~$30US, 100% Riesling, Clare Valley, South Australia

Considered by some of be one of Australia’s greatest dry Riesling, this was a treat to unscrew and enjoy. Pale green-straw in color with a nose that continued to evolved over 2-3 hours. Initially very compact with a lanolin and chalk slurry nose with some lime and green apples  - it started to develop into a very “round” nose of fresh apricots and watermelon with an integrated oiliness. It reminded me of the old-school watermelon and sour-apple  ‘Now and Laters’ - the long ones that you could lick and sharpen to a point. Except you just dropped it into the playground pea-gravel that had some a little oil spill on it, and you ate it anyways.  I just couldn’t stop smelling this wine when it got about 3 hours of air - tightly woven layers of aromas that kept going in unexpected directions.

The palate was quite fierce in its acidity and focus. At first, it was just blasting my palate with the acid attack and discombobulated in the midpalate - but as it opened it really filled out nicely and showed a lively transition from the attack through the finish. There is so much minerality here it’s obnoxious…It clearly possesses a different character of mineralty than Mosel or Nahe wines - a somehow ‘rawer’ smashed gravel and less flinty-slatey.

This is a great wine showing a “New World” Riesling that shows impeccable wine-making, a minerality that would please even the the gnarliest spelunkers / rock-heads , and most of all  - a vigor that didn’t stop. It woke up slowly, but was positively dancing as that last drop was sipped.

~$20US, 100% Shiraz, Eden Valley, Australia

I’ve been eager to try more new(er) world wines that are less spoofalated, and was recommended this boutique Shiraz from the Eden Valley. Torzi Matthews does a good job of keeping things natural - hands-on in the vineyards and hands-off in the winery - Relying on low watering, composting,  natural ground cover,  some whole bunches in the fermentation, and natural yeasts.  I personally appreciate these aspects of wine-growing - this kind of care tends to connect the growers more closely to their craft.

The Schist Rock poured a rich royal purple. The nose lept from the glass with mulling spices - cinnamon, clove, with green olives and blackberries. Plums and prunes.  Very perfumed - almost noxiously so at first. A quick sip displayed some serious power here - and a slightly soft, but well-balanced structure to support the fruit and spice.

I let it decant for a few hours and came back to it with some braised short ribs.  It had settled down beautifully - and showed much more integration and harmony. The perfume and fruit had subsided just a hair, bringing in some secondary leather and subtle ham-smoke flavors. The fruit here is quite ripe - and played into my sweet tooth with a serious yum factor - but the alcohol (reported @14%ABV) was kept very well contained - and I tend to be more sensitive there.  The wine kept improving with air and began showing off a great minerality with thyme and bay leaf in the finish. Schisty indeed.

The highlight was the chewey last sip, and checking out the decanter afterward - I swear there was enough sediment to rebuild an entire cluster of grapes. I saw an actual stem. Awesome.

This is a bunch of wine for the money - big, brutish and powerful -  a little rusticity but there is an air of elegance (the proverbial football player taking the ballet classes).  Not over the top, a la Molleydooker but right at the top. There is enough stuff here to please the geekiest wine geeks - but the accessibility makes this a real winner and big value at the top end of the value Shirazi.

~$22US 100% Petit Verdot, South Australia, Australia

Purchased “for educational purposes”; I rarely see single-variety Petit Verdot, especially from South Australia, so this was really a curiosity. Great deep red, garnet color. Opaque. The nose was interesting - my initial reaction was Shiraz-like, big, with spices and lush red and black fruits. Some veggy notes also - sugar-snap peas, and tomatoes. Then the oak-beastie busted in…and made it’s presence known. With a little air, the oak played out via vanilla and butterscotch notes, growing equal to the fruits. Berry-fruit trifle with butterscotch custard. The palate showed that this indeed is a big wine - not a fruit bomb, but a sturdy, fruity, oaky, tannic sweet-and-sour bomb. The components, including a welcomed acidity, were held in fairly good balance and integration. Leather, Spanish cedar, blueberry and black cherry flavors abounded. Only the finish was a little awkward, with juicy fruit notes at odds with aggressive mouth-drying tannins. I like this wine - while the oak was probably a bit over-the-top, it all came together tasting delicious.

A well-crafted wine that showed Petit Verdot’s strengths in a big way, without revealing the deficiencies.

Retasted on day 2 (Vac-u-vinned)
Deliciousness greatly reduced. Only over-oakiness remained, with massive butterscotch and a hint of cherry. Disjointed.

~$40US 100% Shiraz, Mclaren Vale Australia

This is the upper-tier Shiraz by Marquis Philips. It was deep deep purple - almost black in the glass. Super-intense nose of black fruits, some licorice and basil, and a huge cloud of alcohol. The intensity and juiciness of the nose makes this wine pretty attractive. Huge amounts of concentrated blackberry fruits and grape jam, then some mocha and dark chocolate. This much fruit is tough to keep in balance; the soft tannins and the alcoholic bite tried, but could not stand up to the fruit. Finished more like a fine spirit - an aged rum or tequila than a wine. I am not sure what this would be like in 10-15 years, or after 5-8 hours in the decanter - but hopefully some of the alcohol would blow off and the fruit soften and round out. This is hard to recommend when the MP Sarah’s Blend or the Mollydooker Shiraz’s can be had at less than half the price and offer a very similar experience, overall.

Well-made, but an untamed, wild wine, massive in all respects.