Vinoculation

The marketing dude from Taylors was over in New Zealand recently and being the moron that I am, I mucked up dates for their luncheon. My punishment? Delivery of seven Taylors wines to taste through, along with a damn snazzy cap and the usual marketing paraphernalia.

Anyway, here are my notes:

2005 Jaraman Riesling
Light straw colour. Clean, lemon-lime nose with hints of honey. The palate is domineered by sour lemon – bordering pulpy – with unkempt acid that deteriorates to a soft, bland finish. A poor riesling and not recommended. 80

2005 Jaraman Chardonnay
Light amber colour. Pleasant nose of nuts, melon, nectarine and a lick of oak. Warm and round mouthfeel with acid spikes; palate fruit lacks definition. Acid-retentive finish and green, pithy persistence. Barely scrapes through with a pass. 84

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Inky and youthful with a mauve hue. Rich bouquet of brooding power; blackcurrant, lavender, violets, a hint of leather and cooked tomato. Berry fruit lines a focussed palate profile, broadening out as gummy tannins emerge on the finish. Structurally cohesive, augmented by judicious acid, and texturally yummy. Pretty impressive stuff. 90

2005 Shiraz
Blood red. Raspberry liquorice, plum, eucalypt and cedar indicate a nose of fruit less darker than usual, with encouraging complexity for such a young wine. Youthful acidity streaks beneath cherry and mulberry fruit, the tannins fleshy and subtly grippy. The finish is layered with raspberries and more raspberries, trailing off to leave a sweetly satisfying aftertaste. This is a Taylors Shiraz quite unlike I remember, perhaps indicating a cooler vintage and more restrained oak handling. Appealing, as ever, at the bargain price level. 88

2004 Jaraman Shiraz
Dense red with a ruby edge. Nose of a bramble patch graveyard; macerated, masticated, viscid berries. There’s some chocolate, freshly ground black pepper and liquorice too. Coax this one – it starts out sulky. Considerable weight in the mouth, amplified by concentrated palate fruit. The fruit intensity dies away on the finish, leaving fine-grained, ripe tannins and a residual fruit sweetness. Won’t be a classic, but admirable nonetheless. 89

2004 Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon
Impenetrable blood red with fine, ruby edge. Predominantly a stewed fruit nose, with shallot, tobacco and coconut oak. A nose that certainly keeps organs capable of blood engorgement rather dysfunctional. Lots of weight, richness and generosity in the mouth, fortified by trademark acidity that underpins blackberry liqueur fruit. Another sweet fruit finish with chewy tannins. Luckily the performance in the mouth makes up for the nose (said the bishop to the actress?), but I won’t be rushing out for this one. 87

2002 St Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark, tending dark-medium red at the edges. The nose is pure cabernet; lifted florals, cassis, wet forest smells and cinnamon. There’s also an intriguing hint of pastille fruit resembling kumquat conserve. Elegant, medium to full bodied, with a generous kick of tactile dark cherry flavours. Seamless from front to back. Powdery tannins finish with verve and help escort a caramelised aftertaste. Good chop and bodes well for future ageing. 91