2015 VON SCHUBERT MAXIMIN GRUNHAUS ‘MAXIM’ RIESLING - APPLE OF MY EYE

Riesling comes in many guises. Few styles of Riesling are more palatable than off-dry wines from Germany. Such is the case with ‘Maxim’ Riesling from the Ruwer. This is not a complex wine, but it is a wine that is simply made to drink. Green apple, pear and twist of lemony acidity is all you need for a perfect aperitif. There’s a touch of residual sugar, held in check by lively acidity. Drink it while it is young and fresh.

2015 VON SCHUBERT MAXIMIN GRUNHAUS ‘MAXIM’ RIESLING
Producer: C Von Schubert
Variety: Riesling
Region: Mosel, Germany
ABV: 10.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $33.00
Date tasted: 17 September 2017

Tasting Note:
Pale greenish yellow. Direct nose of green apple and pear. Slightly off-dry, good drive and poise. Simple and straightforward apple/pear orchard fruit. Very clean and fine. Very easy drinking.
Score: 16/20

2015 MILLTON VINEYARD ‘LA COTE’ PINOT NOIR - JE T'AIME

Established in 1984, Milton Vineyard is a veteran of the Gisborne region. The vineyard is certified organic and biodynamic. There’s a real European sensibility apparent here, from the name of the wine ‘La Cote’ through to the wine itself.

Some New Zealand Pinot Noirs, particularly those from Central Otago, can be guilty of being over-fruited. Milton ‘La Cote’ Pinot Noir sits outside of the New Zealand Pinot Noir norm, and is all the better for it. This is a wine with a savoury sensibility – dry and earthy, it shares more in common with good red Burgundy than the plethora of sweet-fruited Kiwi Pinots.

There is plernty to like here for those looking for a element of sophistication in their Pinot Noir. Drinkers accustomed to easy, fruit forward Pinot might find they need a glass or two to warm to its sterner savoury personality, but engagement will be rewarded. This is high quality Pinot Noir and reasonably priced to boot.

2015 MILLTON VINEYARD ‘LA COTE’ PINOT NOIR
Producer: Milton Vineyards
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Gisborne, New Zealand
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $35.00
Date tasted: 12 September 2017

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Alluring nose of freshly tilled earth, truffle, black cherry and subtle oak spice. Medium bodied, pert and savoury. Dry, earthy palate, filled out by suggestions of spice and red fruits. Serious stuff, for what it is. A good drink – food style.
Score: 16.5/20

2015 ROSE KENTISH SHIRAZ TEMPRANILLO MOURVEDRE - WE'RE GOING TO IBIZA!

Amid the flurry for Italian varieties in this part of the world, Tempranillo has been rather lost in the conversation. Yes, there are a good number of examples of Tempranillo from Australia, both as a single varietal and as a blend. However, Tempranillo doesn’t seem to be as ‘on trend’ as the likes of Nebbiolo and Sangiovese.

Former Ulithorne winemaker Rose Kentish has fashioned a delicious wine from McLaren Vale, blending two of the region’s cornerstone varieties, Shiraz and Mourvedre, with Tempranillo. The result is a wine that is composed and savoury, a touch of Spain in South Australia. In terms of sheer drinkability, it has plenty to offer. At a mere $25 per bottle, it delivers excellent value for money.

2015 ROSE KENTISH SHIRAZ TEMPRANILLO MOURVEDRE
Producer: Rose Kentish
Variety: Tempranillo et al
Region: McLaren Vale, South Australia
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 15 September 2017

Tasting Note:
Deep plum red. Bright nose of sarsaparilla, cola, blood plum and cherry. Hints of tar. Dry, medium bodied, well judged extract. The Tempranillo really comes through, lending the wine a distinctive savoury quality. Lovely balance all round. Real Iberian feel to the wine. Good drinking. Excellent value.
Score: 16.5+/20

2008 ISOLE E OLENA CEPPARELLO - PERFECT!

Year in, year out, Isole e Olena Cepparello is rated as one of Italy’s best wines. Made from 100% Sangiovese and matured a substantially new French oak barriques, it is a quintessentially Tuscan super-Tuscan. While there is a sheen of polished oak here, there is no question as to the wine’s origin or authenticity.

2008 doesn’t stand as one of the great vintage of the noughties, at least not when measured against the likes of 2001, 2004 and 2006. However, Paolo de Marchi and family made an excellent Cepparello in 2008.

This particular bottle, entering its drinking window, showed extremely well. It was paired with a slow cooked lamb shoulder ragu. The flavours of tomato, fennel seed and olive in the dish were made for high quality Sangiovese, and Cepparello was a nigh perfect match. This wine is proof positive that so-called lesser vintages can deliver plenty of pleasure.

2008 ISOLE E OLENA CEPPARELLO
Producer: Isole e Olena
Variety: Sangiovese
Region: Tuscany, Italy
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $100.00
Date tasted: 10 September 2017

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Alluring nose of morello cherry, sandalwood, spice and leather. Medium bodied, very suave and polished. Savoury, slightly earthy, well knit – a wine that is very ‘together – everything is in the right place. Absolutely perfect match for gnocchi with a lamb shoulder ragu.
Score: 18.5/20

NV TIO PEPE FINO ‘EN RAMA’ - RAW HIDE!

The bottling of Manzanilla and Fino in its raw state, ‘en rama’, has been one of the great developments in the world of Sherry in the past decade. For most of us, it is as close as we can get to tasting a wine direct from the solera.

It is particularly pleasing to see that large players such as Gonzalez Byass have embraced innovations such as this. Tio Pepe is always a good drink, notwithstanding the large volumes in which it is made. Tio Pepe ‘En Rama’ takes things to another level. It is a truly exciting wine, with notes of grilled hazelnuts, freshly baked sourdough bread and salty sea air. The added punch here is due to the wine being bottled in spring, when the layer of flor is at its thickest.

This is a new wine to the Australian market. Let’s hope sommeliers and consumers embrace it, as it is utterly delicious. More please!

NV TIO PEPE FINO ‘EN RAMA’
Producer: Gonzalez-Byass
Variety: Sherry
Region: Jerez, Spain
ABV: 15.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $45.00
Date tasted: 9 September 2017

Tasting Note:
Bright golden yellow. Engaging and alluring nose of grilled nuts, freshly baked sourdough, distinctive saline note. Full in body, intensely flavoured, great drive and power. Brine, grilled hazelnuts and sourdough. Delicious and a perfect match for Serrano ham.
Score: 17.5/20

2008 DALWHINNIE MOONAMBEL SHIRAZ - TEENAGE DIRTBAG

Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz is a Victorian Shiraz icon with a history running over 30 years. Almost 10 years on from vintage seemed an appropriate time to check on the 2008. On this showing, the wine is going through a slightly awkward adolescence.

There’s sweet fruit aplenty, and the tannins are all but resolved. However, the wine seems a little bit disjointed at present, aromatically and on the palate.

This bottle was the first of a six-pack. On this evidence, it need another few years for the component parts to come together. In view of the fine pedigree of this marque, on will reserve judgement for the time being.

2008 DALWHINNIE MOONAMBEL SHIRAZ
Producer: Dalwhinnie
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Region: Pyrenees, Victoria
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $65.00
Date tasted: 9 September 2017

Tasting Note:
Bright crimson. Melange of red, blue and black fruits, tar, charcoal, floral notes. Sweet fruited up-front, medium bodied, a little bit disjointed at first but comes together and fills out with air. Silky in texture, blueberries and dark plums, touch of charry oak. Could be going through a slightly awkward stage?
Score: 16/20

2013 VALLANA COLLINE NOVARESI SPANNA - YOU'RE JUST TO HIP, BABY

If there is a grape variety of the moment, it has to be Nebbiolo. Now that Pinot Noir is such a powerhouse, it seems that some drinkers have progressed to variety that possesses many of Pinot Noir’s traits, but with added ‘attitude’.

It is also fair to say, that many have been priced out of red Burgundy, and are looking to park their money elsewhere. The Nebbiolo-based wines of Piedmont are a logical alternative. However, good Barolo and Barbaresco do not come cheaply.

The popularity of Nebbiolo has contributed to a revival of the wines of Alto Piedmont, the northernmost part of Piedmont that literally sits at the foot of the alps. Antonio is a long term player in this part of the world, best known for its delicious Gattinara.

The estate’s Spanna, the local name for Nebbiolo, from the Novare hills, is a delicious example of Nebbiolo. The strong 2013 vintage has produced a sturdily framed wine with great depth of flavour. It is very earthy in feel, with notes of undergrowth and roasted spice. With food, there is plenty to enjoy now, but there is plenty of fuel in the tank.

2013 VALLANA COLLINE NOVARESI SPANNA
Producer: Antonia Vallana
Variety: Nebbiolo
Region: Piedmont, Italy
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Diam
Retail Price: $40.00
Date tasted: 19 August 2017

Tasting Note:
Bright garnet. Earthy, mushroom, forest floor, old wood. Medium bodied, dry and savoury, nice rounded tannins Very earthbound in character, balsamic notes, roasted spices. Very varietal and good value.
Score: 16.5+/20

NV SANCHEZ AYALA ‘GABRIELA’ MANZANILLA’ - OH SHERRY!

Not much needs to be said about this wine other than it is Manzanilla that does what it says on the label. At $20 per 375ml bottle, it’s the sort of wine that you want to rip out of the fridge, pour in the glass and sip back. Bring on the olives and boquerones!

NV SANCHEZ AYALA ‘GABRIELA’ MANZANILLA’
Producer: Sanchez Ayala
Variety: Sherry
Region: Jerez, Spain
ABV: 15.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $20.00
Date tasted: 26 August 2017

Tasting Note:
Bright lemon yellow. Creamed honey, sourdough, ozone/sea breeze. Light, brisk and easy. Round on the palate. Easy going, touch of lemon zest, sourdough bread and grilled almonds.
Score: 16/20

2011 GIACONDA ESTATE CHARDONNAY - WORK IN PROGRESS

Giaconda Estate Chardonnay is rightfully considered to be the best example of its type in Australia. The wet 2011 vintage presented many challenges, but Chardonnay was one variety that seemed to prosper. On release, this wine was taut and unyielding, with a distinctive struck match character.

Six years on, the wine most definitely shows some development. The marked sulphide notes of youth have all but disappeared, stonefruit, apple/pear and nutty oak to the fore. On the palate, the wine seems to be a touch reserved at present, as if it is holding something back. Indeed, there’s plenty of structure here, enough to suggest that the wine us still on its upward curve. At present, it is a good, but not necessarily great wine.

2011 GIACONDA ESTATE CHARDONNAY
Producer: Giaconda
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Beechworth, Victoria
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $150.00
Date tasted: 26 August 2017

Tasting Note:
Bright lemon yellow. Direct nose of white nectarine, apple, grapefruit and subtle nutty oak. The struck match character of youth is not discernible at all. Takes some time to fill out, noticeable structure, white flowers, pear, nectarine, early suggestions of honeyed evolution. A bit simple on this showing – appears to be in a transitional phase.
Score: 16.5/20