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Saltram Estate is a major wine producer of the Barossa Valley, South Australia. It is part of the global Treasury Wine Estates group (formerly Fosters), along with such labels as Wolf Blass, Penfolds and Rosemount. They have three winemakers who produce quality sparkling pinot noir, riesling, chardonnays, fiano, semillon, grenache, sangiovese, shiraz blends, shirazes, cabernet sauvignon, tawny, moscato and a beer. *phew. Depending on which wine you are sampling, the grapes generally come from the Barossa Valley, as well as Eden Valley (whites, cooler climate), Adelaide Hills (pinot), and McLarenVale (fancy).
I had the opportunity to try some of the abovementioned wines, notes as follows:)
Saltram Mamre Brook Chardonnay
2011, 12% alcohol
Colour:
Clear pale lemon
Nose:
Clean, pronounced oak (vanilla)
Lemon
Orange blossom
White peach
Palate:
Off-dry with medium acidity
Medium to full-bodied
Stone fruit (peach)
Lemon
Tropical fruit (melon, banana)
Vanilla/toasty oak characters
If you like oaked chardonnays, but without the cloying thick sickly taste that seems to come with them, you might like this one. The acidity isn't too high, but it is still refreshing. Personally I get disturbed by waking up the next day with the aftertaste of heavy oak in my mouth, but that's only because I have had it too much in the past. Some people really like American oak; for me, though, it masks some of the other flavours. To each their own!
Had it with Greek baked beans and bread, it was a nice match.
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Saltram
Mamre Brook Eden Valley Riesling 2013
11% alch
Colour:
clear pale lemon
Nose:
Medium intensity
lemon & lime
grapefruit
almond
pear
apple
lemon blossom
Palate:
Dry
High acid
Light-medium body
lemon
lime
lemon barley water
bath salts/soap
zippy medium length finish
This is an interesting riesling, and if you like 'em young, without the petrolly characteristics, you'll probably like this. The aromas of lime and lemon blossom are very nice, though not so pronounced (you have to stick your nose in a fair way). The acid is high but that is to be expected in a young wine. It would be oh so fine with oysters, or any seafood or fish. It has some guts and a good finish. Will develop into something quite nice over time.
Be sure to serve COLD; it is 40 degrees here at the moment and mine has gone warm :S
Happy drinking!!!!
