Peter Lehmann Weighbridge 2006 Shiraz

If you ever wonder why I review so much Australian wine, it’s because at the local liquor stores here they are usually the most decent wines you can get other than american (and I’m not really a fan of american wines).

I’ve been on a bit of a Shiraz kick lately, I like the spicy dry ones. Apparently Australia is renowned for it’s Shiraz, so an Australia Shiraz was in order.

The Peter Lehmann Shiraz I picked up the other night was slightly different than my expectations. It was very fruity (cherry and currents come to mind), almost slightly sweet (off-dry) with a hint of spice and a long smooth finish. The tannins were light and kept at bay. Although not quite what I was expecting (I think I’m accustomed to the Canadian Shiraz style), I was really impressed with this wine. I do like a bit more bite in my Shiraz, but this was a wonderful wine and is very well rounded.

 

Yellow Tail Riesling

In an attempt to try more Rieslings, I recently picked up a Yellow Tail Riesling.

Although it likely isn’t a bad wine for its price, this wine certainly fell short for me. I found it syrupy and had a hard time picking out any interesting flavors. It fell flat and was somewhat forgettable.

This wine will likely go over well with friends who like sweet wines and aren’t too discerning in their taste for wine.

 

Barefoot Pinot Grigio

I had a girl’s night the other night and this wine was brought by one of my friends. This was the last wine we consumed of the evening, so my memory is a little hazy, but from what I recall it was a nice pinot grigio.

This wine was citrusy but well balanced with appley-pear type flavors. It was refreshing and zesty with a crisp finish.

Barefoot does a nice job with this Pinot Grigio, for the price range you can’t go wrong.

 

3 Blind Moose Pinot Grigio

My boyfriend was recently in the United States and I asked him to pick up a few random bottles of wine. Knowing that I like Pinot Grigio’s, he picked up a bottle of the 3 Blind Moose Pinot Grigio.

The first thing I noticed about this California is the cork – a played up bright yellow synthetic. I don’t have a position in the cork vs other debate. I’m happy with anything that keeps my wine nice and I haven’t been dissapointed yet. The second thing I noticed was it’s very pale straw colour. Or maybe it just looked pale in comparison to the bright yellow cork.

The scent was subtle, and almost flowery, but overal very delicate. The taste however, slightly suprised me. This wine packs a punch that the aroma doesn’t reflect. Overall, I found this wine intense at first, but by the end of the glass I was pleased and ready for another. Due to the intensity, I wouldn’t recommend drinking it on its own, this wine screams out for a pairing to balance it out. I think it would go nice with a pasta and cream sauce, but that’s just a guess.

 

2007 the Little Penguin – Chardonnay

The Little Penguin Chardonnay is a very versatile white wine. I enjoyed it as a casual glass on wine, but it also goes nicely with appetizers, during dinner, and after dinner. The little penguin also makes pairing recommendations on their website here:

http://www.thelittlepenguin.com/winetips/chardonnay

Although I enjoyed it without food, I can imagine it going well with a delicate white fish. It’s a subtle wine that would likely bring out delicious undertones in any meal. I personally found this wine to be very buttery and oaky.

Enjoy it well chilled on a hot day, it’s fresh and crisp taste is incredibly refreshing.

 

Warre’s Otima 10 Year Old Tawny Port

I purchased this Tawny Port with a mind to serve it as an after dinner drink at a dinner party and it did not disappoint.

I chilled it in the refrigerator during dinner (I am so sophisticated) and served it straight out of the bottle without allowing for aeration time. It tasted delciously smooth out of the bottle, and was a hit with my friends.

The bottle design is also unique for a port, which is why i was drawn to it in the first place, it is one of the only ports I’ve ever seen in a clear bottle. You can easily see it’s beautiful tawny color right from the moment you purchase it. Clear bottles have their downfall though, they let in a lot of UV, so if you’re planning on keeping your bottle around after you purchase it, be sure to store it in a dark place (as you should with any wines you plan on storing).

The Warre’s Otima 10 Year Tawny is a wonderful, ready to drink port. The contemporary bottle design and flavoring is very appealing to younger generations of wine drinkers. Warre’s has set out to challenge the current perceptions of port (and port drinkers) and has succeeded with a remarkable, traditional, credible port.

 

2007 Santa Margherita – Pinot Grigio

I discovered this wine earlier this summer within my great Pinot Grigio obsession of 2008. Actually, I think this is the wine that set it all off.

Well, that is not totally true, the 2006 Santa Margherita is the first one I had. It was so delicious I had to go back for more, yet the next time I looked, all I could find was the 2007. I still think there was some magic to the 2006 that the 2007 is missing, but that said, I’m still of the opinion that the 2007 Santa Margherita is a very solid, tasty wine.

The wine tastes as you would expect it to compared to it’s color: light, dry, and clean. The boquet is very intense, but don’t let that fool you into the flavoring. It all blends together very nice. I would recommend this wine with seafood dishes and on its own on a hot afternoon.

 

2007 Wyndham Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon

I didn’t find this Cabernet Sauvignon that impressive to be perfectly upfront. I had different expectations upfront than what it delivered, so perhaps the “impression” I got was entirely the fault of my own expectations.

I expected this to be a very smooth Cabernet Sauvignon with strong but smooth berry flavours. Instead, I was caught off guard by a tough wine which was a bit too complex for my pallet. Perhaps it needed to be aerated a bit more.

If anyone know more information about the ideal amount of time for this wine to sit and also to aerate, please feel free to comment.

 

2007 Wolf Blass – Yellow Label – Merlot

The Wolf Blass Yellow Label red wines, both the Merlot and the Cabernet Sauvignon are staples in my wine glass as a very stable, no offensive, nice red wine.

I find the merlot to be fruity, yet bold. I recently paired it (not well), with small home made flat bread pizzas. I found that the merlot over powered the pizza quite a bit, but it could be my fault. I don’t recall if I let the wine breathe for a bit after I opened it or if I dove right in. In any case, in the future I will either be drinking it on its own or paired with a stronger meat.

In any case, I find this wine to be a great one to keep around, or a perfect wine to pick up in the store on your way to a bbq!

 

EMU 999 Australian Tawny Port

I bought this port for one reason only. I wanted to see what the cheapest port the big liqour store by my house tasted like.

The EMU 999 Australian Tawny Port is very inexpensive, I found it to be less expensive than a cheap bottle of wine. My expectations weren’t high.

Maybe I’m just a port fiend, but I didn’t mind it at all. The first glass was pretty intense, so I paired it with some aged cheese I had in my house. That seemed to work some magic, it became much more palatable after that.

I let the bottle aerate for some time after that, and either I just adjusted to the taste of cheap port, or it became better tasting. I also enjoyed it later in the week with some salty mixed nuts, it was very complimentary.

The results? Inexpensive and consistent. I might even buy a bottle of this again. Not to serve friends, but as a bottle to keep around the house for the odd post-dinner drink while I work from home.