Some wines from Mersch

A few days ago, I was invited to a special tasting of Mersch, A company that imports Boutique Australian shirazes and now added to their Portfolio some Sauvignon Blancs fron new Zealend.
In this tasting , Mersch introduces some new wines they started to import as well as new vintages of wines they imported before.
1. Astrolabe - sauvignon Blanc, 2007 - Straw coloured. A Nockout nose of tropical fruits , mostly Passion fruit and Guava with some citrus and grapefruits afterwards. In the mouth light to medium bodied, a good balance of sweetness and bitterness that follows to the medium finish. Lovely wine . Score 92-93
2. Foxes Island , Sauvignon Blanc, 2007 - Straw coloured. A bit closed in the nose at the beginning, then started to give some citrus and minerals. As it developed in the glass, the aromas become more intense and were followed by grass. In the mouth - medium bodied, very good balance between sweetness and refresshing acidity and very nice aftertaste. Score - 92-93
3. Rockbare - Mojo Shiraz 2006 - This entry level shiraz had a nockout nose of black cherries and blueberries. In the mouth less impressive with Medium body, fruitiness but some lack of mid-palate presence. nice finish with some pleasent bitterness is a plus. If I could score its nose seperately I would give this a score of 93-94, but overall its a 90 points wine which is also very nice for a wine with a price ticket of 87NIS before discounts. Very good Value.
4. Teusner - Ebenezer Road Shiraz 2006 - Dark Ruby. Nose more understated with toasted wood and some Dark red fruits. In the mouth it was also medium bodied but richer with more mid-palate presence. The finish is medium-long with nice bitterness. Score - 92-93
5. Rockbare - Shiraz Mclaren valley 2006 - The nose resembles that of the Mojo (from the same winery) but more complex with a hint of coffee accompany the black cherries, blueberries and raspberries. In the mouth -Full bodied, chewy, very fruity, with a long finish . Score - 93-94
Outstanding value (108NIS before discounts).
6. Radford Dale - Shiraz 2005 - At the beginning we got some unpleasent aromas , that soon replaced by black and dark red fruits with licorice, In the mouth - Full bodied , chewy with a very dominant bitterness that was pleasent and interesting. The finish was long . Very interesting wine, Quite different from typical shirazes. Score - 92-93.
7. Noon - Eclipse ,2006 - The 2004 vintage of this wine was one of first wines I tasted from Mersch , and I fell in love with it , immediately. The 2005 was even better. and the 2006 ?
A blend of 67% Grenache and 33% Shiraz , its Ruby coloured, with a nose full of red and black cherries with some black pepper. In the mouth - medium to full bodied, very elegant (as always) with nice spiciness and wonderfully long finish. Score - 94-95. This is one of the few wines I buy each year automatically without the need to taste it before.
8. Glaymond - The Distance Shiraz , 2005 - Very Dark coloured. In the Nose very ripe black fruits with some wood and black pepper. Full bodied, very rich, Jammy, with long and sweet finish. A very impressive wine . Score 94-95.

Riesling's Evening

Last week , I hosted an evening devoted to Rieslings from 3 countries : France, Germany & Australia.
1. Grosset - Riesling, Polish hill , 2007 - Supposed to be one of the best Australian makers of Riesling (If not the best) . This is their top cuvee. A bit too young now. Nose of citrus fruits, a bit tropical fruits , mostly pinapple , and minerals. In the mouth, medium bodied, quite dry , with nice balance , good acidity and medium finish. Nice. Score - 90-91
2. J.J Christoffel , Erdener Trepchen, Riesling Auslese , 1975 - Yes, this wine is still alive, very much alive actually. Golden coloured. A nose with dominant petrol aromas , with some peaches in the background. In the mouth medium to full bodoed, oily textured , so fresh with a lovely balance of sweetness and acidity and a long finish. WOTN for most of the members . My score - 94-95.
3. Zind Humbrecht , Riesling , Rangen de Thann, Clos St.Urbain 2002 - My contribution , and the third bottle of this wine I tasted , and quite different from the former ones. The Nose has mostly citrusy aromas with some minerality , In the mouth it was medium bodied , fresh, with a special mouth feel that resembled Grapefruits with a special combination of sweetness , acidity and pleasent bitterness. Some (Including me) liked it a lot, others, much less. Score - 94-95
4. Emrich Shoenleber , Riesling Spatlese , Monzinger Halenberg, 2004 - Usually a favourite of mine, this evening , it didn't perform so well. A lovely nose of peaches , citrus and even some flowers . In the mouth it was again medium bodied with good sweetness and also good acidity that didn't integrate well enough . still very pleasurable, but not as good as two former bottles I had lately. Score (this evening) - 90