Chris, on Wine
Welcome to my wine cellar, where I tell you about the wines I’m thinking, drinking, and sometimes cellaring.
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I’m passionate about wine! I’ve been enjoying and collecting it for over 50 years and I’ve built several home wine cellars during that time.
I started this blog to share my thoughts on the wine that I’ve been drinking. I’d welcome your comments … Chris Miley
2009 Moppity Vineyards Hilltops Reserve Shiraz 13.9%
Could not wait to open another of these, just over one year since we tried the first. So what has changed? Now 12 months on, is the hype created by the rave reviews including Halliday's 97 points, justified? Well in a word (actually two),...
Ysios 2006 Rioja DOC, Spain, 14%
It pays to have neighbours like these! Our dear friends and neighbours, John and Jeanette, brought this back from their recent visit to the magnificent Ysios Winery (google it) in Spain just for me to try. Battling pirates, highway robbers, conmen...
2008 Eileen Hardy Chardonnay, Yarra Valley/Tasmania. 13.1%
Was I An ABC Wine Drinker? In truth I think I still am (anything but Chardonnay), but occasionally you get to drink something like the 2008 Eileen Hardy Chardonnay that changes your thinking. There was a great deal of hype about this wine at...
2008 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 14.5%
Chianti on Steroids! Brunello is the name given to Sangiovese by those that grow the grape in Montalcino, and Sangiovese is the grape used to make Chianti. And there are two Chianti appellations, Chianti and Chianti Classico. Confused?, we're only...
2010 Mayer Yarra Valley Close Planted Pinot Noir 13.5%
This wine is made by Timo Mayer, who is also the winemaker at Gembrook Hill Vineyard - more on that later. The colour is sparklingly clear and bright, but light, red. The nose is complex, elegant and enticing … dark and red cherries, some fine...
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Coonawarra Hermitage 1993 13.5%
A blast from the past; yes from way back in the days when we still used the appellation name of Hermitage in the Rhone Valley to describe our Aussie Shiraz. So here we go on its 20th birthday. I still have a bunch of these in the cellar but open...
Kathryn Kennedy 2010 “Small Lot” Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon
I purchased this from Daniel Braun at the Princeville Wine Market on the north shore of Kauai. Finally the island has a real fine wine merchant; Daniel not only knows a great deal about nearly all the wines he sells, you will not be automatically...
2007 Peter Lehmann Margaret Semillon, Barossa Valley 11.5%
Huon Hooke's SMH Wine of the Week this week is this wonderful Semillon from the Barossa Valley. Huon writes ... 'This is simply a beautiful wine. Its low alcohol, un-oaked, early picked style does a good impersonation of a classic from the Hunter...
2011 Pepper Tree Limited Release ‘Tallawanta’ Semillon Hunter Valley – 11.5%
I wrote about this wine after a tasting trip late last year to the Hunter Valley; but in a day of tasting so many wines, though this wine made me stand up and take notice, there was always another wine we needed to look at. So here we are now...
2009 Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz Victoria 13.5%
This is Winestar's 2012 wine of the year and they are still drawing out last supplies to the market. Bert Werden has a lot of customers (including me), so he is not known for putting out something just to sell it, although of course he must in...
2004 Lake Breeze Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 14.5%
The loveliness of Langhorne Creek. Sumptuous, rich, sweet, succulent, complex, flavoursome, delicious, moreish. These are thoughts that spring to mind when I think of the wines of Langhorne Creek in a a good vintage. This 2004 Lake Breeze Cab Sauv...
2012 Bests Great Western Riesling 13%
This is simply astounding and outstanding. There have been some rave reviews for the 2011 Bests GW Riesling including 97 points from James Halliday, and I managed to get a few before they disappeared. But I have to say I like the 2012 even more. It...