Four Great Wines from Two Best Kept Secret Regions.

Allow me to introduce you to Vinaceous Wines, Margaret River and Frankland River: Vinaceous Wines was established in 2007 and is owned and operated by marketer Nick Stacy & winemaker Mike Kerrigan; part of the new movement of non-traditional wine producers – choosing to source grapes from the best vineyards in the premium maritime climateContinue reading “Four Great Wines from Two Best Kept Secret Regions.”

Paso Does It Again, and Something special from Italy.

41 Highlands Black Granite Red Blend 2020 This was Wine Enthusiast #1 Top 100 Best Buys and I have to agree, it’s great drinking and exceptional value- rare these days!! This is a blend of 45% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Sirah, 15% Malbec, 10% Syrah, 10% Merlot and reflects in the glass. This is what IContinue reading “Paso Does It Again, and Something special from Italy.”

Something French and Something Australian- for your drinking pleasure.

Shatter Grenache 2021 Joel Gott teamed up with Charles Bieler to bring you ‘Shatter’ sourced from the hillside vineyards around the town of Maury, in Roussillon, not far from the Spanish border. It is a blend of 96% Grenache and 4% Syrah and co-fermented. The vines were planted over 60 years ago on pure blackContinue reading “Something French and Something Australian- for your drinking pleasure.”

A Red Wine for All Seasons- a Beckstoffer, a Rutherford and a Blackbird Arises.

Blackbird Vineyards ‘Arise’ Red Blend 2018 Named in dedication to the Paul McCartney/Beatles song. Unmistakable Napa on the nose with rich dark fruits and floral notes rising from the glass. A delightful richness on the palate will assuredly put a smile on your face. There is an abundance of black fruits and chocolate with secondaryContinue reading “A Red Wine for All Seasons- a Beckstoffer, a Rutherford and a Blackbird Arises.”

Kuleto Wines- great names and great blends. Perfect for Cook Outs.

Kuleto ‘Frog Prince’ Red Blend 2021 Situated on the eastern side of Napa in the hills above Rutherford, drawing in the spirit of Burgundy and Tuscany. The palate carries an Old-World attitude with a Napa mouthfeel- soft and approachable with an unexpected, but impressive middle palate silky smoothness. Great balance with acidity and tannins inContinue reading “Kuleto Wines- great names and great blends. Perfect for Cook Outs.”

An Oakville Gem with a Bordeaux influence- Patria ‘Avoyelles’ Red Blend 2018

This is an impressive wine from the start, but it does need some time to open. I suggest 4 – 6 hours but then: spectacular. Big bold rich fruits hit the nose and the palate with elegance and finesse. This is a Bordeaux blend of 48% Cabernet Franc, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit VerdotContinue reading “An Oakville Gem with a Bordeaux influence- Patria ‘Avoyelles’ Red Blend 2018”

From the Cellar … Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Superiore 2007

Ripassa and Ripasso’s are synonymous and are considered to be baby Amarone’s and about a third to half the price. Great news if you like the style but are budget focused. I’ve tried many different producers and many different vintages and when I found this in my cellar last week, I thought of the MoroccanContinue reading “From the Cellar … Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Superiore 2007”

Terroirs du Vent ‘La Violette’ Viognier 2021 – An absolute delight!

Before you say anything, I know winter is closing in and it’s cold outside but this really is an awesome wine. It’s just arrived this week and one sip and I couldn’t say no! I’m sure you’ll agree. Brought to you by Jean Luc Colombo, his wife Anne, and their daughter Laure, now head winemakerContinue reading “Terroirs du Vent ‘La Violette’ Viognier 2021 – An absolute delight!

Wakefield Winery- aka Taylors Wines, Clare Valley, Sth Australia.

Wakefield Wines- Clare Valley. Is actually Taylors Winery originally established in 1969 by Bill Taylor who was a Pub owner and Wine Merchant in Sydney who sold what could have been the first ‘private label’ in Australia- Chateau Clare. Their association with the Clare Valley Co-operative to produce the Chateau Clare wine dates back toContinue reading “Wakefield Winery- aka Taylors Wines, Clare Valley, Sth Australia.”

Exceptional Cabernet from a Difficult Vintage.

The Vintage. 2017 was a difficult vintage and, as we all know the year finished with devastating fires. Putting all that aside, those that got it right, got some spectacular results. In retrospect, the biggest problem the 2017 vintage faced was being flanked by 2015, 2016 and 2018 vintages that produced some exceptional wines. 2017Continue reading “Exceptional Cabernet from a Difficult Vintage.”