Naked Wines Tasting Tour 2012
Part 2 - South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand
2010 Moerbei 'White Gold' Chardonnay Semillon
Not currently stocked - coming soon?
Nutty, savoury nose, with some sweet oak and waxy notes - the oak treatment is evident on the nose, but not overdone. Quite generous and textured on the palate, ripe fruit, oak lends greater mouthfeel; low in acid, ripe fruit, some nuttiness persist on palate. A grown up style, quite classy.
2010 Moerbei 'Sable' Shiraz
£10.99 | £7.99
Dripping with red fruit, some woody tones, slightly hot / smoky even, decent spicy kick too. On the palate its very large, full blown mouthfilling juicy style; plenty of ripe fruit to hold the oak, spicy on the palate too. Bold but not brash, still some elegance to it. A food wine, plenty of wine for not very much money.
2009 Raats Family Chenin Blanc
£13.99 | £10.49
Whilst the Raats 'Original' Chenin is commendable, certainly a good benchmark for what it is, the 'Family' is certainly a step up. Sweet tropical fruit on the palate, pineapple and mangoes, with a lick of sweet buttery oak, even a hint of spice - good complexity on the nose. Palate is filled with ripe citrus, nice mouthfilling texture; medium acidity, good presence and persistence, doesnt just fleet away. Lovely wine, will keep too, drink now - 2015+.
2009 Raats Family Cabernet Franc
£17.99 | £13.49
Black berry and dark plum, quite sweet and jammy on the nose, overlain with a woody / stalky earthiness (coffee, tobacco), and some spice - full on nose, makes you expect a big wine. Palate is expansive and filling, very ripe fruit (black berries and plums again, hints of dark chocolate) with nice balancing acidity, isnt just a simple fruit bomb; properly made, nice mid palate weight, gritty tannic grip on the finish; powerful yet sophisticated, drink now - 2020+
2011 Kimbao Pinot Noir
£11.99 | £8.99
Good fruit, almost minty on the nose, quite forward with the red cherries and plums, possibly some sweet oak too? Juicy fruit on the palate, its extracted, going for a larger, more opulent style; enough abalncing acidity and hardly any tannins; mostly red plums and cherries with a bit of spice. It feels much bigger than what I remember of their 2010 vintage. Great value, especially for good quality Pinot Noir.
2011 Ocaso Torrontes
£10.99 | £7.99
Floral, sweet citrus and peach blossom, they've got the aromatics spot on - very beautifully scented wine. On the palate, the fruit is ripe but feels bit hollow and flabby, and somewhat lacking in freshness / acidity. Still makes the cut for me because the nose was just superb.
2011 Mauricio Lorca Angels Reserve Torrontes
£8.99 | £6.49
The aromatics are there but it isnt as pronounced as the Ocaso, some floral and citrus notes. The palate is more refreshing, nice bright citrus and lemony flavours; nervy and fresh, slips down all too easily. His 'Lirico Torrontes' is very drinkable too but with the Angels Reserve this good, I cant justify the extra quid.
2012 Farmers Story Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
Coming soon
Another two good wines from Jock Harvey - his Brewery Hill label is a Naked Wines favourite and these two 'Farmers Story' wines are quite impressive and definitely worth a try. White stone fruits and some tropical touches, some sweet waxy notes too (like beeswax), the Sauvignon Blanc is quite muted. Its quite funky on the palate, good citrus again with tropical notes, but theres some savoury notes too, definitely interesting and worth a second look.
2011 Farmers Story Shiraz 2011
Coming soon
Beautiful cassis on the nose, blackcurrants cordial and wine gums, plenty of high notes. On the palate, its full of fruits, blackcurrant jam and just under-ripe black cherries; fruity acidity showing, keeps it fresh and not too heavy. A juicy number, plenty of ripe fruit in this wine; drink now - 2014+. I would've taken a picture but for the fact these bottles had no labels.
2009 Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Shiraz
£19.99 | £14.99
Nose is again filled with cassis and blackcurrants, with cordial and wine gums, but this feels heavier and sweeter. On the palate, blackberries and dark plums; textured palate with good weight, this Shiraz has a textbook filling mouthfeel, big boned and quite muscular but not over extracted or jammy; ripe tannins. Its a big wine, dripping with sweet ripe fruit, perhaps lacks abit of freshness but I'm nit picking, its a lovely wine that will give much pleasure now and for some time to come, drink now - 2019+.
2008 Balthazar Barrossa Ishtar GSM
£16.99 | £11.99
Blend of two thirds Grenache and a sixth each of Syrah and Merlot, deliberately made in a lighter style. Pale red with some tawny hue, its got some meaty / gamey nose along with the red fruit; on the palate its juicy, with red cherries and red plums, gently rolling on the mid palate, fresh acidity, hardly any tannins. Soft and easy drinking, reminds me of a good but lighter Beaujolais Cru; drink youngest available, not meant for aging.
2009 Balthazar Barossa Ishtar Shiraz
£16.99 | £11.99
The one and only vintage that is supplemented with 6% Viognier, which does explain the lift on the nose; sweet blackcurrant fruit with some floral notes, violets and the like; palate is well rounded, plenty of ripe fruit, tending towards the stewed / cooked blackcurrants, some tannic grip but its sweet and will be fine with food. Its a fairly substantial wine but I have a feeling they held back a bit here.
2007 Balthazar Barossa Shiraz
£32.99 | £17.99
Blackcurrant and blackberry jam, quite dark and brooding, theres eucalyptus and wine gums coming through; some sweet vanilla oak but its well hidden behind the quite substantial and forward nose - does make you expect a big wine and it does not disappoint on the palate. Full blown, dripping with sweet fruit, blackberries compote, dark berries; good amount of acidity; the oak is carried nicely; a hefty wine, does sit and linger on your palate, demanding attention; lots of ripe but fairly bulky tannins. Big wine, needs food and bottle age, decant for a few hours if drinking now; drink now - 2020+
2011 Small and Small Theodore Sauvignon Blanc
£15.99 | £11.99
An oaked New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc - theres some greenness on the nose, but its overlain with some tropical fruit and a hint of creamy / buttery nose. Palate is filled with bright grapefruit and ripe gooseberry, more textured and bigger than your average Sauvignon Blanc; decent mid palate weight. Good fruit, nice complexity, the oak treatment is tastefully integrated.
2011 Lay of the Land 'Destination' Sauvignon Blanc
£12.49 | £8.99
Sweet tropical fruit (guavas mainly) and green pears on the nose, with some green / leafy characters too, the aromatics are quite sweet and fragrant. On the palate, plenty of ripe fruit; citrus dominates with some gooseberry; clean and refreshing, persistent flavours too - its expressive and wont disapoint.
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