2009 QUEALY RAGEOUS - KILLING IN THE NAME OF!

At times, Australian wine producers are accused of producing sound, technically well made, ‘clean’ wines, wines that do things very much by the book. While this is a gross generalization that may have had some validity 15 or 20 years ago, it certainly does not apply now. There is greater diversity in Australian wine than has ever been the case, including a growing number of producers who are happy to take a risk or two and

One such producer is Quealy Wines. Kath Quealy, together with partner Kevin McCarthy, pioneered Pinot Gris/Grigio in Australia under the T’Gallant label (now part of Treasury Wine Estates). Since departing T’Gallant and setting up her own label in nearby Balnarring, she has developed a portfolio of wines inspired in by the great wines of Friuli in north-east Italy. Pinot Grigio (not surprisingly) features prominently, as does Friulano.  In homage to Josko Gravner, clay amphorae are used in fermenting some of the wines.

Rageous, an unconventional blend of Sangiovese, Shiraz and Pinot Noir is a wine that is very much in the Quealy mould. The 2009 rendition of Rageous is a very stylish wine, with complex sour cherry, meaty and floral aromatics. At this point in time, the palate doesn’t quite live up to the promise of the nose, but there is sufficient ‘fuel in the tank’ to suggest that greater depth of flavour will come with additional bottle age. All in all, this is an interesting wine, further evidence that there is more to Australia than clean as a whistle lab-coat wines.

2009 RAGEOUS
Producer: Quealy Wines
Variety: Sangiovese (Sangiovese, Shiraz, Pinot Noir)
Vintage: 2009
Region: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 19 January 2013

Tasting Note:
Bright ruby red. Alluring nose of sour cherry, wild strawberries, hung meat, lilac. Dry, medium bodied, savoury palate of sour cherry, touch of coconut. Quite direct and straightforward at this point in time; the palate doesn’t quite live up to the nose. Finishes moderately long with well balanced acidity. Should develop more interest with another 4-5 years in bottle.
Score: 16+/20

2011 GEYERHOF GRUNER VELTLINER 'ROSENSTEIG' - SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!

Over the past 15 or so years, Austria’s Gruner Veltliner has established itself as a variety of genuine quality, capable or producing wines of varying levels of richness and complexity. At its most basic, it is the source of satisfyingly crisp and refreshing wines that don’t ask a lot of the drinker. As one proceeds up the scale, they can display textural and flavour complexity not dissimilar to Chardonnay, but with an exotic Gruner twist of spice. Unlike Chardonnay, it doesn’t necessarily need oak to draw out its best qualities.

Although a small patches of Gruner Veltliner are grown in the north of Italy (and now here in Australia), the hilly terraces of Wachau, Kamptal and Kremstal, north of Vienna, are its home.

This particular example, from Kremstal-based producer Geyerhof, is a crisp and steely expression of Gruner Veltliner. It is a wine that could readily be mistaken for Riesling, were it not for the exotic edge of stem ginger and spice. At this level, it displays very good fruit intensity, and is a quality example of Gruner Veltliner for early to mid-term drinking. While it would sit wonderfully alongside a Weiner Schnitzel and boiled new potatoes, it would be equally compatible with lightly spiced Japanese, Vietnamese or Thai cuisine.

2011 GRUNER VELTLINER ‘ROSENSTEIG’
Producer: Geyerhof
Variety: Gruner Veltliner
Vintage: 2011
Region: Kremstal, Austria
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $35.00
Date tasted: 12 January 2013

Tasting Note: 
Pale silvery green. Bright nose of stem ginger, grapefruit, fennel and aniseed. Dry, medium bodied, zesty grapefruit, lively vibrant acidity. A ‘wake me up’ sort of wine. Very invigorating. Good length. A good example of its type.
Score: 16/20

2012 SCHWARZ DUST KICKER ROSÉ - IN THE PINK

Here in Australia, we have been fairly slow to crack on to the rosé phenomenon. Whether it’s because wine with a pink hue simply isn’t ‘Strine’ enough, or it isn’t embedded in our culture as it is in Provence, who can say? Until relatively recent times, rose simply hasn’t taken ahold in the mindset of Australian wine producers, notwithstanding our warm Mediterranean climate and pan-Asian cuisine.

Charles Melton was the first to give rosé more than a derisive sneer with its highly successful Grenache-based Rosé of Virginia. However, by the standards of the delicate, onion skin coloured rosés of France’s south, it is closer to a dry red.

As a wine style, rose is approaching the popularity of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris/Grigio, especially among female drinkers. In particular, the market (at least at the premium end) has gravitated toward pale coloured, dry rosés of Provence.

The ‘Dust Kicker’, from small Barossa Valley producer Schwarz is not dissimilar to many southern French rosés. Pale coral in colour, it displays a gently aromatic nose of red fruits. Bone dry, the wine is medium bodied and extremely well balanced. While not overly complex, it delivers what many want from a rosé; satisfying refreshment, a wine that can be drunk on its own or with pretty much any summery food be it a light salad, steamed fish or steak grilled on the barbecue.

2012 DUST KICKER ROSÉ
Producer: Schwarz Wine Company
Variety: Rosé (Grenache 60%, Mourvèdre 40%)
Vintage: 2012
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $20.00
Date tasted: 1 January 2013

Tasting Note:
Pale coral pink. Fresh and clean nose of redcurrant and cranberry, floral notes. Dry and savoury, medium bodied, palate much the same as the nose, well balanced acidity. Very clean, pure and focused. Proper ‘adult’ rosé that drinks extremely well.
Score: 16/20

2004 TEUSNER AVATAR - TOO HOT TO HANDLE

Grenache-based blends from the Barossa Valley have come a long way in the past 20 years. Originally used largely for fortified Port-style wines, Grenache finally came into fashion as a table wine in the 1990’s thanks to the likes of Charles Melton’s Rhone-inspired Nine Popes. These days, there are many good examples of Barossa Valley Grenache and blends thereof, wines that are rich and ripe, but savoury and sophisticated.

Teusner is one producer that has done excellent things with Grenache and the other Southern Rhone blending varieties, Shiraz and Mourvèdre. Teusner Joshua is a GSM blend that showcases Barossa Valley terroir exceptionally well. Although the wine drinks well on release, it develops interesting meaty, gamey and savoury notes with bottle age. The wine is far from the confected examples of Grenache from years past.

It was with some interest that a bottle of Teusner Avatar 2004 was broached recently. Avatar sits above Joshua in the Teusner pricing hierarchy. According to some sources, this particular vintage should have been drunk up in the past few years. However, in this taster’s experience, many critics underestimate the drinking window for Barossa Valley Grenache-blends. A 1998 Rockford Moppa Springs and 2001 Tin Shed Three Vines bears witness to how well these wines can age, and the aromatic interest they can develop with bottle age.

Back to the Teusner Avatar. This particular bottle poured bright ruby in colour. In terms of texture, the wine was medium bodied elegant and plush, almost Pinot Noir-like in its elegance. The fruit profile definitely places it as a warm climate Rhône-blend; strawberry, raspberry and kirsch, with a touch of spice lending complexity. All good so far, but the finish carries a big alcoholic punch, not a gentle touch of warming alcohol, but a none too subtle whack across the chops. As it stands, this particular wine is rather disjointed. However, to be fair, a warm summer’s day may not be the fairest environment in which to judge the wine. One shall await the next bottle open-minded and with interest.

2004 AVATAR
Producer: Teusner
Variety: Grenache et al
Vintage: 2004
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 5 January 2013

Tasting Note:
Bright ruby red. Interesting nose of strawberry, raspberry and cherry compote, floral notes. Medium bodied, silky in texture, rather elegant and almost Pinot-like. Touch of spice on the mid-palate. Warming alcohol on the finish, which leaves an overall impression of the wine being disjointed.
Score: 15/20

2010 VASSE FELIX SEMILLON - ALWAYS THE BRIDESMAID.......

Semillon, always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Why is it that Semillon struggles to get its voice heard among the throng of Chardonnays, Rieslings and horde of Johnny-come-lately Pinot Gris/Grigio? Of all truly, distinctive Australian wines, few get the pulses of international wine aficionados racing more than mature examples of quality Hunter Valley Semillon. Yet here in Australia, Semillon still seems to be taken for granted.

Of course, the Hunter Valley is not the only source of quality Semillon, though Hunter Semillon possesses a delicate weight married with light alcohol that is unique in the wine world. There are quality examples of Semillon from the Barossa (Rockford, Peter Lehmann) and Clare Valleys (Mount Horrocks), as well as Margaret River (Moss Wood).

This particular example, from leading Margaret River producer Vasse Felix, emphasises the grassy/herbaceous side of Semillon. At this early stage in its life, the wine is carried by crisp acidity, and drinks rather like a Sauvignon Blanc. For this taster, it is on the young side and will benefit from several years in bottle during which time it will fill out and develop further complexity. This is a good Margaret River Semillon, though not quite in the league of Moss Wood’s regional benchmark, that represents good value for money and is a medium term cellaring proposition.

2010 SEMILLON
Producer: Vasse Felix
Variety: Semillon
Vintage: 2010
Region: Margaret River, Western Australia
ABV: 13%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $23.00
Date tasted: 8 January 2013

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery green. Herbaceous nose, cut grass, touch of grapefruit zest, subtle background oak. Dry, medium bodied, savoury, quite-Sauvignon like, grassy, nettles. Medium finish with crisp acidity. Improved alongside food. Will benefit from further bottle age.
Score: 15.5+/20

2010 KANTA RIESLING - FISTFUL OF STEEL

Few would argue that Riesling vies with Chardonnay as the greatest white grape in the wine world. It is one of Australia’s foundation grape varieties, producing long-live citrus endowed wines in the Clare and Eden Valleys and in Western Australia’s Great Southern region. It is fair to say that there is an Australian style of Riesling that differentiates them from their Alsatian, German and Austrian counterparts.

The notion of a German producer, not just any German producer, but the great Egon Müller known for his stunning Scharzhofberger Rieslings, making wine in Australia is bound to pique the interest of any Riesling lover. For several years, Müller, in conjunction with Adelaide wine retailer Michael Andrewartha, has bottled an Adelaide Hills Riesling under the label Kanta.

By and large, Kanta is a wine that has been met with gentle praise rather than rapturous acclaim. In terms of winemaking, it eschews some of the conventional rules when it comes to Australian Riesling. The wine undergoes natural fermentation and spends an extended time on lees.

The 2010 vintage saw the fruit source for this wine move from Balhannah to Echunga. In this taster’s opine, the wine is definitely on the right track, and this particular vintage of Kanta could well have a fine life ahead of it. With Kanta, we expect textural weight due to extended lees aging and perhaps a touch of funk. What marks out the 2010 Kanta is its very steely, ‘cuts like a knife’ attitude on both the nose and the palate. One should emphasise that steeliness comes not with austerity, but in a lively, come and drink me way. For the Riesling-lover, there’s a lot to like here, and the wine should develop very well in bottle.

2010 RIESLING
Producer: Kanta
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2010
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $26.00
Date tasted: 4 January 2013

Tasting Note:
Very pale silvery yellow. Alluring nose of grapefruit/lemon citrus, steely. Dry, medium bodied, plenty of drive and ‘cut and thrust, there’s a real steely tension here, but not in an austere way. Grapefruit and lemon citrus shows through on the palate. Lovely balance of texture, mouthfeel and cleansing acidity. A Riesling-lover’s wine. Should develop very well.
Score: 17+/20

2007 COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL - RIGHT ON TRACK

We recently took at look at the rather frustrating 1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Château de Beaucastel. The last couple of bottles had flattered to deceive and had left one slightly concerned about the wines of this venerated southern Rhône estate. With this recent experience in mind, it seemed timely to crack the first bottle from a case of 2007 Coudoulet de Beaucastel, the Châteauneuf's sibling.

Although made from fruit grown just outside of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and designated as a mere Côtes du Rhône, Coudoulet de Beaucastel is the equal of many Châteauneufs. Like 1998, 2007 was lauded as a vintage when the wines were initially released. Certainly, when tasted on release, the 2007 Coudoulet de Beaucastel promised plenty; rich fruit and lively spice framed by robust but ripe tannins.

Five years from vintage the wine is starting to display notes of development, the primary fruit having receded somewhat, meaty, savoury and gamy notes emerging. Although a powerful wine, not lacking for alcohol, it is medium in body and quite silky in texture (until powdery tannins emerge with extended exposure to air). There’s plenty to like here, and if this bottle is evidence, the wine should really be singing with another 2 or 3 years in the cellar. It is a bottle that has just about restored one’s faith in Château de Beaucastel.

2007 COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL CÔTES DU RHÔNE
Producer: Château de Beaucastel
Variety: Grenache et al
Vintage: 2007
Region: Southern Rhône, France
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 29 December 2012

Tasting Note:
Bright garnet. Intense nose of roasted Asian spices, plum, cherry, figs and tar. Medium bodied, silky in texture but reveals powdery cocoa tannins as the wine sees more exposure to air. Dry, savoury, quite gamy and ‘animale’, meaty. Primary fruit is fading slightly, indicating bottle evolution, but the tannins suggest that the wine should develop further.
Score: 16.5+/20

N.V. SANCHEZ ROMATE IBERIA CREAM SHERRY - SWEET CHILD OF MINE

Mention Cream Sherry and one might think of old ladies and rich teacakes. Although Sherry has well and truly shed its jaded image and reasserted its rightful position as a serious wine to be enjoyed with a myriad of foods, Cream Sherry remains slightly unfashionable. However, the very best (preferably not too sweet) Cream Sherries can be more than a match for any Fino, Amontillado, Palo Cortado or Oloroso.

This particular example from Sanchez Romate displays and immediately inviting and complex nose of toffee and caramel, overlaid by dried fruit, spice and grilled nuts. It is undeniably sweet on the palate, but finishes refreshingly dry with rancio complexity. The addition of 15% Pedro Ximenez to the base of Oloroso has lent sweetness and richness to a wine that is well balanced and unlike many a straight Pedro Ximenez, doesn’t cloy.

While one could easily enjoy such a wine with a Christmas cake or similar festive indulgences, it is a dream with a Chocolate Delice, Vanilla Cream and Pedro Ximenez Prunes (thanks to London-based ex-pat Kiwi Peter Gordon for the recipe).

N.V. IBERIA CREAM SHERRY
Producer: Bodegas Sanchez Romate
Variety: Fortified Wine - Sherry
Vintage: Non-vintage
Region: Andalucia, Spain
ABV: 18%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $38.00
Date tasted: 25 December 2012

Tasting Note:
Deep amber. Complex and inviting nose of raisin, toffee/caramel, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, dried figs, freshly polished wood. Sweet, the nose flows through to the palate together with grilled hazelnuts. Although initially sweet, the wine finishes dry and doesn’t cloy.
Score: 16.5/20

2010 CIRILLO OLD VINE 1850 SEMILLON - HE AIN'T HEAVY....

If you think that the Barossa Valley is a one-trick pony only capable of producing high octane full-bodied Shiraz and Grenache-based wines then think again. Semillon is one of this historic region’s under-appreciated gems.

It is fair to say that Australia makes a pretty good fist of Semillon as a dry table wine. The best examples from the Hunter Valley are light in alcohol and capable of aging for a couple of decades. Margaret River also produces the odd gem, not the least the delicious Moss Wood Semillon, more than a match for the its Chardonnay.

When it comes to the Barossa Valley, there are a few wineries that fly the flag for unoaked Semillon, including Rockford and Peter Lehmann. As is the case with Hunter Valley Semillon, this example from Cirillo is picked early to preserve the grape’s natural acidity. Fermented fully dry, it weighs in at a ballerina light 10% alcohol by volume.

At this early stage of its evolution, the wine is slightly austere and a touch one dimensional, though there is promise for the future. While some may advocate matching a young wine of this nature with freshly shucked oysters, this scribe recommends taking the patient option and stashing a few bottles away for several years. Patience will be rewarded with a wine that is delicate but round with a touch of honeyed maturity.

2010 OLD VINE 1850 SEMILLON
Producer: Cirillo
Variety: Semillon
Vintage: 2010
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
ABV: 10%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $20.00
Date tasted: 30 December 2012

Tasting Note:
Very pale silvery lemon. Delicate nose, grapefruit pith, lemongrass and pear. Dry and savoury, slightly austere, not as delicate as a young Hunter Valley Semillon. Crab apple and white grapefruit. Finishes with brisk acidity. Needs time to unfurl and flesh out.
Score: 16/20

2010 SORRENBERG CHARDONNAY - LET'S TALK ABOUT SITE, BABY

It is fair to say that Australian Chardonnay has taken a quantum leap over the course of the past decade. Gone are the brash buttery monsters of past, replaced by and large by a more sophisticated style of wine, fine and chiseled. Much of the stylistic change is down to a ‘less is more’ approach in the winery, a willingness by winemakers to tone down some of the tricks that can be employed with the Chardonnay grape.

A good number of producers have dramatically reduced the use of malolactic fermentation, resulting in wines that have a more noticeable acidic spine and greater freshness. In some quarters, ‘no MLF’ is held out as a badge of quality, a hallmark that the wine is a correct and proper ‘new wave’ Australian Chardonnay, not a buttery monster of times past.

In this context, biodynamic producer Sorrenberg’s Chardonnay may, at first glance, appear to be a bit old fashioned. The 2010 vintage underwent 100% malolactic fermentation. On both the nose and the palate, the wine reflects winemaker-induced complexity in the form of barrel fermentation, lees stirring and yes, malolcatic fermentation. Yet unlike some of the buttery monsters of old, it retains a sense of freshness and balance and is certainly not overly rich or creamy.

While we talk a lot about winemaking influence when it comes to Chardonnay, perhaps we also need to think a bit about site. Take a look at some of Australia’s best Chardonnays; Giaconda and Main Ridge to name but two. No-one would described these as lightweights or ‘under-worked’, yet they are brilliantly poised and finely honed. Notably, the respective vineyards from which both wines are sourced are located at elevation (as is Sorrenberg) in relatively cool regions (Beechworth and the Mornington Peninsula), ensuring that natural acidity is preserved over an extended ripening period, as well as enhancing aromatics.

There’s a lot to like about modern Australian Chardonnay but we shouldn’t favour austerity over texture and depth of flavour, nor should we ignore the fact that site is the paramount factor in determining wine quality. The tools that are employed in the winery can only aim to provide for the best possible expression of a particular site. With that in mind, I would like to raise a glass to the team at Sorrenberg for a quite delicious (Beechworth) Chardonnay.

2010 CHARDONNAY
Producer: Sorrenberg
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2010
Region: Beechworth, Victoria
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $45.00
Date tasted: 22 December 2012

Tasting Note:
Bright golden yellow with a greenish tinge. Bold nose of honeydew melon, white peach, lemon zest and vanilla. Medium bodied, dry, full flavoured, greengage/honeydew, tingle of lemony acidity. Finishes long with well integrated creamy/spicy oak. Although the wine has undergone 100% malolactic fermentation, it maintains a genuine sense of balance, freshness and proportion. Still young and should develop well.
Score: 17.5/20

2011 AZ. AGRIC. IL PIGNETTO BARDOLINO - SHE AIN'T NO BEAUTY QUEEN

When thinking of the red wines of Italy’s Veneto region, one immediately turns to distinctive Amarone della Valpolicella, a powerful, alcoholic, often slightly bitter wine made from grapes that have deliberately been allowed to raisin. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Bardolino.

Located near the shores of Lake Garda, Bardolino is a DOC recognised for producing relatively light wines utilising a similar composition of grape varieties to those that make-up Amarone. Poor examples can be thin and vapid and certainly don’t enhance the appellation’s reputation.

This particular Bardolino is true to style. The wine isn’t particularly deep in colour. Indeed, to us in the Antipodes, it could easily be taken for a bold rosé. On initial nosing, one doesn’t hold out a tremendous amount of promise; there’s a distinct volatile edge. To the uninitiated, the palate might underwhelm at first taste, a touch of sour cherry and redcurrant leading to a dry finish. A light chill improves matters somewhat.

What transforms this wine is serving it alongside appropriate food, in this instance a post-Christmas selection of cold meats and salads. A wine that superficially comes across as dry and vapid suddenly comes to life, at one enhancing the dining experience and putting a large smile on one’s face. It’s not a wine that is ever going be rated 95+ points by those that care for scores, but it works a treat with simple food.  Isn't this what wine is supposed to do? After all, you can't drink all those points.....

2011 BARDOLINO
Producer: Azienda Agricola Il Pignetto
Variety: Corvina et al
Vintage: 2011
Region: Veneto, Italy
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $23.00
Date tasted: 28 December 2012

Tasting Note:
Translucent cherry red. Slightly volatile nose, cherry confiture. Dry medium bodied, very savoury, redcurrant, lively acidity, touch of drying tannin on the finish. Much improved when served slightly chilled alongside food. Not overly complex, but a revelation with cold meats and salads.
Score: 15+/20