Oz Pacific Wines has been one of my favorite local boutique distributors/importers and I find Andrew Bishop’s selections usually spot on and intriguing. It’s interesting that an importer called Oz Pacific now brings in absolutely zero wines from Australia and has this tasting of wines which are, for the most part, pretty remote from the Pacific. A few hits and misses..
2005 Casa Liliana “Good” Pinot Grigio (Delle Venezie) Actually all sourced from Alto Adige but the producer labels it as the less ex pensive Delle Venizie IGT to keep the price down. Full rich citrus flavors and solid acidity. Very good for $10.
2005 Serenity Pinot Noir Central Coast This has an earthy fruity nose that shows promise but the flavor is all chocolate covered cherry with an unpleasantly hot finish. Pass.
2003 Château Margès Graves Rouge (Bordeaux) Yum. Playful lavender, lilac and mineral profile with a hint of dark fruit. This wine is surprisingly charming and restrained coming from 2003.
2004 Girolamo Dorigo Cabernet Franc (Fruili) Bell pepper, green olive, and barrique. Highly extracted, glycerin-filled palate. Way too big for me. Pass.
2003 Vriesenhof Enthopio (Stellenbosch) I was far from enamored when I first triedthis pinotage-based wine, but that was from a bottle that had been opened for a long day. Ever the sucker for punishment, I gave it another try. This time, the wine had just been opened, but the experience hasn’t changed. Stinky wet fur nose and this pervasive bleu cheese profile that just lodged into my sinuses and wouldn’t leave.