Thirst of April by Rob Geddes MW
Robs Thirst of the Month
Winery -Wine – Vintage – Region – Variety – Score – Price – When to drink
LiraH Winter Harvest 2006 Granite Belt Nebbiolo 92 $59.00 2019
Harvested in the middle of June when the leaves drop off the vine in a return to the style of the ancient Piedmontese. A savoury and spirity nose with dark aromas of raisins, prunes, smoked meats and oak. In the mouth subtle sweetness with medium long savoury smoked meats edge and intense dark fruits wrapped in very long tannins with savoury, dried herbs and smoked meats.
Red Hill Estate Mossolini 2012 Mornington Peninsula Shiraz 92 2019
Vibrant colour and punchy aroma. Pyrethrum white peppery spectrum leading to a Mortein like extreme stemmy spice dominates here with white pepper, pine resin smoked meats red currant cherry flavours, soft fruited in the middle and quite extreme of most of their styles.
Golden Grove Joven 2015 Granite Belt Tempranillo 92 $26.00 2018
Their second release of this style can be found in most of Brisbane’s better restaurants. Aromas are rich and dense dark fruitcake, dates and blue berry, almost into rum and raisin, some development yet very pure and focused. In the mouth fresh and low oaked showing cherry berry fruits up front with good length and middle palate fresh fruit flavours with enough tannins for a main course.
St Hugo 2013 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 95 $54.99 2025
A very complete wine that drinks engagingly on release with roasted meat dishes. Has a waterfall of complex aromas, starting with dominant Coonawarra cabernet mint notes. The palate has slippery tannins that run straight and true, holding complex black currant cassis and black berry fruits that unfold into mocha and toast before the Coonawarra mint lifts and reasserts itself at the finish.
St Hugo 2013 Barossa Shiraz 94 $54.99 2028
Deep colour still vibrant on the rim. Rich Christmas pudding notes of ripe fruits with some red notes of the cooler Barossa wed to more chocolaty regional aromas with vanilla cedar cigar box toast quality oak. The palate speaks of the restraint winemaker here wear over their hearts, soft dry tannins wed to long complex plum pudding and chocolate fruits married to great line of fruit and oak tannins middle palate rich red cherry top notes and a clean defined finish. Ticks the formula box.
Moorooduc Estate The Moorooduc McIntyre 2014 Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir
96 $65.00 2024
Complex, this wine has the full winemaker arsenal used with discretion, stem and savoury red fruits both fresh and cooked. Aromas lead here with a savoury meat stock into strawberry and raspberry fruit complexity. Silky tannins flow into generous full-bodied finely woven wine to create a nice acid balance. In the mouth extreme quality. The sort of wine no one will dislike.
Moorooduc Estate Robinson 2014 Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir
94 $55.00 2019
Compared to the standard edition this is fruit perfumed with more floral white fruits like lychee flicker in and out of the graduated strawberry and puree aromas. In the mouth a sweet fruit fullness from front to back ripe strawberry raspberry with low oak and a switch of stemmy dryness to close the finish.
Dexter Wines Mornington Peninsula 2014 Chardonnay 94 $38.00 2019
Balance, charm and appeal with a well made wine maker restraint and understanding. Sweet vanilla Asian spice oak notes, savoury edged mineral and white stone fruits in a barrel, fermented with style and personality. The palate has a creamy texture that is gentle and tight. Low, toasty oak elements verging on nougat and toffee with a very good drink now creamy length of stone fruit.
Landhaus Rare 2010 Barossa Valley Shiraz 95 $140.00 2222
Only made 2006, 2008 and 2010 from the best barrel of the vintage, aged for 36 months in new oak. Then rested in bottle for 2 years. In the mouth very complex flavours with length: starts out liquorice, meat stock earthy with the chocolate Barossa fingerprint, middle palate fruit sweet showing the red cherry of Ebenezer region, very refined flavour profile, meat stock savoury with exceptional fine tannins and flavour length.
Landhaus 2015 Adelaide Hills Gruner Veltliner 92 $20.00 2017
Spends 4 months in mixed age oak, which adds savoury complexity to the varietal cucumber and white pepper fruit aromas. In the mouth cucumber and white fruits with texture, medium bodied with a donut-y, old oak stopping the flavour on the back of the middle palate before the citrus cucumber savoury flavours on the finish.
Ravensworth 2013 Canberra Riesling 95 $25.00 2024
In the mouth this has the perfect balance of restraint, purity and finesse with lemon butter essence aromas unfolding slowly into maturity as a three year old in 2016. Rich yet fine, balanced and fresh with a detailed finish, ripe lemons minerals and talc.
Pepper Tree Venus Block 2015 Orange Chardonnay 90 $35.00 2019
A sweet fruit, stone fruit and a little citrus with balanced oak arrives as an aroma of subtle grace, full of interest and begging you taste it. The palate is complex peachy, fruity and full up front with medium length.
Krinklewood Biodynamic Vineyard 2015 Hunter Valley Semillon 92 $24.00 2023
Appealing bright minerally lemons and talc into soapstone. The palate has weight and flavour; it is a zinger with lovely light bodied texture with lemony fruit weight, fleshy body, evenness and fresh to the finish.
Kalleske Old Vine 2014 Barossa Valley Grenache 94 $50.00 2020
A fabulous wine. Varietal structure with old vine flavour complexity, floral red fruits, raspberry, appealing leathery old oak edges. The red fruits are flushed with savoury elements – smoked meats, fennel seeds and very up front. The flavours linger with raspberries and red pepper.
Topper’s Mountain Wild Ferment 2013 New England Nebbiolo 90 $38.00 2019
Raspberry and citrus spearmint aromas savoury minerals in the back ground low oak and looking like it should. Good line of flavour and texture in the mouth this light bodied wine has very good fruit length with great energy from front to back. The tannins are the fine, grainy and the savoury expression worth a try catches the varietal texture and structure.
Topper’s Mountain 2015 New England Gewurztraminer 93 $35.00 2019
The winning team of Mark Kirkby and Mike Hayes continue to show just what Australia’s New England region is capable of. Pure rose petal and Turkish delight are layered with grape and lychee fruit. Where Gewurtz can have alcohol warmth, this vintage is evenly balanced with the moderate alcohol giving a fragrant lift. I would drink it now to the short-term to enjoy that generously given pure fruit. (Lisa Johnston)
Annie’s Lane The Locals 2013 Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 94 $22.99 2018
Classic cabernet sauvignon varietal whispers in the glass black currant blue berry, gum leaf, bay leaf, cardamom. The palate has excellent balance with well-integrated fine-grained tannins and an elegant temperament, which creates a bundle of long middle palate black fruits. Ripper wine and ripper price.
Fitzroy Lake Wines Reserve 2014 Southern Highlands Chambourcin
92 $24.00 2018
Ripe red fruits of raspberry and sweet rhubarb, deepening into dark spice fruit aromas. The medium bodied palate is the same as the nose. Very good energy and drive, with length of red cherry fruits with a rhubarb like snappy acidity.
Moorilla Estate Praxis Series St Matthias Vineyard 2015 Tasmania Riesling
92 $29.00 2018
Superb, very clean, bright, lemony riesling fruit aromas. In the mouth, wonderful delicacy of subtle lemony fruit length. Poised and lightweight with great precision. The finish says it all, balanced, layers of fruit starting nectarine and finishing tropical.
Shaw Vineyard Estate Reserve 2015 Canberra Semillon 92 $35.00 2019
From Canberra’s largest planting comes the regions first straight semillon. Smoky, savoury lemon and apple herbal tones. In the mouth, complex notes of pink confectionary, fruit tingles, lees and solids ferment creamy ripe white fruit with a touch of lychee. Exotic middle palate fruits and refreshing lemony acids on the finish. Distinctive medium full-bodied style.
Stoney Vineyard 2012 Tasmania Cabernet Sauvignon 92 $35.00 2019
Very refined wine. Lovely Bordeaux notes of cedar, violets, cassis and dark fruits with oak playing a major role. Light bodied cabernet style, varietal and elegant weight of fruit with very good flavour length finishing oak. Lean mid palate weight with time to spare.
Coriole 2014 McLaren Vale Sangiovese 90 $25.00 2019
Developed colour. Aroma has weight and complexity with the presence of red currant raspberry into darker subtle oak. The palate has sweet fruits, appealing tannin, and savoury liquorice middle palate weight with a lingering finish of red fruits.
Thick As Thieves Leving 2015 Pinot Noir Yarra Valley 90 $60.00 2022
The immediate impression is oak and fruit structure with Syd going to another level here, big guns blazing complex red fruits sophisticated oak and subtle stemmy savoury. The palate is young and firm with good fruit depth and length with a ripe silky middle palate defined by power and frame with the savoury into meaty fruits running medium long.
Mr Riggs Mrs Viognier 2015 McLaren Vale Viognier 90 $24.00 2018
Very gentle for this variety, apricot honey with restraint. In the mouth balanced, low intensity fruit, lean length, oak adds a dimension to the extend the flavours.
Ravensworth 2015 Canberra Riesling 93 $25.00 2022
This is a startlingly good find with lemon, apricot and pith aromas. Punchy and good drinking with discretion and balance. The palate is refined, well made the texture is rich long and even with a sophisticated spectrum of citrus fruit running from fresher lemon to more complex lemon curd and apricot on the finish. Really well made regional style.
Heemskerk Southern Tasmanian 2015 Pinot Noir 94 $59.99 2025
500 cases made maybe a 1,000 in a good year. This has wow factor, strawberry, Indian brown spices, cardamom, and vanilla vibrant and complex. Pinot lovers could smell it all day such is the allure and beauty. The palate is finely tannic, stemmy tension, strawberry and red current fragrant and delicate wrapping berry red fruits and oak in a long tussle to the back of the mouth. Keep till 2018.
Coldstream Hills 2014 Pinot Noir Yarra Valley 90 $34.99 2019
Aromas are in the paddock and the orchard earthy and strawberry and beetroot fruited which flow onto a solid seamless palate, plenty of mouth feel and texture, which will win people over. Silky soft tannins fleshy even weight with fruit complexity pretty strawberry and ripe raspberry. If you are learning about Pinot this is a great introduction.
Thirst of April
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