2006 PEWSEY VALE CONTOURS RIESLING - ON SONG

Pewsey Vale is one of Australia’s best recognised labels when it comes to the Riesling grape. It is one of very few producers to release a wine, The Contours, with extended bottle age, just as the wine is starting to enter its long drinking window.

The 2006 rendition of Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling captures the essence of Eden Valley Riesling. It displays the hallmark delicacy and interplay of floral and citrus notes we associate with Eden Valley. Six years on from vintage, the wine has started to unfurl and flesh out, acidity playing a supporting rather than dominating role.

It is a highly engaging and dangerously drinkable example of Riesling, a wine that would many Riesling naysayers over to this great noble grape. While offering plenty of drinking pleasure now, it should be capable of aging for another two decades under screwcap.

2006 THE CONTOURS RIESLING
Producer: Pewsey Vale
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2006
Region: Eden Valley, South Australia
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $27.99
Date tasted: 16 December 2012

Tasting Note:
Bright silvery lemon. Alluring aromatic nose of lemon zest, green apples, and white flowers. Ever so slightly off-dry, bottle age has seen the palate flesh out, medium bodied, delicate yet full in flavour, once again in the lemon/lime citrus and apple orchard vein. Plenty of depth here, cushioned by fine balancing acidity. Dangerously easy to drink.
Score: 17.5+/20

2011 CANTINA ZACCAGNINI CERASUOLO D'ABRUZZO - AN ITALIAN FOOD LOVERS ROSÉ

At one time eschewed by serious wine drinkers, rosé continues its ascent as the wine style of choice for many, especially during the summer months. As rosé has emerged as a serious player on the wine scene, consumers have been conditioned to think that ‘quality’ rosé must be relatively pale in colour, with the delicate onion-skin hue that typifies the rosés of Provence.

While it may be true that Provencal rosés are among the world’s best, we shouldn’t be confined to one style, particularly when it comes to enjoying wine with food. This example from Abbruzzo in central Italy is far deeper in colour than the rosés of south-eastern France, but it is by no means inferior. Made from the Montepulciano grape, it is bone dry, displays excellent depth of flavour (raspberry, dark cherry) and possesses a touch of grip on the finish. It is an entirely convincing, food friendly rosé that will suit any number of dishes from a basic charcuterie platter, a light salad, pasta and even a steak off the barbecue. Best of all, at a modest 12% ABV, one can enjoy a few glasses without falling victim to the summer sun.

2011 MONTEPULCIANO ROSÉ
Producer: Cantina Zaccagnini
Variety: Rosé (100% Montepulciano)
Vintage: 2011
Region: Abruzzo, Italy
ABV: 12%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 11 December 2012

Tasting Note:
Raspberry red. Clean nose of dark cherry, raspberry, touch of animal fur. Dry, medium bodied and savoury, quite meaty, red berry fruit, subtle touch of grip on the finish. Although deeper in colour than the current style of rosé that is in vogue, the wine displays good depth of flavour and is extremely food friendly.
Score: 16+/20

2009 FATTORIA CORONCINO VERDICCHIO SUPERIORE 'IL BACCO' - ATOMIC

A criticism sometimes levelled at Italian white wines is that they can be neutral to the point of being bland. While this may be true of the ocean of Italian white wine produced on inferior sites and harvested at high yields, it is most definitely not the case when it comes to Italy’s great producers and appellations. The excellent Verdicchio ‘Il Bacco’ from Fattoria Coroncino is a case in point.

Although not über-complex, the wine possesses a beguiling texture, that literally teases the palate. At 14% ABV, it is weighty, yet by no means glycerolic or heavy. A fine ripple of acidity. As with many interesting Italian white wines, it is not a powerhouse, but delivers interesting layers of flavour, in this instance melon, grapefruit and suggestions of cut grass. It is a very food-friendly wine, that would work with a range of seafood dishes, and would stand up well to a simply roasted chicken. At under $30, it represents excellent value for money.

2009 FATTORIA CORONCINO VERDICCHIO SUPERIORE ‘IL BACCO’
Producer: Fattoria Coroncino
Variety: Verdicchio
Vintage: 2009
Region: Marche, Italy
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 7 December 2012

Tasting Note:
Bright straw gold. Interesting bouquet of honeydew melon, grapefruit pith, touch of honey and spice. Medium bodied, lovely textured palate, quite weighty but balanced by a fine ripple of acidity; white peach, melon and a touch of grapefruit/lemon citrus on the finish. Only moderate complexity, but this is a wine that is as much about texture and mouthfeel as it is about flavour. Delicious, extremely enjoyable and excellent value for money.
Score: 17/20

2008 BELI KRIŽ - DECENT QUAFFER FROM SLOVENIA

Slovenia is an emerging player on the world wine scene. Thanks to its location, it has a number of influences; Italian, Germanic and central European. These influences are manifest in this particular wine from the Marof estate.

Beli Križ (which literally translates as white cross) is a blend of central Europe’s Laski Rizling (also known as Welschriesling) together with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. It is a thoroughly modern wine, vibrant and fresh, with modest aromatics and a rounded, very clean palate.

While it doesn’t hit the great heights of the truly great white blends produced on the Italian side of Slovenia’s western border in Friuli, it is nevertheless a decent introduction to the wines of Slovenia and can be acquired for a modest outlay. One should note that it sits within the Marof estate’s ‘Basic’ range and therefore is intended to be little more than an easy drinking wine for early consumption.

2008 BELI KRIŽ
Producer: Marof
Variety: Aromatic white blend (Laski Rizling 47%, Chardonnay 33%, Sauvignon Blanc 20%)
Vintage: 2008
Region: Prekmurje, Slovenia
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $24.00
Date tasted: 3 December 2012

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery lemon. Restrained aromatic nose of guava, lemon zest, pineapple and passionfruit. Dry, medium bodied, quite straightforward, moderate intensity, rounded and easygoing, lifted by bright acidity on the finish. A clean, modern wine, easy and uncomplicated, but lacking genuine depth and complexity.
Score: 15/20

2012 KT WINES PEGLIDIS VINEYARD RIESLING - CREAM OF THE CLARE VALLEY CROP

Over the past few years, former Leasingham winemaker Kerri Thompson has carved out a name for producing high quality distinctive wines, including stunning single vineyard Rieslings. This example, from the Peglidis vineyard is no exception.

While most Clare Valley Rieslings are characterised by a distinctive lemon/lime character (a trait that distinguishes the wines, but can on occasion make them a little tiring), KT’s 2012 Peglidis Vineyard Riesling is direct from the apple orchard, with crisp green apples and apple blossom driving both the bouquet and the palate.

It is a very delicate and fine Riesling, but certainly doesn't lack for depth or drive. There is no lack of intensity, but it manages to balance power with tremendous finesse. Without a doubt, this is one Australia’s best Rieslings, a great expression of site and the Riesling grape.

2012 PEGLIDIS VINEYARD RIESLING
Producer: KT Wines
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2012
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
ABV: 12%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $34.99
Date tasted: 1 December 2012

Tasting Note:
Very pale silvery white. Restrained aromatic nose of crisp green apples, apple blossom, lychee and Nashi pear. Dry, very delicate palate, dances on the tongue, yet there is plenty of drive and thrust, lots of tension and energy, green apple, pear, subtle kiss of lemon. Finishes long with mouthwatering acidity.
Score: 18/20

2010 PINON VOUVRAY 'SILEX NOIR' - THE APPLE OF MY EYE

Chenin Blanc is a variety that is sparsely grown in Australia. In its place of origin, the Loire Valley, it is the source of many long-lived dry, medium dry and lusciously sweet wines, as well as being used in many sparkling (mousseux and crémant) wines.

Vouvray, alongside Savennières, is the best known appellation in the Loire Valley for Chenin Blanc-based wines. As a general rule, the wines of Vouvray tend to be a touch lighter, lower in alcohol and more delicate than those of Savennières.

This particular wine, from organic producer François Pinon, emphasises the delicate and mineral side of Chenin Blanc, typical of the grape when grown on the limestone rich and flinty soils found in Vouvray. Bottled slightly off-dry, the palate, although delicate, possesses great drive and tension, with a suggestion of smokiness lending lift on the finish.

Although there is plenty, especially in terms of texture, to enjoy now, there is sufficient depth of fruit and fine acidity to suggest that the wine should be capable of developing further in bottle for several years.

2010 VOUVRAY ‘SILEX NOIR’ 
Producer: François Pinon
Variety: Chenin Blanc
Vintage: 2010
Region: Loire Valley, France
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $34.99
Date tasted: 30 November 2012

Tasting Note:
Bright yellow with a golden hue. Typical Chenin nose of over-ripe/bruised red apples, pear, marzipan, struck match. Slightly off-dry up-front, moving a textured, slightly chalky mid-palate, apple and pear again to the fore. Finishes long with fine acidity. Should develop well over the medium term.
Score: 16.5+/20

N.V. SANCHEZ ROMATE FINO 'MARISMENO' - REASON TO BE CHEERFUL

Sanchez Romate is one of many high quality bodegas based in Jerez. It’s Fino ‘Marismeno’ is lighter in body and punchier in terms of flavour than many other Finos on the market.

Slickly packaged in screw-capped 375ml bottles, it bursts with ozone, brine and freshly baked sourdough, making it an ideal aperitif. Fino ‘Marismeno’ illustrates in spades why dry Sherry is one of the wine world’s great values. It is hard to think of any other wine in the world that is so distinctive and delivers such pleasure for a modest price.

NV FINO ‘MARISMENO’
Producer: Sanchez Romate
Variety: Sherry
Vintage: Non-vintage
Region: Andalucia, Spain
ABV: 15%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $18.99 (375ml)
Date tasted: 23 November 2012

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery white. Lifted nose of lemon citrus, seaweed, ozone, freshly baked sourdough. Bone dry, plenty of punch; bold salty palate, very lively and vibrant. Really ‘wakes one up’! Good depth, with briny saline notes making the wine very moreish. Delicious.
Score: 17/20

2001 YARRA YARRA RESERVE MERLOT - YES, MORE MERLOT!

Until being hit by the tragic bushfires of 2009, tiny Yarra Valley producer Yarra Yarra was one of Australia’s leading exponents of Bordeaux-styled wines, white and red. The McLean family is in the process of rebuilding, and we look forward to seeing future vintages of these fine, elegant wines.

In the meantime, let’s have a look back at an older vintage of Yarra Yarra Reserve Merlot, in this instance from the 2001 vintage. A decade or so on from vintage, the wine displays signs of maturity on the nose and palate, with suggestions of leather and roasted meat juices. Medium in body, it reflects the elegance one always associates with this fine property. It is a good wine, no doubt, but like most Australian single varietal Merlots leaves one wondering how much more interesting the wine may have been with a judicious addition of the two Cabernets, as in St Emilion.

2001 RESERVE MERLOT
Producer: Yarra Yarra
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2001
Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 1 November 2010

Tasting Note:
Medium garnet, fading slightly at the rim. Maturing nose of Satsuma plums, roasted meat juices, smoky oak, leathery notes. Dry, medium bodied, savoury, mouthfilling but not heavy or cumbersome; plum, leather and spice. Drinking well now. A good example of Australian single varietal Merlot, but one wonders what a touch of Cabernet could have done?
Score: 16/20

2006 GROSSET POLISH HILL RIESLING - AWKWARD ADOLESCENT

We have reviewed a number of vintages of the benchmark Polish Hill Riesling from Jeffrey Grosset on these pages.  This particular bottle is the first from a case of the 2006. Although seven years old, it remains relatively pale in colour, retaining a youthful silvery green hue.

On the nose and in the mouth, the wine appears to be in a transitional phase between youthful austerity and maturity.  It's like an awkward teenager, in the midst of adolescence, all legs and arms, not totally confident in itself.  The wine is rather subdued, developing weight and volume, the impression of acidity fading slightly, but yet to express the flavour and confidence that goes with a decade or so in bottle. On this showing, it is worth holding a year or two before broaching another bottle. 

2006 POLISH HILL RIESLING
Producer: Grosset
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2006
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 3 November 2010

Tasting Note:
Pale, silvery green. Lifted, perfumed and aromatic, kaffir lime leaf, lime juice, grapefruit pith, touch of honey suggests some development. Weighty, quite voluminous in the mouth. There’s a sense of sweetness though the wine is technically dry. Delicate interplay of lemon and lime citrus, chalky minerality. Slightly subdued at present, suggesting that the wine might need a further 2-3 years in bottle to reveal more depth and complexity.
Score: 16+/20

2001 PETALUMA COONAWARRA - ESSENCE OF TERRA ROSSA

Petaluma is a long-standing Coonawarra label started by Australian wine industry icon Brian Croser. For many years, it has been under the ownership of Lion Nathan, with Croser not involved in the winemaking. Petaluma Coonawarra is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that draws its inspiration from the great wines of Bordeaux and California.

Although Brian Croser long ago ceased his involvement with the wine, choosing to pursue other winemaking activities under the Tapanappa label, Petaluma Coonawarra remains a regional benchmark. As the 2001vintage evidences, it is a thoroughly modern and polished wine. It is also a wine that, in better vintages, has tremendous depth and the ability to age extremely well.

The 2001 Petaluma Coonawarra is only just starting to hit its stride and should still have several years up its sleeve. It is an excellent example of the type of wine that Coonawarra is about, showcasing its terra rosa terroir brilliantly.

2001 COONAWARRA
Producer: Petaluma
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon et al
Vintage: 2001
Region: Coonawarra, South Australia
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 31 October 2010

Tasting Note:
Deep crimson. Intense nose of blackcurrant, dark cherry, plum and toasty oak underpinned by typical Coonawarra earth. Dry, medium bodied, very slick, confident and lush. Velvet smooth in texture, cassis and plum. Modern and vibrant. The best of Coonawarra in a bottle. Very good indeed.
Score: 17.5/20

2005 CHÂTEAU DOISY-DAËNE - HOW SWEET IT IS!

Barsac’s Château Doisy-Daëne is one of a number of Bordeaux properties that falls under the control of Bordeaux University professor and wine consultant Denis Dubourdieu. For those that mightn’t be aware, Dubourdieu is a leading authority on white wine vinification. He widely consults to leading estates in the Bordeaux region. It is fair to say that his white wines, particularly from Château Doisy-Daëne (especially l’Extravagent) and Clos Floridene in Graves, are excellent representations of their type.

There are up to three wines produced at Château Doisy-Daëne in any given vintage; the standard cuvee, generally regarded as a lighter styled Barsac, Doisy-Daëne Sec, a barrel-fermented dry Sauvignon Blanc and, in exceptional years, Doisy-Daëne l’Extravagent, a lusciously sweet wine that receives Rolls Royce treatment from the vine to the bottle.

2005 is universally considered to be a great red wine vintage in Bordeaux, and with good reason. It was a pretty hand vintage (albeit not quite up with 2001 and 2007) for the region’s sweet wines. 2005 Château Doisy-Daëne is very much true to type, quite light on its feet, yet full of flavour, especially sweet tropical and stonefruit. At this stage in its evolution, it drinks very well as a dessert in its own right. It would also be well suited to fruit-based desserts and pastries.

2005 CHÂTEAU DOISY-DAËNE
Producer: Château Doisy-Daëne
Variety: Sweet Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2005
Region: Bordeaux, France
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 7 November 2010

Tasting Note:
Golden yellow. Open and inviting nose of guava, baked apple, pineapple and lemon zest, white peach. Sweet, full bodied, glides over the palate, white peach, baked apple, quince, touch of background oak. Although full bodied and sweet, the wine is quite light on its feet. Not particularly complex at this stage of its evolution, but finishes long.
Score: 16.5+/20

2009 VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE 'LA BINE' - BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY

Valpolicella is one of the world’s most distinctive wines, whether made as an easy drinking Valpolicella Classico, re-fermented over the lees as a Valpolicella Ripasso, an Amarone della Valpolicella, made from raisined grapes, or a sweet Recioto della Valpolicella, produced in much the same way as an Amarone, but not fermented to dryness.

The wines very much suit the food enjoyed in the Veneto region, especially in and around the city of Verona, the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. A ragout of horsemeat, braised in the local red wine accompanied by polenta and served with a glass of strong Amarone della Valpolicella enjoyed in a Veronese enoteca, sits in the mind a decade on. It is hard to imagine a better food and wine match.

This example, a Ripasso from Giuseppe Campagnola, is true to its origin and style. Medium in body, it delivers straightforward black cherry and damson fruit, with just a touch of bitterness. It is an ideal wine to enjoy with a Risotto with Radicchio, Red Wine and Pancetta, the wine providing a perfect counterpoint to the slightly bitter radicchio. While there are more interesting and expressive versions of the Ripasso style to be found, this is a good honest example that delivers on authenticity.

2009 VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE ‘LA BINE’
Producer: Giuseppe Campagnola
Variety: Corvina et al
Vintage: 2009
Region: Veneto, Italy
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 7 November 2010

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Direct nose of black cherry, damson and animal fur. Dry, savoury, medium bodied, quite straightforward and uncomplicated; black cherry, plum skins. Good length. Not an exceptional wine by any means, but food friendly, true to type and enjoyable.
Score: 15/20

2008 SPINIFEX LOLA - ONE YEAR ON

Just over a year ago, this same wine was reviewed on the Penguin’s Palate. An additional 12 months in bottle has certainly done the wine no harm as it is literally singing and open for business. A year ago, it was bright and savoury, nicely textured, interesting and pleasant to drink, but not as alive as it is here and now.

Although the Viognier component makes up just 5% of the blend, the Viognier is really driving this wine now, both aromatically and on the palate. The wine is quite richly textured, but not heavy. Being quite rich in texture and with moderate acidity, it most definitely a food wine. Richer seafood dishes, such as scallops and lobster come to mind, though pork could work too.

2008 LOLA
Producer: Spinifex Wines
Variety: White Rhone blend
Vintage: 2008
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 31 October 2010

Tasting Note:
Blend of Semillon (48%), Marsanne (32%), Ugni Blanc (10%), Vermentino (5%) and Viognier (5%). Bright yellow with golden glints. Lifted aromatic nose of apricot, peach, honeysuckle, apple, lemon sherbet and spice. Dry, medium bodied, stonefruit (apricot, peach), honeysuckle. The Viognier component is really to the fore here. Quite rich and textured; relatively low in acidity. Has really transformed and unfurled in the past 12 months. Drinking well now.
Score: 16.5/20

1998 SEPPELT ST PETERES GREAT WESTERN SHIRAZ - HEY ST PETER!

Seppelt Great Western is one of Australia’s iconic wineries. It is the centre for most of Seppelt’s sparkling wine production, as well as Seppelt’s extensive range of Victorian wines. The St Peters vineyard sits immediately to the front of Seppelt’s Great Western winery, and is the source of one of the region’s great wines.

The 1998 Seppelt St Peters Shiraz was released to much acclaim. Fourteen years on from vintage, we are starting to see the reason why the wine was so heavily lauded. It is a typical Great Western Shiraz, with notes of pepper, hung meat and dark berry fruit. In the mouth, it is quite rich and plush, weightier than the wines of Best’s, based just down the road. The tannins have fully resolved, leaving a texture that is plush and welcoming.

This is a wine that showcases Great Western Shiraz, surely one of the world's great expressions of the Shiraz grape, to a tee. Enjoy it now and over the next several years. It’s hard to imagine a better food match than a Steak au Poivre.

1998 ST PETERS SHIRAZ
Producer: Seppelt
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 1998
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 2 November 2010

Tasting Note:
Bright plum red, fading slightly at the rim. Interesting, slightly evolved nose of hung meat, black pepper, iron, dark plum, floral lift – lavender? Dry, medium bodied, sweet fruited but savoury, peppery, plum, raspberry. Tannins have fully resolved, but there’s plenty of depth here. Very smooth and mellow. Finishes very long. There’s plenty of upside here for further secondary development.
Score: 18/20

2008 'THE WHIP' SHIRAZ - NICE LABEL, SHAME ABOUT......

Living in a wine producing nation, we are afforded the opportunity to bottle wines under a private or personal label. Simply put, like most wine producing nations, we make too much wine, and the surplus has to go somewhere. With the Australian dollar running at a high, off-loading our generic warm climate wines from the inland irrigated regions to unsuspecting bargain seeking Brits isn’t necessarily the option it once was. What better than offering local punters the chance to bottle up a couple of hundred bottles and slap their own label on it? In principle, this is a great idea and a bit of fun, but there is no guarantee that the wine is going to be particularly good.

‘The Whip’ Shiraz is a case in point. It is a wine from South Australia’s Riverland, bottled as a private label, not intended for resale. The wine itself is somewhat jammy and thin, not undrinkable, but not altogether enjoyable. It is Australia’s equivalent of the so-called ‘holiday wines’ one might encounter (or more likely one’s friends and elderly relatives might encounter) while on vacation; perfectly gluggable when relaxing back in the European sun, but horrendous when not imbibed in situ.

There can be plenty of fun to be had with private labels such as ‘The Whip’, though in this case, the best feature about the wine is the label, as the contents are best avoided. Advice from these pages is to taste widely before committing to a large bottling run, and to drink up within 12 or so months of bottling. Grange this is most definitely not!

2008 ‘THE WHIP’ SHIRAZ
Producer: Private label – producer not declared
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 2008
Region: Riverland, South Australia
ABV: Not declared
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 30 October 2010

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Alluring bouquet of plum jam, cherry confit, blackberry confiture. Sweet fruited up-front, palate similar to nose, simple and lacking depth, short on the finish, which has a bit of bite, rather like an American Pit Bull on a bad day.
Score: 11/20

1999 YALUMBA 'THE SIGNATURE' - WARM AND CUDDLY

Yalumba’s ‘The Signature’ is one of Australia’s great labels. Produced since the 1960’s, it is an über-traditional blended of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, sourced from the Barossa Valley. As is typical of many of Yalumba's premium red wines, it sees a generous amount of new oak, primarily American. Yet, the quality of the raw material is such that the oak isn’t overly assertive. That said, it helps to be an admirer of rich and oaky warm climate wines if you are to enjoy ‘The Signature’.

1999 was a vintage that, for many, flew under the radar in the Barossa Valley. At the time, it rather sat in the shadows of the much lauded 1998 vintage. While 1998 produced many full throttle wines of great power and intensity, the best 1999’s display greater elegance and harmony. There is indeed, a lot to like about 1999.

This bottle of 1999 Yalumba ‘The Signature’ was the first of a six-pack. Interestingly, the back label suggests drink from release through 2011. However, from this drinker’s perspective, it is wine that is just starting to hit its stride now. The tannins have fully resolved, yielding a wine that is opulent and voluptuous, but not heavy or exaggerated. It reveals layers of creamy dark chocolate married with liqueur cherries, blackberry and plum. This is a wine that is a real crowd pleaser. On the subject of food, it cries out for a hearty braise; Jugged Hare finished with a touch of dark chocolate would be ideal, as would Kangaroo Fillet with a Chocolate Sauce.

1999 THE SIGNATURE 
Producer: Yalumba
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz blend
Vintage: 1999
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 3 November 2010

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby, fading very slightly at the rim. Rich chocolate driven nose – Valrhona! Nutty oak, vanilla, liqueur cherries covered with dark chocolate, gentle touch of herbaceousness. Becomes more perfumed with air. Full bodied, velvet smooth, svelte – very sexy, luxurious texture that teases the tongue. Dark chocolate, red fruit, pleasant bitterness on the mid-palate. Long finish. Restrained hedonism. A real crowd pleaser!
Score: 18/20

2011 THICK AS THIEVES CHARDONNAY - ON THE MONEY

We have previously reviewed the 2010 Thick as Thieves Chardonnay on these pages, a wine that certainly hit this taster’s sweet spot. The 2011 vintage follows in a similar vein. 2011 was not an easy vintage in southern Australia. It was an atypically wet and cool year, where getting ripeness, more particularly, uniform ripeness, was not easy. It was a year where diligent vignerons, those that apply their skills in the vineyard, succeeded.

While 2011 has already been derided by certain journalists and some consumers, there is much to enjoy from the vintage’s better wines. We in Australia may look upon a damp and cool vintage as something to be wary of.  However, it is not altogether different to the conditions faced most years in some of the world’s greatest wine producing regions (notwithstanding the influence of global warming).

Although it is dangerous to generalise, it is fair to say that the best white wines of 2011 possess a lovely natural freshness. Where crop levels were modest and fruit selection was rigorous, the wines don’t lack for depth of fruit, nor ripeness. It is true to say that the better reds aren’t necessarily rich or voluminous, but many possess very pretty aromatics and should drink well, at least over the medium term.

The 2011 Thick as Thieves Chardonnay illustrates just how far Australia has come with this noble grape. While it follows the contemporary ‘less is more’ philosophy (modest alcohol, subtle oak, minimal malolactic fermentation), it doesn’t do so at the expense of depth of flavour or character. This is a wine that is in no sense lean or ungenerous. One may detect a certain nod toward Chablis, but first and foremost, it is a high class, refined Yarra Valley Chardonnay, expressing both the region and the relatively cool 2011 vintage. Those looking for butterscotch and popcorn might want to look elsewhere, but for lovers of refined and sophisticated food friendly Chardonnay, there is a lot to enjoy.

2011 CHARDONNAY
Producer: Thick as Thieves
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2011
Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $29.99
Date tasted: 17 November 2010

Tasting Note: 
Pale silvery lemon with green tinges. Bright, moderately aromatic nose of honeydew melon, green apple, Nashi pear and lemon citrus. Dry, medium bodied, quite racy, great tension, slight nod toward Chablis here. Taut and racy, but not lean in any sense of the word. Green apples, honeydew melon, oak very subtle and in the background. Citrussy acidity carries the finish which is long and strident. Score: 17+/20