Wine Advice by GPCi - Where Passion Meets Reason...

Spain (Red)
1999 Vallformosa Gran Reserva Tinto, Penedes - $19.95
13.5%
2001-2009 http://www.weinco.at/ireds/P-127-ID-67254486.1999.html
WIne Acces - Showing evolution and elegance rather than up front fruit or barrel influence. Complex aromas of cherry, mineral, leather, spice and gamey notes. Dry with tangy and slightly sour fruit. Good acidity and fruit/oak balance with a firm tannic structure. Want more complexity and length (JD).
Vintages - Maturing very nicely, this Gran Reserva shows its age in its colour, garnet/ruby, but not on the nose or the palate. Cherry, cloves, berries, leather and mushroom are very apparent. It is dry, retains a very good fruitiness, yet still has moderate tannins for continued ageing. Medium-bodied with a substantial finish. Enjoy with a roast beef dinner.
GPCI - if you like this region (north-east of Spain) terroir extraction's flavors, for this prices, you get a nice 7 years old wine that can be drank now and will definitely hold until 2010.


France Rhone (Red)
2004 Domaine de Mourchon Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret 'Grande Reserve' - $25.95
WS – 90 ; Ripe, powerful blackberry and currant fruit cuts a broad swath, while tobacco, garrigue, loam and game notes fill in behind it. Nice grip on the finish. Drink now through 2008. 2,500 cases made.
This is the first wine I have tasted from this highly rated producer and it is fabulous. A blend of old vine Grenache with a good slug of Syrah, partly aged in new oak. It's deep, dense, dark, and spicy and packed with ripe fruits, as well as spice and plain chocolate. It is a big wine that is delicious now but really needs time. A cracking wine that belies its Cotes du Rhone Villages appellation. http://www.nywines.co.uk/newreleases/details.asp?CaseGroupID=1238
GPCI - 2004 was a great year in the south Rhone valley. The wines are powerful and intense (some say more than 2003). It's a bit expensive for an immediate to short time cellaring.


France Bordeaux (Red)
2003 Chateau Pibran, Pauillac - $39.95
WS – 92 ; Complex aromas of currants, spices and sweet tobacco with just a hint of cigar box. Full-bodied, with masses of velvety tannins and rich fruit. Very chewy and rich. Best after 2012
RP – 87-89 ; From a vineyard situated on the high plateau of Pauillac, near both Pontet-Canet and Mouton Rothschild, this blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon reveals excellent cassis fruit, impressive ripeness, good sweetness and depth on the palate, and a long, concentrated finish. A potential sleeper of the vintage... Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016."
GPCI - very tempting - a great review, from a great region on the right bank, good cellaring potential. Buy one or two for special occasions.

2000 CHÂTEAU LA GARDE, Pessac-léognan AOC – $49.95
RP – 89 ; Tasting Note: Elegant, smoky, roasted herb, tobacco, and sweet red and black currant aromas jump from the glass of this opaque ruby/purple-colored offering. Medium-bodied and lush, with copious sweetness, low acidity, and ripe tannin, this is a sleeper of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2017.
GPCI - a 2000 Bordeaux that can be cellared for up to 11 years more. I say buy one for special occasions.


France Burgundy (Red)
2002 Oliver Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet - $49.95
WS - 88 ; RP – 89 - "Good news! There are 170 barrels (42,500 bottles) of the excellent 2002 Puligny-Montrachet. This floral, mineral-scented wine exhibits excellent richness, breadth, and mouth-feel. Its satiny-textured, light to medium body character is well-focused, with candied citrus and mineral flavors."
GPCI - You see, and I apologize in advance, but paying $50 for a Light-Medium white wine is something I find hard to bring myself doing... there are so many wines like this in other less known regions for a fraction of the price...

New Zealand, Marlborough (Red)
2004 Mount Riley Pinot Noir (Screw Cap) - $18.95
WS-89 ;
winemaker's notes - Mid red intensity with purple hues. Ripe berry aromas, strawberry, plum, attractive oak aromas with a little smokiness from the oak aging. Savoury hints of earth, with mushroom complexity. Berry fruit flavours, mouth filling with a pleasing soft tannin finish. Warm and supple, a medium bodied wine to be enjoyed. http://www.wine.com/
Stalky guava aromas and dark savoury stewed fruit with firm meaty tannin and a hot, dry, earthy finish. It's a little oak dominant right now and oak lingers on the aftertaste. 13.5%.
http://www.wineoftheweek.com/tastings/pinotnoir.html
GPCI - for the Pinot Noir lovers this is a MUST buy - how many times you have the chance to buy a Pinot for less than $20 from a reliable region like Malborough? buy at least 2 bottles.


Australia (Red)
2000 SEPPELT ST. PETERS SHIRAZ - $54.95
Holliday – 96 ; Jeremy Oliver - 96
Cellartracker.com – drink between 2012 to 2020
http://www.seppelt.com.au/ - drink now to 2020. Medium body, 13% - “although relatively low in alcohol, possessing excellent intensity of falvor and structure…”
http://www.bootleg.com.au/blstore/5334.html - A long, harmonious, complex and seamless shiraz. Firm & supple, its silk palate presents perfectly ripended dark berry/plum fruit, knit with oak and fine tannins. It also has a pleasing rusticity, and a greenish edge to the tannins which should diminish with age.
GPCI – a relatively OK ratio between the price and the potential cellaring years, but somehow I have mixed feelings – Holliday and Oliver both rated it very highly while the descriptions of the winemaker don’t seems attractive for the price.

2002 Pirramimma Shiraz - $21.95
http://www.bevmo.com/ - Ripe, black and full-flavored, the Pirramimma Shiraz is an excellent example of the varietal; perfect with grilled short ribs.
GPCI - great wine. had it few times. never failed. for short time cellaring.


2002 Pirramimma Petit Verdot – $21.95
http://www.majestic.co.uk/ - 14.1% - There are very few varietal Petit Verdot produced and Pirramimma have achieved optimum success with this intriguing grape variety. A powerful nose with aromas of spice and violets hint at the rich core of cherry and currant fruit that is overlayed by spicy oak.
It was aged for 2 years in new American oak and can be drank now until 2012.
GPCI - another sure bet from Pirramimma - just excellent! buy at least 2.


2003 PENFOLDS BIN 138 – $29.95
Grenach/Shiraz/Mourvedre
http://www.winestar.com.au/prod1528.htm - Elevated to the Bin range with the 1998 vintage, Penfolds Bin 138 showcases the classic Rhone varieties of grenache, shiraz and mourvedre, with a Barossa Valley flavour. This wine was matured for 17 months in older French and American oak hogsheads. Alc/Vol: 14.5%. Drinking: Now - 2012
Perfumed, spicy and plummy Grenache is immediately noticeable leading to aromas of dark chocolate cake and freshly ground cocoa beans. Secondary notes of savoury roasting dish sauces and salts add complexity to a nose unencumbered by any apparent oak. A medium bodied palate with a good weight for a 69% grenache offering. Berried rather than plum fruits show, with some Barossa chocolate and tarriness. The mourvedre appears to tighten the palate inducing flavours of freshly picked ginger and spice. Fine grained fruit tannins stretch across a rich, concentrated palate.
True to style, this twelfth Old Vines release continues to showcase old vine Barossa red varieties, unaided by new oak or elevated alcohol levels.

GPCI - a bit expensive for a GSM (the GPCI is relatively high assuming you can cellar it for 6 more years only).


2002 Henschke Keyneton Estate Euphonium – $49.95
70% shiraz, 20% cabernet sauvignon and 10% merlot grown in the Barossa (Eden Valley and Barossa Valley). With the smaller crop level, the balance of sugar, flavour and natural acidity in the fruit were excellent. Despite the pitiful crop 2002 was one of our most exceptional vintages ever, helped by the warm dry Indian summer autumn period, providing sensational colours, flavours and ageing potential.
Deep crimson in colour. Lifted aromas of spicy, sweet ripe black berry fruits, plums and anise with hints of tar, vanilla and cedar. Soft rich fruit on the palate with good concentration and complexity. Fleshy in texture, the wine has velvety tannins and a long finish. Exceptional vintage, drink 2007+Briary aromas of blackberry and mulberry confiture are supported by sweet vanilla oak and lightly herbal undertones of white pepper and spices. Smooth, fine and silky, its tightly focused and pristine palate is stained with juicy dark berry, cherry and plum-like flavours tightly knit with lightly smoky vanilla/chocolate oak and fine-grained tannins. Finishes long and savoury, with structure and balance. (95, drink 2014-2022+) Jeremy Oliver, OnWine
RP - 93 ; Drink 2005-2015. A combination of 70% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot aged 18 months in wood (15% new), the 2002 Keyneton Estate boasts impressive intensity, richness, concentration, and aromatics (black currants, licorice, earthy spice, and a hint of wood). A beauty, with a meatiness to its richness and intensity, it should drink well for a decade or more. Wine Advocate #161 (Oct 2005)

GPCI - looking at all of the reviews seems very tempting despite the $50 high price. If you haven't have Henschke before, I say buy one bottle for a special occasion - you will not regret it.


2003 d'Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz - $20.95
ST – 88 ; RP - 88 ; The 2003 The Footbolt Shiraz exhibits sweet, earthy blackberry and cherry notes, a good texture, a touch of spice box and cedar, and a user-friendly finish with no hard edges. It should drink well for 3-4 years. October 2005
http://www.wine.com/ - Outstanding dark, rich, intense and spicy Aussie Shiraz. Four decades of young d'Arenberg Shiraz have been very consistent in color, a deep red-purple, then the immediate hallmarks of spicy, lifted ripe peppery mulberry and blackberry fruit aromas. Richer chocolate, stewed plum mint and spicy, cedary pepper smells and often cinnamon follow the initial attack of primary fruit characters.
The Footbolt Shiraz palate is consistently well structured as a young wine, with terrific fruit and oak tannin providing great texture to support plum, blackcurrant and rolling blackberry flavors especially on the mid-palate. Often dark chocolate characters are quite evident too. This is followed by a traditional, long, velvety, fine-grained tannin finish.
On the tongue, The Footbolt Shiraz maintains a wonderfully textured palate with significant bottle age. Gentle, grainy black olive flavors balance the sweeter coffee, chocolate and occasional mint characters. Malty, earthy and distinctly savory characters on the rich middle palate dominate against soft tannin and piquant acidity.
GPCI - a good value Shira from a relaible producer such d'Arenberg. a fair price.

2004 Craneford Quartet - $24.95
RP - 88 ; Elegant and restrained, the 2004 Quartet is a blend of nearly equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Shiraz. With terrific up-front fruit as well as a subtle, earthy nose of Chinese black tea, black currants, cedar, and dried herbs, this medium-bodied, elegant, stylish Australian red will drink well for 5-7 years.

GPCI - I like this wine but the price is not attractive enough for the entire "package"...


2004 Craneford John Zilm Merlot – $39.95
RP- 92 ; “I continue to be shocked by encounters with top-flight Merlot from Australia (it doesn't happen that often). Craneford's 2004 Merlot, a knock-out effort from the Barossa that spent 16 months in French oak, exhibits a dark ruby/purple color in addition to rich aromas of berry fruit, roasted coffee, chocolate, and subtle herbs. This fleshy, voluptuously-textured, hedonistic Merlot will provide immense pleasure over the next 5-6 years."

GPCI - John Zilm has great wines and 2004 was a good vintage. However, $40 for Merlot that can be cellared for only 5-6 years - well, I'm not sure...

2004 Craneford Allyson Parsons shiraz - $18.95
http://www.wine-club-central.com/ - This style shows upfront fruit with layers of flavors that will complex with age. Fermented in oak barrels and then left in both American and French oak gives this wine a number of interesting flavors including spice, earthy, leather, black currant, Christmas pudding and chocolate. The wine has good length and soft tannin throughout, is well balanced and lingers with chocolate flavor. A wonderful example Barossa Valley Shiraz, so easy to drink now or later.

GPCI - here is good value Shiraz that can probably lay dow for up to 4-5 years.

2004 ST. HALLETT FAITH SHIRAZ – Vintages Wine Of The Month - $19.95
http://www.carlorussowine.com/ - Vibrant dark cherry, raspberry and rich chocolateflavours are balanced with an even, textural palate with smooth and supple tannins, with a hint of vanillin oak. The overall palate effect is of rich ripe fruit and a generosity that is the hallmark of Barossa Shiraz.This wine is perfect company to the usual suspects, grilled rack of lamb or fillet steak. It is also amazingly versatile as it partners a variety of cuisines, - try with fragrant curries spiced with cinnamon and cardamom. The Faith Shiraz 2004 can be enjoyed on its own, as a glass that just bursts with flavour.

Wine Access = 88 ; This is a very youthful, taut shiraz that’s almost shrill compared to many Aussie reds. Very lifted, slightly green mint leaf, blueberry fruit with lavender notes on the nose. Not much oak here. Medium-full bodied, taut and vibrant with some creaminess. Quite penetrating but almost simple in flavour. Great with lamb. Best 2007 to 2010. (DL)

GPCI - I tried the 2002 about 2 weeks ago (the 2004 should not be far behind) and it was very good. If you're looking for a Shiraz this release, this is definitely one of the better options.



2004 Wakefield Merlot - $17.95
14.5% - A huge brute of a wine. Big fruity/chocolaty/minty nose and a lovely rich, sweet fruit palate. Young and chewy with lovely flavour intensity.” 4 STARS Winestate Magazine (AUS) July/August 2005
Wine Access = 88 ; The ubiquitous merlot grape (Bordeaux, Italy, California) is deemed too mellow and fine for Australia’s hot climate. So it’s a measure of Australia’s progress that good merlots are emerging from its hot sites. This Wine of the Month catches the spirit. Lovely blueberry, mint, chocolate flavours set in a smooth, medium-full version, with fine tannin. Deceptively easy-going, as merlot should be. And very good value. (DL)
GPCI - a good value Merlot! I'd buy 2.