Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon

                                                          The slightly modernized label

2018 was a relatively mild vintage in Margaret River with a long ripening period. So what is going on with this 2018 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon? It has the usual dark colour, and is black fruited. The wine is very concentrated and ripe, but the soft mulberry flavours are missing; the muskiness is missing. This wine lacks charm.

On the plus side, the wine shows cedar and smoky flavours for complexity, and the wine has a long finish. However, it feels a bit hot and alcoholic (14.5%).

I am not sure if one should drink it now or keep. I do not see much potential for improvement.

Score: 92/0
 

Thymiopoulos Earth & Sky

 Xinomavro is an interesting variety, sitting right in trend. It is indigenous to Greece, and expresses itself particularly well in the hilly area of Naousa in Northern Greece. It is often compared to Nebbiolo due to its acidity and tannin structure, but the fruit profile is lighter. I find some similarities with Sicilian varieties. The aromatics have some similarity with Pinot Noir as well.

Thymiopoulos is a major producer of this variety. His portfolio is structured in layers of quality. The Earth & Sky sits at the premium end. Yesterday I tried the 2021 Thymiopoulos Earth & Sky.

The ruby colour of the wine shows medium density. The wine has an appealing rose aroma.

On the palate, red cherry and some herbacious flavours, not green, deliver a bright and lively feel in the mouth. The wine has good concentration and balance. There are smoky notes on the back palate. The acidity shines through, and the finish is medium plus.

This is an interesting and attractive wine, well made and quite serious. This is an ideal drink for the warmer months.

Score: 95/+++  

Château Margaux

 In a recent tasting of high quality French and Australian wines from 2010, one wine shone above the rest; the 2010 Château Margaux.

The wine first impressed with its aromatic and perfumed aromas, so typical of the Margaux subregion. In this case, they were caressing the nose with seamless fragrances.

The main impression is that this is such a complete wine. Nothing sticks out; no acidity, no particular flavour. The mouthfeel is one of intensity and opulence. The wine is elegant and in perfect harmony. It almost detracts to discuss fruit flavours, but if you must, blackcurrant and blueberry would be dominant in this 90% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is very youthful and will go on for decades. The finish is incredibly long and silky. I tasted this wine some years ago, and even as a young wine, it was very harmonious and drinkable. Doing this early in life, and carrying it through for maybe 20-40 years is remarkable.

Score: 100/+++ 

I am acutely aware that a famous label can influence wine notes significantly. I believe I would have given this review to a no label wine.  

Elio Grasso Casa Maté Barolo

 I enjoyed the 2015 Sordo (reviewed below) quite a lot. I thought let's see how this compares with the 2015 Elio Grasso Casa Maté.

Wow! What a wine this is. It is only just getting ready to drink at 10 years. This wine is very tannic, but finely grained. The red cherry fruit is mellowing. Mocca flavours and licorice make the palate quite complex. This wine is piercing through the palate. The finish is ultra long. This wine is not for everybody, but I love this.

Elio Grasso has been one of my favorite producers, even more so since I visited a couple of years ago, and saw the special vineyard area of this estate. The strong focus on two premium Barolos is clearly paying off.

Score: 96/+++

Sordo Rocche Di Castiglione Barolo

 The 2021 Barolos are coming onto the market. While in some countries the latest vintage is always proclaimed the best, the Piedmontese  have a slightly different approach. Of course, the new vintage is always good, but the emphasis is on comparing the vintage with a similar one of the past.

The key features of this vintage were a warm and dry summer. It followed a snow cover in spring, which is better than rain, as rain is drained very quickly in the Barolo soils. As a result many wine makers describe it as delivering wines with good structure and approachable fruit. The comparison is the 2015 vintage.

2015 is regarded as good, but not stellar. In order to have a window in what 2021 might be like, I opened a bottle of the 2015 Sordo Rocche di Castiglione Barolo.

I would say that Sordo is in the second division of Barolo producers, but it has a strong focus on single vineyard wines. The wine opens up with typical rose petal aromas. On the palate, red cherry flavours and tar deliver quite a complex and pleasant mouthfeel. The tannins are well integrated and long. Despite this, this wine is quite smooth. For a ten year old wine it has good energy and is drinking really well now.

So, if 2021 is like this, it would be a buy for me.

Score: 95/+++

Swinney Farvie Syrah

 Normally, I do not like new wines coming onto the market as the next big thing, with a big price tag. However, Swinney has been around for quite some time, the property for 100 years. It has a large high quality vineyard at Frankland River, planted in 1998, and has supplied Margaret River royalty ever since. Highly regarded winemaker Rob Mann came on board in 2018, and the Swinney label was created.

Farvie is the premium label. This 2019 Swinney Farvie Syrah is the second vintage of this wine - and what a triumph it is! The colour is a deep intense purple.

The wine is named Syrah, and what follows is what is expected of a wine with this name - to a degree. Yes, the wine has cool climate characteristics of blueberry and blackberry fruits, black pepper, olive and licorice. At the same time, the wine is very concentrated. Great purity of fruit and a tension in the mouth created by firm, piercing tannins.

The mouthfeel is powerful, but the wine has some elegance as well, and a long finish. This is quite a profound wine. It could rate even higher, if it had a bit more charm.

Score: 96/+++