These wines kick ass. New stuff from Philip Shaw. You know, the guy who made Shiraz for Rosemount and ended up spreading the grape through America? So the publicity from Cumulus Wines goes. He did the Hill of Gold Shiraz. He did the Show Reserve Cab (I think?). And then he left Fosters/Beringer/Southcorp. He's got a new line of Aussies out and available in limited quantities. And we tried them.

Rolling Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon

For the price, the two Rolling wines are sort of a mass consumption wine. They're softer than I expected.

The semillon in this blend really cuts out the usual overly citrus bite in (cheaper) sauv blanc, which I find really cool. The nose was floral with a softness like pears or baked apple. My tasting notes say "lively palate." What that means to me is that there is an alcohol burn, but it takes place in the nose instead of the roof or back of the mouth. I think that's neat. Neat!

Rolling Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot

Again, this wine was a lot softer than I first expected. The merlot really cut down the tannins in the cab. The result isn't bad, really, it's just the softer wine you'd expect from Australia at about $10. There's fruit here. It's not bad but I had a tough time picking out specifics. The finish was pretty quick, too.

Climbing Chardonnay

Despite my bitchy criticism of excessive oaking and chardonnays in general, I can say that both the Climbing wines we tried really were a deal. We were asking $13 for both of these, and I really think they compare to pricier bottles from better-known labels.

I'm tired of chardonnay. 30% of the juice has seen something like six months in French Oak, so it's got just enough wood and vanilla to seem like chardonnay. I could smell it, and I could taste it. Honestly, it tasted like chardonnay. It was the only wine I poured out without finishing.

As an afterthought, I realize that I never have anything good to say about chards, ever. I guess it's part of my palate that I need to work on.

Climbing Shiraz

The shiraz has seen even more wood than the chard - 100% of it in French, actually. But the shiraz grape just isn't as delicate, and Shaw knows how to do shiraz. I get lots of jam, seemingly deeper and darker colors (?) on my tonuge. The fruit is heavy but not saggy. Right? I think this just almost compares with the Show Reserve, and is right there in price.

Philip Shaw No. 19 Sauvignon Blanc

The sauv blanc got the gold in my book. It's really fantastic. It's brisk and vibrant and doesn't bite too much. Citrus fruits, more than just grapefruit, with a sort of light green vegetal sense as well.

Philip Shaw No. 17 Merlot Blend

The blend here is pretty simple - 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Cabernet Franc. Take that, Claret producers! I can sense that this wine will be good someday, but is a disappointment now in 2006. The notes say it will last up to 15 years (and with a screw-ca...er...Stelvin Closure!). I don't know if it will really take that long to develop, but a few years sure wouldn't hurt it. The familiar cabernet tannins aren't too strong, leaving room for the thinner dryness from the cab franc and merlot. The fruit was nice and dark and rich, leaning more toward the plums and cherries of merlot but supported a little by something weightier.

Anyway, it was a nice night. Not a real disappointment in the bunch, and that's really all we can ask.