Taltarni Brut Victoria-Tasmania Taché NV Review Date - 4/1/2008 Score - 92 Tasting Note: Full bodied dry sparkling wine; medium pale pink salmon color. Aromas of raspberries and cherries, crisp, clean fruit flavors, with some red fruit notes. A certain creaminess, but with good acidity for a crisp finish. Seems to open and develop in the glass. "Taché" means "stained" in French, alluding to the method of adding red wine liqueur to the tirage when the wine is disgorged. Fermented in the bottle and matured for 18 months minimum. Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Serve well-chilled, about 45ºF (7ºC), in tall tulip-shaped glasses. Excellent value. Keeps well. The last glasses enjoyed a week after initial opening were just as lively as when the bottle was first opened. Suggested Food Pairings: Salmon caviar on lightly salted potato chips or enfolded into blini (no sour cream); pâté of foie gras; Savannah-style (lighter bodied) she-crab soup; not-too-spicy gumbo with seafood and chicken; steak tartare; crisp cornmeal-fried oysters with rémoulade sauce, Asian-influenced cuisine. Georgia Distributor: Empire Distributing $22.00 2006 Yering Station Chardonnay Yarra Valley Nell Review Date - 4/1/2008 Score - 86 Tasting Note: Light- to medium-bodied dry white wine; very pale straw. Very clean, delicate scent of apple blossoms; palate shows crisp apple with good acidity and a clean, steely finish. A good sipping Chardonnay. No oak. Drink now. Not a keeper. Serve moderately chilled--overchilled really kills its aromas and flavors--about 55ºF (12ºC)--in medium-sized tulip-shaped glasses. Suggested Food Pairings: Bacon-wrapped grilled scallops with mustard mayonnaise; grilled garlic shrimp; pecan-crusted sautéed flounder or sole; crab cake or soft-shell crab; cornmeal-dusted fried oysters with either herbed tartar sauce or rémoulade sauce. Georgia Distributor: Unique World Wines $14.00 2007 Bremerton Verdelho Langhorne Creek Review Date - 4/1/2008 Score - 92 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry white wine; bright very pale straw. Delicate scent of citrus blossoms, hint of grapefruit; palate of a basket of tropical fruits, from grapefruit to banana. Rather rich, mineral-influenced mid palate; silky texture. Well balanced. A pleasure by itself or with food. Serve at about 50ºF (10ºC). Suggested Food Pairings: She-crab soup, green olive-flecked goat cheese; lightly curried chicken salad; tarragon chicken or shrimp salad; French poulet â l’estragon; Thai-style coconut chicken (Whole Foods); bacon-wrapped grilled scallops with mustard mayonnaise;.pecan-crusted flounder or sole. The surprise: salmon caviar (ikura) with a dab of crème fraîche or crema agria on a lightly salted potato chip. Georgia Distributor: Hemispheres $18.00 2007 Frankland Dry Riesling Frankland River Rocky Gully Review Date - 4/1/2008 Score - 89 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry white wine; very pale straw. Slightly diesel-y aromatics, with touches of apple and pear; peachy on the palate. Crisp, dry finish. Stellar work. Initially tight and scrawny, so needs time to open in the glass. Then it blooms. Likely good near-term keeper if well cellared. Be careful not to overchill, keeping it at about 55ºF (12ºC), and serve in a tall tulip-shaped glass. Due in market this month. Suggested Food Pairings: Thai coconut chicken (Whole Foods); New Zealand green lip mussels or any mild fish in a light Thai curry; Carolina-style barbecue; chicken pot pie; roast herbed turkey breast; Asian chicken and seafood dishes (but not too spicy); bacon-wrapped grilled shrimp or garlic grilled shrimp; pecan-crusted baked flounder or sole; cous cous salad with dates and chickpeas and fennel apple salad, (DeKalb Farmers Market) Georgia Distributor: Northeast Wholesale Distributing $15.00 2006 Oakridge Sauvignon Blanc Yarra Valley Over The Shoulder Review Date - 4/1/2008 Score - 93 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry white wine; very pale straw. Lovely citrus fresh herbal scent, with passion fruit, gooseberry and other exotic fruits on the palate. A flinty, lively minerality informs the mid-palate and finish. Good acidity, with a long, crisp, clean finish. Moderate alcohol, 13%, helps its ability to pair with a wide range of foods. Spends seven months in French oak. Serve moderately chilled, about 50ºF (10ºC). Great value. Suggested Food Pairings: Cornmeal-fried oysters with (or without) tartar sauce; apple-fennel salad; ravioli stuffed with feta cheese and lives, and sauced with unsalted butter and Parmesan cheese; cous cous salad with dates; tortellini salad with mozzarella; Thai shrimp salad with lemongrass; Vietnamese green papaya salad with shrimp or chicken; simple grilled scallops o sautéed flounder with herbed tartar sauce; garlic shrimp; Carolina barbecue with vinegar-based sauce. Georgia Distributor: United Distributors $14.00 2007 Stanley Lambert Wines Chardonnay Barossa Valley A Thousand Words Review Date - 4/1/2008 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry white wine; very pale slightly greenish straw. Tropical fruit aromas, a bit of pineapple, slight touch of tangerine peel; complex, clean and vibrant. Lively acidity. On the lees eight weeks; following six weeks of cold fermentation. Very gentle Limousn (French) oak. Lovely. Serve moderately cold, about 50ºF (10ºF) in medium-sized tulip-shaped glasses. Suggested Food Pairings: Chicken pot pie; grilled bacon-wrapped scallops or shrimp; cream- or butter-sauced pastas; herbed roasted turkey breast; tarragon chicken or tarragon chicken/almond salad; green olive tepanade; herbed roast chicken; apple-and-herb (but not sage) stuffed roast pork loin or pork tenderloin. Not a good fin fish wine. Georgia Distributor: All American (a/k/a Bibb Distributing) $17.00 2007 Torbreck Woodcutters Semillon Review Date - 4/1/2008 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Full-bodied dry white wine; pale straw. Immediate aromas of oak, then with time in the glass white fruit aromas emerge. Flavors again focus on oak, with exotic fruit flavors and in the background pear and melon.. Substantial acidity--perhaps acid-adjusted? The name derives from winemaker David Powell's days in Scotland as a lumberjack in the Torbreck Forest. Serve moderately chilled, about 55ºF (12ºC), in large tulip-shaped glasses as this is a pretty big wine. Suggested Food Pairings: Grilled bacon-wrapped shrimp with or without rémoulade; apple/fennel salad; tortellini salad with mozzarella and olives; pistachio-crusted sea bass; grilled scallops with honey-mustard mayonnaise; curried chickpeas; dishes with assertive seasoning, such as saffron and cumin, so try with paella made with either saffron or pimentón (paprika). Georgia Distributor: Quality Wine & Spirits $17.00 2004 Koltz GSM McLaren Vale Review Date - 4/1/2008 Score - 93 Tasting Note: Full-bodied dry red wine; medium dark ruby red. Aromas show the classic peppermint patty mintiness of many Australian reds--perhaps thanks to the presence of the nearly ubiquitous sweet gum tree--then luscious, sweet dark berry fruit. Alcohol is 14.5, but doesn't show much heat, just a tiny bit at the very end of the finish. Grapes: Grenache, 50%; Shiraz 40%; Mourvèdre, 10%. So, a GSM. Founded in 1996, Koltz is a small, artisan producer specializing in Shiraz and Shiraz blends from McLaren Vale. Wines are hand crafted, fermented in open vats then, when dry, basket pressed and put into barrel. Serve moderately cool, about 60ºF (15ºC). Suggested Food Pairings: Smoked liverwurst pâté; smoked pork ribs (no sweet barbecue sauces, though, or any other sweet finishes); grilled center-cut pork chop with red pepper relish; grilled lamb, grilled steak or lamb, Roaring '40s blue (from Australia; at Whole Foods); fairly dark chocolate. Georgia Distributor: Georgia Crown $25.00 2005 Pike's Red Mullet Clare Valley Review Date - 4/1/2008 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry red wine; dark cherry red. Complex aromas of spice, dark fruits; slight dried herb emerges after an hour or so. On the palate, sweet dark fruits (plums and black berries). Very soft tannins. Long, clean finish. A virtual fruit salad: Shiraz (76%); Mourvèdre (9%); Tempranillo (8%); Grenache (7%).Most rewarding if served at cool room temperatures, 60-65ºF (15-1ºC) in medium-sized tall tulip-shaped glasses. Suggested Food Pairings: Curried (mild) legumes; smoked meats; simple pizza; wraps and sandwiches; muffaletta; grilled Italian sausage; chicken thighs baked in tomato sauce; roast turkey; roast pork tenderloin; roast chicken with garlic and rosemary. Georgia Distributor: Northeast Wholesale $16.00 2005 Schild Semillon Barossa Unwooded Review Date - 4/1/2008 Score - 91 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry white wine; very pale straw. Very clean, pure fruit scent, with pear and a touch of fresh herbs. Clean, lemongrass-accented fruit flavors with nice minerality—a lovely stony chalkiness. Crisp, acid-backed, long finish. No oak. Classic. Serve moderately chilled, about 50ºF (10ºC). Suggested Food Pairings: Crispy cornmeal-fried oysters with rémoulade sauce; feta cheese-olive-stuffed ravioli with butter and Parmesan cheese; green olives; goat cheese; baked pistachio-crusted sea bass or other mild fish; curried chickpeas; tarragon chicken or tarragon chicken salad. Georgia Distributor: Ultimate Distributors $16.00 2004 Colonial Estate Shiraz Barossa Valley Explorateur Review Date - 4/1/2008 Score - 94 Tasting Note: Full-bodied dry red wine; medium deep dark purple red. Beautiful aromatics, with an initial hit of musky animal character, identifying it clearly as Shiraz. Then very Rhône-style flavors with balanced fruit, tannin and acid. Deep, rich, powerful but elegant. An excellent intersection of “Old” and “New” World characters. Be sure to decant this one several hours ahead of serving at cool room temperatures, about 60-65ºF or 15-1ºC. Suggested Food Pairings: Spicy hard salamis; smoked liverwurst (Patak); roast duck brushed with black currant jam thinned with some of the wine; roast pork with chipotle honey glaze; curried chickepeas or other legumes and vegetables; other mild curries; grilled Italian sausage and other grilled meats, Roaring ‘40s blue cheese (King Island, Australia); chocolate. Georgia Distributor: Northeast Wholesale $26.00 2004 Fonty's Pool Pinot Noir Pemberton Review Date - 4/1/2008 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry red wine; limpid medium cherry red color. Slight aromatic spice, leather, dried herb; savory flavors sport some red cherry then dried herb closes the long finish. Easy tannins. Classic Down Under style of Pinot Noir. It's good to have an opportunity to taste this one with a little bottle age on it and having had it well cellared as it shows a delightful complexity. Serve moderately cool, about 60ºF (15ºC) in Burgundy glasses (large round or bowl-shaped). Suggested Food Pairings: Pâté of foie gras; roast duck with black currant/red wine glaze; grilled Italian sausage or lamb steak; feathered game; any roasted light meat, such as chicken, pork tenderloin or pork loin; wraps or sandwiches with deli meats, such as salami and ham;; caramel-filled milk chocolate. Georgia Distributor: Ultimate Distributors $19.00 Rutherglen Estates Muscat Review Date - 4/1/2008 Score - 95 Tasting Note: Full-bodied sweet red wine; light mahogany red color. Complex aromas of toffee, roasted nuts, dried fruits, caramel. Sweet flavors back up the toffee and dried fruit characters Residual sugar: 22.5g/l; alc. 17%. As the Aussies like to say, “A nice drop.” Serve moderately chilled, about 55ºF (12ºC) in small tulip-shaped glasses. Suggested Food Pairings: Fig torta, creamy blue cheeses; cheese cake with white chocolate and an Oreo-cookie base (The Clubhouse); turtle cheesecake; strawberries with crème anglaise or sabayon; caramel-filled milk chocolate or plain milk chocolate; firm, aged cheeses. Georgia Distributor: Northeast Wholesale $25.00