TAHBILK VIOGNIER 2009

- Nagambie Lakes, VIC

- $11-$19

- Screwcap

- 14.0%alc

Tahbilk is rightfully recognised as a standout producer of firm, rustic, long living reds and superlative marsanne, but I also see them as one of Australia's best makers of good, cheap viognier. The 2007 release (91pts) was a reserved, surprisingly complex and bell-clear viognier of considerable finesse.

Light-mid yellow, Tahbilk's 2009 displays a slightly flinty, more savoury varietal fragrance of grilled nuts, apricot kernel, cloves and melon in a reserved style devoid of viognier's overt, apricoty showiness; however, it does reveal a warm hint of spirit. Quite broad and brassy, its oily-textured palate presents nuances of apricot syrup and clove flavour, but it finishes somewhat short and flat, lacking the extensive influence of bright acidity to enhance both length and freshness.

O Acceptable yet uninspiring, the 2009 Viognier is far from the pick of Tahbilk's current releases. Drink to 2011.

87 points

www.tahbilk.com.au

MORRIS OLD PREMIUM LIQUEUR TOKAY

- Rutherglen, VIC

- $55-$75

- Screwcap

- 18.0%alc

I'm not usually one to harp on about $65 wines being good value for money, but in the case of the Morris Old Premium Liqueur Tokay (the one with the black tin), I'd have no hesitation in saying it's genuinely undervalued at that price. In all respects, Morris' flagship release of tokay is about as good as the style gets.

The Old Premium presents itself as a glorious dark brown colour with a touch of olive-green and even a tinge of yellow to the rim, before opening to deep, heady scents of burnt toffee and choc-caramel, with the appropriate aged rancio/nutty characters complemented by further suggestions of black olive and dried, dark green tea-leaf. On the palate it's pure hedonistic joy, as it reveals an almost exoteric expression of intense thickness, depth and lusciousness. Its extravagantly rich flavours literally swirl around the mouth like dense waves, marrying a perfectly harmonious, complex blend of pronounced sweetness with savoury (nuts), dry (tea) and even sour (acid) character that's difficult to describe in words, but it certainly finishes extraordinarily long and fresh, imparting deeply stained, lasting impressions of burnt toffee, roasted nuts and clean spirit with a hint of granulated coffee.

ü+ An utterly, utterly magnificent drink no matter how you look at it. Every serious drinker of Australian wine should consume at least one bottle of this in their life. It's tokay-fection. Drink now.

97 points

www.morriswines.com

OZ WINE TOONS

Kings Cross wine snobs

STEFANO LUBIANA PRIMAVERA PINOT NOIR 2009

- Southern Tasmania

- $26-$34

- Screwcap

- 13.5%alc

Stefano Lubiana's certainly achieved a rare vein of consistent form with his recent Primavera Pinot Noirs (2005-91pts, 2006-91pts, 2007-92pts and 2008-92pts), but perhaps of more interest, is how this wine just seems to get better every year.

Reflecting aromatic harmony and poise, the 2009 Primavera opens to a wonderfully floral bouquet laced with cleanly fruited scents of lightly spiced cherries, pink strawberries and smooth vanilla oak with a stalky/earthy aspect. Its deliciously approachable palate is supple and juicy, with a vibrant array of youthful, satiny pinot characters in the small red berry/plum fruit spectrum graced by an airy touch of spice. Structurally it's a shade softer than some Primaveras, but it makes up for this minor discrepancy with a persistent core of rich, ripe berry and vanilla flavours outlined by a faint, yet even coverage of ticklish tannins. Altogether, it just urges you to go another glass.

ü+ Stefano Lubiana's 2009 Primavera is a consummate early drinking pinot noir, which exudes true beauty and balance through fine craftsmanship in both winery and vineyard. It scores highly for sheer drinkability. Drink to 2014.

92 points

www.slw.com.au

WATER WHEEL MEMSIE 2007

(Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec/Petit Verdot)

- Bendigo, VIC

- $11-$19

- Screwcap

- 14.5%alc

Although their profile may be significantly smaller than some of their direct competitors, Water Wheel's position as a leading producer of high quality Australian quaffing reds remains undoubted. The classic Bendigo traits of rich, generous flavours and bountiful depth are the descriptors for which Water Wheel has become synonymous, but on occasion these wines can also display true cellaring potential.

Ripe and fractionally jammy, Water Wheel's shiraz dominant Memsie (70%) shows meaty plum and red cherry aromas backed by notes of white pepper, cinnamon and seasoned oak. Entering with a sumptuous explosion of vibrant, juicy fruit, its fruit forward and sweet edged palate announces a myriad of bright forest berry flavours with a soft, refreshingly acidic structure marked by quiet tannins, a deft touch of light spice, and a lingering sour-edged meatiness to finish.

ü For me, Water Wheel's reds tend to fall into two categories; brilliantly quaffable or surprisingly age-worthy. The brightly flavoured and uncomplicated 2007 Memsie certainly falls into the former. Drink to 2012.

88 points

www.waterwheelwine.com

YALUMBA MENZIES THE CIGAR CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008

- Coonawarra, SA

- $22-$30

- Cork

- 13.5%alc

There's much to respect about Campbell Mattinson and Gary Walsh choosing Yalumba's 2008 Cigar as their 'Wine of the Year' for the 2010/11 Big Red Wine Book. By selecting a wine which is; a) affordable, and b) readily available to the masses, the boys have done a great justice to ALL drinkers of Australian reds. Go on, buy some, you know you can!

Polished and even, this deeply scented Coonawarra cabernet reveals heady aromas of blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries and crushed leaves with clean chocolate/cedar oak in an uplifting, perfumed and faintly floral style. Medium to full in weight, its plushly fruited palate delivers an even persistence of simultaneously dry and silken characters, which finish positively long with a wonderfully sensuous extract of fine-grained and dusty, silky tannins underpinned by a note of graphite.

ü+ There's certainly been something special going on at the Menzies winery lately and this wine only further underlines Yalumba's progress. It's perfectly harmonious and affordable; great now or later. Drink to 2018.

92 points

www.yalumba.com

SHELMERDINE CHARDONNAY 2008

- Yarra Valley, VIC

- $23-$31

- Screwcap

- 12.5%alc

Shelmerdine is a proud family wine business with a long standing connection to Victorian wine. Fruit for their own label is sourced from key vineyards in both Heathcote and the Yarra Valley, with Shelmerdine's highly regarded Lusatia Park vineyard in the Upper Yarra (est. 1985) providing the fruit for this 2008 Chardonnay.

Clean and nutty, its captivating bouquet presents a stylish marriage of mineral infused white nectarine, white flower and grapefruit aromas with a delightful tone of winemaker derived brioche. Its cool, classy palate takes purity and refinement to another level, with an almost water-like expression of white pear flavours driven along by a creamy, leesy undercarriage, spotless acidity and persisting mineral qualities.

ü+ Shelmerdine's 2008 is about as far away from the old stereotype of big, fat, bold and oaky Australian chardonnay as you can get. Deliciously pure in an extremely drinkable way. Drink to 2013.

92 points

www.shelmerdine.com.au

PENFOLDS CLUB TAWNY

- Riverland/Barossa Valley, SA

- $7-$15

- Cork (Capsule)

- 18.0%alc

As both a regular on Adelaide's city streets and a drinker of wine, I can't help but notice the recurrence of empty wine bottles littered throughout the urban environment. Dumped bottles of Penfolds Club Tawny are as common as any in Adelaide, but I'm unsure if its presence is an indication of brand preference amongst Adelaide's sidewalk swillers, or perhaps even sneaky Foster's advertising:) (make that Treasury Wine Estate's now).

Mid-dark brown, this sweetly scented, mass-produced tawny opens to a straight forward note of fruitcake with suggestions of marzipan and a gentle, warming whiff of alcohol. Displaying lightish, honeyed fig and raisin flavours, its simple palate does finish with lingering nuances of varnish and sticky, sugared nuts and dates, but its rather short length of fruit is somewhat overcome by balanced, clean acids and a well restrained alcoholic warmth.

ü Drink of the huddled masses. If faced with the less than desirable circumstances, I'd probably give in to its guilty pleasures too. It tastes much better out of a glass than straight out the bottle though (I know, I tried!) and yes, I disposed of it correctly. Drink now.

87 points

www.penfolds.com

KNAPPSTEIN CABERNET MERLOT 2008

- Clare Valley, SA

- $16-$25

- Screwcap

- 14.5%alc

The majority of Clare's flag bearing reds may come from shiraz, but for my money the region's best cabernet loses nothing by comparison (particularly at the lower price points). Kirin's Knappstein recently showed what good, affordable Clare cabernet's capable of, with their charmingly balanced, dry and rustic Cabernet Merlot from the handy 2006 vintage (91pts).

Combining 70% cabernet sauvignon with 30% merlot, Knappstein's 2008 announces a clear, regional whiff of eucalyptus overlying meaty, slightly porty aromas of redcurrants, dark plum and menthol with an older influence of chocolate oak adding polish. Youthfully bright, its medium-bodied palate reveals a surprisingly composed yet ripe, syrup-like expression of sweet, small black and red berry fruit flavours. A drying extract of approachable, fine-grained tannins balances the finish, as it leaves the mouth in a pleasingly focused, long manner with contrasting notes of sweet fruit and dried gumleaf lingering into the aftertaste.

O A sweetly fruited yet dry Clare cabernet blend, which possesses much more structure and composure than one might expect from a 2008. It's another good result from this improving label. Drink to 2011-2016.

89 points

www.knappstein.com.au

COLDSTREAM HILLS

I've previously discussed my favourite Adelaide wine retailer in this blog; The Ed at Mitcham, so it's only fair I now make mention of my other favourite Adelaide wine retailer; Melbourne Street Fine Wine Cellars at North Adelaide (pictured). Other than the typical good service, knowledgeable staff, wide range and fair pricing, what I love about Melbourne Street Fine Wine is the generous free tastings held every thursday and saturday, which happily cover the full length of Australia's wine regions and sometimes beyond. On this occasion, the tasting bench belonged to the Yarra Valley's Coldstream Hills.

The name Coldstream Hills always gets linked to its founder James Halliday, who, although no longer chief winemaker (that honour now belongs to the very capable Andrew Fleming), remains a consultant to the brand.

Alongside St Huberts and Yarra Ridge (which is certainly a brand in the process of 'rationalisation', check here), Coldstream Hills is one of three Yarra Valley brands presently owned by liquor giant Foster's, but rather unquestionably, Coldstream Hills gets the primary focus. It's probably a smart move that Foster's look after this brand (especially given their treatment of some of Australia's other iconic brands), because the catchphrase; 'Coldstream Hills: the winery founded by James Halliday and ruined by Foster's' is never going to be a good look for the liquor giant's public image. Let's hope Coldstream Hills continues to be a Yarra benchmark of affordability and reliability for some time to come.

As to be expected with the brand, the current Coldstream Hills wines all look in fairly good shape given the confines of their respective vintages, with the exception of a disappointing 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. Even though the 2006 Reserve Pinot Noir and 2007 Reserve Chardonnay were unavailable for tasting (both sold out), both 2006 releases of Reserve Shiraz and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon were impressive, and well priced in comparison to other premium Yarra reds. I'm also liking what this winery is doing with their sparkling white.

Having spoken to the company representative, the verdict on the winery's 2009 reds has yet to be decided (due to smoke taint concerns) and won't be until the individual wines themselves have completed the maturation process, although the 2009 Chardonnay has already been released.

Coldstream Hills tasting notes posted below

Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2006 ($31.90) I really liked the 2004 of this (92pts) and the 2006 is quite a charming fizzer as well. Its tight, sparkling grapefruit and white bread nose precedes a tight, mineral and brisk palate with a savoury hint of yeasty, bready notes resonating through its long finish with an accompaniment of refreshing citric acids. Not as rich and character laden as the 2004 just yet, but good nonetheless. 90

Coldstream Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($25.90) Had a bottle of this a few months back which didn't totally enthrall me, and this tasting didn't either. Its nose reveals barrel ferment/cashew nut tones alongside simple grapefruit and lemon citrus, with a palate that's framed by crunchy acidity, but it seems slightly awkward and in need of more vitality. To its credit it's still going though, but maybe only just. 88

Coldstream Hills Chardonnay 2009 ($28.90) This label hasn't really impressed me since the beautiful 2005 (92pts), and the 2009 didn't do it for me either. On the nose there's strong butter/vanilla oak with pungent, creamy melons, peaches and nectarine, and although it seems all in place it does seem a bit forward. The palate however, is a touch flat and lacking true freshness, as its vibrancy of fruit doesn't carry all the way to the finish, which itself seems a tad rough and drying. 86

Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir 2008 ($28.90) Fragrant, spicy plum fruit nose with nice touches of savoury cherry. The palate is quite sumptuous, fullish and juicy, whilst being pleasingly composed and savoury for the most part. It finishes with a nice, drying cut of prickly tannins meshed with spice. Best Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir since 2005 (93pts) for me. 91

Coldstream Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($28.90) Unconvincing, stewed rhubarb and currant nose. Palate is quite jammy (not a characteristic I like in cabernet), rather loose and lacking the conviction, elegance, tightness and firmness expected of a good Yarra Valley cabernet. Quite a let down. 86

Coldstream Hills Reserve Shiraz 2006 ($38.90) Showed a fair bit of 'bottle stink' on first whiff but with air and a jolly good swirl it settled to become a savoury, elegant and fine smelling Yarra shiraz with aromas of blackcurrants, dark plums, light white pepper and chocolate/vanilla/cedar oak. Its palate is medium-bodied yet beautifully silky and juicy, with a good influence of dry, powdery tannins punctuating the finish. 93

Coldstream Hills Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($55.90) Wonderful, deep nose scented with gumleaf, menthol, rich dark fruits and polished chocolate/vanilla/mocha oak with a hint of varnish. Its smooth palate is medium-full, sumptuous yet equally structured and tight. It's well balanced throughout, with a pleasing, lingering fruit sweetness defining the finish. A great Yarra cabernet without an astronomical price tag. 94