Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

It’s Sunday night, so let’s get stuck into some red wine. Who’s with me?

We were recently sent this sample of the La La Lands 2017 Tempranillo from Mildura in the Murray Darling district of Victoria to taste. I have to admit, I do love a good Temp!

I also love the poem on the back of the label for this one:

“A wine for gods, a wine for mankind
Dreamers, visionaries, beautiful minds
Perfect for play, a treasure to show
Magical La La Land Tempranillo”

Here are Mr Spittoon and my notes about it:

Garnet shade in the glass. On the nose it has a medley of red, blue and black berries laced with vanilla and a whiff of coffee beans and earth. In the mouth it’s dry with a super smooth finish. There’s notes of cherries and pomegranate coming through for us.

This wine was sent to me direct from Wingara Wine Group as a sample, I was under no obligation to post about it.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy.

#winesample #wingarawinegroup #lalalandwines #tcweekdaywine — 5 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Wind, rain or shine, it’s always Rosé weather am I right?

It’s definitely getting colder here in Gippsland however we have also had some beautiful autumn 🍂 days.

I received this new release sample recently and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. Atze’s Corner are based in SA’s Barossa Valley and have grape vines on their estate dating back to 1912!

This ‘Wild Rose’ rosé is made from Old Vine Grenache (50%), Graciano (25%) and Mataro (25%). It’s not everyday you come across an old vine Grenache rosé so as you can imagine this one is available in limited quantities. $25 via the atzes.com website.

So what did I think? I found it a sunset pinky-peach colour on the eye. The nose made me think of juicy watermelon and peaches with some lemon zest and a sprinkling of spice. In the mouth it’s super smooth and easy drinking with plentiful strawberry flavours intertwined with stonefruits and refreshing citrus. YUM!

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#gifted #opinionsaremyown #tcweekdaywine — 6 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

February 9th (that’s tomorrow) is #WorldPizzaDay so I thought I’d get some practice in before the big day 😜🍕❤️

When #wine and #pizza matching, you really can’t go wrong with an Italian tipple. After visiting Tuscany back in 2011 it really sparked my love of Chianti and thanks to the team at Vino Bambino they recently introduced me to this Querceto Di Castellina 2016 L’Aura Organic D.O.C.G Chianti Classico.

QDC have been sustainable since 1998 and certified organic since 2012 🌱 You can buy it for $38 via the Vino Bambino website.

In the glass it’s an enticing juicy ruby red shade. The nose conjures up thoughts of red liquorice, berries and vanilla infused cherries. In the mouth it’s smooth and fruity with a dry, rounded, tannin infused + long finish with a distinct cocoa-powder note to it. Divine. Between the wine and the pizza (probably my most favourite food), and the company of my Mr Spittoon, I was blissfully happy ❤️

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#gifted #opinionsaremyown #tcweekdaywine — 6 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

We discovered this little beauty on the weekend while on our vineyard retreat at Toms Cap Vineyard Retreat here in Gippsland. It’s a dry style Riesling that both Mr Spittoon and I picked out as our favourite from the cellar door tasting.

After the tasting we then went on to enjoy a bottle with our lunch, which matched wonderfully with my local rock flathead in light tempura batter with fries and fresh garden greens (aka fish’n’chips) and then went on to buy two more bottles 😂

Both of which have funnily already disappeared 🤷‍♀️

In the glass it’s a light yellow shade. On the nose it makes me think of fresh pears, sea breeze and orange zest. While in the mouth it’s smooth with tropical fruits but has a super crisp and refreshing acidity. So good!

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine — 6 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

After trying the 2017 Xabregas Wines Reisling earlier in the year which my mum picked for #thetcwineclub, the lovely team at Xabregas in WA’s Great Southern wine region offered to send both me and my Mum a bottle of the 2018 Riesling to try – how sweet is that 🙂 Thank you Xabregas!

I decided to match the 2018 with some homemade pho and it went down an absolute treat. In fact it was a super refreshing meal.

As you’ll see from the back label, it’s definitely on the dry end of the spectrum for a Riesling – which is my style of Riesling and my Mum’s too.

Here are my notes for the 2018:

In the glass it’s a pale shade of yellow. On the nose it is super fresh with the hallmark Riesling minerality and plenty of citrus (lemon, lime and grapefruit). That citrus-driven nature flows through to the palate with a lick of fresh juicy pears and wow, it’s extremely gluggable if I do say so myself.

What a beauty! You can see a comparison of my notes for both vintages here: https://travellingcorkscrew.com.au/blog/xabregas-riesling-mount-barker/

This bottle was sent to me directly from Xabregas to taste, I was under no obligation to post about it.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#winesample #tcweekdaywine — 5 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Saturday was Fizzy & Crackle’s 5 year adoption anniversary, so it seemed fitting to open this tipple. They’re very spoilt kitties too, that’s their luxe teepee ⛺️ in the photo behind the bottle 😹

A big thanks to Dialogue PR for this sample bottle. You ladies nailed it on the head, cats + wine = one happy TC!

The Fat Cat wine range is available at Dan Murphy’s and BWS and this is a new release in the range. The Cat Amongst the Pigeons 2018 Eden Valley Chardonnay sells for $29.

I found it a bright yellow colour with hints of gold in the glass. When I gave it a good whiff, images of white flowers, apricots and citrus came to mind. While in the mouth it has a lick of juicy melon and lemon with a slight syrupy mouthfeel and a nip of vanilla. Not as big and bold as I typically like my Chardonnay however I still finished every drop. If you like a light and fresh Chardy, this is for you!

PS: The cooler climate of the Eden Valley is ideal for making lighter style Chardonnay like this one. It’s also a top notch region for Riesling and Shiraz 😉

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#gifted #opinionsaremyown #tcweekdaywine — 6 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

This was another one of the Toms Cap tipples we enjoyed on our weekend stay at their vineyard cottages here in Gippsland last weekend. This 3 Dog 2017 Chardonnay is barrel fermented yet retains a lot of crisp freshness.

We enjoyed a glass or 3 while in the spa pool at our cottage while the sun set, it was bliss! It is also nice that the cottages have decent glassware - they were Riedel 🙌

In the glass it’s a medium yellow shade. The nose makes me think of nectarines, vanilla spice, a sprinkling of almond flakes and a slice of honeydew melon. In the mouth I find it rather textural up front with a nice refreshing acid driven finish. A delicious balance of oak and citrus. $34 a bottle.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine — 6 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Happy Rosé Day everyone!!

Together with my sister-in-law, I recently cracked this sample from Jane Brook Estate in Perth’s Swan Valley (thank you!!).
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This bubbly rosé is made from Malbec & Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in Margaret River and I have to say, it went down mighty well on the deck in the sun 🙌

Here are our notes:

Cherry red in the glass with small bubbles that cruise to the top of the glass. On the nose it’s a bit like ribena, think blackcurrant, cranberries and red flowers. In the mouth it’s nicely balanced - not sweet but not overly dry either. As the tasting panel said “you could easily knock back a few bottles, it’s an all day drinking bubbles”.
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All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#gifted #tcweekdaywine — 6 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Have you tried the 3drops 2018 Great Southern #PinotNoir that was released in Feb yet?

The lovely @joanne3drops sent me over a bottle to taste which I enjoyed out of my beautiful @riedelaustralianz Pinot Noir glass. The curves on those #wine glasses are so sexy 💋

2018 was a great vintage in WA’s #GreatSouthern region with the perfect climate to produce stunning Pinot like this one.

If you’re not already aware, the 3drops name refers to 3 of life’s most precious liquids - wine, olive oil and water 💧

This 18 Pinot is a must try for all Pinot lovers - team it with some charcuterie and you’ll be in heaven! From it’s ruby red colour to wild strawberries, currants and a hint of smokiness on the nose. The palate is juicy, smooth and has that perfect balance of fruitiness and spice. If you have the willpower and can put away a few bottles into the cellar for a few years, it’ll be well worth it for those earthy/savoury characters that’ll develop 🤤 $32 a bottle via 3drops.com/shop

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#gifted #opinionsaremyown #tcweekdaywine — 6 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Arlewood are located in Margaret River and I’ve been lucky enough to try a few of their wines and really enjoyed them. These guys started up shop in 1984 and are also known for their sheep 🐑 farming.

This 2015 La Bratta Bianco is part of the Vino Bambino portfolio and I couldn’t wait to try the sample they sent me. It’s made from mainly Sauvignon Blanc (79%) with a hint of Semillon (16%) and splash of Chardonnay (5%). French oak and extended time on the yeast lees were part of the making of this wine.

The name of the wine is inspired by the village La Bratta in Northern Italy where the family’s ancestors come from and where the family started making wine. Not to mention, this quirky little wine also received a mighty 97 points in James Halliday’s 2019 Wine Companion 🏆

In the glass, I found it a yellow with a bright highlight through it. On the nose it makes me think of grapefruit zest, hay, florals and passionfruit. As I sip it, I notice a juicy, creamy texture which covers the entire mouth, there’s a bite of acidity followed by a long fresh fruit forward finish. Thoroughly enjoyed this one!

You can find it on vinobambino.com.au for $38.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#gifted #opinionsaremyown #tcweekdaywine — 6 years ago