WTN: St. Hallett wines, Barossa

Short notes from a tasting of St Hallett wines, Barossa.

St. Hallett Eden Valley Riesling 2004 - Pineapple and a rather odd note of olives in the mouth. Crisp, with just a touch of sweetness to keep it friendly. Refreshing. I generally don't like Oz Riesling but I will happily drink this.

Poacher's Blend Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2004 - A bit smoky on the nose. Slightly over ripe fruit character. Gentle wine. Some sweetness. Surprisingly long finish. Makes a good aperitif. Good enough for me.

Gamekeeper's Reserve Shiraz/Grenache 2003 - Alcoholic. Medium weight. Oaky. Bitter. Lots of fruit. Not bad but not good either. I would pass on this.

Faith Shiraz 2003 - Oaky and hot. Flavors of stewed fruit and prunes. Dry finish. I didn't like this at all.

Generally, I thought the whites presented were pleasant enough to drink if you're not looking for complexity or a serious wine. The two reds were just not my type; being too oaky and heavy for me.

My recollection of some St. Hallet's 'Old Block' Shiraz from the mid-90s was that they were relatively restrained and rather tasty (of course that may just be fallible memory). Sorry to hear they are going the way of spoofulation.

Spoofulation. Now that's a really good word for a bad thing.