Foggo Sparkling Grenache NV aka White Myriah

Wine: Foggo Cleanskin White Myriah
Type: Sparkling Grenache
Year: NV
Price: $10
Date: 27/02/2011
Reason for purchase: Part of the birthday party wine selection.

Review: Unofficially named "White Myriah" by our little wine group (as in the baby version of Foggo's Black Myriah Sparkling Shiraz), this Grenache is a fantasticly light and fruity bubbly that is fit for all occasions.

While the Black Myriah is made using méthode Champenoise, the Grenache is made using bulk tank fermentation and bottled under pressure. This produces lovely light bubbles, that although aren't as special as Black Myriah, are still excellent - and a million times better than forced carbonation.

It's a lovely summer drink, that is soft and smooth, not too sweet, yet not too powerful. A fantastic start to any dinner party. Anyone who has been disappointed with cheap sparkling Shiraz needs to give this a try. It will change your world!

Rating: 8/10 -DF-

Foggo The Wild Thing Shiraz 2005

Wine: Foggo The Wild Thing
Type: Shiraz
Year: 2005
Price: $13.33
Date: 27/02/2011
Reason for purchase: Part of the birthday party wine selection.

Review: Well another Foggo gem won its way onto my party wine list, and this one could well become a staple. It is a typical Foggo Shiraz, well aged and well rounded.

There is typical McLaren Vale pepper, with great fruit flavour that has mellowed nicely with the benefits of 5 years on oak. I'm told this one can last the distance in the bottle, so I might need to keep a couple for the long haul and see how it goes.

Definitely up there with wines like the Oomoo as the perfect every day red. Grab a case when you're next at the 'vale.

Rating: 8/10 -DF-

Pauletts Polish Hill River Wooded Chardonnay 2008

Wine: Pauletts Polish Hill River
Type: Wooded Chardonnay
Year: 2008
Price: $14
Date: 27/02/2011
Reason for purchase: Part of the birthday party wine selection.

Review: Looking for a nice starter wine with scallops, I was on the hunt for a Chardonnay or Riesling that was up to the task. In my search I came across this beauty, mainly inspired from the great review of their Shiraz here.

This beautiful Chardonnay has a sweet fruit tingles smell and rich creamy, buttery mouth feel that is clean and smooth. It is not too acidic, but not watery either. The delicate balance of sweet and dry makes this one of the best white wines I've tasted.

Rating: 8/10 -DF-

Whisson Lake White Label Pinot Noir 2007

Wine: Whisson Lake White Label
Type: Pinot Noir
Year: 2007
Price: $35
Date: 27/02/2011
Reason for purchase: Part of the birthday party wine selection.

Review: I first tried this as a mystery wine from the Adelaide Hills Wine Show, and this little gem was a complete surprise.

The subtle fruit is sweet, yet dry and doesn’t overstay its welcome. The smooth silky taste lingers slightly with no acidity or tartness, it just slides away gently and leaves the mouth salivating and wanting more. Definitely one of the best light style reds I've tasted.

I chose this wine as an entrée wine at the party, matched with Chinese style duck, and was an absolute cracker.

Although on the more expensive side of my wine collection, this is a magic wine that is worth paying the extra for. This is the textbook example of price equaling quality. Cannot recommend this one enough!

Rating: 9/10 -DF-

De Vito Molo Ridge Shiraz 2002

Wine: De Vito Molo Ridge
Type: Shiraz
Year: 2002
Price: unknown
Date: 31/03/2011
Reason for purchase: Sitting in my cellar for so long I can't remember... likely a gift.

Review: Well off I went to a dinner party with friends thinking its about time I started drinking some of my well cellared bottles. After all there is no point collecting wine if you don't one day enjoy it. I picked this 2002 off the shelf (one of the oldest in my collection) and had high hopes.

Firstly this is a Riverland Shiraz, Waikerie to be exact. I've never had any wines from there, so had no idea what to expect. The next thing is the age - 2002 - 9 years. This should be special, given most bottles in my collecting are lucky to last a year on the shelf.

After a good 30 minutes of breathing time, the first pour was a deep rich red that sat thick in the glass. The first sip was full of rich, syrupy cherries, a light pepper and liqueur finish. It was extremely smooth and had a lovely lingering finish. My guess is the aging had a big impact on the great flavour.

This is a fantastic Shiraz that I want to drink again. Better than some of the $50-80 premiums from the big labels, but then again, they're not usually 9 years old. Highly recommended.

Rating: 9/10 -DF-

Hardys The Riddle Shiraz Cabernet 2009

Wine: Hardys The Riddle
Type: Shiraz Cabernet
Year: 2009
Price: $24 (restaurant price)
Date: 27/10/2010
Reason for purchase: Cheap dinner wine.

Review: This can be summed up quite neatly as uninspiring. Quite a negative start I know, but it's not all bad news.

Hardys have captured the ultimate cheap drinking wine here without any fanfare. It is fruity, medium weight and very palatable without any funny sulphide aftertaste.

This is the ultimate of average, yet I can't stop drinking it. If you're a fan of Merlot this is your bag, if you're a fan of cheap this is you're bag. Well done Hardys, not bad at all.

Rating: 8/10 -DF-