Head Nouveau

The label suggests this is a Beaujolais. However, it is actually a blend of Touriga Nacional and Montepulciano. This sounds like a good idea in theory. The Montepulciano grape tends to be fruity, with a low skin to fruit ratio, while Touriga Nacional has small berries and a tannic structure. The wine is part of Alex Head's new take on the Barossa Valley. This is an experiment with grape varieties supposedly better suited to very hot weather than Shiraz.

This 2014 wine starts well on the front palate. The wine is fresh, with violet and black cherry flavours. However, then it dies, before slightly bitter tannins pick it up again. The integration between the grape varieties has not worked too well. However, this wine is an easy drinking style where one should not be too analytical about it.

Score: 87/0

Tscharke 'The Master' Montepulciano

Montepulciano is a confusing word. It refers on the one hand to the Montepulciano sub-region of Tuscany, on the other to a red grape variety, mainly grown south of Tuscany. In the Barossa Valley, a number of winemakers have become concerned about the impact of climate change and rising temperatures, on the quality of Shiraz and Grenache. Some have started to look for varieties which supposedly can stand the heat better. Tempranillo and Montepulciano are two front runners.

Damien Tscharke pursues a two-pronged strategy with the release of traditional Rhône varieties on the one hand, and alternative varieties on the other. I am drinking the 2009 Tscharke 'The Master' Montepulciano. The fruit is nice, but a bit one-dimensional. The wine is quite lean on the finish, and a bit alcoholic (15%).

I am not sure this is the answer to higher temperatures in the Barossa, although one would have to be patient and think in long time frames. Another approach, though, surely, is to pick Shiraz earlier. This variety can ripen in shorter time.

Score: 89/0 

Farnese Edizione Cinque Autoctoni

The 2012 Farnese Edizione Cinque Autoctoni has been bestowed with  extraordinary acclaim: best Italian red wine 2015 and 99 points (and not even by the points master James Halliday). It is an unusual wine, in that it blends Montepulciano and Sangiovese grapes from Abruzzi with Primitivo (Zinfandel), Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera from Puglia. Therefore the name Cinque Autoctoni. Montepulciano, Sangiovese, and Primitivo are the dominant grapes of the blend. This signals acidity and tannins.

Lifted aromas emerge on opening the bottle, blackberry and cocoa. On the palate, there is plum and sour cherry to start with. The wine is quite dense and meaty, filling the mouth well. It is an elegant wine on the front and mid palate, with the acidity cutting through the concentrated fruit. The tannins are a little coarse, and detract from an otherwise fine finish.

This is an unusual and serious wine. But almost perfect (99 points)? Not close.

Score: 94/++

Kirrihill Italian Varieties

Kirrihill is a fairly new, quite large winery in the Clare Valley. The range of Italian wines is produced in small volumes, though. Hamish Seabrook is its experienced winemaker.

When I tasted the range of the 2012 wines, I was confronted with a number of strange and unfortunate choices.

The 2012 Kirrihill Sangiovese tastes hot and alcoholic, not surprising given an alcohol content of 14.9%. This also masks the characteristics of Sangiovese flavour and is very unusual for this variety.

Score: 85/--

Montepulciano is a grape variety  originally from the Abruzzo region in Italy - not to be confused with the Sangiovese called Montepulciano, based on the Tuscan village -. It can handle heat well and is being talked about as a replacement of Shiraz should temperatures in hot regions like the Barossa or Clare raise further. However, the 2012 Kirrihill Montepulciano comes from the Adelaide Hills, a weird choice. The wine is clean and fleshy, but a bit harsh and not very forgiving in the mouth.

Score: 87/-

The 2012 Kirrihill Nebbiolo follows the unfortunate Australian trend of releasing this variety after one year. Nebbiolo is a small grape, with a high pulp-to-flesh ratio and intense tannins. This variety needs time to soften. This wine is very dry and dusty, and the fruit too thin for the tannins. The wine falls off somewhat at the finish.

Score: 86/-

Overall, an underwhelming experience, largely based on unexpected winemaking choices.

Barossa Discoveries

I am currently travelling in the Barossa, looking for new and interesting developments. A couple of winemakers have caught my interest.

The first one is Damien Tscharke. He is a young winemaker who has old vines in the plum Seppeltsfield sub-region at his disposal. He produces the traditional varieties under the Glaymond label, but his eyes really light up when he talks about the Tscharke wines. The red varieties include a Tempranillo/Graciano, a Grenache, a Montepulciano and a Zinfandel. The Graciano gives backbone to the pretty Tempranillo component (similar to what Mourvedre does to Grenache), and the Grenache is very savoury, in the Spanish style. The highlight for me was the Montepulciano, which is an Italian grape variety, grown a lot in Abruzzo in the south and not to be confused with the Montepulciano area in Tuscany. The Zinfandel is better than most. All these wines share an impressive purity of fruit. They are intense, but have sufficient acidity to be lively. Damien believes these wine will suit the hot climate of the Barossa particularly well. I would rate these wines between 91-95 points, and they are attractively priced.

The second winery is Fernfield Wines in the south of Eden Valley. It is still owned by the Lillecrapp family. The first Australian Lillecrapp built the first house in Eden Valley, which is the cellar door today. They make more traditional Barossa wines. The unusual aspect is that the four current family members do absolutely everything and this specific care seems to come through in the wines. They seem to have a lot of integrity and be very true to their place. The wines are (you have to say) really cheap. As I am writing this, I am drinking the 2007 Pridmore Shiraz. It is a big wine, with plum and mint flavours. Despite the 15% alcohol, the wine is quite elegant and not a meal by itself (91 points).