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A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Plantagenet Hazard Hill Shiraz

Kori — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:00:04 +0000

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2008 Plantagenet Hazard Hill Shiraz from Western Australia.

Our selection criteria include:

A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
A price tag of <=$15
Must be widely available

Plantagenet Wines was the first winery established in Western Australia’s Great Southern region. The Great Southern region is characterized by a cool, continental climate and granite-laden soils. Founded in 1968 by English immigrant Tony Smith, Plantagenet is named after the local Shire of Plantagenet. Smith’s initial plantings included Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Later, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay were planted as well.

“A savory dusty aroma of liquorice and cocoa powder with ripe prune/plumy fruit aromas reflecting the very warm vintage. A lush, plump, soft and supple wine that seeps across the palate, with fleshy fruit notes of prunes and stewed cherries, and a dash of spice finishing with structured silky fine tannins and a soft warm finish.” –Plantagenet Wines

2008 Plantagenet Hazard Hill Shiraz (Western Australia, Australia): Medium deep red. Nose is a bit tight at first, then oak and black fruit comes through. Black pepper, spice, black fruit, and a hint of leather on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $13; Available elsewhere, $8 to $16

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Plantagenet Hazard Hill Shiraz was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

A Wine for Tonight: 2011 Frisk Prickly Riesling

Kori — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:00:20 +0000

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2011 Frisk Prickly Riesling from the Alpine Valleys region of Victoria in Australia.

Our selection criteria include:

A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
A price tag of <=$15
Must be widely available

Nestled in the Northern foothills of the Victorian Alps, the Alpine Valleys is home to grape growers whose ancestors arrived in the 1850s after a less-than-comfortable boat trip from Italy. A team of seasoned winemakers who ferment free-run Riesling juice with yeasts that produce a gentle spritz makes Frisk Prickly Riesling.

“It’s normally pretty darned cool in the Alpine Valleys, but 2011 took the mercury to new lows. Grapes were harvested up to 4 weeks later than usual, and yields were particularly low—near ideal conditions for our cold-lovin’ Riesling fruit! You’ll see intoxicating floral aromatics and vivacious citrus fruits, with great persistence and concentration of flavor. Racy and versatile, it’ll pair perfectly with sweet and spicy dishes alike.” –Frisk Wines

2011 Frisk Prickly Riesling (Alpine Valleys, Victoria, Australia): 89% Riesling and 11% Muscat Gordo. Very pale straw yellow. Nice nose with white peach and orange blossom aromas. More white peach and orange blossom as well as pear comes through on the palate. Off-dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish. Residual Sugar: 3.6%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $11; Available elsewhere, $8 to $15

A Wine for Tonight: 2011 Frisk Prickly Riesling was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Shiraz

Kori — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:58 +0000

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2008 d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Shiraz from the McLaren Vale region of South Australia.

Our selection criteria include:

A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
A price tag of <=$15
Must be widely available

Established in 1912 by Joseph Osborn in the McLaren Vale region of South Australia, the d’Arenberg estate has grown to 345 acres. Today, fourth-generation winemaker Chester Osborn leads d’Arenberg. The name “Stump Jump” refers to the South Australian invention, the Stump Jump plough. The plough became a popular piece of machinery for ploughing fields because of its ability to ride over stumps and roots, which saves valuable time and resources by not stopping the draught horse.

“Inviting fresh plum aromas leap out of the glass with raspberry and pretty pot-pourri notes providing more complexity. The palate is juicy and spicy with an abundance of red fruits that are fresh and vibrant. Licorice and rose petals come through on the mid palate and an under-lying earthy complexity is evident all the way through. The tannins are powdery and subtle on this juicy ready to drink red.” –d’Arenberg

2008 d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Shiraz (McLaren Vale, South Australia): Deep, dark purple. Very jammy with black cherry and spice on the nose; blackberry, black cherry, licorice, and a hint of black pepper on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12; Available elsewhere, $9 to $14

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Shiraz was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Plantagenet Omrah Shiraz

Kori — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:00:34 +0000

Our selection criteria include:

A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
A price tag of <=$15
Must be widely available

“Plush blueberry and plum with just a hint of characteristically regional pepper and spice notes. Subtle oak characters impart a sweet, vanilla chocolate note. The bouquet will evolve with time in the bottle providing further complexity.” –Plantagenet Wines

2008 Plantagenet Omrah Shiraz (Great Southern, Australia): Deep, dark purple in color. Aromatic with black fruit, oak, and a touch of earth on the nose. Fruit-forward with blackberry, black cherry, and a hint of smoke on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $13; Available elsewhere, $17

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Plantagenet Omrah Shiraz was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Australian Shiraz Blends for Your Cellar or for the Holidays

Kori — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:00:53 +0000

As I’ve said before, in 2005, we took the trip of a lifetime to Australia. We fell in love with the country, the people, and the wine. While Australia is quite versatile in the number and quality of wines it can successfully produce, it is best known for Shiraz. When you visit Australia, you quickly realize that the wine industry there is actually older than in the United States when you see winery cornerstones dated from the 1840’s and 1850’s. In fact, Australia has some of the oldest continuously producing vineyards in the world, some over 100 years old. In addition to producing a large amount of varietal Shiraz, Australia also produces many Shiraz-based blends.

After we posted about our Digging into the Cellar Party featuring Australian Shiraz from the 2005 vintage, we received a shipment of current releases of Australian Shiraz and Australian Shiraz blends to restock our cellar. Rather than holding onto them for a while, we put them into one of our regular blind samples tastings to see how the current vintages are showing.

Both the 2008 Penley Estate Condor Shiraz Cabernet and the 2009 Kilikanoon Killerman’s Run Shiraz Grenache are great wines; however, the Penley Estate Condor was our clear favorite. In addition to being wines of high quality, these Australian Shiraz blends also deliver outstanding value. Either of these wines would be great choices to put in your own cellar or to enjoy during the holidays.

2008 Penley Estate Condor Shiraz Cabernet (Coonawarra, Australia): 80% Shiraz and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark purple in color. Nice nose with beautiful blackberry, black cherry, and spice aromas. Jammy black fruits, spice, and game come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a smooth, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20; Available elsewhere, $15 to $18

2009 Kilikanoon Killerman’s Run Shiraz Grenache (South Australia, Australia): 65% Shiraz and 35% Grenache. Deep purplish red. Nice nose with black fruits, licorice, and spice aromas. Blackberry, black cherry, spice, and black pepper come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long, slightly hot, finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20; Available elsewhere, $16 to $28

Australian Shiraz Blends for Your Cellar or for the Holidays was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Australian Shiraz to Stock Your Cellar (or Fill a Stocking)

Kori — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:00:43 +0000

In 2005, we took the trip of a lifetime to Australia. We fell in love with the country, the people, and the wine. While Australia is quite versatile in the number and quality of wines it can successfully produce, it is best known for Shiraz. Many people mistakenly think Australia is a newcomer to the wine production business because their imports to the United States have only exploded since the 1980’s. However, when you visit Australia, you quickly realize that the wine industry there is actually older than in the United States when you see winery cornerstones dated from the 1840’s and 1850’s. In fact, Australia has some of the oldest continuously producing vineyards in the world, some over 100 years old. The reason for these ancient vines is that Australia has been free from phylloxera, the pest that ravaged the vineyards of France and California making it necessary to replant vines in those areas by grafting onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock.

“…I found in Australia a soulmate. And I sometimes feel as though purely by chance we’ve both been beating the same path to the same destination at the same time. Good wine; enjoyable approachable wine available to all, affordable by all. Sometimes seeking to provide the greatest pleasure for the greatest number and achieving it. Sometimes saying ‘We’re not frightened, we can equal those old-timers from Europe.’ But more often saying, ‘We’re Australian; we don’t try to copy anyone. Take us for what we are and enjoy it.’” –Oz Clarke, Oz Clarke’s Australian Wine Companion

After we posted about our Digging into the Cellar Party featuring Australian Shiraz from the 2005 vintage, we received a shipment of current releases of Australian Shiraz to restock our cellar. Rather than holding onto them for a while, we put them into one of our regular blind samples tastings to see how the current vintages are showing. Overall, it was an excellent set of wines. The 2008 Penley Estate Hyland Shiraz was outstanding and our clear favorite. However, it was followed closely by the 2008 d’Arenberg The Love Grass Shiraz and the 2009 Innocent Bystander Syrah. In addition to being wines of high quality, these Australian Shirazes also deliver outstanding value. Six of the eight wines received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck.

Any of these wines would be great choices to put in your own cellar or to give as a gift this holiday season.

2008 Penley Estate Hyland Shiraz (Coonawarra, Australia): Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with spice, blackberry, and peppermint aromas. Blackberry, black cherry, black pepper, mint, and chocolate come through on the palate. Full-bodied and lively with velvety tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20; Available elsewhere, $15 to $23

2008 d’Arenberg The Love Grass Shiraz (McLaren Vale, Australia): Dark, dense purple in color. Nice nose with ripe black fruit aromas. Blackberry, black cherry, black pepper, and chocolate come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and chewy tannins. Big and bold, yet extremely well-balanced, with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20; Available elsewhere, $15 to $23

2009 Innocent Bystander Syrah (Victoria, Australia): Dark, dense purple. Aromatic with smoke and game on the nose. More smoke and game as well as licorice and black fruit comes through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and high, drying tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20

2008 d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Shiraz (McLaren Vale, Australia): Deep, dark purple. Very jammy with black cherry and spice on the nose; blackberry, black cherry, licorice, and a hint of black pepper on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12; Available elsewhere, $9 to $14

2008 Zonte’s Footstep Baron Von Nemesis Shiraz (Barossa Valley, Australia): Deep, dark purplish red. Aromatic with thick blackberry liqueur on the nose. Blackberry, oak, and a hint of leather comes through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $15

2008 Leeuwin Estate Siblings Shiraz (Margaret River, Australia): Deep purplish red. Nose is a bit tight at first, then black fruit comes through. Jammy with blackberry, black cherry, and spice on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high drying tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20

Australian Shiraz to Stock Your Cellar (or Fill a Stocking) was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

A Wine for Tonight: 2009 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

Kori — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:00:01 +0000

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2009 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon from the Coonawarra region in Australia.

Our selection criteria include:

A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
A price tag of <=$15
Must be widely available

Johann Gramp, a Bavarian immigrant, planted the first commercial vineyard in Australia’s Barossa Valley on the banks of Jacob’s Creek in 1847. In the early 1900’s, the company was registered as G. Gramp & Sons and the Orlando Wines trademark was established. In 1976, Orlando Wines officially launched the Jacob’s Creek brand. Bernard Hickin went to work for Orlando Wines that same year; he was promoted to Chief Winemaker in 2006.

Today, Jacob’s Creek is one of the world’s most popular wine brands. When we visited the Barossa Valley of Australia in 2005, we had the pleasure to visit the beautiful, modern Jacob’s Creek Wine Tasting Centre, located fittingly on the banks of Jacob’s Creek.

“Fresh blackcurrant and dark berry fruit aromas on the nose exuding typical Coonawarra characteristics. Hints of black olive and licorice balanced with nuances of cedar and vanilla from fine grain French oak. Generous ripe cassis flavors with tobacco leaf, supported by subtle integration of oak leading to a rich, smooth finish.” –Jacob’s Creek

2009 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra, Australia): Deep, dark red in color. Nice nose with black cherry, blackcurrant, and forest floor aromas. Black fruit, black licorice, clove, bell pepper, and vegetal notes come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12.99; Available elsewhere, $8 to $15

A Wine for Tonight: 2009 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Digging into the Cellar Party IV: 2005 Australian Shiraz (mostly)

John — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:00:39 +0000

During the summer, the Wine Peeps team hosted our fourth Digging into the Cellar Party for about a dozen of our closest wine loving friends. For our first DITC Party last year, the theme was Rhone-style wines. For our second DITC Party, the theme was Red Blends. For our third DITC party, the theme was Washington Syrah. For this party, the theme was Australian Shiraz (mostly). I say “mostly” because we slipped one Washington Syrah into the lineup of ten wines from the 2005 vintage to see how it would stack up with the Aussies and to see how many of us could identify the Washington Syrah in the blind tasting. We bookended the blind tasting with a 1998 Dutschke St. Jakobi Shiraz from Australia and a 2005 Fielding Hills Syrah from Washington State, the first Washington wine that we ever gave a 5-star quality rating. For both Australia and Washington State, 2005 was an excellent vintage so we were excited to see how these wines were doing and determine which ones we thought still had a lot of life left.

We found that all but one of the wines were drinking very well, and we believe that many of them have a number of good years still ahead of them. Although this was not a serious, take-copious-tasting-notes event, each attendee was asked to turn in the sack numbers of their three favorites so that we could get a composite favorites list. With this group of wines, which were very good, it was a difficult task.

After unveiling the sacked bottles, the consensus favorite of the group as well as Kori and my personal favorite turned out to be the one Washington Syrah in the lineup, the 2005 Sequel Syrah made, interestingly enough, by the famous Australian winemaker John Duval. However, only one person in the group correctly identified it as the Washington wine. Other favorites included the 2005 Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz [a terrific value year after year at less than $15 retail] and the 2005 John Duval Entity Shiraz [yes, the same John Duval].

While the two bookend wines were not tasted blind, they received considerable praise from a number of the attendees. The 1998 Dutschke was still very good at age thirteen, and the 2005 Fielding Hills was also drinking very well, although we wouldn’t give it quite a 5-star rating today.

All in all, it was another wonderful evening with great friends and spectacular wine. We’re looking forward to doing it again.

Cheers!

Digging into the Cellar Party IV: 2005 Australian Shiraz (mostly) was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Barossa Shiraz

Kori — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:00:14 +0000

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2008 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Barossa Shiraz from the Barossa Valley in Australia.

Our selection criteria include:

A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
A price tag of <=$15
Must be widely available

“Lifted notes of rich fruitcake and ripe plums, layered subtly with black pepper; stylish oak characters of ground cinnamon and sweet vanillin provide a supporting role.” –Jacob’s Creek

2008 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Barossa Shiraz (Barossa Valley, Australia): Deep, dark purple in color. Aromatic with plum, spice, and black pepper on the nose. Plum, black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12.99; Available elsewhere, $10 to $13

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Barossa Shiraz was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz

Kori — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2008 Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz from the famed Barossa Valley of Australia.

Our selection criteria include:

A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
A price tag of <=$15
Must be widely available

Peter Lehmann has become affectionately known as the “Baron of the Barossa.” Prior to founding Peter Lehmann Wines, he was winemaker and general manager for another winery. With an overproduction of grapes in the late 1970s, the winery he worked for asked him to go back on his word to some of the local growers from whom he had promised to purchase grapes. A man of integrity, Peter Lehmann would not do it. Instead, he put together some financial partners and purchased the grapes himself. His actions saved many of the grape growers from financial ruin and earned Peter Lehmann tremendous respect in the community. Ultimately, he went completely out on his own and found investment partners to form Peter Lehmann Wines. While it was initially founded to produce wine from purchased grapes, today Peter Lehmann Wines owns some of its own vineyards as well as continues to support numerous local growers.

“A wine of great depth of color reflecting the splendid 2008 red wine vintage. The bouquet has tantalizing aromas of dark plums and black fruits with just a hint of oak in the background. It is a seamless wine with an excellent structure, its rich fruit reined in by firm tannins. A beautiful expression of Barossa Shiraz, it will continue to develop in the bottle for five plus years.” –Andrew Wigan, Chief Winemaker

2008 Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz (Barossa Valley, Australia): Deep purplish red. Aromatic with black fruit, oak, licorice, and black pepper on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine World Warehouse (Seattle, Washington), $14.99; Available elsewhere, $11 to $21

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.