Other Reds from Australia

 

1997 Fox Creek JSM Shiraz Cabernet Franc - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (1/13/2011)
This is the same wine I just rated 89 and this is an amazing transformation on day 3. This wine has a ton of life left and it is rare for me to see this difference in quality.

Nose is ink, floral, blueberries, spices and black pepper. Not a in your face nose but is complex enough. The palate is complex with spice, pepper, blueberries, black cherries, ink and floral notes. Great spice elements to this wine and medium finish. I would say this wine should go another 5 years and I am glad I saved some. 93/94! (93 points)

 

1997 Fox Creek JSM Shiraz Cabernet Franc - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (1/12/2011)
I am pleased this is still in good shape as the 2 previous were not. Good color and little bricking. Aromas of pepper, raspberry, Eucalyptus, and subtle spices. On the palate raspberries, floral, spice, sour cherries and red pepper. The tannins are soft and it has a medium finish. Nice overall but do drink up! I just did a search on this wine and was shocked to see if for $79 at Buckley. I might pay $12 right now. (89 points)

2000 Kurtz Boundary Row Grenache $$

Color:  Dirty red

Nose:  Earth, barnyard

Taste:  Leather, earth and musty

Finish:  Short with earth and leather

Evaluation:  82 points

2001 Yangarra Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon $$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Eucalyptus, plum

Taste:  Floral, mineral, eucalypts

Finish:  Medium

Evaluation:  Average wine 85 points

2002 Clarendon Hills Clarendon Hills Vineyard Grenache $$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose: Raspberry, blackberries, pepper

Taste:  Sweet fruits, eucalyptus, violets, pepper

Finish:  Sweet fruits, pepper, eucalyptus, violets on this multi layered medium finish

Evaluation:  Solid wine 92 points

2001 Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 60%/Shiraz 40% $$$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Plum, crushed rock, Lots of Earth

Taste:  Chewy wine with spice, earth, crushed rock, cinnamon

Finish:  Spice, fruit, and earth dominate.  Very short finish for an Aussie High End Wine.

Evaluation:  Not a good value for the money  as this is the second time trying this in the last six months.  86 points

2002 Kaesler Avignon Barossa Valley $$$

Blend of Grenache, Shiraz, Mouvedre, and Viognier

Color:  Medium purple

Nose: Spice, plum, oak, smoke

Taste:  Sweetness from the Viognier, and also has bitter and sour so all taste buds are working. Spice, oak, vanilla

Finish:  Medium spice with oak, vanilla, sweet fruits

Evaluation:  Hits 3 taste buds which is very rare.  90 points

2002 Red Edge Cabernet $$$$

Color:  Medium red

Nose:  Earth, plum,

Taste:  Fine tannins, earth, spice, plum, oak

Finish: Complex with earth and fruit up front and a nice lingering finish of oak, vanilla, and fine tannins rounds it out.

Evaluation:  Drinking really well in 07.  Outperformed Ladera Lone Canyon and Chateau Talbot at a recent tasting.  91 points

2002 Red Edge Victoria Cabernet Sauvignon $$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Spice, floral, eucalypts

Taste:  Eucalyptus, spices, floral

Finish:  A little off compared to a bottle 2 years ago but featured earth tones.

Evaluation:  Drink up as I don't see this improving 88 points (6/ 2009)

 

2003 Clarendon Hills Sandown Cabernet $$$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Nothing

Taste:  Very sweet for a cab with peppery/ gritty feel to it.

Finish:  Very short.

Evaluation:  84 points

2003 Greg Norman Cabernet/ Merlot $$

Color:  dark ruby

Nose:  Plum, earth, raspberry

Taste:  Cherry, earthy notes, rough tannins currently, little acidic

Finish:  Medium with a sour note and bitter

Evaluation:  A WS 91 point wine that might achieve that with some aging.  This should be cellared for a minimum of 2 years and will improve with decanting.  88 points

2002 Kaesler Avignon Barossa Valley $$$

Blend of Grenache, Shiraz, Mouvedre, and Viognier

Color:  Medium purple

Nose: Spice, earth, oak, floral

Taste:  Spice, oak, floral, earth

Finish:  Medium spice, oak, floral, some fruit

Evaluation: Solid Rhone style wine 88 points

2003 Marquis Phillips Cabernet $$

Color:  Purple

Nose:  Plum, earth, spice

Taste:  A little tannic, earth, spice, mineral

Finish:  Medium with a heavy tannic taste

Evaluation:  A little bit on the tannic side.  85 points

2003 Tim Smith Grenache 83%, Matro 12%/ Shiraz 5% $$$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Smoke, Blueberries, Floral

Taste:  Fine tannins, a little bit tart at first.  By no means an overpowering wine with very little distinct fruit.  Floral and earth tones dominate.

Finish:  Very long complex finish.  Very multi layered with buttery notes towards the end. 

Evaluation:  This is a very well made wine that will improve with more bottling time.  93 points

2003 Torbreck The Steading Barossa Valley (Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro) $$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Spice, pepper

Taste:  Spice and pepper

Finish:  Medium finish with spice and pepper

Evaluation:  Not a complex wine but satisfying.  87 points

2003 Yangarra "Old Vine" Grenache $$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Pepper, spice, mineral

Taste:  Smooth wine with pepper, spice, currants, medium tannins

Finish:  A bite with pepper, spice, mineral, currants

Evaluation:  Good Grenache from Australia  88 points

2004 Greg Norman Limestone Coast Cabernet/Merlot $$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Cherry, Black Pepper, Spice

Taste:  Black pepper, spice, and cherry

Finish:  Nice smooth finish with black pepper, spice and cherry

Evaluation:  A great value wine that is nicely balanced.  88 points

2004 Jacobs Creek South Australia Cabernet Sauvignon $

Color:  Purple

Nose:  Plum, spice

Taste:  Earth, plum, spice

Finish:  Medium plum and spice

Evaluation:  good for the money. 82 points

2004 Marquis Philips S2 Cabernet $$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Earth, pepper

Taste:  Smooth tannins, earth, black and red pepper

Finish:  Medium with earth, pepper and well integrated tannins

Evaluation:  A nice offering from Australia in the cab category.  Earth dominated wine.  90 points

2004 Red Knot Cabernet Mc Laren Vale, Australia

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Bold wine with eucalyptus, pepper and cherry (almost a shiraz nose)

Taste:  Pepper and earth

Finish:  Solid medium finish with earth and pepper dominating

Evaluation:  A great wine with a complex nose.  Everything is in balance and should be a crowd pleaser at a party or wedding.  89 points

2004 Torbreck Juveniles (Grenache, Shiraz. Mataro) $$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Mineral and spice

Taste:  Spice, pepper, and cinnamon

Finish:  Medium with spice and mineral

Evaluation:  86 points

2004 Yangarra Old Vines Mc Claren Vale Grenache $$$

Color: Medium purple

Nose:  Spice, pepper, oak

Taste:  Intense spices, oak, vanilla, minerals

Finish:  Medium and solid

Evaluation:  Good Grenache from Australia.  Much better value then a CDP twice the price.  88 points

2005 Black Swan Southeast Australia Merlot $

Color:  Light purple

Nose:  Earth, spice and some fruit

Taste:  Overly tannic and a spice note

Finish:  Short with earth

Evaluation:  Drinkable for the price.  80 points

2005 Kilikanoon Killerman's Run South Australia Cabernet Sauvignon $$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Spice, olives, earth

Taste:  Spice, green olives, earth

Finish:  A little bitter and the green olives throw off the wine

Evaluation:  Not in the same league as the Shiraz 84 points

2005 Kilikanoon Block's Road Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Blackberry, bell pepper, floral, spice

Taste:  Wow!  This wine has incredible multi layered dimensions of blackberry, cherry, oak, vanilla, floral, spices

Finish:  Long

Evaluation:  The best Cabernet I have sampled from Australia 94+ points

2005 Peter Lehmann Clancy's (Shiraz/Cab/Merlot) $$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Nice with blackberry, spice, floral

Taste:  Good fruit and smooth

Finish:  Nice concentration on a medium finish

Evaluation:  87 points

2005 Marquis Philips South Australia Cabernet $$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Earth

Taste:  Oak, vanilla, and earth

Finish:  Earth, some currants, and oak

Evaluation:  85 points

2005 Marquis Philips South Australia Merlot $$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Blackberry, pepper, spice

Taste:  Pepper, spice, blackberry

Finish:  Spice, mineral, floral

Evaluation:  A solid Merlot for the money.  88 points

2005 Tim Smith Mataro/Grenache/Shiraz Barossa Valley $$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Big with blackberries, plums, pepper, violets

Taste:  Blackberries, plum, violets, mineral

Finish:  LONG. A tasty wine with black fruits, floral, and mineral elements intermixed to perfection.  These 3 wines are blended well.

Evaluation:  A big wine that a Shiraz drinker would really enjoy.  93 points

2005 Yangarra "Old Vines"  McClaren Vale Grenache $$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Blackberry, floral, black pepper

Taste:  Great acidity, black pepper, floral, blueberries, blackberries

Finish:  Long and Intense with mild tannins

Evaluation:  This wine is smoking!  One of the top wines under $20 this year 93 points

2006 Lindemans Bin 99 Pinot Noir $

Color:  Light purple

Nose:  Tannins, floral

Taste:  Floral, watered down, spice

Finish:  Short with spice

Evaluation:  A match in regards to money/quality 78 points

2006 Marquis Philips S2 Cabernet $$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Earth, cherry, floral

Taste:  A bit bitter and rough with earth and cherry

Finish:  Medium and a little out of balance

Evaluation:  Not as good as other vintages 88 points

2006 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cabernet South Australia $$

Color:  Light purple
Nose: Big floral, mineral, blackberries

Taste:  Sharp acid little too much with spice, blackberries and a little watered down

Finish:  Short

Evaluation:  Not the 91 points from Jay Miller of Parker but decant wine for the money 83 points

2007 Penfolds Bin 389 - Australia, South Australia (2/22/2010)
Minneapolis Food & Wine Show Grand Tasting; 2/22/2010-2/23/2010 (Minneapolis Convention Center): Good color. Blackberries, cherry and earth. Good acidity and really smooth wine. One of the better efforts in years. (88 pts.)

2007 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 407 - Australia, South Australia (2/22/2010)
Minneapolis Food & Wine Show Grand Tasting; 2/22/2010-2/23/2010 (Minneapolis Convention Center): Dark purple. Dust, earth, cherry and plum. Nice on the palate and good weight. Medium finish and drinking well right now. Not too tannic. (88 pts.)

2006 Penley Condor Coonawarra Cabernet-Shiraz $$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Big with cherry, spices and earth

Taste:  Powerful with spices, pepper, and some fruit

Finish:  Little off balanced but still a nice wine

Evaluation:  85 points

2006 R Wines "Bitch" Barossa Valley Grenache $

Color:  Light purple

Nose:  Floral, white pepper, some spices

Taste:  Light wine with spice, floral

Finish:  Short

Evaluation:  Not the typical Grenache you would expect from Barossa 83 points

2006 R Wines Chateau Chateau Magic Window Barossa Valley Grenache $$$$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Floral, mineral

Taste:  Raspberries, floral, crushed rock, some heat

Finish:  Medium and intense with crushed rock, raspberries, blackberries, floral

Evaluation:  What you expect from an Australian Grenache 92 points

2006 Rosemount South Eastern Australia Pinot Noir $

Color:  Light purple

Nose:  Easter egg dye

Taste:  Thin with spice

Finish:  Hot and out of balance

Evaluation:  Poorly made 73 points

2006 Tim Smith Mataro/Grenache/Shiraz Barossa Valley $$$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Blackberry, truffles

Taste: Blackberry, black pepper, truffles

Finish:  Violets emerge after 20 seconds with black pepper and violets along for the ride.

Evaluation:  Elegant compared to the 05.   A solid wine.  90 points

2006 Tirna Nog McLaren Vale Grenache $$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Spices, floral, cranberry, blackberries

Taste:  Spices, violets, cranberries, blackberries

Finish:  Medium and balanced wine

Evaluation:  91 points

2006 Yalumba Y Series Shiraz/Viognier $8.99

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Violets, crushed rock

Taste:  Fragrent with violets, spice, crushed rock.  The Viognier gives it a nice kick

Finish:  Medium

Evaluation:  86 points

2008 Banrock Station South Eastern Australia Merlot $

Color:  Light purple

Nose:  Blackberry and cherry

Taste:  Sweet fruits with a touch of floral

Finish:  Short and a bit bitter

Evaluation:  For $5 a drinkable wine 84 points

2008 Marquis Philips Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (3/2/2010)
Big aussie nose. Floral, fruit and spices. The palate shows a lot of floral quality and it is a bit out of balance. Medium finish. Average wine. (86 pts.)

2009 Mollydooker Cabernet Sauvignon The Maitre D’ - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek (10/27/2010)
A pleasant surprise among the boring Napa Cabernets at a recent tasting. Blackberries, cherry, and spice on the nose. The wine is balanced and not over extracted. Medium finish and drink now. (90 pts.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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