Southern Fleurieu Wines

A rather classic Grenache this one, produced off a 60 year old vineyard in McLaren Vale - the sort of vineyard that you drive past and remark 'woah, now those are old gnarled twisted vines'. Those old vines produce great grapes very reliably too (albeit in small quantities). This fittingly is a concentrated and quite beautiful wine, all cherry fruit and a sprinkle of sweet oak. Lovely.

Colour: Medium straw with a fresh green gold hue. Nose: Butter, toast and mushroom notes from aged Chardonnay are complemented by white stone fruit characters of Pinot Noir. Palate: Soft and flavoursome with an elegance of structure and persistence of flavour, this sparkling wine exhibits an aged style with crisp acid finish. Food: Seafood.

Interestingly enough the Fleurieu seems well suited to Shiraz Viognier blends, though the region seems to be able to grow most anything really (some lovely beaches in that part of the world for that matter too. Just watch out for the sharks). This has lots going for it too boot - Shiraz power and richness softened with a dollop of juicy Viognier and then lengthened thanks to a little bottle age too.

The Southern Fleurieu is probably better known for it's Shiraz or Cabernet than it's Pinot Noir, but the cool local sea breezes do lend themselves to the odd full bodied Pinot. Here it has made for a quite deeply coloured and deeply flavoured wine, a real masculine Pinot even, lacking only whiskers and a husky voice for proper manhood.

Hardy’s Oomoo has been one of the iconic names in Australian wine and one of the first label devised by the Hardy’s wine company and was resurrected to celebrate 150 years in business. It draws on the best fruit available in the McLaren Vale and delivers a, rich, juicy wine that’s packed full of flavour. A very regional nose, this wine shows plum, dark berries, chocolate and licorice dominating proceedings, underpinned by some vanillin oak. The palate is a full of rich dark berried fruit, dark chocolate, soft tannins and a plush mouthfeel.

Big! 2008 was a warm vintage in the Vale and it's produced a big wine here - big, bold and super rich fruit flavours a go-go. Heartiness, dry tannins, and no shortage of punch.

Rich! So very rich! With both bottle age and two varieties that are naturally inclined to be weighty it's probably of little surprise. Still it's not an overblown beast, thanks also to the fact that it is picked early and unwooded, resulting in a wine of richness and texture without too much fatness. Plenty of body regardless.

The Hardy’s Oomoo wines are an iconic range from South Australia that draw on vineyards in the Adelaide Hills district to make this wine. This bracingly fresh Sauvignon Blanc sums up why this variety is still so popular for white wine drinkers with its vital nose of passionfruit and gooseberry as well as a vibrant lime inflection. It’s fragrant with gooseberry and grassy notes and relies on texture and a defined acid backbone before a long, refreshing finish. It work with spicy Asian dishes as well as fresh salads.

The Omni range of Sparkling wine is the best way to enjoy bubbly on a budget and these wines always over deliver on flavour. It’s the kind of wine you need to have in the fridge for those sudden celebrations, you know, like when you’ve managed to get through a difficult Monday or any day of the working week for that matter. It’s lively in sherbert with a lemony freshness before a fruity plate that’s creamy and surprisingly long. It’s the kind of wine you pair with a cheese and pate plate and share with good friends and lively conversation.

Sometimes we need a sparkling like Omni around. Sure it’s not Champagne but neither does it pretend to be. It’s the bargain sparkling you don’t need an occasion for,offering nothing more than fizzy frolics with every glass. It’s rich with citrus aromas and some yeasty complexity. The palate is fruity and fizzy with some baked bread character and a nicely creamy and persistent palate. It finishes clean with a good depth of flavour and would match well with sushi or ceviche.

Here’s a Pink sparkler that will make your next girls night out just that bit more fun. Sparkling Rosé styles like this always seem to put people in a festive state of mind as it’s the colour of celebration. Not only that, but it’s an absolute bargain at the price and will pair well with seafood or just for quaffing on its own. It smells of vivid red berries and is creamy on the palate with a nicely balanced effervescence and crisp acid finish. This is party fizz of the highest order.

There is no point in dressing this wine up really for it is what it is. That means a simple, fruity, light style of red that is easy to get your head around but hardly super complex. It does provide well enough flavour to do what is required and do it reasonably well.

Colour: Brilliant with a youthful edge. Bouquet: Immediate appeal of blueberry spice, lashings of red liquorice, dark chocolate and ripe dark plum flesh opening up to reveal an underlying complexity of black olive, peat and aniseed. Hints of seasoned oak char further complex this fragrant and powerful Shiraz bouquet. Palate: Powerful and layered with rhubarb, dark berries and plums complemented by notes of cedar box, chocolate and freshly tilled soil and wet stone flooding the palate. The wine is juicy and textural revealing a wonderful density of fruit with the finest tannins leading to a long and graceful finish in the mouth. Hardys Wine Reviews and Accolades Trophy: ...

Colour: Medium to deep straw with tinges of green. Bouquet: Fresh toasty oak, light spicy char and gun flint complexity sit in harmonious balance with light citrus lemon and grapefruit characters. Palate: Nuances of sweet lemon and a touch of grapefruit bitterness are balanced by a creamy cashew, vanillin malt complexity. An exceptional structure is aided by crisp mineral acidity with a fine, long and persistent finish

Colour: Pale yellow with green hues. Bouquet: Bright fruit aromas of lemon, nectarine and melon interplay with subtle French oak aromas and notes of fresh brioche. Palate: Intense yet restrained, the palate displays lively fruit characters of lemon rind and nectarine. Fine acid provides vibrancy and persistence with subtle French oak adding structure and a hint of sweetness to a rich, soft and complex palate. Food: BBQ South Australian lobster with preserved lemons. Roast corn fed chicken with tarragon and sweet potato.

Colour: Medium straw with a fresh green gold hue. Nose: Nuances of citrus blossom and sour dough yeast emanate from aged premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Palate: The palate has great elegance of structure and yet expresses richness and complexity. Citrus and white stone fruit flavours prevail and the wine exhibits a creamy texture and fine natural acid persistence. Food: Fresh seafood with Asian influence.

Colour: Rich Ruby Red. Bouquet: Complex and aromatic, showing chocolate mint, cassis, bay leaf and perfumed French oak. Palate: A mirror image of the bouquet with a richly textured palate showing fine tannins and exceptional length of flavour. Food: Terra Rossa Lamb Shanks with baby potatoes. Beef Ragu with parsnip mash.

Colour: Deep red and ruby hues. Nose: Aromas of ripe plums, rich fruit cake and intense dark chocolate are complemented by subtle vanillin oak. Palate: Luscious flavours of ripe dark berry fruit, panforte spice and dark chocolate are supported by subtle aromas of French and American oak providing great persistence and length. Food: Slow cooked shoulder of lamb with thyme and black olives.

They say don’t judge a book by its cover, well the same goes for a wine by its label, as the Oomoo brand looks very retro. Nothing retro about the taste here though as it’s a thoroughly modern red that’s high in flavour and full of texture. Lifted with red, berry fruits, violets and spice this blend really delivers with impact. The palate is rich with generous Shiraz fruit, dominant in raspberry as a result of the Grenache and savoury and earthy thanks to the addition of Mourvedre. It’s a bold mouthful of a wine with good tannin weight that would match well with a steak and kidney pie.

Colour: Tawny red with olive hues. Bouquet: Aged rich ripe fruit with chocolate, coffee and nutty aromas. Palate: Smooth and mellow with classic rancio characters, good length and a dry finish. Food: Mature cheeses. Dark chocolate.