Winery - Chapel Hill
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Has down-the-line, straightforward yellow fruit flavors on the palate, with a minerally, dry feel that makes this wine a good choice to go with seafood, or rich, butter-based sauces. Aromas are light—think hay, wheat, and a little anise.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
With its shifting array of fruit notes, ranging from plum to cassis and red berries and its subtle hints of vanilla, chocolate and cedar, this is a wonderfully complex expression of modern-styled Cabernet. The tannins are soft, imparting a creamy, supple texture, while the fruit easily conceals the wine’s 14.9% alcohol. Delicious now, but should last through 2015.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is a big, loud Shiraz, bursting with blackberry fruit and scents of cola, vanilla and toast. The flavors favor blackberries but also blend in hints of fruitcake and spice that easily conceal its 14.9% alcohol. Long and lush on the finish, this is delicious now but should also hold at least five years.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
An interesting contrast to the majority of Australian Shiraz, Chapel Hill’s 2004 boasts crisp acidity and a juicy, lipsmacking finish. Dollops of vanilla and caramel highlight bright berry flavors. Drink now–2012.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Chapel Hill’s recent Cabernets have been impressive, and the 2006 continues that streak, offering complex aromas of green coffee beans, dried herbs and cassis, then easing into flavors of dark chocolate and black olive. Shows good density and richness, ending on notes of cofee and chocolate. Drink now–2013.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
At 85% Shiraz, why not just call it that? Marketing aside, this is a good, workaday wine, with somewhat generic cherry-berry flavors and helpings of coffee and tobacco. The texture in the mouth is smooth and creamy, while the finish turns crisp and mouthwatering. Drink now.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Fruit is 79% McLaren Vale, 21% Coonawarra; the wine’s flavor profile give the impression that it’s even leaner than it is: Tomato and herb aromas notes on the nose reappear on the palate. With air, the fruit tastes a little more like sour cherry, but it’s still pretty lean on flavor.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Frankly fruit-driven, with bold aromas of melon and pear tinged with butter. Slightly honeyed fruit is gradually overtaken by spicy, peppery elements on the finish, but this is plump and fresh, a reasonably fair value in Australian Chardonnay.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A well-made, well-balanced Cabernet Sauvignon, with smoke and vanilla notes that play up the jammy blackberry fruit. Finishes with hints of dried spices and coffee, as well as some furry-textured tannins. This wine starts off with some tarry aromas that seem to dissapate with airing, so a quick decanting may help this wine at the table. Drink now–2015.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A disappointing effort from a normally reliable producer, the bouquet has an overripe, slightly pruny note that detracts a bit from the wine’s positive attributes, not meshing well with the unexpectedly tart flavors. It’s good, but don’t expect it to improve in the cellar; drink now.
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