Garbin Estate

209 Toodyay Road
Middle Swan
WA 6056
Phone: (08) 9274 1747
Fax: (08) 9274 1747




This winery is next to the well known Jane Brook, which must help during Spring in the Valley. The tasting area is a no frills affair with a lot of certificates lining the office, but a number of low wooden benches show that Garbin expects coach traffic as well. The tasting areas boasts a rack of spotless wooden vats, conveying the feeling of being there for show rather than the hard-working items actually used, like at John Kosovich, The tasting area further sports some fridges, a wooden counter with no bar stools and doubles nicely as an echo chamber.

2007 Verdelho $17
This grape variety is grown extensively in the Swan valley and has become something of an accurate benchmark for a winery’s quality of their other varietals. This wine was fresh on the nose, with hints of tropical fruit, and a touch of nuts in the taste. The alcohol still dominates the fruit, it is off-dry wine a bit watery for me, but will be perfect when chilled and drunk on a hot summer afternoon.

2004 Wooded Chardonnay $17
The wine is a pale straw colour, lightly oaked. One would expect a typical vanilla nose and a certain grip, a body, imparted by the oak. Not so. The wine is pleasant enough, but lighter than expected. Drink soon.

2007 Late-picked Verdelho, $15
In the German spaetlese style, I liked this wine a lot. As sweet as it is supposed to be yet the sugar doesn’t cloy and the finish is clean. Decent value and a decent wine.
2008 Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon blend, $19
This blend is quite common in the valley. In this wine we found the Sauv dominating, with the typical wet dust nose of the variety. The taste was fresh and had pleasant hints of green apples. However the wine came across as a bit watery, thin, somehow.

2005 Shiraz $16
The valley produces some really good Shiraz wines: Windy Creek and Jarrah Ridge are prime examples. This wine started great: beautiful, deep colour and a great, complex nose – and after this hot intro it just sort of … fell flat.

2005 Reserve Shiraz $25
The grapes were picked at Gingin, so not from the valley. This Shiraz is much better: softer, tastes of luscious fruit with a long finish. But the intensity was lacking: again that thin, overly diluted cordial kind of taste.

2007 Merlot $20
Pleasant. Unwooded. Soft. Easy drinking. Won’t stand out in any crowd, but will never embarrass you either.

NV Ruby Shiraz fortified wine, $23
18% alcohol,but soooo smooth. Peppery, spicey, gorgeous long aftertaste; European style of making port. Highly recommended – we bought!
Verdict: it’s tough to compete against forty other wineries all vying for a place under the sun in the Swan Valley and being next to Jane Brook can’t be easy. The wines are competent and not unduly over-priced. But the tasting hall’s lack of amenities and atmosphere do not make this winery a destination of choice. The informed wine taster can have better wines and better value for money close by. On a side note, they had a merlot sparkling wine in the method champenoise style, it wasn’t available for tasting but we bought it to give it a try: watch this space!

Carilley Estate

www.carilleyestate.com.au
Lot 23 Hyem Road
Herne Hill
Western Australia 6056
Phone : 08 9296 6190
Fax : 08 9296 3890



On approaching we saw a full car park and were anticipating some numbers at the tasting counter: this happened to be deserted in favour of the restaurant next door, which was doing a brisk trade indeed. Our friendly attendant knew very little of wine in any shape or form, but was happy to pour as we requested.

2006 Chenin Blanc $18
We know what this grape can do, and Carilley wasn’t it. This wine was just another light, summery, easy drinking beverage.

2007 Verdi $19
A blend of Viognier and Chenin Blanc. Bland, slightly acid.

2006 Oaked Chardonnay, $24
Better. A light wine, but with some grip. The oaking must have been light, as we tasted no hint of the expected vanilla, citrus or oaken tannins.

2006 Crucible $26
This interesting wine is a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Malbec. The blend works well, compliments to the winemaker. Again spicy tastes, but the wine came across as delicate, smooth and velvety. The best of Carilley. Recommended.

2003 Shiraz $23
The most polite thing I can say about this wine is that it should have been withdrawn. This wine was oxidized and I still have the rank taste in my mouth. Dreadful.

2005 Reserve Shiraz, $37
This wine was light in taste, colour and texture. A lightweight, indeed. I could not understand how this wine could deserve either the “Reserve” title or its whopping price tag.

1997 Damask, $50
A fortified wine of golden colour. Sultana nose, good flavours of muscadel and raisins. The alcohol is raw and has no integration with the fruit, resulting in a hefty after-burn in the throat. Very expensive for the price.

Verdict: Swan valley winemakers should have respect for the consumers of their products: we vote with our wallets. A wine made from a specific varietal should taste like that varietal and additionally have its own, unique characteristics from the terroir as well as the micro-climate. A range of identical-tasting, light and fluffy wines at prices that are consistently beaten by your neighbours will not ensure long-term profitability. I sincerely trust the Carilley restaurant is a money-spinner.

Jarrah Ridge Wines

www.jarrahridge.com.au
651 Great Northern Hwy, Swan Valley,
Herne Hill, Western Australia 6056
Tel:+61 8 9296 6337




This wine cellar is on the Great Northern Highway and has a fair amount of traffic passing by. The property was purchased with this in mind, as most of the grapes are grown in Chittering, some 75 Km north of the Swan Valley. The cellar door is neat, with ample parking and the tasting area is clean and functional, but could do with a bit more character. Our host explained that they were expecting two coaches of tourist tasters later in the day: I am sure the tasting area would be pretty crowded then. No tasting fee which was a pleasant surprise after recent experiences. We tasted almost all that they had on offer, with the exception of the Rose.

2006 Classic White: $12
This wine is a blend of three wines: Verdelho, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. Undemanding and pleasant, balanced fruit and alcohol, hints of stone fruit. Laid back Western Australian style, well priced, a summery wine.

2007 Verdelho: $15
Good nose, good fruit, good wine. Lovely, clean finish. Apples on the taste. The second best Verdelho I have had in the Swan valley, after John Kosovich, but better priced. Thoroughly recommended.

2007 Chardonnay: $15
This wine is unwooded and the nose and taste were typical of the variety; a touch of stone fruit and almonds on the taste, the alcohol over-dominated a touch. For $15 you can't expect a competition entry though.

2007 Chenic Blanc: $12
This is an unusual grape for the Swan Valley and we mostly know it through our South African connection. Compliments to the winemaker for a luscious, fruity, off dry to sweetish wine. Clean and balanced, lovely to drink and enjoy. Great value for money, too!

Non Vintage Sparkling Chenin Blanc: $ 26
This excellent wine was made in the Methode Champenoise style. Good mousse (long lasting, tiny bubbles) A big, off dry, tasty, seductive wine – will weaken any resolve! Wow. As Honore de Balzac said: Sunshine in a glass.

2005 Merlot: $15
This wine was unwooded and light in colour; typical, but the lack of tannin tells. A competent, light and fruity wine, but for immediate drinking: do not cellar.

2005 Old Wagon Cab / Merlot: $9.50 (on special for $70 for a case of 12)
This wine is a blend of 65% Cab Sav. and 35% Merlot. Fourteen months on American oak. I tasted this wine twice, with a thirty minute interval: despite its light colour, the wine has some grip and feels like it has the legs to last a few years yet. The taste is pleasant but undemanding, good medium quality. Well priced: at the current special – a bargain!

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon $15
A competent wine; typical nose and taste; some licorice flavours detected. An unremarkable medium to better quality wine, but priced to sell. Drink now.

2004 Shiraz: $15
A solid Shiraz; a good wine, well integrated; minerals on the nose and a slightly salty (mineral?) after-taste, perhaps the biggest influence of the West Australian soil? Balanced alcohol. No champion, but a cut above your quaffing wine and good value for money.

2006 Shiraz Reserve $ 26 ea or $140 for a 6-pack
Soft and smooth. This wine is juicy and succulent and chewy; beautiful. 18.5 out of 20. I want ye, I need ye, oh baby, oh baby. Not cheap, but one of the better ones.

2004 Cabernet / Viognier Reserve $26
The addition of 6% Viognier, a white grape, did something magical to this blend: somehow it enhanced the fruit of the red! 14 months in oak (mixed American and French) resulted in a big, happy, juicy wine. Gorgeous, not cheap, but recommended.

Non Vintage Tawny Port A$16
Competent port; but not in the Portuguese “Port” style. Why not simply call it “Fortified Shiraz”? The alcohol is nicely integrated with the fruit and the wine is eminently drinkable; but it should preferably be enjoyed in the next few years as my impression was that it will probably will not cellar well enough to lay down.

Verdict: Jarrah Ridge most pleasantly surprised us. Nigel looked after us very well, and was very knowledgeable. Jarrah Ridge will do well commercially: they have a great location, longer opening hours, and anyone coping with coach loads of guzzlers - yet not so commercial they won’t give the time of day to amateur tasters like ourselves - must be doing a lot of things right. The absence of a tasting fee made us feel as welcome as the free cheese and olive nibbles that were provided as a matter of course; their good, solid wines and extensive range are bound to please. We spent a full hour tasting and it was as if we were but twenty minutes. Most thoroughly recommended.

Special Notice

There is a magical time of year when wineries have to make space for the new vintage. In the Swan Valley that time is in July. Bargains are to be had. Go to the Swan Valley now – and if you can spend more than two hundred dollars or so: HAGGLE. Specials abound – wine drinkers of the world, unite!

Swan Valley Wines

www.swanvalleywines.com.au
261 Haddrill Road
Baskerville WA 6056
Phone: +61 8 9296 1501

Our visit here started in the perfect way; no parking for coaches! A small vineyard that is a family concern, with the husband and wife administering the tasting and all other areas of the winery. The proud father was pushing his son’s first wine (he recently trained up as a winemaker) and we couldn’t but help wanting them to succeed.

The tasting area is intimate, accommodating a maximum of 10 bodies in comfort: with 7 tasters in attendance at the time it was getting a bit cramped. Swan Valley Wines is famous for their chocolate port and we will get to that shortly. They have a rather extensive range, including some fruity wines that we regrettably did not get round to tasting, but what an excellent excuse to return!

But which of the wines did we taste?

2007 Semillon $15
This wine is off-dry with good body, fruity and a relatively light 12.9% alcohol content. We found this a pleasing wine, good with food or on its own. Recommended.

2007 Unwooded Chardonnay: $15
An uncomplicated wine, this is a very decent offering with a good solid nose and an excellent example of the current fashion. The alcohol still dominates a bit, but give it another year to integrate.

2003 Grenache: $15
Grenache is one of those special wines that does not age well. It tasted and nosed arch-typical of the grape; but the wine was at the end of its shelf life and I cannot recommend it for that reason. I look forward to the new harvest.

2006 Shiraz: $18
Boasting a typical Shiraz nose, this wine had a good colour with definite hints of chocolate on the taste. I found the alcohol burning down my throat and checked the alcohol content on the label: a whopping 16%! I also found that this wine had a salty aftertaste, something I had never tasted before. An unusual wine!

2005 Reserve Shiraz $18
A very unusual Shiraz and not in the best meaning of the word. Very a-typical and not really something I feel comfortable recommending. The 15% alcohol gave it a mean punch to boot.

2005 The Road Bull: $20
This wine has a new label and is made in a completely different style. It is a blend of Grenache and Cabernet. The taste is clean and fresh, with definite hints of mint. This is a good wine, with good integration between alcohol and fruit, a balanced wine. Yes! The owners can be very proud of their son for producing such an excellent first wine.

2006 White Port: $15
This wine has a fruit-salad nose and despite its sweetness and hefty alcohol levels comes across as light and pleasant. Well priced too, and as such definitely recommended.

NV Chocolate Reserve: $23
Swan Valley Wines is famous for this blend of ports flavoured with a cocoa extract. The wine is lusciously chocolaty, nicely alcoholic and comes across full and deep. It certainly was popular with our fellow-tasters, who bought three bottles on the spot. Recommended.

Verdict: An unpretentious winery that makes no excuses for what it is. The winery should be making some exciting new inroads with the new winemaker on board and although it is understandable that they want to offload their existing older stock, it is not the best idea to advertise these as premium wines. The Road Bull indicates a new direction – that wine struck us as innovative, modern, unusual and definitely a reason for coming back. The ports are good drinking, but not for the purists wanting a typical Portuguese style. Overall: well worth a visit!

The Twisted Vine

www.thetwistedvine.com.au
247 Haddrill Road
Baskerville WA 6056
Phone: +61 (08) 9296 1348

The Twisted Vine used to be called Baskerville Wines but due to a change in ownership, the new management decided to rename the vineyard. It has a lovely outside dining area with a standard menu that is a little bit too expensive for my taste specializing in platters for two. They also ask a fee for tasting their wines ($5 for six wines) which was disappointing, and the tasting area seemed a bit cramped since as it occupies a corner of the restaurant.

2006 Classic Dry White A$ 19.80
The nose was very delicate and hard to pick up. The winery’s flowery description of this offering raised false expectations. It had a strong after-burn.

2006 Unwooded Chardonnay $19.80
A pleasing drink, meant to be savoured and light enough to satisfy most lighter style white drinkers.

2006 Rose/Rouge $20.00
Made from Chenin Blanc. Good colour, sweeter in style, kool-aid flavours. Pricey for what you get.

2006 Cabernet/Shiraz $23.00
This wine had some body, but again the after-burn was overpowering. Unfortunately better has been done for cheaper.

2006 Cabernet/Merlot $ 22.00
The best that Twisted Vine offered us on the day, but it seemed a bit light in colour, suggesting that it should be drunk soon. It had a lovely fruity nose, but little grip. The integration between fruit and alcohol was pretty good.

2006 Oscar Gold $ 22.00
When the owner confides that some of his patrons have confused this wine with water, I was alarmed. It has a watery look, but it is a very sweet wine and is good for after dinner drinks. It doesn’t demand much and is best suited for those social occasions when what you are drinking is of secondary concern.

Verdict: This vineyard has clearly gone through some rough times. Costly tastings and a premium price range restaurant will certainly assist the cash flow. Unfortunately, having wines that often barely qualify as “fillers” in a region abounding with excellent, value for money wines, cannot help their cause. I’d give this one a miss.

Sandalford Winery

http://www.sandalford.com/
3210 West Swan Road
Caversham, WA 6055
Phone: 08 9374 9374

Visited: 15 June 2008

We pulled into Sandalford on wet, cold day and were surprised when we saw three tourist coaches outside. Things started looking bleak when we entered to find that the tasting menu was also written in Japanese (a bona fide sign that this was a tourist trap) and a tasting room that was also filled with merchandise not necessarily related to wine. There were plenty of ladies in attendance behind the counter and the tasting room was well-appointed but it couldn't avoid a commercial or "shop" feel. The adjacent restaurant was busy but a bit too pricey for my liking, with main dishes costing the same or more as in Perth city. There is a tasting fee of A$ 2.50 per person; for this one can taste virtually the entire range and this has the benefit of doing away with any moral obligation to buy anything.

Sandalford has four brands of wines; Element, Margaret River, Estate Reserve and Museum Releases. All of these groups are marketed and created with different target markets in mind. We tried some of the Element Wines, Margaret River Range but stuck mostly to the Estate Reserve.

And so on to the wines.

Margaret River Classic Dry White (semillon sauvignon blanc) 2008 $20.00
This is a classic white wine, very light with a fruity after taste and is a bit of an in-between wine.

Estate Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008 $25
More crisp than the Classic Dry White and has a rather dusty aftertaste. It has a lovely Sauvignon nose, the best of the lot in my opinion.

Estate Reserve Verdelho 2008 $25
This is a wine designed mostly to be pleasing but unfortunately it falls rather flat and becomes just a bland wine.

Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2008 $35
This wine has been in French oak for a year, as mentioned by our hostess, which is rather obvious in its nose. You can smell and taste a hint of butter as well as the citrus that is mentioned in the description. I am not sure that this wine needs the sulphide preservative; the alcohol was, at 13.5%, in line with current tastes but a touch heavy. It is a well made wine and eminently drinkable; but you can find something on par, if not better, elsewhere in the valley.

Element Merlot 2007 $14
This was a very fresh wine and the colour was that of raspberry kool-aid. It had a lovely plum nose and the same wet dust aftertaste that is becoming a signature taste of Sandalford wines. It has got 14.5% alcohol so it will be popular with people with a certain crowd, especially when you bring it for a dinner. The price tag would also help with its popularity!

Estate Reserve Shiraz 2004 $35
This wine had a lovely soft rounded nose which simply smelled divine. It was well aged, balanced and had a most amazing colour and with an alcoholic content of 14.5% I was surprised that the alcohol didn't dominate the taste.

Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $35
The first thing that hits you when you smell and drink this wine is the prominent sensation of mint. The oak of this wine is not very obvious, but a flowery-herby taste is the very noticeable. There was a definite after burn with the taste which came as a disappointment.

Element Late Harvest 2008 $14
This is a very sweet and fruity wine, very undemanding and perfect for those lazy afternoons next to the pool when the wine has been chilling in the eski for the last few hours. It goes down way too easily!

Founders Reserve Liqueur Port $30
It is beautifully balanced, with a slight taste of raisins and a bit of spice. This port is properly made in the Portuguese style and is one of the best things we tasted at Sandalford

Verdict
To be honest, I found it to be a over commercialised and very expensive for what you got. It was a bit soulless, especially for a winery in the Swan Valley which prides itself on being accessible.
Most of the wines were simply expensive for what they offered, especially since you can walk to most bottle stores in Australia and buy a similar quality of wine for less. Great place to go to if you are playing tour guide but if it just for yourself, I would give it a miss.

Lancaster Wines

http://www.lancasterwines.com.au/
5228 West Swan Road
Caversham, WA 6055
Phone: 9250 6461



Visited: 15 June 2008

Lancaster is one of those smaller wineries that only do cellar door sales and they seem to be doing pretty well. They have a lovely lean-to where you can do your tasting but in the winter it is just too cold and you tend to not concentrate on the wines as much. They also offer cheese tasting along with your wine and that was one of the major drawing points. There were three people behind the counter and they dealt quite well with the variety of people who came to taste, but their patent discomfort in the weather only seemed to underscore the problem of an open-air tasting area.

Verdelho 2007 $14
This is a very crisp and has a pleasant tropical fruit taste . Unfortunately it just didn't work for me.

Chardonnay 2007 $16
This wine was lightly oaked for 6 months and it was an accessible, pleasant wine with a slight taste of grenadilla. Neither a typical, nor a big Chardonnay, but priced to sell

3 Vines 2007 $15
This is an unusual blend of 75% Chardonnay, 18% Verdelho and 7% Voignier and the result is an excellent food wine. It is a smooth blend and the hint of fruit complements it perfectly. What a lovely wine.

Chenin Blanc 2007 $14
The taste of green apples surprised me, and this is definitely a fresh, summery wine. Would go down lovely on a hot summer afternoon.

Cabernet Merlot 2006 $21
Clearly the winemaker at Lancaster loves blending and this wine is no exception. 88% Cabernet, 12% Merlot and what you get is a gorgeous colour and the hint of wet dust. We know that 2006 was a very disappointing year, as opposed to 2008 that should be very good; this Cab Merlot blend does its best, has good colour and a good nose; but the overall taste was disappointing.

9 Rows Cabernet 2007 $24
This wine is made from just 9 rows of cabernet vines. The wine has a delicious hint of chocolate and exotic spice. The colour was a touch light and a watery edge suggested that this is a wine for enjoying sooner rather than later.

Tin Shed Shiraz 2007 $19
Named after the tasting shed, it can be seen in the same light. Sorry guys, a bit of a disappointment - not recommended.

Old Vines 2007 $25
Done in the same, light style. Much better than the Tin Shed Shiraz, this wine would suit someone making the conversion from whites to red.

Late Picked Chenin Blanc 2007 $24
A dessert wine that absolutely surprised and delighted. Very sweet, like a sugar rush and a perfect dessert wine. Wow.

Reserve Liqueur Muscat 2002 $31
This is a beautifully integrated, balanced wine and has the most delightful nose. It reminds me of my Granny's world-famous Grape Jam and has a clean finish and is a strong contender for the best dessert wine I have tasted over the past few years.



Verdict.
Where some wineries are geared for slick commercial exploitation, others are laid back in the traditional Australian fashion. I liked the staff greeting us the moment we stepped out of the car, welcoming us and inviting us to taste. The tasting shack has all too obvious shortcomings on days both cold and rainy (as the day we were there) and hot, fly-ridden ones in summer, but the tasting staff make up for this. Lancaster is not a premium winery, but then, it does not pretend to be one and prices accordingly. One of the joys of wine-tasting is to keep on trying until you find that wine that just suits your taste perfectly, and to be able to buy this at a bargain price. I did not buy anything this time, but we could have parted with our money for either the Reserve Muscat or even the Nine Rows. I will be back to taste the 2008 offerings!

Windy Creek

www.windycreekestate.com
27 Stock Rd
Herne Hill WA 6056
Telephone: 08 9296 1057
Visited: 2 June 2008

I have to admit that this was my second time in Windy Creek, the first was somewhere in the beginning of May where they blew me away with their excellent wines. They have a lovely tasting area and offer free cheese and crackers to tasters (very nice cheese it is) and they have an entertainment area where they hold functions. They also have a lot of wines on sale, and they can only be bought through the estate itself, which is unusual for a winery of this size and caliber.
The sales staff are laid back and friendly. Their lives continue whilst you are tasting: friends and acquaintances come and go, are greeted and chatted to. They have the knack to make you feel at home, part of the family.

Eight wines were tried and they were:

Verdelho 2007 $12
A little bit bland, with a sharp after taste.

Sauvignon Blanc 2007 $12
Lovely fresh and balanced, fruity taste and very crisp. Perfect for a hot autumn day.

Premium Classic Dry White 2007 $10
This had an absolutely lovely nose, fresh and citrus like and incredibly refreshing. I loved it

Chenin Blanc 2007 $12
Very forgettable. Can't remember anything about it.

Grenache 2006 $10
In my experience this French grape is mainly used for blending and it is rather difficult to make a good, stand-alone wine from Grenache. So it proved at Windy Creek, too.

Cabernet Merlot (non vintage) $10
Any decent red at $10 must be good value, and so was this. Not a big wine, but accessible, pleasant.

Old Vine Shiraz 2007 $12
Shiraz is what Windy Creek should concentrate on - the winemaker clearly understands this grape and the wine, especially at $12, is good value.

Family Reserve Shiraz $18.50
WOW. Big like an Opera Diva, as tasty as a The Works Pizza, yet as subtle as Machiavellian plot.This is probably the best Shiraz that I have tasted. Smooth, rich and velvety, it just sits right with me. It's well worth the visit to this farm just for this wine alone. And there is no damn $1 tasting fee.

Verdict: I bought the Family Reserve Shiraz and the Sauvignon Blanc and as I am typing this review I am wondering why I didn't take the Premium Classic White. A really lovely place to visit and one of my favourite spots in the Swan Valley.

Baxter-Stokes

65 Memorial Avenue
Perth
WA 6056
Australia
Telephone: +61 8 9296 4831

Visited: 2 June 2008

This is one of those wineries where the wine maker lives right next to the cellar and makes wine primarily for himself. He has a nicely practised sales-pattern that goes down well with the ladies and I believed him when he told us that he makes the wines for himself.He has set up a nice bar area in front of the casks and will quite happily open up a bottle of what he still has in stock. It is a bit unpleasant when you walk into the tasting room and they hand you the menu and the host immediately says that half the wines are sold out. Why put them on the menu then? For the rest, it was nice and social and it looked like a nice sort of place to spend an afternoon. On to the wines...

Flood Gully Chardonnay 2006 $15
This wine has one hell of an after-burn and that is about the kindest thing I can say about it.

Cabernet-Sauvignon-Malbec 2004 $16
This has a light body and the ever present after-burn

Shiraz 2006 $16
This is an unusual Shiraz primarily because of the taste of humbugs. The aniseedy taste is very slight but noticeable and can make this wine a discussion piece around the table. It is very sweet and is also tasted like a it would have little life expectancy. Drink immediately.

Verdict: I wouldn't go back to this place if I had any say in it. The wines have a surfeit of alcohol (up to nearly 15% on the whites!) to make up for the lack of taste, depth, subtlety and fruitiness that one can legitimately expect from the Swan valley. Great to visit, chat to the host, be social - but buying their wines? I didn't buy anything.

Upper Reach

www.upperreach.com.au
77 Memorial Avenue
BASKERVILLE
Western Australia 6056
Telephone: +61 8 9296 0078



Visited: 2 June 2008

This is a winery for a lot of people and they have a restaurant to boot! Lovely views over the vineyards and clearly geared to hold functions as well. The wine tasting area was open and relaxed and had two ladies behind the counter to ensure that there was an easy flow with all the tasters. One of the most unusual things was that they charged $1 to taste the most popular wines (and that is $1/taste!) and most of them weren't even worth it.

The restaurant looked good, the food smelled divine and they had an interesting menu. It looked a bit expensive but maybe we'll go and try out sometime.

We tried five wines:

Verdelho 2008 $18
This was slightly disappointing but very fruity. It didn't blow me away and had a bit if an after-burn. It had a lovely nose and would have gone down well with a light pasta or something.

Black Bream (White) 2007 $15
Wow. Really wow. Fruity, balanced, sweet and light but still a dry wine and well priced to boot! It won't let you down when you are entertaining even the snobbiest of wine buffs.

Temperanillo 2007 $22
This is a real quaffing wine and with 14% alcohol you shouldn't be quaffing too much of this! It is what my mom calls a swimming pool wine, perfect for those parties where the quality of the wine is not so important as the quantity and the alcohol content. A bit pricey for what you get but I can see why it sells well.

Shiraz 2006 $28 ($1 tasting fee)
A local winemaker recently told me that 2006 really stood for Two Thousand and Shit, as the growing conditions, especially for reds, had been far from ideal. With the tasting fee I was prepared for something spectacular, something velvety and rich that would make it worth the nearly $30 price tag. Unfortunately not. The colour was light, it had a closed nose and to my uncultured tastes it was like sandpaper on my tongue.

Cabernet Sauvingnon 2007 $25
Utterly forgettable.

Verdict:
I'd only go back to give the restaurant a go but for me it was a bit bland and easily forgettable.
That $1 tasting fee still smarts! I did buy the Black Bream though and I look forward to drinking it!

John Kosovich Wines

www.johnkosovichwines.com.au
180 Memorial Avenue
BASKERVILLE W.A. 6056
Phone : +61 8 9296 4356

Visited: 2 June 2008

This winery looked unassuming at first and we had trouble spotting where to park but walking underneath vines that were planted in 1922 (with a nice sign ensuring that you knew that) was a wonderful start. Walking through the wine cellar filled with wine casks that had the wine inside chalked on the top of the barrel was a lovely experience and things were looking up. The winemaker was behind the counter and seemed like a knowledgeable guy. We tried three of the four wines available for tasting.

Verdelho 2007 $18
The Swan valley prides itself on its Verdelhos, but most of them are just plain sour and uninteresting. This one is one of the best in the region so far and at A$18, is still good value for money. It was fruity, balanced and very crisp. It went down very smooth and I just loved it!

Chardonnay
This is an unwooded Chardonnay and it was a bit disappointing, especially when you taste it after the Verdelho. It was bland, and not inspiring and it came across as a filler

Pinot Noir 2007 $36
A good wine, unusual nose and fruitier than expected; expensive, especially when compared to that Verdelho!

Verdict: A lovely place, and well worth the visit. I bought the Verdelho and am looking forward to having it friends later.