2010 Pauletts Polish Hill River Clare Valley Riesling

More Thai food and another Riesling from the pile of cartons. Nice balance of toasty development with a bit of petrol and some fine and rich, linear, lime fruit. Some crisp but not chunky acid carries it along with just a touch of residual sugar maybe or is that just dense, ripe fruit? Polish Hill River seems to sometimes combine the fat of Clare and the lean of Eden. Pauletts do this with style and little fanfare. This blows their trumpet pitch perfectly.

12.50% alcohol. Screwcap. Was about $20.

92 points.

2016 Castello dei Rampolla Chianti Classico

Somehow Iggy Pop and the Wild One spring to mind drinking this. Dark and growling, terrific energy, some bits flying off at odd angles but compelling. Lifted new leather, walnut and sour cherry Sangiovese, vividly fresh and vibrant, some cedar oak, a bit of wild game verging on not perfectly clean, mouth clearing acid and tannin. Didn’t notice the alcohol percentage until uploading the photo. There’s also some sweeter blackcurrant fruit which may be explained by a percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Rampolla was a star in the early 90s for its Cabernet blends. The fruit sang a rugged harmony to a good pizza. Kept my shirt on though.

14.50% alcohol. Cork. $50.

93 points depending on your acceptance of wild things.

2012 Eldredge Clare Valley Riesling

Thai nosh and limey Clare Riesling, there’s a match. This Eldredge is gently resolving with lime marmalade on toast, a hint of green mango and enough richness to stand up to a curry. The acidity is nicely firm but not hard. Good Thai by Melbourne standards and byo is one of life’s affordable joys.

12.50% alcohol. Screwcap. About $20 in 2013.

91 points.

2016 Domaine de Blayac Minervois

Seriously, this is probably the best under $20 Woolies’ import ever. There, bold statement. Probably a love of old vine Carignan from Languedoc Roussillon sways the claim. The blend is Carignan, Grenache and Shiraz but it’s that sweet, caramelised roasting pan juice character that drives this spotlessly clean, softly delicious mouthful. Somehow there’s a ripeness level where the bright red fruit and clunky acidity of Carignan turns dark, mysterious and soft. There’s also dark, dark berries and velvet tannin. If quality is judged by how quickly the bottle empties, two of us were looking for the last drops as we mopped up our pasta sauce, all gone…

13% alcohol. Cork. $14.30 in a six pack.

93 points but more pointedly, delicious

As a post script, I’ve bought and drunk both the 2017 and very recently the 2018 vintages of this. Sadly neither has the life or interest of the 2016. Both looked a bit dead fruited, mostly full of prunes, dry skins and lacking freshness. Maybe very hot weather or just left hanging too long. Really hoped this would be a regular buy, sad. There’s one 2016 left, let’s see.

Post script to the post script. Opened the last of the 2016 and the original note still holds true. Just as delicious, with a core of dark but still sweetly fresh berries. Perhaps more 92 than 93 but relieved to see some consistency in both the wine and an old dodgy palate.

Alas, the 2019 is lacking life and bounce like 2017 and 2018. Think Dan’s should give up. Nonetheless if a 2020 appears, I’ll probably waste another $20 to find out. Once bitten…..by lovely old vine Carignan.

2016 Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur Champigny

Another clean, svelte and tasty red from the Loire. Cabernet Franc in all its raspberry leaf and bright red fruit. Tangy berries and some sweet green herbals show just over the line ripeness. There’s no sourness to the green flavours and the well mingled tannin and acid are mouth-wateringly ripe. A lovely compact palate, fruit and texture held tight and more interesting after three days of oxygen exposure. Great pedigree.

13% alcohol. Cork. $48.

93 points

2016 Jean-François Mérieau Cent Visages Touraine Côt

100% Malbec or Côt as they say in the Loire Valley. Pungently clean perfume of Turkish delight, woody spices veering into star anise, startlingly so. Below are some bright cherries and berries. Terrific flow of spiced fruit with silky tannin and acidity. Floats in the mouth, leaving a gentle waft to linger. Fine and whistle clean. Those lovely obsessives at the City Wine Store certainly know how to tickle my fancy.

12.50% alcohol. Cork. $41.

93 points.

2009 Ravensworth Shiraz Viognier

Having really enjoyed Clonakilla’s great Shiraz during the nineties, it was nice to find a cheaper version with such a close connection. Almost ten years on this is developing just deliciously. Dark red fruit, tarry, earthen and leathery but still a freshness and lightness of being as good acid and tannin sweep up. The once noticeable oak has melded and there’s a sweet wealth of fruit right through the mouth. This wasn’t fashionably labelled a few years ago and Dan’s couldn’t sell it. Very happy to have scored a six pack for under $20 a bottle when they cleared it. Dare say it’s on allocation now?

14% alcohol. Screwcap. $20 then, mid thirties now.

93 points.

A year on and it’s even more of a whole. Quintessentially warm and spicy but still calmly firm Aussie Shiraz. Initially too many bottles stashed, now probably not enough left!

94 points now.

2009 Domaine Coteau de la Biche Vouvray Sec

Smells of rich exotic honey, cut apple and old Catholic Church candles. Chenin can be unbearably large and hefty but this just stays on the side of polite and charming due to some ripe acidity that cuts against the richness. Almost so much that the whole may seem a bit attenuated. Not so, that fruit keeps nagging its presence and builds so well as it slides through. It says sec but there’s a cushion. A terrific tension that seems so typical of the Loire’s douceur…the luxury Stelvin screwcap may help…

12.50%. Screwcap! Was about $30.

92 points but more for sense of place and clean poise.

2017 Stoney Rise Pinot Noir

Lovely fresh red colour and smells. There’s some genuine tart berry perfume of good flavour ripeness without heaviness or green shrubbery. Only the acidity seems a bit too firm at the finish. Rather that than the higher PH and duller colour of warmer sites. The mid mouth flavour of ripe strawberries and raspberries with real freshness is just so delicious and bright. Cool for sure. Ripe fruit, just, at low alcohol, woohoo…

12% alcohol! Screwcap. $30.

92 points

2014 Moreau Naudet Chablis Pargues

Happily the contents of the bottle are a lot better than the label artwork. There’s a weird phenomenon with these traditionally made oxidative sorts inasmuch as this opened with a bit of a developed colour and a whiff of sherry but as it sucked in the air things just got fresher and paler. Real Chablis scents of sweet lemon yoghurt, flowery honey and the seaside. Beautifully weighted palate of pithy fruit and firm, caressing acidity. Second day it got even fresher, crisper and deeper fruited. Is this supposed to happen with white wine!? Beautiful texture and the last mouthful the best. Great vintage.

12.50% alcohol. Cork. $70.

94 points.