Glen Carlou

 - LOVELY VIEW & WINES

If you can (and the restaurant is not too full), ask for a table on the deck to do your wine tasting, the view is beautiful.  If not, they have quite a nice bar area and couches to do your tasting.  I have not eaten there but the food does look delicious.
The wine tasting is complimentary with your choice of 5 different tastings.  The staff are lovely.
The art gallery is definitely worth a pop in, even those not so fond of art galleries will find the exhibit quite interesting.

My wine notes below...

2011 QUARTZ STONE CHARDONNAY (Prestige Range)
Coming from a single vineyard and spending time in only new French Oak, this Chardonnay has a rick oak, toasty taste.  It has a golden, butter popcorn smell with a darker colour.  The taste is richer, but smoother than its Classic Range counterpart below.  A more expensive full Chardonnay.
41/2 * John Platter.

2011 CHARDONNAY
While this wine smells more acidic than the above Prestige Range, it has a fresher more grapefruit flavour.  It still has the typical Chardonnay syrupy finish.  Although slightly more vinegar tasting than the above, it is still a very good light Chard.

2011 PINOT NOIR
This wine is very light in colour and looks like red grape juice.  It has a fruity, watery, mocha taste.  Definitely an easy drinking wine.  As usual though, the Pinot Noirs not being my favourite. 

2010 MERLOT
The Merlot smells like bitter dark chocolate and berries.  It is more dry than the usual full fruit flavours of a Merlot, probably due to time spent in French Oak which gives it a rose sort of flavour.  Very nice.

2007 SYRAH
I thought this wine had a red pepper sort of nose on it.  A combination of fruit and spice in the flavours, a dry taste with a crisp finish.  A slightly salty taste perhaps.  A very smooth wine nonetheless being a 2007 vintage.  4* John Platter.

2009 ZINFANDEL
To me this wine smelt of a combination of mocha and cayenne pepper.  It had quite a tart berry taste, your blueberry, raspberry, cranberry flavours with a spice finish.  While I did enjoy the wine, I found it to be a bit too sweet, almost like a Muscadel, just without the heavy syrup feel.

2010 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
This wine has spent time in 2nd French Oak and is not as smooth as its Prestige Range counterpart below.  Having said that it does have more berry flavours with a dry peppery finish and is still a very good wine and well priced.

2008 GRAVEL QUARRY CABERNET SAUVIGNON (Prestige Range)
I thought this wine smelt like lipstick, that smell when you go through your mom's makeup as a little girl.  That aside, it is a deliciously smooth wine with lovely spicy black cherry flavours.  Having spent 18 months in French Oak, this is a smooth, rich, full bodied wine.  Delicious.  41/2 * John Platter.

2008 GRAND CLASSIQUE (Bordeaux-style Blend)
This wine smells of blackberries and earth (like soil).  It has a very smooth berry flavour with a cigar finish and after taste, and minimal tannins.  A VERY good blend!  Definitely my favourite of the Glen Carlou tastings on this occasion.