2010 The Lucky Country Shiraz

2009 Atalon Cabernet Sauvignon

2011 Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino

2008 Long Shadows Wineries Chester-Kidder

2010 The Lucky Country Shiraz – $9.90

It’s been a while since I opened a bottle of this wine. When I opened one not long after picking up a case at my local store, the wine was decent, but seemed to be a bit below the previous vintage. I felt a bit of cellar time should help the wine settle down a bit. It’s time to check in to see how it is doing. This is made by the team behind Two Hands, and the general thought is this is the declassified fruit from Two Hands.

Winery history

The Lucky Country Wines offers quality wines packaged with iconic Australian photography, representing the lively spirit of Australia.

The name is taken from the 1964 book, The Lucky Country, written by social critic Donald Horne and was originally written to be ironic, as an indictment of 1960’s Australia. Donald believed that the economic success of 60’s Australia was derived from luck rather than skill.

But over the years, this phrase has taken on new meaning and is now proudly used by many to describe what is great about Australia.

The Lucky Country Wines is the result of hard work combined with vision, creative acumen and business ‘smarts’, and maybe just a little bit of luck to help bring it all together. The wines are already proving a hit, available in several markets around the world and with the brand continuing to grow every day.

The Lucky Country Wines were created to deliver great value, stylish wines to drinkers at a reasonable price. People everywhere can now share and enjoy the experience of what makes Australia the Lucky Country.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color. The very Australian nose features blackberries, blueberries, black pepper, vanilla, baking spices, and wild flowers. This has a medium body with soft, ripe tannins and decent acidity. On the palate the big fruit and peppery spice carries the load with a touch of chocolate and earthiness in the background. The finish has decent length with sweet berries and spice. This carries a touch of residual sugar but not enough to really stick out. This would be a nice holiday or party wine. (87 pts)

2010 The Lucky Country Shiraz

2009 Atalon Cabernet Sauvignon – $22.79

This is a blend of 78.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.3% Merlot, 5.2% Malbec and 2.6% Petite Verdot. From these Napa Valley vineyards, 51.5% Round Pond-Rutherford, 21.5% Stagecoach-Atlas Peak, 13.3% Keyes-Howell Mountain, 5.2% Huichica-Napa Carneros, 4.1% Bosché-Rutherford, 2.9% Veeder Peak-Mt. Veeder, 1.5% Potelle-Mt. Veeder.

The wine has an alcohol level of 14.8% and is sealed with a natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color. The slightly shy nose has cassis, baking spices, cherries, roasted leafy herbs, roses, licorice and a touch of mint. This has medium body, moderate tannins and good acidity. On the palate berries and cherries add nice sweetness and are balanced by roasted herbs and spice. The finish has nice length with the fruit stepping into the background, allowing the savory elements to shine. This is on the young side with a touch of oak poking through at times. If you are not a fan of oak let this sleep for a couple years, other wise, open a bottle and enjoy it after it gets a bit of air. (89 pts)

2009 Atalon Cabernet Sauvignon

2011 Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino – $18.99

This 100% Sangiovese comes from vineyards in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, at elevations of 150-350 metres on well-exposed hillslopes south-east of Montalcino. The wine was aged in a mix of Slavonian and French oak barrels for a minimum of 8 months followed by a minimum of 3 months of bottle aging before it is released.

This wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light ruby red color. The intriguing nose has cherries, dusty minerals, dried thyme, baking spices, raspberry, leather and a touch of underbrush. This is barely medium body with soft to moderate tannins and very good acidity. Cherries, minerals and spice initially take hold on the palate with dried thyme and leather coming in on the back end. The finish has good length with just a touch of earthiness entering the picture. This is on the young side but already showing very nicely. (91 pts)

2011 Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino

2008 Long Shadows Wineries Chester-Kidder – $28.49

The local wine store brought in a few of the Long Shadow wines from past vintages and offered them at close-out prices via their e-mail list. With a suggested retail price around $50, the price was almost 50% off. This vintage is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Syrah, 6% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc from assorted vineyards in Washington.

This has 14.7% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color. The comforting nose has cassis, minerals, cedar, blackberries, baking spices, tobacco, dark chocolate, leather, dried herbs and dried wildflowers. This has a medium body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity. On the palate spicy cassis and minerals jump out first with cedar, dried herbs and a dried floral note coming in later. The finish has very good length with dark chocolate and leather coming in to add even more complexity. This is an outstanding effort from this unusual blend. (94 pts)

2008 Long Shadows Wineries Chester-Kidder

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Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines. I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar. I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com. Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear. There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase. I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive. I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount. Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges. None of the prices include the sales tax.

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.