Upside Down, Carilley Estate, Richmond Grove, Veuve Clicquot & Banrock Station

I love keeping track of all the wines I have tasted. I have decided to make an extra effort and make sure I write a tasting note for every single one I taste so I can share it with all of you. Every couple of weeks I will do a post like this one to let you know what I’m drinking and whether we should be spitting or swallowing it!

Upside Down 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough – New Zealand, AU$15

It is a nice bright straw green colour in the glass. The nose has vibrant notes of passionfruit and fresh cut grass with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice. I feel in love with the palate, it is so delectable! The strong passionfruit flavour gives it a hint of fruit sweetness and I also pick up a distinct lemon flavour, which reminds me of the candies, acid drops.

Carilley Estate 2011 ‘Picasso’ Sweet Merlot, Swan Valley – Western Australia, AU$15

Before I even had a chance to inspect the colour the nose on this unique wine tackled my senses – fresh red berries; currants and cherries jumped out with notes of sweet vanilla square. The colour is a bright cherry red. The palate has a fresh cherry start with a dry rather green fruit finish. The finish is not a favourite of mine, as the bitterness seems to intensify leaving an awful unripe taste in my mouth. It’s a sweet merlot yet it’s not sugar sweet, it’s fruit sweet. It would be interesting to see how it ages over the next year.

Make sure to read my post on visiting Carilley Estate by clicking here.

Richmond Grove 2007 Pinot Noir, Adelaide Hills – South Australia, AU$25

This sultry Pinot is a lovely red-brown brick colour in the glass. It has a vibrant perfume nose of nearly overripe plums and berries with vanilla and a touch of farmyard smells. It is light in the mouth with flavours of licorice and black cherry. It has a strong lasting finish, which is surprising considering its lightness in the mouth. I am on the hunt for more bottles of this read-to-drink sexy Pinot.

Veuve Clicquot NV Brut Yellow Label, Champagne – France, AU$70

This is one of my favourite Champagnes and it seems to get better each time I drink it. My glass was full of tiny streams of fast moving bubbles. It has nice toasty notes and fresh citrus on the nose. The palate has a scrumptious mix of citrus, toast and baked pears with savoury notes on the finish. It feels like pure silk in the mouth and boy oh boy does it slip down the throat easily. With a blink of your eye the bottle will be finished.

Banrock Station NV Sparkling White Shiraz, South Australia, AU$9

This is my second time drinking this fun, friendly Aussie rose. It has a watermelon colour and a nose full of icing sugar dusted over fresh strawberries and a touch of black pepper. The palate is bursting with fresh berries, particularly strawberries and cherries with a zing of spice on the finish. It is the perfect accompaniment to a BBQ and the finishing touch is a strawberry in the glass.