WTN: Kilikanoons

Kilikanoon Mort's Block Watervale Riesling 2004 - Gentle. Lots of acid but balanced. Flavors of sour apple and orange. I don't generally like Oz Riesling but this is nice.

Kilikanoon Second Fiddle Grenache Rose 2004 - Candy nose. Fat. Simple candy flavor. Sweetish. Pleasant quaffer but pricey.

Kilikanoon Prodigal Grenache 2002 - Medium bodied wine with a slight sweetness. Smooth, velvety, easy to drink. Mocha. Some complexity. Thick. Not a wine for aging. Very good.

Kilikanoon Block's Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 - Lighter than expected. Lacks acid. Sweetish. Doesn't taste like a cab. Long finish. Not a convincing wine.

Kilikanoon Killerman's Run Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - Like the Block's Road but with more complexity and acid. Thick but balanced. Very good.

Kilikanoon Killerman's Run Shiraz 2004 - Spicy. Obvious but not overpowering oak. Chocolate and coffee flavors. Remarkably long finish. Very good.

All the reds have a very similar flavor and mouth feel profile. There's a lot of mocha, obvious oak, sweetness and a thick but not jammy feel in the mouth. Consequently, if the wines were served blind, I think it would be difficult to tell one wine from another. The varietal characteristics of the grapes disappear. Despite these criticisms, I think the wines are very good. Some Barossa reds can be overly sweet and/or over oaked and hence unbalanced. Kilikanoons, for the most part, have good balance and seem to avoid these problems.

I've liked (and purchased) the Kilikanoon Medley, a blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Shiraz and 10% Mourvedre from McLaren, Clare and Barossa Valleys. I don't always go for the GSM blend but this seems quite attractive. The advertisement says made in the true Rhone tradition. "The individual fruit parcels were matured in small, older French and American oak casks before final blending and bottling unfiltered to preserve the intensity and unique characters of this complex and rewarding wine." This is from a German website (but with much of the text in English)--Shiraz und Co. and lists alcohol content of the 2001 at 14.5%.

Jay knows when to pick `em...>

Kilikanoon Mort's Block Watervale Riesling 2004 - Gentle. Lots of acid but balanced. Flavors of sour apple and orange. I don't generally like Oz Riesling but this is nice.

Both the `05 as well as the `99 have been a pleasure this evening. Everyone seems to go for the reds but wow, are they missing out on the Riesling!

Kevin Mitchell is a pretty doggone good winemaker. The Killerman's Run Shiraz is a favorite with us. He makes two excellent "bigger" shiraz wines: The Testament and The Covenant, both excellent of their kind. There's a "value" wine, too: In the US it's called "The Lackey," I think it's called "Slap Shot" everywhere else. Well-made shiraz for around $15.

Regarding the '04 Mort's Block: I think it's past its prime. We have the '06 in stock, and it's much livelier, I think.