2010 ASHTON HILLS RIESLING - AM I GOING TOO FAST?

Ashton Hills was one of the original players in the Adelaide Hills and is, without a doubt, one of the region’s best. In some respects, the estate owes its fame to its trio of Pinot Noirs; Piccadilly, Estate and Reserve. However, the Chardonnay has always been of very high quality and the sparkling wines are exemplary. Until recently, aromatic whites (Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer) have figured in the Ashton Hills range (this imbiber understands that estate plantings are in the process of or are to due to be grafted over to or replanted to 100% Pinot Noir).

Adelaide Hills Rieslings tends to be slightly more genteel than its Eden Valley and Clare Valley peers, slightly more delicate and in the apple orchard rather than citrus grove realm. That said, the 2010 Ashton Hills Riesling is no shrinking violet. At 13.5% ABV, it is fully ripe and shows quite a bit of weight on the palate. There’s an interesting mix of grapefruit and apple blossom and decent depth of flavour.

Compared to some austere and backward Australian Rieslings (Grosset Polish Hill and Forest Hill Block 1 come to mind), this 2010 is remarkably open. It seems to be quite a fast developer; there’s a decent amount of pleasure to be had now and in the short term, but it is unlikely to be worth keeping for more than a few years. All in all, it’s a good wine and true to variety, but perhaps lacks some of the finesse and lightness of touch we associate with Ashton Hills.

2010 RIESLING
Producer: Ashton Hills
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2010
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $28.00
Date tasted: 20 April 2013

Tasting Note:
Bright lemon yellow. Open aromatic nose of lemon zest, grapefruit peel, apple blossom. Hint of kerosene suggests some development. Dry, medium bodied, showing some evolution on the palate which is quite weighty, acidity hidden under the texture; pulpy green apple, nashi pear, lime sherbet. Good depth of flavour. Developing quite quickly and delivering a decent amount of pleasure now.
Score: 15.5/20

2011 PIERRE-YVES COLIN-MOREY ST AUBIN 'LE BANC' - SHINING STAR

In a region with many great producers, the name Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey is one that has been discussed at great length in the past 5 or so years. For followers of high quality Burgundy, it is fair to say that Colin-Morey’s star has well and truly risen. His white Burgundies, which range up to Grand Cru level, are rated among the region’s best. Thankfully, unlike the likes of Coche-Dury (to be fair, Colin-Morey isn't in just esteemed company as yet) and Domaine Leflaive, Colin-Morey’s wines remain within the reach of the ordinary wine drinker, and there is reasonable availability, particularly at lower levels of the appellation ladder.

As with any producer, the real test is consistency across the range and how the more ‘basic’ wines perform. In this case, basic is very much a relative term. Anyone acquainted with Burgundy would know that St Aubin is a treasure trove when it comes to value for white Burgundy. Although just a modest village wine by appellation, the 2011 St Aubin ‘Le Banc’ possesses the structure, detail and interest one would expect of a Premier Cru. In keeping with the house style, there’s plenty of tension here. It is not an underworked wine, nor is there any sense of excess.

While there is plenty to enjoy now, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that this wine should be capable of improving in bottle for several years. Moreover, the relatively high sulphur regime and use of wax over the (cork) give one a degree of confidence that premature oxidation shouldn’t be a problem with this producer.

2011 ST AUBIN BLANC ‘LE BANC’
Producer: Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2010
Region: Burgundy, France
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $55.00
Date tasted: 21 April 2013

Tasting Note:
Pale greenish yellow. Slightly smoky nose, grapefruit, honeydew melon, subtle oak (clove, nutmeg). Dry, medium bodied, lovely texture, a wine that is all about ‘line and length’, melon and grapefruit citrus are set against gentle spicy oak, underscored by chalky minerality. Well balanced acidity. Just moderate complexity at present, but there is definite upside here.
Score: 17+/20

2010 CALABRIA AGLIANICO - BARGAIN!

With the odd notable exception (in the form of de Bortoli’s Noble One Botrytis Semillon) the warm inland Riverina region has tended to be the source for mass market, high volume wines made to a price point. Such wines are generally enjoyed within 18-24 months of vintage and are not intended to be considered as ‘serious’ examples of their variety.

However, to every rule, there are exceptions. One such exception is the Calabria Aglianico from Westend Estate. The 2009 vintage of this wine was reviewed positively a few weeks ago on these pages. So positive was the response from this imbiber that it prompted a case purchased. The case having arrived, there was little excuse to try the 2010.

Initial impressions of the wine were of pleasant sweet plum/cherry fruit, but not a great deal else. That is not to sell the wine short, as it was tight, and locked up by firm, assertive tannins. Tasted a day later, the tannins had softened appreciably to reveal a very attractive wine, a wine that combines an attractive balance of sweet (but not confected) up front fruit, savoury mid-palate, with spice and volatility adding complexity. Although it carries a modest price tag of $15 per bottle, this is an ambitious wine, one that merits a slumber for a year or two, perhaps longer, so that it can be appreciated at its best.  With time, the 2010 should prove to be better than the excellent 2009 vintage of the same wine.

Producer: Westend Estate
Variety: Aglianico
Vintage: 2010
Region: Riverina, New South Wales
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $15.00
Date tasted: 8 April 2013

Tasting Note:
Mid plum red fading to the rim. Bright nose of plum, leather, fig and roasted spices. Dry, medium+ bodied, sweet plum/cherry fruit up-front quickly moving to savoury before assertive grippy tannins kick in. This is a wine that needs air or preferably time in bottle. Showed better the following night by which time the tannins had softened to reveal a silky palate, a touch of volatility adding pleasant complexity. A dead set bargain at the price, but this is a wine that needs another year or two in bottle before being broached.
Score: 17/20

CORNELISSEN ROSSO DEL CONTADINO 8 - MY WAY

Much has been said and written of the wines of Frank Cornelissen, leading vanguard of the natural wine movement. From fruit grown on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna Cornelissen fashions wines that have a singular identity. To the uninitiated Cornelissen’s wine can be somewhat of a shock. Cloudy with large chunks of sediment floating in suspension, they are not wines for the aesthete.

Contadino 8, a multi-vintage blend based on Nerello Mascalese (though cepage is only relevant in as much as the building blocks of the wine are old vine fruit from the slopes of Etna. From a purely technical perspective, it is a wine riddled with faults; volatile acidity and undissolved CO2 to name but two. However, such ‘faults’ are irrelevant in the context of a Cornellisen wine. He seeks to express nature through wine, rather than impose man’s imprint on the wine.

Without a doubt, Cornelissen’s wines are ‘out there’ and not for all tastes. For this imbiber, they are best explored once in a while, and in modest quantities. Contadino 8 is not an ‘easy’ wine on any level, it is a wine that challenges the drinker.

Natural wines have been criticised in some parts for being more about style than substance. While wines such as Cornelissen’s might not be to all tastes (and I, for one, am not totally convinced) they serve an important role on challenging convention and presenting an alternative to popular practice. For that alone, anyone who has an interest in wine should be grateful

ROSSO DEL CONTADINO 8
Producer: Az. Agric. Frank Cornelissen
Variety: Nerello Mascalese blend
Vintage: 2010
Region: Sicily, Italy
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Synthetic cork
Retail Price: $45.00
Date tasted: 13 April 2013

Tasting Note:
Cherry lipstick red, cloudy with significant deposits. Slightly pinched nose at first, quite volatile and acetic, floral notes (cherry blossom perhaps?), rhubarb, rosehip, loam. Dry, distinctive CO2 prickle that dissipates with air (needs decanting), sour cherry, pomegranate and cranberry, earthy notes, vinegary acidity. Good length. Desperately needs air and food.
Score: ?

2012 LUCY MARGAUX 'BAIS EN BOIS' CHARDONNAY - LIVING IN THE MAINSTREAM

The wines of Anton von Klopper have featured prominently on these pages previously. A member of ‘Natural Selection Theory’, von Klopper produces highly regarded wines from various Adelaide Hills sites. Although associated with the natural wine movement, it is fair to say that von Klopper’s wines aren’t as extreme as some.

His 2012 ‘Bais en Bois’ Chardonnay is fermented with wild yeasts and bottled without fining and filtration. It is more complex than the recently reviewed Domaine Lucci Chardonnay 2012, with a distinctive nuttiness on both the nose and palate.

Like most Domaine Lucci and Lucy Margaux wines, the depth of flavour here is impressive. This is a full flavoured wine, one that speaks of place and the producer’s philosophy. There is plenty to enjoy here, the only problem is that the wine is so delicious that it doesn’t last in the glass for long.

2012 ‘BAIS EN BOIS’ CHARDONNAY
Producer: Lucy Margaux
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2012
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 12.9%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $32.00
Date tasted: 13 April 2013
Tasting Note:
Lemon yellow with a coppery gold glint. Almond, melon, peach, lemon peel; quite a complex nose. The bouquet flows through the palate which is medium bodied, clean, fresh and sweet fruited, thr peachy fruit underscored by nutty (not oak derived but presumably from oxidative handling) complexity. An interesting wine, with a well defined line of acidity lending freshness and balance. More complex than the Domaine Lucci Chardonnay 2012 reviewed on these pages a week or so ago.
Score: 16+/20

2012 DOMAINE LUCCI CHARDONNAY - IT'S ONLY NATURAL

Much has been said and written of the ‘natural wine’ movement in the last several years. To some, natural wines are an aberration; über-trendy, of the moment, slightly pretentious perhaps and not fine wine. While it may be true to say that, to some extent, natural wines are the hipsters of the wine world, the ethos behind natural wines is more hippy than hip. However one may choose to categorise natural wine, there can be little argument that the very best wines from natural wine practitioners are indeed very good.

Adelaide Hills-based Anton von Klopper is perhaps the highest profile producer of natural wines in Australia. Under the Lucy Margaux and Domaine Lucci labels, he makes wines that adhere closely to the premise of minimal intervention, both in the vineyard and in the winery. Yet, as the 2012 Domaine Lucci Chardonnay (a modestly priced wine) shows, the wine doesn’t taste odd. Wild yeast fermentation and bottling without fining and filtration have produced a relatively clear, pure and fresh example of Chardonnay, one that would appeal to those schooled on more conventional fare.

Where it differs from your average modestly priced Chardonnay is in its pulpy texture, weighty mouthfeel and pear/apple orchard essence of Adelaide Hills Chardonnay character. One genuinely feels that one is tasting the fruit from a particular place, not just any Chardonnay trying to be something it really isn’t.

2012 CHARDONNAY
Producer: Domaine Lucci
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2012
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 12.6%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $24.00
Date tasted: 6 April 2013

Tasting Note:
Bright lemon yellow. Surprisingly clean and fresh nose – no oxidative characters whatsoever; pear and apple pulp. Dry, quite weighty on the palate, good presence, pulpy and pure, apple/pear orchard. Full and round rather than crisp. Although quite straightforward and simple, there’s plenty to enjoy hear, not least the wine’s structure, purity and integrity.
Score: 16/20

2000 GROSSET WATERVALE RIESLING - SEALED WITH A......

This particular imbiber doesn’t want to add to the closure debate. Suffice to say, the advent of the screw cap in its various forms has had a manifest impact on the propensity of Riesling, the wonderful aromatic grape, to mature without risk of oxidation or cork taint. Any lover of wine who bought and cellared Australian Riesling from the 1990’s in any quantity would be able to recall the number of cork sealed bottles that have not delivered, lacking freshness and vibrancy.

What better way to put screw caps to the test than crack a bottle of Grosset Watervale Riesling 13 years on from vintage. Jeffrey Grosset was one of the most ardent supporters of the screw cap and 2000 marked the vintage (if one recalls correctly) when his production went under screw cap for the first time.

This sums up the argument in favour of screw caps (at least for aromatic whites) with a resounding ‘Yes’. It is as fresh as a daisy, golden yellow in colour suggesting some development, with a lively and inviting nose of kaffir lime leaf, lemon/lime citrus, just a whiff of kerosene and a touch of honeyed maturity. The palate too is bright and fresh, a fine ripple of acidity confirming that this wine has plenty of fuel in the tank. What a pity then that this bottle was the last….

2000 WATERVALE RIESLING
Producer: Grosset
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2000
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 6 April 2013

Tasting Note:
Bright lemon yellow. Alluring nose of lime juice, kaffir lime leaf, honey, hint of eucalypt, lemon squirt, whiff of kerosene. Dry, medium bodied, quite round in the mouth, typical lemon/lime citrus with emerging honeyed maturity. A gentle undercurrent of acidity provides freshness and suggests that the wine has a good few years up its sleeve.
Score: 17.5/20  -->

2011 'DEAD WINEMAKERS SOCIETY' DOLCETTO - THE REAL THING

-->Italian varietals have been grown with varying degrees of success in Australia. Too many efforts either lack varietal definition, genuine depth of flavour or just come across as fruit sweet derivatives of the real thing, lacking the dry, savoury, food pairing friendliness of fine Italian wine. However, there are wines that excel, a few of which (Whistling Eagle Sangiovese and Calabria Aglianico to name but two) are excellent representations.

The 2011 ‘Dead Winemakers Society Dolcetto from Alpha, Box & Dice is another to add to the list. Tasted blind, the wine simply screamed Dolcetto; from its transparent cherry red hue, to the bouquet and dry, savoury palate, which are all about sour cherry, it could only be Dolcetto. It is by no means the most complex wine, and it certainly won’t change lives. However, it is a remarkably good rendition of the variety, so good that it seems like a wine that originates from the fog hugged hills of north-west Italy, not the Adelaide Hills.

While one could complain that the wine could cost a fiver less, there is real integrity here, so much so that some palates accustomed to sweet fruited wines might just struggle with its dryness, that is, until they enjoy it alongside appropriate food.

2011 ‘DEAD WINEMAKERS’ SOCIETY’ DOLCETTO
Producer: Alpha, Box & Dice
Variety: Dolcetto
Vintage: 2011
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $31.00
Date tasted: 6 April 2013

Tasting Note:
Transparent cherry red. Direct nose of sour cherry, leather and fig. Very dry and savoury, sour cherry flows through to the palate, which is medium bodied and supple. No lack of acidity. Although the wine is quite direct and simple, it is clearly well made; good food style.
Score: 15.5/20

2009 GD VAJRA LANGHE ROSSO - MONEY'S TOO TIGHT TO MENTION

Barolo stands as one of the world’s most evocative wines. The classic ‘tar and roses’ character one associates with Barolo sums up the wine; perfumed, feminine and ethereal yet with power, structure and impact. For many, enjoying Barolo (or Barbaresco) is not realistic due to the substantial financial outlay and/o extended cellaring required to render the wine’s tannic framework supple and silken.

For those looking for Barolo, or should we say and authentic Piedmontese red wine on a budget, there are options in the form of Langhe Nebbiolo and Langhe Rosso. Leading Piedment producer GD Vajra’s Langhe Rosso blends together the Piedmontese trio of Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, with a touch of Pinot Noir added for good measure. The result is a wine that is true to its origin, with an attractive aromatic nose of red fruit, tar and tobacco. While it by no means possesses the power or complexity of a great Barolo or Barbaresco, it delivers on authenticity and is well suited to food of the region. It is a dry, savoury wine that is best enjoyed in its flush of youth.

2009 LANGHE ROSSO
Producer: GD Vajra
Variety: Nebbiolo (blended with Barbera, Dolcetto and Pinot Noir)
Vintage: 2009
Region: Piedmont, Italy
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $32.00
Date tasted: 1 April 2013

Tasting Note:
Bright garnet fading toward the rim. Quite a complex and inviting nose; cherry, damson, tar, tobacco and aniseed. Dry, savoury and medium bodied, somewhat more straightforward on the palate – sour cherry. Gentle tannins. Finishes with mouthwatering acidity. Very much a food style. Very solid.
Score: 16/20

2010 SARAH GOUGH BOX GROVE VINEYARD ROUSSANNE - WHAT DO YOU DO FOR MONEY, HONEY?

-->As discussed previously on these pages, late-ripening Roussanne is a much ignored variety in Australia. It’s a pity that this is the case as the variety is well suited to our warm climate regions and is capable of producing seductive, food friendly, honeysuckle-laden wines.

This particular example of Roussanne is from central Victoria. While ripe and fleshy, it lacks some of the characteristic weight, rich and depth of flavour of better examples. It may well flesh out with time in bottle, but for the moment, it doesn’t quite deliver.

2010 BOX GROVE VINEYARD ROUSSANNE
Producer: Sarah Gough
Variety: Roussanne
Vintage: 2010
Region: Nagambie Lakes
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $23.00
Date tasted: 31 March 2013

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery yellow. Open nose of moderate intensity; pear and melon. Dry, medium bodied palate, fruit characters much the same as the nose. Could do with more depth, richness and intensity. Seems quite light and inobtrusive for a Roussanne, but might flesh out with time in bottle. Clean and pure, but lacks genuine interest (at this point in its evolution at least).
Score: 14.5/20