Wines to savour: A selection worth a try

 REVIEWS

Calabria 2019 Richland Durif

Sourced from the Riverina, this rich and flavoursome fruit-driven red shows dark berry on the nose and palate with some spice and fine tannins. It’s far more approachable young than its Rutherglen counterparts and would make an ideal barbecue accompaniment to grilled steaks or gourmet beef sausages. Its partner 2020 Rose also is very tasty. Both $11.95. Rating: 90 www.calabriawines.com.au

Longview 2020 Juno Nebbiolo Rosato

One of my favourite rose styles, this delicious drop from the Adelaide Hills shows floral rose petal characters on the nose and palate with some savoury red berry and a crisp finish. Serve chilled as an ideal summer drink. $26. Rating: 92 www.longviewvinewyard.com.au

Soumah 2020 Frizzante Brachetto d'Soumah

Made from the northern Italian variety brachetto, which is rare in Australia, this shows musk and rose water on the nose and lightly sparkling palate with some natural sweetness and a crisp finish. It’s almost like drinking liquid Turkish delight. It’s a great match for fruit pastries or a fresh fruit pavlova. $28. Its companion 2020 Brachetto Tranquillo ($32) is a delicious richer wine that goes well with soft cheeses or fruit desserts. Rating: 91 www.soumah.com.au

Tyrrell’s 2015 Winemaker’s Selection Vat 1 Semillon

One of the world’s great wines, this is just starting to show its potential, with some buttered toast and honey characters joining the lemon citrus and straw of its youth. Already a complex wine, it will only become better with more bottle age. Its asking price of $98 might sound expensive but just think of what is being charged for some of this country’s top chardonnays, which often don’t have as much bottle age, and don’t even contemplate what top white burgundies cost. Rating: 97 www.tyrrells.com.au

Beyond GSM: A blend that's out of the ordinary

Most wine lovers have heard of GSM, the blend of grenache, shiraz and mourvedre (mataro) brought to prominence by the winemakers of the French Cotes du Rhone region and widely produced in Australia.

Many of the GSM blends come from the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale where the three varieties have been grown for numerous decades. The proportion of the varieties can change so you may find GMS and SGM blends about.

They have morphed over the years, with several examples of GST, grenache, shiraz and touriga (a Portuguese variety best known for its use in ports) or grenache, shiraz and tempranillo (the great red grape of Spain).

Angelo Puglisi of Ballandean Estate

Well, add to the list GFM, as produced by Ballandean Estate on Queensland’s Granite Belt. In contrast to the better-known GSM, this is an all-white blend of the Italian varieties giallo (a member of the muscat family mostly grown in north-east Italy), fiano and malvasia.

Normally, Ballandean Estate produce three separate examples of the varieties but the drought-hit 2020 vintage was so small that Angelo Puglisi (left) and the winemaking team decided to blend the three.

The result is a delicious white with floral characters from the giallo and palate richness and complexity from the fiano and malvasia. It’s proven very popular with drinkers and I believe it is a style that they should keep making each vintage, even when increased fruit volumes allow them to make each variety separately.

For more information go to www.ballandeanestate.com

Spirited style: Maturing wine in spirit casks

 

 

Scotch whisky distillers have been ageing their production in wine barrels, particularly used sherry casks, for years so I suppose it was only a matter of time before the reverse happened.

Jacob’s Creek have been producing Double Barrel wines (cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, cabernet shiraz and chardonnay) made traditionally and then finished in Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey barrels for a few years.

Several American wineries have been producing similar wines but few have reached Australia.

Now, the American producer Robert Mondavi has introduced a line in Australia treated in a similar fashion. The Mondavi Private Selection of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay from the Monterey region of California each are fermented in a range of bourbon or rum barrels of differing ages.

The Robert Mondavi Private Selection spirit-aged wines

In much the same way as many producers ferment and age their wines in French and American oak casks that could be new, one year old, two years old etc, Mondavi has a similar process for its wines.

 

Winemaker Glen Caughell who is
 in charge of the project.

Obviously, you need a pretty robust wine to stand up to such treatment and I imagine something like a Hunter semillon or Clare riesling would be overwhelmed by the spirit character.

The obvious question is why? Traditionalists and purists would be horrified by the idea and the wines will not appeal to everyone. They are rich examples of their variety to start with and the bourbon or rum (in the case of the merlot) casks add extra flavours and sweetness.

Many may find that offputting but there are plenty of drinkers who like that richness and sweetness you’ll find in these wines.

Is it a marketing gimmick? Possibly, but enough people are buying the wines for them to be filling a decent-sized niche in the market.

The Private Selection wines now available in Australia (at BWS, Dan Murphy’s, Liquorland and First Choice for about $25) are the 2018 Rum Barrel Aged Merlot, 2018 Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon and 2018 Bourbon Barrel Aged Chardonnay.

There’s plenty of rich varietal fruit in each of them, with the bourbon adding vanilla and caramel flavours to the chardonnay and cabernet and the rum imparting spice, and coconut to the merlot.

Festive fizz: Bubbles for your celebrations

 

Christmas, New Year, a birthday, an anniversary, the end of Covid lockdown, reopening of state borders _ they are all good reason to down a glass or two of bubbly.

It doesn’t feel that long ago that Aussie sparkling fans were somewhat limited in their choice of beverage. There was Seppelt Great Western brut, Orlando Barossa Pearl, Penfolds Blue Rhapsody, perhaps a Wynns Romalo, a Minchinbury, Seaview and not too many others.

Many of those have, thankfully, disappeared, although Seppelt Great Western, Seaview and Minchinbury still can be found. The base Great Western is generally known now as Imperial Reserve, although some very attractive wines are marketed under the Fleur De Lys and Salinger labels in NV and vintage forms.

The classic Champagne grapes of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier did not appear in many Aussie sparklings until the late 1970s and early 1980s because there was no great volume available from local vineyards. However, once availability increased, the standard of local bubblies started to lift. Seppelt began making its Salinger and Fleur De Lys brands and Yellowglen (originally known as Yellow Glen) was started by Ian Home at Smythesdale near Ballarat with the express idea of making first-rate Aussie bubbles. With the assistance of Champagne-trained Dominic Landragin his ideas soon bloomed.

You’ll find Yellowglen in all its colours, Yellow, Pink, White (Muscat of Alexandria), Red and reduced alcohol and calories Yellow 65 and Pink 65. There’s also a vintage “Botanicals” range featuring a pinot-chardonnay blend, pink moscato and prosecco.

Fellow Victorian winery Taltarni, which originally started as producer of classic reds, soon found its chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier could make pretty useful bubbles and its range now includes 2015 Brut, 2013 Cuvee Rose, 2016 Blanc de Blancs, 2018 Sparkling Shiraz (95% shjiraz, 2% Mataro, 2% cabernet sauvignon and 1% viognier) and 2013 Tache (sparkling rose, with its name coming from the use of a splash of red wine to give it its unique taste and colour). All are available around the $26 mark (often cheaper).

Some of the Clover Hill range

However, when Taltarni planted vineyards in northern Tasmania near Lebrina is when it really became interesting. The Clover Hill range now contains some of my favourite Australian bubbles and helped kick-start the great interest by sparkling winemakers in the cool-climate fruit from Tasmania. The Clover Hill wines (Tasmanian Cuvee NV and Tasmanian Cuvee Rose, both about $34, 2014 Vintage Brut $45, 2015 Vintage Riche $45, 2014 Cuvee Exceptionelle Blanc de Blancs $65 and 2015 Cuvee Exceptionelle Rose $65) are worth seeking out as they offer great elegance, refinement and complexity.

House of Arras winemaker Ed Carr

Speaking of great Tassie bubbles, the 2004 House of Arras EJ Carr Late Disgorged has been named best sparkling wine of the year by Decanter magazine at its 2020 tasting, knocking off a few French champagnes on the way and adding to the amazing tally of trophies and gold medals Ed Carr has earned during his career as one of Australia’s best sparkling wine makers. It’s not cheap (about $250 a bottle) and in very limited supply but if you want to see why Ed’s wines are so highly rated it is an outstanding placed to start.

The House of Arras range

If your pockets aren’t so deep, House of Arras Blanc de Blancs NV retails for about $35, the Brut Elite Cuvee 1501 $61 and 2008 Rose $120, while for special occasions the Grand Vintage 2009 is $109 and the Museum Release 2008 Blanc de Blancs $350.

Back in the real world, I don’t think the massive French champagned house of Moet & Chandon quite realised what it was launching when it started its Australian branch Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley in the mid-1980s.

Now know simply as Chandon, it releases a range of bubbles, mostly from Yarra Valley fruit but some from the Whitlands region of the King Valley and some from Tasmanian fruit, that rivals anything made in Australia (and quite a few French bubbles as well).

Victoria’s cool-climate area of Macedon also makes some top bubbly, with Hanging Rock’s Macedon blend leading the way. It is winemaker John Ellis’s tribute to the rich, complex champagne styles of Krug and Bollinger and it is worth chasing down.

While chardonnay and pinot noir blends dominate Australia’s sparkling scene, there are still a few outliers. Several Hunter Valley wineries produce sparkling semillons, Skillogalee in the Clare Valley makes a delicious sparkling riesling, Ray Costanzo at the Granite Belt’s Golden Grove produces a tasty sparkling vermentino and Chalmers in Victoria have an equally intriguing sparkling fiano under the name Felicitas. And one definitely out of left field is Soumah’s Brachetto from the Yarra Valley. It’s a gently sparkling wine made from the Italian brachetto grape that shows rose water and strawberry characters.

One of the fastest growing segments of the country’s sparking industry is fresh and fruity prosecco, with Victoria’s King Valley its major source. Pizzini and Brown Brothers are among the leaders, although there are plenty more around.

And no guide to bubblies to go with Christmas lunch or dinner would be complete without mention of sparkling reds, which are almost an Aussie institution. I’ve encountered a few from France and Canada, but that’s about it. Seppelt lead the way here, with their Original Sparkling Shiraz being readily available, although if you can find some the 2008 Show Sparkling Limited Release ($100 or so) is an amazingly elegant, complex and flavoursome drop. Actually, there are so many good sparkling reds out there it’s impossible to name them all, but I would look for examples from Rumball, Pepperjack, d’Arenberg (chambourcin and graciano),  Morris (shiraz durif), Bleasdale, Hollick (merlot) and Fox Creek (Vixen, McLaren Vale shiraz, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon).

Of course, if you want go imported, champagne still leads the way, with good examples selling from about $50 all the way to flagships at well over the $200 mark.

Constant Delights: Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

In more than 40 years of tasting and writing about wine there have been a couple of constants that have always delighted me.

One is Hunter Valley semillon and the other is Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon.

I will have more to say about Hunter Semillon in another column but this one is about Coonawarra cabernet. It was prompted by the latest Wynnsday releases from Wynns Coonawarra Estate.

This single winery has provided me more fascination and enjoyment than perhaps any other in all that time, whether it is the John Riddoch, Black Label or some of the single vineyard releases over the years.

Indeed, Black Label cabernet probably has been the most consistent red wine released in Australia over the past six decades. First produced from the 1954 vintage, it deservedly has won a reputation as a consistently good to great wine, even in what might not be seen as top years.

It’s those “off” years, when John Riddoch might not be released as the quality is not seen as good enough for its very high standards, that Black Label frequently shines as that still high-quality fruit can end up in the Black Label cabernet.

Now, I know some people will be saying “what about Grange” but there have  been some years where, frankly, I think Grange should not have been released as I don’t believe the wine measured up to the line’s lofty standards.

I’ve never been disappointed by any vintage of Black Label and there are plenty that have given me great enjoyment. As a massive generalisation, the even years seem to have performed better than odd years in Coonawarra and I think 2018 is going to go down as one of the greats. With its dark cherry and floral nose, red and dark berries with mint and a fine tannin framework it’s a wine to put away for a decade or two.

Sarah Pidgeon and Sue Hodder

Senior winemaker Sue Hodder and her team, which includes winemaker Sarah Pidgeon and viticulturist Cath Kidman, have been doing an amazing job producing top drops year after year.

Just to make a mockery of my own generalisation, two of the greatest wines I’ve tasted were the 1991 Black Label and John Riddoch. Coming after the acclaimed, fruit-driven, 1990 vintage they were frequently overlooked, although knowledgeable Coonawarra followers often said they were from a classic regional vintage and would repay cellaring. They were right … I drank them when they were 25 years old and they were still going strong.

I’m really looking forward the the Wynnsday when the 2018 John Riddoch cabernet and Michael shiraz are released.

Cath Kidman

Don’t overlook the other four wines from the 2020 Wynnsday collection as they are equally fascinating and rewarding. The 2018 Black Label Old Vine Shiraz ($45, same price as the Black Label cabernet), ever-elegant V&A Lane Cabernet Shiraz ($60) and V&A Lane Shiraz (same price) and single-vineyard Harold Cabernet Sauvignon ($80) are equally impressive. Incidentally, the first ever single vineyard red released by Wynns was the 2001 Harold cabernet and it was again selected in 2013.

And I have to give a quick mention to the many other Coonawarra producers who should be included in the list of wines that have contributed to my pleasure over the years - in no particular order, Orlando St Hugo, Balnaves, Bowen Estate, Zema, Redmans, Lindemans, Majella, Mildara, DiGiorgio, Brands, Katnook, Hollick, Penley Estate  … the list goes on.