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Big bold and beautiful. You buggers need to stop buying d’Arry’s Dead Arm so I can get my hands on it – I’m never able to get any more when ever I manage to get over to the McLaren Vale. Stop buying it and leave some for me! :@

No where near as good as the 1998 d’Arenberg but damn enjoyable – for when you don’t feel like a full on port, or a chunky Shiraz, very nice mouthfeel.

Filled with crusty residue in the bottle and requiring decanting prior to drinking you know this is going to be a well tasty fortified.

Get into this – very nice, very good drinking now. Share with friends after dinner and skip the desert, while not sweet like a desert wine, who cares – excellent for conversation and just plain enjoyable.

mmmm vegemite. Pass.

Can’t really remember this one – it was quite some time ago (part of the reason you should really write about them while you’re drinking ’em).

Was enjoyable enough, but certainly not an outstanding must have, but definitely check it out if you see it.

For about $35 I enjoyed this one more than Moet et Chandon, while no where near as good as Wirra Wirra – The Cousins (Method Traditionelle) drink it before dinner as the warm up session (while your rack of lamb cooks in the oven).

A decent desert wine, if not a little sweet at the moment. I’d suggest letting it age up a bit, and serving with Sticky Date pudding. Still loving their 2004 Racked Chenin Blanc which is just getting better each year!

Oh baby! What a surprise this puppy was! Having never heard of Petit Verdot I grabbed a bottle, and it was not until I had drunk it that I bothered to do a little research. It seems the “little green” did not do so well in France due to its very late ripening characteristics meaning three out of four seasons failed. However the McLaren Vale in South Australia does not have the same problems, and the vines ripen to their full, at which point Pirramimma take these wonderful grapes and turn them into a wine. Approximately as full bodied as any Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon this drop is just wonderful. Goes well with the rich pasta’s (which is what I had it as).

The mouth feel on this wonderful drop is tip top, the tannins are all encompassing and feel small in the mouth, almost velvety but not quite, the after taste hangs around for nearly an hour after you finish your glass.

Get into this one, but don’t tell too many people – I really don’t want this to become constrained 😛

The single biggest disappointment in recent times. The cork on this puppy disintegrated on opening, leaving cork residue in the wine not only that but it seemed to be overly oxidised. Reviews indicate that this drop is supposedly good, but in this instance there is no point rating this particular bottle. Lets hope the cork issue is not endemic to this drop.

From Wirra’s latest release – a Cabernet Sauvignon – Shiraz – Merlot blend.

Was not in the mood for this one when I opened it so I left it until the next night to give it a second chance, the combination of extra time, changes to my palate made this rather enjoyable. It is a medium bodied blend that I’ll probably only crack open when I’ve got guests who prefer the less full bodied wines that I’m such a fan of. However balanced with the right food, would be quite nice.

M

(Disclaimer – Wirra is one of my favourite wineries!)