicely.

Drink Now. About $12.99 – 375 ml. NR.

Paxton AAA McLaren Vale Shiraz Grenache 2006
 
Raspberries, red cherries and spicy plums are the dominant aromas here. A few blueberries and blackberries are there as well. A good touch of McLaren varietal earthiness also makes an appearance with a hint of menthol character to add to what is a complex nose. The oak is well melded, adding a savoury dimension to the fruit, balancing all of this with fine well developed tannins that augur for a good future. Very neat and respectably good blending work here as well. A delicious well blended red. Try it with roast lamb.
 
Drink to 2016. About $23. 90/100 – Very Good.
 
Pipers Brook Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006

This top shelf Tasmanian Pinot Noir really hits the mark for me. Succulent and luscious cherries, fresh and ripe – smooth and soft abound. Lightly spiced strawberries and raspberries also ensue. Quite a well rounded and well balanced Pinot with plenty of ripe fruit character yet with complexity. Seamless and with well integrated cedary oak and fine tannins, this is drinking very nicely now. Try it with roast lamb.

Drink to 2012. About $45. 91/100 - Excellent.
 
Punt Rd Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2006
 
Straw yellow in colour with a delightful purity to it. An aromatic and impressive nose with a touch of vanilla oak. Polished varietal stone fruit ensues with a hint of tangy citrus, some glorious figs in the background and a touch of minerality underpinning all of this providing structure and elegance. Fresh and lively acidity complements the fruit flavours and leaving a soft creamy mouth feel that make you want for more. Try this with grilled octopus.
 
Drink to 2010. 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.