Torzi Matthews "Schist Rock" Eden Vally Shiraz 2010

Holy Schist Batman!! This is brilliant value for the $$

Now I must admit, I was tipped off by a well informed source so I managed to track this gear down. And I'm pleased I did!

After some unsuccessful scouring of the shelves of the bottleshop I was pointed to the "Bargain Bin" of all places. That's right, this stuff was being thrown out and lucky for me I got the last bottle - for a mere $15 ($18 rrp).

Super aromatics jumping from the glass. Bright fruits and good colour. A whiff of subtle sweetness, mulberries, and a smidge of raspberry jam. The schist rock soils from which this came made an appearance too with a distinct minerality edging the palate. The characters from the nose leaked delightfully onto the palate with the added bonus of chocolate. The intensity of the fruit did build with a little time in the glass. Delightful pepper, spice and length typical of a cool climate Shiraz. All kicked on to round off a very enjoyable drop.
An elegant and smooth finish. Damn this is value!

And to think they were throwing this out... Get your mitts on it people!

Who: Torzi Matthews www.torzimatthews.com.au/
What: Schist Rock Shiraz (14% abv)
Where: Eden Valley
When: 2010
How: $18 ($15 out of the bargain bin for me!)

Follow me: www.twitter.com/Qwine

TeAro Estate "The Charred Door" Shiraz 2008

Another storming wine from this Barossa producer.

Earthy and chocolate characters leap from the glass with sleek oak tapping a neat tune.

Wonderful fruit on the palate - full of flavour. Juicy berries add to the characteristics from the nose which flow on seamlessly.

Super fine tannin and long length - oh yeah!

Two things stick with me though as I lick the rim of the glass for any remaining trace - the earthiness on the nose and the super fine finish.

Oomph factor and elegance. Delish!

Who: TeAro Estate http://www.tearoestate.com/
What: "The Charred Door" Shiraz (14.5% abv)
Where: Barossa Valley
When: 2008
How: $30

Follow them: www.twitter.com/TeAroEstate
Follow me: www.twitter.com/Qwine

Witches Falls Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2011

An impressive wine from Witches Falls whose winery is perched in the Gold Coast Hinterland at Mount Tambourine. The vast majority of fruit for their wines are grown on the Granite Belt and transported to the winery at Mt Tambourine.

Aromas of toasty oak, vanilla, citrus blossom and white peach on a captivating nose. The 100% wild ferment goodness comes through on the palate adding lovely complexity with these characteristics from the nose flowing neatly and seamlessly onto the palate.
Good fruit weight and delicious length on the palate, without it being too oaky, particularly as it is barrel fermented in new and used French oak barriques.

For those doubters about Queensland wine, give this a go. A trip to the cellar door and the surrounding area is a great day out and some very tidy wines await you. A membership club is also available offering significant discounts. An example being a saving of $7 per bottle on this Chardonnay.

Who: Witches Falls Winery http://www.witchesfalls.com.au/
What: Wild Ferment Chardonnay (13.6% abv)
Where: Granite Belt
When: 2011
How: $30

Follow them: www.twitter.com/thewinerywitch
Follow me: www.twitter.com/Qwine

Brash Higgins Grenache Mataro 2011

A recent trip to Spring Brisbane saw me dive into this great wine along with a slow braised lamb shoulder. The food was smashing and brilliant value!

I loved the aromatics on the nose thanks to the 70% Grenache, and this was finished off with the masculine power and length from the 30% Mataro.

The fruit was co-fermented and spent eight months in three year old French oak.

All facets of the wine ooze the "boutique winery" charm - hand picked, small quantity (117 cases), wild yeast fermented and bottled unfiltered. Oh my!

A nose of juicy red fruits and a smidge of chocolate. Plenty of earthy characters too, all of which flow onto a full and rich palate rounded off with superb length. Gentle spice and warmth really made me sit up and salute! A perfect match for the meal.

Drop this on your list as a must have!

Distributed directly through Brad on his website. Do yourself a favour also and check out his NDV Nero d'Avola 2011 - a treat for your nasal cavity!

Who: Brash Higgins http://www.brashhiggins.com/
What: Grenache Mataro (14.5% abv)
Where: McLaren Vale
When: 2011
How: $37

Follow them: www.twitter.com/brashhiggins
Follow me: www.twitter.com/Qwine

Ford Maddox Brown GSM 2010

Another good value wine from the team at Pirate Cru Wines coming in at a great quaffing price at $15.

Good oak on the nose along with deep fruit characters. Black pepper spice on the palate is prominent with above average length.

For the money, this is a great return for your outlay. Drink in the short term with some comfort food - a pie wouldn't be out of place with this in front of a fire. Enjoy!


Who: Pirate Cru Wine www.piratecru.com
What: GSM (14.5% abv)
Where: Barossa, South Australia
When: 2010
How: $15

Follow them: www.twitter.com/piratecru & www.twitter.com/longtailwine
Follow me: www.twitter.com/QWine

Bremerton Malbec 2010

A fabulous Malbec from the good folk at Bremerton Wines in Langhorne Creek, South Australia, which has one major fault....

The SOLD OUT sign has gone up! Only a small parcel of fruit of superior quality was picked and the resulting wine was sold Cellar Door only. If this vintage and the quality of the wine making is anything to go by, this Bremerton Malbec should definitely find a place on your "must try" list.

Being lucky enough to get my hands on this wine, I was suitably impressed. If you love a big, wholesome wine with guts and glory, here is your weapon!

A delicious nose of deep plum and blackberry fruits. Violets are present too and even a hint of dried lavender. The first sip was captivating. A big mouth feel with those big fruit flavours running freely, yet soft and supple, followed by juicy tannins and an exceptionally long and lip smacking finish.

The wine is big and bold and if tannins aren't your thing, steer clear. Over time the wine softened nicely, but its gutsy profile and fullness was appealing. The tannins will help this comfortably live for at least another 5-10 years.

No surprise the wine has sold out - super value at $24!

Have with beef - lots of it! You'll be happy.... and then some!!

Who: Bremerton Wines http://www.bremertonwines.com.au/
What: Malbec (14.5% abv)
Where: Langhorne Creek
When: 2010
How: $24

Follow them: www.twitter.com/BremertonWines
Follow me: www.twitter.com/Qwine

Peter Douglas Chime Hoop Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Medium to full bodied, this wine is loaded with blackberries, spice, vanilla on the nose. These characteristics all flow nicely onto the palate which also adds some mint. Twenty months on American oak has added a lovely edge of sweetness.

A fine finish with blackberries, spice and vanilla all coming to the fore once more.

A very impressive and great value wine for $27, which is readily available at present. A great buy for an '06.

Drink now or within the next couple of years.

Who: Hand Picked Wines http://handpicked-wines.com/
What: Cabernet Sauvignon (14% abv)
Where: Coonawarra
When: 2006
How: $27

Follow them: www.twitter.com/hpwinesint
Follow me: www.twitter.com/Qwine

TeAro Estate "The Pump Jack" Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

On the second day "The Pump Jack" jumped out of the ground. This guy needs a little resuscitation to show his true colours which is perfectly okay.

Plum jam, dark chocolate with toasty oak on the nose. The front and mid palate dominated with good fruit. Some earthy characters and subtle oak sneak into the mix too.

Good length with a fine and smooth finish. Ready to drink now and will kick on in the medium term.



Who: TeAro Estate http://www.tearoestate.com/
What: "The Pump Jack" Cabernet Sauvignon (14.5% abv)
Where: Barossa Valley
When: 2008
How: $28

Follow them: www.twitter.com/TeAroEstate
Follow me: www.twitter.com/Qwine

Murray Street Vineyards Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Another splendid piece of work from Murray Street to deliver this Cabernet which is great value for $25. Two other reds in the range include Shiraz and Mataro.

Lovely colour backed up by an uplifting nose with some savoury tones but dominated by punchy red fruits of raspberry along with mulberry. There is even a hint of eucalypt and mint sitting in the background. The palate is juicy and flavours of cedar and gentle spice are evident. A combination of new and old French and American oak have done the job very nicely here as the fruit is let free and able to dance.

This is all capped off with a great long and smooth finish. I kept looking into the glass to see if there was anything else I could lick out. Yum!

Great now and for the medium term.

Who: Murray Street Vineyards http://www.murraystreet.com.au/
What: Cabernet Sauvignon (14.5% abv)
Where: Barossa Valley
When: 2010
How: $25

Follow them: www.twitter.com/murraystblack or www.twitter.com/msv
Follow me: www.twitter.com/Qwine

TeAro Estate "The Charging Bull" Tempranillo 2008 & 2010

I was fortunate enough to have a look at these two Tempranillos from TeAro Estate. Every wine I have looked at from their portfolio has been the goods and these two bad boys are no exception.

TeAro are committed to biological farming methods and have 60 hectares under vine, with only 4% of this hand selected to form part of their portfolio. With such a precise and hands on approach, it is clear to see how success has come their way.

The 2008 is one of the best Australian Tempranillos I have ever had. There you go. I said it!

One of the attractive features of this grape is the juicy mid-palate which can easily please the punter. Done well, Tempranillo is very approachable and top value. Enter The Charging Bull 2008!

A nose of dense dark fruit and dark chocolate, quite a full and beefed up character which I liked - lots! Alcohol was prominent but once the wine settled, this was not an issue. He just needed to release a bit of steam! I loved the full fruit and big mouthfeel. Fleshy and juicy characters along with a great balance of fruit and oak sent me into a spin I must admit. All of this translated into a long, fine finish. Pure charm and drinkability. Damn this was impressive.

Sitting beside the 2008 was the stablemate, 2010. I could clearly see the difference a few years bottle age had made. There was lovely development taking place already in the 2010, and it was pretty clear where this was heading.

Uplifting aromas of cherries, a touch of red licorice even, plus a slash of oak. The palate was once again impressive. Bold and fleshy with lovely depth of flavour including savoury tones, whilst also being well balanced. A slight drying finish with firm tannins. Give this guy some time to soften and he too will show the class of the 2008.

Go grab 'em people. Need I say more.

Who: TeAro Estate http://www.tearoestate.com/
What: "The Charging Bull" Tempranillo (14.5% abv)
Where: Barossa Valley
When: 2008 & 2010
How: $30

Follow them: www.twitter.com/TeAroEstate
Follow me: www.twitter.com/Qwine