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MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR
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WINEWISE WINES OF THE YEAR 2011

After tasting approximately 2,000 wines in 2011, the Winewise panel met to decide which of the Australian wines awarded their coveted Outstanding rating deserved the “best of the best” title. The panel stuck strongly to their stringent standards and came up with a list of only nine wines.

Here we have nine wines that hold their own anywhere in the world. What’s more, three of them, the Shaw and Smith, Coldstream Hills and the Evans and Tate (particularly) offer remarkable value for money. Buy any, or all, for cellaring or Christmas drinking. We’re sure you’ll be delighted. There will be no “off bottles” because all are sealed with screwcap.

Lester Jesberg, Editor


2011 Cherubino Porongurup Riesling

The classic, restrained lime blossom aromas put both variety and region in sharp focus. However, even though the nose is delicate and vibrant, it is, at the same time, comparatively shy. The palate is linear and austere, needing time to realize its full potential. ($40.00)
Cellar 3-5 years
Region: Great Southern, WA


2010 Oakridge 864 Yarra Valley Chardonnay
An impressively fresh, rich, complex chardonnay with prodigious length and powerful fruit drive. The palate is creamy and beautifully balanced by acidity and high quality oak. Worth every cent. ($72.00)
Cellar 3-5 years
Region: Yarra Valley, Vic

2011 Oakridge Limited Release Botrytis Riesling
This is a stunning wine, showing very fresh white peach/citrus aromas. But it’s on the palate that it excels. It’s clean, concentrated, and beautifully balanced in a German beerenauslese style. ($40.00/375ml)
Cellar 3-5 years
Region: Yarra Valley, Vic



2004 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Semillon

Very restrained, and just beginning to emerge from its primary phase. The palate is long and satisfying, in the Classic Hunter style, finishing with excellent acidity. ($50.00)
Cellar 5-7 years
Region: Hunter Valley, NSW



2009 Curly Flat Pinot Noir

The nose shows rich raspberry fruit complemented by a hint of stems that add a touch of complexity. The palate has power but also finesse, finishing long, and balanced by firm, fine tannins. This pinot was made with a masterly touch. ($53.00)
Cellar 3-5 years
Region: Macedon Ranges, Vic




2009 Shaw and Smith Adelaide Hills Shiraz

This is a beautifully made spicy, dark cherry style which is perfectly poised and utterly delicious. Shaw and Smith Shiraz has claimed a place among Australia’s very finest red wines through its excellence, finesse and regionality. ($36.00) Cellar 5-7 years
Region: Adelaide Hills, S.A.


2008 Kerrigan + Berry Mt Barker/Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
This is a cabernet of classical flavour and structure. It offers all the blackcurrant aroma and flavour you could possibly want, and there's that hint of leaf that all top class cabernet should have. The palate is super-long, and firm, fine tannins complete the picture. ($55.00)
Cellar 8-10 years
Region: Mount Barker (68.0%); Margaret River (32.0%) This wine is the result of a collaboration between Michael Kerrigan (Hayshed Hill, Margaret River) and Gavin Berry (West Cape Howe, Great Southern), WA



2008 Coldstream Hills Yarra Valley Merlot

Good Australian merlots are rare indeed, so it was a pleasant surprise to discover this gem. It’s a very impressive varietal red showing the classic plum, red berry and spice characteristics of merlot. The palate is plush and very well balanced, delivering plenty of flavour within a fine tannin structure. ($35.00)
Cellar 3-5 years
Region: Yarra Valley, Vic



2008 Evans and Tate Margaret River Cabernet Merlot

There have been some stunning wines from the McWilliams stable lately and, with this wine, the Midas touch continues. The vibrant nose resembles that of a good Bordeaux red, with its tobacco leaf and blackcurrant aromas. The palate is intensely flavoured in a finely structured style. It has long, lingering ripe flavours, balanced oak and polished tannins. A benchmark example of Margaret River cabernet which will reward cellaring. ($25.00)
Cellar 5-7 years
Region: Margaret River, WA

IN THE DECEMBER 2011 ISSUE: AUSTRIAN WINES IN FOCUS


Willi Klinger, Managing Director Austrian Wine Marketing Board
with Andreas Puhar (left) and Huon Hooke (right)

In the December 2011 of Winewise Magazine, Len Sorbello reports on a Masterclass tasting of Austrian wines conducted by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board in Sydney earlier this year. Subscribe Now!

One of the best wines of the tasting was:

2009 Salomon Lindberg Reserve Grüner Veltliner (Kremstal Region) Enticing aromas of white rose petals and spice. The palate is very vibrant with great intensity of flavours, yet framed by a very delicate, chalky texture. The long finish is crisp, with a balancing mineral grip. Outstanding Screwcap

ADELAIDE HILLS TRIUMPHS
IN 2011 WINEWISE CHAMPIONSHIP


Two wines from the Adelaide Hills region won the top two categories of the coveted Winewise Championship 2011:

CHAMPION DRY WHITE: 2009 Penfolds Reserve Bin 09A Chardonnay

CHAMPION DRY RED: 2009 Shaw and Smith Shiraz

The Championship, now in its second year, brings together the top performing wines from Australia's national and regional wine shows (during the period February 2010 - January 2011) in a unique 'best of the best' competition.

For All The Details and Full List of Medallion Winners: Click Here

This year has attracted entries from many small wineries, unknown on the national stage, but who made their mark at regional shows. So how did they compare to the superstars from the larger vignerons? This is all disclosed in the April 2011 edition of Winewise Magazine containing full reviews of every wine entered in the Championship. Remember, as all entries had already won a Gold Medal and possibly a Trophy, the Championship amounts to a collection of the best wines Australia has to offer. Forget the endless lists of the top 2010 wines published elsewhere, this is the real thing! Subscribe Now!

ARTICLES

  1. 2010 Winewise International Pinot Noir Tasting
  2. Tyrrell's Vat 1 Hunter Semillon Vertical Tasting 1999 - 2008
  3. Tyrrell's Vat 9 Hunter Shiraz Vertical Tasting 1998 - 2007
  4. So You Want To Be A Wine Judge?
  5. Marsala tasting at vinitaly

HOW WE
CONDUCT TASTINGS

 

USEFUL LINKS

Listed below are some links that we think you will find useful when discovering more about wines.

www.bobcampbell.co.nz
www.jancisrobinson.com
www.nzwine.com
www.wineanorak.com
www.wine-searcher.com
www.winespectator.com
www.winetitles.com.au
www.chrisshanahan.com.au
http://winecompanion.com.au

 


2011 WINEWISE SMALL VIGNERON AWARDS

Judging was held in Canberra on 14-16 July 2011 in what is Australia's premier competition for small winemakers, now in its 22nd year. The Awards give small vignerons the opportunity to receive an evaluation of their wines according to the highest show standards by a panel of highly respected judges.

James Halliday, Ian McKenzie, David Bicknell, Tim Knappstein and Andrew Spinaze each led a panel of three judges in this year's Awards, chaired by Winewise editor Lester Jesberg.

The Trophy for the Most Successful Exhibitor was awarded to: Sons Of Eden (Barossa, SA) with the following Gold Medal Winning Wines:

  • 2009 Sons Of Eden Kennedy GSM
  • 2009 Sons Of Eden Zephyrus Shiraz
  • 2008 Sons Of Eden Remus Shiraz
  • 2008 Sons Of Eden Romulus Shiraz

  Click here for the 2011 Results

LATEST WINEWISE INDEX

Click Here

Vol 20 No1 (April 2004)
to
Vol 26 No 6 (February 2011)

THE WINEWISE HALF-DOZEN

The Latest Half-Dozen:

Great Festive Drinking!

For some time subscribers have been contacting us, asking where they can obtain wines that we have rated highly. Many of those wines are not easily found on the shelves of retailers, and are often only available from the wineries in dozen lots. We understand the dilemma of wanting wine, but not wishing to commit to the purchase of a dozen on the basis of a review - even one of ours. 

So we have decided to market a tasting pack each issue through the long established Phillips Cellars in Shepparton, Victoria (among other things, alleviating the need for Winewise itself to obtain a liquor licence).

The idea is to give Winewise readers easy access to six Excellent Value wines every two months. This enables our readers not only to enjoy the wines, but to sample and decide whether or not to purchase more. 

Remember the wines are selected only from blind panel tastings conducted by Winewise. We advise Phillips Cellars of all the wines which are priced around $20.00 or under and which have rated Highly Recommended or higher (sometimes wines rated Recommended make the grade if they're particularly good value). Phillips Cellars then select six wines, contact the chosen wineries and nominate a price for the half-dozen. We then pass this onto to you. Check out the latest Half-Dozen Here

WINEWISE ALERT

Subscribers Please Note

Sometimes we come across wines that just won't wait for a printed issue of the Magazine. Between issues, we send a Winewise Alert by email to subscribers who give us their email addresses. By this means, we hope to add value to your subscription so, if you haven't already done so, send us your email address: winewisemagazine@gmail.com

 

OUT NOW!

What's this cover got to do with wine? Find out in the December 2011 issue Subscribe Now!

IT'S ON AGAIN in 2012!

Judging will take place on 13-14 February 2012 in Canberra. Invitations to Trophy and Gold Medal winners from the 2011 Wine Show circuit will be sent out soon.

Medallions will be awarded for:

Best Riesling
Best Semillon
Best Sauvignon Blanc
Best Chardonnay
Best Viognier
Best Pinot Gris
Best Other Dry White

Best Dry White Wine

Best Sweet White
Best Sparkling Wine


Best Pinot Noir
Best Shiraz
Best Cabernet Sauvignon
Best Bordeaux Red Blend
Best Classic Red Blend
Best Other Red Blend
Best Tempranillo
Best Other Red Varietal

Best Red Wine

The top wines of the 2011 Winewise Small Vigneron Awards will be judged against the best wines from the following shows:

National Wine Show
Adelaide Hills Wine Show
Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show
Barossa Wine Show
Canberra Regional Wine Show
Clare Valley Wine Show
Geelong Wine Show
Gippsland Wine Show
Hunter Valley Wine Show
International Riesling Challenge
International Sweet White Challenge
Limestone Coast Wine Show
Margaret River Wine Show
McLaren Vale Wine Show
Mudgee Wine Show
National Cool Climate Wine Show
New England Wine Show (Incl. Granite Belt, Qld.)
Orange Region Wine Show
Tasmanian Wine Show
Victorian Wines Show
Wine Show of Western Australia
Yarra Valley Wine Show

The Winewise panel has also chosen a small number of wines to which they not only awarded gold medal points under show judging conditions, but considered them to be of particular merit.

All eligible wines will be judged in small groups of no more than seven, and ranked in order of preference (as per trophy tastings) by the judging panel which will comprise four of the regular Winewise panel (all experienced show judges) ? Lester Jesberg, Debbie Pearce, Len Sorbello and Phil Trickett - and two of the most respected senior judges from within the wine industry (to be finalized soon).

Discussion will be allowed after the counting of votes, and a second vote will taken if necessary. A superb gold-plated medallion (63 cm diameter), produced by the Australian Mint and illustrated below, will be awarded to the winner of each category.

THE BENEFITS OF WINEWISE

"Winewise remains a niche publication highly respected within the wine industry and by Australia’s keenest wine enthusiasts." Chris Shanahan

Winewise Magazine is a wine magazine with a difference. It gets to the heart of the subject of wine without being distracted by commercial considerations. Only one advertisement appears in each issue: for our very own Winewise Half-Dozen selected from the best value wines tasted blind in the current issue. Twenty-five years of honest, well-informed wine reviews has earned Winewise the respect of winemakers and consumers alike.

Blind Tastings – all our panel tastings are conducted “blind”, hence more objective reviews

All Wines Tasted by Panel Are Reviewed & No Point Scores – just accurate descriptions of each wine tasted enabling meaningful comparisons

All Wines Tasted Together Regardless of Price – price plays no part in reviews so the real bargains stand out on their own merits

Experienced Wine Judges – headed by one of Australia’s leading wine show judges Lester Jesberg as well as fellow show judges Len Sorbello & Phil Trickett, winemaker Andrew McEwin and other experienced palates Subscribe now

 

 
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Last Updated: 20-Dec-2011