Tasting : Finca de los Arandinos, Malacapa, Rioja (Tempranillo) 2012

A quality Rioja without the crazy price tag. Rioja in Spain is best known for its red wines particularly Tempranillo. This temp shows us quite a bit of spice of the sweet brown variety on the nose....red currant red cherry,some  faint nutmeg and some stalk too (but not in a "green" unpleasant way). 

Very fresh medium body style palate with red fruit again, dried leaves and spice characters too and definite fennel seed on nose as it further develops in the glass. Very approachable with a good deal of depth to boot. I've seen this knocking around a few discernible Melbourne wine dealers and its imported by Working Wine.

(RRP $19/$20) 

Cheap & Cheerful Tasting : Rocca Ventosa Montelpuciano 2011

So its early in the week and again I've spent too much on the weekend indulgences, so I'm a little skint.. time for a budget wine. For under $15 this Italian red was excellent. The variety, Montepulciano, is one of my favourite easy drinking cheapies (and is luckily widely available here in Oz) and this is no exception.

A seductive nose of macerated cherry, some dried cranberry and coconut.

Fresh in the mouth, very smooth soft mouth coating texture helped by the light to medium  tannin structure. Black cherry and some more ripe red berry fruit too and faint liquorice.


Soft plush and easy going... A great one to quaff, a definite crowd pleaser. Perfect for going to a house party where someone will steal your wine as well as be impressed by your choice!! ;)
(RRP: $13) Imported by Domaine Wine Shippers and available at many independent bottle shops.

Montepulciano on the vine in Abruzzi. Image from Wikipedia.

Wine of the Week: Savaterre Pinot Noir 2012

Savaterre Pinot Noir 2012

Awesome wine !! Bags full of character from this Organic Beechworth Pinot.

Nose of red cherry, mushroom, forest floor and dried leave characters from the whole bunch ferment (grapes fermented with stalks and all).

Velvet smooth texture on the palate with under-ripe red cherry, brown spice, leafy-ness and real earthy tones with subtle mushroom again. Super fine tannin keeps it in balance with an excellent length to boot. This has real depth and complexity!

Could do with a few years to be even better I reckon. Lovely stuff to cellar or to have now if your like me and couldn't wait. Recommend decanting.

Savaterre wines ain't exactly cheap but this is no pay for the hype type wine. Its the real deal and worth it. 

(RRP Approx $70 ) http://www.savaterre.com/

Also worth trying from the range are the Shiraz and their knock-out Chardonnay.

NB. Savaterre vineyards are farmed using Organic principles and thus proclaim to be Organic, but are not yet certified.

TASTING: Savaterre Shiraz 2012

Savaterre Shiraz 2012, Beechworth, VIC

An intense nose of earth, blackberry, pepper, subtle smoke and barnyard. Smells very savoury and old world in style and you can really tell this has been whole bunch fermented (stalks and all).

Savoury again in mouth but not overtly with dark plums and some blackberry showing alongside blackberry bush and pepper and again some earthy characters. Mouth coating dry tannins even this out nicely. Great food style. Needs decanting( 2hours if you can).

http://www.savaterre.com/

Note: Farmed using Organic principles, but not certified.

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Rochford Isabella's Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 , Yarra Valley, VIC

On a recent trip to the Yarra Valley I stopped by Rochfords cellar door and while there were a few nice drops this was the standout I opened it this week to have with a rustic lentil pie, yummy stuff!

It has a  nose of cassis, coconut characters from the well integrated oak and very subtle dried herbs like thyme.

On the palate its full and dense and more savoury than expected...more earth with the black fruit noticeable later and some slight tarriness on the finish which is not unpleasant at all. A serious wine, an awesome winter warmer for that roast lamb or, for the vego's, roast vegetables with rosemary.

(RRP Approx $40- $50) Rochford Wines

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Quealy Musky Creek Pinot Noir 2010, Mornington Peninsula, VIC

A stand out Pinot for me from the stellar 2010 vintage (was a great year for Mornington Pinot). Smacks of refinement and not just that but it packs a bit more power than some of its other regional counterparts.
A complex nose of bright red fruit, such as red cherries along with spearmint and orange zest.

In the mouth its light to medium bodied with cherry again some light spice, the savoury elements and subtle leafy characters adds to the complexity without at all being "stalky". Has a little more tannin and structure than most Aussie Pinot's.. Lovely.

(RRP approx $36) Quealy