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GROOM CELLARS
One
of the most respected and honored winemakers to ever come out of Australia is
Darryl Groom. As head winemaker for Penfold?s he made some of Australia?s
finest wines, including the legendary Grange Hermitage. After moving to the
California to oversee Southcorp?s purchase of Geyser Peak, he has moved that
winery to the top of California?s quality hierarchy. Now
he's making his own Australian wines, under his own name in very tiny quantities
as part of a family owned project. Total production of these Australian jewels
is around 1000 cases of each varietal.
Sauvignon Blanc
The
grapes are grown in the trendy new region of South Australia - The Adelaide
Hills. This cool climate region is ideally suited to Sauvignon Blanc grapes
where low temperatures and long hang time produce stunning fruit driven wines.
Made with no oak and no malo, this wine is pure Sauvignon fruit. The nose
displays a combination of herbs, grapefruit, kiwi and jalapeno. An elegant wine
with clean citrusy acidity underlying round, ripe fruit flavors. An ideal wine
for immediate drinking.
2003
$14.99 available
"Fresh and tangy, with ripe peach and pineapple notes shaded with
citrusy, herbal notes. All coming together nicely on the finish. Drink now. 480
cases made." 90 The Wine Spectator 4/30/04
2002
$14.99
limited
"Vivid,
tangy and appealing for its vibrant green apple, lime, white pepper and papaya
flavors, which echo on the juicy finish. Drink now. 1,000 cases made." 90
The Wine Spectator 4/30/03
Shiraz
A
combination of Shiraz grapes from 50 year old vines and young vines from
vineyards in the Kalimna area of the Barossa Valley adjacent to vineyards that
supply Grange. The unforgiving soils of this region produce grapes with very
small berries and loose, small clusters. The resultant wine is deep and black in
color with vibrant and youthful purple hues. The nose has an intense fruit lift
of cherries, blueberries, anise and white pepper, combined with toasty vanilla
and bacon fat notes. A rich palate with great mouth feel, finishing with chewy
but integrated tannin. Classic Barossa, this is a knock-out wine that is great
to enjoy now but will cellar for a number of years.
2002
$34.99 available
"Firm in texture, refined and elegant for a big, broad shouldered wine,
offering smoky currant, plum and pepper flavors that hover expectantly over a
chewy finish, persisting impressively. Best from 2007 through 2014. 1,027 cases
made." 92 The Wine Spectator 5/31/04
2001
$34.99
limited
"Dense and herbal, with a gamy streak running through
the deep layers of black cherry, anise and roasted meat flavors that persist
through the long, deftly balanced finish. Drink now through 2010. 1,000 cases
made." 91 The Wine Spectator 6/30/03
"I'm at a loss for words to adequately describe this fantastic first
release from a vineyard contiguous to a famous 'Grange' vineyard. Unbelievably
intense black cherry and plum fruit with a little cassis. It is difficult to
comprehend how a wine can be so big and extractive, yet so perfectly balanced
and silky smooth at such a tender age." Jerry Mead
Scenes from our
October 2003 wine trip:
Darryl Groom
and John Rector
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