The Laughing Wolf

Saturday Wine Tasting Notes

The Saturday afternoon wine tasting at Pauli’s was fun, as always, even though nothing jumped out at me as a “have to take home” wine. The selection yesterday featured Peter Lehman wines from Australia.

We started with Eden Valley 2002 Reisling, which had a very pale straw colour and a nice nose filled with vine and sharp fruit. The mouthfeel was nice, dry, and filled with pear and green fruit that gave way to wood on the finish.

Next up was Clancy’s 2002 Red, a Bordeaux-style blend of 54% Shiraz, 29% Cabernet Saugvignon, 12% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. The nose was very nice, filled with plums, rich red fruit, chocolate, and a hint of spice. The mouthfeel, however, was medium with a slight bitterness, some fruit, and a small bit of unsweetened chocolate. It is a shame that everything went into the nose, for if it had lived up to the nose this would be a very good wine.

Following that was a 2001 Barossa Shiraz. The nose was earthy with leather, a bit different from the typical Shiraz. The mouth was nice and full, filled with old leather with hints of fruit under, and a suggestion of chocolate on the finish. Not your typical Shiraz on many levels.

The final red wine was a 2001 Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose was quite nice, filled with leather and berries. The mouthfeel was fair, with leather slowly giving way to fruit and a fair finish.

The final wine of the day was a dessert wine, a 2001 Botrytis Semillon. The strong gold colour led to a nose of hay and flowers. The mouthfeel starts sharp, then brings forth sweet flowers and fruit on a fair finish. The floral notes mean that you should pick your dessert with care, to avoid any clash.