2013 EVEN KEEL SYRAH - SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS ROOM

In the past 15 or so years, the Canberra district has built a reputation for producing high quality, Rhone-styled Syrah. While Clonakilla has very much led the pack and steals most of the limelight, there are other labels from the region making very high quality wine.

Even Keel is somewhat of an anomaly, as it is actually based in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. It’s Canberra District Syrah is an excellent example of modern cool climate Australian wine – attractively perfumed, medium bodied in build and made for food.

There’s a really smoky quality to the wine, not oak-driven, but presumably an expression of variety and site. It’s quite a delicious wine, made for a rib-eye steak on a Friday night!

2013 EVEN KEEL SYRAH
Producer: Even Keel
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 2013
Region: Canberra District, Australian Capital Territory
Alcohol: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $40.00
Date tasted: 18 July 2015

Tasting Note:
Deep crimson. Prototypical Syrah (rather than Shiraz) nose of woodsmoke, charcoal, charcuterie, black fruits and cracked black pepper. Dry, medium bodied, very fine and supple tannins. Classy - impressive stuff! Showcases Australia meets Rhone Syrah to a tee.
Score: 17/20

2013 CANTINA DI PRIOCCA ARTIGIANO PRIMITIVO - HE AIN'T HEAVY....

Primitivo calls its home Puglia, the heel of Italy. A warm climate variety, it typically delivers a spiced Christmas cake in the glass with a generous dose of alcohol, reflecting its sun-baked origin.

This particular example delivers and elegantly composed expression of the variety. There’s not a huge amount of complexity on offer, but stylish spice-infused plum and dark cherry fruit in a mid-weight package. All in all, this is a solid, easy going wine that ‘does what it says’ with a modicum of style.

2013 CANTINA DI PRIOCCA ARTIGIANO PRIMITIVO
Producer: Cantina di Priocca
Variety: Primitivo
Vintage: 2013
Region: Puglia, Italy
Alcohol: 14.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $22.00
Date tasted: 16 July 2015

Tasting Note:
Mid-ruby. Open nose of baked plum and Christmas cake. Mid-weight, quite gentle and easy; baked plum and confit cherry, anise and fennel. Round and easy. Solid food style.
Score: 15.5/20

2013 CALABRIA PRIVATE BIN MONTEPULCIANO - THE REAL THING

As has been discussed on these pages previously, Australia’s warm inland regions (Riverland and Riverina) would appear to have a sound future with Italian varieties. The likes of Aglianico, Nero d’Avola and Montepulciano seem to make sense in dry, warm regions, conditions that are not unlike those of their native Italy.

Calabria’s Private Bin Montepulciano is further proof of the ability of the Riverina to produce varietally sound, highly drinkable, food friendly wines that deliver a lot more interest than generic branded Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Keeping with the variety, the wine is deeply coloured and full flavoured. It boasted a richly flavoured palate of blue and black fruits underpinned by fine tannins. There’s plenty in the glass here for a sub-$20 wine and quality-wise, it more than holds its own.

2013 CALABRIA PRIVATE BIN MONTEPULCIANO
Producer: Calabria
Variety: Montepulciano
Vintage: 2013
Region: Riverina, New South Wales
Alcohol: 14.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $18.00
Date tasted: 17 July 2015

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby. Lifted nose of cherry and blackberry compote. Medium bodied, upfront sweet fruit moving to savoury on the mid-palate. Plum-skin, blackberry and blueberry. Fine tannins sit in the background. Good length. Excellent value.
Score: 16/20

2012 NEBBIOLO BY SC PANNELL - INTERLOPER

Nebbiolo is very much in favour in this part of the world. Experience thus far suggests that north-west Italy’s great indigenous variety is particularly well suited to warmer sites in Australia’s cooler regions; the Adelaide Hills, Beechworth and the Yarra Valley. This particular example is sourced from a vineyard in Gumeracha in the Adelaide Hills. While by no means hot, it is warmer than the Piccadilly Valley.

Little needs to be said about Steve Pannell. His CV speaks for itself; former Chief Winemaker for Hardy’s, twice winemaker of the Jimmy Watson trophy winner – his list of achievements is a long wine.

Under his own label, Pannell has removed the shackles of that go with a large brand and is producing an eclectic selection of impeccably well made wines from his base in McLaren Vale and from the Adelaide Hills.

If the 2012 Nebbiolo by SC Pannell is anything to go by, Nebbiolo most definitely has a future in Australia. In terms of appearance, aromatics and on the palate, it is true to the variety. One might complain that that tannins are too silky and gentle for ‘true’ Nebbiolo. However, the gentle nature of this wine makes it an ideal segue for those new to the variety, Pinot Noir drinkers for example.

2012 NEBBIOLO BY SC PANNELL
Producer: SC Pannell
Variety: Nebbiolo
Vintage: 2012
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Alcohol: 14.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $35.00
Date tasted: 19 July 2015

Tasting Note:
Mid-garnet in appearance. Attractive nose of blackcurrant, tea leaves, freshly turned soil and undergrowth. Medium bodied, dry and savoury, slightly earthbound, touch of red fruit poking thorugh. Spice and leather carry the finish. Tannins are suave and lithe. Well made and authentic expression of the variety.
Score: 16.5/20

2013 CHAPOUTIER TOURNON ‘MATHILDA’ SHIRAZ - BLACK VELVET

The 2012 release of Chapoutier Tournon ‘Mathilda’ Shiraz was one of the best value wines on the market – Victoria Shiraz meets Rhone Syrah in a glass if you will. The 2013 vintage offering follows in a similar vein, albeit sporting some of the vintage’s puppy fat.

This is a very glossy, black-fruited Shiraz that is delicious to drink. At this point in time, it lacks the complexity and meaty, savoury quality of the excellent 2012. However, there is sufficient depth of fruit and structure to suggest that it could develop extremely well over the medium term.

In sum, this is another excellent effort from Chapoutier’s Australian operation. Savvy buyers who lay down a case or two may well have secured a genuine bargain.

2013 CHAPOUTIER TOURNON ‘MATHILDA’ SHIRAZ
Producer: Chapoutier
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 2013
Region: Pyrenees & Heathcote, Victoria
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $20.00
Date tasted: 3 June 2015

Tasting Note:
Mid crimson in appearance. Bright nose of black fruits, ground pepper and charcoal. Medium bodied, good mid-palate richness, direct black-fruited palate. Quite voluminous but by no means heavy. Well balanced. Should develop well over the medium term.
Score: 17/20

2006 SAN LEONARDO - DIFFERENT CLASS

Beyond Bordeaux, there are certain places in world where Cabernet Sauvignon excels. The Napa Valley is one, as is the Tuscan coast. Trentino, it Italy’s cool north, is somewhat of an outlier.

Tenuta San Leonardo is situated at the foot of the Dolomite Alps, a relatively cool site where Cabernet Sauvignon just manages to reach full ripeness. At its best, San Leonardo is the equal of the very best wines of Bordeaux – the 2006 is at least of 2nd growth quality, albeit it is slimmer in build.

This is a class act, alluring in perfume, satin-like in texture, with super-fine tannins lending structure. It will reward another 10 years in bottle and will hold for another decade thereafter. At around $150 a bottle it is by no means cheap, but put into context, it represents exceptional value for money.

2006 SAN LEONARDO
Producer: Tenuta San Leonardo
Variety: Cabernet et al
Vintage: 2006
Region: Trentino, Italy
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $150.00
Date tasted: 24 June 2015

Tasting Note:
Mid-crimson. Alluring nose of blackcurrant and plum, tilled earth, pencil shavings/graphite and woodsmoke. Medium bodied, elegant and very stylish – like a Valentino suit. Brilliant lustre. Satin-like; real sheen, polish and class. Tannins come to the fore with air. Needs another several years in bottle. Brilliant.
Score: 19/20

NV SEPPELTSFIELD AGED FLOR APERA DP116 - GOLD

No producer in Australia boasts a greater heritage for fortified wines than Seppeltsfield. Although it has been traded twice in the past 15 years and fortified wines are highly unfashionable, it continues to produce wines of exceptional quality.

In terms of style, Aged Flor Apera DP116 akin to an Amontillado. It is a serious, intellectual wine, bone-dry and hauntingly complex. It is a wine that arrests the senses and needs no accompaniment. Kudos to the team at Seppeltsfield for continuing to fly the flag for fortified wines. This is an exceptional wine that deserves to be ranked among the very best wines made in Australia.

NV SEPPELTSFIELD AGED FLOR APERA DP116
Producer: Seppeltsfield
Variety: Sherry
Vintage: Non-vintage
Region: Trentino, Italy
ABV: 21.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $40.00
Date tasted: 22 June 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright golden amber. Lifted bouquet of honey, freshly polished furniture, leather and grilled nuts. Touch of sweetness up-front, moving quickly to dry, leather, almonds, creamed honey. Lively acidity on the finish. Measures up well against benchmarks from Jerez.
Score: 18/20

2009 WARRABILLA LIMITED RELEASE ‘PAROLA’S’ DURIF - BIG BALLS

Some pundits complain of high alcohol in modern wines. They have a point, especially when it comes to the primary function of wine, to complement food at the dinner table. That said, there is a time and a place for what one might describe as exuberantly ripe wines.

When it comes to high alcohol, Durif, specifically Durif fron Rutherglen, is a variety that can ripen and high alcohol levels and remain balanced. It is not uncommon to see Rutherglen Durif at 15%-16% ABV.

At Warrabilla, things are taken a bit further. In the warm 2009 vintage, Warrabilla’s Limited Release ‘Parola’s’ Durif fermented out to a whopping 18% ABV, higher in alcohol than some fortified wines. Several years from vintage, the wine is in its adolescent phase, bearing the grainy tannins of youth.

Although it is undeniably Port-like, the wine is remarkably well balanced, showing no alcohol heat whatsoever. This is a divisive style, and perhaps intended to be! Those who like their wines full throttle, fully optioned with mag wheels and furry dice will find a lot to like.

2009 WARRABILLA LIMITED RELEASE ‘PAROLA’S’ DURIF
Producer: Warrabilla
Variety: Durif
Vintage: 2009
Region: Rutherglen, Victoria
ABV: 18.0%
Closure: Diam
Retail Price: $35.00
Date tasted: 2 June 2015

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby, with thick, viscous legs. Brooding nose of liqueur cherry and plum, dark chocolate, dessicated coconut and sweet vanillin. Full bodied, powerful, uber-intense, red berries laced in liqueur, Port-like. High in alcohol, but extremely well balanced – no heat whatsoever. Grainy tannins suggest the wine needs a few years to reach its peak.
Score: 16/20

2010 VIÑA FALERNIA CARMENÈRE RESERVA - PAINTED BLACK

The Bordeaux variety Carmenère is rarely seen in Australia. However, in Chile, where it was once mistaken for Merlot, it proliferates. There are many satisfactory if not particularly captivating examples of Carmenère in bottle. Many come over as Merlot look-a-likes; soft, plush and accessible with generous plum fruit and a herbal twist.

This particular wine, high-grown in the Elqui Valley, Chile’s northernmost wine-producing region, is a Carmenère with a twist, a Venetian one. The fruit was allowed to partially raisin prior to fermentation, increasing the wine’s potential alcohol.

The result of this Amarone-inspired wine is a deeply pigmented, intensely flavoured, somewhat alcoholic (but well balanced and in context) Carmenère. As such, it bears little comparison to most conventional examples of the variety. That, however, is not a negative, for this is a very sound wine that stands on its own two feet and delivers very good drinking for the money.

2010 VIÑA FALERNIA CARMENÈRE RESERVA
Producer: Viña Falernia
Variety: Carmenère
Vintage: 2010
Region: Elqui Valley, Chile
Alcohol: 15.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 14 June 2015

Tasting Note:
Impenetrable crimson verging on black in appearance. Intense nose of charcoal, liqueur cherries and plums, sweet vanilla pods. Initially a bit tight and reticent. Opens up with time. Full bodied, full flavoured and powerful. Rich and creamy, with lots of powerful dark berry fruit interwoven with toasty oak. Not particularly subtle, but largely achieves what it is trying to.
Score: 16/20

2012 PLANETA CHARDONNAY - POPCORN

Planeta is one of the names that placed Sicilian wine on the world map. Ironically, it did so primarily with international varieties, Chardonnay and Shiraz. Subsequently, Sicily’s palette of indigenous varieties has come to the fore; the likes of Carricante, Cataratto for white, Nero d’Avola and the two Nerellos (Mascalese and Cappuccio) for red.

When it first announced itself, Planeta Chardonnay was very much ‘New World’ in style, boldly flavoured and generously oaked. The 2012 release follows in similar vein. That said, it isn’t a simple heavily worked blockbuster. Although it is unquestionably a fully worked Chardonnay, there is good freshness on the plate, providing a sense of balance. All in all, this is a good wine, though in the Australian context it is perhaps slightly pricy.

2012 PLANETA CHARDONNAY
Producer: Planeta
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2012
Region: Sicily, Italy
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $65.00
Date tasted: 8 June 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright golden yellow. ‘Old School’ Chardonnay nose of buttered popcorn and forward spicy/nutty oak. Honeydew melon and grapefruit citrus in the background. The palate somewhat belies the nose, displaying greater freshness and a lively spine of acid. Quite full in body for a Chardonnay, but with good fruit intensity, balanced oak and fresh acidity. At the bolder end of the sprectrum but certainly not OTT.
Score: 16.5/20

2014 GARAGISTE ‘LE STAGIAIRE’ PINOT NOIR - MASTER'S APPRENTICE

Garagiste is an interesting boutique Mornington Peninsula producer. It doesn’t own any vineyard per se, but manages a number of sites from which it produces single vineyard expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

‘Le Stagiaire’ sits below the single site wines in the Garagiste range – a Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are made. The 2014 vintage rendition of Garagiste ‘Le Stagiaire’ Pinot Noir is right out of the box. At the weightier end of the Mornington Peninsula spectrum, it delivers a lovely balance of elegant red berry fruit, floral aromatics and whole bunch-derived complexity.

There’s a lot to like here, particularly given the wine’s affordable pricing. Although drinking well now, it should develop in bottle for 3-4 years, possibly longer.

2014 GARAGISTE ‘LE STAGIAIRE’ PINOT NOIR
Producer: Garagiste
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2014
Region: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 19 June 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Open nose of cherry stone/strawberry/raspberry, lifted florals (lilac, rose). Mulch/stems and tilled earth. Medium bodied, dry and savoury, fruit profile is in the sour cherry/pomegranate realm. Earthy complexity. Lovely texture and palate weight.
Score: 16.5/20

2014 OCHOTA BARRELS ‘FUGAZI VINEYARD’ GRENACHE - I CAN'T HELP MYSELF....

Although Grenache is one of Australia’s ‘foundation’ grape varieties, it has only been in the past couple of decades that we have come to terms with how to best vinify it. McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley boast some of the oldest stocks of bush vine Grenache. Until the 1980’s much of it was used as a component part in fortified Port styles.

Too many early examples of Grenache as a table wine were sweet and confected and lacking in structure. Some producers made the mistake of swamping the wine with new oak, obliterating the grape’s alluring aromatics.

In more recent times, we have seen a more sophisticated approach to Grenache, both as a blend and a single varietal. New oak has been downplayed, allowing the variety to express itself. The best examples of the variety, from the likes of Head and Spinifex, showcases the its natural fruit sweetness and spice, but are savoury at the core.

The use of whole bunch fermentation, hyper trendy with Pinot Noir and Shiraz, has been employed to some success with Grenache. In the case of Ochota Barrels ‘Fugazi Vineyard’ Grenache, judicious use of whole bunches has lightened the wine up and lent it aromatic lift. This is a pretty and gentle example of Grenache, and a successful one at that.

2014 OCHOTA BARRELS ‘FUGAZI VINEYARD’ GRENACHE
Producer: Ochota Barrels
Variety: Grenache
Vintage: 2014
Region: McLaren Vale, South Australia
Alcohol: 13.8%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $40.00
Date tasted: 20 June 2015

Tasting Note:
Transparent cherry red. Pretty nose of strawberry/raspberry compote, floral notes, twist of white pepper. Medium bodied, sappy, very bright, fresh and elegant. The savoury, Pinot-like face of Grenache. Plenty to enjoy here and now.
16.5/20

NV EQUIPO NAVAZOS FINO EN RAMA - EYE OF THE STORM

Although Sherry has undergone a revival in the past decade, it remains undervalued. Although it doesn’t own a bodega, Equipo Navazos is releasing some of the best examples of Sherry, as previously detailed on these pages.

What sets Equipo Navazos apart is the pungent intensity of its wines. The latest release of Equipo Navazos Fino En Rama is no exception. It is intensely briny and saline, a tidal wave of a wine in bottle. In the mouth, it literally arrests the senses. This is an exceptional bottling and a bargain at a mere $25 per 375ml bottle.

NV EQUIPO NAVAZOS FINO EN RAMA
Producer: Equipo Navazos
Variety: Sherry
Vintage: Non-vintage
Region: Jerez, Spain
Alcohol: 15.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 13 June 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright yellow with a distinct amber hue. Direct nose of briny sea air/ozone, orange zest, bruised apple and grapefruit pith. Assertively dry, saline. Life affirming stuff – doesn’t just tease the palate but wakes it up. Brilliant.
Score: 18/20