Thursday, 6 November 2008
It was the West Side of the Main North Road Day, we were back on the road after lunch at Skillogalee, and as soon as we lobbed in the Cellar Door at Kilikanoon the regulation sample of Riesling headed the sampling list, and, as everywhere else, it was a case of a whiff, a sip, a smile and a here’s another one of ‘em.
A tasting tour of the Clare Valley’s like that, but each winery has its own subtle variation on the universal theme, and here it was the clear contrast between the 2008 Mort’s Block Riesling ($21) and the 2008 Mort’s Reserve Riesling ($30) taken from selected rows from the same vineyard. The difference was absolutely noticeable. I’d be absolutely happy to drink the former in any appropriate circumstance while the latter is absolutely stunning.
The 2007 Barrel Fermented Semillon ($18) had picked up some buttery characteristics along the way, which was fine with me, while the 2007 Second Fiddle Rose ($18) was a full-bodied, balanced, medium style and another excellent summer wine, as was the 2006 Prodigal Grenache, another one in the contemporary softer style.
The 2005 Medley Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre was the sort of Mediterranean style that’d be the perfect match for Italian meat or pasta dishes and is the sort of wine that creeps up on you. Maybe it should carry a label advising caution when approaching the bottle.
The 2006 Blocks Road Cabernet Sauvignon ($29) wasn’t quite my cup of tea, though when she tried a sip Madam disagreed, and the 2005 Covenant Shiraz ($38) had a lovely long finish thought took quite a bit of swirling in the glass to bring it out.
The regular factors that put off ordering kicked in here as well, and I was just on the verge of going on line for a box of Mort’s Block and Mort’s Reserve when the phone rang and a box of Paulett Polish Hill River and Antonina filled the same niche on Hughesy’s office floor.
And then, predictably, Kilikanoon called, and I found myself availing of the offer of a dozen:
Kilikanoon 2009 Second Fiddle Rose (4* $19) Off-dry fruity Grenache style that's pleasant enough summer drinking without doing anything to draw your attention. Bought after a $85/dozen offer from the winery, and one suspects that the lack of a distinctive make you sit up and take notice character may have something to do with that. That said, would probably reorder as an everyday drinking style if it reappeared at the same price.