2012 Ballandean Messing About Malbec

Hands up those who have bought and drank a bottle of Queensland wine.  Yep, thought so.  Not many.  Well, you should give them a try.  I've tried a few lately thanks to some very helpful Queenslanders. It may surprise you to know Ballandean Wine Estates has been on the Granite Belt for 80+ years spanning 5 generations.  A cellar door was opened to the public in 1970 and is open 9am-5pm almost every day of the year.  They produce a large range of wines including alternative varieties such as durif, saperavi, fiano, sylvaner and this little beauty, malbec.
The 2012 is very, very good wine from a great vintage.  I just loved the colour when it was poured and I could smell dark cherries immediately without putting the glass anywhere near my nose.  The flavours were of rich dark fruits and plums which linger on the palate.  Oak is there but is not assertive by any means and plays a good supportive role.  With just over 14% alcohol and all of these lush aromas and flavours, it was like a nice warm cuddle in a bottle.  Winter is fast approaching and this would go well with a hearty meat casserole.
At $35 a bottle it is not an everyday quaffer and not within everybody's budget but it is still excellent value for money.
Until next time and remember, live simply, laugh often, wine alot.

2001 Arras EJ Carr Late Disgorged

If you had asked me 4 years ago if I like sparkling wine my answer would have been a resounding, no!  I was introduced to it by friends whose 'go to' was, and still is, the most popular Tassie bubbles, Jansz.  Around the same time I was lucky enough to be able to steward at a wine show and this exposed me to other Australian brands and more Tasmanian producers.  One of those producers was Arras.  I have since discovered these are exceptional wines with base wines of the highest quality and held on lees for many years.  I have also had the luxury of tasting some of them many times but must speak about the 2001 Arras EJ Carr Late Disgorged which I managed to score as a leftover bottle from a tasting.  I also must say, EJ (Ed) Carr is a quietly spoken, humble but proud, unassuming magician when it comes to sparkling wine.
When I poured the wine the colour was a pale green and the bead was fine and delicate.  The aromas were unmistakable.  Toasty, biscuity almost nutty and still quite intense.  On the palate it was amazingly fresh, zesty, long and complex but so, so elegant.  At around $150 per bottle it puts it up there in terms of luxury sparkling wine but it matches it with the best imports at, sometimes, half the price.
 Until next time and remember, live simply, laugh often, wine alot.

2010 Fox Gordon 'By George' Cabernet Tempranillo

Continuing along the path of 'not so well known' wineries, Fox Gordon is one I'm very pleased to have recently discovered. With access to premium Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley vineyards, the wines that are produced by former Barossa Valley Estate (think E&E Black Pepper Shiraz) winemaker Tash Mooney are elegant and balanced enough to be consumed upon release, but have the structure to cellar in the medium to long term.
My first foray into their wines was this 2010 Cabernet Tempranillo blend called 'By George'.  It is named after one of the proprietor's sons but I reckon it is better used for, "by george this is a good wine!"  When it was poured into the glass the colour was quite dark (as per the photo).  There was an immediate aroma of dark fruits which was so appealing I could have kept smelling it all afternoon.  On the palate it was medium to full body with a lovely juicy texture that seems to linger forever or, that could be because I was enjoying it so much I kept "tasting" it.  A four year old red of this quality at between $20-25 a bottle is great value.
www.foxgordon.com.au

Until next time and remember, live simply, laugh often, wine alot.