Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Report from ... Wine Australia Media Tasting, Mini-Thematic - December 10, 2013

You're going to be seeing some Australian wines hitting the LCBO shelves in the new year, especially through Vintages.  On February 1, 2014 there will be an Australian themed release and thru the month of January Australian wines will be on showcase in the aisles leading up to that release.

On December 10, some media got a chance to slip into a little anteroom of The Vintage Conservatory in Toronto and tasted 22 wines that will be part of this "thematic".  29 reds were listed, 7 did not show up, while all the whites on the list (6) were left behind in the office and were "on the way" but did not show while I was there.

Below are my top 7 from the wines tasted ...

Mitolo 2011 Junior Cabernet Sauvignon ($16.95 - #292441) - LCBO General List
nicely spiced with blackberry and chocolate notes (****)
Fowles Wines 2010 'Are You Game' Shiraz ($16.95 - #327320) - LCBO General List
very fruit driven wine with lovely licorice and cherry notes, great value (****+)
Peter Lehmann Wines 2011 Portrait Shiraz ($19.95 - #572875) - LCBO General List
juicy of fruit that makes for a gentle easy drinking wine that's red fruit dominated (****)

Jacob's Creek 2011 Reserve Shiraz ($16.95 - #665471) - LCBO General List
white pepper, spiced cherry with a lovely plum finish (****)
Henry's Drive Vignerons 2010 Pillar Box Red ($14.95 - #350447) - LCBO General List
very good value in a blend from down under: chocolate, blueberry, and raspberry; smooth and easy (****+)
Katnook Estate 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra ($29.95 - #590471) - Release: Vintages 02/2014
best wine at the tasting tonight with the complexity of chocolate, plum, blackberry and more;
quite a mouthful and a lovely compliment to meat dishes and winter stews (**** 1/2)
Chapel Hill 2011 Bush Vine Grenache, McLaren Vale (~$26.95 - #262105) - Released Vintages 02-2014
lots of raspberry and white pepper; ya gotta love old vines Grenache, if you don't this one will help (****)

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