March 2016 Wine Part 1

Below are my notes on the wines that I have been lucky enough to taste so far in March 2016.

From this batch my favourites are the:

  • 1999 Elderton Command
  • 1986 Chateau Leoville Barton
  • 2009 Guerrieri Rizzardi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Calcarole.

wdt_ID Wine Photo
1 Grosset Springvale

Vintage: 2010
Region: Springvale, Clare Valley, South Australia
Varietal: Riesling
Alcohol: 13%
Colour: Mid Golden Straw
Aroma: Refreshing combo of lemon, citrus and lychee aromas
Flavour: Balanced with a bit of a zing to it.
Finish: Medium

Another great wine from Grosset, very refreshing, drinking very well now. Glad I have a few more bottles of this!!
2 Leeuwin Estate Prelude Vineyards

Vintage: 2010
Region: Margaret River, Western Australia
Varietal: Chardonnay
Alcohol: 14%
Colour: Mid Golden Straw
Aroma: Grapefruit, citrus, still very fresh
Flavour: Balanced fruit, not oaky or over buttery
Finish: Medium

Nice wine, one of the better value Aussie Chardonnays, shows why Leeuwin Estate are one the best Chardonnay wine makers in Australia
3 Pahlmeyer

Vintage: 2007
Region: Sonoma Coast, California, USA
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 14.9%
Colour: Flat / opaque deep ruby
Aroma: Medium bodied cherry with subtle hints of chocolate and mint
Flavour: Good balance of fruit
Tannins: Structured
Finish: Long

Very enjoyable with a great long finish and well worth a try or three!!
4 Elderton Command

Vintage: 1999
Region: Barossa Valley, Australia
Varietal: Shiraz
Alcohol: 12.5%
Colour: Deep garnet, still youthful
Aroma: Perfumed mix of blackberries, vanilla, spice and oak
Flavour: Full bodied, but not overpowering, combo of blackberry, vanilla and spice
Tannin: Silky smooth
Finish: Long

Fantastic wine! The sad thing about this bottle is that this was my last one and it was the best one of all of them. Still evolving, hope to try it again in a few years!!
5 Chateau Leoville Barton

Vintage: 1986
Region: Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Alcohol: 12.5%
Colour: Deep crimson, very youthful
Aroma: Initial nose was a bit earthy, over time cherry, blackberry and plum, with possibly a hint of cedar, aromas were present
Flavour: Medium bodied with dark fruit flavours
Tannin: Savoury
Finish: Long

What a great wine! This wine was one of the options wines on the night, the question that threw all of us was it's age the choices were 2006. 1996 and 1986. The wine was extremely youthful, especially the aroma and colour. My guess was 1996 as 2006 did not seem right. Even after 30 years this wine still has a long life ahead of it. Recommend trying to get your hands on it if you can!!
6 Brokenwood Umpire's Vineyard

Vintage: 2008
Region: Cowra, New South Wales, Australia
Varietal: 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillon
Alcohol: 10%
Colour: Bright Golden Amber
Aroma: Caramelised fruit and crème brûlée
Flavour: Crème brûlée, not overly sweet
Finish: Long

A very enjoyable and interesting wine. A non-botrytis dessert wine, aging nicely, great balance between acid and sugar.
7 Brunello Di Montalcino - Col di Lamo

Vintage: 2010
Region: Torrenieri, Tuscanny, Italy
Varietal: Sangoviese
Alcohol: 14%
Colour: Bright deep ruby
Aroma: Cherry, plum, spice and hints of cedar
Flavour: Plum, spice and cedar
Tannins: Savoury / Dry
Finish: Long

Interesting wine, still a little young. Definitely a food wine, needed more time to open up as the last glass started to show that patience was needed.
8 Guerrieri Rizzardi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Calcarole

Vintage: 2009
Region: Amarone della Valpolicella, Italy
Varietal: Corvina 60%, Corvinone 17%, Rondinella 3%, Barbera 10%, Sangiovese 10%
Alcohol: 16.72%
Colour: Deep black crimson
Aroma: Red berries and spice
Flavour: Full-bodied cherry, cedar, spice and pepper
Tannins: Silky
Finish: Long

Great wine, no heat considering the alcohol. Really enjoyed the silky tannins, balanced palate and long finish
9 Bouchard Finlayson Hannibal

Vintage: 2013
Region: Walker Bay, South Africa
Varietal: 52% Sangiovese, 17% Pinot Noir, 15% Nebbiolo,
8% Mourvedre, 6% Shiraz and 2% Barbera
Alcohol: 14.56%
Colour: Deep ruby
Aroma: Red fruit, game, slight black pepper aromas
Flavour: Full-bodied, red fruit, cherries and spice
Tannins: Fine
Finish: Long

Nice wine, definitely a food wine. Amazing how the wine maker was able to balance all of the different varietals, characteristics of most can be easily identified.

Oz’s Wine Reviews

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Cheers!

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