Wines Worth Sharing • 21 November 2024
The following wines have recently been reviewed along with ‘classic’ tasting notes sent through to the winemaker & winery. When and where possible, I try to serve each wine reviewed on my website in my ‘ESSENCA’ Stemware so as to reveal the wines essence as naturally as possible in its current stage of development.
• SIMPLY ‘click’ on each image and a tasting note for each wine will appear along with some other useful information.
*(At date of review, these wines were available at the winery & online at select locations worldwide, pricing & availability will vary - sip, savour & share the journey).
Wine Star Rating System:
I typically review wines with their identity known. This allows for the background of the wine, such as the growing region, the unique vineyard terroir, method of viticulture and vinification to be considered. It also allows for any personality, philosophy, local traditions, classifications and the culture behind the wine to become part of the assessment. This allows me to better understand the expression and success of the winemaker and the wine made in which a ‘blind’ tasting would not achieve.
For example: a quality, well-balanced Rhône Valley Syrah is not going to taste the same as an ‘old bush vine’ Barossa Shiraz. And one is not better than the other, simply different. So this approach helps in judging the qualities in each expression.
Wines reviewed are rated by a number of stars. The wine rating system has 3 to 5 Stars - this is an easily understood, visual system to convey the quality. Around the world you will find the 100-point system which is supposed to provide an even finer distinction of quality assessment. Though it is my opinion that a 1% distinction in wine quality is near impossible for most to taste or distinguish. So I work within a ‘range’ that I feel is much easier to appreciate.
