Grape Ideas - Awards & Acolades

"Big prune, spicy, black cherry aromas with a strong cigar streak. Rich, round, supple, fat and intense with smoky, peppery, black cherry jam, mushroom and licorice root flavours. Well balanced if a bit warm, excellent value with great intensity. Can't go wrong here." Anthony Gismondi

"Ripe cherry, plum, spicy, barnyard, compost aromas. Soft, round, simple but supple and elegant. Easy cherry, smoky, rhubarb, compost flavours with a spicy finish. A bit diluted and dry on the finish but sound."

"From a tiny old vines vineyard comes this big white pepper, spicy, smoky vanilla red with black plum, cassis, cigar and meaty garrigue notes. The palate is ripe with grainy but slippery tannins. Intense smoky cigar, peppery, chocolate, vanilla, licorice root flavours with a black cherry, orange rind finish. Quite young and potent with a chunky, rustic edge but will improve over the next 2-5 years."

"Very clean, spicy, peppery, floral nose with licorice, black cherry jam, vanilla, orange peel and ginger aromas. The palate is rich and soft with juicy fruit and light tannins. Big licorice, spicy, pudding, black cherry, vanilla, cardamom, rootsy flavours. A bit warm and acidic on the finish but with good fruit and texture and slightly grippy tannins. Fresh and young and finished with a screwcap."

"Typical sausage meat, peppery, nutmeg nose with blackberry aromas and a floral note. Soft, round, supple style with light sweetness. Black cherry, floral, spicy, minty, candied plum flavours with light tannins on the finish that has the now customary acidity and leanness we find in many Oz shiraz."

"The lush cassis and raspberry fruit is surrounded by cocoa, spice and toast notes. The fruit really pumps through the finish, offset by a mineral note that adds further dimension. Elegant and well put together. Drink now through 2008. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 6,000 cases made."

"Powerful, dense nose of dark plum, smoke and a hint of blackstrap, with flavors to match. Robust, deeply colored and intense, this tarry red is made in a no-holds-barred style. The finish is filled with Bourbon and spice. Best from 2006 through 2010."

"A proprietary Bordeaux blend, the excellent 2001 Tamblyn (53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Shiraz, 7% Malbec, and 6% Merlot) was aged 14 months in a combination of French and American oak. Aromas of black currants, licorice, earth, and subtle vanilla are accompanied by a medium-bodied red with loads of fruit, well-integrated acidity as well as tannin, and a spicy finish. It should drink well for 5-6 years." Robert Parker

"Australian producers appear to be doing a good job with the Spanish varietal Verdelho. The 100% stainless steel made and aged 2003 Verdelho reveals a nice texture, loads of fruit, and hints of citrus, honey, and almond. Enjoy this tasty white over the next 1-2 years." Robert Parker

"A good value, the 2001 Shiraz Selkirk, which was aged 14 months in American oak of which one-fourth was new. With good density as well as exuberance, a succulent texture, plenty of rich fruit, and a straightforward, uncomplicated style, it is a savory Shiraz to drink over the next 2-4 years." Robert Parker

"The 2002 Shiraz is an elegant yet powerful red aged 22 months in 80% French and 20% American oak barrels. Deep ruby/purple-colored, with full body, and loads of blackberry, cassis, licorice, earth, and vanilla aromas as well as flavors, this chewy Shiraz possesses good underlying acidity along with fine definition and purity. It should drink well for 7-8 years." Robert Parker

"One of the finest ruby ports I have ever tasted, this opaque ruby/purple-colored effort displays notes of creosote, blackberries, coffee, grilled meats, and oodles of fruit. Dense, supple-textured, and voluminous in the mouth, without being heavy, it is a stunning offering that is in complete contrast with the industrial ruby ports produced by the big port houses. Drink it over the next 4-5 years." Robert Parker

"The 2002 Hecula is a 100% Mourvedre (grown in pure limestone at an altitude of 800 meters) aged in equal parts tank and French oak. There are 12,000 cases of this deep ruby/purple-colored, dense effort. It offers big, substantial blackberry, earthy, currant flavors with hints of cherry and licorice in the background. Surprisingly intense and pure, it represents a terrific bargain. Enjoy it over the next 2-3 years."

"The 2003 Hecula, aged in equal parts tank and French wood, is produced from ancient, non-irrigated Mourvedre vines planted in pure limestone. Inky ruby/purple to the rim, with a sweet bouquet of ripe plums, figs, raspberries, and cherries, it boasts a terrific texture, enviable purity, medium to full body, and a long, seamless finish. Drink this outstanding bargain over the next 2-3 years."

"The 2002 Mas Donis Barrica is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah aged 10 months in a combination of American and French oak. There are 15,000 cases of this offering, which tastes like a baby Priorat. A dense purple color gives up scents of creosote, blackberries, kirsch liqueur, new saddle leather, and meat. Complex, rich, and nearly too serious for a wine in this price range, this is a concentrated, heady 2002 to enjoy over the next 2-3 years. It is a great value!" Robert Parker

"Made from 100% Grenache (90-103 year old vines planted at 900 meters), the 2001 Cabrida was cropped at 16 hectoliters per hectare, and spent 16 months in new French oak. There are 4,800 bottles of this sumptuous, inky/purple-colored offering. Rich aromas of briery fruit, raspberries, blackberries, crushed stone, and flowers emerge from a glass of this Spanish red. It boasts superb purity, tremendous intensity, and a full-bodied, long, flowing finish. I’m not sure how well it will evolve, but certainly for drinking over the next 5-7 years, it delivers tremendous complexity as well as intensity." Robert Parker

"This muscular red shows ripe, almost roasted flavors of plum, prune, cola and coffee. Yet it remains graceful on the palate, with a clean, floral finish. It's a mountain man in a three-piece suit. Drink now through 2010. 2,500 cases imported."

"Spain is hot...The Fandango dances its way into your glass with an unforgettably vibrant, almost neon, purple hue. Ripe raspberry aromas flamenco in triple time and if those aren’t enough cheesy metaphors for you, a lively acidity punctuates the fruity flavour like masterful castanets. A bit of glass swirling, or even decanting, to give the wine some air brings out a pleasant, dusty-earth complexity"