Paul Ippolito's Wines of the Week

With Paul Ippolito

Shadowood Saltram Barossa Semillon 2007
 
Light and breezy, grassy with underlying tropical fruits. Lean and elegant with a clean long finish. Citrus lemons and limes along with green herbs and lively long soft acidity. Try it now with Chicken and Thai herbs.
 
Drink Now. About $24. 88/100 – Good.
 
Tatler The Non Pariel Shiraz 2005
 
Spicy briary fruits – plums, blackcurrants, blueberries along with hints of game, leather and earth. Deep intense and robust fruit, distinctive and with integrated oak. Plum fruit cake and currants on the palate imparted with a smooth long well roundness.
 
Drink to 2015. About $30. 90/100 – Very Good.
 
Penfolds St Henri 2004
 
Luxuriant fruit, decadently so, generously spice filled along with a creaminess from the aromas. Harmonious and blended well, this is smooth well rounded velvety and delicious. It lingers fine tannins, long and with delicious plum and blackberry fruits on the finish. A really stylish red. Try it with rump steak, aged and grilled.
 
Drink to 2024. About $90. 96/100 – Superb.

SGV Wines Card Collection Central Ranges Sangiovese Barbera 2005
 
A Central Ranges NSW blend from Italian red varietals, this is a classy red blend that is very food friendly. Cherries, raspberries, deep black fruits – intense and robust and upfront and forward. Spice filled with good firm oak, ultrafine tannins with a delicious smooth finish and a savoury dimension to it as well.
 
Drink to 2012. About $18. 90/100 – Very Good.
 
Brokenwood Indigo Vineyard Chardonnay 2006
 
Classic peach melon with good cashew oak and leesy characters. An elegant Chardonnay with style and finesse – uplifted stone fruits really perform here evoking glorious long aromas. Crisp lively acidity supports the fruit, resulting in quite balanced wine with a delicious mouth feel of citrus and stone fruits with melded oak.
 
Drink to 2011. About $30. 91/100 – Excellent.
 
Tyrrell’s Fordham Verdelho 2007
 
A crisp dry white from the Hunter Valley where with Western Australia, the best Verdelho in Australia emanates from. Light and breezy, with citrus lemons, apples and grapefruit yet also with hints of musk and tropical fruit as well. Crisp lively acidity add tho the fruit characters and result in quite a food friendly wine with a crisp lingering finish.
 
Drink to 2009. About $18. 88/100 – Very Good

Penna Lane Wines Clare Valley Rambling Rose` 2007
 
Deep dark cherry red – sweet ripe and uplifting – strawberries, raspberries and cherries – luscious and succulent fruit as well as invigorating on the palate. Rich ripe and smooth on the finish, this is seamless succulent Rose drinking with the red fruits doing all the talking.
 
Drink Now. About $18. 91/100 – Excellent.
 
Millamolong Riesling 2006
 
This one is from a boutique winery in the Orange region of Central NSW. Cool climate dry Riesling with limes, a hint of minerality, wet stones, grapefruit and citrus lemons all taking their place. Soft well rounded acidity makes it drinkable now along with tanginess to the finish, which is long and lingering.
 
Drink to 2011. About $22. 89/100 – Very Good.
 
Giant Steps Yarra Valley Tarraford Vineyard Chardonnay 2006
 
Tight, very tight indeed, it unwinds slowly with light citrus lemons and oranges, classic peach melon, figs and generous cashew oak. A soft creamy palate with complexity abounding and long and luxuriant on the finish. A stylish elegant Chardonnay. Try it with crab.
 
Drink to 2012. About $40. 92/100 – Excellent.
 
Oyster Bay Chardonnay 2007
 
Quite aromatic and pronou8nded aromas of nectarine, melon and cashews. A touch of richness and creaminess to it yet it retains an elegance. A well structured Chardonnay forward yet still with some restraint and a certain delicacy to it. The oak is very well melded and makes for high drinkability.
 
Drink Now. About $15. 90/100 – Very Good.
 
Piromit Wines Pinot Grigio 2005
 
Citrus lemon and limes along with green apples and orange blossom. A good vibrant lively wine with supporting crisp acidity – dry in finish, lingering long yet well balanced and hints of pears and apples on the finish along with a hint of honey.
 
Drink Now. About $18. 88/100- Very Good.
 
Pikes The Red Mullet Shiraz Mourvedre Tempranillo Grenache 2005 
 
Just delightful aromas of red and black fruits here, jumping out of the glass – all fresh and vibrant. Ripe lush spice filled fruits with hints of coffee mocha, cinnamon and a good splash of integrated oak. Superbly blended and great value. Long and luxuriant on the finish.
 
Drink Now. About $15. 94/100 – Excellent.
 
Scarborough Chardonnay 2005
 
This is a really robust fulsome typically Hunter Valley Chardonnay. Quite forward and upfront, with a good dose of oak, it is not a pretender in any dimension. You get lovely peach melon characters along with figs and cashews. Lightly rich, a tad creamy and buttery on the palate, well rounded smooth and long, it is Chardonnay all the way through and through – and Hunter Valley at that. Try it with chicken and cashews Thai style.
 
Drink Now. About $25.92/100 – Excellent.
 
Montana Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
 
Classically Marlborough in composition, it emits typical gooseberry, capsicum and citrus overtones with some tropical hints as well. Coupled with crisp fresh acidity it delivers a lingering fresh invigorating delicious finish. Try it with grilled octopus.
 
Drink Now. About $19. 91/100 – Excellent.
 
Deutz Marlborough Cuvee Rose`
 
Made under licence from champagne House Deutz in France is this very stylish cool climate refined Rose` cuvee from Pinot Noir grapes. Toasty, dry and with tight finely knit bubbles, the emergent strawberry and raspberry fruit tantalise the senses very well indeed.
 
Drink Now. About $26. 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.