I have wanted to write this article ever since I first tasted just one of the three wines that we are about to talk about. My introduction to Fetish wines was their Barossa Valley Shiraz, and the depth and complexity of that wine for the price immediately impressed me enough to want to investigate the other bottlings in their line.
Fetish is an operation out of the Barossa Valley in Australia. Their entire collection of offerings consists a Shiraz, a red Rhone style blend, a Moscato, and now, a newly released Viognier. Each of their wines features a distinctive theme, with a creative name and label design.
Originally I had planned on featuring each of the wines under the Fetish brand name, but their new “V Spot” Viognier has led to a slight change in plans. Since it just came out recently, I have not been able to find a bottle anywhere, so today’s post will only cover the other three. If I come across their “V Spot” anywhere I’ll probably feature it on another day.
Wine #1: Fetish 2005 Barossa Valley Shiraz
The Watcher was not only my first experience with Fetish wines, it was also the first bottling released by the brand, debuting with their 2004 vintage.
This wine’s aroma shows strongly with an excellent amount of intensity. It’s got lots of depth, with a dark smokiness and bold concentration. Blueberry preserves, Saskatoon berry jam, black pepper, and barbeque smoke dominate the nose.
The palate opens on dark raspberry, cassis, and blackberries, with a subtle hint of forest moss. Black pepper, charcoal, and a streak of vanilla bean show at the core, with just a touch of cinnamon and peat on the finish. The extremely dense dark fruit tones in this wine are nicely balanced by foresty tones that give it added depth. It’s ripe, jammy, and smooth with a captivating weight. Easily…
Worth Buying. 91 points.
Wine #2: Fetish 2006 Barossa Valley Playmates
Composed of 86% Shiraz, 12% Mataro (also called Mourvedre), and 2% Grenache, Playmates is an Australian take on the traditional red Rhone blend. With its first vintage in 2005, it was the second wine to be released under the Fetish label.
The nose is very ripe, intense and nearly jammy with fruitiness and a great clarity of aroma. A bit of tar and dark soil show at first, with rich vanilla and cream, whiskey barrels, and toast, edging on an earthy, farmy quality probably from the Mataro.
Rich and ripe, the palate is dense with red fruit preserves. Marello cherries, fig, and plum show initially, with an edge of mixed spice. It’s dominated by incredibly clear fruit, something like blueberry, whiskey casks, and a vanilla finish. This is a big wine, but it comes across clean, with a nice density, countered by an acidity that stays bright and very delicate tannins. Well done.
Worth Trying. 90 points.
Wine #3: Fetish 2007 Barossa Valley “Field of Dreams” Moscato
Modeled after Moscato d’Asti, this bottling debuted in 2007, and was clearly a step in a new direction for Fetish. Technically a still wine, just like traditional Moscato d’Asti, there is just a faintly spritzy, fizziness to this wine that cuts its high level of sweetness and makes it extremely fresh.
The aroma shows very well on this wine, with a surprising amount of leveling and complexity. Intense spiced honey, white peach, limestone, and white pepper all show at first in the glass. This gives way to an aroma that makes me think of the flower field shown on the label, with papaya and orange showing with a spin in the glass.
The palate opens with a considerable amount of sweetness, some floral tones, and something that reminds me of canned tangerines. Rose petals, a bit of apple and nectarine, and a firm limestone base dominate the mid palate, with just a hint of pineapple on the finish. The depth and complexity of this wine is pretty impressive, and it feels incredibly crisp and refreshing on the palate. Easily…
Worth Buying. 90 points.
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The Grapevine: What other wines from the Barossa Valley would you like to talk about?
