Affordable Clare: Regional charmers at a reasonable price

One of the great strengths of the Australian wine industry is the ability to deliver decent drinking wines at reasonable prices. The big companies can draw on fruit from numerous regions to make consistent and very drinkable wines vintage after vintage. 

Unfortunately, from a wine drinker’s perspective, that also can be a weakness. Sure, you know what you will get year after year with the big brands but, if you are looking for vintage or regional variation, it just isn’t there. 

 

I love wines with regional character and this is where smaller companies actually have an advantage over the big boys. They generally have to source their fruit from within one region, even if they can draw on several vineyards to do so. The result is wines with regional character but possibly vintage variation and that is something I enjoy. The subtle character changes from vintage to vintage are what makes the wine scene so appealing. 
Enter the Mr Mick range from Clare Valley based Tim Adams wines. These are named after Tim’s winemaking mentor the late, legendary Mick Knappstein, for many years the winemaker at Leasingham and the man behind some of my favourites Clare wines, the Leasingham Bin range, including Bin 7 Riesling, Bin 49 Cabernet Sauvignon and Bin 56 Cabernet Malbec. 

 I’m not about to suggest that the Mr Mick range meets or even tries to match those very high standards, we are talking after all about some of Australia’s classic wines, but they offer excellent drinking at an affordable price. 

 In the range are (all from the 2021 vintage) riesling, pinot gris (Limestone Coast fruit, the only outsider), vermentino, rose, sangiovese and grenache, tempranillo and shiraz (both 2018s) and 2016 cabernet merlot, along with a sparkling NV Gela Cuvee Brut made from chardonnay and semillon and named after Mick’s wife, Gela, and a Mr Mick Tawny ($20 for a 500ml bottle) based on pedro ximenez, with some parts up to 20 years old. 

All except the tawny have a suggested price of $17 and often appear in wine retailers for $15, making them very good value drinking. 

 You can find out more at www.mrmick.com.au including how to join the Mates of Mr Mick wine club.

Andin a similar vein, you should explore the Coast to Coast range from West Cape Howe, which showcases the many wine riches of Western Australia's Great Southern region. They're similarly priced to Mr Mick and offer good value drinking with recognisable regional flavours. Check out www.westcapehowewines.com.au 

The good wood: Oak maturation adds extra style to a Tassie sparkler

Working in the Clover Hill vineyard in northern Tasmania

I’ve always enjoyed champagnes at the richer end of the scale, with Krug and Bollinger leading the way. It’s no secret that ageing of the base material in oak barrels has a lot to do with that added richness and complexity.

So it’s no surprise that Hanging Rock Macedon, made by John Ellis, has been one of my favourite Australian bubblies. John unashamedly modelled the wine on Krug and Bollinger with that added oak influence.

Well, now I have discovered another Aussie bubble that appeals to my tastes, Clover Hill’s new Cuvee Foudre NV ($50). Clover Hill has been among my favourite Australian sparkling makers for some years. producing delicious bubblies from their northern Tasmanian base.

For this new release they store the base wine (chardo9nnay 66%, pinot noir 32% and pinot meunier 2%) in large format (58hL) French oak foudre for 18 months and then a further 14 months on lees after final bottling.

The result is a rich, complex bubbly that is delicious with smoked salmon on blinis with cream cheese but would go very well with chicken or white fish dishes.

If you want a bubble to go with pan-fried salmon I would be looking more towards their Tasmanian Cuvee Rose NV ($36) or 2016 Cuvee Exceptionnelle Rose ($70).

And if you want some bubble to enjoy as an aperitif it’s hard to go past the Tasmanian Cuvee NV ($36), Vintage Brut 2016 ($50) or Cuvee Exceptionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2015 ($70). 

For lighter, fruit-based desserts check out the Vintage Riche 2016 ($50) with its higher residual sugar level. 

If you want something to go with the Christmas ham or turkey, look no further that Clover Hill’s parent Taltarni and their 2018 Sparkling Shiraz ($26). It’s a wonderful Aussie style that really hasn’t been mastered by any other country and the rich, sweet fruit with bubbles goes so well with either ham or turkey. It’s not too bad with Christmas pudding or fruit cake either.

Indeed, the Taltarni range always delights me, from the 2016 Brut through the 2014 Cuvee Rose, 2017 Blanc de Blancs and particularly the 2014 Tache Sparkling Rose (all $26). 

If you can’t find something in the Taltarni/Clover Hill sparkling range you really are picky.

For more information go to www.taltarni.com.au and www.cloverhillwines.com.au

 

 

Great expectations: The 2021 vintage is shaping up as one to look forward to.

 

The 2020 vintage may have been a forgettable one for many Australian wine regions but 2021 is shaping up as an eminently memorable one for all the right reasons.

Drought, bushfires and smoke taint hit many parts of the country, cutting output or totally wiping out crops for many.

However, going by the, admittedly limited, new releases I have tasted from the current vintage it is looking very promising. Here are a few of them.

 

Carillion 2021 Origins Semillon ($35)

A lovely young Hunter Valley white showing lemon zest and mineral palate with a fresh citrus acid finish. Enjoy now with oysters or shellfish or tuck away for a decade. Under its Lovable Rogue label, Carillion also has produced a tasty fiano ($30) and vermentino ($30) that are worth chasing up.  Rating: 92. Find out more at www.carillionwines.com.au

Longview 2021 Juno Nebbiolo Rosato ($26)

One of my favourite Australian rose styles, this Adelaide Hills wine shows red berries and roses on the nose and palate, with a crisp, dry finish. Enjoy over the next year or two by itself or with almost any lighter foods. Rating: 93. More at www.longviewvineyard.com.au

 

Tim Adams 2021 Riesling ($24)

A wonderful example of a young Clare Valley riesling, this shows citrus and floral characters on the nose and palate, with a crisp mineral acid finish. It’s delicious now but should live for years. The companion 2021 Pinot Gris ($24) is equally delicious and the just released 2018 Shiraz ($26) also is very much worth seeking out. More at www.timadamswines.com.au

Coonawarra classics: The latest Wynnsday releases simply reinforce the high standing of Wynns Coonawarra Estate

The iconic Wynns cellar door in Coonawarra

In past years, the Wynnsday release of the latest from Wynns Coonawarra Estate took on such epic proportions that it made the latest Bond film look like an amateur home movie.

Stars of the show were always the latest releases of the John Riddoch cabernet sauvignon and Michael shiraz, with support from the latest version of Black Label cabernet sauvignon and the White Label shiraz, riesling and chardonnay,

In these Covid days, it’s a more restrained occasion but John Riddoch ($150) and Michael ($150) are still the superstars of the day, with an all-star supporting cast featuring the newest Black Label cabernet ($45) and the recently added Black Label Old Vine shiraz ($45), along with more regular appearances of a couple delicious reds from the V&A Lane vineyard, usually a cabernet-shiraz blend  ($60) and a straight shiraz ($60) and an individual selection from another outstanding vineyard.

This year, the spotlight falls on a cabernet sauvignon from the 2018 vintage from the Johnson’s Block vineyard, a rich and flavoursome drop well worth its $80 asking price. All are delicious wines showing great varietal character, with the V&A Lane duo offering a fresh, fine, cool-climate take on the traditional varieties. Incidentally, the 2018 vintage has been rightly described as one of the greats in Coonawarra but the evidence of this release suggests that 2019 is right up there too.

Those prices for John Riddoch and Michael may seem steep but, given the quality and pedigree of the wines, by almost any standards they verge on the cheap. These are world-class wines that every wine-lover should try at least once in their lives, more often if they can band together with other red lovers to taste every now and then as these wines can easily take 20 years in bottle.

And a selection of Black Label cabernets from various vintages should be a starting point for any half-decent cellar. Check out the Wynns website where they offer mixed cases and some mini-verticals of shiraz and cabernet to make the task easier.

The prices quotes are recommended retail but I have seen the Black Labels selling around the $35 mark at various big outlets, which makes them excellent value.

If your budget does not extend that far, check out The Siding cabernet sauvignon, which can be found for $12-$13 in some national chains, It’s the entry level cabernet to go along with White Label shiraz and chardonnay and the cabernet shiraz merlot blend and all offer a very good introduction to the Wynns range. I suspect once you taste those you will be looking to explore the higher-priced (and more limited) Black Labels, individual vineyard and John Riddoch and Michael offerings.

The only sad note of this year’s release is the news that long-time viticulturist at Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Allen Jenkins, is retiring. He and senior winemaker Sue Hodder have formed a formidable team over the past 20 years that has driven the estate to even greater heights

For information on all these wines go to www.wynns.com.au

 

Western wonders: Taste some of the best from the Great Southern region

Western wonders: Taste some of the best from the Great Southern region

West Cape Howe’s Cape To Cape range has always represented excellent drinking value, offering drink-now wines of flavour and complexity sourced from across Western Australia’s Great Southern region,

However, its Single Vineyard series, while costing more, offers possibly even better value, with the range of wines from the Mt Barker and Porongorup regions delivering flavoursome, complex wines with excellent cellaring potential.

All cost about $30, or less if you join the winery’s Corker Wine Club or find them on special at your local bottle shop, but drink well above their price point.

In the most recent release of the range are the 2021 Porongorup Riesling (from an area fast gaining recognition as one of the best in Australia for the variety), 2019 Styx Gully Chardonnay, 2020 Karri Oak Pinot Noir, 2018 Book Ends Cabernet Sauvignon and 2018 Two Steps Shiraz, the last four all from vineyards in the Mt Barker region, with several planted 30 to 40 years ago.

It’s hard to nominate a favourite because all appeal to me for different reasons. The Porongorup Riesling, for example, offers wonderfully incise citrus fruit along with a mineral acid backbone that shows immediate attractions but holds the promise of developing deliciously in the bottle.

The shiraz is a medium-bodied example of cooler-climate shiraz, with more red berries and spice than those from warmer regions such as the Barossa or McLaren Vale, with fermentation in new French oak (15 percent) and maturation in French oak barrels (25 percent new) adding complexity without overpowering the fruit. It will easily take another five years in bottle.

Similarly, the cabernet combines French oak fermentation and maturation with cassis and blackcurrant fruit characters and fine tannins to be most approachable already although with the fruit concentration and complexity to ensure rewarding bottle maturation.

The chardonnay is a thoroughly modern style, with emphasis on melon and citrus fruit, with some oak from barrel fermentation but the crisp acid retained by not putting it through malolactic fermentation. Again, a few years in bottle won’t hurt.

Then there’s the pinot noir, not a grape often associated with Western Australia despite quite a few lovely examples being released over the years. This features 20 percent whole bunch fermentation and 20 months maturation in oak barrels, 50 percent new. The result is a delicious medium-bodied red showing dark cherry and strawberry fruit with a lovely savoury character and fine tannins _ just add duck.

The wines are stocked at Dan Murphy’s and other liquor retailers and you can find out more about them, head to www.westcapehowewines.com.au

 

Test of time: Fruits of age seen in old vine releases from Taltarni

It seems like only a few years ago that I was in the cellar at Taltarni in Victoria’s Pyrenees district tasting young reds from barrel with then chief winemaker Dominique Portet.

However, a check of my records showed that it was actually December 1982 and Taltarni had been operational for just over a decade, with its vines, mostly shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, planted in the late 1960s.

Fast forward 40 years and those vines are still producing excellent wines, with the benefit of vine age showing strongly.

The latest releases that showcase their fruit are a 2019 Old Vine Shiraz ($50) and 2018 Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon ($45), both rich, delicious wines showing complex fruit and oak on the nose and palate, with fine, lingering tannins.

While both offer balanced drinking already, they have the structure to age well for some years, particularly in light of the winery’s past prowess in producing wines that benefit from time in bottle.

Another new release that deserves to be kept for years is the 2019 Reserve Shiraz Cabernet ($75), a blend of 57% shiraz and 43 % cabernet sauvignon selected from the best barrels of each variety, with the fruit matured in French oak barrels (40% new) for 14 months. It’s a lovely example of this quintessential Australian blend.

I’m pretty sure some of those wines I tasted from barrel with Dominique are still going as he made them with a decent shot of tannin to achieve long-term cellar life, although I don’t have any left in my cellar to pronounce on that definitely.

Dominique is still making wines from his own winery in the Yarra Valley under the Dominique Portet label with his son Ben and they are certainly worth seeking out.

Not all of Taltarni’s wines are made to cellar for decades, with the 2020 Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre and 2020 Sangiovese Cabernet Sauvignon (both about $26) delicious drinking now and good shorter-term cellaring prospects. 

The 2018 Estate Shiraz ($40) falls somewhere in between. It’s drinking very nicely now but another decade in the cellar won’t hurt it.

And if you want a celebratory drink, Taltarni’s range of bubbles, particularly the Brut Rose, is always rewarding, as is the wonderful array from its Tasmanian offshoot Clover Hill (some of my favourite Aussie bubbles).

While Taltarni may have been one of the pioneers of the Pyrenees district, it is not alone in producing wines worth a try. Among the excellent producers in the area are Blue Pyrenees, Dalwhinnie, Mount Avoca, Peerick and Sally’s Paddock and several more. 

For more information on individual wineries and the region, check out

www.taltarni.com.au

www.pyrenees.org.au

www.sallyspaddock.com.au

www.bluepyrenees.com.au

www.dalwhinnie.wine

www.mountavoca.com

www.peerick.com.au

www.dominiqueportet.com

A big state: Explore WA's wine regions from your home

Millbrook Estate in the Perth Hills. Picture: Frances Andrijich

 Western Australia is a wonderful place to visit (when you can). 

Whether it’s the stunning scenery around Broome and the Kimberleys, with the Bungle Bungles and Windjana Gorge high on the to-see list, the waters around Ningaloo Reef and its majestic whale sharks, the amazing Wave Rock near Hyden, the tall trees of the timber country around Pemberton, the caves and beaches of Margaret River, the coastal country around Esperance or the National Anzac Centre in Albany, there is something for just about everyone to enjoy.

And as for wine _ from the Swan Valley, WA’s oldest wine region, through Margaret River, Geographe, Perth Hills, Peel, Blackwood Valley, Southern Forests or the Great Southern _ it’s a taste sensation.

Now, thanks to Wines of Western Australia, Wine Australia and Tourism Western Australia, you can explore the state’s various wine regions without leaving home.

The Wine Adventurer is an online and interactive wine tourism guide designed to inspire and inform international and domestic visitors to help plan trips into WA’s incredible and diverse wine regions.  

Picardy Wines in the Southern Forest.
Picture: Frances Andrijich

Eight wine regions are featured in an easy-to-navigate e-brochure that includes each region’s unique wine tourism experiences and hero wine varieties. 

Swan Valley, Perth Hills, Peel, Geographe, Margaret River, Blackwood Valley, Southern Forest and Great Southern each has a section with beautiful photography along with practical information such as driving distances, climate, harvest times, soil type as well as tips on what to eat, where to stay, what to do and must-see attractions. 

The 60-page guide features more than just wine, there is a cross section of experiences including, authentic regional dining, art and museums and cosy vineyard stays.

 The Wine Adventure can be found  at WesternAustralia.com and at 

 winewa.asn.au