The Boutique Wine Lover's Wine Reviews and Wine Related Stories

• Very old LIQUEUR MUSCAT (NV) from Romavilla Winery: With an average age exceeding 15 years, the palate is warm, dense and rich with lovely fruit, spirit and oak integration. Well balanced with fine structure and lovely persistent aftertaste. GOLD medal awarded by Winestate 2005.


• Peel Estate Zinfandel (2003) from Peel Estate: The nose is full of licorice, leather, chocolate - and a touch of camphor. There's the trademark licorice on the palate, but you'd never believe this was 16.5% alcohol as there's not a trace of portiness either. The best thing is the 1970s-style tannin buzz on your lips- that's a rarity in these tannin-controlled days. This is a restrained Peel zin, but with all the usual flavour goodies. Not quite Zin-Lite, but you might actually get to a second bottle of this one.


• Lyre Bird Hill Pinot Noir Cellar Reserve (2002) from Lyre Bird Hill Winery The Winemakers comment: Intense pinot flavours make this the best ever





• Killerby Chardonnay (2002) from Killerby Vineyards: The 2002 Chardonnay is from the old, low-yielding vines at Margaret River and Geographe. The vines are hand-pruned and the fruit was hand-picked. The fruit was whole bunch pressed to obtain a finer juice, then 100% barrel fermented in new French oak. It was aged in the world's finest new and one-year-old French oak barrels for ten months. The colour is light straw with a tinge of green. The nose has big, lifted, toasty oak aromas and is reminiscent of peaches with buttery notes in the background. The palate leads with charry, toasty oak flavours. Behind this are melon and peach notes with hints of clove. The wine has a rich and full mouth-feel. The finish is toasty and vanillan. Drink now or reap the rewards of patience by cellaring until 2007. "In recent years, the best of the Killerby wines." James Halliday Wine Companion 2001-2002. "Five Stars - Amongst the continent's best." Robin Bradley, Australia and New Zealand Wine Vintages (Little Gold Book) 17th ed.


• Hubertus Reserve Shiraz (2004) from Foggo Wines: This wine is a blend from 70yr old and 90 yr old dry grown vines. The fruit was hand picked ,open barrel fermented, lightly pressed and matured in French Oak for 19 months. A rich nose with dusty oak characters. A big flavoursome palate with blackberry fruit combines with sweet oak a warm drying finish.

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