blads blog

Besides being tricky to pronounce, Montepulciano is one of the more complicated grapes. You see, there's an Italian town called Montepulciano, which produces a wine called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. But, this wine is mostly made from  Sangiovese , and doesn't actually include any of the Montepulciano grape! The most famous examples of Montepulciano (the actual wine) come from the Italian region of Abruzzo, but it's planted throughout much of central and southern Italy, but nowhere near the town of the same name. Thankfully, this grape is also grown in Australia, it's much more straightforward and in true Aussie style, we've taken away the pronunciation problem by shortening it to 'Monte'. One that I tried very recently is Atze’s Corner Wines “The Mob” Montepulciano where it’s appeal lies in its beautifully generous fruit, including red plum, sour cherry and boysenberry, and moderate acidity, so I reckon if you love Shiraz you'll lov...

Torbreck 2007 Old Vines Shiraz Another stunning Shiraz, (or as my US friends call it a "Syrah"), however this time it is from the famous Barossa Valley.   I was pleasantly surprised with this wine as it had fantastic fruit-driven sweetness, reminiscent of a traditional home-styled Italian/European red wine. Not something that I expect from a wine from 100-year old vines. Deep garnet red in colour with flickers of purple, the wine’s high-toned aromas of black cherries, five spice, crème de cassis and spring flowers are supported by a rich core of roasted earth, liquorice, and provençal herbs. The palate offers a soft latent richness and silken-like texture with subtle notes of crushed cherries, plums and earth - all neatly wound by a taut spine of acidity and ripe supple tannins and fruity sweetness. Oh my god, it was Gorgeous!!!

When Lynn Allen last "toured" Australia, she visited me in hospital and the positive vibes that visit provided was truly amazing… for that, when Lynn mentioned that she wanted a brief break from her hectic busy speaking/travelling schedule whilst promoting the Autodesk 2011 Product Launch around Australia & New Zealand, I was only happy to show her a small sample the best of what South Australia wines have to offer… We started in the Adelaide Hills Wine region and yesterday toured the Barossa Valley and along the coast of suburban Adelaide, where Lynn finally got to "meet" Jedi, our "baby". I now looking forward to Lynn's presentation on Wednesday April 21 - if you're in Adelaide be sure to attend the Autodesk 2011 Product Launch (or April 20 in Perth or April 22 in Melbourne).