Spinifex La Maline Shiraz

The 2021 Spinifex La Maline is the successor of the 2018, but it arrives in a different reincarnation. It now comes from the Eden Valley (Barossa Valley before). In fact, it is a parcel of Peter Schell's and Magali Gely's own Rostein vineyard. As before, it includes a small portion of Viognier, 2% this year. I am not sure this label will survive or be subsumed into the Rostein wine. 

The 2021 vintage was another cool vintage. It is interesting to see how this effects a higher altitude Eden Valley wine, even more so, as 35% whole bunches are included. 

The colour of the wine is deep purple. It still looks very fresh.

On the palate, the first impression is the purity of fruit, but also the quite dense and concentrated mouthfeel. Blackberry, mulberry, black olive and leather deliver an attractive flavour profile. Black pepper is a big factor. The wine has some similarity to cool climate Victorian wines from a flavour profile point of view, but it is richer and riper. Tannins and finish are medium.

Score: 94/++

 

TOP NSW Wines

 Wines from New South Wales do not have a great reputation. I do not know if it is the arrogance of Sydneysiders, or what is causing it, but a recent tasting of premium NSW wines demonstrated they can mix it with the best. I will comment briefly on five wines in this tasting.

The first two wines are from Orange, a cool climate region, which produces increasingly exciting wines. The 2022 Canobolas Chardonnay is citrus and floral flavoured. It is a very elegant wine. It does not undergo malolactic fermentation, and is matured in oak. The vineyard slopes down the mountain of Mt. Canobolas, and this translates into an energetic wine with a mineral finish. This wine is absolutely first class (94 points).

The 2023 ChaLou 'Quixotic' Reserve Pinot Noir is equally impressive. This is the first Reserve Pinot Noir from this producer. The wine is obviously very young at this point and quite restraint. The grapes are grown on volcanic soil. They deliver an appealing blend of black cherry and mulberry fruit and some savoury characteristics. The finish is caressing and long (94 points).

Then came the known big guns. The 2019 Tyrrells Old Patch Shiraz was most impressive. It comes from the oldest vineyard in NSW, planted in 1867. This is a medium bodied wine with great purity of  red fruits. The wine has a velvety texture and a piercing drive. The wine is elegant and powerful at the same time. The excellent balance between fruit, acidity, and tannins points to a long future (97 points).

Tasting the 2009 Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier straight after, was a tough assignment. This is quite a different wine - softer and fruitier, with a bigger mouthfeel, and some five spice. It was quite harmonious at 15 years of age (95 points).

The 2000 Lake's Folly Cabernet Blend from Magnum was equally fresh, after 24 years. What an achievement! The vineyard is on a unique plot in the Hunter Valley, red clay over limestone. The wine is red fruited with a characteristic earthy flavour. The beautifully structured palate delivers great concentration of fruit and a long finish (97 points).     

 

Torbreck RunRig

 Torbreck is known for its full-bodied, ripe wines. As a result, there has always been a question about the ageability of its wines. I am not talking about 20 years here, but maybe just 8 years. I am putting this to the test with the 2016 Torbreck RunRig.

There are divided views on Torbreck's winemaking style, but there is no doubt that Torbreck has access to some of the best vineyards in the Barossa, as they pay well above market for grapes. The top fruit shines through in this wine.

The wine is full-bodied and delivers a complex palate. Dark plum and ripe blackberry feature as the fruit component. Vanilla from the oak and Viognier influence, mocca, tobacco, smoked meat flavours add to it, but these elements play a secondary role to the fruit in this wine. I still feel good energy in the mouth. The tannins are firm and silky. The finish is very long, expansive, and complex. I think this wine is in its prime now.

Score: 96/++  

 

By Farr New Releases

 The By Farr labels seem to say 'Don't look at the label, try the wine', so we will not look at it.

The 2021 By Farr Chardonnay shows cool climate citrus flavours with firm acidity. It is a good wine, but I find nothing very special about it (92/+ points).

This is different when it comes to Pinot Noir. It is fascinating to compare the two major wines, from vineyards next to each other. The 2020 By Farr Farrside is a light red, a little cloudy. The strawberry notes from the bouquet carry forward to the palate. There is forest floor as well. The main feature, though, is the bony and mineral structure of this wine. There is ironstone in the soil, and you can taste it (even though scientists will not approve). The 2020 By Farr Sangreal is remarkably different. The colour is dark, and black cherry flavours dominate. The fruit flavours are quite big in this lush wine. This is an elegant wine with softer tannins. Will the structure hold up to the fruit? This is not obvious now, but it probably will. If you are a Burgundy drinker, the Farrside would be Chevrey-Chambertin and the Sangreal Vosne-Romanée. A blend of the two, with the structure of Farrside, and the fruit of Sangreal would have been ideal for me. (Both wines 95/++)

The Shiraz is an interesting story. The vineyard was planted 90/10 to Shiraz and Viognier. The Farrs than found out that a 10% Viognier contribution makes the wine taste like Viognier. Now the contribution is 4%. The remainder is now bottled as a straight Viognier. The 2020 By Farr Shiraz shows great purity of fruit. It is delicate with excellent blackberry character. It would have been outstanding as a 100% Shiraz. Unfortunately, even the 4% Viognier has significant influence and dulls the wine somewhat. Still, a high quality drink (93/0 points).     

The Standish Wine Company - The 2020s Released Today

 Dan Standish, with his last two releases, has achieved the trifecta of power, elegance, and drive in his wines. The 2020 vintage threw up a particular challenge. It was the second drought year; even old vines start to struggle then. Yields are low, only a couple hundred kg/acre, as opposed to the standard low 1/2t/acre. The harvest was 80% below normal. As a result, the skin to pulp ratio of the grapes is high, and the risk of harvesting grapes with port-like flavours is real. Dan Standish told me a year ago, there would only be one wine. Things must have improved, because four wines will be released today. I decanted these wines 5 hours before tasting, assuming they would be big and concentrated, and tasted over two days.

Tasting these wines, two facts stand out: they have kept their specific brand profiles, but also, there is a wider quality difference, in my opinion, between the wines than in the last couple of years.

I started with the 2020 The Relic. This is the wine with the 1% Viognier component. It is hardly noticeable, much less than in the Clonakilla or the RunRig. The flavours of this wine jump out of the glass. It is red fruited, but darker on day two of tasting the wine. The wine is surprisingly fresh, but most flavour is on the front palate. It is an elegant wine, but it felt a little unsettled. This wine from the Krondorf vineyard is always first to be picked. But was this picked too early? There is a herbal character to the wine, and a bit of greenness. The tannins are not as fine and ripe as in the other wines. Maybe because there are less whole clusters in this wine? I did not warm to this wine as much, although it had drive and power and could do really well in a few years.

Score: 94/+

Next came the 2020 The Standish. The fruit is much darker; blackberry and mulberry flavours, violets, and shaved pencil. This wine has a lot of depth and purity, and is lively and energetic. Mocca flavours add to the complexity. The mouthfeel is brilliant. It is mellow, with silky tannins and a velvety finish. The wine glides down the palate in perfect harmony. It will age for a long time, but is already quite approachable.

Score: 99/+++

The 2020 The Schubert Theorem is the biggest of these wines, as expected. The colour is very dark, almost black, and the nose quite perfumed. The fruit weight is high and ripe. Blackcurrant, black liquorice, black olive, deeply layered - you get the picture. This is a broad shouldered, masculine wine with a huge structure, very tannic. It left my mouth quite dry. Still, the wine is not overripe and quite balanced.

Score: 96/++

The 2020 Lamella from the Hutton Farm vineyard at Eden Valley is very elegant. It is mostly blue fruited, very smooth and balanced. It is perhaps the antithesis to The Schubert Theorem in the context of Dan Standish's winemaking. The higher level of acidity is noticeable, but it gets caught by the firm tannin structure on the long finish. 

Score: 97/+++ 

Overall, this is another great set of Standish wines. If you are looking for more linear wines with drive, you go for The Relic or The Standish. If you enjoy a big, fat mouthfeel, you opt for The Schubert Theorem. If you enjoy more acidity, the Lamella is your wine. 

 

The Standish Wine Company (Another Must Read)

 The drought vintage of 2019 followed 'the 'normal' 2018 vintage. In the case of Standish, it meant that low yields of 500kg/acre dropped to 250kg/acre. For those who prefer hectare, this is less than 1t/ha! It is then very tempting to press hard, to get as much juice out of the berries as possible. In a drought year, the berries are small, and the skin to pulp ratio is high. The tannins are pronounced. Hard pressing accentuates this outcome. This is what I found in some of the 2019 wines described during this trip. Dan Standish did the opposite. He pressed gently - a tough thing to do, as it further reduces output, but the results are astonishing.

You may remember this picture from last year. This year, I am the first to review the four 2019 wines.

The 2019 Relic (2nd from left) from a 100 year old rocky vineyard was the first cab of the rank. This is a beautiful wine. The blackberry fruit is elegant and the overall impression is of layered fruit on a mocca base. The tannins are strong, but the small Viognier component (1-2%), lifts the wine and delivers a velvety finish. This is a masculine wine which will mature beautifully (98 points).

The 2019 Standish from an ironstone vineyard in Greenock has a very attractive profile of blue fruits, blueberry and plum. The tannins are deep and long. The wine is quite linear despite the big mouthfeel. It moves along the palate with elegance and poise. It finishes long. Power and elegance: perfect (98 points).

The 2019 Schubert Theorem is perhaps the most complex wine. This Marananga vineyard is divided into six parcels, as the conditions, in particular aspect and elevation vary so much. As a consequence, this is a very layered wine, with fruits moving from black to blue to red - very interesting. It attacks the palate on a broad front. This is no doubt the biggest of the wines (97 points).

Then we have the 2019 Lamella from Eden Valley. This wine is lifted, with a very pretty fruit feel. The fruit is concentrated, maybe a little singular in comparison with the other three wines. There is some eucalypt on the palate, common in this area. The vineyard is located between the Mt. Edelstone and Hill of Grace vineyards, more or less as the crow flies. The tannins lead to a dry and long finish (97 points).

Overall, these wines share the profile of the previous year, each wine in its own way. The different terroirs deliver these distinctive features. Sophisticated wine making has meant that elegance, power, and persistence of these wines has been maintained, while the harsher tannins, often found in 2019, have been avoided.

These are most likely the wines of the vintage. They filled the big shoes of 2018. I cannot recommend them highly enough.  

   

The Standish Wine Company (A Must Read)

I was lucky enough to be the first Australian reviewer of the new 2018 Standish wines. They have only been tasted by Joe Czerwinski of the Wine Advocate prior. The conclusion is clear: Dan Standish currently makes the best Barossa Shiraz - there, I said it. There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, his wines are powerful (as they should be), but with a lot of energy and drive at the same time. Secondly, there is sufficient acidity in these wines to give them freshness. The reason might be that his yields are very low: 0.5-1t/acre. As a result, the grapes ripen a bit earlier and can be picked earlier while fully ripe. Thirdly, the terroir really shines through in these wines. So lets get to it.

Relic, The Standish, Andelmonde,Schubert Theorem, Lamella

The 2018 Andelmonde comes from an east facing vineyard in light pass. The soil is sandy and the vines are 60 years old. This wine is the most fragrant (well, the only fragrant) wine in the line-up. It is fresh, elegant and made with a lot of finesse. There are beautiful spice flavours on the palate, and the dark fruit shows excellent depth, before finishing on fine tannins; a beauty (97 points).

The 2018 Relic comes from the 1912 Hongell Family vineyard on rocky soils in Krondorf. It includes 2% Viognier. It is dark fruited and a classic Standish. The blackberry and plum is rich, with licorice and mocca in the mix.  This wine has a lot of energy driving the complex flavours down the palate. This is quite a tannic wine with a very long finish - an absolute Barossa classic (99 points*).

The 2018 The Schubert Theorem comes from 6 parcels on Roennfeldt Road in Marananga. This is a strange label, because it is impossible to read. It shows the mathematical formula, which basically means, to solve the overall problem, you can do it by looking at each component and putting them together. The analogy is putting the wine together from these different parcels - and the core vineyard is the Schubert vineyard. The vines are surprisingly young: 20-25 years, but they produce powerful fruit from the hot micro-climate and the quartz infused soil. The fruit profile is the most complex in the line-up: lavender, blueberry, red and black plum. These flavours are very layered. The wine has big palate weight and is very intense with a round mouthfeel. Drying tannins lead to a solid finish (98 points).

The 2018 The Standish comes from the Laycock Family vineyard in Greenock. The soil includes very heavy ironstone, and the vines are 20 years old. In its profile, the wine is similar to the Relic; long rather than wide in the mouth. This is the most tannic wine in the line-up. The dark fruits, blackberry and plum, are intense. Some have compared the flavour profile of this label to Grange. The wine has a massive, but balanced structure. The drying tannins lead to a super long aftertaste (99 points*).

The 2018 Lamella comes from the 100 year old Hutton Vale Farm in Eden Valley. This vineyard is situated between Mt. Edelstone and Hill of Grace. The higher altitude is responsible for a different flavour profile. Raspberry, pomegranate, even rhubarb, and white pepper deliver the complex flavour. Again, the tannins are long and dry. This label has gained quite an interest, as Eden Valley becomes more popular during our warming climate. However, on this occasion, I found the Barossa wines more dramatic and impressive (97 points).

This has been an extraordinary tasting. The wines are not cheap in absolute terms, but given the lofty standard, they are great value when compared to the top Henschke or Penfolds wines.

*I have in the past been critical of a 99 point score. If it is that good, why not a hundred? However, I could not quite get convinced these wines could not get any better.

Guigal Tasting (part 2)

This blog will include a contrarian view on the La La La wines, but first, I want to look at two more wines from the tasting.

The 2015 Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde includes 5% Viognier and includes the grapes from the two famous steep vineyards facing each other in the Northern Rhône, one with darker, iron infused soil, the other more sandy. The Viognier component makes this a lighter, more open wine, which can be drunk young. The Shiraz component, however, shows rich and silky blackberry and cassis, with ripe tannins (93 points).

The 2015 Côte-Rôtie Chateau d'Ampuis is a blend of seven vineyards. The wine is matured for 36 months in new oak. This is a serious wine, more red fruited than the 'Hospice', and very complex. The black raspberry fruit is very concentrated and ripe. Mocca and meaty flavours appear on the back palate, and the oak is noticeable. This can be a bit much for some, but it is a very well made wine (95 points).

To the La La Las, the pinnacle of Guigal winemaking, the Grange of France if you will.

La Mouline is always the more feminine wine of the three, and this is true for the 2015 La Mouline. The grapes come from 100 year old vines with very low yields. This Shiraz includes 10% Viognier, and the wine is matured for two years in new oak. There is no whole bunch included. This wine without doubt was the wine of the night. Fragrant, opulent, fresh, elegant, velvety, pure, silky, spicy; this comes to mind rather than any fruit descriptors. This full-bodied wine has incredible length and stays with you for some time (98 points). 

The 2015 La Turque is quite a different proposition. This wine includes 7% Viognier and 20% whole bunches. This is an intense and brooding wine. Others have lauded this dense and powerful Shiraz, but for me, it lacks the layers of fruit and the differentiation one sees in the cooler vintages of this wine. The long finish compensates to a degree (95 points).

La Landonne is the counter piece to La Mouline, and this is largely because of the inclusion of 100% whole bunches and no Viognier included. The 2015 La Landonne is incredibly rich and concentrated, but the same comments I made for the La Turque apply here. The ripeness eliminates detail, and the mouthfeel is not as exciting as with La Mouline. Despite this, there is undoubtedly elegance in this wine, which is quite an achievement, and the finish is very long (95 points). 

  

Vinosphere 2019

There was an enormous number of wines on tasting at this very large event. I have a principle to report on good and poor wines when I attend such tastings, but I must make an exception this time. I tasted too many wines to report on them all. It would be very laborious. I will, on this occasion, mention the wines that stood out for me across the four brackets I tasted them in.

In white wines, I was impressed by two Tasmanian Chardonnays. One was the 2018 Pooley Butcher's Hill Chardonnay from the Coal River. The fruit used to go into Penfold's Yattarna. This is an elegant wine, quite big flavoured, with peach, cashew, and cream flavours coming to the fore. The wine has enough drive to keep interesting, despite the big mouthfeel. The 2016 Dawson James Chardonnay could not have been more different. From a cool vintage, this wine is Chablis-like, with citrus and apple flavours and a slightly green tinge. The acidity is nicely keeping the fruit in check.

The two best Pinot Noirs were of very high standard. You would not expect anything less from Bass Phillip. The 2017 Bass Phillip Premium Pinot Noir has great depth of cherry fruit, but is a little closed right now. When the fruit wakes up, it will blend with the very silky tannins to an elegant style with a long finish. Less known is Levantine Hill from the Yarra Valley. I was most impressed with the 2015 Levantine Hill Colleen's Paddock Pinot Noir. Mushroom flavours dominate the dark cherry flavours in this brooding and harmonious wine. The finish goes on and on. I was not familiar with this producer, but it is worth seeking out. As an aside, both wines are fastidiously made, and you will have to pay for it.

The third category were Italian varieties. Sangiovese was not well represented, and the Nebbiolos from Piedmont were from what I would call second tier producers. There was one Barolo I liked very much, the 2015 Mauro Molino Barolo Gallinotto. This is the family vineyard in Berri, not far from La Morra. Being in the Northern part of Piedmont, you expect a more fragrant wine, and this is what you get. The fruit intensity is good (2015 was a warm vintage), but the highlight is the generous and expanding mouthfeel, not unlike a very good Burgundy. And I need to put the 2017 Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock Nebbiolo in this category. This is the first time I rate an Australian Italian varietal wine on the same level as the outstanding Italian wines, but Ron Laughton has been at this for quite a long time. This is good Nebbiolo. Rose petals and lifted aromas on the nose, an elegant mouthfeel, and a smooth finish. Nothing is out of place here, the tannins not too strong.

In the icon category, I tasted wines from Clonakilla, Castagna and Jasper Hill. Lately, I have  not enjoyed the stylistic development of the Clonakilla flagship wine. The 2017 Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier is quite soft, with the Viognier coming through quite strongly. The wine has silky tannins and great length, but a bit feminine for me. The 2015 Castagna Genesis Syrah is also quite a soft wine, but it has dark fruit flavours at its core, and a smooth finish. The wine of the night, just edging out the Pinots, was the 2017 Jasper Hill Emily's Paddock Shiraz. The Georgia's Paddock is the more voluptuous wine, and often the favorite. But the Emily's had layers and layers of fruit, and a leathery character on top of it. This made for a mysterious flavour, very elegant and long.   

Torbreck RunRig

The 2016 Torbreck RunRig is creating plenty of waves, even before its world-wide release on 1 June. This is due to its 100 point rating by Robert Parker, only the second time this has occurred in the 20 year life of this brand. I had an opportunity to taste this wine yesterday.

The first impression is; this wine has beautiful balance. It is lingering in the mouth and goes on and on. The colour of the wine is the usual impenetrable deep purple. Back to the flavour; this wine is delicious, great depth of fruit, unfolding in layers, not too heavy, with a rounded mouthfeel and silky tannins. The Viognier component does not stand out, but gives the wine a lift on the very long finish.

Make no mistake, this is a typical Torbreck wine with 15% alcohol, but the fruit can take it. It goes against the trend of lighter wines, but has probably shifted slightly to a fresher profile.

Score: 98/++

Am I swayed by the Parker rating? I hope not. Torbreck has access to the best and oldest Shiraz grapes in the Barossa Valley and in this release has fashioned a special wine. There is a word of caution, though, as I was able to compare this wine with the release from 10 years earlier, the 2006 Torbreck RunRig.

This wine had the 'advantage' of being poured from Magnum. And there was still some freshness in the wine. The flavour and structural profile was very similar to the 2016, but the fruit flavours were beginning to decline. The wine is now more savoury, the tannins are still silky, but the high alcohol (15.5%) is now starting to show, leading to a slightly hot finish.

Score: 94/0

The lesson from this comparison is to pick the drinking window of the 2016 RunRig carefully. It will definitely benefit from some maturity, but I would suggest to drink this wine earlier than what would be normal for a wine of this pedigree, maybe at 5 years of age. The fruit needs to still be strong to keep the alcohol in check.  

Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier

I am not sure what I can add to the glowing reviews for this wine except that this review is now for the nine year old 2009 Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier. The flavour profile is complex. Blackberry, bramble, blueberry and forest berries are now supported by the development of earthy flavours. The texture is excellent; intense, but not heavy. The lift from the Viognier is there, but not in a significant way and not in isolation. The wine is savoury in character. It is very silky along the palate. This Clonakilla is profound, but also elegant, and with a long finish.

This wine sits between the blockbusters of South Australia and the cool climate wines of Victoria. It is a classic.

Score: 97/+++

Torbreck RunRig Components Tasting

Torbreck was the first winery in the Barossa to emphasize the subregional differences in the flavour and structure of the grapes which are supplied to them. This emphasis was actually a key factor in my analysis of the Barossa subregions, and the subsequent book Barossa Shiraz.

RunRig uses supply from typically eight different vineyards. In this tasting, we tried six components of the 2012 Torbreck RunRig. The two vineyards from the Southern part of the Barossa, Lyndoch and Rowland Flat, were lighter in colour and fruit weight than the others, and showed vibrancy, acidity, some red fruit, graphite and pepper. The Renshaw vineyard fruit (Seppeltsfield) is much richer, and delivers a fuller mouthfeel. There is a vanilla flavour, although the juice has only seen old oak. The Materne vineyard fruit (Greenock) tastes also big in the mouth, but its firm tannins provide lasting structure.

The last two were from the Northern Barossa. The Moppa vineyard produces big and ripe fruit, but  is also refreshing, probably due to the higher altitude. The sweet and ripe component comes from the Hoffmann vineyard at Ebenezer. This vineyard has a significant influence on the overall flavour and structure of RunRig. Only very little Viognier needs to be added (1.5%), to give the final wine a lifted character.

The tasting very much aligned with my understanding of the Barossa subregions. Unfortunately, we did not get to taste the finished 2012 product, but tried the 2013 Torbreck RunRig instead. I was not too impressed by this wine. It was quite sweet and plump, and the Viognier influence was too strong. I thought the Materne vineyard component and the Hoffmann component from 2012 were better than the 2013 finished product.

Rhone Rangers

The term Rhone Rangers was coined for Californian wine makers producing wines from Rhone varieties, in particular Shiraz and Grenache. It should really be a term for Australian winemakers, as Shiraz, Grenache and blends are much more prominent in Australia than in the US.

At this particular tasting, 14 wines were presented, 2 whites and 12 reds. The whites were nothing special, so I will focus on the red wines. I will describe them in three tiers of quality

The wine of the night was a real surprise. It was the 2014 Tellurian Heathcote GSM.  This wine was lively with lifted and spicy aromas, and a good intensity of plum, raspberry and strawberry flavours. The fine tannins lead to a smooth finish. The other wine at this level was the 2014 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier. This wine showed the typically fragrant bouquet. On the palate, dark berry flavours stood out, leading to a very long and silky finish. I just found the lifted element of the Viognier a bit too much.

In the second tier were the 2012 Chapel Hill Bush Vine Grenache with rich raspberry flavours and some earthy notes, but a slightly alcoholic finish. The 2014 Sons of Eden Kennedy GMS has a focus on ripe red fruit, cherries and wild berries, and was well balanced. The 2012 Spinifex Esprit, also a GSM with some Cinsault and Carignan thrown in, was fresher and more elegant, with good complexity, but lacking mouthfeel a bit.

The best in the third tier was the 2014 Tahbilk GSM. Grenache flavours dominate in this wine, but oak is more prominent than fruit. Having said this, the wine is quite harmonious and elegant. The wines I liked less were the 2012 Evans & Tate Redbrook Shiraz (harsh tannins), the 2014 McWilliam's Appelation Canberra Syrah (lacks mouthfeel), the 2015 Purple Hands MSG (not balanced), the 2013 John Duval Annexus Grenache (big and plump), and the 2014 Schild Barossa GMS (raspberry bomb).         

Torbreck RunRig

Back in Sydney, I decided to raid my cellar for a quintessential Australian red wine, the 2004 Torbreck RunRig. Torbreck has been facing a couple of headwinds, the departure of David Powell and the wine journalists drive against full-bodied Shiraz. And also, there has  been a question mark about the ageing ability of these wines.

Dealing with the last issue first, there is no problem with the age of this wine. It is not tired and drinking very well. This wine is a perfect example of a very ripe, yet lively wine. One element of this is the fact that Torbreck has access to the very best grapes in the Barossa. This wine is big, but the small Viognier component provides just the lift it needs. The blend is perfectly integrated and fills the mouth beautifully. Plum and blackberry flavours are integrated with new oak and smooth tannins. The finish is long and silky.

This is not a wine for everybody. However, it stands out as an example of a sun drenched, high quality Shiraz, which is a unique style not matched from any place in the Northern Hemisphere.

Score: 96/++ 

Guigal

                   The tasting table at Guigal. Note the number of bottles

Driving down to the Rhone now. First stop at Ampuis is Guigal. The business was only started in 1946, but Guigal sells more than 6 million bottles per year now. Much of this is the negociant business from the Southern Rhone, but the real treasures are the owned vineyards in the Northern part. Given the large portfolio of wines, you do not know what is on the tasting table, but I was not going to be disappointed.

After a couple of quaffers, I try the 2012 Crozes-Hermitage. This 100% Shiraz is made from owned and bought-in grapes. It is a fruity, but nicely balanced wine (90 points). This is followed by the 2012 special block Vignes de l'Hospice from St. Joseph. This wine has spent three years in new oak, but the fleshy red plum fruit is taking it well. The wine has good depth, with some complex, smoky flavours and fine tannins (93 points). I then tried the 2007 Cote-Rotie, a blend of 96% Shiraz and 4% Viognier. The blackberry and plum flavours are good, the minty notes are a bit irritating and overall, the wine is somewhat astringent (91 points).

Then come two absolute highlights. The 2011 Chateau d'Ampuis comes from seven blocks of the famous blonde and brune vineyards. 7% of Viognier is co-fermented in this wine. The red berry fruit is elegant, the sizeable Viognier component not too noticeable. This is a wine of great finesse, with a soft, alluring finish (96 points). I was lucky to be able to taste one of the famous LaLa wines, the 2011 La Landonne. This wine has spent 42(!) months in new oak, but you would not know it. The wine shows a strong plum aroma on the nose, but on the palate, blackberry and minerality notes dominate. This wine has deep intensity, but is very elegant at the same time, with a very silky mouthfeel: sheer class (97 points).

It is impressive to see that a high volume producer can still pay a lot of detailed attention to his premium wines.

Spinifex Shiraz/Viognier

Up until now I have never quite understood James Halliday's comment that Peter Schell, the winemaker of Spinifex, is 'out-Torbrecking' Torbreck. Torbreck picks grapes late and very ripe to make big wines. Spinifex picks relatively early to make refreshing and vibrant wines. Most of these are blends of several Rhone varieties.

The 2008 Spinifex La Maline is a little different. Is is a Shiraz/Viognier blend, but Shiraz clearly dominates. This wine creates a big mouthfeel. Actually, I found it most harmoneous on day three of opening. It does have some red plum flavours, but dark fruit dominates. Alcohol is at a significant 14.5%, but is not especially noticeable, so big is the fruit. Tannins and acidity create a firm grip on the back palate. This wine is very different from the smooth Clonakilla or the delicious flavours I typically associate with Spinifex. Having said this, if you open this wine long enough, it comes together well and you are keen on a second glass.

Score: 92/++

Lerida Estate Shiraz/Viognier

There are a handful of wineries in the Canberra district who are getting closer in quality to the stellar Clonakilla. One such winery is Lerida Estate. The 2013 Lerida Estate Shiraz/Viognier just won the Chairman's trophy at the Canberra wine show. I had an opportunity to taste it a couple of days ago.

This wine has very profound aromas, very fragrant and feminine. On the palate, a surprise. The blackberry and plum fruit is quite concentrated. There is black pepper as well, but this is not your typical cool climate Shiraz. It has the elegance, but it also has the intensity of a full-bodied wine. If we talk feminine, it is more Dolly Parton than Cameron Diaz. Only Viognier skins have been co-fermented. This means there are no apricot flavours in this wine (good), but tannins have been added. The finish is quite long and the tannins fine and velvety. This is an excellent drop.

Score: 95/+++

Torbeck The Descendant

As I drink the 2004 Torbreck The Descendant, I am amazed to reflect that two other of Torbreck's brands, RunRig and The Factor, are bigger wines than this.

The colour of this wine is deep purple, still quite fresh. The fruit flavours carry on from the bouquet. Black berries and dark plum dominate, dried prunes take over on the mid palate. There is dark chocolate as well. This is a ripe wine with a big mouthfeel. The Viognier component in this Shiraz/Viognier blend is supposed to give this wine a lift, but it is not noticeable in my glass. The fruit concentration dominates.  The finish is quite smooth. This wine has a solid structure, otherwise it would not have survived ten years. However, the wine is more broad than precise, which makes it harder to drink and less pleasant. The tannins are fairly soft on the finish. As a result, the alcohol shines through.

I managed to drink half a bottle during an evening, but this wine is not everybody's 'cup of tea'.

Score: 92/+

Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier

The 2012 Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier is quite a special wine, like many before. The vineyard is at high altitude and the grapes grow on deep granite soil. But it is not just the terroir that makes this wine special. It has a lot to do with Tim Kirk's skill, who very deservedly was crowned Winemaker of the year this year by Gourmet Traveler Wine magazine. 2012 produced a low yield and thick skinned grapes, which produced quite intense flavours.

In a blog-post in the past, I discussed some of the less often cited criteria which make wines great. One was 'paradox'. And this is what I find in this wine. The wine is savoury, with a lot of depth, but there is also some sweeter fruit on the back palate and floral aspects throughout. The wine appears quite linear, but also has a satisfying mouthfeel. - This complexity delivers the wine's unique personality.

Score: 96/+++

Torbreck (Relatively) New Releases

On the same day I tasted the Wynns wines, I tasted some relatively new releases from Torbreck.

The volume wine, the 2012 Woodcutters Shiraz delivers good plummy fruit on the palate, and a great mouthfeel, but it is not very harmonious and balanced (88 points).

The other wines are from the 2009 vintage, which according to Torbreck personnel beats 2010 with its elegance and the fact that these wines open up really well. 2010 wines in contrast will need a number of years cellaring.

The 2009 The Steading, a 60/20/20 GSM, as always, shows the bright fruit of the Grenache. The wine is vibrant and piercing, no lollipop flavours here (93 points).

The star of the tasting was the 2009 Descendent, a Shiraz/Viognier blend. The fruit flavours are deep and complex with a rich and elegant texture. The finish is surprisingly savoury and very long (96 points).

The 2009 Factor is fashioned in a traditional Barossa way: a big, rich wine, with concentrated blackberry fruit, chocolate and also some meaty notes. The fruit is not burnt, but the mouthfeel a bit rough (93 points).

It is actually interesting to compare Wynns and Torbreck on this occasion. At first blush, they seem to have little in common, however, as you look closer, both are relative high volume in their respective area, both have access to the best dirt in their region, and they focus on the varieties which do best in their regions. So how do the releases compare?

The accolade for the volume/value wine goes to the Wynns Shiraz, because it is the more harmonious wine. Comparing the classics - Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon vs. Torbreck The Steading - the gong goes to the Steading. This vintage is one of the best. I don't think the Wynns is. Then the specialty wines, if you like. Both the Messenger and the Descendent are terrific. Narrow win for Torbreck, as the wine is more complex. And finally comparing the premium classics: both the John Riddoch and the Factor are good wines, but not quite reaching a peak - a draw. (I enjoyed this exercise)