Month: September 2014

Voyager Estate Shiraz 2010

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Most transplanted Vic’s living in West Aus reckon the only part of that state that reminds them of their former home is down south in the Margaret River. Sounds like a pretty good reason to grab a wine from down that way. Voyager Estate Shiraz 2010 $34 @ Templestowe Cellars. Whereas most of the west is bush scrub, the Margaret river region is the land of tall gums, Aussie bush, and some of the best tended vineyards in the country. Man, there must be money in digging up the state as the mulla spent on some of the estates is phenomenal, and Voyager estate is certainly no exception. No expense has been spared in turning what was once Freycinet Estate into Voyager. Beautifully manicured lawns, rows and rows of roses, white washed walls, cellar door, restaurant, functions, you name it…the lot! It also has the second largest flag pole and Aussie flag in the country, behind only Parliament house in Canberra. Why? ‘Cos they can! Wouldn’t surprise me if they had a team that went …

Saltram Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

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Sometimes you need to pull out a wine that’s a little bit special to commemorate significant moments in time, something befitting the occasion. Saltram Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 certainly fit the bill the other day, as Rachael held a glass up to her mum, Marie, who passed 12 years earlier….much too early! I never had the pleasure of meeting Mars, but from all account a wonderful wife, mother and friend to many. If her offspring are anything to go by, she was a beauty! …and so is Saltram Mamre Brook. The Cabernet was fabulous, fully matured at eight years but with a few more in the tank, I reckon. Full bodied, lush with layers of plumb, berries, and chocolate. The Barossa is more famous for Shiraz, which there is a Mamre Brook as well, but Cabernet done well is a pleasure no matter where it comes from. Saltram may be owned by the largest wine company going around, Treasury Wine Estates, but continues to be a hidden jewel in their vast cave of wine …

Topper’s Mountain

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Some wines are an omen’s bet, picked up because the name means something, or is significant, or  “just ‘cos”. This wine is one of those. Topper’s Mountain 2009 Tannat $36 from Olinda Cellars. I was speaking to Ross at Olinda Cellars, and asked him to pick out a couple of wines for me to chose from, which he dutifully obliged. Choosing was a no brainer, Topper’s Mountain it was! Because? Because I played footy in Brisbane with a bloke called ‘Topper’, and he was a man mountain…..HUGE! A bit slow, not overly flash on the park, but a fearsome sight, both on the field and more importantly, in the bar afterwards. His weapon of choice was beer followed closely by Bundy, but lets not let the facts get in the way of the story. A ripping bloke! So hopefully a ripping wine. And this wine comes from up north too, not quite Brisvegas north, but close enough not to quibble. It comes from New England, up near Armidale NSW. Not exactly a thriving hub of …