2014 HEAD WINES ‘HEAD RED’ GSM - SPICE UP YOUR LIFE

Alex Head is one of a wave of younger Barossa Valley vignerons making regionally authentic, savoury and elegant expressions of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre. ‘Head Red’ GSM 2014 is true to the Head style.

Weighing in at just over 14% ABV, it is most definitely ripe. Yet this is not a jammy, heavy or overdone wine. Just over medium bodied, the emphasis is on savoury spice more than sweet, jammy fruit. Compact is perhaps the best way to describe it.

This is a graceful Barossan red that can more than hold its own against similar examples from the southern Rhone.

2014 HEAD WINES ‘HEAD RED’ GSM
Producer: Head Wines
Variety: Grenache et al
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
ABV: 14.2%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 9 September 2016

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby. Attractive nose of roasted spice, kirsch, tar. Medium bodied, tight and spicy. Very elegant expression of Barossa. More savoury than sweet. Tightly knit. More about spice than fruit. Good stuff.
Score: 16/20

2012 SOLARIA ROSSO DI MONTALCINO - HE AIN'T HEAVY, HE'S MY BROTHER

Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s most famous wines. The rolling hills of southern Tuscany produce a full bodied style of Sangiovese that showcases its autumnal fruit. Sadly, good Brunello doesn’t come cheap.

Rosso di Montalcino, with is shorter ageing requirements provides an affordable alternative to budget conscious lovers of Tuscan wines. Solaria Rosso di Montalcino ticks the boxes well and truly. From the warm 2012 vintage, this particular wine is prototypical Sangiovese, with cherry fruit at its core, complemented by notes of leather, fig, autumn leaves and hung game. It’s ready to go now, but should keep for another couple of years.

2012 SOLARIA ROSSO DI MONTALCINO
Producer: Solaria
Variety: Sangiovese
Region: Tuscany, Italy
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $40.00
Date tasted: 12 August 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright ruby fading toward terra cotta at the rim. Attractive nose of cherry, autumn nose, leather, fig, touch of orange zest. Dry, medium bodied, very correct and true to type. Cocoa powder. Fine grained tannins carry the finish.
Score: 16/20

2015 BK WINES ‘SKIN ‘N’ BONES’ PINOT NOIR - SOUR CHERRY

Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir can, at times, being guilty of being ‘big boned’, just a bit too clunky for its own good. This example, from BK Wines takes a different tack. It’s a funky, unfiltered style that seems happy to stand out from the crowd.

Being unfiltered, it’s slightly cloudy in appearance. Aromatically and on the palate, it’s all about sour red fruits. Stylistically, it works, though it mightn’t appeal to all Pinotphiles. It’s hard to know how this one will develop in bottle. One suspects it is probably best enjoyed in the flourish of youth.

2015 BK WINES ‘SKIN ‘N’ BONES’ PINOT NOIR
Producer: BK Wines
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $35.00
Date tasted: 14 August 2015

Tasting Note:
Cloudy cherry red in appearance – obviously unfiltered. Bright nose of rhubarb, pomegranate, sour cherry and rose petal/lilac florals. The nose flows through to the palate which has a pleasant sourness. Quite light, bright and fresh by Lenswood Pinot Noir standards. Probably best enjoyed while young. Hard to know how this will develop in bottle.
Score: 16/20

NV VEUVE MONSIGNY BRUT - CHEAP THRILLS

German-owned retailer Aldi has shaken up the traditional supermarket duopoly here in Australia. With an unconventional approach to retail, it has quickly established a legion of loyal supporters. In no small part, Aldi’s success is down to being particularly keen on price thanks largely to its lack of reliance on established household brands.

A glance in the liquor department shows just one Champagne on the shelves. Surprise, surprise, it isn’t a household name from the Moet-Hennessy empire. Priced at just $25 per bottle, Aldi’s exclusive Champagne is NV Veuev Monsigny Brut.

In the festive season, we are accustomed to seeing brands such as Mumm being discounted to well under $40 per bottle. $25 per bottle is seriously cheap. Is it any good? Well, in the glass, it looks like decent Champagne, with a fine persistent bead.

On the nose, it is relatively simple. If one had to be critical, there’s a candied note that is slightly off-putting. On the palate, the wine is clean, fresh and relatively uncomplicated. There’s little yeast autolysis to speak of and it could do with being just a touch drier. That said, the overall quality is very decent.

This is by no means top drawer non-vintage Champagne, but it is a solid example that does what it says on the label. It is a perfectly respectable wine to pour if catering for the masses and at $25 per bottle, who can complain?!

NV VEUVE MONSIGNY BRUT
Producer: Charles Mignon
Variety: Champagne/Sparkling Wine
Region: Champagne, France
ABV: 12.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $25.00
Date tasted: 21 August 2015

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery white in appearance. Fine persistent bead. Straightforward nose of candied apple, strawberry, nashi pear. Dry and fine. Very drinkable, if not particularly long or complex. No autolysis to speak of, but light, fresh and thoroughly decent.
Score: 15.5/20

2011 BEST’S BIN 1 SHIRAZ - CLASS ACT

Much has been said and written of the 2011 vintage in southern Australia. It was an atypically wet year, one that put vignerons to the sword. Widely condemned in some quarters, there were some very good wines made, notwithstanding the challenges of the vintage.

Best’s Bin 1 Shiraz was one of the clear successes of the vintage, so successful that it took out the Jimmy Watson Trophy, no small achievement for a wine that sells at or under $30 per bottle. In 2011, it had the benefit of the pick of the crop fruit-wise, as there was no Thomson’s Family Shiraz or Bin 0 Shiraz in 2011.

Five years on and this Jimmy Watson winner is still on the youthful side. It possesses a wonderfully fine, elegant and silky texture, yet the fruit profile is relatively simple. In another five or so years it should be strutting its stuff in the best way possible.

2011 BEST’S BIN 1 SHIRAZ
Producer: Best’s
Variety: Shiraz
Region: Great Western, Victoria
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 19 August 2015

Tasting Note:
Mid-crimson in appearance. Clean nose of liquorice, dark berry fruit, resin and cracked black pepper. Very silky and fine on the palate – almost Pinot Noir-like in texture and weight. Dry, fine and elegant, quite direct and simple at present. Black fruit meets pepper, olive and liquorice. Should develop more complexity over the next several years.
Score: 17+/20

2014 MICHAEL HALL ‘SANG DE PIGEON’ SHIRAZ - BLACK EARTH

Michael Hall is the epitome of modern Australian wine. The amiable Brit gave up a career with a leading auction house to study winemaking and have a go at making wine under his own label ‘Down Under’. He completed his oenology degree as dux and has set the highest standards under the Michael Hall Wines label.

Like many smaller players, Michael Hall doesn’t own and land under vine. He sources high quality fruit from vineyards in the Adelaide Hills (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) and Barossa and Eden Valleys (Roussanne and Shiraz).

‘Sang de Pigeon’ (pigeon’s blood) is the cheaper of two Shiraz Hall makes from the Barossa Valley. Stylistically, it is a restrained expression of Barossa Shiraz, the emphasis on spice and dark earth rather than sweet fruit. There’s a lot to like here.

2014 MICHAEL HALL ‘SANG DE PIGEON’ SHIRAZ
Producer: Michael Hall Wines
Variety: Shiraz
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
ABV: 14.2%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 21 August 2015

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby. Interesting nose – earthy, black cherry, blackberry. Dry, full bodied, very savoury in profile, much more so than most Barossa Valley Shiraz. Elegant and suave, restrained, and all the better for it. A different take on Barossa Valley Shiraz, one that eschews sweet up-front fruit.
Score: 16.5/20

2014 LEVANTINE HILL 'KATHERINE’S PADDOCK' CHARDONNAY - HANGIN' TOUGH

Levantine Hill is the newest kid on the block among the Yarra Valley big guns. With deep financial backing and ambitious plans, it has caused quite a stir. Key to the estate’s development was the recruitment of winemaker Paul Bridgeman from neighbour and Yarra Valley doyen Yarra Yering.

Although it draws on mature estate plantings, which are partly being remodelled to deliver the quality the new owner is seeking, new vines were planted on steep slopes around the family homestead which is situated a kilometre or so from the cellar door.

Katherine’s Paddock is one of several super-premium wines produced from the relatively young vines planted on these slopes. At $150 per bottle, it is priced at a similar level to Giaconda Estate Chardonnay, a wine with a 25-year history of exceptional quality.

On the evidence of this botte, Levantine Hill Katherine’s Paddock Chardonnay deserves to be ranked among Australia’s best examples of the variety. Stylistically, it errs toward to the fully worked end of the spectrum, which is no bad thing. It is compact in scale with more than enough structure by way of acidity to hold things in check. This is textbook Chardonnay of the highest quality, a possible signpost of things to come from Levantine Hill.

2014 LEVANTINE HILL KATHERINE’S PADDOCK CHARDONNAY
Producer: Levantine Hill
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $150.00
Date tasted: 20 August 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright golden yellow. Attractive nose of pear, white nectarine and acacia overlaid by spicy oak. Medium bodied, round and gently creamy in texture. Stonefruit and pear to the fore intermingled with high class spicy oak. A fine line of zesty acidity holds it all in check. Delicious and may improve over the short to medium term.
Score: 17.5+/20

2010 QUINTA DAS CAMELIAS RESERVA - DOWN ON THE FARM

Portugal is one of the better sources of well priced, ‘under the radar’ wines. Such is the case with the Quinta das Camelias Reserva. Where else would one find a sub-$30 wine from the 2010 of this standing?

Intensely savoury in personality, this is unmistakably an old world wine, much of the fruit buried under layers of fine powdery tannin. There’s good depth of flavour here in the plum/blackberry realm, with a touch of milk chocolate adding lustre. As it stands, it’s not quite ready to go. Another 3-4 years cellaring might just help soak up those tannins a bit more.

2010 QUINTA DAS CAMELIAS RESERVA
Variety: Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Jaen (Mencia)
Region: Dao, Portugal
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $28.00
Date tasted: 21 July 2015

Tasting Note:
Bright ruby. Attractive nose of plum/black cherry, woodsmoke and wet earth. Dry, medium bodied, very savoury with plenty of powdery tannin. Slightly earthy in flavour, the fruit masked by the dense powdery tannins. Solid, but needs further time for the tannins to soften and recede.
Score: 16/20

2010 BRANGERO NEBBIOLO D’ALBA ‘BRICCO BERTONE’ - TURN INTO EARTH

The commune of Dogliani is best known for high quality Dolcetto, some of the best made in Italy. That said, Nebbiolo is also grown. This example, from the much lauded 2010 vintage, is an excellent introduction to Piedmontese Nebbiolo.

Not surprisingly, the colour isn’t particularly deep, and the wine possessive a distinct amber rim. Aromatically, the wine is earthen in personality, with tea leaves, coffee grounds and a touch of floral lift. The earthy quality flows through to the palate which is mid-weight, savoury and highly attractive.

At $40 a bottle, there can’t be many better value or authentic expressions of Nebbiolo. Best of all, it’s ‘in the slot’ and ready for current consumption.

2010 BRANGERO NEBBIOLO D’ALBA ‘BRICCO BERTONE’
Producer: Brangero
Variety: Nebbiolo
Region: Piedmont, Italy
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $40.00
Date tasted: 17 July 2015

Tasting Note:
Mid-garnet verging to amber on the rim. Attractive and varietally correct nose of earth, mushroom/truffle, dried herbs, freshly crushed toasted spices. Medium bodied, dry and savoury, tannins are fully resolved. Earth-laden palate with notes of truffle, licorice and spice. Hint of orange zest. Good length.
Score: 16.5/20

2011 NINO NEGRI SFORZATO DI VALTELLINA ‘5 STELLE’ - THE STARS BABY, THE STARS

Nebbiolo is arguably the ‘it’ grape in Australia at present. With its Pinot Noir-like aromatics and texture and structured tannins, Nebbiolo produce some of the most ethereal wines. Notwithstanding the recent interest in the grape among Australian vignerons, northern Italy remains very the benchmark for this great grape.

With all of the attention given to Barolo and Barbersco, the so called ‘lesser light’ appellations of northern Piedmont and Lombardy are sometimes forgetten. This particular wine is anything but forgettable.

Nino Negri is one of the leading producers of Valtellina and the estate’s Sforzato di Valtellina ‘5 Stelle’ is a regular recipient of tre bicchieri in the Gambero Rosso publication. Made from Nebbiolo grapes that have been partly raisined post-harvest (like Amarone), it is an exotic expression of Nebbiolo.

Top Barolo can regularly hit 15% ABV in warmer years. Thanks to the concentration of sugars from raisining of the grapes and a relatively warm growing season in 2011, this wine weighs in at a mighty 16% ABV. Notwithstanding the alcohol, it is definitively Nebbiolo, albeit with an opulent disposition.

This is a bold and brash expression of Nebbiolo, but one has to say it works. There is a sense of harmony about the wine and no alcohol heat to speak of. While Piedmontese Nebbiolo seems ill at ease with maturation in small French oak barrels, the time spent in new oak here doesn’t detract from the wine’s authenticity or appeal. In sum, it’s a different and dangerously drinkable interpretation of one of the world’s greatest grape varieties.

2011 NINO NEGRI SFORZATO DI VALTELLINA ‘5 STELLE’
Producer: Nino Negri
Variety: Nebbiolo
Region: Lombardy, Italy
ABV: 16.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $120.00
Date tasted: 16 July 2015

Tasting Note:
Mid-garnet verging to amber on the rim. Perfumed nose of freshly tilled earth, dried mint, aniseed, tea leaves, lilac/rose and truffle. Dry, medium bodied, sweet-fruited up-front. Elegant and svelte in texture. Flavour profile is much the same as the nose – complex and expansive. Finishes long with fine, suave tannins. No alcohol heat.
Score: 17.5+/20