Brook Eden 2010 Chardonnay (4.5* $?) Straw coloured, tightly wound perfumed nose that offered the promise of interesting things to come and opened up quite a lot over time, as did (surprise, surprise) the palate. Soft across the taste buds with peaches and a hint of cream that'll presumably come through increasingly as the wine develops in the bottle. Elegant style with plenty of interest that'll be worth investigating, say, in about three months and again when the Winter 2012 Vintage Club pack arrives on the doorstep. Given the fact that it's not on sale to the public yet, and presumably won't be for a while it's not one for the summer drinking order, but further down the track…
Fermoy Estate 2008 Margaret River Merlot (4.5* $30 Sale $15) There's a dash of Shiraz in there as well but at 95% varietal Merlot this bright fragrant medium bodied style works a treat with complexity that runs from the nose right across the palate. Varietal plums and berries in gentle abundance, a nice balance of oak and tannin that delivers a lengthy finish and pleasurable drinking.
Fermoy Estate 2010 Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc (4.5* $22 Sale $10.85) Another crystal clear pale straw number with bright aromatics that are a bit closer to the hay and curt grass end of the spectrum than I recall from the '09, this one hits the palate with sharpish varietal character, a balanced acidity and a tinge of sugar that rounds into a lengthy finish. Under my five point scale, 4.5* means I really need to buy this, while 4* equates to I should buy this, but with eleven bottles left in the box I don't need to buy any more, do I? On the other hand 4.5 means I'll be looking very closely at the '11, n'est ce pas?
Fermoy Estate 2008 Yallingup Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (4.5* $20, sale $10) Dark red with purple notes in the glass, subtly pronounced cabernet character on the nose with some plummy merlot in there as well, berry flavours across the palate with ripe firmly rounded tannins and a lingering finish this 70% cabernet blend hit the spot rather nicely and left me regretting the fact that I only ended up with half a dozen. Somehow I doubt that I'll be able to reorder at the sale price.
Helm 2008 Cabernet Shiraz (3.5* $35) Deep coloured, high alcohol oaky nose with big fruit across the palate and tannins that take you back to the days before winemakers started using words like feminine to describe red wine, this comes across as a blast from the past which is fine in itself but the price tag won't have me lining up for more. Fine, that means an extra Riesling (or something else) in the next order.
Helm 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (4.5* $25) Hand picked grapes and free run juice deliver plenty of herbaceous aromatics on the nose and intensity across the palate, a cool climate Sauvignon Blanc with varietal character and a lengthy finish. Will be back for more, most likely for a six-four Riesling-Sauv Blanc blend in the next ten-pack.
Kaesler 2010 Reid's Rasp Barossa Valley Shiraz (4.5* $16.99) Vibrant crimson with purple tones, soft rounded aromatic peppery elements on the nose that follow through across the palate and linger pleasantly, it will be interesting to see how this one handles bottle age if I can restrain myself from wolfing the rest of the box down. There's a rounded plummy complexity that generates plenty of interest in the mouth, creating an enjoyable drinking experience. Can't see stocks lasting too long at The Wine Society so I expect reordering won't be a possibility.
Leeuwin Estate 2008 Art Series Riesling (4.5* $22) After a couple of younger Rieslings from other regions where the citrus notes were far more pronounced the relatively restrained nose and the semi-aged notes across the palate (that hydrocarbon element's there again, but lurking below the surface rather than muscling its way to prominence) made a rather pleasant change. In the mouth it sat comfortably in between the citrusy zing of a young Riesling and the overt developed characters you find in the aged versions. There's a tendency to see that transition from youth to maturity as leaving a void that detracts from the drinking experience, but there was, I thought, plenty going on here. Thankfully, there's still another bottle to go.
Olssens of Watervale 2006 The Second Six (4.5/5 $28) Deeply red in the glass, with complex notes across the nose and an acrobatic balance of red and black fruits across the palate this doesn't pack quite the same punch as its sibling but comes across as well weighted with a pleasing depth of flavour and a lengthy finish which, again, encourages the drinker to take some time over the end of the bottle.
Pfeiffer 2010 Winemaker’s Selection Viognier (4* $25 C2 $22.50) My research notes suggest that when the grower gets it right deep yellow grapes produce wine high in alcohol with a strong perfume. While 13.2% isn't all that high, the aromatics were definitely there on the nose (peaches and stone fruits, touch of spice) with the apricots coming out across the palate. This Wine Club only number, nicely textured and hitting the right spot when it came to accompanying my favourite roast chook could, once again have been rounded up, but one suspects it'll be all gone by the time the Gamay order goes in.
Stella Bella 2006 Suckfizzle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon (4.5* $36) Plenty happening on the nose, herbs, grass, berries and talc, with the interaction between Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and oak delivering a complexity across the palate with layers to savour over a lengthy sitting. Won't be waiting too long to open the other bottle on hand and definitely one to throw in the next order from Stella Bella.
Tahbilk 2006 Riesling (4.5* $n/a) Pale straw in the glass, and from the first sniff there was the familiar petrol notes that you come to expect in quality mature Riesling and the same notes came across when the wine hit the palate. Not, perhaps, in the same bracket as mature examples from premium growers in more highly rated regions, but mature Riesling of this quality at this price point (a notional $12.50 as part of a vertical half-dozen) and this quality underlines extreme value on offer if you know where to look.