2008 La Linea Adelaide Hills Tempranillo

As with my previous post I love Tempranillo so as I was walking around my local Celebrations looking for a bottle to share with you all I couldn't walk past this one. A classic clear cherry red in the glass the look of this wine will not disappoint. No legs to speak of I was surprised to see 13.5% even on the bottle. On the nose you get the varietal strawberry and light dry herbs and spice. Lovely and light on the palate this wine shows again the traditional characteristics you'd expect from a Tempranillo, juicy red berry fruits, fine tannin structure and slightly dry there is a herbaciousness on the medium length finish that is intriguing but not necessarily desirable.

In short this is a dry but fruity red that should definitely be enjoyed with food and could probably do with some bottle age. More of a traditional style than the Mr Riggs i've reviewed earlier and much less approchable but overall enjoyable.

It received a 91 from James Halliday which i think is a little over stated and has definitely been dragged up by this wine being very true to the traditional spanish style. Unfortunately I can only bear to give this a 7 out of 10 at best and would steer most people toward the Mr Riggs Yacca Paddock unless they already know that they like the more traditional spanish style.

I purchased this wine for $26.70 from the Celebrations and have struggled to find this wine online. To be absolutely honest you can get a better Tempranillo and much more approachable for a lot less. Still good value for money really but only if you are looking for a dry wine.

Personally I'll be buying a Mr Riggs next time I'm looking for a Tempranillo but hey don't let me hold you back from trying something new. Although if you want to try something new there are plenty of other wines for the same price point that will treat your palate better.

Lenton Brae

I visited Lenton Brae vineyard the other day and was excited by the wines as well as impressed by the cellar door and it's story. As such I thought I should share my experience with you all.

Lenton Brae cellar is set back from Caves Road in the heart of Wilyabrup, 15-20 mins north of Margaret River. You can almost drive straight past the entrance unless you are looking for it but if you do happen to drive past please do turn around as the wine list shouldn't be missed. It is one of the only cellar's i've visited where I've enjoyed or appreciated all the wines on the tasting list.

As you drive down the narrow entrance road you are welcomed by well groomed vines and a heritage listed building with architecture that will impress most. As you walk up the steps the the cellar entry you get an excellent view out over the valley and the vineyards which produce the majority of the fruit used in the wines you are about to sample. If you are lucky enough to be touring through the week you will be cheerfully greeted by Lenton Brae's exceptional Cellar Sales attendant Chris who is more than keen to impart his wealth of knowledge on all who visit and will listen. As you taste your wine you can wander onto a viewing platform which looks down into the working winery which is most interesting.

The wine list will look very similar to every other winery in the Margaret river region with the typical SSB's, Chardonnay's and of course Cabernet and blends of but don't be tempted to skip any as all the range is worth a try. Even though you will double up on a couple of varieties each wine has its own style and are all stand out drops that although don't all appeal to my palate were all very approachable and very very drinkable. Nothing under a 8 out of 10 in my opinion on the entire tasting list, unfortunately I didn't take notes on any of the wines I tasted to share with you but keep an eye out as I will definitely will be purchasing some of the range and doing write ups on them. Only a couple from the range are distributed so if you do see anything from this stand out winery do not hesitate to grab it and give it a shot, if it's a variety you like to drink its very unlikely you'll be disappointed. Good luck and happy drinking.