Boggy Creek Vineyards - 2004 Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon

The last wine I'm looking at from Boggy Creek Vineayrds this week is also the only blend. The 2004 Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon is 60% Shiraz and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. It's worth noting that blending these two varietals is as traditional to Australia as the blending of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon is to Bordeaux. This wine was aged in a combination of American and French Oak. The suggested retail price is $26. As with the other Boggy Creek Wines it's finished in screw top.

Dark plum and raspberry jam notes emerge immediately in the nose. From the first taste a tremendous sense of spice character is revealed. It's as strong and impressive as the fruit throughout the palate of this wine. One of the spices that comes out of the gate and stays with the wine is white pepper. The finish which is long and lingering reveals a significant undertone of earthiness which is the last thing from this one that stays with you. This wine drinks very well on it's own due in part to it's inherent silkiness. That said it'll pair with a broad range of foods.

The 2004 Boggy Creek Vineyards Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon is the most elegant of the Boggy Creek wines I tasted. The combination of the two varietals presents a very smooth wine that at first blush seems mellower than the stand alone Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. In reality this wine is more subtle and complex than the stand alone varietals. Certainly a case of the whole being greater than the sum of it's parts.

For $26 this wine offers a good value due to it's combination of complexity and easy drink ability. It'll last in the cellar for a few years, at least, but it's ready to drink now. Boggy Creek Vineyards is making some fairly priced, well balanced wines. This is a producer to seek out for something outside the average from Australia.

Up Next: The wines of South Africa's Spier.

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Boggy Creek Vineyards - 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

The final wine that'll I'll look at from Boggy Creek Vineayrds later this week is a blend. However today, the third wine I'm looking at from Boggy Creek is a 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine spent 11 months in French oak and the suggested retail price is $18.

The Boggy Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon has a big nose of fresh raspberry and strawberry. White pepper, nutmeg jammy fruit and a touch of licorice come out front he first sip and carry through the mid-palate. A light vanilla bean note is evident all the way through this wines palate. The finish features a wallop of blackberry with an underlying mocha presence. This is a rich and full flavored wine with lots of fruit upfront and throughout. It's not however over extracted or over-oaked. As with the other Boggy Creek Wines it's well balanced and made for food. This would be a good match for a steak or dishes with lots of earthy mushrooms.

The 2004 Boggy Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignion has soft tannins and a round, smooth mouth feel. It's ready to drink no and will also standup to near term cellaring. For $18 the wine has plenty of Cabernet character.

Coming Next: a Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Boggy Creek Vineyards.

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Boggy Creek Vineyards - 2004 Shiraz

Although their first vines were planted in 1978 and they produced wine ever since, the Boggy Creek Vineyards Label was not actually launched until 2000. With Shiraz being the benchmark grape of Australia and Boggy Creek being in a cool climate area I was very curious to see what they did with this wine. The 2004 Boggy Creek Vineyards Shiraz is made of 100% Estate Grown fruit. It was aged in a combination of French and American Oak Barrels. The suggested retail price is $22.

This wine opens with a nose of black cherry, vanilla and spice notes. A ton of raspberry, blueberry and strawberry feature prominently throughout the palate along with a nice undercurrent of spices such as white pepper and nutmeg. The finish has touches of leather and earthiness along with subtler but present chicory notes that linger for a good long while. This wine will pair with a wide variety of foods. Pork chops, sausage and peppers, and grilled shish kabobs are just a couple of the choices that pop into my head when considering this wine.

The Boggy Creek Vineyards 2004 Shiraz has plenty of fruitiness to please those who like a wine that has pleasing bright fruit character. But this is a well balanced wine with good acidity. It has shows restraint and should also be of interest to those who prefer old world wines. In short this wine tows the line, lots of fruit, but in a classy manner. As with the other Boggy Creek Wines I've had the Shiraz is elegant and refined.

For $22 this probably isn't a Wednesday night with leftovers wine for a lot of people. However It is a fairly priced wine for the quality. It has at least a few years of evolution ahead of it in the bottle. With that in mind it's a good choice to stash a few of in the cellar for future enjoyment. Whether the future is Sunday Dinner in a month or Easter in 2010.

Up Next: Boggy Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Boggy Creek Vineyards - 2005 Unwooded Chardonnay

Boggy Creek Vineyards is located in Australia's King Valley. This is one of the cooler climate areas of Australia and it tends to produce wines that have a bit of a different flavor profile than the what the average consumer thinks of when considering Australian wines. A couple of months back I had the opportunity to taste some Boggy Creek wines for the first time and I was impressed with their offerings across the board. So when the opportunity to take a closer look presented itself, I jumped at the chance. Over the next few days I'll take a look at four releases from Boggy Creek Vineyards. Today I'm looking at Boggy Creek Vineyards Unwooded Chardonnay. Frequent readers of my blog have no doubt noted my disdain for overoaked Chardonnay. This is a beautiful varietal when handled properly. Too often in California and to a lesser degree in Australia it's mangled with absurd amounts of oak treatment. The 2005 Chardonnay from Boggy Creek Vineyards is the other extreme, no oak at all. This wine is finished in screw cap and the suggested retail is approximately $18.

The nose of the Boggy Creek Vineyards Chardonnay presents hazelnut, fig and citrus notes that really burst from the glass and envelop the senses. Taking the first sip I was hit with honeydew melon and copious tropical fruit notes. This Chardonnay is very fresh and crisp throughout. There is an excellent spiciness on the mid-palate that carries through the finish which is fairly lengthy. Good complexity is apparent through the length of this wine.

I found the 2005 Boggy Creek Vineyards Chardonnay to sip very well on it's own. It will also match well with entree salads, grilled chicken, and a variety of cheeses. This is also an excellent choice to serve with appetizers at the beginning of a long meal.

The 2005 Unwooded Chardonnay from Boggy Creek is an incredibly pure and unadulterated expression of Chardonnay. Nothing gets in the way of the fruit exploding on your palate and making its charms known.

At a suggested retail of $18 this is a nice value.

Up Next: Boggy Creek Vineyards Shiraz

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