This release starts with a special feature on Australia, a little-known producer of wine that needs all the publicity it can get. It also features wines from Fielding Estate winery in Niagara Peninsula.

Vic is still sipping and slurping his way around Australia, and has contributed reviews of some Australian wines in this release that he tasted at the wineries.

Edwards Chardonnay 2005
Margaret River $25.95 (6777650
This is a quite opulent and classy Chardonnay. It delivers rich, ripe fruit flavours (peach, pear, apricot pit) with delicious seams of toast and roasted nuts. Complemented by good acidity, all this makes for a delicious mouthful, especially in the company of rich chicken or pork dishes. (RP)


Vasse Felix "Adams Road" Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2005
Margaret River $25.95 (020230)
This is a delicious, refreshing white with lots of flavour and style. Look for bright lemon-lime flavours, with minor notes of other citrus, green apple and grass. It's both soft-textured and tangy, and it makes a fine aperitif wine, as well as a partner to spicy seafood dishes. (RP)

Goundrey Reserve Selection Chardonnay Reserve 2004
Western Australia $19.95 (606889)
This is a delicious, bold Chardonnay that delivers big, juicy fruit with an edgy texture. Look for flavours of ripe peach, apricot, melon and tropical fruit, with some herbal notes. The acidity is well handled, but there's a pleasant fullness-edging toward fatness­-to the fruit. This is drinking well now, but will knit over the next two-three years. (RP)

Hope "The Cracker!" Cabernet 2004
Western Australia $19.95 (020206)
This is a very well-made Cabernet that shows good structure on perfectly ripe fruit. The balance is well pitched in a food-friendly way, and this makes a great choice for well-seasoned grilled lamb chops. (RP)


Plantagenet "Omrah" Shiraz 2004
Western Australia $16.95 (021360)
This is a lovely Shiraz that delivers velvety dark fruit and berries with notes of coffee and chocolate. It's medium-bodied and has the acidity to handle a well-seasoned steak very effectively. (RP)

d'Arenberg The High Trellis Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
McLaren Vale $20.95 (943456)
(Previously reviewed in Winecurrent) This gutsy red will separate the women from the girls with its good grip (code for noticeable tannins), super ripe fruit and zesty characteristics that attack the palate. Taut and tight at present, it needs cellaring time to open up. If you can't wait, decant for 3 or 4 hours and serve alongside grilled rare red meat. Expect leafy characteristics cloaked with Bing cherry, cassis and toasty flavours from the lifted nose to the lengthy finish. Those with patience will simply beam from 2012 to 2020 at how smart they were to purchase this at a fraction the price you will pay for a wine of this quality then. (VH)


d'Arenberg d'Arry's Original 2004
Mclaren Vale $19.95 (942904)
(Previously reviewed in Winecurrent) I suspect this under $20.00 price point is a marketing decision as it offers a quality wine that should sell for much, much more. Almost hedonistic, it rushes over the palate and the senses with perfumed aromas and flavours of sweet cassis, black licorice and a gusher of black juicy berry fruit. It is held far from jammy with ripe silky tannins and moderating acidity. Earned its final half star on the quality to price balance that is swung crazily in your favour. Buy a case before they come to their dollars and senses. (VH)

Penfolds 'Thomas Hyland' Shiraz 2004
South Australia $19.95 (611210)
Penfolds' chief winemaker, Peter Gago, has his stamp of excellence all over this. It is elegant, refined and balanced to perfection. Everything is aligned to produce an aromatic - rose petals and cassis - gorgeously flavoured - black currant, sweet black plum and hints of toast - thing of beauty. A hint of oak, moderate alcohol (13.5%), firm texture and a lengthy finish all coalesce to provide a sense of place and varietal typicity. (VH)


Wolf Blass 'Premium Selection' Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
South Australia $25.15 (321927)
Look for a full-bodied red that offers an aromatic nose of black cherry, vanilla and notes of earthiness. It gets into high gear on the palate with waves of red berry and currant flavours that are beautifully balanced with ripe, perceptible tannins and bracing zestiness. It finishes fruity, adding lovely hints of dark chocolate. Decant for a couple of hours then pour with a rare grilled steak, now to 2012. (VH)


Wolf Blass 'Premium Selection' Shiraz 2004
South Australia $25.15 (348540)
Black plum and sweet coconut aromas form the segue to this multi-layered delicious drop. A bumper crop vintage, a lengthy, warm, stable summer and almost perfect harvest conditions produced dazzling wines. Rich, fruity, medium-bodied and concentrated, this drenches the palate with cherry and plum flavours and a smooth silky texture. Enough oomph from plush tannins and tangy zest to keep this a winner now to 2011. (VH)

Ninth Island Pinot Grigio 2006
Tasmania $20.95 (683193)
Dry with excellent tangy fruit, including white peach, apricot pit, sweet pear and hints of tropical fruit. A brisk seam of acidity keeps everything in line and makes this perfect for lightly-spiced Thai dishes. (RP)

Fielding Estate Chardonnay Musqué 2006
VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula $15.95 (037879)
This is a vineyard-designated (Wismer Vineyards) beauty that's just delicious. It's packed with luscious fruit flavours like ultra-ripe peach, apricot, and melon, enhanced by sweet spices and rich floral aromas. The acidity reins in the pungency perfectly, making this an opulent but refreshing mouthful. It's perfect as an aperitif or to accompany spicy Thai dishes. (RP)


Fielding Estate Riesling Semi-Dry 2005
VQA Niagara Peninsula $15.95 (036202)
Medium weight and with off-dry flavours of peach, apricot pit and pear complemented by lemon-lime acidity, this makes an excellent partner to moderately-spiced (and not too hot) Asian dishes. Try it with a moderate green curry. (RP)

Fielding Estate Pinot Noir 2004
VQA Niagara Peninsula $20.95 (036186)
This is a well-made Pinot that's in the lighter style that's becoming characteristic of many Niagara Pinots. It's pale in colour and light-medium in weight, but carries solid fruit: here you get dark cherry with a sweet core and a little spiciness. It's quite stylish and ideal as a food wine. Pair it with grilled salmon or roast lamb. (RP)

Clos du Val Zinfandel 2003
Napa Valley $22.95 (590216)
Zinfandel is not my favourite variety, partly because too many Zins are big on fruit at the expense of acidity, which makes them difficult to pair with food. But here's a delicious exception. It's packed with dark fruit (cherry, berries) with spicy notes and it has the rich texture, heading for viscosity, that's typical of Zinfandel. But it has this great acid backbone that gives it balance and makes it an excellent foil for rich red meat dishes. (RP)


Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Alexander Valley $12.95 (675850)
This is an excellent price for wine of this quality, so grab an armful for the barbecues to come. It's full-bodied with concentrated dark, sweet fruit flavours that have plenty of complexity. The texture is generous, it's full bodied, and it goes well with burgers featuring meat or Portobello mushrooms, or with grilled red meats. (RP)


Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel 2004
Sonoma County $28.95 (673798)
This is a plush, opulent Zinfandel that delivers saturated and complex dark fruit. Look for black cherry, black plum, blackberries in the aromas and flavours, along with good spiciness and notes of pepper, mint, and vanilla. The density of the fruit is balanced quite well by the acidity, and this is a wine to enjoy with rich and well-seasoned dishes such as pepper steak or spicy spareribs. (RP)


Ray's Station Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Sonoma County $24.95 (025510)
This feels like a wine built for steak. It's full-bodied, with rich dark fruit flavours and attractive accents of spice, pepper and coffee. The texture is mouth-filling with a slight tanginess that makes you think of food. (RP)


Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Alexander Valley $82.95 (943472)
This is an iconic California producer of Cab, and 2002 was a great year for Cab. Put the two together and you have a wine that almost made five stars. This is rich and dense, almost fat in texture, but with a well-balanced spine of acidity that keeps the fruit in check. It's medium-plus in weight, with firm tannins that are manageable now and will soften nicely over the next ten years. Pair it with a grilled rack of lamb. (RP)


Two Tone Farm Merlot 2003
California $18.95 (586206)
What's striking about this Merlot is how well balanced it is. It delivers solid, complex fruit from attack to finish, but with a complementary line of acidity that makes it perfect for food. The tannins are easy-going, and I suggest drinking this over the next two-three years with red meats. (RP)

Alfredo Roca Pinot Noir
San Rafael, Mendoza $13.95 (032979)
Serve this to me blind, and I wouldn't have thought it was a Pinot Noir. Even though the idea of "typicity" is becoming more and more meaningless, as every variety is being grown in a wider range of conditions and being made in many different styles, this is not Pinot. But forget the variety and you have a really attractive big red, with dense fruit flavours and notes of tar, smoke, and chocolate. I have no idea where the Vintages catalog got "dry, light-bodied Pinot" from. The difference between that and what I tasted makes nonsense of the idea of bottle variation. But there you are, and at this price you can easily taste it yourself. If it's the wine I tasted, don't pair it with "chicken or fish dishes" (Vintages catalog), but go for a hearty dish like coq au vin or boeuf bourguignon. (RP)


Chakana Malbec 2005
Lujãn de Cuyo, Mendoza $11.95 (003509)
This is great value. It's not terribly complex, but it delivers big, juicy texture, round dark fruit flavours with some spicy, smoky accents, and moderate tannins. It's perfect for barbecued red meats. (RP)


Doña Paula Estate Merlot 2004
Mendoza $17.95 (017020)
This is a big, juicy, plump Merlot that delivers concentrated dark fruit aromas and flavours (black plum, berries) with some spicy and toasty notes. It's got enough acidity to make it a very attractive food wine, so pair it up with grilled red meats. (RP)

Casa Silva Carmenère Reserva 2005
Colchagua Valley $14.95 (024679)
Carmenère is a late-ripener, and the search is on for the best sites in Chile. Casa Silva has obviously located one, as this Carmenère shows all the ripeness you want. It's fairly fat and plump, with intense flavours of dark fruit and berries with rich spiciness. This is really good value for a wine that will pair well with well-seasoned grilled red meat dishes. (RP)


De Martino Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Maipo Valley $15.95 (016048)
This is a very well-priced Cabernet Sauvignon. It delivers a lot of flavour, complexity, and quality. Look for fruit intensity, a dry, tangy texture, and quite firm tannins. It's a natural for red meats from the barbecue. (RP)

Domaine des Salices Viognier 2005
Vin de Pays d'Oc $13.95 (487272)
This is a very attractive Viognier at an excellent price. It has a quite fat texture and solid fruit throughout: apricot, light peach and soft spices. It has good heft, so pour it with spicy chicken or pork dishes. (RP)

Domaine du Pavillon Pommard Clos des Ursulines 2004
AOC Pommard $57.95 (023820)
In the best Burgundy tradition, the 2004 vintage was challenging. But many producers pulled it off, as this lovely Pommard attests. It's very stylish, with refined, well-pitched fruit, and with the seam of minerality and seductive acid spine that are characteristic of the region. The tannins are fine-grained, and this will hold well another eight to ten years. (RP)


Domaine Santa Duc Cairanne "Les Buissons" Côtes-du-Rhône Villages 2003
AOC Côtes-du-Rhône Villages $19.95 (017079)
This has all the intensity of the 2003s from southern France. Look for concentrated dark fruit (black cherry, berries) and peppery spiciness, with a tangy texture and easy-going tannins. Drink it now and in the next year or so, ideally with well-seasoned red meats. (RP)


E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2001
AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape $53.95 (727503)
This is just a classic, a wine with immense complexity and style. The fundamental sweet plum fruit is shot through with flavours of mushroom, leather, meat and dried fruit. It's full bodied, with smooth tannins, and is drinking well now and over the next two years. (RP)

Illuminati Zanna Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane Riserva 2003
DOCG Montepulciano d'Abruzzo $29.95 (023242)
This is a very attractive wine, with solid, sweet fruit that is accented with spices and smoke. It's very well balanced and everything holds together impressively. Drink it now and over the next six years. (RP)


Collezione de Marchi Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
IGT Toscana $69.95 (025668)
This is a really beautiful wine, with sweet dark fruit and berry flavours that show lovely complexity. It has silky smooth texture, it's medium-plus bodied with ripe, fine-grained tannins, and it's just stellar to taste. I look forward to more than the mouthful I regretfully spat during the tasting. (RP)

Bodegas Lan Viña Lanciano Reserva 1999
DOC Rioja $37.95 (955096)
This is a quite delicious Rioja, with red and dark fruit plus smoke, coffee, black pepper and earthiness among the aromas and flavours. It has a wonderful juicy and dry texture, with sweet tannins doing their work. Drink this with roast lamb, from now to 2015. (RP)


Miguel Torres Mas Borràs Pinot Noir 2004
DO Penedès $25.95 (673483)
(Previously reviewed in Winecurrent) This seemed to strike a chord with many tasters at the pre-release tasting, and I'm in there, too. This is a very approachable Pinot Noir with good typicity and plenty of character. The barrel regime is clear on the nose, with aromas of toasty oak, but the concentrated fruit shines through brightly. Look for a mélange of cherries with notes of spice and cedar. It's medium bodied, smooth textured and very well balanced, and it makes an excellent partner for full-flavoured red meat and game dishes. (RP)

Cheers! Rod and Vic

We use the following symbols when rating wines:

	Wines achieving nirvana
	Wines of excellence
	Wines well worth trying
	Wines below average, but drinkable
	Wines better avoided, unless desperate
	Represents a half star
	We both agree —a brilliant wine!
	Drink now and over the next 2 years
	Drink now and over the next 5 years
	Place in cellar