Innocent Bystander (Yarra Valley) – An offshoot of the Giant Steps winery, with wines aimed at a lower price point and being easier to drink in their youth. Chardonnay 2005 – Fresh, fruity and made for immediate consumption. No major problems except for a lack of anything interesting. 85/100
Category: Victoria
Heathcote Winery (Heathcote) – There will also be a review of the “Curagee” Shiraz from this producer in the Heathcote master class roundup. “Mail Coach” Viognier 2004 – Some stone fruit and spices on the nose, but sadly overly alcoholic on both the nose and palate. 86/100
Graeme Miller Wines (Yarra Valley) – The owners of this winery were very friendly and I hope that the wines I tried were off-bottles rather than being representative. As always though, I can only review what is in the glass. Sauvignon Blanc 2005 – Easy drinking with some tropical fruit on the nose and a […]
Goulburn Terrace (Goulburn Valley) – “Moon” Sparkling Marsanne 2002 – Very cheesy, leesy and a bit of toffee. Palate finishes short. Something a bit different at least. 87/100 Chardonnay 2003 – Touch of minerality on the nose but not much else. Soft, round mouth-feel. 87/100
Giant Steps (Yarra Valley) – Owned by Phil, Allison and Harry Sexton. Phil was the founder of the successful Devil’s Lair in the Margaret River and founded this winery a few years after selling Devil’s Lair to Southcorp in 1996. “Harry’s Monster” Cabernet Blend 2004 – 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc and […]
Eldridge Estate (Mornington Peninsula) – Chardonnay 2003 – Citrus peel, melon and roasted nuts. Very nice textured mouthfeel and good oak integration. Could possibly use a touch more acid to help with balance. 89/100 “North Patch” Chardonnay 2004 – Elegant, clean nose – very citrusy with some flinty aromas. However, the palate lacks depth and […]
Dromana Estate (Mornington Peninsula) – A winery that encompasses a number of labels and brands. Nothing really stood out for me on this occasion. “Mornington Estate” Chardonnay 2002 – Melon, citrus and a touch of steel and butter. Palate has good flavour but is lacking texture and an element to provide interest. 86/100 “David Traeger” […]
Delatite Winery (Upper Goulburn) – Well known for producing one of the better Gewürztraminers in Australia. “Dead Man’s Hill” Gewürztraminer 2004 – Spices and musk on the fresh floral nose. Perhaps lacking some length and intensity that I would expect to find in this wine. 88/100 Riesling 2005 – Floral nose with some decent minerality […]
Curlewis Winery (Geelong) – One of my favourite small wineries after I tried their wines at the 2005 version of this event. This year they have a new range of very good, lower priced (around $22) wines called “Bel Sel” which stands for Bellarine Selection and comes from purchased fruit from the Bellarine Peninsula. The […]
Coldstream Hills (Yarra Valley) – One of the few large company owned wineries present at the show. Clearly has access to some excellent vineyards. The Reserve wines aren’t cheap and can be somewhat variable in quality from vintage to vintage, although the Reserve wines on show today were all very good. “Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 […]