ARAMIS 2005 CABERNET SAUVIGNON "BLACK LABEL WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS - "The purple-colored 2005 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a nose of earth, tar, spice box, black currant, and blackberry. This leads to a medium-bodied Cabernet with plenty of savory fruit, serious depth, and impeccable balance. Already showing some complexity, it will continue to add nuance with several more years of cellaring. Drink it from 2011 to 2020."
Regardless of how many great wines are available today, Cabernet arguably remains king in terms of popularity by a long shot. That’s why when we come across one this good under $20 we’re quick to get the word out. Aramis has crafted a beauty that boasts seriously delicious black currant and blackberry flavors in a medium-to-full-bodied frame with wonderful balance and complexity. Considering the tab these days for good domestic Cabernet, we’re all over this one.
ARAMIS 2005 SHIRAZ "BLACK LABEL"
This is a knockout deal under $20 with 91pts from Parker! A classic McLaren Vale with intensely layered black fruits with delicious notes of cherry and chocolate enveloped by smooth tannins and a savory freshness. The palate is rich and round with great length on the finish. McLaren Vale is South Australia’s oldest winegrowing region. The first vineyards in the area were planted in 1838. It is sunny, but temperate due to the proximity to the coast and the Gulf of St. Vincent. Lee Flourentzou purchased this 70 acre estate vineyard in 1998, keeping the plantings focused exclusively to Shiraz and Cabernet. South Australia has never had the vineyard pest phylloxera and Lee has maintained Aramis as an un-grafted vineyard. It is very rare today to taste wines from vines grown on their own roots, but some winegrowers believe own-rooted vines produce more aromatically complex wines. A STAFF FAVORITE for sure.
WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS - "The 2005 Black Label Shiraz is a saturated purple color. It offers a captivating nose of balsam wood, smoke, spice box, scorched earth, and blue fruits. On the palate it is sweetly fruited, dense, and layered, with a pure, lingering finish."
ARAMIS 2007 SHIRAZ CABERNET "WHITE LABEL"
This impressive blend packs more than expected into a bottle at this price and we like the way the winery describes it:
"Exhibits a deep ruby/purple colour. The nose offers mulberries, blackberries and plums with layers of dark chocolate, toasty oak and wafts of fresh mint. On the palate blueberry, black raspberry and tarry characteristics, wonderful intensity, supple integrated fruit, tannins and a long finish, all in balance with the alcohol." A really tasty red at a very affordable price. What else can we say?
"TWO IN THE BUSH RANGE"
The 2007 "Two in the Bush" Merlot Cabernet offers lifted aromas of ripe red fruits, fleshy plums and subtle oak.
Its rich vibrant palate has hints of blackcurrent, nutmeg, briar and cedar. The intense dark berry flavours of the Merlot (65%), balance the length and structure from the Cabernet (35%).
Aged for 10 months in a combination of French and American oak, the wine is deep red with purple hues and is bottled without fining or filtration to retain maximum weight and flavour.
"TWO IN THE BUSH"
The 2007 "Two in the Bush" Shiraz has been aged for just over 10 months in French and American oak. The wine is then bottled without fining or filtration to maintain great weight and mouth feel.
It exhibits intense aromas of blackberry, cinnamon and mocha. The palate combines white pepper and fruitcake together with lush, juicy red fruit flavours and a long persistent finish.
The "Two in the Bush" reds are outstanding wines with instant appeal combined with balance and structure.
The Adelaide Hills is perfectly suited to the production of premium quality cooler climate Pinot Noir Rosé.
24 hours of skin contact resulted in a vibrant, translucent, deep ruby coloured wine with powerful varietal aromas and flavours of strawberry and cherry.
The fruit sweetness is balanced by a crisp and lively finish making this a great wine to enjoy with food.
Served at the 2008 Wimbledon Tennis Championships.
Bleasdale 2004 Shiraz Reserve Langhorne Creek, South Australia, Australia
"The 2004 Shiraz Reserve displays tar and oak characteristics in its muscular, tannic personality. Not as refined as its siblings, it will benefit from another year or so of bottle age, and should last longer than the other cuvees..." -Wine Advocate # 168 Dec 2006 Robert Parker
R L Buller Calliope Shiraz Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia
R. L. Buller & Son was started in 1921 by the grandfather of Andrew Buller, the current winemaker. The winery remains one of the quality leaders in the production of sweet wines from the warm terroir of Rutherglen. Moreover, the wines cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world.
Burge Family 2004 Shiraz/Grenache D And Oh Barossa Valley, South Australia Robert Parker 89 "The 2004 D & OH, a blend of 75% Shiraz, 21% Grenache, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, reveals Mediterranean/Provencal-like characteristics of roasted herbs, pepper, garrigue, and sweet strawberries and cherries. Medium-bodied, more powerful but not as complete and beautifully textured as the Clochemerle, it should be drunk over the next 5-6 years." Wine Advocate # 167
Oct 2006 Robert Parker
Campbells NV Rare Tokay Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia 375 ml Wine Advocate 93 Points "The Non-Vintage Rutherglen Tokay is a bit less sweet than the Muscat but equally compelling with its thick, rich, honey, marmalade and toffee flavors."
Wine Advocate # 173
Oct 2007 Jay Miller
WINE SPECTATOR 90 POINTS
Lithe, silky and appealing for its seductive texture, which lets the strawberry, pomegranate and earthy spice flavors slide gently through the lengthy finish. Impressive for its grace and restraint. Grenache, Mourvèdre and Shiraz. Drink now through 2014. 1,000 cases imported. –HS
Score: 90
Country: Australia
Region: Australia
Issue: Jul 31, 2008
ROBERT PARKER 95 POINTS
Considerably more serious is the Cote-Rotie-like 2006 Shiraz-Viognier (with 6% of the latter co-fermented). It offers a splendid bouquet of pain grille, smoky bacon and sausage, violets, blackberry, and blueberry muffin. This is followed by a full-bodied, savory, opulent wine with gobs of fruit, layers of flavor, and well concealed tannin. All components are nicely integrated and the finish lasts for 60+ seconds. Give it 6-8 years of additional cellaring and drink it through 2036. Wine Advocate # 173
D'Arenberg The Twenty Eight Road Mourvedre McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia Robert Parker 89 Points "From the Fleurieu Peninsula south of McLaren Vale, the 2004 Mourvedre The Twenty-Eight Road is a deep, chewy, rustic red possessing plenty of tannin, a distinctive meaty, earthy character interwoven with hints of underbrush, smoke, and tree bark. The sweetness of the tannin is noteworthy in view of the fact that it is 100% Mourvedre. It should drink well for a decade. " Wine Advocate # 167
Oct 2006 Robert Parker
PARKER 91 POINTS
The 2005 The Galvo Garage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Opaque purple-colored, it presents aromas of cedar, spice box, mineral, cassis, and black cherry. Structured, dense, and savory, this firm effort will evolve for several years and offer food for thought from 2012 to 2025.
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 90+ POINT
" the 2006 The Footbolt Shiraz (which contains a bit of Grenache) offers fragrant aromas of wood smoke, game, and blueberry. Layered and balanced, it will evolve for several years and drink well through 2017."
Elderton Command 2003 Shiraz Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia Robert Parker 94 Points "While the deep plum/ruby/garnet-tinged 2003 Shiraz Command is slightly less nuanced than the 2002, it is just as powerful and full-bodied, offering copious quantities of fruit, glycerin, tannin, and muscle. This chewy, rich offering appears to be on a faster evolutionary track than its 2002 counterpart. Give it another 2-3 years of bottle age, and consume it over the following 12-15." Wine Advocate # 167
Oct 2006 Robert Parker
Elderton Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Ashmead Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia Robert Parker 91 Points "There was no 2003 produced, but the backward, primary 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Ashmead is loaded with potential. Its inky/ruby/purple hue is followed by aromas of vanilla, barbecue smoke, roasted meats, creme de cassis, and new leather. This dense, rich, powerful effort requires 3-4 years of bottle age, and should last for 15-20 years." Wine Advocate # 167
Oct 2006 Robert Parker
ELDERTON 2005 SHIRAZ "COMMAND" WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - "Elderton’s flagship is the single vineyard Command Shiraz, a wine with serious aging potential, and one with which all other South Australia Shiraz must be compared. The opaque purple/black 2005 Command Shiraz was aged in French and American oak puncheons. It offers up a sexy/kinky bouquet of wood smoke, lavender, leather, game, mineral, black raspberry, and blueberry pie. Voluptuous on the palate, complex, and dense, it demands a decade of cellaring after which it should offer hedonists much pleasure through 2035."
WINE ADVOCATE 90 POINTS
The 2005 Chardonnay “Isolation Ridge” was barrel-fermented in 50% new French oak and aged sur-lie. The nose expresses toasty butterscotch, pear, and tropical aromas in an admirably restrained manner. This leads to a mouth-filling wine with a viscous texture, good depth, and excellent balance. Drink it over the next 5-6 years.
Giaconda 2002 Pinot Noir Beechworth, Victoria, Australia Bright and smooth, with cherry and pepper flavors that echo on the mildly chewy finish. Drink now!
Giaconda 2005 Chardonnay Beechworth, Victoria, Australia Robert Parker 95 Points
"The 2005 Chardonnay Estate was barrel fermented with native yeasts in French oak, 50% new, where it remained for 18 months. The wine was bottled unfiltered. Medium gold-colored, it delivers aromas of mineral, spice box, baked apple, poached pear, and tropical notes. Medium to full-bodied, it is layered and rich with intense flavors, superb depth and a very long finish. It will evolve for several years and drink well for a decade. Giaconda, founded by Rick Kinzbrunner, released its first wines in 1987. The winery and vineyards are located in Beechworth in northeastern Victoria." Wine Advocate # 173
Oct 2007
