Scarborough 2011 Yellow Label Chardonnay

Scarborough does wonderful things with Chardonnay in the Hunter Valley and the Yellow Label is their out and proud ‘old school’ style of chardonnay. In all but the odd horror Hunter Valley vintages, I can rely on this wine.

Smells of lemon, traces of lemon rind, cashews and spicy, creamy oak

On the palate, juicy lemon, ripe grapefruit, an alluring creamy texture and clean acid. Some integrated oak flavours on the back palate. 

Clean, flavoursome and refreshing, but not overpowering or too woody. The body and flavour to make it a versatile wine to drink with across a range of white meat dishes (seafood to roast chicken thighs).

Old school but wearing a shiny new suit.

Ratings: 91pts

ABV: 13.5%

RRP: $23 (Cellar Door)

Website: www.scarboroughwine.com.au

2010 Yelland and Papps Divine Grenache

From an impressive Barossa Valley vintage comes a powerful and flavoursome wine made from Grenache north of Greenock, planted in the 19^th century. The Divine range are premium wines produced by Yelland and Papps. Made in a familiar and consistent style, they tend to be fully flavoured yet built to last.
 

Tasting Note:

Juicy, round red and black cherry, mixed black fruit merged neatly with Christmas cake spices. Primary fruit at the front and middle especially.  Finishes with elegant power, no overt confection.  Luscious, approachable and moreish, though kept together thanks to its impressive structure.

Makes a bold impression with a fruit intensity and  rich oak treatment that will please many.

I would probably drink this now, given the few years in the bottle and the luscious fruit on offer, though it would cruise through cellaring for 10 years.

RRP: $75
ABV: 14.5%
Score: 94+ pts
Website: www.yellandandpapps.com

2006 Alluviale Merlot Cabernet Franc (Hawkes Bay, NZ)

One of my gradual learnings over the years is that most premium, age worthy wine doesn't actually get discernibly better with age. Sure, a wine may age in the sense that it drinks well at 10 years of age, but a wine that actually builds additional complexity and enjoyment when compared to its youth is indeed rare. Instead, for most aged wines edges have softened, flavours have become more savoury, and a glide path of gradual decay has begun. There’s plenty of enjoyment to be had in following a wine on such a path, it’s just not the epiphany that is often hoped for when initially laying a bottle down in the cellar.

The 2006 Alluviale Merlot Cab Franc fits this mould. Nothing startling has happened with a further 5 years under its belt since I first tried it, but is nevertheless represents very enjoyable cellared wine drinking.  Medium bodied and food friendly, the tannin and acidity remain present but have now fully integrated into the wine. It still has plenty of nice plummy fruit along with chocolate notes. Grassiness, tobacco, and some earthiness all combine to provide a savoury finish. A lovely wine.

Rated: 4 Stars
ABV: 13.9%
Closure: Screwcap
Drink: 2014-2017
Website: www.alluviale.com


Red

2004 Fontanafredda Serralunga D'alba Barolo (Piedmont, Italy)

I consumed this as part of my birthday lunch along with a 2008 PHI Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley. The Pinot won wine of the day (see original note and updated comments here), but the Fontanfredda was also impressive and provided me with the Nebbiolo hit I was after.

At 10 years of age those famous Serralunga tannins have softened somewhat and the acidity has integrated, but both remain prominent enough to deliver a wine with a great sense of texture. Classic flavours of liquorice, sour cherry, and tea leaf. There’s also an interesting and appealing orange peel note. Tends to earthiness through the back palate though perhaps doesn’t quite finish with the length to push it up there for higher points. Very enjoyable now, but will also continue to age well, turning increasingly savoury over the next 10 years.

Rated: 4 Stars
RRP: $80-90
Closure: Cork
Drink: 2014-2024
Website: http://www.fontanafredda.it/web/en


Red