French, Chilean and Australian New Releases from EuroVintage

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

• Joseph Drouhin ‘La Foret’ Bourgogne Chardonnay 2015
  Chardonnay from France - Burgandy

  Review Date : 19-Oct-2017

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Bright straw-yellow colour with lemon-gold hues, pale edged. The nose is softly full with good depth of white stonefruit and citrus fruit aromas, unfolding some nutty and spicy oak notes. The aromatics build in fruit richness with aeration. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate has sweetly rich flavours of citrus fruit and stonefruits melded with nutty and spicy oak. The palate has a positive core and the mouthfeel is rounded with smooth underlying textures. The wine has light, lacy acidity lending energy and the flavours carry easily to a soft, lingering dry finish of citrus fruits and nutty oak. This is a gently rich Bourgogne Chardonnay with citrus fruit and nutty oak on a soft, rounded palate. Serve with grilled and roasted seafood, poultry and pork dishes over the next 3-4 years. Chardonnay fruit from growers, fermented to 13.0% alc., a portion aged in oak. 17.0+/20 Oct 2017 RRP $29.99
• Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis 2015
  Chardonnay from France - Burgandy

  Review Date : 19-Oct-2017

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Brilliant straw-yellow colour with pale gold hues, lighter on the edge. This has an elegant and softly fresh nose with delicate aromas of white stonefruits and hints of flint and nuts, and clear wet-stone mineral elements. This has a fine, classical, mouthwatering austerity. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate is elegantly presented with mouthwatering stonefruit flavours entwined with hints of flint and minerals. The fruit forms a softly concentrated core that offers roundness and accessibility. The palate is balanced by refreshing and lively acidity, and the wine flows with drive and energy along a soft-textured line, leading to a dry, lingering finish of stonefruits and minerals. This is a classical Chablis with mouthwatering stonefruit, flint and mineral flavours on a softly concentrated palate with fresh acidity and a long, nuanced finish. Serve as an aperitif and with shellfish over the next 3 years. Chardonnay fruit from estate vineyards and growers, fermented to 12.5% alc., the wine aged 7-8 months in vats. 17.0+/20 Oct 2017 RRP $41.99
• Delas Ventoux 2015
  Blended Red from France - Rhone

  Review Date : 19-Oct-2017

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Full, dark, deep ruby-red colour with slight purple hues. The nose is full with softly packed and dense aromas of ripe, dark raspberry fruit with subtle notes of dark herbs unfolding lifted red florals and jam-like whole berry fermentation elements. Full-bodied, the palate has full and robust, vibrant flavours of dark raspberries with floral, herb and jam notes. The mouthfeel is grainy with moderate tannin extraction providing some grip. The acidity is balanced and the wine flows with good vigour to a firm-textured finish of raspberry and jam notes. This is a rich, sweet, raspberry fruited Ventoux with herb and jm notes, on a robust, grippy, dry palate. Serve with barbecued fare over the next 4-4 years. A blend of approx. 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, the latter with a portion of whole bunches, the fruit from the Mazan and Goult communes, fermented to 14.5% alc., the wine aged 6-8 months in vat.16,650 dozen made. 16.5+/20 Oct 2017 RRP $17.99
• Delas ‘Saint Esprit’ Cotes du Rhone 2016
  Blended Red from France - Rhone

  Review Date : 19-Oct-2017

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Very full, dark, black-hued ruby-red colour with purple hues, very youthful in appearance. The nose is full with accessible aromas of savoury dark-red berryfruit with harmoniously integrated notes of dried herbs and earthy elements, unfolding some red floral and black pepper nuances. Medium-full bodied, the palate has interwoven flavours of dark raspberry fruit with black pepper, along with subtle savoury herb and earthy notes. The fruit is sweet and juicy, quite mouthfilling and is balanced by fine, grainy tannin extraction. The acidity is integrated, lending gentle energy, and the wine carries to a long finish with raspberry and peppery flavours. This is a mouthfilling Cotes du Rhone with sweet raspberry fruit, along with pepper, herbs and earthy detail, on a grainy textured palate with good length. Match with roasted red meats or Middle Eastern fare over the next 5+ years. A blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache from the Ardeche, destemmed and fermented to 14.0% alc., the wine spending 15 days on skins and aged 8 months in vat. 41,650 dozen made. 17.5+/20 Oct 2017 RRP $21.99
• Delas ‘Les Launes’ Crozes-Hermitage 2016
  Syrah from France - Rhone

  Review Date : 19-Oct-2017

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Full, even purple-hued ruby-red colour, a little lighter on the edge, and youthful in appearance. The nose is elegantly concentrated with an amalgam of dark-red and black berried fruits entwined with dark herbs, some minerally reduction, unfolding raspberry liqueur and peppery elements. This is well-proportioned with good depth. Medium-bodied, the palate is finely concentrated with deep and intense flavours of vibrant blackberry and raspberry fruit entwined with dark herbs, pepper and minerally reduction notes. The fruit has vitality and energy, and is supported by fine, grainy tannin extraction, flowing with good linearity. The fruit carries with underlying drive to a lingering, concentrated finish of dark raspberries, herbs and minerals. This is an elegantly concentrated Crozes-Hermitage with blackberry and dark raspberry fruit, and peppery, herbal and reductive detail on a fine-grained textural palate with good length. Serve with game meat dishes and semi-hard cheeses over the next 6-8+ years. 100% Syrah, hand-picked, destemmed and fermented to 13.0% alc., a portion aged in oak barrels. 17.5/20 Oct 2017 RRP $32.99
• Concha y Toro ‘Casillero del Diablo’ ‘Reserva’ Shiraz 2016
  Syrah from Chile

  Review Date : 19-Oct-2017

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Dark, deep, black-hued purple-red colour, a little lighter on the rim. The nose is elegant with softly packed aromas of blackberry and dark raspberry fruit melded harmoniously with dark herbs and a little black pepper. The aromatics build in intensity with aeration. Medium-full bodied, the palate is presented smoothly with flavours of blackberry and soft notes of dark raspberries, dark herbs, leaf and pepper. The flavours are integrated and form a rounded core. The fruit is supported by fine-grained, supple tannins that enable approachability. The wine flows seamlessly with the acidity soft and balanced. The flavours are carried to a lingering finish of black fruits, pepper and spice. This is a harmoniously presented Shiraz with blackberry, raspberry, herb and leafy notes on a supple palate with a spicy finish. Match with Middle Eastern cuisine over the next 4+ years. Fruit from the Central Valley, fermented to 13.5% alc., the wine aged in American oak. 17.0+/20 Oct 2017 RRP $18.99
• Concha y Toro ‘Marques Casa Concha’ Maule Merlot 2015
  Merlot from Chile

  Review Date : 19-Oct-2017

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Full, deep, black-red colour with youthful purple hues, a little lighter edged. The nose is softly full and voluminous with aromas of black plums, blackberries and blackcurrants along with notes of cassis and dark herbs. The fruit aromas form a dense and integrated heart. Medium-full bodied, this is fulsome in fruitiness with black plum and blackcurrant flavours entwined with cassis and dark herbs with subtle nutty oak. The flavours are mouthfilling, and show with vibrancy and freshness. The fruit is underlined by fine-grained tannin extraction providing a firm structure with bright acidity enlivening the palate and lifting the herbal notes. The wine carries to a lingering, slender finish. finish. This is a mouthfilling Merlot with black plum and curranty flavours showing some herbal notes on a fine-grained palate with good energy. Serve with herb-marinated lamb, beef and venison dishes over the next 6-8 years. A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon from the ‘San Clemente’ vineyard, Maule, from vines planted 1990-1998, fermented to 14.2% alc., the wine aged 18 months in French oak, with a portion in 5000 L foudres. 17.5/20 Oct 2017 RRP $31.99
• Angove South Australia ‘Organic’ Rosé 2017
  Rose from Australia - South Australia

  Review Date : 19-Oct-2017

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Bright, light salmon-pink colour with some depth, lighter on the edge. The nose is elegant with fresh and moderately intense aromas of strawberries and cream with bright floral notes, underlined by confectionary elements and nuances of minerals. Dryish to taste and medium-bodied, the palate has a good core of bright strawberries and cream flavours with lifted florals and confectionary notes. The mouthfeel is fresh and crisp with bright, lacy, mouthwatering acidity and light, drying phenolic textures and line. The wine carries to a lingering finish of stonefruits and confectionary, This is a moderately concentrated, dryish rosé with strawberries and cream flavours with confectionary elements on a crisp, mouthwatering palate with dry textures. Serve with antipasto and Mediterranean fare over the next 2 years. Shiraz fruit from the ‘Nanya’ vineyard, Paringa, vines 15 y.o., held on skins for a short period and cool-fermented to 13.0% alc. Australian Certified organic. 16.5/20 Oct 2017 RRP $18.99
• Angove ‘Family Crest’ McLaren Vale Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre 2016
  Blended Red from Australia - South Australia

  Review Date : 19-Oct-2017

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Dark ruby-red with purple hues and some depth, lighter on the rim, the colour shows youth. The nose is a little shy, with soft aromas of sweetly ripe dark raspberry fruit interwoven with blackberries, black pepper and spicy notes. The aromatics are soft and harmonious in expression. Medium-bodied, the palate ha richly sweet, ripe fruit flavours of dark raspberries and blackberries with pepper and spicy oak nuances forming a softly concentrated, rounded core. The fruit richness is enhanced by soft acidity and balanced by fine-textured tannins. The mouthfeel grows in density and grip a the wine flows, and leads to a lingering finish of raspberries and spices. This is a sweetly ripe GSM with blackberry and raspberry fruit with pepper and spices on a fine-grained palate that builds in structure. Match with grilled nd roasted red meats over the next 5-6+ years. A blend of 40% Grenache from the ‘Swann’ and ‘Warboys’ vineyards, 34% Shiraz from the ‘Chesley’ and the Paxton ‘Jones’ block, and 26% Mourvede from the ‘Balanave’s’ vineyard, hand-picked, destemmed and fermented to 14.0% alc., the wine aged 9 months in seasoned French oak puncheons and hogsheads. 17.5/20 Oct 2017 RRP $23.99