It’s great when you go to a tasting room and they make you feel like one of the family. Where they are pleased to see you and are proud to show you their wines and hospitality, Campbells in Rutherglen is one of those places. Right from the start Ian with his friendly style and relaxed attitude towards the tasting list made us feel at ease and we tasted most of the extensive list of around 40 wine…we are professionals after all.
The tasting notes were spot on and the highlights included: 2009 Riesling showing lemon curd and Kerosene, a zesty 2012 Semillon that has lot of life left in it and the 2010 The Sixities Block that was surprisingly savoury but with a great tannin backbone.
Before moving onto the fortified wines we ordered a very generous platter and were given use of one of their private tasting rooms. This paired beautifully with the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon that combined soft juicy fruit with a firm tannin structure.
We tasted the full range of Topaue and Muscat with the stand out wines being the Grand and Rare Muscat which are world class. My favourite wine of the day was the Merchant Prince which I first tried about a decade ago at Wildfire Restaurant in Sydney. The thickness and concentration is amazing with flavour that evolves in the glass. Each mouthful is a journey of flavour and complexity with a very soft spirit finish. High recommended.
A big thank you to Ian and Belle for providing one of the best tasting experiences we have had.