2006 Illuminati Zanna
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane Riserva DOCG
Dense, dark & devastating. Musk, sweet vanilla oak, smokey bacon &
savoury notes. Crushed fennel & coriander seeds with cumin rounding out the
irresistible spice trio. Chewy tannins with lashings of bold dark fruits &
leather. There's a deliberate old shool earthiness. Roasted coffee beans, tar,
licorice & bitter dark chocolate.
This is a stunning Italian beauty.
Confronting, brooding & breathtakingly seductive. Very much like my bride.
Demands a very long decant & longs for flavoursome food. Matched
brilliantly with marinated lamb cutlets.
Tasted 27th & 28th January 2013
14% Alc Vol
www.illuminativini.it
2006 Pizzini Il Barone
Day 1 - Sweet cherries, musk,
leather & ground five spice. Tight & ravishingly structured, allowing
just a hint of things to come with patience. Glad I decanted 4hrs ago.
Deep
ruby in colour, soft chalky tannins & licorice gliding in the middle. Cab
sauv, Shiraz, sangiovese & nebbiolo each painting their own varietal brush
strokes. There's that unfamiliar but magnetic tangy marshmallow that I am
totally flawed by. Must be the nebbiolo. I really like this wine.
Day 2- More tar &
aniseed. Less bright red fruit. Still structured with some tannin grip holding
the powerful scrum solid & firm. Should go well with the sage roasted pork
belly. Flavours rush around the mouth in a smooth, suave, controlled manner;
everything in its place.
So well balanced & mesmerising. The cabernet
shining more elegantly today with casis & dark plum at the very end. The
aroma of the fennel seeds roasting on the pork belly in the oven tantalisingly
interweave with those from the glass.
Will not make Day 3. I cannot stop...
Tasted 3rd & 4th December 2011
www.pizzini.com.au
2012 Tyrrells Wines Vat 1 Hunter
Semillon
Kaffir lime leaves & lime zest. Strikingly crisp & delicate
lemon sherbet. Enough flesh to impress though even so young. Lustingly long
palate with immaculate structure.
Will be glorious in 10 years and possibly
great in 20. That is if I can keep my filthy hands off the remaining bottles.
Now where can I hide them?
Tasted 1st October 2012
www.tyrrells.com.au
2009 Mount Langi
Ghiran Cliff Edge Shiraz (Grampians)
Day 1- Decanted for four hours. Gun flint, tobacco pouch & a hint of spice.
Concentrated black fruits, blood plum, cherry, mulberry. White pepper, cardamom
pod. Tightly coiled & superbly restrained.
Day 2- Smokey, sinister & rather sultry. Vanilla oak. Much more spice &
pepper than Day 1. Toasty & gamey. Light bodied, but still tight on the fruit. Not
giving much away without patience. Matched massive medium-rare rib eye on the bone
devastatingly well.
Day 3- Smoothed out with subtle tannins. Fruit has opened up elegantly,
balanced & less shy. Lashings of licorice, sage & black olives.
Confident it would evolve again Day 4, but sadly the bottle runs dry. Oh this
is good. Really very good. Note to self, buy some more.
Tasted 26th, 27th & 28th October 2012
www.langi.com.au
2002 Campbells Bobbie
Burns Shiraz
Simply oozes sophistication from the decanter. Suave &
decadent. Rich & velvety old school fruit, red & black. Tannins melted
in the cellar. Aroma is totally captivating. One of those wines you can enjoy
by simply smelling it. But then you would miss the brambly, old wine
smoothness. Hints of vanilla oak & lots of cuddles. Such a glorious wine
with fabulous pedigree.
Probably at its peak right now. I cannot imagine how this wine could get better than this. Though I suggest it will maintain its classic good looks and charm for a while still. Glad I opened it
now though as it was superb.
Tasted 10th November 2012
www.campbellswines.com.au
