Reviews
2010 Houdini Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, 23 January, 2011 - 90 Points
Straw-green; the bouquet is restrained, but the palate has drive and energy to its citrus and mineral flavours and structure; long finish.
Rating: 90
Drink By: 2012
Closure: Screw cap
Date Tasted: January 2011
Alcohol: 13.0%
2008 Houdini McLaren Vale Shiraz
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, 23 January, 2011 - 92 Points
Dense, deep purple-red; wafts of dark chocolate and blackberry immediately establish the region on the bouquet; the full-bodied palate confounds expectations by confidently walking around the alcohol, finishing with a savoury flourish and no sign of heat.
Rating: 92
Drink By: 2023
Closure: Screw cap
Date Tasted: January 2011
Alcohol: 15.3%
2008 Houdini Adelaide Hills Dry White
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, 23 January, 2011 - 89 Points
A lively, zesty wine, a blend of Pinot Gris/Sauvignon Blanc/Riesling; nice zest and grip to the finish.
Rating: 89
Drink By: 2012
Closure: Screw cap
Date Tasted: January 2011
Alcohol: 13.5%
2008 Houdini Barossa Valley Shiraz Zinfandel
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, 23 January, 2011 - 88 Points
Dark colour; not easy to discern the contribution of the zinfandel at this stage amid the dark berry fruit, unless it be at the end of the palate where there is a touch of juicy red fruit.
Rating: 88
Drink By: 2014
Closure: Screw cap
Date Tasted: January 2011
Alcohol: 14.5%
2008 Houdini McLaren Vale Shiraz
Tony Love, 9 November, 2010 - 5/5 Stars
The Story: Smidge is the inventively packaged and excitingly crafted set of wines by Two Hands winemaker Matt Wenk. This Houdini range offers great value particularly this shiraz, not to be confused with another, a Barossa blend of shiraz and zinfandel.
The Flavour: Weighing in at 15.3 per cent alcohol, there's no doubting this has a lot of power, yet there's vibrant purple fruits colour, glorious fragrance, concentrated plum and blackberry and cream flavour and mouthfilling generosity.
Rating: ***** 5 out of 5 stars - Top Class
Value: Brilliant
Verdict: Knockout
Information in this article is correct as of 9 November 2010.
Source: Taste.com.au - November 2010
Author Tony Love, National Wine Writer, taste.com.au
2009 Houdini Sauvignon Blanc
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, 14 July, 2010 - 93 Points
Bright straw-green; a complex, indeed compelling, Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc, the textural play coming as much from edgy, yet tropical, fruit flavours as more normal origins.
Rating: 93
Drink By: 2011
Closure: Screw cap
Date Tasted: February 2010
Alcohol: 13.5%
2007 Smidge 'S' Smitch Barossa Valley Shiraz
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, 23 February, 2010 - 94 Points
Deeper colour and slightly more purple hue than Adamo; here the wine is full-bodied, awash with layers of dark berry and licorice flavours; the cork presumably signifies the requirements of export markets.
Rating: 94
Drink By: 2020
Date Tasted: February 2010
Alcohol: 15.5%
2007 Smidge Adamo Barossa Valley Shiraz
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, 23 February, 2010 - 90 Points
Good colour; a complex bouquet and medium-bodied palate, with black fruits to the fore; carries its alcohol remarkably well, but there is no hiding from it.
Rating: 90
Drink By: 2017
Date Tasted: February 2010
Alcohol: 15.5%
2009 Houdini Sauvignon Blanc
Jay Miller, The Wine Advocate #186 December 2009 - 89 Points
The 2009 Houdini Sauvignon Blanc was made from free run juice only and fermented and raised in stainless steel. It offers up a fragrant perfume of baking spices, floral notes, apple, and citrus aromas leading to a medium-bodied, smooth-textured, vibrant Sauvignon with outstanding depth of flavor and a lively finish. Drink it over the next 3 years. It is a great value. The majordomo at Smidge is Matt Wenk, the Chief Winemaker for Two Hands.
2007 Houdini Barossa Valley Shiraz Zinfandel
Jay Miller, The Wine Advocate #186 December 2009 - 87 Points
The 2007 Houdini Red Wine, a blend of 60% Shiraz, 35% Zinfandel, and 5% Petit Verdot aged for 10 months in French oak. Purple colored, it sports an unusual (given the unique blend) but pleasing bouquet of underbrush, mushrooms, blackberry, and assorted wild red berries. Ripe, sweet, and full-bodied, this savory effort can be enjoyed over the next 4-6 years. The majordomo at Smidge is Matt Wenk, the Chief Winemaker for Two Hands.
2006 Smidge Shiraz Barossa Valley 'S' Smitch
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, August 2009 - 94 Points
‘S’ Smitch 2006 Slightly deeper colour – crimson purple – than the Adamo. An intense, complex, multi layer and full bodied wine. Ranging through licorice, plum, prune, blackberry and vanilla, fruit, oak coming in a seamless stream largely keeping the alcohol at bay.
Rating: 94
Drink By: 2026
Closure: Cork
Date Tasted: January 2009
Alcohol: 15.5%
2006 Smidge Wines Adamo Barossa Valley Shiraz
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion, August 2009 - 93 Points
Crimson-red; an eloquent bouquet of black fruits, dark chocolate and quality oak flows into an equally expressive medium bodied palate; a pity however, the bottles and closures were reversed giving the ‘S’ Smitch the benefit of a screw cap.
Rating: 93
Drink By: 2021
Closure: Screw cap
Date Tasted: January 2009
Alcohol: 15.5%
2007 The Cellar-pod Adelaide Hills Viognier
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion, August 2009 - 90 Points
Early picking has given the wine great vitality and freshness, but diminished its varietal expression. I'll take the rock (early picking) over the hard place (varietal impact) any day.
Rating: 90
Drink By: 2011
Closure: Screw cap
Date Tasted: February 2009
Alcohol:12.5%
2006 The Houdini Red
Good Living, Huon Hooke's Top 50 Winter Wines, May 2009 - 88 points
This is a big fruit bomb, Liqueur cherry, espresso coffee aroma turn mellow and foresty - savoury in the mouth. Early development makes for good current drinking. Really Generous flavour for the price. Best within four years. Food: Parmesan Cheese.
2006 Smidge Shiraz Barossa Valley 'S' Smitch
Josh Raynolds, Jul/Aug 2009 International Wine Cellar - 92 Points
Inky purple. Vibrant kirsch and boysenberry aromas are sexed up by floral oils, candied licorice and Asian spices, plus a light kiss of vanilla. Broad and packed with deep dark berry compote flavours energised by zesty minerality and candied roses. For its size this is surprisingly elegant, finishing with gentle firming tannis and excellent persistence.
2006 Smidge Shiraz Barossa Valley Adamo 2006
Josh Raynolds, Jul/Aug 2009 International Wine Cellar - 91 Points
Saturated Ruby. Seductively perfumed, varietally expressive bouquet displays fresh dark berries, cherry cola, incense and flowers. Fleshy dark berry flavours are given a firm edge by youthful tannins, which are slowly absorbed by the fruit with air. Gains power on the finish, with the cherry and cola notes echoing. This is built for the cellar.
2006 Smidge Shiraz Barossa Valley 'S' Smitch
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, December 15, 2008 - 91 Points
Smooth on the surface, with a lively acidity to lift the bright, distinctive cherry, boysenberry fruit, hinting at peach as the finish rolls on and on. Not plush, but vibrant and mouth watering. Unusual for a Barossa red. Drink now through 2014. 100 Cases made. - H.S.
2006 Smidge Shiraz Barossa Valley Adamo
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator - 91 Points
Smooth and polished, with dark, spicy notes swirling through the cherry and licorice flavors, persisting impressively on the long, vivid finish against fine tannins and a bit of alcohol heat. Best from 2010 through 2016. 300 cases imported. - H.S.
2005 Smidge Wines 'S' Smitch Barossa Shiraz
Campbell Mattinson, Winefront, August 2008 - 91 Points
This is a beautifully packaged super Barossan cuvee, weighing in at 15.5% alcohol and produced in very limited quantities. It's made by Matt Wenk, who is also the winemaker at Two Hands. The wine is lush and sweet, packed with flavours of tar, liquorice, raisons, blackberry jam and smoke, the flavours so rich and full that it takes a glass or two to notice the tannin structure at all - there is so much fruit flavour cascading over them. In the end though it is well-enough structured and overwhelming flavoursome. I just wish there wasn't so much alcohol warmth.
Drink: 2008-2013.
2005 Adamo Barossa Valley Shiraz
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, August 2008 - 93 Points
Adamo Barossa Valley Shiraz 2005. Aromatic notes of mint, spice and herbs, but the palate has more richness and density than expected, with ripe plum and blackberry essence; controlled extract.
Rating: 93
Drink By: 2020
Closure: Screw cap
Date Tasted: July 2007
Alcohol:15.%
2006 The Cellar-pod Adelaide Hills Viognier
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, August 2008 - 92 Points
Attractive; while the varietal statement isn't particularly strong, has good line and length, thew oak mere background scenery; 8 barrels made.
Rating: 92
Drink By: 2009
Closure: Screw cap
Date Tasted: July 2007
Alcohol: 13.5%
2005 Smidge Wines Barossa Valley The Donald Zinfandel
Campbell Mattinson, Winefront, June 2008 - 91 Points
This has the sweetness and over-the-top ripeness of its Langhorne Creek stablemate - but it's got tannin structure and acid too, which guides the lusciousness of it through your mouth and, at the same time, makes you go 'aaaaahhhh'. It tastes of tar, raisins, blackberry jam and malt - though mostly it simply tastes yum. Sweet, luscious and eminently loveable.
Rating: 91
Drink: 2008-2011.
Closure: Screw cap.
2005 Smidge Wines Houdini
www.gabesview.wordpress.com, 11 March, 2008
First up from Smidge Wines is The Houdini. This wine is a blend of 50% Shiraz, 25% Zinfandel and 25% Merlot. Each varietal was aged separately in neutral oak and blended right before bottling....The Houdini’s nose reveals big, rich, dark berry fruit along with some subtler spice notes. As soon as I took the first sip I was hit with cassis and big jammy fruit. The mid-palate has a ton more dark berry fruit accompanied by mocha notes that become more prominent as The Houdini opens up. The finish on this wine is solid and filled with lots of spice and lingering mocha characteristics. This is a well balanced wine with good acidity.
The Houdini drinks pretty well right out of the bottle, but a solid hour in the decanter allows it sufficient time to reveal many of it’s more complex qualities. The 25% Merlot that was blended in provides a solid backbone and some silky textures for this wine, allowing the brighter fruit of the Shiraz and Zinfandel to really shine up front. It pairs well with grilled meats and strong cheeses. The Houdini is an easy drinking wine with relatively soft tannins. I wouldn’t expect it to improve much in the bottle, but 2-5 years of enjoyable drinking certainly seem plausible. The Houdini’s most impressive trick is how quickly it disappears from your glass. The suggested retail price for The Houdini is $24. At that price, this wine is delivers a lot of pleasure.
2005 Smidge Wines Shiraz 'S' Smitch
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, October 16, 2007 - 91 Points
Broad, ripe and aristocratic, this hangs its dense cherry, liquorice and sweet spice flavors on a ramrod-straight backbone, balancing acidity and fine-grained tannins beautifully. Best from 2010 through 2020. 60 cases imported.
Rating: 91
2005 The Donald Barossa Valley Zinfandel
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, 10 July 2007 - 89 Points
Curious pine resin aromas which come through as part of the thundering herd of flavours and alcohol on the palate. Bravery needed.
Rating: 89
Drink By: 2015
Date Tasted: July 2007
Alcohol: 15.7%
2005 'S' Smitch Barossa Valley Shiraz
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, July 2007 - 89 Points
Distinct confit/jam aromas, the over-the-top ripeness and alcohol making a major statement. In a style which will appeal to some, and not others.
Rating: 89
Drink By: 2020
Closure: Cork
Date Tasted: July 2007
Alcohol: 15.5%
2005 Smidge Wines Tardy
Peter Forrestal, The Bulletin Magazine, July 2007
Matt Wenk's day job is at Two Hands in the Barossa: he and wife Trish make a tiny number of fascinating wines under the Smidge label. This Langhorne Creek zin was picked nearly a month later than its sibling from the Barossa, "The Donald", and is slightly lower in alcohol. It has very ripe, raspberry jam flavours, is succulent, fleshy and primal with restrained power.
2005 Smidge Wines Tardy
Nick Bullied, Gourmet Wine Traveller, July 2007
..."with raspberries and garden herbs on the nose and plenty of ripe, plummy fruit, I really loved the rich, soft palette and fine tannins. So did Forrestal, who added: "Raspberry jam; juicy, succulent and fleshy. Primal." The wine weighs in at a hefty 15.7 per cent alcohol yet carries its size well..."
2004 Smidge Wines The Donald
Nick Bulleid, Gourmet Wine Traveller, July 2007
..."The Donald is building a complex, fragrant bouquet. Forrestal though it "a real contrast in texture" with the other zins. "It's softer and fuller, with Liqueur cherry and raspberry flavours. Seductive!" he raved. With its molasses-like flavours, touch of sweetness and 16 per cent alcohol, this would make a good dessert-style zin to drink with cheese and dried fruits- preferably next to an open fire"
2005 Smidge Wines Shiraz 'S' Smitch
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate # 167, October 2006 - 94 Points
The most sensational offering in this portfolio is the 2005 Shiraz The Smitch. Aged two years in French wood, it boasts an inky/purple color, a sweet, peppery, blackberry, and cassis-scented bouquet, and a rich, full-bodied, deep, chewy, long style. It is a mouth-staining, classic Barossa Shiraz to drink over the next 10-14 years.
Rating: 94
Drink: 2006-2020.
2005 Smidge Wines Zinfandel The Donald
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate # 167, October 2006 - 91 Points
Slightly better than the 2004, the deeper-colored 2005 Zinfandel The Donald packs a similar punch, but reveals more fresh, lively black raspberry and cherry fruit.
Rating: 91
2005 Smidge Wines The Houdini
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate # 167, October 2006 - 87 Points
The 2005 The Houdini, an innovative blend of 50% Shiraz and equal parts Zinfandel and Merlot, all aged in neutral French oak, is a soft, pleasant, fruity, round, somewhat superficial red to enjoy over the next 1-2 years.
Rating: 87
Drink: 2006-2008
2005 Smidge Wines Shiraz Adamo
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate # 167, October 2006 - 90 Points
The dark ruby/purple-tinged 2005 Shiraz Adamo exhibits a touch of VA on the nose, but once past that, it offers plenty of white chocolate, blackberry, and cassis characteristics along with a hint of French oak. It should drink well for 5-8 years.
Rating: 90
Drink: 2006-2014
2005 Smidge Shiraz The Smitch Barossa Valley
Josh Raynolds July/August 2005 International Wine Cellar - 92 Points
Dark purple. A massive, concentrated bouquet of boysenberry, creme de cassis, blackberry and fresh rose is complicated by strikingly sexy oak spices and cured tobacco. The sweet dark berry liqueur flavors are round, deep and palate-coating. Finishes with suave, velvety tannins and expansive blackberry and blackcurrant flavors along with an impression of candied licorice. This lush, hugely attractive shiraz was raised in Taransaud barrels, and it shows.
Rating: 92
2004 Smidge Zinfandel The Tardy Langhorne Creek
Josh Reynolds, International Wine Cellar July/August 2005 - 90 Points
Dark red. The nose offers an intriguing blend of smoky red and dark berries with sexy floral overtones. Juicy, bright and firm, with fresh raspberry and cherry flavors offering impressive clarity. Finishes crisp and quite persistent, with fine-grained tannins.
Rating: 90
2005 Smidge Zinfandel The Donald Barossa Valley
Josh Reynolds, International Wine Cellar July/August 2005 - 90 Points
Bright violet. Powerful and expressive nose reveals bright blackberry, boysenberry, licorice and mocha. Impressively vibrant and fresh, with dark berry flavors exhibiting great poise and verve. Finishes crisp, with impressive focus and supple, sweet tannins. A very impressive Australian zinfandel: this is delicious!
Rating: 90
2005 Smidge Shiraz Adamo Barossa Valley
Josh Reynolds, International Wine Cellar July/August 2005 - 90 Points
Saturated ruby. Suave aromas of candied blackberry, blueberry, kirsch and floral oils. Pure, energetic and youthfully taut, the dark fruit flavors lifted by juicy acidity and subtle minerality. Finishes on a brisk floral note, with a gentle dusting of tannins.
Rating: 90
2005 Smidge Houdini South Australia
Josh Reynolds, International Wine Cellar July/August 2005 - 88+ Points
An offbeat blend of 50% shiraz, 25% merlot and 25% zinfandel) Bright red. Fresh and floral, with pungent scents of violet, candied rose, redcurrant and pomegranate. Youthfully wound up today, showing tangy red fruit flavors and firm tannic structure. Finishes bright, with a piquant note of cranberry. With time in the glass this took on a sweeter note of cherry.
Rating: 88+
2004 Shiraz Adamo Barossa Valley
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age, 15 November, 2005 - 4/5 Stars
Smidge Wines' Adamo blends Barossa Shiraz with 3% Viognier to make a dense red with an intense nose of blueberries, licorice, ink and spice. Spicy oak is well handled and the wine has a raw and direct appeal. The middleweight palate has ripe fruit and oak in balance, with attractive dry tanninsbehind. It needs time to evolve a bit.
Rating: **** 4 out of 5 stars
2004 Shiraz Adamo Barossa Valley
Winefront Monthly, October/November 2005 - 92 Points
Packed with licorice and spice and fresh-crushed blackberries, this is full of sweet, alluring fruit before a dry finish keeps it all in balance. As with all winemaker Matt Wenk's wines the oak is every bit a background feature here. This is pretty gorgeous.
Rating: 92
Drink: 2005-2010
Closure: Screw cap
2004 Shiraz Adamo Barossa Valley
Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, September/October 2005 - Score 91
Saturated inky ruby. Powerful, deeply concentrated aromas of creme de cassis, cherry liqueur, licorice and violet pastille, espresso, vanilla, clove and mocha; there a lot going on here, and the wine is still a baby. Rich and thick on the palate, with sappy flavors of blackberry, cherry cough drop and oak. Finishes with weight, viscosity and extract, but also life.
Rating: 91
2004 Viognier The Cellar-pod Adelaide Hills
Winefront Monthly, Edition 32, March 2005 - Score 90
Steely, glycerol, ripe, stylish, mouth filling, spicy – this is above-average Viognier. Nuances of crisp apples, stewed pears andlemon. Another beautiful release from Smidge.
Rating: 90
Drink: Now
Closure: Screw cap
2004 Viognier The Cellar-pod Adelaide Hills
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, 26 January, 2005 - Score 90
Matt Wenk, who makes the wines for Two Hands, has a winner with this label. Typically for Viognier, the wine is aromatic, generous in the mouth and delicious, with spot-on floral accents to the melon and tropical fruit flavors. The finish sails on. 100 cases imported.
Rating: 90
2004 The Cellar-pod Adelaide Hills Viognier
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, 30 December, 2004 - 90 Points
Light to medium-bodied; gently ripe citrus/pastille fruit; good balance and length; unusual elegance for the variety.
Rating: 90
Drink By: 2007
Date Tasted: December 2004
Alcohol: n/a
2003 Smidge De Grenouille Adelaide Hills Merlot
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, 10 July, 2004 - 89 Points
Fresh, lively redcurrant, raspberry and mint aromas and flavours; light tannins; nice twist of French oak to the finish.
Rating: 89
Drink By: 2008
Date Tasted: July 2004
Alcohol: n/a
Campbell Mattinson, Winefront Monthly, May 2004
An outstanding debut: Smidge Wines
It just goes to show what a combination of careful growing and careful winemaking can produce. This new range of wines was crafted from vineyards only five or six years old - though specifically targeted for their meticulous practices, it has to be said - and then given no new oak at all.
The oak that was used though was good quality French oak, most of it two years old with a small proportion of one year old. The label, called Smidge Wines, is the work of Matt Wenk, the current winemaker at Two Hands and formerly of Nepenthe - and a huge talent to watch. His approach here is simple: "You can add new oak but it's pretty difficult to take it out once you've overdone it". Which fits in well with the overall Smidge Wines concept: which is to produce top quality small-run wines that, simply, Matt enjoys making. "I made the 2002 Zin just for fun, just as a hobby, just because I knew of this (Langhorne Creek) vineyard and had worked with it when I was at Nepenthe. Most of the fruit now goes to Kangarilla Road. But once the wine was made, people said, You should sell that, it's bloody good." He will now make about 200 cases of Zinfandel each vintage and a touch more of merlot, with a barrel fermented viognier from the 2004 vintage on the way.
A new label with three wines, with none of them shiraz or chardonnay - you have to admire the passion of that.
2003 Merlot Le Grenouille Adelaide Hills
Campbell Mattinson, Winefront Monthly, May 2004 - Score 93
Smoke, ash, cedar, fresh-cut cigar, blackberry and plum, with a sweet, fleshy lightness to the inordinantly complex palate. Lots of vigorous, fruit-driven length. Harmony, balance, complexity and an appropriate level of fruit weight. Brilliant.
Rating: 93
Drink: Now-2011
2003 Zinfandel The Tardy Langhorne Creek
Campbell Mattinson, Winefront Monthly, May 2004 - Score 93
Bloody good stuff. Beautiful tannins. Powerful fragrance. Gobfuls of spice and tar, cedar and dust, with outstanding length. The fruit is sweet but it finishes dry and spicy, and you can't help but admire its poise and style. Outstanding. . .
Rating: 93
Drink: Now-2012
2002 Zinfandel The Tardy Langhorne Creek
Campbell Mattinson, Winefront Monthly, May 2004 - Score 95
Ripe and melodramatic with a turnstile of overt sweetness and dry herby tobacco - which turns out to be an intoxicating, thrilling mix, but probably makes for a polarising style. It's punishingly long and juicy with tar and tobacco cartwheeling from the mid-palate onwards - boy this is good stuff. Get on board!
Rating: 95
Drink: Now-2015
Max Allen, The Weekend Australian, 19-20 June, 2004
Just a Smidge More
I was off to a mate's place for pizza, so I asked what he wanted to drink. "Something funky." he said. Funky? "Yes funky." How about half a dozen examples of of the funkiest tasting red grape Zinfandel, from Australia, California and Italy? "Cool".
Six bottles later, you know what we'd learned? Well, first, zin is a fantastic pizza wine - its funky, wild berry flavours and exotic spiciness get jiggy with the sweet earthiness of prosciutto, cheese and mushrooms.
The second thing we discovered was that Matt Wenk really knows how to handle Zinfandel. The 2003 Langhorne Creek Zin he has just released under his own cutely titled label Smidge, was the standout wine with our pizzas. Gutsy and complex, it has white pepper and forest fruit flavours with a long, dry, tannic after taste. It's a bold but-worth-it $45. The 2003 Smidge Le Grenouille Adelaide Hills Merlot is pretty good too - juicy, tight and very blackcurranty (orders www.smidgewines.com).
Wenk's day job is winemaker at Two Hands in the Barossa, and the 2003 Two Hands Brave Faces Shiraz Grenache (www.twohandswines.com , $32.50) is also a lovely, gutsy red, with ripe plum flavours and a spicy finish.
And the third (and final) lesson? Be very, very careful when you open six bottles of 15 per cent alcohol Zinfandel - especially when you have to get up early to take your five-year-old to a bowling party. Ouch!
2003 Merlot Le Grenouille Adelaide Hills
Philip White, The Advertiser, 2 June, 2004 - Score 91
2003 Merlot Another newcomer and more alluring luxury: coffee oak and fine polished fruit opens the play; dense merlot magic fills the middle, and typical Hills tannins (leafy and green but not harsh) tidy up the tail with their tart balancing twist. If all our Hillsbilly merlots had this heart and poise, we'd be rockin'. It' s perfect with tea-smoked duck and bok choy with chilli ginger, like you'll find at Rundle Noodle.
Rating: 91
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 14.0%
2003 Merlot Le Grenouille Adelaide Hills
Vintage Direct, 29 April, 2004 - Score 94
An outstanding example of Merlot. Very deep crimson colour with crimson hue. Lifted nose with aroma of mulberry followed by a touch of chocolate and confectionary. The palate displays excellent length with flavours of spice, mulberry, confectionary and blackpepper persisting. Excellent balance. Aftertaste of spice, white pepper and mulberry.
Rating: 94
Drink: 2007-2008
2003 The Tardy Langhorn Creek
Vintage Direct, 29 April, 2004 - Score 93
Translucent mauve crimson colour. Aroma of spice blackpepper arrow mint and black cherries. Whilst the palate does not have body weight, it has great power and concentration of flavours. Spice, arrow mint and blackpepper are to the fore front and extend to the back of the palate and aftertaste showing an excellent degree of persistence. Source: nicks.com.au
Rating: 93
Drink: 2006-2007
Media Release, 21 May, 2004
New Meaning to Just a Smidge...
The name Matt Wenk is fast becoming synonymous with fine Australian wine and the launch of new producer Smidge Wines with partner Trish Wenk, is no exception.
The inspiration for 'Smidge' is as much their vision for quality - that is, every wine has to be of such exceptional quality that you won't resist another smidge, as it does about the volumes available, yes you guessed it-there is only a smidge!
At only 32, Matt has established an enviable reputation for consistently delivering premium wines that have and continue to be acclaimed at home and around the world.
Over the past three years, in any spare time Matt has had away from the cellars of Nepenthe or Two Hands, he has been quietly and meticulously making and developing wine of his own, and has again stamped his signature of high quality, fruit driven, exciting wines all over them.With the first vintage (2002) sold out before it was released, only two labels have been released for sale this year - a 2003 Adelaide Hills Merlot, and 2003 Langhorne Creek Zinfandel.
The Zinfandel, named the Tardy in honour of Matt's reputation for time keeping is the first in what is planned to be a regional Zinfandel Series. The quality and feedback on this wine reflects Matt's passion for it which began in his day's at Nepenthe with Peter Leske and transformed into an obsession for making it during his time in California.
The Merlot, called Le Grenouille, meaning Frog in French, says as much about the wine as it does the 'leap' Smidge has taken releasing a new label. That said it doesn't take a leap of faith to buy it, as again it has all the trademarks of a Matt Wenk Wine.
Next year we look forward to tasting two new wines in the Smidge stable, an Adelaide Hills Viognier and a Barossa Valley Zinfandel.