Having spent a long morning and part of the afternoon in our research, Caroline and I were both feeling a bit peckish. So we were glad to find that our next winery, Carmela Estates, has a café attached. While it lacked any vegetarian menu items (and seemed to put "crispy pancetta" on every second dish), the kitchen was happy to make some adjustments for us and we ate a simple lunch of salad and pizza.
I made a mistake here, though. Feeling a little tired, I took advantage of the offer to have a tasting flight delivered to the table. I was halfway through when the food arrived, and the scent of freshly sautéed onions overwhelmed the aromas of the wines. I had to turn my back on the food - looking more than a little ridiculous to the other diners, I'm sure - in order to finish my tasting notes.
The other disadvantagesof tasting at the table instead of at the tasting bar, is that I missed the usual in-depth descriptions of the wines: where the grapes were grown, the winemaker's philosophy and method. Lesson learned - taste first, eat later.
And the wines? I didn't find much to love here, with the flavours often too flat and lacking complexity.
Carmela Estates Riesling 2006
The classic Riesling nose of mineral, petrol and green apple is let down a bit by the extremely tart mouthfeel, where the green apple takes over. Highly acidic, it has a the long sour finish.
Carmela Estates Pinot Gris 2007
Fruit-forward, with pineapple and sweet spice dominating, this Pinot Gris has a nice melon-citrus taste. But the presence of some residual sugar and a short finish make it a bit light and sweet for my tastes.
Carmela Estates Gewurztraminer 2007
I had hopes for this wine based on the complex aromas of pear, peach, and grapefruit. But the dryness lacking in the Pinot Gris was here instead, providing a tart green apple mouthfeel.
Carmela Estates Cabernet Franc Estate 2007
With aromas of dark fruit, leather and black pepper, this Franc fulfills its promise on the palette. Highly tannic, the leather persists along with chocolate and coffee flavours. The coffee sticks around for a long finish that can only be described as robust. Hard to pair with food right now, some time in the bottle should mellow out the rougher flavours and produce a very nice, balance wine in the next couple of years.
I made a mistake here, though. Feeling a little tired, I took advantage of the offer to have a tasting flight delivered to the table. I was halfway through when the food arrived, and the scent of freshly sautéed onions overwhelmed the aromas of the wines. I had to turn my back on the food - looking more than a little ridiculous to the other diners, I'm sure - in order to finish my tasting notes.
The other disadvantagesof tasting at the table instead of at the tasting bar, is that I missed the usual in-depth descriptions of the wines: where the grapes were grown, the winemaker's philosophy and method. Lesson learned - taste first, eat later.
And the wines? I didn't find much to love here, with the flavours often too flat and lacking complexity.
Carmela Estates Riesling 2006
The classic Riesling nose of mineral, petrol and green apple is let down a bit by the extremely tart mouthfeel, where the green apple takes over. Highly acidic, it has a the long sour finish.
Carmela Estates Pinot Gris 2007
Fruit-forward, with pineapple and sweet spice dominating, this Pinot Gris has a nice melon-citrus taste. But the presence of some residual sugar and a short finish make it a bit light and sweet for my tastes.
Carmela Estates Gewurztraminer 2007
I had hopes for this wine based on the complex aromas of pear, peach, and grapefruit. But the dryness lacking in the Pinot Gris was here instead, providing a tart green apple mouthfeel.
Carmela Estates Cabernet Franc Estate 2007
With aromas of dark fruit, leather and black pepper, this Franc fulfills its promise on the palette. Highly tannic, the leather persists along with chocolate and coffee flavours. The coffee sticks around for a long finish that can only be described as robust. Hard to pair with food right now, some time in the bottle should mellow out the rougher flavours and produce a very nice, balance wine in the next couple of years.
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