133- Navarro Correas Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Navarro Correas Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

132- The Hulk

The Hulk is a drink I created with TyKu, Mountain Dew, and Creme de Menthe Green.
It's amazing!

131- Jacuzzi Sangiovese

Vineyards
Our Lazy C vineyard, situated in the Petaluma Gap within the Sonoma Coast appellation, is blanketed with fog beginning in April and throughout the growing season. The fog can linger until noon on some days ensuring a cool and long growing season. Sangiovese is planted in the lowest and coolest part, which also contributes to its late harvest date.

Fermentation and Aging
These Sangiovese grapes are often the last to be picked for the year. They are de-stemmed with minimal crushing and then pumped to a temperature controlled stainless steel tank. It was inoculated with a pure strain of wine yeast to ensure a complete and healthy fermentation. The grapes are pressed and the wine is transferred to a settling tank. Within a few days the wines are racked and moved to a combination of new French oak barrels and neutral cooperage for nine months of aging.

Winemaker’s Comments
Best known for its role in Chiantis and Brunellos, Sangiovese is the most widely planted grape in Italy. Deep red color, bright raspberry, cherry and pepper flavors all come together in this wine. Our Jacuzzi Sangiovese has balanced acidity, medium body and moderate tannins and will age gracefully for the next 5 to 7 years.

130- Norton Reserve Malbec 2005- Day 2

How did the Norton Reserve Malbec taste the 2nd day?

129- Norton Reserve Malbec 2005

Norton Malbec Reserva 2005

“Reserva” is made from carefully selected grapes from vineyards more than 30 years old. The wine is aged in French oak barrels and then additionally in bottles before release.
Our people’s passion, together with the harmonious coexistence of fruit and wood over time, have made this a great wine, characterized by elegance and complexity. AGING
French oak barrel (1st and 2nd use): 12 months
Percentage: 100%.
Aging in bottle: 10 months

128- How Do You Drink Your Wine?

Send me video of how you drink your wine and I will put it up on my blog.
joe@winesmash.com

127- Blind Tasting with Friends!

A few of my friends took over the set, bagged a couple of wines and talked about them!

126- Ramsay Cabernet 2005- Day 2

Joe tries the Ramsay Cabernet the Day After, to see how it holds up.

Ramsay Cabernet

125- 2005 Ramsay Cabernet

2005 Ramsay Cabernet

124- Yellow Tail Sparkling Rose- formal tasting

Sparkling Wine goes great with just about every kind of food!

If you have never been a fan of sparkling wine, than you have to try this bottle of Yellow Tail Sparkling Rose!

123- Texas Tasting- Day 2

How did the Texan wines taste the next day?

122- Texas wine compared

Joe tries a couple of Texas wines from his visit last weekend!

121- D'arenberg Galvo Garage 2003- Day 2

D'arenberg Galvo Garage 2003
The Day after!

120- D'arenberg Galvo Garage 2003

I couldn't find any information on the 2003 Galvo Garage.... sorry.

119- Mollydooker Boxer 2007 vs 2006

2007 The Boxer

Shiraz

Awarded 90 points by Harvey Steiman at theWine Spectator and chosen as one of the "Editor's Most Exciting New Wines"! An incredibly powerful and complex Shiraz with sweet fruit and lovely structural tannin.

About This Wine:

WOW! Complexed by combining the regional flavours of grapes from McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and Padthaway, this wine has incredible power and purity.

As you know, Mollydooker means Aussie for left-hander, so the label depicts a boxer with two left gloves; sure to knock you out! The 2006 was an enormous hit, after receiving 94 points by Jay Miller at The Wine Advocate and chosen as the 3rd Best Value Red Wine from Australia by Harvey Steiman at The Wine Spectator with 90 points! Incredible Shiraz at an unbeatable price.

This wine is lovely to drink now, especially after a ‘Mollydooker Shake’. It will cellar, but why would you? We suggest you drink and enjoy it now, as we'll make you another next year!

Marquis Fruit Weight:
65-70%

Drink:
Now through 2014

Pairs with:
Grilled rib-eye with sweet carrot puree and horseradish cream sauce. All our Shiraz wines go well with just about any savoury, full-flavoured meats such as roasted lamb, beef short ribs or even spice-rubbed or barbeque’d chicken, and are complimented by aged, hard cheeses, or soft blues and is especially delicious with dried cherries, salted marcona almonds and milk chocolate!

118- Peter Lehmann Clancy's 2005 Day-2

Peter Lehmann Clancy's 2005

117- Peter Lehmann Clancy's 2005

Clancy's Red

Peter Lehmann’s Clancy’s blend has become a firm favourite with lovers of red wine around the world. We follow the pioneering Australian tradition of blending Shiraz with Cabernet Sauvignon, but give it our own touch with the incorporation of Merlot to give a soft, approachable and richly enjoyable red wine.

Successive vintages of this wine have gained major recognition around the world for being an exceptional wine at a very fair price. America’s leading wine magazine, Wine Spectator, has selected Clancy’s in its prestigious Top 100 Wines of the Year listing on no less than four occasions since 1997, and selected the 2004 vintage to appear in its inaugural list of the world’s Top 100 Wine Values.

116- D'arenberg - The Hermit Crab 2006 Day-2

Hermit Crab 2006

115- D'arenberg - The Hermit Crab 2006

2006 d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab
100% McLaren Vale Viognier (70%) Marsanne (30%)
This wine comes about from the understanding that Grenache, Shiraz, and
Mourvedre thrive in McLaren Vale soils, and therefore the Rhone Valley
white partners Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne should also perform well
in the area.

The Winemaking
The grapes, once crushed were
settled in tank before being basket
pressed which ensures the gentle
extraction of these varieties delicate
fruit characters. The Marsanne is
fermentation in tank to retain its
more herbaceous and nutty
characters while the Viognier is
fermented in both tank and barriques
to enable a wide spectrum of tropical
and stone fruits characters to
develop.

The Name
The close proximity of the vineyards to the
Gulf St. Vincent induces a beneficial cooling
effect on thegrapes. Many of McLaren Vale’s
vineyards are on free-draining soils underlain
with limestone, formed by the calcareous remains
of the local marine fauna. One such creature was
the Hermit Crab, a reclusive little crustacean that
to this day inhabits the cast-off shells of others.
The Osborn family thought the name appropriate
for this, McLaren Vale’s first ever Marsanne
Viognier blend and the fact that “Hermit” is an
abbreviation for the name of the region in France
where the Marsanne grape variety dominates.

The Vintage
Vintage 2006 was one of the most condensed vintages
experienced here at d’Arenberg. After a dry winter we
experienced heavy rains in spring which provided
adequate levels of soil moisture to support growth
across most soil types. Flowering and veraison was
consistent and occurred with almost no interruptions.
Once veraison was complete, ripening occurred very
quickly and consistently, even when the initial start to
summer was mixed with varied temperatures. This
mild, early summer slowed vegetative growth in the
canopies which encouraged the vines to channel their
stored energy into the fruit. As the conditions were
cooler than normal this was ideal for whites,
producing very fragrant fruit with good acidity and
long length.

The Characteristics
A very pale watery appearance with tints of green
and yellow suggesting a fresh young wine
with little influence of oak. The aromatics are
tight and controlled but show an array of fresh
fruit notes from runner beans and green tropical
fruits to mango pip/ melon rind. As the wine
opens up further a mixture of apple and citrus
tones appears with notes of nectarine stone.
The palate is tighter than previous years;
generous but still the focus is on ripe fruits, fresh
and juicy, with tightness and control. Flavours
range from quince, ginger and passionfruit notes
with tropical flavours then a mix of almond notes
with lemon, kaffir lime and nectarines. The
mid palate shows good intensity and softness with
a hint of lees character to add a little more
complexity. The finish is quite broad and quite
balanced considering the Viognier is quite
dominate this year but the Marsanne comes
through with a nutty mineral, olive stone, dried
herb influence that cuts the Viognier back.
Chill it down and enjoy.

Harvest Dates
13 March – 7 April
Oak Maturation
4% in 5 yr old and older
French Oak Barriques
Bottling:
From 23 January 2007
Chief Winemaker:
Chester d’Arenberg Osborn
Additional Information
Vegetarian/ Vegan friendly
Alcohol by Vol: 13.5%
Residual Sugar: 2.8g/L
Titratable Acid: 6.3 g/L
pH: 3.39

d’ARENBERG PTY LTD
PO Box 195 Osborn Rd
M c L A R E N V A L E
South Austral i a 5 1 7 1
TELEPHONE +61 8 8329 4888
FACSIMILE +61 8 8323 8423
winery@darenberg.com.au
www.darenberg.com.au
Artist: Eric Lobbeke