2007 Paradigm Hill Wines L’ami Sage Pinot Noir – Mornington Peninsula, VIC

13.8% ABV.  Screwcap.  Vibrant ruby colour, clear and healthy looking.  Delicate rose, cherry blossom, cinnamon, clove, lifted orange oil aromas, gentle earthiness but mostly expressive of floral and fruit characters.  Good soft entry, refined tannin structure, supportive spice components, good acid/alcohol balance, delicate plum, cherry, currant and raspberry flavours, warming, hints of herbaceousness, savoury and unobtrusive oak assistance, refined along the entire palate with a delicate palate weight and lasting persistence.  95 pts.

2008 Derwent Estate Pinot Noir – Granton, TAS

13.5% ABV.  Screwcap.  Rich, deep purple hue with relatively dense rim for a Pinot.  Earthy, mouldy, grainy aromas are balanced by a deep and dark range of bright purple fruits (plums, cherries, blackberries).  Delicate oak to the nose, pleasant and lifted scents.  Fruit driven entry into the front palate, rich, creamy (malolactic influences), soft white pepper, silky tannin structure, moderate palate weight, pleasant toasty character on the finish which highlights the creamy – fruity flavours of the wine.  Full fruit and well developed oak resting.  Pleasantly warming with a long finish (the toasty flavours are the last to leave).  Refreshing and mysterious.  Very much a new world Pinot Noir, perfect for the contemporary Australian market.  I particularly enjoy this wine’s palate weight (not heavily fined) and I believe it will age incredibly well for the next 12 years +.  96 pts.

2007 Paradigm Hill Wines Col’s Block Shiraz – Mornington Peninsula, VIC

13.6% ABV.  Screwcap.  Clear and deep red hue to the rim.  Tarry, tobacco box, raspberry, black pepper, eucalypt aromas.  Clean nose – very straightforward but not offensive.  Gorgeous black spice on the sides, toasty and caramel-like (though not the sweet kind) there’s a lovely raspberry flavour backed by a small vanilla component, some herbaceousness (spinach?), rustic and masculine.  This is a great cool climate shiraz, a bit ‘old world’ which is welcome.  Moderately long finish, fantastic palate weight and a good acidity to balance the heavy fruit flavours.  Will definitely age until at 2025.  92 pts.

2007 Blue Poles Vineyard Allouran – Margaret River, WA

14.0% ABV.  Screwcap.  This wine is 66% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc.  Traditional Right Bank Bordeaux blend.  Very deep red hue, verging on black in density.  Attractive to look at.  Beautiful herbaceousness, hints towards green leaves, mentha, black pepper fragrances.  Deeply earthy and brooding.  Relatively heavy oak on the nose but opens up with a tiny bit of airing to strong plum aromas.  Some chickory – which I found unique.  Some chocolate scents.  Pleasant, bitter-sweet entry on the front palate (excellent fruit coverage).  Good palate weight, alcohol is well balanced by the acid, fruit and spice characters.  Chalky to silky tannin structure.  Typical fruit-cake melange of spices associated with Merlot, but it goes deeper – closer to stewed plums in cloves.  Aromatic and sensual.  Decent oak indicates that this wine will age well past 2020.  Excellent finish but this will improve with further aging too.  Delicious.  94 pts.

2008 Blue Poles Reserve Merlot - Margaret River, WA

14.0% ABV.  Screwcap.  Extremely deep red hue to the rim.  Tobacco, plum, cardamom, cinnamon and clove on the nose.  Some raspberry influence on aroma.  Strong nose but pleasant.  Definite hint of cocoa.  Lifted mixed berry aromas are nice.  Soft entry onto palate, very fine acidity, superb palate weight, lengthly, broad but not angular, chocolate, cherry, plum, minor raspberry and clove flavours.  Gorgeous tannin (chalky but leaning towards silky).  Exceptionally well made wine, fantastic length and very foward on the fruit.  Drink now but see fantastic results 10+ years.  96 pts.