Sarah Ahmed – The Wine Detective

AUSTRALIA DAY TASTINGS 2009

This year’s spotlight rooms drew me in first for a focus on different varieties or styles chosen by some of Australia’s leading wine writers.  I then galloped around, making a beeline for some newbies and checking in with some oldies and, as usual, you’ll find below notes on my stand out wines.  There’s a lot to love here on the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir front and yes, you did read that correctly – varieties that are suddenly showing more varied and finer expression to great advantage.

Aromatic whites selected by Huon Hooke – I must say, Riesling aside, this was a disappointing selection and I still have my doubts about Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio.  Yes there are some good ones (see Tamar Ridge below), but it can be just a little too flabby for my taste.

Pipers Brook Vineyard Riesling 2008 (Tasmania) – floral with sweet talc, lime blossom this is very pretty with a lovely balance.

De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate Grown Viognier 2007 (Yarra Valley) – quite pretty, gentle style with honeysuckle and succulent round lychee.  A nice direction.

Bay of Fires Riesling 2007 (Tasmania) – good concentration and depth of flavour with crunchy apples and citrus, citrus peel flavours; there’s an attractive funky note too.  Crisp but balanced acidity.

Seppelt Drumborg Riesling 2008 (Grampians) – very tight and mineral with chalk and steely grapefruit.  Very good.

Petaluma Project Co. Riesling 2006 (Clare Valley) – I tasted this last year on my Riesling trip and felt it was a little simple, but on this tasting I enjoyed it very much, so seems like me or it pulled ourselves together since!  Anyway, a sweeter, spatlese style of Riesling fermented on solids for which there is a niche movement (see Mac Forbes below).  It has a lovely crystalline nose, pure with sweet talc, chalk and citrus on the palate which is long and intense.  I am belatedly beguiled!

Chardonnay’s chosen by Peter Forrestal – I met Peter at Cullen winery last year and he and I clearly share a love of their 2006 vintage, called Kevin John (and ongoing) after winemaker Vanya Cullen’s dad.  It’s a category which attracts revile, yes, that’s not too stronger word for plenty of folk I encounter on tastings but really guys, keep up, Aussie Chardy has changed!  Though textural and beautifully complex, the Cullen is unapologetic about the fruit – a good thing in my book because I think sometimes, there is too much of a swing away from fruit in some of the new breed of Aussie Chardys.

McWilliams Hanwood Crisp Chardonnay 2007 (South East Australia) – I’m glad Peter included this because it’s a multi-regional blend, UK RRP £5.99 so, on the face of it, in that squarely in reviled territory.  But actually, it does what it says on the tin – it’s crisp, melony, the fruit not the girl, and with a little touch of creaminess, perfect at this price point (and a few quid more) for a fruity but balanced wine.  Ticks the right boxes.

Yering Station Reserve Chardonnay 2005 (Yarra Valley) -  a funky nose leads onto a savoury palate with good depth of fruit and freshness.  Nice package.

Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2006 (Margaret River) – a cool, very late vintage, tough for reds but fabulous for whites – I’m loving the Margaret River Chardys from 06.  And this is no exception – no surprises with Cliff Royale at the helm.  Classic gin gin clone grapefruit and pear to nose and palate, with fleshier white peach in the mouth but maintains great precision and line and builds in the mouth.  Great value – always say that about Voyager and it drives Cliff nuts!

Marchand & Burch Chardonnay 2007 (Great Southern, Porongurups) – the product of an exciting joint venture between Jeff and Amy Burch of Howard Park and Pacsal Marchand of Burgundy’s Domaine de la Vougeraie.  A Burgundian approach is readily apparent in its textured, nutty, savoury, limpid palate with apple, melon and white peach.  Hands off in vineyard and winery and you can tell.

McHenry Hohnen Calgardup Brook Chardonnay 2007 (Margaret River) – consistently excellent Chardonnay, concentrated, flavoursome with vibrant citrus and weightier cashew, the whole balance by gin gin clone’s fabulous citric spine of acidity.

Giant Steps Tarraford Vineyard Chardonnay 2005 (Yarra Valley) – savoury, bready with bruised apples and a rich depth of flavour with good acid balance.  Decidedly grown up.

Clairault Estate Chardonnay 2007 (Margaret River) – focused and steely with classic gin gin clone grapefruit wed to subtle but smoky oak.

Kooyong Chardonnay 2005 (Mornington Peninsula) – lively pears and apples with a savoury, leesy tang; good length.

Hardys Eileen Hardy Chardonnay 2006 (Tasmania & the Yarra Valley) – the blenders have focused increasingly on cooler sources of fruit and to good advantage – admirable freshness here, tight knit fruit needs time and for the smoky oak to integrate – promising.

Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay 2007 (Adelaide Hills) – rich, concentrated and weighty shot with lime and apple.  Very good, layered and complex.

Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2006 – I first tasted this pre-release in March 2007, so early days but its pedigree impressed me from the off and I remember its heady Puligny’esque (lily) flowers and swoonful texture.  Almost 2 years on it retains the heady lilies but has filled out, no question.  Showing sweet oak, honey, pears and melon, it is a tour de force of texture, silky and insinuating, cleaving to the palate but without being remotely heavy – balance is all and this has it in spades.  Poetry in motion!

Petaluma Chardonnay 2006 (Margaret River) – crisp, fresh and applely with white peach and nougat- nice clean pair of heels on the finish – promising.

Ten Minutes by Tractor McCutcheon Chardonnay 2006 (Mornington Peninsula) – savoury, limpid, well-balanced with apple and white peach and mouth-cleansing acidity.  Good.

Leeuwin Estate Arts Series 2006 (Margaret River) – tightly coiled pear, grapefruit with a savoury edge; tensile structure suggests a true to form long life ahead.  Impressively quiet!

Pinot Noirs chosen by Jeremy Oliver – if the Chardys were impressive, the Pinot Noirs made a yet deeper impression, so far removed from the jammier, one dimensional styles of several years ago.  Massive progress here and, for me, subtler, finer and drier than many of New Zealand’s offerings and so much more Pinot for it!

Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir 2006 (Yarra Valley) – Good juicy Ppinot Noir with lots of succulent black cherry and raspberry; nice freshness.

Port Philip Pinot Noir 2006 (Mornington Peninsula) – fresh with well defined fruit, earthy, mineral and with an attractive translucency.  Very good.

Kooyong Haven Pinot Noir 2005 (Mornington Peninsula) – textured with good depth of flavour and savoury layers with spice and incense to its dark plum fruit. (see other Kooyong wines below).

Stefano Lubiana Sasso Pinot Noir 2005 (Tasmania) – nice definition/precision and persistence, with a leesy, clayey (cool, damp earth) tang for which I have a lot of taste bud time…Good length…draws you in, reflective…

Mac Forbes (www.macforbes.com) – I met Mac last year, before which we’d had a good exchange about Riesling for a feature I was writing.  His wines are quite different from the mainstream – in common with other young guns he is looking beyond fruit for texture and terroir and, with Riesling, diverging from the classic Aussie driza-bone style.  I think his Pinot Noirs and Rieslings are particularly good, sensual wines.

Mac Forbes Dry Riesling RS9 2008 (Strathbogie Ranges) – RS is a reference to the amount of residual sugar.  This is sweet, but not too sweet, bright, long and persistent with apple and steelier grapefruit – very good.

Mac Forbes Dry Riesling RS37 2008 (Strathbogie Ranges) – higher residual sugar lends texture and this has an attractive sappiness and tang to its citrus and apple fruit so certainly enough freshness to balance.  Youthful now, it’ll be interesting to see how it develops.

Mac Forbes Gruyere Pinot Noir 2007 (Yarra Valley)  – the Swiss were among the first wave of immigrants in the Yarra in the 19th century, so I guess that explains Gruyere, an unofficial sub-region of the Yarra.  Mac is one of an increasing number of winemakers focusing on making terroir-lead Pinot Noirs from different parts of the Yarra rather than producing an uber-fruity, rich, ripe reserve Pinot Noir from best barrels.  It’s all about vineyard character and preserving not building up, up and away from that in the winery or, for that matter by letting the fruit get super-ripe – Mac picks early – this wine is 12% abv.  And it’s very pretty, textured and intense with a lovely clean, fresh and lifted nose, spice and firm support from ripe but present tannins.  Most unworked and lovely for it.

Mac Forbes Coldstream Pinot Noir 2007 (Yarra Valley)  – a warmer site, this has 13.5% abv but nonetheless is very bright with well-defined cranberry and red cherry fruit; very persistent and a touch sharp at the moment but I suspect it’ll put on a bit more flesh with time.

Mac Forbes Pinot Noir 2006 (Yarra Valley)  – apparently this was a little insipid a year ago but has fleshed out; a wild note to the nose, with lovely, ripe raspberry and cherry  – smoozy but without being too sweet; plenty to enjoy here right now!

Mac Forbes Woori Yallock Pinot Noir 2006 (Yarra Valley)  – pretty, pale and intense red fruits, though with a more savoury edge, grown up edge than the blend.  Impressive.

Mac Forbes Hugh Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Yarra Valley) – very inky with wonderful precision, perfume and freshness to the palate.  Well-delineated black, blue and red berry fruit with some attractive spicy, curranty notes.  A firm edge of tannin suggests this has plenty of life ahead.  Vivid.

Ten Minutes by Tractor – Mornington Peninsula is a real hotspot, or more accurately cool spot for Burgundian varieties.  The name is derived from the wineries 3 vineyards, a ten minute tractor ride apart. www.tenminutesbytractor.com.au

Ten Minutes by Tractor Wallis Chardonnay 2006 (Mornington Peninsula) – textured, ripe yet limpid, a lovely, lingering Chardonnay.

Ten Minutes by Tractor 10x Pinot Noir 2006 (Mornington Peninsula)  – very upfront fruit, but savoury and dry – very good.

Ten Minutes by Tractor Pinot Noir 2006 (Mornington Peninsula) – good freshness and bite with lots of crunchy red fruits, some riper black fruits and svaoury beetroot (I love this in PN); very good.

Ten Minutes by Tractor McCutcheon Pinot Noir 2006 (Mornington Peninsula) – more textured and savoury, with a hint of mint though not distracting – more part of its “cleaness”  – impressively intense.

Clairault Wines – based in the Pauillac of Margaret River, Wilyabrup, Clairault’s 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon picked up one of three trophies at a Decanter panel tasting of 75 Western Australian Cabernets and Cabernet blends.  I thought the Sauvignon Blanc very good too and you’ll not find many straight Sauvignons from Margaret River because it’s a little on the warm side.

Clairault Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (Margaret River) – very vibrant with buzzy gooseberry and citrus flavours– treads a nice line between freshness and body.

Clairault Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Margaret River) – plush with velvety tannins, rich, ripe black berry and currant fruit, spice and leather.  Good balance.

Tamar Ridge – Tasmania.  I first visited in 2004 and this youthful operation has hugely expanded but quality remains very good, especially for the Kayena vineyard wines.

Tamar Ridge Kayena Pinot Grigio 2007 (Tasmania) – spicy, with textured rich, lychee and pear fruit and just 3.5g of residual – well done.

Tamar Ridge Kayena Riesling 2008 (Tasmania) – super-long, tight and focused with brisk steely grapefruit – very, very good indeed.

Tamar Ridge Devils Corner Pinot Noir 2008 (Tasmania) – the junior range and this delivers the goods upfront – lovely nose, great gobs of red and black summer pudding fruits; proper grown up dry finish despite the exuberance!

Harewood Estate – Great Southern.  If you visit, as I did in 2007, you’ll understand why this Denmark-based producer achieves such fresh and frisky notes in his whites.  They mirror the chilly Southern ocean’s crashing waves on the rocks, visible as you climb the Scotsdale Road to  James Kellie’s Denmark vineyard. For reds, not tasted on this occasion but very good for the record, he sources from Mount Barker and Frankland, warmer, inland sub-regions of Great Southern.

Harewood Estate Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008 (Great Southern) – grassy nose with pea pod and fresh coriander that friskily follow through on the palate; sweet lemony Semillon acidity adds depth and contrast.

Harewood Estate Reserve Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (Great Southern) – richer and weightier cut with a lovely freshness; very integrated and complete.

Harewood Estate Riesling 2008 (Great Southern) – chalky, dry and limey with good fruit purity.

Kooyong – Mornington Peninsula.  One of my finds of last year.  Fabulously nuanced Pinot Noir and Chardonnay thanks to several clones for each variety, a parcellated approach to the vineyard and hands off winemaking – natural yeasts, no malo and sensitive use of oak and the lees.

Kooyong Estate Chardonnay 2006 (Mornington Peninsula) – rich and ripe white orchard fruits with cashew and a mineral undertow.  Good freshness and balance with a snappy acidity.

Kooyong Faultline Chardonnay 2005 (Mornington Peninsula) – complex wine, a point now with hazelnut, lime, apple, white peach.  Lovely.

Kooyong Farrago Chardonnay 2005 (Mornington Peninsula)  – couldn’t be more different from the other single parcel Faultline, this has a finer, citrussy line, tangy, floral and honeyed with beautiful freshness and persistence; long.  Very good.

Kooyong Massale Pinot Noir Massale 2007 (Mornington Peninsula) – black cherry, fresh dug earth, a touch of tannic grip, this is lively, fresh and well done.

Kooyong Estate Pinot Noir 2006 (Mornington Peninsula) – savoury, long, tight, with a bright core of red cherry and pomegranate fruit, rolling acidity, a touch of tannin.  Very good – enjoyed the previous vintage with turbot over wild mushrooms – parfait!

Kooyong Meres Pinot Noir 2005 (Mornington Peninsula) – darker, deeper, earthier and spicier, very different – more Gevrey less Beaune in its weight and structure.

Kooyong Ferrous Pinot Noir 2005 (Mornington Peninsula) – very attractive very Pinot nose, the palate somehow seamlessly earthy and juicy fruited; great structure and line, an exciting wine.

Stonier – another Mornington Peninsula producer, longer in the tooth than Kooyong (established in 1978) and located further south, only 10 minutes from the Bass Strait, so much more exposed to brisk, chilly sea breezes.

Stonier Chardonnay 2007 (Mornington Peninsula) – very Mornington P – aromatic, fresh and applely with just a creamy hint; nice balance.

Stonier Reserve Chardonnay 2007 (Mornington Peninsula) – shows more oak but equally a greater depth of fruit so all in balance with white peach, cashew, an attractive leesy texture and tang; fresh finish.

Stonier Pinot Noir 2007 (Mornington Peninsula) – rich, ripe plum with a touch of spice pepping up the palate, but it shows nice restraint and svelte tannins.

Stonier Reserve Pinot Noir 2007 (Mornington Peninsula) – nice dark, savoury nose with beetroot, black cherry, cinnamon and five spice; velvety tannins but overall, well drawn/delineated.

Creed of Barossa – Barossa Valley, the Barossa is associated with some of Australia’s best established names, Peter Lehmann, Rockford, St Hallett, Yalumba, Penfolds, Orlando etc etc but it’s also host to lots of new names, often hands on owner/winemakers sourcing fruit for wines made in small quantities with lots of tlc.  Creed, owned by Mark Creed and winemaker Daniel Eggleton are one such example.  They met in 2001 and, by 2005, got serious about making their own wine.  And it’s serious and interesting stuff to boot.

Creed Wines The Wild Child Riesling 2008 (Eden Valley) – another new wave Riesling this, unlike the Macforbes dry.  But a modicum of skin contact together with a wild yeast ferment imparts greater textural richness than classic Ozzie Rizza, though beneath lurks the steel girder and mineral citrus (lemon and grapefruit pith) typical of Eden Valley.  Very good, limpid and long – a nod to Alsace.

Creed Wines The Pretty Miss 2006 (Barossa) –  an unusual blend of Shiraz 75% Cabernet Franc 22% Viognier 3%.  While the fruit is rich, ripe and generous, with some baked and currant nuances the Cabernet Franc and Viognier give lift and, the former, precision.  Less glossy, more tasty and that’s a compliment!

Paxton Wines – McLaren Vale, Dave Paxton is the experienced viticulturist behind plenty of famous names and supplies fruit to the likes of Steve Pannell.  In 2000 he and his winemaker son launched their first eponymous wines.  Last year Dave participated in a seminar about sustainable farming and he talked about farming biodynamically.  The biodynamic lobby are often criticised for being all mumbo jumbo so it was great to hear this no-nonsense, straight-talking Aussie champion biodynamics as “common sense farming”.

Paxton Wines AAA Shiraz Grenache 2006 (McLaren Vale) – lovely sweetness and smoothness from the Grenache wed to firmer Shiraz with McLaren Vale’s dusty mineral terroir coming through on the finish.

Paxton Wines Quandong Shiraz 2007 (McLaren Vale) – tightly coiled Shiraz, this is very unmade with a preponderance of (drier) fruit rather than (sweet) oak tannins giving great clarity to the fruit and terroir.

Paxton Wines Jones Block Shiraz 2004 (McLaren Vale) – it smells velvety if such a thing is possible!  It’s certainly has plush fruit, wild bramble and blackberry with impressive balancing freshness making for a long, persistent finish.

Gemtree Vineyards – McLaren Vale, another Vale producer who, from the 2008 vintage has decided to go 100% biodynamic following the success of trial parcels.

Gemtree The Phantom Petit Verdot 2007 (McLaren Vale)  – it’s sometimes called Bordeaux’s salt ‘n pepper grape – it lends seasoning (and colour) to the blend.  On its own this is most definitely dark, brooding and inky and, with savoury, bay leaf and spice underscored by textured tannins there’s no shortage of seasoning.  Good.

Gemtree Uncut Shiraz 2006 (McLaren Vale)  – very natural and good-natured Shiraz, you come to it rather than it comes to you so there’s space to breathe, digest and savour its well-balanced, textured palate with mocha-edged black fruits.  Well done and controversial I know, but I prefer it to the Obsidian Shiraz 2005 which was a little too intensely fruity and muscle-bound with 36 months in new oak….It is of course all about timing too and, if I’m allowed/can find it, I’ll take another peek in a decade when it’s relaxed a bit!

Glaetzer – Barossa, Ben Glaetzer’s focus in on “animated fruit,”  – so what’s new you might say about Aussie Shiraz, well what he means is fruit which is picked neither overripe or underripe to retain its purity and freshness.  And then he takes care not to overdo the oak – take the Grenache componet of the Wallace – from 80 year old vines it stays in stainless steel, so no oak at all.

Glaetzer Wallace Shiraz Grenache 2007 – very tight, very concentrated, very fresh with savoury twists of black pepper to its red and black cherry and berry fruit.  I’m a big fan of this wine.

Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz Grenache 2006 – sweet, minty fruit, very bright, fresh and precise with plush cassis fruit and firm but ripe tannins.

Cullen – Margaret River, an old favourite since my Oddbins’ Fine Wine days and going from strength to strength.  Certified organic in 2003 and biodynamic in 2004, and now with 100% natural ferments, no acidification etc etc, the wines are becoming even more finely honed. See my notes for the Chardonnay spotlight tasting above for Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2006 notes.

Cullen Mangan Semillon 2008 (Margaret River) – a mineral, chalky nose and palate, this is racy and tight on the palate with finely chiselled cheekbones; lemony and limpid.

Cullen Mangan Red 2006 (Margaret River) – well defined flavours of plum and red and black berry and cherry with balsamic and a lick of milk chocolate; a well-balanced, medium bodied wine.
Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2006 (Margaret River) – lots of layers and texture here with a subtle glow of red and black berry fruits and a leafy undertow; firm but ripe supporting tannins.

Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2005 (Margaret River) – beautiful, elegant wine, with melt in the mouth, fine powdery tannins, plum, chocolate and black berry and currant; elegant, long finish.  Draws you back to the glass.

Mount Horrocks – Clare Valley, people say dog owners look like their animals, well Stephanie Toole, a brisk, bright as a button, cut to the chase kind of gal with a sparkle in her eye is very much like her white wines!

Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling 2008 (Clare Valley) – very Watervale with turkish delight/rose petal and ripe, round, succulent lychee cut with juicy, mouth-tingly limey acidity; good length.

Mount Horrocks Watervale Semillon 2007 (Clare Valley) – always a poised, finely crafted wine, 07 is terrific – lemony, smoky nose, the palate intense with fresh lime juice, racy and delicate; long and lingering.

SC Pannell – McLaren Vale/Adelaide Hills, Steve Pannell is metrovinous – a well-travelled winemaker with wine in the blood (dad is Dr Bill Pannell who established Moss Wood and now pursues Pinot perfection at Picardy in Pemberton).  And, thanks to a spell as Head Winemaker at Hardys, he is very acquainted with the vineyards of South Australia, handy when he set up on his own account in 2004.

SC Pannell Pronto Bianco 2008 (Adelaide Hills)  – inspired by his time in Italy, this is Steve’s “Friuli blend” of Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling and this reinforces my view that Pinot Grigio is better in a blend.  Very PG on the nose and attack with ripe, round, quite sweet pear then a nice gear change when the Riesling comes into play, balancing and extending the palate with limey bright acidity.  A very pleasurable drop, I mean drink which has gone down exceedingly well at consumer tastings.

SC Pannell Shiraz/Grenache 2006 (McLaren Vale) – a subtley expressive wine with juicy, ripe blood plum, fragrant cinnamon/dried spice and a mineral core; sinewy tannins lend gravitas.

SC Pannell Shiraz 2005 (McLaren Vale) – very good fruit purity, with plump black fruits and ripe plum, yet mineral and restrained, the oak very much in the background, part of the supporting structure not strutting the stage.

Jeffrey Grosset  – Clare Valley, I always approach tasting the latest vintage of Grosset’s famous Rieslings with great anticipation and the 2008s are mind-blowingly good – a whiff of suggestion that they’re up there with the 2002s – fab stuff – see my Aussie Riesling trip notes []

Jeffrey Grosset Springvale Watervale Riesling 2008 (Clare Valley) – talc hints of Watervale on the nose, this has fabulous depth and concentration, absolutely crystal clear in its clarity (tautologous I know but I’m making a point here!), with rolling talc and lime infused acidity giving great persistence.

Jeffrey Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2008 (Clare Valley) –  a steely, slatey nose and palate with a much tighter thrust of delicate lime, very pure and super-long, with chiselled with minerals dry extract.  Really top.

Knappstein – Clare Valley, on last year’s visit it was difficult to know which impressed me more, the single vineyard pedigree of the mineral Ackland Riesling, from a vineyard planted in 1969 or the fabulous development potential of the “basic” hand picked Riesling ( of which I tasted the 1995 and the 2002) – see my Aussie Riesling trip notes []. Good to catch up with the latest vintages:

Knappstein Hand Picked Riesling 2008 (Clare Valley) – ripe, exotic with sweet talc and nice juicy, limey acidity; very likeable now and trust me, at the start of an interesting journey!

Knappstein Ackland Vineyard Riesling 2008 (Clare Valley) – lychee, rose water nose, great intensity on the palate with lively shots of pure line juice making for a long, persistent, chalk and mineral laced finish.  Very good.

And some sundry interesting sips –

Michelton Marsanne 2007 (Victoria) – cinder toffee/honeycombe edged citrus fruits, very backfoot, gentle, textured wine.  Good.

Michelton Viognier 2007 (Victoria) – rich, ripe apricot with a lick of aniseed, again, backfoot, gentle and textured.  Good.

Michelton Airstrip Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier 2006 (Victoria) – I’m being boring and repetitive but I’m finding much to like in Michelton’s approach to Rhone varieties – not over-flexed, they sit comfortably with themselves rather than show off – my backfoot explained, just as much about texture as flavour.  Good.

D’Arenberg Sticks & Stones 2005 (McLaren Vale) – Tempranillo is another variety that I prefer in a blend and this is a great example – quite farmy on the nose, though the palate is surprisingly tight with texture and thrust; stacks of intense cherry and liquorice flavours.  Very good.

Sarah Ahmed
The Wine Detective
29 January 2009