2010 GREYSTONE PINOT NOIR - ARE YOU BOLD ENOUGH?

New Zealand is regarded as one of the best sources of authentic Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy. Regions such as Martinborough, Central Otago and Canterbury illustrate that the variety has a lot to offer in the Land of the Long White Cloud.

Waipara Valley is located to the north of Christchurch on the east coast of New Zealand’s south island. Home to stand out producer Pegasus Bay, it has a track record of producing good quality Pinot Noir, albeit in a New World idiom (this imbiber would argue that inevitable comparisons between New World Pinot Noir and red Burgundy make little sense……yes, similar clones and vinification techniques might be employed, but one shouldn’t necessarily expect Pinot Noir grown in New Zealand to mirror that grown south of Dijon).

The 2010 Pinot Noir from Greystone Wines is very much a full flavoured, powerful, dare I say masculine expression of the variety. Relatively deeply coloured for a Pinot Noir, it possesses a deeply flavoured palate of black fruit, freshly tilled earth providing a touch of lift. Although ‘big’ in many aspects, the wine retains varietal character and thankfully doesn’t drift into ‘dry red’ country. For those who enjoy their Pinot Noir at the bigger boned end of the spectrum, there’s plenty to enjoy here.

2010 PINOT NOIR
Producer: Greystone
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2010
Region: Waipara Valley, New Zealand
ABV: 14.4%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $29.99
Date tasted: 21 July 2013

Tasting Note:
Medium cherry red. Open fruit forward nose of black cherry, dark plum, tilled earth and oak spice. Rich, full flavoured palate, quite full in body, dark cherry and damson fruit to the fore, slightly earthy/herbal undertow. All in all, this is a rich and powerful Pinot Noir, unquestionably New World.
Score: 15.5/20

2011 GREYSTONE SAND DOLLAR PINOT GRIS - JUMP!

Ever popular, Pinot Gris/Grigio is a variety that all too often flatters to deceive. With its modest acidity and gentle aromatic profile, it often comes over (to this imbiber at least) as a low rent Chardonnay. However, to every rule, there are many exceptions. One such exception is the Sand Dollar Pinot Gris 2011 from New Zealand’s Greystone Wines.

This particular example takes its cue from Alsace and does so very well indeed. It is a wine that certainly doesn’t under-deliver in flavour. The wine literally jumps out of the glass with apple and pear orchard fruit intermingled with stonefruit and spice. The palate is similarly full flavoured; this is a wine that is about bold flavour. It’s no shrinking violet!

Although there is residual sweetness here, the wine finishes dry, lending a good sense of balance to the wine. As with some Alsatian examples of Pinot Gris, the alcohol is toward the higher end of the scale at 14%, though one would be surprised if it were slightly higher. However, it is held in check thanks to the wine’s considerable power and flavour profile.

This is a wine that begs for moderately spiced Asian cuisine; Chinese, Thai, Malaysia, Indian, all of them would work. Alternately, the gentle sweetness would be a good foil for salty smoked meats. Kudos to Greystone Wines for producing a Pinot Gris that stands out from the pack.

2011 SAND DOLLAR PINOT GRIS
Producer: Greystone
Variety: Pinot Gris/Grigio
Vintage: 2011
Region: Waipara Valley, New Zealand
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $24.99
Date tasted: 21 July 2013

Tasting Note:
Lemon yellow with green tinges. Open aromatic nose of green apple, pear, lychee and spice. Off-dry, deeply flavoured, the palate is similar in profile to the bouquet, excellent depth and varietal definition. Oodles of flavour here, if not necessarily subtlety. Finishes slightly dry, which gives the wine a good sense of balance. Textbook Pinot Gris in the Alsatian style.
Score: 16.5+/20

2010 MCPHERSON CHAPTER THREE SHIRAZ - STAY WITH ME

The strong (until recent weeks) Australian dollar has had a manifest impact on the wine market. On the one hand, it is made imports more attractive. It has also made it very difficult for Australian producers to compete in traditional markets such as the United Kingdom and Europe. To say that it has been a difficult trading environment for export focused producers would be an understatement. McPherson Wines is one such producer; it’s wines substantially exported to markets including Sweden and the United Kingdom.

However, the strong dollar has seen a few parcels sold here in Australia, at very competitive prices. The Chapter Three Shiraz, from the very strong 2010 vintage, is literally garlanded with medals, including Top 100 at the Sydney International Wine Show and a Gold at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Medals can often be taken with a grain of salt, though this wine does have some genuine appeal.

Although labelled as a Shiraz, it is, in fact, a co-ferment of Shiraz and Viognier. Indeed, it is the Viognier component, although small, which contributes much of the interest to the wine. For a relatively modestly priced wine, there is considerable complexity on the nose, which is a delightful amalgam of florals, orange zest, candied ginger and berry fruit. Although the palate isn’t quite so complex it is elegantly composed and restrained.

McPherson Chapter Three Shiraz is by no means a powerhouse or brooding monster. One wouldn’t be surprised to find out that it has been made with the European market in mind, the focus being on finesse rather than out and out intensity. All in all, it’s a rather good example of contemporary example of Australian Shiraz, unmistakably Australian but with a sense of proportion.

2010 CHAPTER THREE SHIRAZ
Producer: McPherson Wines
Variety: Shiraz
Vintage: 2010
Region: Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 2 July 2013

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby red. Musky, perfumed nose of Turkish Delight, orange zest, ginger, cherry blossom and dusty herbs. Dry, medium bodied, quite elegant, blueberry and blackberry fruit drive the palate that is well balanced and displays admirable restraint. All in all, this is a rather refined example of modern Australian Shiraz that places drinkability ahead of sheer power.
Score: 16.5/20

2010 LUCINDA ESTATE RESERVE PINOT NOIR - CHERRY PIE

As home to Bass Phillip, Gippsland has well and truly proven its mettle as a region suitable for the most capricious of all grape varieties, Pinot Noir. Although Lucinda Estate mightn’t sit in the same league as Bass Phillip (certainly not in terms of pricing), there is definite quality to be had from this producer, at least if the 2010 Reserve Pinot Noir is anything to go by.

Mid-cherry red in colour, this is a very ‘pretty’ Pinot Noir that emphasises the feminine aspect of the variety. There’s plenty to enjoy here, with sweet cherry/strawberry fruit. Although it starts ever so slightly candied, the wine quickly moves to savoury with exposure to air. This is a wine that will put a smile on the faces of drinkers of New World Pinot Noir.

2010 RESERVE PINOT NOIR
Producer: Lucinda Estate
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2010
Region: Gippsland, Victoria
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $35.00
Date tasted: 7 July 2013

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Lifted nose; perfumed and aromatic, quite floral, cherry and strawberry. Slightly candied on the palate initially, but becomes savoury with air. Cherry and strawberry come through on the palate. A ‘pretty’ and feminine expression of Pinot Noir, fruit forward and unmistakably New World, but with a genuine sense of finesse and elegance. Holds up very well for the price and should improve over the short to medium term.
Score: 16.5/20

2005 TAHBILK MARSANNE - DID IT AGAIN!

Tahbilk Marsanne needs no introduction on these pages, so let’s cut to the chase. The 2005 (this bottle was sealed under cork) is at a particularly good place now, it’s golden yellow colour suggestive of maturity. Yet again, it illustrates just how good this variety can be, especially when given time in the cellar. One shouldn’t under-rate Marsanne’s affinity with food either. This bottle was a near perfect foil to a fricassée of wild mushrooms.

2005 MARSANNE
Producer: Tahbilk
Variety: Marsanna
Vintage: 2005
Region: Nagambie Lakes, Victoria
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 13 July 2013

Tasting Note:
Bright golden yellow. Open nose of honeyed pear and white peach, touch of buttered toast. Very much a typical mature Marsanne nose. Dry, medium bodied, full flavoured palate, quite ‘crunchy’ in texture, pear and peach again to the fore together with creamed honey. Under cork, this bottle has matured very well and is now at its peak.
Score: 16.5/20

2012 CIRAMI ESTATE MONTEPULCIANO - LAYS DOWN A MARKER

South Australia’s Riverland has long been a source of inexpensive generic wine of modest quality. Large brands have drawn on the region’s extensive irrigated vineyards for bulk wine production. In the past decade or so, it seems that the both the Riverland and Riverina (across the border in New South Wales/Victoria) are in the midst of a quiet revolution.

Cirami Estate, associated with the Riverland Vine Improvement Committee, has performed extensive trials with alternative varietals, a number of which have been commercially bottled. These include Georgia’s Saperavi, Italy’s Fiano, Vermentino and Lagrein and Spain’s Graciano. This particular example, from the Montepulciano grape, shows considerable promise.

Originating from Abbruzzo on the Italy’s eastern coast, Montepulciano typically produces deeply coloured wines with a distinctive dark cherry character. The 2012 Cirami Estate Montepulciano is bang on in terms of varietal character; deep crimson in colour with a brooding nose of morello cherry. Unlike many wines from Australia’s warm inland regions (which are perhaps made to suit a particular flavour profile), the palate is dry, savoury and medium bodied.

This is a stylish, food friendly wine that is more than a match to similarly priced imports from Italy. As such, it lays down a very positive marker, demonstrating that there could be much to look forward to from the oft derided Riverland and Riverina regions.

2012 MONTEPULCIANO
Producer: Cirami Estate
Variety: Montepulciano
Vintage: 2012
Region: Riverland
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $20.00
Date tasted: 21 June 2013

Tasting Note:
Deep crimson. Attractive nose of raspberry and morello cherry, touch of ground pepper. Dry, savoury, medium bodied, excellent fruit intensity, very varietal – Montepulciano-esque! Good depth of flavour. Although not particularly complex, the wine definitely deserves plaudits for typicity.
Score: 16+/20

2012 PAULETTS POLISH HILL RIVER RIESLING - HOW SOON IS NOW?

Much has been said and written of the 2012 Riesling vintage in the Clare Valley. While there are some very good wines, many seem rather forward and friendly in nature. It will be interesting to see how they develop in bottle as many of the region’s great cellaring wines have tended to display a pleasant austerity when young.

The 2012 Polish Hill River Riesling, from leading producer Pauletts, offers plenty by way of approachability and early drinking charm, though it should develop well over the medium if not necessarily the longer term. There’s a lovely balance of apple/pear orchard and measured limey citrus, underpinned by fine acidity. It’s the sort of wine Riesling-lovers will happily drink while young, and perhaps stash the odd bottle away for several years.

It could well be that the fruit is slightly masking the wine’s underlying structure, but one’s initial impression is that this is a wine to cellar over 6-8 rather than 10 or more years, but that is mere quibbling.

2012 POLISH HILL RIVER RIESLING
Producer: Pauletts
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2012
Region: Clare Valley
ABV: 12.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $24.00
Date tasted: 18 May 2013

Tasting Note:
Pale silvery green. Typical Riesling nose of green apple, pear and lime citrus. Just dry, the barest hint of residual sugar providing a pleasant counterpoint to the acidity, moderate intensity, fruit profile in the apple and pear vein, with a delicate overlay of lime citrus – not as ‘in your face’ lemon and lime as some Clare Valley Rieslings. There’s plenty of early drinking pleasure here and sufficient structure to suggest that the wine should develop well over the medium term, say 7-8 years or so.
Score: 15/20

2011 LA DISTESA 'TERRE SILVATE' MARCHE BIANCO - BREAKING THE RULES

It is often said and written that Italian white wines can veer towards neutrality. While this may be true of generic wines of modest quality, it could not be further from the case for the myriad of truly outstanding white wines that are produced throughout Italian. Indeed, Italy has a fair claim to be the producer of the world’s greatest white wines, especially when one takes into account diversity and the wide palette of grape varieties.

Verdicchio is one such variety that can tend toward blandness. However, this organically grown example from La Distesa exudes flavour and possesses a texture that is beguiling. Indeed, it is this textural quality that marks out many of Italy’s better white wines.

Although it doesn’t carry official DOC status and is labelled as an IGT wine, ‘Terre Silvate’ is an excellent interpretation of Verdicchio (with a slight twist) that delivers plenty of pleasure for current drinking. Already showing nutty complexity, one could easily enjoy it alongside a seafood risotto and other weightier seafood dishes.

2011 ‘TERRE SILVATE’ MARHCE BIANCO IGT
Producer: La Distesa
Variety: Verdicchio (blended with a small amount of Malvasia and Trebbiano)
Vintage: 2011
Region: Marche, Italy
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $33.00
Date tasted: 10 May 2013

Tasting Note:
Bright lemon yellow. Clean nose of white peach, grilled nuts and hay. Dry, medium bodied, lovely texture and weight on the palate, savoury pear/peach and grapefruit underpinned by a fine ripple of acidity. While it may lack a touch for complexity, this is a wine that is as much about texture and mouthfeel as it is about flavour. In that sense, it succeeds.
Score: 16/20

2007 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE, LA FERME DU MONT - DOWN ON THE FARM

La Ferme du Mont, the label of vigneron Stéphane Vedeau, is a relatively new arrival to a region dominated by established names with a rich family history such as Château de Beaucastel (Perrin family) and Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe (Brunel family). However, in a relatively short space of time, La Ferme du Mont has made people stand up and take notice, its Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in particular, attracting glowing reviews and high scores from the likes of Jancis Robinson MW and Robert Parker.

In the past couple of decades, southern Rhône wines have pushed the envelope in terms of ripeness and alcohol levels, often exceeding 15% alcohol by volume, sometimes 16%. For those that want to be able to enjoy more than just one glass, it is a relief to see that La Ferme du Mont’s Chateauneuf-du-Pape from the excellent 2007 vintage weighs in at a sensible 14% ABV.

This is a wine that generated some controversy on release. It was highly praised, scoring 19 points from no lesser authority than Jancis Robinson MW. However, when physical stock landed a while later and eager connoisseurs pulled the cork on their new arrival, a good number were disappointed, noting that the wine was nothing like the one they had read about; light in colour, lacking depth and unlikely to improve greatly. To his credit, Vedeau intervened, putting the issue down to a bottling line problem.

The bottle in question here was the first of a case bought in the United Kingdom. On this evidence, it is undoubtedly not just a good bottle, but an outstanding one. Six years out from vintage it bursts with floral and sweet fruit, balanced by a lovely spicy savoury mid-palate. What impresses one most is the elegant proportion of the wine. This is not an assault on the senses, but an elegant seduction. On this showing, those with a case or two of La Ferme du Mont’s 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the cellar have good reason to be smug.

2007 CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE ‘COTES CAPELAN’
Producer: La Ferme du Mont
Variety: Grenache et al
Vintage: 2007
Region: Southern Rhône, France
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 18 May 2013

Tasting Note:
Deep plum red. Attractive nose of kirsch, strawberry, dark plum, stewed cherries, white pepper, lavender and violets. Full bodied, ripe and sweet fruited initially but quickly moves to savoury with sour cherry/pomegranate on the mid-palate. Tannins are inobtrusive, fine and slightly chalky and the acidity is subsumed within the weight of fruit. Plenty of class on show here. Although this wine will undoubtedly flourish with further bottle age, it is by no means closed down or going through a surly phase. Lives up the hype it received when initially released.
Score: 18.5/20

2010 DOMAINE CHARVIN CÔTES DU RHÔNE - MY BABY BROTHER

A combination of the excellent 2010 vintage and one of the region’s best Chateauneuf-du-Pape producers, Domaine Charvin, has resulted in a basic Côtes du Rhône that stands out from the norm for this huge appellation. Dark fruited, savoury and with noticeable structure, it is a wine that is capable of developing with a further couple of years in bottle.

While it will never develop the complexity or possess the class of its bigger and more glamorous brother, the Chateauneuf-du-Pape, there’s plenty of pleasure to be had for a relatively modest price (particularly given that this is from a leading small estate, not one of the region’s large negoce).

2010 CÔTES DU RHÔNE
Producer: Domaine Charvin
Variety: Grenache et al
Vintage: 2010
Region: Southern Rhône, France
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 3 May 2013

Tasting Note:
Bright garnet. Attractive bouquet of macerated plum, raspberry, cherry and dark spices. Dry, noticeable sandy tannins (even after a decant), quite dark fruited suggesting a generous amount of Syrah in the blend, fruit characters much the same as the nose, savoury
Score: 15.5+/20