by Martin Field

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Vineyard Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2006 – seen for $19 – \_/\_/\_/
Fuller bodied white shows spiciness, lemongrassiness and dried apples. Quite delicious.

Plantagenet Riesling 2006 – $19 \_/\_/\_/
Aromatic with white flowers and lemons. Dry zippy white shows a lovely lemony tang in the mouth and finishes with lively acidity. Works well on its own or try with an entrée of saganaki.

Sticks Sauvignon Blanc 2006 – $18 – \_/\_/
Yarra Valley. Victoria. Fresh lively style bursting with passionfruit and lychees on both nose and palate. Serve as an aperitif.

Tarrawarra Pinot Noir Ros̩ 2006 Р$17 Р\_/\_/
Pale pink with a hue of onion skin. A light soft wine showing a melange of raspberry/strawberry fruit, mildly acidic at the finish. Serve well-chilled as an aperitif.

Nanny Goat Pinot Noir 2005 – up to $32 – \_/\_/\_/
Central Otago. New Zealand. Maraschino cherry nose with underlying savoury notes. A pinot noir of substance showing plenty of black cherry fruit and integrated tannins on the palate. In a word: tasty.

Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir 2006 – up to $29 – \_/\_/\_/\_/
Assertive and complex pinot style showing blackcurrant, cherries, faint herbal notes and upfront, sweet toasted French oak. The finish is long and firm. A pinot noir for full-bodied red fans.

Nepenthe Tryst Cabernet Sauvignon/Tempranillo/Zinfandel 2005 – $16 – \_/\_/ $
What an odd blend – but it works. The nose is sweet with a hint of cabernet capsicum. Medium-weighted ripe red fruit flavours extend along the palate and finish nicely with softish tannins.

Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2005 – up to $27 – \_/\_/\_/\_/
Generous tightly structured red with an assertive, very dry, youthfully tannic palate. The palate shows notes of blackberry supported by understated oak. Not a ‘fruit bomb’, merely a fine example of classy winemaking. Excellent as a food accompaniment and will drink well to 2014 – and longer.

Spitbucket rating system
Five gold spitbuckets \_/\_/\_/\_/\_/ – brilliant
\_/\_/\_/\_/ – classy
\_/\_/\_/ – first-rate
\_/\_/ – good stuff
\_/ – spit it!
An added $ or two denotes excellent value for money.