Foggo Wooded Chardonnay 2004

Wine: Foggo Wooded Chardonnay
Type: Chardonnay
Year: 2004
Price: $10
Date: 18/12/2010
Reason for purchase: On the winery tour back in 2009.

Review: This is the savior of Chardonnay as we know it. Wooded Chardonnay is a complex beast, with most people I speak to, including rather experienced wine drinkers, all seeming to dislike wooded whites preferring the crisper fresh tastes of steel fermentation and more acid and zing. I on the other hand prefer mellow whites, with body and character which this wine has in abundance.

Our first trip down to Foggo opened my eyes to this style of white that was a staple before the glut of Sauvignon Blanc, and I was lucky enough to have a side by side tasting of their wooded and unwooded variety to compare. My favourite was this one, with beautiful oaky mellowness, creamy yet fruity. It's just a wine that keeps on giving having been aged for 4 or 5 years on oak, it has developed an amazing flavour without the tartness or acid of cheap whites.

Yet another wine that I wish I had bought more of, as they sell out of each vintage rather quickly. I have a couple of bottles of the 2005 left which I will review in the future.


Rating: 8/10 -DF-

St Hallett Rosedale Shiraz 2008

Wine: St Hallett Barossa Rosedale Vinyard
Type: Shiraz
Year: 2008
Price: unknown (google says around $17)
Date: 9/05/2011
Reason for purchase: Birthday gift

Review: I've seen this at a few bottle shops before, and I think they sell for around the $15-18 mark. After only cellaring it for 2 months, and given it was free, I thought it would be ok to crack it open and see what it's like.

The first taste is slightly acidic, but fruity and full bodied. There is a solid spicy Shiraz flavour, something you would expect from the Barossa region. The mouth feel is dry but doesn't leave you clicking your tongue. There is a definite lack of age, possibly no oak even which is hard to work out because there is no mention of the production method on the label. Of course not leaving it for 3-5 years didn't help, but at this price I don't think it has serious cellaring potential anyway.

Overall this is an average red, nothing special, but certainly better than some of the sub $10 rubbish. I'm not quite sure I would pay retail price for it though, and based on that it doesn't get any higher than a 7.

Rating: 7/10 -DF-

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-

Pauletts Polish Hill River Shiraz 2005

Wine: Pauletts Polish Hill River
Type: Shiraz
Year: 2005
Price: $19.00
Date: 4/11/2009
Reason for purchase: I decided that drinking was more fun than going to the gym

Review: As recommended by the bottle shop guy, this apparently is the best value shiraz under 20 bucks. I'm always a fan of the Clare Valley shiraz, so easily handed over (not my) $20.

Given it's had a bit of aging, it is a nicely rounded shiraz that has mellowed out enough to be quite easy to drink. The bottle actually has "the complexity of oak" written, which is oddly true. I don't normally believe what the bottle has on it, but this one really has a nice oak flavour. Right on the money!

If your a fan of shiraz, this one is certainly recommend.

Rating: 8/10 -DF-