Seppelt Drumborg Chardonnay 2017

Classy Chardonnay that will never fail you. I could drink gallons of this beauty.

Seppelt Jaluka Chardonnay 2017

If you aspire to indulge in the Drumborg Chardonnay but your pay packet won't let you for the minute, go here and your satisfaction levels will be met. A lovely wine at the price point.

Seppelt Drumborg Riesling 2018

Some seriously good DNA in this Drumborg Riesling, it rarely misses a beat. Another cracker awaits you.

Seppelt Drumborg Pinot Noir 2016

The Drumborg name is synonymous with quality. This pretty and lacy style of Pinot gets a big thumbs up.

Seppelt Drumborg Chardonnay 2016

Another classic Drumborg release. One of my favourite wines without question. The fruit absolutely sings here.

Seppelt Jaluka Chardonnay 2016

A leaner and fine boned style of Jaluka. I had to do a double-take at the price offered on the Seppelt site - $17.50 when you buy six! Silly buggers really.

Seppelt Drumborg Riesling 2016

If you haven't introduced yourself to the Seppelt range, the question needs to be asked, why the heck haven't you? The wines are consistently high achievers from the entry level such as Chalambar Shiraz to their top end icon St Peters Shiraz and Mt Ida Shiraz. This Drumborg Riesling continues to impress every year and is certainly one of my favourites.

Seppelt Salinger Vintage Cuvee 2012

The cork gods weren't kind here. The taint was bad enough to be noticed but not bad enough to screw the face up. Dare I say, many folk wouldn't have a clue this bottle was tainted anyway.

A blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier (60/30/10), it felt heavier in the mouth than expected. Scrumpy like, pureed apples, a lemon squeeze and some yeasty complexity. Good textural presence through the middle with a respectble length.

And extra point because it should be better than this.

Drink now.

90/100 - Very good

Region: Henty
RRP: $30
Source: Sample

www.seppelt.com.au

Subscribe to Qwine here

Follow me: Twitter Qwine Instagram _Qwine

Seppelt Jaluka Chardonnay 2015

A pretty smart Chardy here for around 25 bucks. Shop around and you'll find it much better - and it's worth it.

White fleshed peach, struck match, almond meal, and fig aromas, the delivery has a minerally edge with textural ripples and a lemon undertow. Long and generous in the mouth, grapefruit like acidity wraps up a moreish finish.

Drink now to six years.

93/100 - Very good.

Region: Henty
RRP: $27
Source: Sample

www.seppelt.com.au

Subscribe to Qwine here

Follow me: Twitter Qwine Instagram _Qwine

Seppelt Drumborg Riesling 2015

Summer has turned the temperature gauge up hard in recent days and my fire extinguisher seems to be in hand. This Riesling is nothing short of excellent.

Cool climate Riesling characters ooze from the glass. Granny Smith apple peel and white flower aromas are wrapped up in a lemony fruit package. That lemony fruit just seems to coil itself around the mouth. Apples then chime in with a deft touch of lime zest on exit. Wowsers!

Drink now but will cellar for the long term.

Excellent.

Region: Henty
RRP: $35
Source: Sample

www.seppelt.com.au

Follow me: Twitter Qwine Instagram _Qwine

Like this? Subscribe to free updates via email - top left of page

Yellowglen Perle Vintage Rosé 2008

Strawberries & cream all the way here. Stylish and hard to beat for the money - a quick search shows it can be found for under $20 - a bargain deluxe. All the hard work has been done for you too - six years of bottle age has produced a fizz ready to be enjoyed now.

A blend of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (60/27/13), there's a dash of sweetness, and although not overly dry, there's good weight and great length. Delicious berry and nougat characters stroll through with ease. Very moreish.

Very good+

Region: Henty, Tumbarumba, Adelaide Hills
RRP: $25
Source: Sample

www.yellowglen.com

Follow me: Twitter Qwine Instagram _Qwine

Seppelt Salinger NV

A reliable fizz year after year. Non vintage, a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier (60/37/3) coming from four regions though predominantly Adelaide Hills and Tumbarumba.

Smells a little lemon rindy and toasty sour dough like. Creamy through the mid plate and exits with a citrusy zip. Nice palate weight too.

Consistency at a good price and readily available.

Very good.

Region: Adelaide Hill, Tumbarumba, Henty, Yarra Valley
RRP: $25
Source: Sample

www.seppelt.com.au

Follow me: Twitter Qwine Instagram _Qwine

Seppelt Drumborg Vineyard Chardonnay 2013

Whatever winemakers Adam Carnaby and Mel Chester are doing at Seppelt, I hope it doesn't change. They are pumping out some exciting wines and with this Chardy, here we go again.

One of my favourite wines tasted last year was the Seppelt St Peter's Grampians Shiraz 2012 which I described as a sexy minx. And this wine ain't far behind. It reminds me of Jason Mraz's song Butterfly amongst other things, 'You make my slacks a little tight," he says. Whoa, I just got a little hot under the collar with excitement there.

Coming off vines planted in 1964, this single vineyard wine has a load of white fleshed peach and a creaminess than crawls through the wine in stealth mode. The fruit, a little tight initially, but unravels slowly supported by balanced oak. I get a sense it has a shy personality wanting to hold itself back a little. Subtle cashews and a squeeze of lemon add some more layers of complexity. It's pure and just feels homely and cosy.

All this for only $40! Top stuff and one I'd definitely buy to cellar for the medium term.

Mraz goes on to say, "You got it all." Yep, this sure does.

Excellent.

Region: Henty
RRP: $40
Source: Sample

www.seppelt.com.au

Follow me @Qwine

Riesling Night @SwirlSniffSpit Tuesday 15 November

The monthly gathering of Brisvegas' Swirlers, Sniffers and Spitters was again a magnificent evening. The focus was Riesling, and wow, what a line up!

One of the great things about these gatherings is the diverse range of wines presented, but also, the diverse number of people being brought together through their love of wine.

We covered Australia's east coast to west coast, warm climate to cool. A few Germans even made the list, and according to @breebos, "The sexiest vineyards in the world!"

Knappstein Handpicked Clare Valley 2011: I had a look at the 2009 recently http://tiny.cc/26ty6 and this wine sadly is not a patch on it. This latest vintage had some lemony notes on the sniff, but was short on flavour and lacked some punch.

Petaluma Hanlin Hill Clare Valley 2010: Nice fuller mouth feel and an extra year in the bottle has been a plus. Limes and citrus on the nose which follow through to the palate. Good acid. A nicely balanced wine. Tick!

Karra Yerta Eden Valley 2010:  Sometimes the best things are kept simple... Limes and minerality. Clean, crisp, and steely. Yum!!!

Karra Yerta Eden Valley 2005: The difference on the nose between these Karra Yerta wines was amazing. The '10 was clean and fresh, whereas the '05 was similar to the 06 http://tiny.cc/7jmud and had a massive kerosene hit. Wonderful toasty characteristics on a palate with so much gas left in the tank thanks to a good acid profile. It's best years are ahead of it. A clear winner for me here!

A visit to the cooler climate of Canberra and @breebos made the call that this region could potentially be Australia's best Riesling producing region. Have a look at these and you'll understand why...

Capital Wines "The Whip" Canberra District 2011: Crunchy apple, good acid backbone which will sit pretty for many years. Palate had more depth than nose. Tidy finish. Delish!

Lark Hill Canberra District 2011: I really liked the aroma of the nose here. Some touches of white pepper. Crisp and nicely balanced. A delight!

These two were very impressive!!

Bests Great Western Grampians 2011: Very easy to see why this wine is so popular. Very approachable and easy drinking. A little more sweetness than others thus far on the night. Floral, apples with good length. Damn fine.

The Story Henty 2011: A most unique wine on the sniff. Grassy, herbs, lemons. Clearly a point of difference which makes it stand out. Once again, good acid balance and length.

Two very different styles of Riesling here. The Estate is made in the traditional method as we know it, whereas the Artisan is made very much like some Chardonnay - barrel ferment, wild yeasts, time on lees. The first time I have come across this style in a Riesling which made me very curious!  

Xabregas Estate Great Southern 2011: Off dry style. Clean and crisp. A easy drinking style made well.

Xabregas Artisan Great Southern 2010: Crisp and dry. An amazing celebration of flavour on the palate. Once again, a point of difference which separated the punters on preferences between the two. Something I reckon I can easily go back to. Very enjoyable.