2010 GEVREY CHAMBERTIN VILLAGES by OLIVIER BERNSTEIN - PATIENCE

In less than a decade, Olivier Bernstein as establish himself as one of Burgundy’s leading micro-negociants. His wines are characterised by the sheen of new oak and pristine fruit picked at full ripeness. Cheap they are not, but it is fair to say that quality shines through the Bernstein portfolio.

His village level Gevrey Chambertin, from the 2010 vintage is a precocious youngster. It has shed some of the puppy fat of youth, but is in a transitory phase from youth to adolescence. It displays a complex array of red fruits, but remains tightly coiled, sinewy tannins asserting themselves. There is quality here, but this is a wine needing another 5 years in bottle to strut its stuff.

2010 GEVREY CHAMBERTIN VILLAGES by OLIVIER BERNSTEIN
Producer: Maison Oliver Bernstein
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2010
Region: Burgundy, France
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $100.00
Date tasted: 24 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Attractive nose of cherry, pomegranate and redcurrant, spicy oak. Dry, medium bodied, quite tightly coiled. Sour red fruits follow through from the nose, but you get the sense the wine is holding back a bit at present. Leave for 4-5 years.
Score: 16.5+/20

NV EL SIERRA MAESTRO FINO - I SHOULD LIVE IN SALT

El Maestro Sierra is a lesser known Jerez-based bodega founded in 1830. It was originally established by Jose Antonio Sierra, a cooper who made barrels for Gonzalez Byass. He eventually succeeded in his mission and established the bodega as one of the region’s leading almacenistas, supplying wine to larger houses.

These days, El Sierra Maestro bottles under its own name, and its Sherries are worth hunting down. At under $30 for a 750ml bottle, the Fino represents exceptional value for money. It possesses an intensely briny/saline personality overlaid by fresh sourdough. There’s lots to like here.

NV EL SIERRA MAESTRO FINO
Producer: Bodegas El Sierra Maestro
Variety: Sherry
Vintage: Non-vintage
Region: Jerez, Spain
ABV: 15.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $27.00
Date tasted: 24 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright lemon yellow. Attractive nose of freshly baked sourdough, ozone, brine/fish rope, honeyed/nutty notes. Bone dry and limpid, saline, suggestions of brioche/sourdough. Finishes long and fine. Delicious and exceptional value for money.
Score: 17/20

2014 THICK AS THIEVES ‘THE SHOW PONY’ - A HORSE WITH NO NAME

For many, Sauvignon Blanc is a ‘take it or leave it’ grape, its herbaceous personality being somewhat devisive. Introduce it to wood, and it can be a more interesting customer, the barrel fermentation lending texturing and toning down its more extreme traits.

‘The Show Pony’, from one-man show Thick as Thieves just about gets it right. It possesses a delicate, citrus-laden (grapefruit, lemon) palate, grassy/herbaceous notes emerging over time with air. It’s not a super complex wine, but refreshes and would be a more than able dinner table companion to simply grilled fish with a green salad.

2014 THICK AS THIEVES ‘THE SHOW PONY’
Producer: Thick as Thieves
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2014
Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria
ABV: 12.4%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $26.00
Date tasted: 18 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery yellow in appearance. Grapefruit pith, lemon zest, slightly herbaceous. Dry, medium bodied, round shouldered and compact, citrusy, becoming more grassy/herbaceous with aeration. A very solid wine, the barrel ferment lending texture.
Score: 16/20

2013 KELVEDON ESTATE PINOT NOIR - HIGH FIDELITY

Kelvedon Estate is a small Swansea-based vineyard producing small volumes of estate-bottled Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Most of its fruit is contracted, with all of the Chardonnay fruit sold to the House of Arras, and Pinot Noir sold under contract to Bay of Fires.

With demand from prestigious premium labels, it is no surprise that the estate wines are pretty classy. Kelvedon Estate Pinot Noir is a very impressive modern Australian Pinot Noir, with a relatively modest price-tag.

There is real quality to be had here, with depth and structure that should support medium term cellaring.

2013 KELVEDON ESTATE PINOT NOIR
Producer: Kelvedon Estate
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2013
Region: East Coast, Tasmania
ABV: 13.9%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $40.00
Date tasted: 19 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright ruby. Clean nose of cherry, plum and smoky oak. Dry, initially fruit-driven but with good structure, depth of flavour and balancing acidity. Cherry, plum, raspberry and pomegranate interwoven with spicy oak. Impressive intensity and length. Has the structure to develop well in bottle.
Score: 17/20

2014 DENIS POMMIER PETIT CHABLIS - LITTLE BY LITTLE

2014 has widely been talked of as an excellent vintage for white Burgundy and Chablis. The quality of the vintage shines through in this modest Petit Chablis from Denis Pommier. Although relatively simple, it has excellent fruit intensity and a touch of gunflint one associates with Chablis.

There is a lot to like about Pommier’s Petit Chablis. It is a wine that delivers well above the appellation norm and is dangerously drinkable.

2014 DENIS POMMIER PETIT CHABLIS
Producer: Denis Pommier
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2014
Region: Burgundy, France
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $33.00
Date tasted: 12 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale greenish yellow. Typical nose of fresh green apples, lemon zest, touch of gunflint. Dry, medium bodied, very fresh and bright. Excellent fruit intensity for a modest appellation. Relatively simple, yet extremely moreish. Refreshing and delicious.
Score: 16/20

2014 PODERE 414 TOSCANA ROSATO 'FLOWER POWER' - SINK THE PINK

Little needs to be said about Podere 414’s Sangiovese-based Rosato than ‘bloody delicious’. Delicate, pretty and dry, it is a fine, refreshing rose that is immensely satisfying on its own, wih a Caesar salad or just about anything. One bottle is simply not enough!

2014 PODERE 414 TOSCANA ROSATO 'FLOWER POWER'
Producer: Podere 414
Variety: Rose
Vintage: 2014
Region: Tuscany, Italy
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $28.00
Date tasted: 14 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale orangey pink. Pretty nose of strawberry and redcurrant. Delicate and gentle, the palate in the same vein as the nose, lemony acidity carrying the finish. Does what one wants from a good rose – sates and refreshes.
Score: 16/20

2014 CA DEI FRATI LUGANA BIANCO - LADY OF THE LAKE

Lugana was the very first DOC to be registered in Lombardy and one of the first in Italy. The grape in question here is a localised variant of Trebbiano, Trebbiano di Lugana, also known as Turbiana. In the hands of benchmark producer Ca dei Frati, it produces an attractive, aromatic wine capable of developing in bottle for several years.

Although 2014 was a challenging vintage in northern Italy, the 2014 Lugana Bianco from Ca dei Frati is, if anything, more immediately complex than the 2013 that preceded it. Although acidity drives the structure of the wine, it possesses a complex array of orchard, stone and citrus fruits, an exotic twist of apricot blossom lending further interest.  

2014 CA DEI FRATI LUGANA BIANCO 
Producer: Ca dei Frati
Variety: Trebbiano di Lugana (Turbiana)
Vintage: 2014
Region: Lombardy, Italy
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $38.00
Date tasted: 4 December 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright yellow. Attractive nose of pear, apricot blossom, acacia, lemon citrus. Dry, medium bodied, vibrant and lively, fresh acidity. Zippier and zestier than the 2013 of the same wine. Melange of orchard fruits and citrus with a twist of apricot on the finish. More please!
Score: 17/20

2014 SHAW + SMITH RIESLING - INTERLOPER

Shaw + Smith is best known for its iconic Sauvignon Blanc and excellent M3 Chardonnay. However, with Adam Wadewitz, formerly of Best’s Great Western, in charge of winemaking, it is logical that there should be a Riesling in the line-up.

This particular wine is sourced from a vineyard in Echunga, some distance from the Shaw + Smith winery in Balhannah. The 2014 is quite backward, perhaps lacking some of the more flamboyant aspects of Adelaide Hills Riesling (see earlier tasting notes on Kanta Riesling 2010).

There is clearly good potential here, and with the Shaw + Smith team behind it, this could be another star in the making.

2014 SHAW + SMITH RIESLING
Producer: Shaw + Smith
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2014
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 11.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 23 November 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery yellow in appearance. Clean aromatic nose of crab apple, lime zest and talc. Dry, steely, slightly austere, tart green apple, lemon/lime. Slightly backward. Acidity provides the structure. Solid.
Score: 16/20

NV ANDRÉ CLOUET BRUT RÉSERVE - i'M FOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES

Based in the village of Bouzy, André Clouet is the source of some of the best value examples of Pinot Noir-dominant Champagne. Its Brut Réserve is a delight to drink showcasing delicate red fruits. The dosage is modest, providing for a dry, but not austere, wine that is dangerously drinkable. More please!

NV ANDRÉ CLOUET BRUT RÉSERVE
Producer: André Clouet
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: Non-vintage
Region: Champagne, France
ABV: 12.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $60.00
Date tasted: 23 November 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery yellow in appearance. Fine persistent bubbles. Bright nose of candied red fruits, slightly floral. Dry, elegant, very plush on the palate. Red fruits follow through. Not a great deal of autolysis, but delicious and moreish. Top notch grower fizz.
Score: 16.5/20

2012 PRESSING MATTERS RIESLING R0 - UNDER PRESSURE

Tasmania is arguably the darling of the Australian wine scene at present – superb Pinot Noirs, vibrant Chardonnay, Australia’s best sparkling wines and then you have Domaine A, source of Australia’s best Sauvignon Blanc and exceptional Bordeaux-like Cabernet Sauvignon.

Riesling is another thing that Tasmania does exceptionally well. This example, from Pressing Matters, shows typical Tasmanian Riesling characters of apple and pear. Three years from vintage, it is showing some bottle development and may well be starting to enter the Riesling dip, with the vibrant primary fruit fading ever so slightly. This is a solid Tasmanian Rieslin, distinct from Clare and Edent Valley examples.

2012 PRESSING MATTERS RIESLING R0
Producer: Pressing Matters
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2012
Region: Coal River Valley, Tasmania
ABV: 11.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 22 November 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery yellow in appearance. Attractive nose – straight from the apple orchard, pear, lemon citrus. Bone dry, showing a touch of development on the palate – rounded. Decent drive, but lacks ‘wow’ factor – may be entering the Riesling dip.
Score: 16/20

2015 PIKES ‘TRADITIONALE’ RIESLING - ORIGINAL

Pikes is one of the ‘big guns’ of the Clare Valley. There comes a point when Clare Valley Riesling can become a little tiresome, even for a Riesling-lover like this imbiber. The stereotypical lemon/lime profile of Clare Valley Riesling can become a touch one-dimensional.

Pikes ‘Traditionale’ Riesling 2015 is a step up from run of the mill Clare Valley Riesling, pear and apple fruits sitting alongside lemon and lime citrus with a floral twist lending further complexity. Although there is plenty to enjoy now, this wine should develop well in bottle over the medium term.

2015 PIKES ‘TRADITIONALE’ RIESLING
Producer: Pikes
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2015
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
ABV: 12.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 19 November 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery yellow in appearance. Attractive nose of apple, pear, lemon zest and lime. Dry. Good fruit intensity in a similar realm to the bouquet. More vibrant and complex than your average Clare Valley Riesling. Good length. Should develop well, but plenty to enjoy now.
Score: 16.5/20

2012 KILIKANOON PRODIGAL GRENACHE - THE GOOD SON

Going back to the late 1980’s, Grenache was starting to witness a revival in Australia, inspired by the likes of Charles Melton with his Nine Popes. Many examples of Australian Grenache at this time suffered from being overly sweet and confected, clumsy oak handling making matters worse.

Australian Grenache has come a long way in 25-30 years, to the extent that contemporary examples are savoury, spicy and expressive of their place of origin. When we think of Grenache in Australia, the Barossa Valley and McLaren Valley are the first regions that come to mind. Leading Clare Valley producer, Kilikanoon, has long championed Grenache.

Its Prodigal Grenache, from the excellent 2012 vintage, is a stylish example of modern Australian Grenache. It may not have the depth or complexity of the very best examples of Grenache, but there is plenty to enjoy in a sweet, savoury and spicy sort of a way.

2012 KILIKANOON PRODIGAL GRENACHE
Producer: Kilikanoon
Variety: Grenache
Vintage: 2012
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 15 November 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright plum red in appearance. Clean nose of spiced plum and confit cherry, strawberry. Dry, full bodied, plenty of up-front fruit, but not over the top. Moves to savoury on the mid-palate, with spice and tar lending complexity on the finish. Australian Grenache has come a long way and this is a solid example.
Score: 16/20