2017 BINK CABERNET FRANC - UPSIDE DOWN

McLaren Vale has long been associated with producing heavyweight Shiraz and Grenache. However, thanks to exciting producers such as Ochota Barrels and Jauma, as well as stalwart Steve Pannell, there has been a collective move towards wines that are lighter, brighter and fresher while retaining regional character.

All of this said and done, one approached this particular bottle of McLaren Vale Cabernet Franc with a degree of trepidation. There are very few single varietal expressions of Cabernet Franc in Australia of note. We struggle to capture the grape’s lightness of touch, lifted aromatics and slightly herbaceous, savoury character. One also suspects that the Australian palate, often reared on sweet fruited Shiraz isn’t predisposed to the straight-jacketed, slender nature of Cabernet Franc.

Back to the wine in question. If one didn’t know it came from McLaren Vale, one would swear bling that it is a very good Loire Valley Cabernet Franc. Weighing in at under 13%, it is brightness and freshness personified – cherry confit, raspberry, graphite, lead pencil and a gentle herby twist – this is Cabernet Franc as god intended. It mightn’t be particularly complex, but that is not its purpose, this is a wine made to be drunk young, with good food and good company. Bravo!

2017 BINK CABERNET FRANC
Producer: Bink Wines
Variety: Cabernet Franc
Region: McLaren Vale, South Australia
ABV: 12.9%
Closure: Diam
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 2 November 2017

Tasting Note:
Mid-crimson. Super varietal nose of cherry coulis, rhubarb, graphite and lead pencil. Mid-weight, light on its feet, fresh and pulpy. Very Cabernet Franc – rhubarb, notes of freshly chopped herbs – fresh and dangerously moreish. Not particularly complex but uber-gluggable. Scores very high for drinkability.
Score: 16.5+/20

2015 KNOLL LOIBNER GRUNER VELTLINER FEDERSPIEL - THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Austrian wine has come a long way since the anti-freeze crisis. Boasting a plethora of world class producers and, in the case of Gruner Veltliner, an indigenous grape variety capable of producing captivating, ageworthy wines, Austrian wine has never been in a healthier state.

Emmerich Knoll ranks among Austria’s leading producers and with good reason. Its Loibner Gruner Veltliner Federspiel from the 2015 vintage is bang on form. It boasts an enticing nose of stonefruit and citrus interwoven with white flowers. Irresistible now, it should develop in bottle over the next several years.

2015 KNOLL LOIBNER GRUNER VELTLINER FEDERSPIEL
Producer: Emmerich Knoll
Variety: Gruner Veltliner
Region: Wachau, Austria
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $44.00
Date tasted: 21 October 2017

Tasting Note:
Bright golden yellow with hints of green. Open aromatic nose of nectarine and peach, floral notes, grapefruit zest. Dry, medium bodied, fresh and vibrant. Good line and length. Exotic in feel but very restrained.
Score: 16/20

2016 TONIC WINES GRENACHE - LIGHT YEARS

There once was a time when Australian Grenache was big on alcohol and cordial-like fruit sweetness, but lacked for depth, substance and complexity. That era seems a long time ago, as nowadays Australia is producing world class Grenache, both as a single varietal and as part of southern Rhone-styled blends.

The ascent of natural wines, paralleled by the increased used of whole bunch fermentation has also seen Grenache emerge in a more sprightly, spring-heeled, cool, savoury and urbane form. Such is the case with Tonic Grenache 2016. The name and packaging alone inspire suggestions of minimalist Scandi-cool.

Rather than the usual Grenache suspects Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, the fruit source for this wine is the Clare Valley. It certainly drinks differently to Grenache from those other two big hitter regions, with notes of morello cherry, sarsaparilla and granitic minerality. There’s plenty here to keep one interest and even a touch of intellectual provocation.

2016 TONIC WINES GRENACHE
Producer: Tonic Wines
Variety: Grenache
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
ABV: 13.3%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $32.00
Date tasted: 20 October 2017

Tasting Note:
Transluscent garnet. Bright nose, notes of maraschino cherry, tilled earth, star anise. Dry, medium bodied, quite mineral in feel, cola, black cherry, strawberry. Slightly earthbound. Compact and elegant.
Score: 16/20

2016 MAC FORBES YARRA VALLEY CHARDONNAY - THE BENDS

Few in the game know and understand the Yarra Valley better than Mac Forbes. Born and raised in the Yarra and trained under Dr John Middleton at Mount Mary, Mac has an intimate understanding of the ins and outs of this sprawling region.

Since the launch of his own label, Mac has established himself as a reference point for terroir driven expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. His understated approach to winemaking and preference to pick earlier rather than later allows the influence of site to communicate itself through the glass.

The generic Yarra Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir serve rather a different purpose, being assemblage of several vineyard sites. As such, they are the equivalent of a Bourgogne Blanc or Bourgogne Rouge, albeit in a Yarra Valley context.

The 2016 vintage rendition of Mac Forbes Yarra Valley Chardonnay is true to the producer’s philosophy and the warm weather conditions of 2016. Oak influence is subtle and the winemaker’s hand is judicious rather than overt. This is textbook modern Yarra Valley Chardonnay. It’s not a wine that will change your life, but it’s a decent, well-balanced drink that ticks the boxes,

2016 MAC FORBES YARRA VALLEY CHARDONNAY
Producer: Mac Forbes
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $33.00
Date tasted: 19 October 2017

2014 MADER PINOT GRIS - FADE TO GRIS

In the past decade, Pinot Gris and its alter ego Pinot Grigio, has swept all before it. It seems that many drinkers have been allured to its lifted aromatics, soft pillowy texture and relatively low acidity. These traits make Pinot Gris (and Grigio) a very easy drinking wine.

Yours truly has rarely been bewitched by the supposed charms of Pinot Gris, much preferring the taut acidity of a sprightly Riesling, or arresting complexity of a fully worked Chardonnay.

However, there are times that call for a bottle of Pinot Gris, in this instance a rich, exotically spiced Sri Lankan curry. Mader Pinot Gris is a textbook example of Alsatian Pinot Gris, just off-dry with prototypical notes of apple, pear, honey and spice. It’s not particularly complex, but it has a ‘made for’ affinity with spiced food.

2014 MADER PINOT GRIS
Producer: Jean-Luc Mader

Variety: Pinot Gris/Grigio
Region: Alsace, France
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 15 October 2017

Tasting Note:
Bright golden yellow. Bold aromatic nose of red apple, Nashi pear, honey and spice. Off-dry, medium bodied, sweet red apple and pear, touch of clove on the finish. Very typical.
Score: 16/20

2016 JOSHUA COOPER DOUG’S VINEYARD PINOT NOIR - I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

Pinot Noir has come a long way in Australia over the past quarter century. The maturity of cool climate vineyards in Victoria and Tasmania and heightened interest in the variety has contributed to a quantum leap in quality.

The Macedon Ranges region is without a doubt one of the great places in the new world to grow Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay). Bindi and Curly Flat are evidence of the quality Macedon is capable of producing.

On the evidence of this bottle, Joshua Cooper is a name that must be added to the leading vanguard of Australian Pinot Noir producers. This is sophisticated Pinot Noir with a real edge. Thanks to the use of over 80% whole bunches, there’s a real sense of sappiness to the wine. Sweet fruit is downplayed in favour of tilled earth, truffle and sour cherry. This is a label to watch.

2016 JOSHUA COOPER DOUG’S VINEYARD PINOT NOIR
Producer: Joshua Cooper
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Macedon Ranges, Victoria
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Diam
Retail Price: $55.00
Date tasted: 7 October 2017

Tasting Note:
Bright ruby – slightly cloudy in appearance - presumably unfiltered. Attractive perfumed nose of pomegranate, morello cherry, lilac, rose petal and freshly tilled earth. Dry, medium bodied, sour morello cherry fruit up-front. The impression here is very much savoury. A model of restraint. Lively acidity carries the finish.
Score: 18/20

2014 SCHIEFERKOPF RIESLING - PRETTY VACANT

Alsace produces some of the world’s greatest Rieslings, not the least Trimach Clos Ste Hune. It is also the source of good value dry Riesling for everyday consumption. This bottle of Schieferkopf Riesling with approached with anticipation.

The label itself is owned by ‘king of the Rhone’ Michel Chapoutier. Chapoutier never fails to put a foot wrong in the northern and southern Rhone and his ventures in Australia have produced some excellent wines, including the exceptional value Mathilda Shiraz and white blend of Viognier and Marsanne.

On this evidence, Schieferkopf Riesling doesn’t quite live up to the normal Chapoutier standard. It’s a decent enough wine, clean as a whistle, with a twist of lemon and lime. One could be tempted to suggest that it is delicate, but frankly, it lacks for intensity and depth of flavour. There’s better to be found in the Clare and Eden Valleys and Western Australia’s Great Southern region for this sort of money.

2014 SCHIEFERKOPF RIESLING
Producer: Schieferkopf
Variety: Riesling
Region: Alsace, France
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $32.00
Date tasted: 4 October 2017

Tasting Note:
Pale lemon yellow in appearance. Straightforward nose of lime zest and citrus blossom. Delicate, mid-weight in build, lemon and lime citrus. Perfectly drinkable, but lacks fruit intensity and depth of flavour. There are better Australian Rieslings out there for the same (or less) money.
Score: 14/20

2014 MESTIGUILLO MESTIZAJE TINTO - REVIVAL

You mightn’t be aware, but Bobal is the third most heavily planted variety in Spain. Plantings are centred around the city of Valencia in Spain’s south-east. In recent times, there has been a renewed interest in the variety, and a greater emphasis on producing refined wines.

Such is the status of Bodega Mestiguillo as a producer, that it has its own DO. It is a family-owned venture, practising organic viticulture. Among others, the estate has been instrumental in reviving the fortune of Bobal.

This particular wine blends Bobal with Tempranillo and Garnacha, as well as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Reflecting its warm southern origins, it is bursting with flavour and personality. There’s a lot to like here, especially for those looking for a savoury accented, full flavoured wine for the dinner table.

2014 MESTIGUILLO MESTIZAJE TINTO
Producer: Bodega Mestiguillo
Variety: Bobal, Grenache, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Region: El Terrerazo, Spain
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 28 September 2017

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby. Slightly closed initially. Opens up to reveal dark berry fruit, woodsmoke and spice. Plenty of flesh on the bones. Luscious and succulent, immaculately balance and well poised. Blood plum, boysenberry and dark cherry. Aniseed, liquorice and toasted fennel seeds.
Score: 16/20

2015 CHATEAU THIVIN COTE DE BROUILLY ‘LES SEPT VIGNES’ - SO SOLID CRU

The 2015 vintage in Beaujolais produced wines that were laden with rich, bold fruit. So ripe was 2015, that some wines possessed alcohol levels we tend to associate with Californian Zinfandel and Barossa Valley Shiraz. There is much to like about the better, more restrained wines of 2015.

Such is the case with Chateau Thivin’s Cote de Brouilly ‘Les Sept Vignes’. Bottled at a modest 13.5% ABV, this is high quality cru Beaujolais. A core of granitic minerality provides the building blocks for a savoury wine.

Dark fruited and slightly introvert, one feels that the wine might be closing down for a wee slumber. Certainly, it is less ebullient than when last tasted. Past experience suggests it should blossom into a real beauty.

2015 CHATEAU THIVIN COTE DE BROUILLY ‘LES SEPT VIGNES’
Producer: Chateau Thivin
Variety: Gamay
Region: Beaujolais, France
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $48.00
Date tasted: 1 October 2017

Tasting Note:
Bright garnet. Attractive nose of dark cherry, damson and raspberry, touch of flint and gun metal. Dry, medium bodied, restrained and elegant, fine and pure, more mineral than fruity – like licking granite. Damson and black cherry. Serious and adult – feels like it might be shutting down. Should have a good future.
Score: 16.5/20

2015 WHISTLING EAGLE SEMILLON - HISTORY NEVER REPEATS

Semillon is one of Australia’s foundation grape varieties, an important part of our viticultural heritage. Typically, we associate Semillon with the long-lived, early picked unoaked wines of the Hunter Valley. There are also good examples, albeit broader in shape, to be found in the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Margaret River.

Heathcote is not the first place one would look for a decent bottle of Semillon. However, Ian ‘Bomber’ Rathjen and the team at Whistling Eagle have produced an absolute beauty. The first thing to say is that this bears little comparison to Hunter Semillon.

Yes, there are typical varietal characters – lemon zest and a hint of lanolin – but this is fuller, richer and broader than Hunter Valley examples. There are also notes of candied lemon peel and ginger lending an exotic twist. This is a dinner table wine, not a wine one would choose to drink on its own. It was a near perfect match with a Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Quince.

2015 WHISTLING EAGLE SEMILLON
Producer: Whistling Eagle
Variety: Semillon
Region: Heathcote, Victoria
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 22 September 2017

Tasting Note:
Greenish yellow. Interesting nose of candied lemon peel, stem ginger and lemon blossom. Dry, medium bodied, finely tuned. Lemon, lime and ground ginger – exotic in feel. Near perfect foil for a chicken tagine with preserved lemon.
Score: 16.5/20