G’day mates, a few Aussie wines are to be rocked up on the shelves of your local bottle-O store this coming weekend. Stylistically, Australian wines have changed over the past few years, much to this cobber’s liking. Many of these wines are totally bonza and some even got the old fella excited! Perfect to sip on a sunny arvo with some tucker on the Barbie, and you’ll have a ripper of a time. (Click images to enlarge.)

943399 D’ARENBERG THE COPPERMINE ROAD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010 McLaren Vale, South Australia mL $49.95
Power packed, aromas of eucalyptus, mint, Ribena, black sweet cherry, mineral and smoke. Rich and chewy palate, with gorgeous layers of red and dark fruit, some spiciness, ground black pepper and ripe dusty tannins that stick to your teeth like candy. A very good price too as it is considerably more expensive elsewhere. Find this wine

048785 D’ARENBERG THE LOVE GRASS SHIRAZ 2011 McLaren Vale, South Australia $25.95
Some funk, muddy wet soil and mineral, but a solid background of dark fruit and blackberry lurks beneath. A touch of coffee grounds, very tasty black raspberry and blackberry flavours, with good acidity and a sprinkle of dark chocolate on the finish. Find this wine

408328 DE BORTOLI GULF STATION SHIRAZ/VIOGNIER 2010 Yarra Valley, Victoria$19.95
Earthy, floral and mineral aromas give way to prune, tar, cigar box and forest floor; lots of juicy cherry and plum flavours, chewy tannins and good length. Find this wine

408336 DE BORTOLI VILLAGES PINOT NOIR 2012 Yarra Valley, Victoria $23.95
Intense and funky, notes of lamp oil, wet earth and banana at first, but it settles down to show good red fruit, strawberry and cherry, a touch of beet and sandalwood. As this opens up it become very Burgundian in style as mineral and barnyard traits appear and the fruit starts to shine. Interesting wine. Find this wine

685578 HENSCHKE HENRY’S SEVEN 2013 Barossa Valley, South Australia $42.95
Sixty percent Shiraz is blended with Grenache, Mataro and Viognier to render a vibrantly alive wine boasting aromas of blackberry coulis, damson, raspberry, cake spice and toast. It is sweet on the palate, laden with dark fruits, very good acidity, a velvety smooth texture and a touch of smoke on the finish. Find this wine

  998476 JIM BARRY THE LODGE HILL SHIRAZ 2012 Clare Valley, South Australia $26.95
Red fruit, minty almost spearmint like, a plastic note, plum and Moroccan spices; blackberry essence on the palate, more minty notes, ripe and chewy finish. Find this wine

677476 JIM BARRY THE COVER DRIVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2013 Coonawarra, South Australia $26.95
Highly extracted, but perfectly balanced, nose offers up pure blackcurrant, dark cherry, cola and nutmeg. The fruit is pure and tannins are gentle, with a long, long finish! Very tasty wine. Find this wine

683201 WAKEFIELD MERLOT 2013 Clare Valley, South Australia $17.95
Black raspberry, balsa and mocha cream nose. Nice ripe plum and red berry flavours, creamy and chewy, but a touch of additional sweetness on the finish is over the top for me. Find this wine

WINES FROM THE REST OF THE PACK

183921 KISTLER SONOMA MOUNTAIN CHARDONNAY 2013 Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County $98.95
Amazing whiffs of floral, cider apples, candied lime, warm bread, citrus, papaya and melted butter. The palate is sublime and seamless, it has brilliant texture, deftly administered oak and super length to the finish. Find this wine

709717 CAKEBREAD CELLARS CHARDONNAY 2013 Napa Valley $59.95
Also tasty, but tough to compare next to Mr. Kistler. Nonetheless, is carries good clean aromas of apple, pear, melon and citrus; well balanced, with nice white tree fruit, vanilla and crisp acidity. Find this wine

296509 CADE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011 Napa Valley $93.95
Very good dark fruit and blackberry aromas supported by mint, Chinese dried mushroom, cocoa, mocha and star anise. Blackcurrant and blueberry govern the palate, and dusty and chalky tannins say wait awhile or decant well in advance of consuming. Find this wine

273391 HALL CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2011 Napa Valley $75.95
Forest floor and cave air mixes with earthy aromas, Bouquet Garni and dried fruits. Beautifully balanced, plum, currant and damson shows well, with a touch of creamy mocha on the lusciously long finish. Find this wine

180125 CARABELLA ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2012 Chehalem Mountains, Oregon $46.95
Earthy, forest floor, beet, damson and salty black licorice aromas. Blackberry and juicy plum flavours, a hint of raspberry with mineral and chocolate on the finish. Find this wine

058024 LA CREMA PINOT NOIR 2013 Los Carneros $45.95
Overloaded with plum, raspberry, sweet balsa, sweet spice and vanilla on the nose, and the very intense, jammy palate focuses on red currant, raspberry and rhubarb. Very sweet and spicy and it finishes with a touch of heat. Find this wine

715979 RAYMOND RESERVE SELECTION CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 Napa Valley $39.95
Blackcurrant, leafy forest, mineral and cake spice aromas, with lots of ripe chewy fruit, cassis and cherry, spicy oak and chocolate tannins. Find this wine

130989 TAWSE GROWERS BLEND PINOT NOIR 2011 Niagara Peninsula $24.95
Tasted at the winery, very sleek, lovely aromas of redcurrant, strawberry, plum and smoked meat. Focused fruit, very lively acidity, gentle oak treatment and dusty, but not obtrusive tannins. Tawse wines generally age well, so give this a year and it will show even better. Find this wine

408161 DOMAINE CHANZY MERCUREY CLOS DU ROY 1 ER CRU 2012 $37.95
Classic aromas of true Burgundy, raspberry, rose petal, cherry, clay mineral and a touch of barnyard. Things sadly go pear shaped on the palate, as the fruit turns flat, overpowering acidity takes the helm and the finish is meager. Find this wine

380618 DOMAINE LA FOURMONE LE FAUQUET GIGONDAS 2012 $34.95
A monster; fruit is overpowered at first by mineral and earthy notes, used black tea leaves, black olives and heaps of Szechwan pepper and spice. Given time, blackberry and blackcurrant aromas rise from the depths of this wine, and show too on the palate, but the tannins are gripping, there is a metallic note and the level of spice is high. Very disjointed and needs some serious time away in the cellar. Find this wine

727503 E. GUIGAL CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2009 $58.95
Lovely wine, intense black fruit, shoe leather, dark fruit Jello, mineral and polished wood; super mix of plum and dark fruit on the palate, nice mineral flavours, some spice and a sprinkle of cocoa on the long and spicy finish. Find this wine

413021 DOMAINE L’OSTAL CAZES GRAND VIN, Minervois La Livinière 2011 $31.95
Enticing aromas of floral, cassis, dried fig, smoked meat, dried herbs, plum, blackberry and Asian spice. Superbly balanced and a pleasure to taste, as black raspberry shines on the palate along with mineral, blueberry and tight, but dusty tannins. Find this wine

319392 CHÂTEAU LA TOUR DE L’ÉVÊQUE ROSÉ 2014 Côtes de Provence $18.95
Mineral, pebbles and beach sand, soft strawberry and cherry notes, with brilliant texture and a pleasing creamy touch on the finish. Find this wine

404251 MONTECARIANO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2008 $79.95
Oh yeah, bursting with aromas of cherry liqueur, dark chocolate, rosewater and raspberry. It shows off flavours of prune, black cherry and plum, and some mineral too shows it presence, with very tight and aggressive tannins, suggesting time away in the cellar. Find this wine

362921 RECCHIA MASÙA DI JAGO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2011 $37.95
Coal dust, smoke, and a touch of blueberry that peeps through, as does redcurrant and mineral. Good ripe fruit, blackcurrant for the most part, but the texture is globby. Find this wine

Cheers
CZ

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3. Alan Kerr’s Vintage’s November 22nd Release Notes
4. Alan Kerr’s Vintage’s January 10th Release Notes
5. Alan Kerr’s Vintage’s May 2nd Release Notes

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