Cleanskin - Marananga Greenock Single Vineyard 100 Year Old Vines GSM 2005

This wine was a mouthful to type up and I have no idea if this clean skin is as good as GWD says (They have given a lot of ratings from a lot of wine nobs, so unless this wine is a big name brand then they may be full of it)
A $21 clean skin that my own research that pointed me toward being a Colonial Estate 'John Speke' GSM which is worth over $50 (up to $70) a bottle... so it is meant to be good, if you follow pricing as a guide to taste.

It's a nice wine. I left it for at least an hour to breathe and it opened up nicely. Very smooth with a big Jammy raspberry with sweet cherry and black current as well. It was not a big wine but it has a really nice subtle french ok to it, but not overpowering at all.
It has a predominantly Grenache leaning, but that just makes it different to what i normally drink. So that is a good thing.

I'm not entirely sure about paying $21 again. I did really enjoy the wine, but I have enjoyed others more for half the price... I bought 4 of them, so maybe I will reevaluate after the next bottle.

Rating: 88
Price: $21 (Get Wines Direct)

Gotham Langhorne Creek / McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004

Just for something different and to celebrate the umpteenth day of rain, I decided to crack open an old favourite.
I am lucky to still have a few bottles left of this and I remember how unique it was (especially when left to breath for a long time)
So that's what I did and Wow!! This wine was so good.
Smooth and full, there was a definite honey-like aroma and taste, but definitely not over the top.
It has developed over the last year or two since I bought them and this has inspired me to leave the rest alone for another few years.
Sorry that I can't provide better tasting notes, but I was in no state to be typing last night and there was not more than a whiff left in the decanter. Suffice to say that both Jean and I were more than impressed with how smooth and distinctive this wine had become.

Gotham wines would have to be Australia's best niche reds. I was lucky to stumble across this one (because of the label) and have enjoyed every vintage since.

Price - Not available anymore, but was under $10 at auction a few years back.
Rating - 90 (I would get this again in an instant if I could)