April tasting note folder clean-out (part 1)

It’s been ridiculously wet in Sydney today, with the sort of torrential rain that makes bed the place to be (I still went running in the downpour anyway. Idiot).

Besides sleeping, what such indoors-friendly weather is really good for is reorganising things – tidying, filing, reordering, compiling. That sort of thing.

This post then is a little tidy up of my tasting notes folder – a wrap up of wines tasted over the past few weeks that haven’t quite made it to the ‘publish’ stage as yet.

The notes are perhaps a little shorter than usual, but that’s mainly as I’ve dropped some of the meandering intro bits and concentrated on the meaty wine stuff. Succinctness is an art form after all…

Just some of the tasting notes to be written up

Galafrey ‘Savvy’ Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (Mt Barker, Great Southern, WA)

13.5%, Screwcap, $20

Dry grown – and all the more intense because of it. Water clear, if the bottle wasn’t lightly tinted this would be almost water. Grassy nose and lightly grassy palate has good concentration and excellent penetration. Very firm acidity and a bit raw to finish. Pretty serviceable Savvy in the full and ripe, mega varietal grassy mode. 16.5/20, 88/100

Cirillo 1850 Old Vines Grenache 2009 (Barossa, SA)
14.2%, Screwcap, $50

Typically complex and deep old vine Grenache this, if looking big, quite forward and tarry this vintage. I think this is just a bit too compressed and concentrated to be great right now, but clearly an animal of power and weight. Going to need time to unravel though as it is broody and ultra savoury. Tough love for the moment. 18/20, 93/100+

Cirillo Vincent Grenache 2012 (Barossa, SA)
14.5%, Screwcap, $20

While the 1850s Vines is all about concentration, this is sheer Grenache prettiness – with lively cranberry red fruit flavours and fine tannins. It’s a joyful little wine with some tarry wildness too. Barossa Burgundy in a bright and generous early drinking style with plenty of savouriness too. Not quite as serious as the Old Vines wine but more pleasant to drink now. 17.7/20, 92/100

Willow Bridge Solana Tempranillo 2012 (Geographe, WA)
12.9%, Screwcap, $28
Tasted blind. Surprisingly ripe and liquered given the alcohol, though also vibrant and carries some half decent acidity. Intrigue.Rather juicy and red fruited, if sweetly oaked. Is that alcohol right? Looks much warmer than 12.9%. Could it have been better with more concentration? Certainly fresh and mid weight. 17/20, 90/100

Lark Hill Auslese Riesling 2013 (Canberra)
9.5%, Screwcap, $30 (375ml)

For all of its Auslese labelling this looks really quite dry. Not quite Auslese Trocken but certainly not as sweet as expected. Slightly volatile, concentrated and super citrussy nose – real mandarin concentration there. Dry and citrussy palate is rather crisp for an Auslese style, much more mid weight and looks rather less driven by botrytis than many German Auslese (clean too, save for a last minute botrytis hit). Airy finish – a little short maybe? Good without quite nailing it. 17.5/20, 91/100

Singlefile Porongurup Riesling 2013 (Great Southern, WA)
12%, Screwcap, $29

Harder than it should be.Sherbet and talc on the lean, grapefruit acid driven nose. Curiously, the palate is both slightly forward and also raw, the acidity bristling and jagged vs the quite demure and chubby fruit. Acid wins over balance. 16.2/20, 87/100

Alkoomi Chardonnay 2011 (Frankland River, WA)
13.5%, Screwcap, $21

Always reliable wine this. Creamy, nutty, lightly buttered Sao yeast and barrel nose, the creamy palate topped off with crisp acidity. It’s a little winemaking heavy – and that oak ain’t for everyone – but otherwise impressive Chardonnay for bugger all dollars. Great length too. 17/20, 90/100

De Bortoli Deen Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (Various)
$12.90 13.5%

Solid wine. Absurdly cheap. Dusty, genuinely varietal nose, the palate driven by pressings and added acid with some residual sugar sweetness. Raw to finish but plenty of flavour and clean and seriously varietal. Green tannins the only drawback. Fair. 15.5/20, 81/100

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Wine

Andrew Graham
Almost 25 years ago I started working in a small bottleshop, largely to buy cheap beer. There, I met my first two loves - wine and craft beer, and they took over my life. Two decades later and I spend my days as a journalist, buyer, wine show judge, marketer and drinks industry consultant.

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April tasting note folder clean-out (part 1)