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