THE PENGUIN ON TOUR: REDBANK

Redbank Winery is a Pyrenees stalwart that has been guided for many years by the hands of winemaker Neil Robb and wife Sally.  The standout wine in the range here is Sally's Paddock, a Bordeaux blend with a generous Australian touch of Shiraz.  It is a classic of the region.  The 2009 is a well assembled Sally's Paddock, savoury and structured.  While it doesn't have the class of the region's best wines, it will keep admirers of the style happy.  A 2001 Sally's Paddock being offered for tasting had developed secondary characters of earth and leather.

The Sally's Hill Shiraz is also a strong performer.  Notwithstanding rather high alcohol (15.5% ABV) the 2008 is well balanced, lively and vibrant.  At under $25 a bottle, it is decent value for money.  The other wines in the portfolio are decent, if not necessarily completely convincing examples of their ilk.  One suspects that fresher tasting samples might have helped.  Sally's Hill Pinot Noir makes a strong case for why the variety isn't made for the Pyrenees; dry and rugged, it is a long way from feminine and perfumed examples of the heartbreak grape.

2008 HUNDRED TREE HILL CHARDONNAY
Producer: Redbank
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2008
Region: Pyrenees, Victoria
ABV: 12.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Price: $14.50
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 29 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Produced from bought in fruit, the wine is unoaked. Pale silvery lemon. Melon and green apples on the nose. Dry, medium bodied, crisp pear and apple fruit. Simple and easy going, but well made. Good value for money.
Score: 15.5/20

2009 SALLY’S HILL CHARDONNAY
Producer: Redbank
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2009
Region: Pyrenees, Victoria
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Price: $23.90
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 29 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Weightier and richer than the Hundred Tree Hill Chardonnay, with evidence of gentle oak usage and partial malolactic fermentation. Elegant, slightly creamy in texture, apples and pears. Refreshing acidity.
Score: 15.5/20

2009 SALLY’S HILL PINOT NOIR
Producer: Redbank
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2009
Region: Pyrenees, Victoria
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Diam
Price: $23.90
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 29 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Made from 100% estate grown fruit. Cherries and boiled sweets on the nose. Quite a rugged ‘dry red’ that bears little comparison to red Burgundy or better New World Pinot Noirs. Candied fruit on the palate. Touch short on the finish.
Score: 13/20

2009 SALLY’S HILL CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Producer: Redbank
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon et al
Vintage: 2006
Region: Pyrenees, Victoria
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Diam
Price: $23.90
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 29 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Bright nose of red fruits, touch of cedar. Moderate fruit intensity, cherries and plums. Grainy tannins carry the finish. A decent enough, albeit not particularly varietal Cabernet Sauvignon.
Score: 14.5/20

2008 SALLY’S HILL SHIRAZ
Producer: Redbank
Variety: Shiraz
Vintage: 2008
Region: Pyrenees, Victoria
ABV: 15.5%
Closure: Diam
Price: $23.90
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 29 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Fruit driven nose of cherry, plum and blueberry. Sweet red fruits carry the palate. Although the alcohol is very high, the wine is extremely well balanced and maintains a sense of elegance and drinkability.
Score: 16/20

2009 SALLY’S PADDOCK
Producer: Redbank
Variety: Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2009
Region: Pyrenees, Victoria
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Diam
Price: $59.20
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 29 October 2011

Tasting Note:
A blend of 100% estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz, Merlot and Malbec, matured in a combination of French and American oak, some of which is new. Quite tight on the nose; dark briar fruit and woodsmoke. Dry and elegant, ripe and sweet fruited, seductive. The component parts work in harmony, delivery a quality wine. Fine tannins frame the finish, which shows good length.
Score: 16/20

2001 SALLY’S PADDOCK
Producer: Redbank
Variety: Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2001
Region: Pyrenees, Victoria
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Diam
Price: $106.50
Format: 750ml
Date tasted: 29 October 2011

Tasting Note:
Colour has faded slightly. Quite gamey and animale on the nose. Wet earth, fig and leather drive the palate, which has entered an interesting secondary phase. A good wine, but might have been more interesting a couple of years ago?
Score: 16/20