By: AJ McClellan
Yesterday we had a few members drop in and we ended up with an interesting mix of reds on the table. The two Australian wines shared the same grape and same region but were about as different from each other as water and ice. The star for me though was the Vega Sicilia with impressive exuberance on the palate and a complexity that I think will lend to a long shelf life.
2009 Morgan Double L Vineyard Pinot Noir – A bigger style of Pinot Noir with notes of black cherry and raspberry on the nose. The palate was bold but after some time in the glass it softened up to show light cassis, some cedar, and a hint of vanilla.
2004 Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 – I was very impressed with the 2003 vintage of this wine which is drinking superbly right now. I approached the 04 with an optimism that turned out to be well warranted. With 94 points from parker this wine showed a brilliant nose of old leather and dried currants. There was also a distinct Spanish funk and a hint of sulfur that quickly blew off. After the wine had a good 4 hours to breath the palate was drinking very nicely with big liquorish and star anise out the wazoo.
This bottle has such a cool label. I wish the juice would live up to the packaging…
2006 Standish Wine Company The Relic Shiraz – This was an interesting wine. 93 points Parker and I can tell why, for an Australian Shiraz it was rather light with 4% Viognier to add a slight floral note of violet and lavender. The nose was bold with plums and black cherries and a handful of spice but the palate was rather mild, like they were trying to make a Cote Rotie but they couldn’t quite get there and in the process they lost their Australian terroir…
2009 Amon Ra – I am a big fan of this wine. It is distinctly Australian, big and bold from start to finish. The nose shows a powerful black fruit component with tobacco and black pepper. The palate always surprises me, as long as the wine is given adequate time to breathe. For a big wine it is rather light on its feet with pleasant silky tannins and a surprisingly crisp acidity.