2012 PIPOLI AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE - THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH

Aglianico presents a strong case to be southern Italy’s finest black grape variety (supporters of Nerello Mascalese, Nero d’Avola and Negroamaro may beg to differ!). With its trademark tannic framework and savoury profile, it is capable of developing considerable complexity with extended ageing. Even better, modestly priced examples deliver plenty of character and excellent drinkability.

At under $20, this imported example from Italy’s deep south ticks most boxes. It delivers excellent varietal character with trademark Aglianico tannins emerging with air. While there’s not a huge amount of complexity to speak of, there’s a good amount of pleasure here at a modest price.

2012 PIPOLI AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE
Producer: Pipoli
Variety: Aglianico
Vintage: 2012
Region: Basilicata, Italy
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $19.00
Date tasted: 19 December 2014

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby. Open nose of cherry, plum, tilled earth and liquorice. Dry, medium bodied, damson, black cherry, bay leaf. Finishes with fine chalky tannins. Relatively simple, but good value.
Score: 15.5/20

2013 MARETTI LANGHE ROSSO - THE BARGAIN STORE

Langhe Rosso is a great opportunity to enjoy early drinking and authentic Piedmontese red wines at an affordable price. This particular example, a blend of Barbera (70%) and Nebbiolo (30%) offers plenty in the value for money stakes. At a mere $22 it is a veritable bargain given its quality and place of origin.

On opening, the wine shows plenty of brassy up-front fruit in the cherry/damson realm. With time, it becomes more savoury and appealing. This wine is no Conterno Barolo ‘Bussia’ but it delivers plenty of authentic Piedmontese character for the price.

2013 MARETTI LANGHE ROSSO
Producer: Maretti
Variety: Barbera (Barbera 70%, Nebbiolo 30%)
Vintage: 2013
Region: Piedmont, Italy
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $22.00
Date tasted: 20 December 2014

Tasting Note:
Bright garnet. Open nose of cherry/damson, marzipan, tar, liquorice. Medium bodied, dry and savoury (becoming more so with air). Sour cherry and pomegranate. Drying finish with chalky tannins. Excellent value.
Score: 16.5/20

2011 GIACONDA MCCLAY ROAD SHIRAZ - SINGIN' IN THE RAIN!

The damp 2011 vintage was often condemned by many local wine writers, often it seems, without the wines having had sufficient opportunity to flesh out in bottle and reveal their true potential. Western Australia’s key regions and the Hunter Valley in New South Wales enjoyed excellent vintages, a point sometimes lost here in Melbourne,

2011 was a vintage that, in South Australia and Victoria, presented certain challenges and tested the diligence of our vignerons, not the least in making a very strict selection and being prepared to declassify. Margaret River and the Hunter Valley enjoyed excellent harvests and have perhaps suffered slightly by association

Almost four years on, we can safely say that some outstanding Chardonnays were produced in 2011. Reds are considerably patchier, some lacking concentration and prone to herbaceousness. It is fair to say that very few of the best red wines from 2011 are likely to make old bones, but there are good wines to be found.

Giaconda McClay Road Shiraz is an excellent outcome from this much maligned vintage. It is in a very good spot now (especially alongside food) and possesses and alluring prototypical northern Rhône Syrah nose. Quality-wise, it is perhaps more Crozes than the hill of Hermitage (leave that to the bigger, denser Giaconda Estate Shiraz) and is a mid-term proposition. There’s a lot to like here, though one would suggest drinking now and in the next year or two.

2011 GIACONDA MCCLAY ROAD SHIRAZ
Producer: Giaconda
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 2011
Region: Beechworth, Victoria
Alcohol: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $40.00
Date tasted: 21 December 2014

Tasting Note:
Deep crimson. Attractive nose of freshly milled black pepper, roast game juices, truffle, ink, touch of raspberry. Dry, medium bodied, savoury and elegant. Very stylish. Showing well now, though powdery tannins on the finish suggest there may be sufficient structure for mid-term cellaring. Excellent outcome from the vintage.
Score: 17/20

2001 ROCKFORD BASKET PRESS SHIRAZ - READY TO GO

Rockford Basket Press Shiraz is a much-loved wine Down Under. It is fashioned along traditional lines. When last tasted, the 2001 release received an indifferent reception. On this showing, it is starting to hit its stride.

There is real aromatic interest on display here – a cornucopia of spice, fruit and earthy complexity. On the palate it is satin smooth, the tannins having fully resolved, and remarkably elegant for a warm climate wine.

It is unashamedly Australia, more particularly, unashamedly Barossan in character. Everything is in balance and in its place. At 13.5% ABV, it is a measured wine, illustrating that restraint is often capable of delivering far greater pleasure than excess.

2001 ROCKFORD BASKET PRESS SHIRAZ
Producer: Rockford
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 2001
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 13 December 2014

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby. Inviting and complex nose of raspberry, kirsch, star anise and clove ; quite southern Rhone-like! Dry, full bodied yet relatively elegant given its place of origin. Soft and velvet in texture. Sumptuous. Liquorice and tar. Showing very well now, but plenty of fuel left in the tank.
Score: 17.5/20

2012 BROWN MAGPIE PINOT NOIR - A GENEROUS HEART

Pinot Noir in Australia has come a long way in the past 20 or so years. The emergence of cool climate viticultural has seen this capricious variety emerge to produce wines of genuine finesse and delicacy. That said, even Australia’s coolest regions are warmer than the continental climate experienced in Burgundy.

In Australia, the best Pinot Noir producing regions tend to either be coastal (Mornington Peninsula, Bellarine Peninsula) or at elevation (Macedon Ranges). In this context, Geelong can be rather marginal. Notwithstanding the fact that Geelong is home to two of Australia’s finest Pinot Noir producers (Bannockburn and By Farr), it can tend toward a slightly big-boned expression of the variety.

Brown Magpie is a relatively new label from the Geelong region. Its Pinot Noir from the excellent 2012 growing season is literally bursting with fruit. Burgundy it is most definitely not, neither is it trying to be. This is a full flavoured, warm hearted Pinot Noir for those who like their wines full and cuddly. While it didn’t quite strike a chord with this imbiber, many would enjoy its friendly fruit forward character and lack of pretention.

2012 BROWN MAGPIE PINOT NOIR
Producer: Brown Magpie
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2012
Region: Geelong, Victoria
Alcohol: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 11 December 2014

Tasting Note:
Mid-ruby in appearance. Bright nose of strawberry coulis, five spice, dried herbs, slightly gamey. Sweet fruited up-front, soft tannins, fruit and meaty, quite easy going in style. Not particularly complex or long, but solid.
Score: 15/20

2009 JOHN’S BLEND MARGARETE’S SHIRAZ - I LIKE YOUR OLD STUFF BETTER THAN YOUR NEW STUFF

2009 John’s Blend Margarete’s Shiraz fits the style to a tee. There is notable charry oak, but it is clearly of high quality and has been well handled. While it is a full flavoured and full bodied wine, it is well balanced and shows no signs of excess. It is a style that divides opinion and certainly demands the right context food-wise.

While the emergence of cool climate viticulture has expanded the diversity and arguably added more sophistry to Australian Shiraz (or should we say Syrah), there is still a place for gutsy, hearty traditional Aussie Shiraz, particularly when it is well executed.

2009 JOHN’S BLEND MARGARETE’S SHIRAZ
Producer: John’s Blend
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 2009
Region: Langhorne Creek, South Australia
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $35.00
Date tasted: 6 December 2014

Tasting Note:
Deep crimson. Charcoal, charry oak, aniseed, maraschino cherry and blackberry coulis on the nose. Full bodied, voluminous, assertive but not unpleasant smoky oak overlays sweet/sour red fruits. Fine powdery tannins carry the finish. Australian Shiraz of the uber-traditional variety.
Score: 16.5/20

1999 JIM BARRY ‘LODGE HILL’ RIESLING - CLOSURE

Hunter Valley Semillon and Rieslings from the Clare and Eden Valleys have a proven ability to age. Mature Clare Valley Rieslings are a very different beast to young examples, the brisky citrusy acidity of youth softens and the wine typically fleshes out on the palate.

In the era of natural cork ageing Australia’s greatest aromatic white wines was something of a lottery. Lay a case down for a decade plus and there was one guarantee, not one bottle would look the same; some would retain a bright silvery yellow of youth, while others would be golden amber, oxidised and shot.

The adoption of the screw cap has largely put paid to any oxidation problems. In 1999, Clare Valley Riesling producers were among the first regions in the world to bottle the majority of their production under screw cap.

We should be grateful to the folks at Jim Barry for having the patience to hold back the release of a small parcel of their 1999 Lodge Hill Riesling, offering it to the market as a mature wine 15 years after vintage. It is a pristine example of mature Clare Valley Riesling, bright golden yellow in colour with hallmark aromatics of honey, buttered toast and lime. It is proof positive, if ever needed, that screw cap is the logical closure for ageworthy aromatic wines of this ilk.

1999 JIM BARRY ‘LODGE HILL’ RIESLING
Producer: Jim Barry
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 1999
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $40.00
Date tasted: 5 December 2014

Tasting Note:
Bright golden yellow. Mature Riesling nose of honey, buttered toast, key lime pie, menthol, lime blossom. Dry, medium bodied, texture envelops the acidity (which has softened appreciably). Flavour profile is the same as the nose, albeit not as complex. Mature Riesling in pristine condition.
Score: 16.5/20

2011 CANTINA TERLANO PINOT BIANCO RISERVA ‘VORBERG’ - DER KOMMISAR

Italy produces some of the world’s greatest white wines. While white Burgundy and German Riesling are perhaps the flag bearers for truly outstanding white wine, Italy offers and unparalleled breadth of alluring white wines.

At their best, Italian white wines deliver an alluring combination of lifted aromatics, texture and depth of flavour. The Pinot Bianco Riserva ‘Vorberg’ from Cantina Terlano is one white that is distinctly Italian and provides high quality drinking in every vintage.

Awarded tre bicchieri in the Gambero Rosso guide year in, year out, it originates from the mountainous Alto Adige region in Italy’s north. This is Germanic Italy, abutting the Austrian border. The 2011 releases follows in the footsteps of previous outstanding bottlings under the same level. It possesses attractive green fruit aromatic and a savoury palate. While it is perhaps not quite as compelling as the beguiling 2010, it should develop in bottle for several years.

2011 CANTINA TERLANO PINOT BIANCO RISERVA ‘VORBERG’
Producer: Cantina Terlano
Variety: Pinot Blanc
Vintage: 2011
Region: Alto Adige, Italy
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $55.00
Date tasted: 30 November 2014

Tasting Note:
Greenish yellow. Aromatic bouquet of honeydew melon and pear, gentle spice. Medium bodied, savoury, very textural. Flavour profile is similar to the nose. Will benefit from a few years development in bottle.
Score: 16.5+/20

2006 PASCAL COTAT SANCERRE BLANC ‘LES MONTS DAMNÉS’ - SONG OF THE MINERALS

The Sancerre’s of cousins Pascal and Francois Cotat are legendary wines. Drawing on fruit from the slopes of Chavignol, they are renowned for their mineral quality and longevity. While Sauvignon Blanc might be the grape variety, cépage is of little relevance, as Cotat Sancerres bear little resemblance to ‘Savvy’ as we generally know it. Grand Cru Chablis is a more pertinent reference point in this case.

Pascal Cotat’s Sancerre Blance ‘Les Monts Damnés’ 2006 is starting to open up and reveal its true potential. It possesses a remarkably complex bouquet – pear, crystallised stem ginger, melon and more. The wine is elegant in build, savoury and mineral, with an arrestingly dry finish. On this showing, it should have another decade of development, closure permitting.

2006 PASCAL COTAT SANCERRE BLANC ‘LES MONTS DAMNÉS’
Producer: Pascal Cotat
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2006
Region: Loire Valley, France
Alcohol: 13.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 29 December 2014

Tasting Note:
Silvery yellow in appearance. Complex nose of pear, stem ginger, melon, pink grapefruit and yellow plum. Medium bodied, dry and elegant. Mineral accented palate – not quite as complex as the bouquet at this point in time. Long, long finish. Still on the way up.
Score: 18/20

NV CAMILLE SAVÈS 'CARTE BLANCHE' BRUT - BALLAD OF THE GROWER

Grower Champagnes are among the best value offerings made in the Champagne region. This is particularly true of Camille Savès, a high quality producer based in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy. As one would expect, the wines of this producer are Pinot Noir dominant. 'Carte Blanche' draws on Pinot Noir from Bouzy, Ambonnay and Tours-sur-Marne and Chardonnay from the Premier Cru village of Tauxières.

This is a quality Champagne loaded with character thanks to high quality fruit and roughly four years on lees prior to disgorgement. Everything is in its place here, with the bouquet and palate both delivering an attractive balance of stonefruit and yeasty maturity. At a snip over $60 per bottle it compares favourably to many of Champagne’s big names.

NV CAMILLE SAVÈS 'CARTE BLANCHE' BRUT
Producer: Camille Savès
Variety: Champagne/Sparkling Wine
Vintage: Non-vintage
Region: Champagne, France
Alcohol: 12.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $65.00
Date Tasted: 23 November 2014

Tasting Note:
Slightly copper hue. Fine persistent bead. Attractive and immediately engaging nose of yellow plum, strawberry, gingerbread, touch of autolysis. Dry, elegant and refined, stonefruit, stem ginger, lemony acidity carries the finish. Top quality non-vintage Champagne!
Score: 17/20

2004 SPINIFEX INDIGENE - AGEING GRACEFULLY

Spinifex sits among the leading vanguard of boutique Barossa Valley producers. Many will be familiar with the wide range of Rhone Valley and southern French-inspired blends made at Spinifex. Indigene always favours Mourvèdre/Mataro. As a result, it can be a little awkward and stern in its youth.

This 2004 release is just starting to hit its stride after a somewhat difficult adolescence. The tannin framework of youth has all but melted back, leaving a wine that is rich, plush and a genuine pleasure to drink.

A decade on from vintage it remains primary-fruit driven, with just a touch of secondary evolution evident on the nose in the form of tilled earth and tobacco leaf. For many, the wine is ‘in the slot’ for current drinking. However, there is sufficient depth and intensity to suggest that the wine will develop more complexity with a 3-4 years additional cellaring.

2004 SPINIFEX INDIGENE
Producer: Spinifex
Variety: Mourvèdre 64%, Shiraz 36%
Vintage: 2004
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $65.00
Date tasted: 22 November 2014

Tasting Note:
Deep plum red fading slightly at the rim. Complex bouquet of tobacco, tilled earth, floral notes (lilac, violet), plum, star anise/five spice. Dry, full bodied, sweet fruited up front but quickly moves to savoury. Lush and opulent but well balanced. Satin-like in texture; tannins have fully resolved. Still quite primary and should improve for another 3-4 years.
Score: 17/20

2012 CANTINA ZACCAGNINI MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO - TRUE

The Cerasuolo rosé from Cantina Zaccagnini was enthusiastically reviewed on these pages some time ago. The Montepulciano from the same producer is a benchmark of the style. Although not a particularly complex wine, it delivers pretty much all one could want from a trattoria-style red for everyday drinking – medium weight, savoury, balanced acidity and a lick of tannin to hold things in check.

In this instance it went very well with ragu Bolognaise, cutting through the rich sauce with aplomb. One could see it alongside a platter of fine Italian salumi, or rich pasta dishes. Stylistically, the wine sits more in the traditional camp than the Terzini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo reviewed several months ago, but both are good in there own way.

2012 CANTINA ZACCAGNINI MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO
Producer: Cantina Zaccagnini
Variety: Montepulciano
Vintage: 2012
Region: Abruzzo, Italy
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $29.00
Date Tasted: 21 November 2014

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby. Open and inviting nose of violet, aniseed, damson/black cherry, touch of cracked pepper. Medium bodied, dry and savoury, sour cherry/black cherry, dusty herbs, slightly drying tannin on the finish. Moderate acidity. Not a super complex wine, but does what it sets out to do admirably well.
Score: 16/20