JOSEPH MODA CABERNET SAUVIGNON MERLOT 2008

- McLaren Vale, SA

- $57.50-$90

- Screwcap

- 14.5%alc

The highly innovative Joe Grilli makes his iconic Moda Cabernet Merlot in the Italian Amarone style. After harvest the grapes are air dried on outdoor racks (for around 2 weeks) to increase skin to juice ratio, concentrating the flavours in an almost raisined fashion. The resulting wine is a lusciously rich, ripe dry red which seems to overcome difficult seasons with absolute ease. Just ask popular UK critic Oz Clarke, who recently named Joseph's Moda as the world's second best wine!

In tune with other Moda wines, the 2008 is aromatically deeper than a rabbit's hole. Its typically moreish, ultra-ripe raisin, chocolate and leather aromas have already set themselves in for the long haul, while drier, dusty notes of tobacco and herb straddle the higher tones as an essential counter balance to the smooth richness residing beneath. The palate manages to be extravagantly luscious, smooth and rich without being heavy, jammy or offensively ripe whatsoever. Then considering its generous proportions, it's amazingly balanced and even, saturating the palate from front to back, as lingering touches of tobacco leaf and incredibly polished and smooth, powdery tannins ride like surfboards along its tidal wave of massively deep, dense flavour. It isn't exactly the medium-bodied, elegant cabernet many Australians are looking for, but it's near impossible not to be impressed.

ü+ The 2008 continues a run of consistently delicious Moda wines from up-and-down McLaren Vale cabernet vintages. How does Joe Grilli do it, and why aren't there more imitators? There may be nothing plain about Moda, but it's just plain yum. Drink to 2024.

95 points

www.primoestate.com.au

GROSSET SEMILLON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2010

- Clare Valley/Adelaide Hills, SA

- $25-$36

- Screwcap

- 12.5%alc

When everything falls into place for Jeffrey Grosset, there's practically no other South Australian sem/sav to compare with his blend of Clare Valley semillon and Adelaide Hills sauvignon blanc. Although the last two releases weren't quite on the money for me (2008-89pts and 2009-89pts), the 2007 (92pts) was right on the mark.

The delicately scented nose of Grosset's 2010 shows some distinct young semillon character upfront; nettles, lemon/citrus and maybe some straw initially, with a more subdued influence of sauvignon blanc cut grass and tinned fruit tip-toeing throughout its bouquet to create a convincing balance of the two varieties, which should work for the anti-savvy crowd. Likewise, its crystal-clear palate reveals a proud semillon component that speaks slightly above its sauvignon blanc, as its savvy imprint is expressed more through a faintly juicy, slip 'n' slide mouthfeel, as opposed to pungent tropical fruit flavour. Its flavour profile resembles lemon curd, mineral, tinned lychees and pineapple, but flavour expression is hardly its high point. To finish off, Grosset's classy acidity springs forth with shape, thrust and genuine zip to punctuate, highlight and refresh the palate.

O If I'm right it's been roughly 20 years since Grosset released a straight semillon. Now I'm no hater of savvy styles, because I find Grosset's 2010 Sem/Sav to be a good, clean, flow down like water off a duck's back kind of wine, but after having sampled delightful, oaked Clare Valley semillons from the likes of Mitchell, Tim Adams and Mount Horrocks across the last few years, my desire to see Grosset join (or top) their ranks only grows. Drink to 2013.

90 points

www.grosset.com

TRUE WINE STORIES: THE WANNABE WINEMAKER WHO WOULDN'T DRINK WINE

My pursuit of fine wine and the understanding of it has led me to meet some interesting people over the years. One person whom I'll never forget was a middle-aged, blonde woman (name unknown) who studied the same basic wine evaluation course as I did several years ago.

The funny thing was, she didn't actually drink wine. Not a drop.

This fact shockingly came to my attention (as well as the rest of my class) in the first 'true' tasting class of the course, when, with six sample pours of white wine placed in front of every student for assessment, our wine lecturer asked her what she felt of a certain wine's palate;

"I'm unsure." She said. "I don't actually drink wine."

To which, the lecturer responded with; "If you don't drink wine, what are you doing in a wine tasting course?"

"I want to become a winemaker." She replied. At this point the class became somewhat baffled, but the lecturer was becoming frustrated with sheer disbelief.

So the lecturer confronted her with; "How are you going to become a winemaker if you don't drink wine?"

"I just smell them." She quipped.

Now exceptionally puzzled, the lecturer told her; "You can't become a winemaker by just smelling wines. You HAVE to drink the stuff too. Now come on, stop being ridiculous and drink the damn wine!"

But she refused. The more he tried to get her to drink the wine, the more she refused. Eventually, the lecturer gave in, but he did end with; "Just see me after class, okay?" Now I'm not entirely sure what he said to her after class, but rest assured, she didn't return to any more wine tasting classes after her initial effort.

True story.

A wannabe winemaker attending a wine tasting course, who doesn't drink wine; just sniffs it. I've always wondered how her aspirations of becoming a winemaker have progressed since....

CASE IN POINT - TORBRECK CUVÉE JUVENILES 2009 (From 29-Sep-2010)

(Grenache/Shiraz/Mataro)

- Barossa Valley, SA

- $24-$33

- Screwcap

- 14.5%alc

One of the Barossa's highest profile producers, Torbreck, is an internationally recognised name well known for rather expensive, ultra-ripe, generously oaked reds packaged with distinctive white labels and visible corks. A unique wine within Torbreck's range is the Cuvée Juveniles; a relatively affordable, unoaked red with a coloured label and a screwcap closure.

I'm beginning to really appreciate unwooded Barossa GSMs for their ability to be cracked and enjoyed immediately, and Torbreck's 2009 Cuvée Juveniles instantly fits the bill, with a lightly spiced fragrance of liqueur cherries, blueberries, dates, currants, cinnamon and spirit that strikes an aromatic lift and warmth from first pour. However, the palate doesn't follow suit, as its initially pleasing burst of smooth, deep, dark, rich and pure GSM flavour is betrayed by a jarring acidity and an unpleasant rawness. Indeed the whole presentation seems to be left wanting once its plush entry is overcome by an edgy, thinning, ill-defining intensity; while a final, ungainly and lingering impression of ultra-ripe fruit, spirit and clove-like flavour does little to enhance the experience. With air it becomes marginally softer, but it never achieves true balance.

X This is a wine of two tales; a pleasing entry and a rough finish. Hopefully the latter might sort itself out with some more time in the bottle, but you'd probably be better off buying Teusner's 2009 Joshua instead. Drink 2011-2012.

84 points

Case In Point Update 9-November-2010

Casey: All the pleasing qualities of a GSM on the nose, with robust berries and a slight fortified grenache aroma. Lovely rounded flavour with a ripe, juicy burst and almost completely devoid of tannins. Finishes a little sweet on the palate.

Chris: Okay, so here's the first 'Case In Point' wine which I've re-reviewed because I believe my original note might have been based on a 'dud' bottle. Put simply, it was the off-putting, hard intensity of its finish which lead me to feel something wasn't quite right, and being the fair man that I am, I felt it possibly deserved better than this note. So how's the second bottle? Well, the hard finish is nowhere to be seen, in fact, it actually finishes quite soft with some pleasing spice elements, but other than that most of the original note remains true. So yes, I remain under the impression that my original note was taken on a 'dud' bottle. As a result I've re-written my original note, which can be found here, or under Red Blends in Wine Reviews in the sidebar. Anyway, my updated score is....89

www.torbreck.com

PIZZINI PINOT GRIGIO 2010

- King Valley, VIC

- $17-$26

- Screwcap

- 12.1%alc

As the partner of a one-eyed chardonnay drinker, I've noticed the rise in prominence of pinot grigio throughout casual-dining venues (thanks to its association as a food friendly style) has only made things harder to get ahold of a glass of decent chardonnay at such places - and all this comes at a time when the number of good Australian chardonnays is increasing across all price ranges! Let's just hope more of our wineries follow in the footsteps of makers like Pizzini, and get grigio right!

Pizzini's 2010 is a predictably pale-straw grigio, but its nose is less predictable; it's delicate and withdrawn, yet laden with subtle character. A smooth whiff of creamed nuts provide something of a blanket for its tight white flower, mineral and melon aromas, which altogether come forth with the volume of a whisper. Its palate delivers a fullness of clear-cut creamy mineral and white pear flavours without being round or fat, and thankfully, it's all very clean and unmarked from beginning, to middle, to end. The finish presents something of a joyous contrast, as a slightly chalky, bright acidity grips the mouth's outer edges, while an undercarriage of lingering, juicy mineral fruit flavour contradicts the progression.

ü+ A brilliant little grigio of clarity, freshness, shape and grip, with more than enough mineral aspects to please the discerning. It's exactly the type of wine I'd be delighted to see on my local speakeasy's wine list. Drink to 2013.

92 points

www.pizzini.com.au

RINGBOLT CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008

- Margaret River, WA

- $16-$25

- Cork

- 13.5%alc

I've long suppled at the teat of Yalumba's foray into Tasmanian sparkling wine through the Jansz label; and now, with the 2008 Ringbolt, I'm starting to become a regular follower of Yalumba's venture into the fine world of Margaret River cabernet sauvignon.

With the fierce leap of a pouncing tiger, Ringbolt's 2008 delivers the aromatic intensity of an incredibly fragrant, well defined wine. Regional and smoky, its beautifully spoken aromas of char-grilled meats, violets and dried tobacco leaf lead the performance, with the backing notes played by varietally correct blackberries and fresh cedar oak. On entry to the palate it's agreeably smooth and rich, but it flows on fractionally ripe and meaty, as its flavours of dark currant fruits and dried leaves are drawn nicely down the palate by rich, bitter dark chocolate tones. The tannin extract isn't particularly physical or commanding, yet it does finish adequately dry in more of a crisp, silky linen-like fashion, making it an ideal Margaret River cabernet for drinking over the shorter term.

ü Thanks to a beautifully fragrant opening, I can't help but be a little disappointed by the smooth, rich, ripe and rounder aspects of the palate here. Having said that, it is priced accordingly and makes a smart choice for anyone after a sound Margaret River cabernet to drink tonight, with good company. Drink to 2015.

90 points

www.ringbolt.com

KNAPPSTEIN THREE GEWÜRZTRAMINER RIESLING PINOT GRIS 2010

- Clare Valley, SA

- $17-$25

- Screwcap

- 13.0%alc

The classic Alsatian blend, or 'Three' as it's been dubbed by wineries such as Knappstein and Ashton Hills, is a white wine style known well for its ability to be paired with the perennially tricky to match, spicy asian food.

There's elements of all three varieties in Knappstein's 2010 blend, as its oily pear-skin aromas make the broadest statement, but underneath that traminer/gris attribute lies notes of lime juice and lychee which are given a pleasingly floral/musky lift. The viscosity of its dominant partner (gewürztraminer, 72%) drives the wine into the palate, releasing white pear-skin , lemon zest and grape seed flavours, before a cleaner indication of lychee-like character combines with a hint of spice and a refreshing acidity to finish. A genuine touch of Clare's classic chalky acids accentuate its structural elements, which might just be an 18% riesling component punching above its weight, but the optimist inside me believes it's an indication of true regional/seasonal influence prevalent across all three varieties.

ü For a Clare-traminer-based wine, I don't think you could work this too much better. It's not terribly punchy or intense, but its beautifully measured combination of varietals has produced a wine that's clean, shapely and very easy to drink. Drink to 2014.

90 points

www.knappstein.com.au

ASHTON HILLS SPARKLING SHIRAZ 2002

- Clare Valley, SA

- $40-$47

- Cork

- 13.0%alc

An air of mystery surrounds the front label of this sparkling shiraz, which mentions neither maker nor its region of origin. There is however, a hint on the back label as to where the wine might originate; 'Made from the grapes of dry grown, low yielding vines averaging 70 years of age with nearly half planted in 1893.' Followers of Stephen George should be familiar with the site in question.

A strong whiff of licorice casts its presence throughout this freshly scented 2002 Sparkling Shiraz, with deeper notes of currants, black plums and shoe polish lifted by a resonant fragrance of heady, smoky oak imparted from its 4 years of maturation in old oak. Fans of sparkling reds will love its palate, which is dark and menacing, long and rich, with a wonderful combination of slowly maturing shiraz flavours graced by a slight, dry herbal thread from the cool vintage. Its liqueur dosage makes a cola-like announcement as the wine penetrates, but it's completely counter-attacked by a powerful, dry tannic influence and a tickly effervescence, which combine to command its long finish of saturated flavour.

ü+ Given the excellent vintage conditions, Stephen George has produced the finest sparkling red I've had from his stable. At 8 years of age, it's only just starting to reveal its considerable potential. Drink to 2018.

94 points

OZ WINE TOONS

BINDI COMPOSITION PINOT NOIR 2009

- Macedon Ranges, VIC

- $47-$56

- Cork (Vintage dated Diam)

- 13.0%alc

Bindi is now justifiably recognised as one of the top two or three makers of pinot noir in Australia. The Composition is Bindi's third pinot noir label, which, I'm sure, is a wine many makers would be happy having as their reserve release.

The 2009 Composition has an aroma which appears tight and somewhat closed at first, yet it possesses enough depth and intrigue to invite the nose in deeper for further inspection. It smells clever and concise, with white pepper notes strung throughout cherries and fine cedar oak, suggesting a composed and youthful pinot with its best years ahead. Its medium-bodied palate bares the fine, svelte, silky texture which has become Bindi's hallmark, by revealing a satiny caress similar to the 2008 wine, but that's where the similarities largely end, because this pinot's packed with more dark cherry, earth and light spice characters than its red berry-flavoured predecessor. It's also longer and finer to finish, as its symmetrical balance of fine tannins and slick acid emanate towards tightly defined vanishing points with the discipline of a marching band.

ü+ A fine, textural pinot with more than enough svelte structure to see it mature for some time yet. As the Block K vineyard matures, I'll continue to watch this wine with keen interest. Drink to 2017.

93 points

www.bindiwines.com.au