2016 BRACKENWOOD GAMAY PINOT NOIR - BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

As a country that enjoys warm to hot summers, it is remarkable that it has taken so long to recognise that there is a place for brisk, light-heeled summery red wines. In some ways, it goes against our tradition, one that was started in warm climate regions such as the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.

In the past decade or so there has been a collective lightening up of wine Australia – lighter, brighter and fresher have become the order of the day. This has not come at the expense of ripeness, though it is fair to say that acidity plays a more prominent and positive role. For those who value drinkability, refreshment and compatibility with food, this shift in philosophy has been a positive one.

Adelaide Hills winery Brackenwood, located in the hills above McLaren Vale, seems to be very much in keeping with the times. It’s biodynamically farmed Gamay and Pinot Noir blend weighs in at a modest 12.2% alcohol by volume. It is light on its feet, fresh and bright. It might not be tremendously complex, but that isn’t the point here; this is a wine that is about sheer drinkability. In that respect, it delivers in spades.

2016 BRACKENWOOD GAMAY PINOT NOIRProducer: Brackenwood Vineyard
Variety: Gamay, Pinot Noir
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 12.2%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $24.00
Date tasted: 22 January 2017

Tasting Note:
Transparent cherry red. Straightforward nose of pomegranate and strawberry. Light on its feet, polite and genteel. Savoury. Delicate red fruits. Light bright and easy. Good summer red.
Score: 15.5/20

2012 DOG POINT SECTION 94 SAUVIGNON BLANC - GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc aka ‘Savvy’ has been a victim of its own success. So commoditised has it become that respected brands such as Wither Hills are regularly discounted to less than $15 per bottle. Drinkers who once swore by Sauvignon Blanc, preferably from Marlborough, have abandoned it in favour of Pinto Gris/Grigio and revitalised Chardonnay.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc aka ‘Savvy’ has been a victim of its own success. So commoditised has it become that respected brands such as Wither Hills are regularly discounted to less than $15 per bottle. Drinkers who once swore by Sauvignon Blanc, preferably from Marlborough, have abandoned it in favour of Pinto Gris/Grigio and revitalised Chardonnay.

Along the way, we have forgotten that, at its best, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is actually a very good drink. Dog Point has long been a standard bearer for high quality Marlbrough Sauvignon Blanc. Little surprise that the 2012 vintage release of Section 94 is rather good juice.

This is a powerfully charged, intense expression of Sauvignon Blanc. There’s no lack of acidity, which provides the wine’s building blocks from a structural standpoint. In terms of fruit profile, the wine is unmistakeably New World. However, its extrovert tendencies are sufficiently tempered so the wine avoids falling into caricature. If you’ve fallen out of love with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc this is the sort of wine that will rekindle the flame. 

2012 DOG POINT SECTION 94 SAUVIGNON BLANC

Producer: Dog Point

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Marlborough, New Zealand

ABV: 13.5%

Closure: Screw cap

Retail Price: $38.00

Date tasted: 21 January 2017

Tasting Note:

Pale silvery yellow with hints of green. Unmistakable Marlborough Sauvignon nose of tropical fruit (passionfruit, guava), nettles, cut grass and grapefruit zest. Medium bodied, very powerful – wonderful drive and intensity. Thunderous natural acidity delivers considerable cut and thrust. The flavour profile is intense and reflects the nose. Green bean and capsicum lend vegetal notes. The classy side of Marlborough.

Score: 17/20

2015 JEAN-MARC BURGAUD BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES ‘LES VIGNES DE THULON’ - I GOT THE POWER

There once was a time when Beaujolais was feigned upon; a source of juicy, fruity wines with notes of bubblegum from carbonic maceration, but little more. Those days are long past. Indeed, there is strong evidence to suggest that Beaujolais is the most interesting and dynamic region in France at present.

A new generation of growers and the arrival of domaines from the Cote d’Or has produced an exciting environment. As it stands, Beaujolais remains exceptional value for money, its very best and sought after wines selling at well under $100 per bottle. Hitherto, it remains somewhat of an ‘insiders’ region. The excellent 2015 vintage may well be a break-out year for Beaujolais.

We have seen the wines of Jean-Marc Burgaud on a number of occasions. This 2015 displays remarkable intensity and power for a Beaujolais Villages. Although brooding and powerful (given the appellation), there is no sense of over-extraction or excess. Harmony and balance are the bywords here.

2015 JEAN-MARC BURGAUD BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES ‘LES VIGNES DE THULON’
Producer: Jean-Marc Burgaud
Variety: Gamay
Region: Beaujolais, France
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $33.00
Date tasted: 14 January 2017

Tasting Note:
Mid-crimson in appearance. Intense nose of black cherry and fruit of the forest compote. The palate is similarly full-flavoured, with powerful yet assured forest fruit. Tannins are near imperceptible. Well balanced and long. Impressive!
Score: 17+/20

2016 TOMFOOLERY ‘YOUNG BLOOD’ GRENACHE - LET IT BLEED

If you want to see just how far Australian Grenache has come, look no further than Tomfoolery’s ‘Young Blood’ Grenache. This is a compact, elegant and savoury wine with restrained alcohol. As such, it is a major departure from Grenache of the 1980’s, many examples of which were sweet jammy and alcoholic.

When done well, Grenache can be every bit as sophisticated and refined as Pinot Noir. Tomfoolery ‘Young Blood’ Grenache may not be particularly complex, but it excels in sophistry.

2016 TOMFOOLERY ‘YOUNG BLOOD’ GRENACHE
Producer: Tomfoolery
Variety: Grenache
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
ABV: 13.9%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $26.00
Date tasted: 7 January 2017

Tasting Note:
Transparent cherry red. Attractive nose of forest fruit coulis, white pepper, spice. Medium bodied, compact and elegant. Very dry and savoury – no confected jammy mess here. Sour cherry, kirsch and peppery spice. Not super complex but very drinkable. More please!
Score: 16.5/20

2007 ALLANDALE SEMILLON - TEENAGE KICKS

Hunter Valley Semillon is one of Australia’s most distinctive wine styles. With its modest alcohol and crisp acidity, it is a stereotype challenging wine. Before the evolution of screw caps, cellaring Hunter Semillon was like a game of Russian roulette. Oxidation was the enemy more than cork taint.

Ten years on from vintage, Allandale Semillon is drinking as fresh as a daisy. With this wine, you can really see why it was once called Hunter River Chablis. But for a twist of briny oyster shell minerality, you could easily mistake it for a good quality generic Chablis. However, Chablis it is not. It is Hunter Valley Semillon, unashamedly Australian.

2007 ALLANDALE SEMILLON
Producer: Allandale
Variety: Semillon
Region: Hunter Valley, New South Wales
ABV: 11.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 14 January 2017

Tasting Note:
Bright greenish yellow. Direct nose of lemon citrus, grapefruit pith and green apple. Bony dry, medium bodied citrus and wet stone. Still drinking young – several years from full maturity. Good drinking. Underlines the quality of Hunter Valley Semillon.
Score: 16/20

2014 DOMAINE PAGET TOURAINE AZAY LE RIDEAU ‘OPUS’ - OPUS 40

We’ll start this post with a disclosure – yours truly is strongly predisposed towards Chenin Blanc. This particular example presents further support for Chenin’s candidacy as one of the world’s great grape variety.

This is ripe, flamboyant and exotic expression of Chenin with a slightly hedonistic bent. Just off-dry, it delivers a panoply of exotic fruits – citrus, tropical and orchard. There’s a lot to like here – this is a wine with real personality – an extrovert.

2014 DOMAINE PAGET TOURAINE AZAY LE RIDEAU ‘OPUS’
Producer: Domaine Paget
Variety: Chenin Blanc
Region: Loire Valley, France
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $41.00
Date tasted: 1 January 2017

Tasting Note:
Golden yellow. Aromatic nose of candied lime/lemon peel, pineapple, honeydew melon and apple blossom. Slightly smoky. Dry, medium bodied. Soft and pillowy in texture. Genuine weight and depth. Real sweet and sour going on – reminds me of gummy bears! Full flavoured and exotic. Would be a good dinner table wine, especially with lightly spiced dishes.
Score: 17/20

2016 OLIVER’S TARANGO FIANO - THE FIANO MAN

Oliver’s Tarango was one of the pioneers of Fiano in Australia. In a warm climate such as McLaren Vale, Fiano makes sense given its proven ability to retain acidity when grown in warmer climes.

This particular example suggests that the variety is on track. Aromatically, it is all about stonefruit, citrus, with just a touch of salty sea air. On the palate, it is solid when consumed on its own. However, served with food, in this case char-grilled octopus, it really shines. This was a seamless combination, a case of one plus one equals three.

The case for Fiano and other so-called alternative varieties such as Vermentino is compelling and makes a hell of a lot more sense than McLaren Vale Chardonnay.

2016 OLIVER’S TARANGO FIANO
Producer: Oliver’s Taranga
Variety: Fiano
Region: McLaren Vale, South Australia
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 31 December 2016

Tasting Note:
Bright greenish yellow. Clean nose of white nectarine, grapefruit pith and ozone/sea air. Dry, medium bodied, nice texture, fine undertow of acidity. Grapefruit and candied lemon peel. Slightly saline. Good length. A wonderful match with grilled octopus and Greek salad. Good representation of the variety.
Score: 16.5/20

2016 HODDLES CREEK PINOT BLANC - OKAY

Hoddles Creek Estate is rightly respected for its excellent quality, well priced Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. This Pinot Blanc, although fresh and bright, doesn’t quite live up to the very high standard of the estate’s other offerings.

Just off-dry, it is delivers simple white peach and pear fruit. On the whole, it’s a solid aperitif wine, but nothing more.

2016 HODDLES CREEK PINOT BLANC
Producer: Hoddles Creek Estate
Variety: Pinot Blanc
Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $22.00
Date tasted: 2 January 2017

Tasting Note:
Greenish yellow in appearance. Straightforward nose of white peach and pear. Slighly off-dry, medium bodied, relatively low acidity. Simple and direct on the palate. Not bad, but not particularly exciting either. Improved alongside food, but nothing special.
Score: 15/20

2016 PUNT ROAD GAMAY - JUICY FRUIT

Gamay is often seen and as the poor cousin of Pinot Noir. That said, Beaujolais is arguably the most exciting region in France at present. The fact that many producers from the Cote d’Or are making wines from the Gamay grape in Beaujolais is vindication of its quality.

Here in Australia, Sorrenberg, Bass Phillip and Eldridge Estate at the standard bearers for Gamay. If this modestly priced example from Punt Road is anything to go by, others might want to consider its merits.

2016 was the first release of Punt Road Gamay, the fruit having been grafted over from Viognier. This is a delicious drink me now debut. This is not a complex wine, but a simply delicious wine that begs to be drunk. If there is a wine made for backyard gatherings, this is it.

2016 PUNT ROAD GAMAY
Producer: Punt Road
Variety: Gamay
Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $23.00
Date tasted: 23 December 2016

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Direct nose of red cherry and raspberry, both of which flow through to the palate. Sweet-fruited and irresistible. Straightforward and simple juicy red fruit, but dangerously drinkable. Hard to put the glass down! Does everything you could want – light, bright, fresh and moreish.
Score: 16/20

NV JEAN PERNET CUVEE PRESTIGE BLANC DE BLANCS - BUBBLE BOY

Based in the village of Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Jean Pernet is a small Champagne house making good value Champagnes. Not surprisingly given its base in the heart of the Cote de Blancs, Chardonnay plays an important role at Jean Pernet.

Cuvee Prestige is the standout from the Pernet range. Based on 100% Chardonnay sourced primarily from Le Mesnil Sur Oger, it is a wonderfully fine and elegant Champagne. Typical Chardonay flavours come through in the form of lemon citrus and green apple, overlaid by gingerbread and exotic spice.

NV JEAN PERNET CUVEE PRESTIGE BLANC DE BLANCS
Producer: Jean Pernet
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Champagne, France
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $80.00
Date tasted: 24 December 2016

Tasting Note:
Very fine mousse and persistent bead. Inviting nose of freshly grilled brioche, pain d’epice, candied lemon peel. Dry, very fine and elegant. Delicate and soft, yeast autolysis comes through on the palate against green apple and lemon citrus. Slightly chalky in texture. Complex and long. Classy stuff.
Score: 17.5/20

2015 CHATEAU DE L’AUMERAUDE CUVEE MARIE-CHRISTINE - I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN

The pink wines of Provence have taken all before them in the past few years here in Australia. The ascent of Provence rose reflects marked growth in the rose category as a whole. No other style of rose has seduced drinkers more than the pale salmon pink wines of Provence.

Bone dry and with attractive strawberries and cream aromatics, Provence rose delivers exactly what modern, well-travelled drinkers want in a glass of rose. Throw in a bit of Cote d’Azur glamour and you’ve got the full package.

Not all Provence rose is great wine. Many examples are made to a pricepoint and flatter to deceive. Cuvee Marie-Christine, the flagship cuvee of Chateau de l’Aumerade delivers pretty much everything once could want from a Provence rose - lifted aromatics, savoury, textured palate and great fruit intensity – now where’s the bouillabaisse?!

2015 CHATEAU DE L’AUMERAUDE CUVEE MARIE-CHRISTINE
Producer: Chateau de l’Aumerade
Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault
Region: Provence, France
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Plastic cork
Retail Price: $38.00
Date tasted: 22 December 2016

Tasting Note:
Pale salmon pink. Attractive nose of macerated strawberries, cherry blossom and melon. Dry, medium bodied, needs time to open up. Soft and plush. Delicate strawberry, melon fruits. Slightly creamy in texture. Good length. Classy rose.
Score: 16.5/20

2014 FRANCOIS CHIDAINE MONTLOUIS-SUR-LOIRE ‘LES TUFFEAUX’ - WHITE CHALK

At its best, Chenin Blanc is the source of truly world class wine whether it be bone dry, off-dry or lusciously sweet. This particular example, from Francois Chidaine, is class personified. That it is so impressive is of little surprise as Chidaine is very much in the top tier of Loire Chenin producers and 2014 was an exceptional vintage in this part of the world.

As is the case with top Chenin Blanc, this wine is as much about texture as it is about aromatics and flavour. The wine has real palate weight and structure. It is a powerful wine with great drive. In some respects, it is a white wine that possesses the underlying structure of a red wine.

There’s a plenty of promise here. With the benefit of a decade or so in the cellar, it should be singing.

2014 FRANCOIS CHIDAINE MONTLOUIS-SUR-LOIRE ‘LES TUFFEAUX’
Producer: Francois Chidaine
Variety: Chenin Blanc
Region: Loire Valley, France
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $65.00
Date tasted: 23 December 2016

Tasting Note:
Silvery yellow. Crushed chalk, bruised red apples and spice. Just off-dry, medium bodied, structured and serious. Brooding and powerful. Apple, crushed minerals. Very long and fine. Tightly coiled. Acidity is enveloped by the weight of the wine. Should develop well with bottle age.
Score: 17+/20