2000 WENDOUREE SHIRAZ - OPEN FOR BUSINESS

A few weeks back, the 2000 Wendouree Shiraz Malbec was profiled on these pages. Atypically for Wendouree, it was remarkably soft, friendly and forward. The straight Shiraz from the same year is in the same mould as the Shiraz Malbec, albeit more fruit driven in style.

At 11 years of age, Wendouree Shiraz is typically tightly wound in a corset of fine tannin. There’s no tannin to speak of here, the palate is wonderfully silky and polished. Notwithstanding its accelerated development (by Wendouree standards), there’s genuine quality here, reflected in the bouquet which is at one alluring and complex. While the palate mightn’t display the hallmark Wendouree intensity or ‘iron fist in a velvet glove’, it has real integrity and interest. What’s more, it’s immensely food friendly (rack of lamb in this instance). This is a Wendouree to enjoy while your 1996’s, 1998’s and 1999’s are slowly (at glacial pace) maturing.

2000 SHIRAZ
Producer: Wendouree
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 2000
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
ABV: 13.7%
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Retail price: N/a
Date tasted: 25 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby fading slowly toward the rim. Lots going on here; cherry, plum, tar, asphalt, charcoal, tea tree and lavender. Still primary fruit driven, but the tannins have softened appreciably. Cherry/plum fruit leads the way, followed by charcoal (a product of terroir, not oak) and tar. Although this is a forward wine by Wendouree standards, there is genuine quality here. Drinking well now and should evolve further over the next 5-10 years.
Score: 17.5/20

2005 MEEREA PARK EPOCH SEMILLON - A SEMILLON FOR THE NEW EPOCH

For some, classic Hunter Semillon is a take it or leave it style. The high acidity and delicate texture of young Semillon can make it a difficult proposition. Arguably, Hunter Semillon of quality needs at least 5 years bottle age to get into stride.

Thankfully, the folks at Meerea Park are good enough to release some of their Epoch Semillon with a decent amount of bottle age. The result is a wine of immense charm. At just 10.5% ABV, it is the antithesis of the stereotypical Australian blockbuster.

Ever so silky, and slightly creamy in texture, one can see why Hunter Semillon was sometimes likened to Chablis. There’s a purity to this wine that makes it very charming, and extremely fruit friendly. Unoaked Hunter Semillon, it’s an Australian classic, what’s more, good quality examples like this cost less than $20 a bottle. In my book that’s an out and out bargain. 

2005 EPOCH SEMILLON
Producer: Meerea Park
Variety: Semillon
Vintage: 2005
Region: Hunter Valley, New South Wales
ABV: 10.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Retail price: $17.99
Date tasted: 25 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Bright lemon yellow. Fresh nose of lemon curd and grapefruit pith, barest suggestion of toasty maturity. Medium bodied and elegant, this wine is all about texture; caresses the palate beautifully, silky and very fine. Not overly complex, but very good quality, especially at the modest price. Good length of flavour.
Score: 16.5/20

2002 WARRABILLA RESERVE SHIRAZ DURIF.......GENTLE GIANT

In the relatively short time these pages, we have reviewed a few wines from the Warrabilla stable. On this occasion, we turn our attention to a Shiraz and Durif blend. As one would expect of a Warrabilla red wine, it’s no shrinking violet – 16% ABV. As is with the case with most Warrabilla red wines, it carries the alcohol with ease; there’s no suggestion of heat whatsoever. Indeed, the wine is medium rather than full bodied, and not a monster by any means.

One suspect that this bottle may have shown better a couple of years ago as the impression is of a rather four square wine. Given its origin and high alcohol, one may have expected a fruit bomb with a bit of age, but instead it is rather earthbound and dry, improved markedly with food. All in all, it’s a decent rather than great wine, not as enjoyable as Warrabilla’s single varietal Durifs.

2002 RESERVE SHIRAZ DURIF
Producer: Warrabilla
Variety: Shiraz blend
Vintage: 2002
Region: Rutherglen, Victoria
ABV: 16.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Retail price: N/a
Date tasted: 19 February 2011

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby, fading slightly at the rim. Quite reductive on opening, but a decant opens the wine up. Slightly evolved earthbound nose, suggestions of dark chocolate, cherries, dusty herbs. Dry, medium bodied, as with many Warrabilla wines, the high alcohol is imperceptible. Rather four square and simple, this is a wine that probably would have yielded more pleasure a couple of years ago. Nevertheless, it shows much better with food.
Score: 14.5/20

MIKE PRESS CHARDONNAY - HOT OFF THE......

Mike Press draws on over four decades winemaking experience for names including Penfolds, Seppelt and Krondorf. Several years ago, he set about making his own wines from fruit grown at his Kenton Valley vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. Originally, the fruit was destined to supply various labels of larger companies, but the wine glut and crash in prices left Press with little alternative but to make and sell the wines himself at, to quote ‘unheard of prices’.

Various plaudits have followed. Press Wines have been a seemingly permanent fixture on the annual Halliday Top 100 list, and they have met with favourable critical response in other quarters.

The 2011 Mike Press Single Vineyard Chardonnay is priced at just $11. Bottled at a modest 12% ABV, it sees no wood, and is the antithesis of the worked 100% malo/100% barrel ferment Australian Chardonnay of old (of course, at this price level, one can’t afford to employ the full tricks of the winemaking trade, least of all expensive oak barrels).

What we have is a clean yet relatively simple and straightforward Chardonnay for glugging back in a relaxed environment. Arguably, this is a Chardonnay for Sauvignon Blanc drinkers – no oak, no creamy mouthfeel – it is a Chardonnay that can easily be drunk on its own. While it might not be the most challenging or captivating Chardonnay around, if it wins back a few drinkers to the Chardonnay grape, it has done its job.

2011 SINGLE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY
Producer: Mike Press Wines
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2011
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 12.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Retail price: $11.00
Date tasted: 19 February 2011

Tasting Note:
Very pale silvery lemon. Clean nose of guava, green apples and white peaches. Relatively simple and straightforward fruit driven palate, characters much the same as the nose. There’s just modest complexity, but it lingers on the palate.
Score: 15/20

CAN'T SEE THE TREES FOR THE FOREST HILL RIESLING....

Forest Hill Vineyard claims the mantle of the ‘oldest cool climate vineyard in Western Australia’ on its homepage. Whatever the case may be, it is the source of some impressive wines, none more so than the excellent Block 1 Riesling. The 2009 vintage of this wine is a backward, powerful and intense Riesling, with plenty of lime accented fruit overlaying chalky minerality.

At just two years of age, it is just a baby, and is destined for a long life under screw cap. It should start to fill out after 7-8 years and should continue to evolve for many years thereafter. Although far from the cheapest Australian Riesling, there is sufficient quality to merit the price-tag.

2009 BLOCK 1 RIESLING
Producer: Forest Hill Vineyard
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2009
Region: Mount Barker, Western Australia
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Retail price: $39.99
Date tasted: 17 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery lemon. Powerful nose of lemon/lime citrus, talc and minerals. Bone dry, there’s real depth and intensity here, a combination of lemon/lime citrus and chalky minerality. Vibrant acidity lends plenty of ‘cut and thrust’ to this top shelf Riesling. This is very young, and should age superbly under screw cap.
Score: 17/20

2001 TIN SHED THREE VINES - THE BAROSSA NEW WAVE

Tin Shed is one of the Barossa ‘new wave’ that emerged in the late 90’s/early 00’s. Three wines are bottled under the Tin Shed label; Wild Bunch Riesling, Single Wire Shiraz and Three Vines, a Mourvèdre (aka Mataro) based Southern Rhone blend.

A decade on from vintage seemed an appropriate time to check in on a bottle of 2001 Three Vines. Decanted approximately half an hour or so ahead of time, it revealed a glorious and remarkably complex nose; initially floral, followed by sandalwood, exotic spices, liquorice, red fruits and earthy notes. Has one nosed a better wine thus far this year? Probably not.

Although the palate didn’t quite live up to the bouquet, this was a very good bottle indeed, drinking at its apogee. Strangely enough, the typical meatiness of the Mourvedre didn’t really shine through here. What we had instead was a remarkably perfumed and elegant Southern Rhône inspired Barossa Valley red blend.

2001 THREE VINES MOURVÈDRE SHIRAZ GRENACHE
Producer: Tin Shed
Variety: Grenache et al
Vintage: 2001
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Retail price: N/a
Date tasted: 18 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby, faded slightly at the rim. Complex perfumed nose, initially floral (lilac, violet, red roses), then spice, liquorice and mint, suggestions of red fruits, earthy notes. Dry and savoury, very restrained medium bodied palate of sour cherry, strawberry leading to subtle spice on the finish. Although the palate doesn’t quite live up to the nose, there is an enormous amount of pleasure in this bottle.
Score: 17.5/20

SAN LEÓN MANZANILLA - IT'S GREAT TO SEE YA'

Over the past decade, Sherry has well and truly bounced back, thanks to the efforts of the many fine bodegas in Andulucia’s Sherry triangle, the support of high profile chefs (not the least being Heston Blumenthal) and the emergence of high quality Iberian eateries including Melbourne’s MoVida. Suffice to say, one could even suggest that dry Sherry (Manzanilla, Fino, Amontillado, Palo Cortado and Oloroso) had become rather trendy, a drink enjoyed by the cognescenti.

Bodegas Argüeso’s San León Manzanilla is without a benchmark of its style. Intensely briny, with pronounced yeasty characters, it packs a punch matched by few of its peers. While the superb Sherries of Equipo Navazos have stolen much of the limelight of late, San León is an every reliable stand-by Manzanilla that over-delivers in terms of quality and value for money.

NV SAN LEÓN MANZANILLA
Producer: Herederos de Argüeso
Variety: Fortified wine - Sherry
Vintage: Non-vintage
Region: Andalucia, Spain
ABV: 15.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 375ml
Retail price: $18.99
Date tasted: 18 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery lemon. Alluring nose of sea spray, seaweed and fresh sourdough bread. Dry and bracing; this could be nothing other than Manzanilla. Salt, brine, yeasty characters intermingle, leading to a long bone dry finish. A good fresh example of Manzanilla.
Score: 18/20

2011 YALUMBA Y SERIES VIOGNIER - THAT'S Y?!

Yalumba's ever growing Y-Series range (a Vermentino recently joined the fold) has established itself as a reliable source of good quality wines over the past 10-15 years.   Yalumba was one of the first producers in Australia to treat Viognier seriously, and the efforts seemed to have paid off.

While the Y Series Viognier isn't particularly complex, it does deliver good varietal character, something that can be tricky to achieve with Viognier, particularly when produced as a commercial wine.  Bottled slightly off-dry, the palate displays better than average depth of tropical fruit, together with apples and perhaps, a whiff of honeysuckle.  It stands up well to mildly spiced Indian and Chinese cuisine and has enough ballast as a white wine to stand up to some meat dishes.

2011 Y SERIES VIOGNIER
Producer: Yalumba
Variety: Viognier
Vintage: 2011
Region: Various regions, South Australia
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Retail price: $11.99
Date tasted: 16 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery lemon. Varietal nose of pineapple, quince and peach. Slightly off-dry, medium bodied, low acidity (just sufficient to carry the wine). There’s decent fruit intensity on the palate, much the same as the nose, together with ripe green apples. While this is a relatively straightforward wine, it displays good varietal character and is a good foil for mildly spiced food.
Score: 15/20

CRUDO SHIRAZ.........A MOST PINOT-LIKE CREATURE

Crudo is an entry level bistro style wine made by 'of the moment' winemaker Luke Lambert.  There's no oak here to speak of; the wine spends time in large used barrels and in tank.   The overall approach is one of a gentle hand at work.  Fermentation takes place with wild yeasts, and some whole bunches are used.

The resulting wine is elegant and restrained, and ends up giving the impression of a warmish climate Pinot Noir rather than Syrah/Shiraz.   Perhaps, just perhaps, there's a peppery note there suggestive of Shiraz, but it is very much in the background.  One suspects that more varietal character will emerge with bottle age, say in 3 or so years, but it is highly likely that most of this particular vintage will have been consumed by then.  One can see what this wine is trying to achieve, and it does so to a fairly large extent. 

2010 CRUDO SHIRAZ
Producer: Luke Lambert
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 2010
Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Retail price: $24.00
Date tasted: 14 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Mid ruby red. Lifted and aromatic nose; quite floral (lavender, red roses), cinnamon and clove spice, slighty greenish edge – green peppercorns perhaps? Round and elegant, no more than medium bodied, little tannin to speak of, quite sweet fruited. The promise on the nose doesn't quite follow through to the palate.  Although not particularly complex, there is good length of flavour. 
Score: 15+/20

2008 CALDORA VINI MONTIPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO - THE FULL MONTY!

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo originates from central eastern Italy, west of Rome.  Stylistically, the wines can vary from vapid, light paint stripper, to deeply coloured wines capable of ageing for well over a decade.   All to often, commercial examples of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, inevitably intended for drinking while young, lack depth of fruit and genuine interest.  At best, they are decent for glugging, but nothing more.

This example, from Caldora Vini, while by no means ethereal, delivers more than your average Montepulciano.  It possesses a deep crimson colour and displays excellent fruit intensity, both on the nose and the palate.  While it lacks complexity, it offers excellent drinking and is made for enjoying with compatible food (with an Italian accent of course).  Sealed under plastic cork, this is a wine to be enjoyed in its vibrant youth.  While it worked very well with Penne alla Puttanesca, one could imagine it being perfect with meat-based ragus.

2008 MONTEPULICIANO D’ABRUZZO COLLE DEI VENTI
Producer: Caldora Vini
Variety: Montepulciano
Vintage: 2008
Region: Abruzzo, Italy
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Plastic cork
Format: 750ml
Retail price: $24.99
Date tasted: 14 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Deep crimson. Bright nose of blackberry cobbler. Medium bodied, starts with a gentle lick of tannin, damson, briar and blackberry fruit, fine acidity. While not overly complex, this is a good example of Montepulciano showing excellent extract and fruit intensity.
Score: 16.5/20

BEST'S BIN 1 SHIRAZ - NO LONGER THE UGLY DUCKLING

Bin 1 Shiraz is very much the precocious youngster in the Best’s line-up, sitting in the shadows of the outstanding Thomson Family Shiraz and Bin 0 Shiraz. Critical response to the Bin 1 has been warm, rather than effusive, since it’s first release some time back. However, the 2010 release might just raise a few eyebrows, especially at the $25 per bottle pricetag.

2010 Best’s Bin 1 Shiraz captures the essence of Great Western Shiraz in the form of elegant forest berry fruit (yes, there’s that sweet and sour thing going on), liquorice, tar and just a hint of white pepper. It’s a sexy, seamless and refined wine, with a touch of floral lift, and sufficient tannin structure to justify cellaring for several years, perhaps longer. All in all, it is a lovely elegant Shiraz that glides over the tongue. 

2010 BIN 1 SHIRAZ
Producer: Best’s
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 2010
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 14.5%
Price: $25.00
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 5 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Bright crimson. Alluring nose of forest berry compote, cherries, liquorice and tar, star anise. Dry, medium bodied, very polished and elegant, characters much the same as the nose. There’s excellent fruit intensity here, as well as real refinement. Tannins are very fine and soft, and the acidity is well balanced. Should develop well over 5-7 years, perhaps longer.
Score: 17+/20

2010 STONEY VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC - HOW SWEET IT IS!

Stoney Vineyard is the second label of Domaine A, the highly respected Cola River Valley winery run by Swiss gentleman Peter Althaus. The wine focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, and produces wines that have a very European feel, thanks in no small part to their cool Tasmanian origin. Being located so far south (just out of Hobart) there is no need to acidify, indeed ripening Cabernet Sauvignon is a challenge.

Domaine A’s Lady A oaked Sauvignon Blanc is recognised as one of the best of its genre produced anywhere. The second label Stoney Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc can also be very good, though there is no oak at play in this wine. In this context, the 2011 Stoney Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is rather out of kilter with the house style; it is dominated by tropical fruit, and with noticeable residual sugar, just held in check by moderate acidity. All in all, it’s a competent Sauvignon Blanc, suggestive of a drought year. This is a short term wine, best enjoyed well chilled, with lightly spiced food. 

2010 STONEY VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC
Producer: Domaine A
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2010
Region: Coal River Valley, Tasmania
ABV: 13.0%
Price: $24.99
Closure: Diam
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 5 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery white. Bright nose of moderate intensity, quite tropical (pineapple, guava), touch of lemon citrus. Off-dry, medium bodied, tropical characters follow through to the palate. With just medium acidity and noteable residual sugar, this wine is evidence of a drought year. Decent enough if matched with appropriate food. Not likely to be a keeper.
Score: 14/20

2011 DOMAINE LUCCI SAUVIGNON BLANC - I SHOULD BE SO LUCCI.....

Domaine Lucci/Lucy Margaux Vineyards is a 100% biodynamic operation based at Basket Range in the Adelaide Hills. The wines draw on just over 3 hectares of estate vineyards, as well as fruit provided from other growers in the region.

The ethos here is not just biodynamic, but also minimum-interventionist (save for the use of sulphur dioxide in some of the wines). Although the label has been linked to the natural wine ‘movement’, the intent here seems to be to produce authentic wines that stand apart from the crowd. On the evidence of the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, it seems to be doing so.

While natural wines are very much à la mode in some quarters, and derided in others (read Robert Parker’s tirade towards the natural winemakers), the key thing is how the wines perform in bottle. Certainly, the use (or not) of sulphites is a contentious issue. This particular wine is finished with sulphur dioxide and certainly seems none the worse for wear.

What we have is a Sauvignon Blanc of real distinction. This isn’t an in your face commercial Marlborough Sauvignon, nor is it a wannabe Sancerre. It is a vibrant, somewhat intellectual wine, with depth and interest that goes beyond simple ‘cats pee around a gooseberry bush’ Sauvignon Blanc stereotype. It is a wine with a razor sharp bite, a slight wild side to it.   There's enough stuffing here to suggest that it should age very well.

2011 SAUVIGNON BLANC
Producer: Domaine Lucci
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2011
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Diam
Format: 750ml
Retail price: $24.00
Date tasted: 12 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery lemon. Complex and fragrant nose of nashi pears, lime, nettles, tarragon and fennel, flinty notes. Very dry, zesty and fresh, reverberates around the mouth, there’s no lack of acidity here. Excellent depth of fruit, lime/lemon, greengage, pleasant sour edge. Very refined and complex. Should age well, perhaps for up to 10 years.
Score: 17.5/20

GIACONDA - THE SHIRAZ IS RATHER GOOD

Beechworth’s Giaconda winery has a cult following thanks to its worked and complex Chardonnay. The winery also fashions some rather good Cabernet Sauvignon and a superb Nebbiolo. Yet the real star here is the Shiraz. Some might turn their noses up at Shiraz as it proliferates in abundance throughout Australia’s grape producing regions. Yet, there are many styles of Shiraz, from rich, spicy, fruit cake Barossa Valley Shiraz, to stylish fruit of the forest Shiraz from the Pyrenees to peppery cool climate ‘Syrah’. Call it Syrah or Shiraz, it is a grape that seems to thrive in Australian conditions.

In the hands of Rick Kinzbrunner at Giaconda, Shiraz takes on an Australia meets the Rhône accent, neither dominating. There’s a core of dark black fruit, intermingled with tar, liquorice, white pepper and hung game. The Giaconda Estate Shiraz is a powerful yet sophisticated wine, more in the mould of Hermitage than Côte Rotie, yet with a plushness and depth of fruit that brings one back to Australia, specifically Beechworth. The wine should be destined for a long cellaring life, during which time it will become more Rhône-like, gaining in complexity.

2008 ESTATE VINEYARD SHIRAZ
Producer: Giaconda
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 2008
Region: Beechworth, Victoria
ABV: 13.9%
Price: N/a
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 10 December 2011

Tasting Note:
Deep crimson verging on opaque. Very intense nose of tar, liquorice, damsons and white pepper. The palate is similarly intense, powerful and full flavoured, with brooding damson and blackberry fruit and hung game meat to the fore. In terms of texture, the wine is velvet-like and plush, ripe tannins and fine acidity providing structure. This is a very youthful Shiraz with a strong Old World leaning. It needs at least another 6-8 years in bottle to reach maturity and should hold for another several years thereafter.
Score: 17.5+/20

CREATING A NEW PARADIGM FOR MORNINGTON PINOT NOIR

Not all that long ago, Australian Pinot Noir was seen as being too big and too sweet or thin and vapid. Things are changing, most certainly for the better. In regions such as the Mornington Peninsula, there is considerable progress being made with Pinot Noir. The vines are getting older and, more importantly, there is a greater understanding of site and how to get the best out of the Pinot Noir grape in this windblown coastal region.

Paradigm Hill’s l’Ami Sage is puts forward a strong argument for the progress being made with Pinot Noir. Relatively pale in colour, it possesses an attractive, perfumed nose that is quite floral, underpinned by plums and cherries. The palate is savoury, silky and elegant, displaying genuine ‘Pinosity’. While it could offer more by way of structure, therefore providing more confidence as to its ageworthiness, there is real quality here.

While perhaps not the ‘finished article’, it represents an excellent work in progress reference point for Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir. At just over $50 per bottle, it represents reasonable value for money, especially when you consider that in the Australian market, the same money will get you no more than a generic Bourgogne Rouge, albeit from a good producer.

2009 PINOT NOIR L’AMI SAGE
Producer: Paradigm Hill
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2009
Region: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia
ABV: 13.7%
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Retail price: $55.99
Date tasted: 20 December 2011

Tasting Note:
Just 3,100 bottles produced. Bright ruby red. Alluring, pretty and aromatic nose of cherries and plums, floral notes. Very attractive. Medium bodied, although there is good fruit intensity (again cherries and plums), the over-riding impression is savoury; no jammy or confiture characters here. The oak, 53% of which is new is very well integrated. Although not enormously complex, this is a well made, savoury Pinot Noir that illustrates how far this variety has progressed on the Mornington Peninsula.
Score: 16/20

2008 PONDALOWIE VINEYARD BLEND - SPAIN MEETS CENTRAL VICTORIA

Pondalowie is a Bendigo-based winery run by couple Dominique and Krystina Morris. The real strength here is the Spanish grape, Tempranillo. Both Dominic and Krystina have worked vintages on the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in Portugal, where Dominic visits regularly as winemaker for Quinta do Crasto.

The Pondalowie house style favours food friendly, well balanced wines that reflect their warm climate origin. At all levels, the Shiraz-based wines are rich, full bodied and brooding, but not overdone.

The Tempranillo takes on a real Spanish feel. The entry level Vineyard Blend, a Tempranillo-dominant blend that also uses a bit of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, has an Iberian personality. Oak is negligible, allowing the round plummy fruit to speak for itself. There’s good cleansing acidity as well. One could certainly imagine enjoying a few glasses in a decent tapas bar.   Given the success of Tempranillo here, one wonders why there isn't a greater clamour to experiment with this great grape variety in Australia.

2008 VINEYARD BLEND
Producer: Pondalowie Vineyards
Variety: Tempranillo, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2008
Region: Bendigo, Victoria
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Retail price: $18.99
Date tasted: 24 January 2012

Tasting Note:
Bright plum red. Dark cherry, plum and a touch of liquorice on the nose. Medium bodied, satin smooth in texture. The Iberian influence really comes through. Slightly reminiscent of a juicy Navarra red blend. Not overly complex, but displays good fruit depth, drinks well and is food friendly. Bring on the tapas!
Score: 16/20

THE PENGUIN ON TOUR: BEST'S GREAT WESTERN

Historic Best’s winery, founded way back in 1866, is an Australian icon. A visit to Best’s is like taking a step back in time, with a number of original buildings, and vines that date back to the late 1800’s. Take a walk out the front of the cellar door and you’ll see 130 year old Dolcetto vines that were originally thought to be Malbec.

As a family-owned winery, Best’s has always tended to steer away from the norm. It is one of few wineries in the world to release a single varietal Pinot Meunier. Recent years have seen a marked improvement in the white wines at Best’s. The Rieslings and Pinot Gris are all excellent examples, albeit the flagship House Block Riesling (bottled off-dry in a Germanic style) is not cheap at $35.

Although Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon are grown, the real star here is the Shiraz, a grape that was seemingly made for Great Western. The flagship Thomson Family Shiraz is without a doubt one of Australia’s best. At around $150 it is no bargain, but it compares favourably with many other luxury cuvees. Bin 0 Shiraz is a benchmark of its style; it’s all about textural elegance, forest berry fruit, tar and anise – sophisticated stuff indeed. Sadly, it is no longer the bargain it once was.

Bin 1 Shiraz, the newcomer in the line-up, delivers excellent value for money, and is the way to go for those seeking value. It should improve with cellaring for up to a decade.

2008 PINOT NOIR ROSÉ
Producer: Best’s Great Western
Variety: Rosé (100% Pinot Noir)
Vintage: 2008
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Price: $15.00
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 28 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Pale strawberry pink. Bright summery strawberry fruit on the nose. Dry and elegant, holding up well for a 3 year old rosé. Crisp and vibrant. Good length. Another good example of how far Australia has progressed with rosé as a style.
Score: 16/20

2011 PINOT GRIS
Producer: Best’s Great Western
Variety: Pinot Gris/Grigio
Vintage: 2011
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 12.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Price: $22.00
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 28 October 2011

Tasting Note:
The 2011 is the first official release of this wine. Pale silvery lemon. Typical Pinot Gris nose of red and green apples. Touch of lychee. Dry and elegant, good fruit intensity. Vibrant lemon citrus acidity carries the finish.
Score: 16.5/20

2011 RIESLING
Producer: Best’s Great Western
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2011
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 11.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Price: $22.00
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 28 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Very pale, almost water white. Aromatic nose of Granny Smith apples, slightly floral. Medium dry, touch of spritz. Easy going style that would be well suited to moderately spiced Asian cuisine.
Score: 16/20

2010 HOUSE BLOCK RIESLING
Producer: Best’s Great Western
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2010
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 10.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Price: $35.00
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 28 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Lemon sherbert and Granny Smith apples on the nose. Off-dry, good fruit intensity, once again green apples and lemon citrus. Slightly richer in texture than the basic Riesling. Lively acidity on the finish. A bit expensive for what it is.
Score: 16/20

2009 ESTATE VINEYARD PINOT MEUNIER
Producer: Best’s Great Western
Variety: Pinot Meunier
Vintage: 2009
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Price: $35.00
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 28 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Meaty nose, rhubarb, cherry. Dry, medium bodied. Elegant, pure and savoury, dark cherry fruit. A nasty wine to taste blind!
Score: 16/20

2010 ESTATE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR
Producer: Best’s Great Western
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2010
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Price: $22.00
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 28 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Vibrant nose of cherries. Dry and elegant, quite light and savoury. There’s a light hand at work here, the wine comes across as being unforced. Dark cherry fruit again on the palate. Quite pleasant, albeit not particularly complex.
Score: 15.5/20

2010 OLD CLONE PINOT NOIR
Producer: Best’s Great Western
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2008
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Price: $60.00
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 28 October 2011

Tasting Note:
From a single vineyard planted in 1867. Cherries and strawberries on the nose, together with sandalwood. Weighter and fuller in body than the Estate Pinot Noir. Slightly stalky edge. Decent length. A touch expensive.
Score: 15/20

2010 GREAT WESTERN CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Producer: Best’s Great Western
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon et al
Vintage: 2010
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Price: $25.00
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 28 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Bright ruby red. Kirsch and fruit of the forest compote. Dry, medium bodied, gentle raspberry and boysenberry fruit. Not particularly intense or varietal, but clean and well made.
Score: 15/20

2010 GREAT WESTERN BIN 1 SHIRAZ
Producer: Best’s Great Western
Variety: Shiraz
Vintage: 2010
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Price: $25.00
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 28 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Intense raspberry red. Bold and flamboyant nose of tar, boysenberry, blueberry and plum. Dry, medium bodied, very elegant and fine. Ripe and sweet fruited to start, but finishes dry with structured tannins. Elegant and very impressive. Excellent value for money.
Score: 17.5/20

2009 GREAT WESTERN BIN 0 SHIRAZ
Producer: Best’s Great Western
Variety: Shiraz
Vintage: 2009
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Price: $75.00
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 28 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Deep plum red. Slightly reticent nose; smoky oak, licorice, raspberry coulis, brambly fruit. Quite serious. Dry, slightly richer and fuller than the Bin 1. Concentrated essence of Shiraz. Firm structured tannins frame the finish which is long. Holds out great promise for the future.
Score: 18/20

2009 SPARKLING SHIRAZ
Producer: Best’s Great Western
Variety: Champagne/Sparkling Wine
Vintage: 2009
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Crown cap
Price: $25.00
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 28 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Brambly fruit compote. Fruit sweetness upfront. Raspberry and plum laden fruit driven style that would be well suited to Chinese cuisine especially Peking Duck. 

Score: 16/20

2000 GROSSET WATERVALE RIESLING - WE HAVE CLOSURE

We have dedicated considerable time on these pages debating the merits of cork versus screw cap closure for Rieslings and other aromatic white grape varieties. 2000 was the year that the ever meticulous Jeffrey Grosset switched to screw cap in favour of cork. A number of his wines of the late 1990’s have undoubtedly suffered under cork, some oxidising prematurely, others just tasting flat and tired well before their time was due.

The 2000 Grosset Watervale Riesling comes as a welcome relief. There is no suggestion of taint or oxidation whatsoever, nor is there any sign of reduction. What we have is a clean Riesling that is displaying signs of maturity; honey, toast and a touch of kerosene. While the evidence of one bottle alone mightn’t satisfy the cynics, there is enough to suggest that, as a minimum, screw cap addresses the worst failings of cork, and that wines do indeed age (rather well) under screw cap.

2000 WATERVALE RIESLING
Producer: Grosset
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2000
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
ABV: 13.0%
Price: N/a
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 18 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Bright lemon yellow nose, suggesting bottle development, which is borne out on the nose; slightly toasty/honey overlaying lemon/lime zest. The palate is quite full, rich and weighty, though a fine ripple of acidity makes its presence felt. No issues of oxidation or cork taint here, and the wine has clearly developed well under screw cap. Drinking very well now, but should hold.
Score: 16.5/20

2001 PUNTER'S CORNER CABERNET SAUVIGNON - WORTH A BET!

Punter’s Corner is a relative newcomer to the Coonawarra pantheon. Although operations commenced in 1988, a winery wasn’t developed until 1996. In 2000, things really started to happen for the Punter’s Corner team when the 1999 Reserve Spartacus Shiraz was awarded the Jimmy Watson Trophy. Nevertheless, Punter’s Corner continues to fly under the radar somewhat.

Today, the vineyards are managed by Peter Balnaves and the wines are made by Peter Bissell, both from the neighbouring Balnaves winery. The wines are very much traditional Coonawarra, albeit with richly intense fruit, and polished new oak, in this case, French, American and Russian.

Although the label design does Punter’s Corner no favours whatsoever, the wines itself do deliver. The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful Cabernet, just taking on a touch of secondary complexity in the form of tobacco and baked red earth. It’s a dry and food friendly wine, one that would work with rack of Tatiara lamb.

2001 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Producer: Punter’s Corner
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon et al
Vintage: 2001
Region: Coonawarra, South Australia
ABV: 13.0%
Price: N/a
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 13 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Bold nose of cedar, baked red earth, cherries and tobacco – a complex bouquet that belies the rather cheap looking label. Dry, medium bodied and very savoury palate displaying of plums and dark cherries married with dusty, cedary oak. There’s a large amount of dry extract here, perhaps a bit too much, but it delivers pretty well for a relatively inexpensive wine.
Score: 16/20

THERE'S MORE TO CLONAKILLA THAN SHIRAZ VIOGNIER

Clonakilla is so well known for its benchmark Shiraz Viognier that that other wines in its portfolio are sometimes not given the attention they merit. In addition to the excellent Viognier (and Viognier Nouveau), there is a Riesling. In fact, Clonakilla has bottled a Riesling for almost 30 years.

Stylistically, Clonakilla Riesling fits within the Australian norm; lime citrus is to the fore, together with crab apples. Bone dry, it is slightly austere, even almost a decade on from vintage, suggesting that the wine has a number of years up its sleeve. All in all, this is a very good cool climate Riesling that possesses plenty of cut and thrust. It just lacks that extra polish that distinguishes Clonakilla’s superb Shiraz Viognier.

2003 RIESLING
Producer: Clonakilla
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2003
Region: Canberra District, New South Wales
ABV: 12.0%
Price: N/a
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 13 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Very clean and pure aromatic nose – delicate rather than pungent. Lime zest and crab apples – piercingly fresh. Slightly austere on the palate, finishing with dry pithy citrus acidity. Although drinking well now, it should develop further. The only question is whether it will flesh out and provide more enjoyable drinking.
Score: 16/20

1999 CLOS DES PAPES CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE - TAKE A BOW!

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is one of the many appellations in France that can be outstanding at its best and stylistically variable. We are in the south of France here, near the Mediterranean, so it is understandable that the wines of this region will tend toward higher alcohol levels and have a sun-baked character.

Yet anyone who has tasted a mature Chateau Rayas, made from 100% Grenache, will know that Châteauneuf-du-Pape is capable of achieving heights of finesse and aromatic complexity akin to Grand Cru Burgundy. It is for this reason that Grenache is sometimes referred to as the ‘Pinot of the South’.

Traditional techniques seem to bring the best out of the Grenache grape, at least in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. By this, we mean fermentation in neutral tanks, and maturation in large old foudres. The 1999 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape is certainly a red Burgundy look-a-like. Pale ruby in colour, it possesses an aromatic, slightly floral nose, with notes of Asian spices and kirsch. The palate is refined and silky, with spicy complexity carrying the finish. All in all, this is a superb wine that illustrates just how arresting Châteauneuf-du-Pape can be.

1999 CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE
Producer: Clos des Papes
Variety: Grenache et al
Vintage: 1999
Region: Southern Rhône, France
ABV: 14.0%
Price: N/a
Closure: Cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 18 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Mid garnet, bricking towards the rim. Complex and arresting nose; slightly floral (lavender), sandalwood, cinnamon, star anise, bright kirsch like fruit. Full bodied, but very elegant and refined, silky mouthfeel, very savoury in style – most definitely Old World! Oodles of spice on the finish, which is long and complex. A very elegant, classy and authentic Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Pinot of the south indeed!
Score: 18.5/20

2001 MOUNT PLEASANT ELIZABETH SEMILLON - IT AIN'T CHABLIS, BUT IT'S GOOD

The Hunter Valley is the source of one of the world’s most distinctive and ageworthy wines – unoaked Semillon. Picked early at low potential alcohol levels to retain acidity, Hunter Valley Semillon is a wine that needs time in bottle. When young, it is dominated by lemon citrus acidity. Yes, young Hunter Semillon can be enjoyable with a dozen freshly shucked oysters, delivering a razor sharp citrus bit not unlike a decent Muscadet. But the real pleasure lies in enjoyed aged examples that have filled out with time in bottle.

Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon is without a doubt an Australian classic. In times of old, it was released with 5 years bottle age, and sold at very generous prices, especially when on offer. It wasn’t uncommon to see it being offered at under $10 a bottle by the case back in the late 1990’s. Fill you boots indeed!

The 2001 Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon is yet another fine example in this label’s wonderful history. Sealed under cork (there is some bottle variation it has to be said), the wine has developed honeyed, slightly nutty notes with age, overlaying lemon curd. All in all, it’s a rather delicious bargain, best enjoyed with a piece of simply grilled fish or similar.

2001 ELIZABETH SEMILLON
Producer: McWilliams Mount Pleasant
Variety: Semillon
Vintage: 2001
Region: Hunter Valley, New South Wales
ABV: 11.0%
Price: N/a
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 19 September 2011

Tasting Note:
Mature nose, very typical aged Hunter Semillon; beeswax, lanolin and lemon pith. Dry, medium bodied, plenty of acidity, honeyed lemon, slightly nutty in character. A food wine, in this case perhaps suited to a simple fish dish. These cork sealed 2001’s are nearing full maturity and need to be drunk over the next 12-18 months.
Score: 16.5/20

2000 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ASHES TO ASHES

We have already commented on the 2000 Majella Malleea, the producer’s flagship wine, on these pages. What of the standard Cabernet Sauvignon of the same year? Over a decade on, it’s holding up very well thanks very much, with regional character flowing through in the form of baked earth, intermingled with cassis and woodsmoke. All in all, it’s a very good, if not necessarily the most complex Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon.

2000 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Producer: Majella
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon et al
Vintage: 2000
Region: Coonawarra, South Australia
ABV: 14.0%
Price: N/a
Closure: Cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 26 September 2011

Tasting Note:
Deep crimson through to the rim. Bold primary fruit driven nose of briar, cassis, baked earth and charcoal. Smooth and seamless on the palate, no tannin to speak of. Not especially complex, but delivers plenty of pleasure, especially for those that prefer a riper style and a generous dose of new oak. Should keep for up to 5 years.
Score: 16/20

IT'S RIESLING, BUT NOT AS WE USUALLY KNOW IT

Weingut Leitz is a leading (and quite large) Rheingau producer based in Rüdesheim. 2006 was yet another warm year in German Riesling country, and also a vintage with high levels of botrytis. Wines at Auslese level and above thrived, while Kabinetts and Spätlesen have tended to be somewhat more variable.

The 2006 Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling Spätlese is an interesting case in point. This is certainly not a typical Rheingau Spätlese, but a rich and weighty Riesling that is edging toward opulence. There’s plenty of residual sugar here, and the wine possesses a glycerolic mouthful. Thankfully, all of this is held in check by a fine undertow of acidity. All in all, this is a slightly perverse, albeit rather enjoyably Riesling. If you are a purist, avoid; this is a wine for those with a hedonistic leaning.

2006 RÜDESHEIMER BERG SCHLOSSBERG RIESLING SPATLESE
Producer: Weingut Leitz
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2006
Region: Rheingau, Germany
ABV: 11.5%
Price: N/a
Closure: Cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 7 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Bright lemon yellow with a glint of gold. Vibrant and fruity nose of lime zest, ripe stonefruit and pineapple. Rich, weighty and slightly glycerolic on the palate. There’s a considerable amount of residual sugar that’s carried by a fine undertow of acidity. Although it makes enjoyable drinking, this is most definitely a typical Spätlese, nor is it for this that enjoy their Rieslings featherweight and brisk. Thanks to the weighty mouthfeel and relatively high level of residual sugar, it’s not an easy task to map this wine’s evolutionary path.
Score: 16+/20

2001 TAHBILK ROUSSANNE - MORE TAHBLIK MARSANNE

Tahbilk Marsanne needs no introduction whatsoever. Suffice to say, the 2001, matured under cork, has developed superbly, and has emerged from its tightly coiled youth to reveal typical aged Marsanne characters of honey, acacia, whited peaches and lemon curd. This label is an Australian classic that remains a bargain in the contemporary wine market, especially when offered on discount. Grab a case and lay it down for several years. You won’t be disappointed.

2001 TAHBILK MARSANNE
Producer: Tahbilk
Variety: Marsanne
Vintage: 2001
Region: Nagambie Lakes, Victoria
ABV: 13.0%
Price: N/a
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 19 September 2011

Tasting Note:
Bright golden yellow. Clean nose, honeysuckle suggestive of development through bottle age, white peach and lemon curd. Dry, medium bodied, lots of fruit and lots of flavour. Nearing maturity, but alive and quite delicious. Excellent wine and superb value for money. Bottles like this should serve as a reminder to all to stash a couple of cases of Tahbilk Marsanne away each year!
Score: 17/20

K1 - IT'S ANOTHER HARDY

Geoff Hardy is one of Australia’s foremost viticulturists. A member of the Hardy dynasty, he embarked on the K1 project near Kuitpo in the Adelaide hills well over a decade ago. The winery now boasts an ever burgeoning range, including recent interlopers Arneis (from Piedmont) and Gruner Veltliner (from Austria).

The 2001 Geoff Hardy K1 Shiraz was a Gold Medal Winner at the Adelaide Hills Wine Show, and was one of the first wines that garnered this winery attention Just 9,800 bottles were made. Notwithstanding its relatively cool climate origins, this is a rich, satin-textured, voluptuous and full bodied Shiraz, laden with plummy fruit and spice. It’s drinking extremely well 10 years on from vintage and should hold for a few more years yet.

There’s clearly been some American oak used here, which has left its imprint in no uncertain terms. All in all, this is a very well made wine for those that like their wines fuller in body and bursting with fruit.

2001 K1 SHIRAZ
Producer: Geoff Hardy K1
Variety: Shiraz
Vintage: 2001
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 14.5%
Price: N/a
Closure: Cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 24 September 2011

Tasting Note:
Plush and velvety texture, rich and voluptuous. Ripe, sweet profile with coconut and vanilla overtones suggesting partial maturation in American oak. Drinking extremely well now – a great crowd pleaser for those who like their wines bold and rich, but not over the top. A good wine, but most definitely Australian Shiraz, and doesn’t have hallmark cool climate peppery character.
Score: 16/20

BABY GRANGE - 1996 BIN 389

Known as ‘baby Grange’ as it as partially matured in used American oak casks that previously held Grange, Bin 389 has been a permanent fixture in the Penfolds line-up. Always a typically Australian blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, Bin 389 is very much in the Penfolds house style.

The 1996 Bin 389 is still just a baby, maintaining the deep purple colour of youth, a touch of earthiness on the nose ever so slightly betraying that this wine is now 15 years old. The tannins have softened somewhat, but we’re yet to see any genuine secondary complexity emerge. This Bin 389 needs at least another 3 years, perhaps 5. The rewards of patience indeed!

1996 BIN 389 CABERNET SHIRAZ
Producer: Penfold’s
Variety: Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 1996
Region: Various regions, South Australia
Price: N/a
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 7 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Mint and eucalypt on the nose, cassis and blackberry, earthy notes suggesting evolution. Dry and medium bodied, this is not a heavyweight. Very much of the Penfold’s house style, rich black fruit married with spicy oak, touch of liquorice. At this point in its evolution, the wine delivers just moderate complexity and, to be frank, is a touch boring. Perhaps a few more years in the cellar will see that much needed complexity emerge?
Score: 15.5+/20

1997 ROCKFORD BASKET PRESS - YEAR OF THE UNDERDOG

Squeezed between two outstanding Barossa Valley vintages, 1997 was greeted with modest enthusiasm on release. If the 1997 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz is anything to go by, some of the wines of this middling year have developed extremely well. It has developed genuine complexity in bottle and is drinking near the peak of its powers now.

Notwithstanding its warm climate origin, this is an elegant Shiraz, certainly not a blockbuster. Oak is in the background, allowing the spicy fruit to speak for itself. Without a doubt, 1997 is a classy Rockford Basket Press Shiraz, one really impresses.

1997 BASKET PRESS SHIRAZ
Producer: Rockford
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 1997
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
ABV: 14.5%
Price: N/a
Closure: Cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 25 September 2011

Tasting Note:
Some development evident; slightly leathery and spicy. Full bodied, but with elegance, raisins, lots of spice and a touch of leather. Well balanced acidity. From an unheralded year, this Basket Press is drinking extremely well now and displays a degree of elegance not often associated with Barossa Shiraz.
Score: 17/20

2002 CULLEN SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON - A WHITE GRAVES FROM MARGARET RIVER

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends are a dime a dozen in Margaret River. The old ‘Classic Dry White’ is a fixture on many producers lists. Yet few treat the style as seriously as perhaps it merits. This is a pity, as the white blends of Graves and Pessac-Leognan, south of the city of Bordeaux, are among the worlds finest, most exciting and food friendly wines.

Cullen is one producer that puts as much effort into its Semillon Sauvignon Blanc as its flagship Chardonnay and Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon. The blend varies between being Semillon heavy and Sauvignon Blanc based from one year to another, depending on vintage conditions. The wine sees partial maturation in oak barrels, the oak contributing structure and complexity.

As evidenced by the 2002 and 2003 vintages, both tasted in the back end of 2011, this is a wine that can age beautifully. Sauvignon Blanc is to the fore in the 2002 (sealed under natural cork), with remarkably fresh Sauvignon characters of cut grass and nettles underpinned by the Semillon. It is drinking superbly now, but has time up its sleeve.

Te 2003 (sealed under screw cap) is Semillon-based and is showing some honeyed signs of maturity, the Sauvignon Blanc providing just a bit of lift. It’s not as complex as the 2002 and it’s a bit more advanced, but there’s plenty of pleasure to be had. All in all, this is a wine to be sought out and cellared for a minimum of 5 years.

2002 SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON
Producer: Cullen
Variety: Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend
Vintage: 2002
Region: Margaret River, Western Australia
ABV: 14.0%
Price: N/a
Closure: Cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 29 September 2011

Tasting Note:
Greenish yellow in colour. Very fresh nose of cut grass, nettles and dill together with white peach, relatively little sign of maturation. The Semillon comes through more on the palate as the wine warms up slightly, revealing the melon and white peach. New oak is seamlessly integrated. Has the class to stand up to better white Graves. At least as good as the 2002 Cullen Chardonnay!
Score: 17.5/20                                                                                                         

2003 SEMILLON SAUVIGNON BLANC
Producer: Cullen
Variety: Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend
Vintage: 2003
Region: Margaret River, Western Australia
ABV: 14.0%
Price: N/a
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 12 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Melon and grapefruit pith, slightly honeyed edge. Quite round and full in the mouth, with the Semillon taking centre stage. High quality French oak is well integrated, adding spicy complexity on the finish. Maybe not quite as alluring or complex on the nose as the Sauvignon-driven 2002, but there’s plenty of pleasure to be had here. An outstanding food wine that provides a wonderful alternative to oaked Chardonnay.
Score: 17/20

OCEAN EIGHT ROCKS MY BOAT

Here is further evidence that producers Down Under are getting their heads around Pinot Noir, and some of the wines coming out of Mornington Peninsula these days are very encouraging indeed. Vine maturity perhaps helps, as does a greater understanding not just of how to get the best of out Pinot Noir as a grape, but also the subtleties of terroir.

Ocean Eight Pinot Noir is a wine that is starting to raise a few eyebrows. It is certainly a high quality wine, without the candied quality that characterises many New World Pinot Noirs. It is a savoury and serious wine with complex aromatics, even in its relative youth.

With a spine of tannin and well balanced acidity, this well crafted Pinot Noir should be capable of ageing for several years at least, perhaps longer.

2009 PINOT NOIR
Producer: Ocean Eight
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2009
Region: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
ABV: 13.5%
Price: $36.99
Closure: Diam
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 4 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Fragrant nose of cherries, slightly stalky/peppery quality, floral notes (lavender, rose). Very complex and attractive. Dry, medium bodied, refined and elegant, although the palate is ripe, there is no sense of candied or confected fruit; the overall impression is savoury, albeit not as complex (thus far) as the bouquet. There’s good acidity and some tannic structure as well.
Score: 17.5/20

2000 GROSSET POLISH HILL RIESLING - BYE BYE CORK......

2000 was the first vintage of Grosset Polish Hill Riesling be released under a Stelvin screw cap closure. As documented in this blog previously, cork has been an issue with some bottlings of Jeffrey Grosset’s wines, resulting in uneven maturation and, in some cases, premature oxidation.

11 years on the 2000 Polish Hill Riesling is as fresh as a daisy with vibrant citrus fruit and wonderful minerality. Time hasn’t stood still under screw cap; the wine has fleshed out and is showing some typical aged kerosene on the nose.

As one would expect from any Grosset wine, this is an excellent Riesling, full in flavour and well balanced. Although drinking well now, it should develop further for another 5 or so years.

2000 POLISH HILL RIESLING
Producer: Grosset
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2000
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
ABV: 13.0%
Price: N/a
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 4 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Lemon yellow with golden hues suggesting maturity. Very clean and fresh on the nose, typical lemon/lime and kaffir lime leaves underpinned by chalky minerality. Dry, on the fuller side of medium bodied, this wine is opening up to reveal a citrus inflected palate. Excellent length, finishing with teasing acidity. Perhaps not the most complex Polish Hill ever, but in good condition and all the better for being sealed under screw cap.
Score: 17/20

DOMAINE DE L’ECU – MUSCADET ROCKS

When one thinks about the ‘sexiest’ appellations in the wine world, those that make the tongue drool with the mere mention of their name, it’s unlikely that Muscadet de Sevre et Maine would come to mind. Yet, in the hands of leading biodynamic producer Domaine de l’Ecu, Muscadet can be sexier than pretty much any wine, from anywhere.

When one approaches a Domaine de l’Ecu wine, one must through conventional wine parlance out of the window. Forget about citrus, stonefruit and berries. Forget about oak, spice and vanilla. Muscadet from Domaine de l’Ecu is not about fruit at all. It’s about ozone, the sensation of a wave crashing into rocks, iodine perhaps and yes, definitely a touch of sourdough bread.

Minerality is an overused term in the world of wine, often applied without great thought or understanding. Never could be a more appropriate time to talk minerality than with a bottle of Domaine de l’Ecu’s Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Cuvée Classique. This is a wine that is tastes like sucking on stones. It is a thoroughly individualistic wine that should be sought out at all costs.

2009 MUSCADET DE SEVRE ET MAINE CUVÉE CLASSIQUE
Producer: Domaine de l’Ecu
Variety: Melon de Bourgogne
Vintage: 2009
Region: Loire Valley, France
ABV: 12.0%
Price: $29.99
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 3 February 2012

Tasting Note:
Silvery white. Complex nose of ozone/sea spray, brine, iodine, sourdough bread and freshly squeezed lemons. Medium bodied, not fruit driven, but very mineral and intellectual: wet stones, crushed minerals, quite stony in texture as well. Excellent length. Although perhaps not for all folks, this is a wonderfully individual wine that dares to be different.
Score: 17.5/20

JUST IN TIME – MASSENA ELEVENTH HOUR SHIRAZ

Massena is a Barossa Valley label guided by the ‘safe as houses’ hands of Dan Standish. It is a responsible for a burgeoning portfolio of interesting and authentic Barossa Valley wines. Of late, the Georgian grape, Saperavi and Madiran’s Tannat have joined the line up.

One of the original wines in the Massena line-up is the Eleventh Hour Shiraz. Rumour has it that the vineyard that is responsible for this wine was to be grubbed up. Originally, it had been a fruit source for Penfolds Koonunga Hill, but it was no longer needed. Fear not, Dan Standish and his team rode in at the ‘eleventh hour’ to save the day.

Massena Eleventh Hour Shiraz is Barossa to the core, with intense blackberry and plum fruit, hints of tar and exotic Asian spices. It’s a full bodied, but well balanced wine, no sense of anything being overdone. The 2001 release is still a brooding creature, deep crimson in colour. Although the tannins have melted and the wine is delivering plenty of pleasure now, it should be capable of ageing for several more years.

2001 ELEVENTH HOUR SHIRAZ
Producer: Massena
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 2001
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
ABV: 14.0%
Price: N/a
Closure: Cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 29 September 2011

Tasting Note:
Intense nose of liqueur plums and cherries, blackberries, tar and smouldering coal – sensational. Rich and full bodied, seamless soft tannins, quite glossy in texture. Intense plum, blackberry and briar fruit leading to tar and roast Asian spices. Barossa in a bottle! Lots going on here.
Score: 17.5/20

2000 COUDOULET DE BEACUASTEL + 2000 LE VIEUX DONJON CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE

The southern Rhône is home to the world’s best Grenache-based wines; rich, alcoholic, savoury and spicy. They are powerful and robust wines that suit appropriately full flavoured food. Of the many appellations in the southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is without a doubt the most venerated. Yet within Châteauneuf-du-Pape there is enormous variation in quality, from truly profound wines that develop for more than 20 years, to insipid fruit cordial that barely passes as wine.

At the opposite end of the appellation scale is Côtes de Rhône, an enormous appellation that covers much of the Rhône Valley. Once again, quality is enormously variable, though at its peak it doesn’t hit the heights of quality Châteauneuf-du-Pape, or Gigondas, Vacqueyras and some of the many southern Rhône appellations with a village designation.

This line-up places what is a modest Côtes de Rhône, in name only, up against one of the leading Châteauneufs, Le Vieux Donjon. Coudoulet de Beaucastel is made by legendary estate Château de Beaucastel from grapes grown in the Côtes de Rhône, just outside of the boundary of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. As such, it is really a ‘baby Beaucastel’, and should be judged accordingly. Over a decade on from vintage, the 2000 Coudoulet de Beaucastel is near full maturing, displaying slight earthiness and gentle spice.

On the other hand, 2000 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Le Vieux Donjon remains a relative pup. This traditionally vinified wine is still taut and structured, needing another 4-5 years to reveal its full potential. At current pricing, it remains excellent value for money given the prices of other similar wines (Clos des Papes, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe) in the region.

2000 COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL
Producer: Château de Beaucastel
Variety: Grenache et al
Vintage: 2000
Region: Southern Rhône, France
ABV: 13.5%
Price: N/a
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 23 September 2011

Tasting Note:
Mature nose of hung game, quite meaty and earthy, reflected on the palate, together with dark Asian spices. The Mourvèdre and the Syrah really dominate this wine. Drink now, preferably with robust red meat dishes.
Score: 15.5/20

2000 CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE
Producer: Le Vieux Donjon
Variety: Grenache et al
Vintage: 2000
Variety: Southern Rhône blend
ABV: 13.5%
Price: N/a
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 23 September 2011 

Tasting Note:
Medium garnet, faded slightly at the rim. Bold and spicy nose of star anise and white pepper, slightly floral (lavender). Dry, full bodied, soft fine tannins, plum/damson fruit, spicy on the finish. Still young and needs to be left for another 4-5 years.
Score: 16.5+/20