2010 GEOFF HARDY HAND CRAFTED TEROLDEGO - THE OUTSIDER

Of all the Italian varieties to plant in Australia, little known Teroldego is a strange one. Infrequently seen outside of its alpine home of Trentino, Teroldego is certainly not top of mind when it comes to Italian wine and grape varieties.

One’s limited experience with Teroldego first came on a visit to Venice, where Teroldego Rotaliano was being poured by the glass at a lovely back-canal enoteca. On recollection, it was a perfectly decent wine, with a black cherry-led palate lent a touch of complexity by a gentle herbaceous twist. In some ways, it seemed quite similar to another northern Italian grape, Lagrein.

The ambitious Geoff Hardy has planted Teroldego near the mouth of the River Murray in Langhorne Creek. The setting here is a lot different to that of northern Italy; flat, warm and dry. However, if the finished wine is any evidence, there may well be a future for Teroldego here in Australia, albeit very much as a bit player.

What we have here is an amplified version of the original; richer in fruit, higher in alcohol and deeper in flavour. While one may loose some of the subtlety of an authentic northern Italian wine, this example is plush, velvet smooth and well balanced. One suspects that our friends in Trentino would quite like it! All in all, Geoff Hardy’s 2010 Hand Crafted Teroldego is a well made example of a relatively minor Italian varietal. It mightn’t be completely authentic, but it delivers plenty of pleasure. I’d like to see it priced several dollars cheaper, but that’s a relatively small quibble.

2010 HAND CRAFTED TEROLDEGO
Producer: Geoff Hardy
Variety: Teroldego
Vintage: 2010
Region: Langhorne Creek, South Australia
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 15 February 2013

Tasting Note:
Deep crimson. Bold nose of black cherries, bilberries, cassis, violet and pepper. Dry, medium bodied voluptuous, silky inobtrusive tannins, velvet smooth. Fruit characters the same as the nose; touch of licorice and anise on the finish. Dark, brooding and savoury but not over the top.
Score: 16.5/20

2007 SCHLOSS LIESER BRAUNEBERGER JUFFER SONNENUHR RIESLING - TOO YOUNG FOR PROMISES

As is the case in Burgundy, it is fair to say that strength in depth has never been greater in Germany’s Mosel Valley. Weingut Schloss Lieser is one estate whose star has been on the rise for many years and now sits among the region’s upper echelon.

Notwithstanding the estate’s high quality wines, prices, particularly at Kabinett and Spätlese level, remain very fair. This particular wine was from a case sourced in the UK for a very modest GBP120 in-bond, a steal when one considers the wine’s inherent quality and ability to age.

This case has sat unopened since landing in Australia. However, curiosity eventually got the better of this little cat, and the cork was soberly drawn from the first bottle from said case. As this point in its maturity curve, the wine is yielding relatively little, with an initial note of sulphur overlaying tropical and citrus fruit. The palate too, is quite tight, a strong line of acidity defining the wine’s structure.

For a Spätlese, the residual sweetness is relatively modest, perhaps reflective of some development. In sum, this little Riesling is just a pup, a spotting teenager going through a typical phase of early adolescence. It is a wine that really needs more time, ideally at least another five years, to start to reveal its full potential.

2007 BRAUNEBERGER JUFFER SONNENUHR RIESLING SPÄTLESE
Producer: Weingut Schloss Lieser
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2007
Region: Mosel, Germany
ABV: 8%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 3 February 2013

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery green. Aromatic nose of green apple, guava, lychee, sulphides. Off-dry, prickle of acidity up-front. Nashi pear, apple, quince. Very fresh, pure and clean. Finishes with vibrant lemony acidity. Whistle clean and refreshing. A stylish Riesling showing some development, but yet to fill out.
Score: 16.5+/20

2009 FIRST DROP MONTEPULCIANO - THE FIRST DROP IS THE DEEPEST!

We generally associate Montepulciano as a relatively deeply coloured wine produced near the Adriatic coast in the east of central Italy. However, this example from First Drop Wines originates from the mild Adelaide Hills.

Stylistically, it is bang on the number in terms of varietal character; deep crimson in colour, a brooding nose of blackberry and blueberry overlaid by a slight meatiness. Befitting a wine with Italian origin, the palate is savoury and dry, with a good thread of acidity.

At 14.5% ABV, this wine is not a shy and retiring type, but neither does it wear its heart on its sleeve. It is no more than medium bodied, extremely well balance and dare I say, elegant.

While there’s plenty of pleasure to be had in drinking the wine now, it should be capable of ageing for at least five or so years. Exactly how it will develop in bottle, one is not sure, but it would be interesting to see.

2009 FIRST DROP MONTEPULCIANO
Producer: First Drop Wines
Variety: Montepulciano
Vintage: 2009
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $35.00
Date tasted: 2 February 2013

Tasting Note:
Deep crimson. Intense nose of blackberry coulis, blueberry, dark plum, perfumed floral notes – lavender? Dry, medium bodied, elegant, silky tannins, the palate is seamless and smooth. Fruit characters much the same as the nose, leading to a savoury mid-palate. Liquorice and anise. Touch of warming alcohol on the finish, which is moderately long.
Score: 16.5/20

2005 LEO BURING EDEN VALLEY RIESLING - ARE THINGS ELECTRIC?

Anyone who has enjoyed Australian Riesling over the years will be familiar with the name Leo Buring. We have already reviewed the 2002 releases (Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Leonay) on these pages. With the hot summer sun beating down, it seemed like an appropriate time to check out a bottle of a 2005 Leo Buring Riesling, in this instance, the Eden Valley release.

Sealed under screw-cap (for which Riesling-lovers must be forever grateful), the wine is fresh as a daisy, with a touch of kerosene suggesting some development. This is reinforced on the palate, which has well and truly started to flesh out. A noticeable ripple of acidity confirms that the wine is still in transition from youth to maturity, but it’s certainly not in a dip or closed.

This is a benchmark example of Australian Riesling, with considerable depth of flavour and complexity for its modest price point. While there’s plenty to enjoy now, it should offer several more years drinking pleasure.  All in all, it's not a bad way to celebrate Australia Day!

2005 EDEN VALLEY RIESLING
Producer: Leo Buring
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2005
Region: Eden Valley, South Australia
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 26 January 2013

Tasting Note:
Greenish gold. Lifted aromatic nose of lime/lemon citrus, kaffir lime leaf, touch of kerosene emerging, eucalyptus gum?! Ever so slightly off-dry, mid-maturity, the palate is starting to flesh out, but there is still a very prominent line of acidity, sharp citrus fruit to the fore, perhaps with a touch of lychee. Very long and refreshing. Benchmark Australian Riesling, and a bargain when bought on offer.
Score: 17/20

2010 CURLY FLAT CHARDONNAY - COOL FOR CATS

Australian Chardonnay has never been in a healthier state. The continued development of cool climate regions together with a more sensitive hand in the winery has seen a new, chiselled and refined style of Chardonnay emerge. While it may be said that a few producers have taken things too far, with some wines being bare-boned and lean, the general move to sleeker wines less reliant on winemaker input has been a positive one.

As time has progressed, we have seen specific sites emerge that are capable of producing powerful and rich Chardonnays that sacrifice nothing in terms of tension, structure and the ability to age. Wines that come to mind include Red Hill’s Main Ridge and Beechworth’s Giaconda. In the contemporary idiom, both wines are quite ‘worked’, with up to 100% malolactic fermentation. However, one only needs to taste and to cellar these wines to see how well balanced they are and how well they can age.

Macedon’s Curly Flat is another benchmark Chardonnay that employs 100% malolactic fermentation. However, like the aforementioned Main Ridge and Giaconda, this is not a creamy, buttery Chardonnay, but a wine that balances fresh acidity with a rich (but not heavy) palate and wide expanse of flavours. There’s plenty to like here, but one suspects the real pleasure in this wine will be yielded with several years bottle age, as it is just a baby.

2010 CHARDONNAY
Producer: Curly Flat
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2010
Region: Macedon Ranges, Victoria
ABV: 13.8%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $50.00
Date tasted: 27 January 2013

Tasting Note:
Pale greenish yellow. Inviting nose of honeydew melon, white peach, guava. Touch of struck match. Subtle spicy oak lurks in the background. Dry, medium bodied, savoury, honeydew melon, Nashi pear, nectarine, touch of ginger underpinned by high quality oak. Limey acidity carries the finish, which is long and satisfying. Lively, vibrant and should age well. Yet another example of high quality modern Australian Chardonnay.
Score: 17.5+/20

1996 WYNN'S BLACK LABEL CABERNET SAUVIGNON - A CLASSIC

Wynn’s Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon is very much an Australian classic. Medium bodied and dry, with hallmark notes of mulberry and cassis, it is quintessential understated Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. In better vintages, it represents excellent value for money, especially when discounted, as can be the case in the major chains.

It goes without saying that 1996 was a superb vintage in South Australia; Coonawarra was no exception. Seventeen years on from vintage, Wynn’s Black Label is showing definite signs of maturity, with a somewhat evolved fragrant bouquet and supple palate. In keeping with the marque, this is a medium bodied, dare one say, elegant wine.

On this showing, it would seem that now is a good time to be drinking up the 1996 Black Label; the tannins have fully resolved, primary fruit has faded, and there is modest secondary complexity. It’s a very pleasant wine, but is starting to dry out a touch on the finish.  As the wine is sealed under cork, there may well be a bit of bottle variation, but this particular showing suggest that one's remaining bottles should be drunk sooner rather than later.

1996 BLACK LABEL CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Producer: Wynn’s Coonawarra Estate
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon et al
Vintage: 1996
Region: Coonawarra, South Australia
ABV: 13%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 27 January 2013

Tasting Note:
Deep plum red, fading very slightly at the rim. Mature nose, minty, earthbound, mulberry, slighty resinous/pine needle. Dry, medium bodied and savoury, drying out a tad on the finish. Tannins are fully resolved. Verging from primary to secondary, but unlikely to improve further. Drink up.
Score: 16/20