Wendouree Shiraz

 Every serious drinker of Australian wine should drink a bottle of Wendouree Shiraz at least once. It is a true icon of the rise of Australian still wine production during the last 50 years. In some ways, it is an old fashioned wine, with power rated higher than elegance, but subtle changes have been made over the last 15 years, in particular to make the wine more attractive for earlier consumption. The 2010 Wendouree Shiraz, reviewed here, even comes screw capped.

This wine opens up with concentrated fruit, blackberry and dark plum flavours. It is a full-bodied wine, of course. What stands out on the palate, is the purity of fruit from this excellent vintage. Then the palate gets hit by a wall of firm and coarse tannins. On the finish, they are mashed with the intensity of the fruit.

Score: 94/0

Seppeltsfield Great Terraced Vineyard Grenache

 When I did my field research in the Barossa close to 10 years ago, I marveled at the old Shiraz and Grenache vineyards of Seppeltsfield. At the time, the Shiraz vineyards were leased to Fosters, later Treasury Wine Estates, I believe. The Grenache went into fortified wines, still. A few years later, a series of still wines of Shiraz were launched, with moderate success. The business changed ownership, and now Seppeltsfield has released a series of premium Shiraz and Grenache. I have not tried the Shirazes yet. They seem quite full-bodied and ripe. However, a few days ago I tasted the 2020 Seppeltsfield Great Terraced Vineyard Grenache.

The vineyard is very close to the Torbreck Les Amis vineyard. It was originally planted in 1855, and replanted from 100 years later. I am not sure what you make of the label. Blue does not work for me on wine bottles.

The first thing to say is that if you plan to drink this wine soon (which I would not recommend), decant the wine for at least two hours, and leave some for day two.

The wine presents many different fruit flavours on the palate; raspberry, but mostly dark fruits like blackberry and mulberry. There are savoury notes, in particular licorice and graphite, as well as spice. This is a moorish, full-bodied wine with a lot of complexity. At the same time, it has the typical brightness and vibrancy of Grenache. The tannins are dry and hold a firm grip on the wine's structure.

This is an attractive ripe and powerful Grenache with a long finish. The components have not quite come together just yet, but I have no doubt they will in two to three years.

Score: 95/++ 

  

5 Underrated Red Wine Varieties of Australia

 

To create a bit of variety, I am publishing a guest post by Natasha K of Just Wines  

 Over the years, Australia has established itself as a wine-producing country around the world. Without any doubt, it produces tonnes of wine on a daily basis which has made people of the country consume it in a similar way. However, this has made some categories of wines quite popular over others. Wine varieties like Shiraz, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc have been recognised as the ‘Superstars of the Wine industry’. They certainly have those qualities but there are some other great grape varieties too which are equally flavourful yet less recognised.

 Today, let’s know about five underrated red wine varieties of Australia that deserve their due.

 Mourvèdre

 Australia’s interpretation of this wine that is thought to have originated in Spain is by its blueberry and plum characteristics. A meaty, rustic and full-bodied red variety, it has many different names. This earthy and rustic wine grew popular in Australia in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale region after a decline in the 1980s. The grape’s natural, full-bodied character grows well in Australia’s warm climate and rich soil.

 Tempranillo

 Tempranillo found a second home in Australia after hailing from Spain. It became a great match with the diet and climate of the country. A medium to full-bodied wine that quite conveniently balances earthy and fruity flavours like cherry, leather, plum and cedar. When oaked, one can expect to get some spicy and vanilla flavours too. If you like Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, you will find Tempranillo as a great option.

 Malbec

 Grown in warm and cool regions in Australia like Margaret River, McLaren Vale, Rutherglen, Hunter Valley, Orange, Mudgee, and Swan Hill, Malbec can be your favourite wine if you are fond of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. This medium to full-bodied wine boasts of bold fruit characters and has an easy-drinking style. Flaunting an intense purple colour with deep mulberry tones and a magenta-tinged colour around the rim, it emanates lifted dark berry and raspberry aromas along with subtle spice and mocha overtones.

 Nerello Mascalese

 Originally from Sicily, Nerello Mascalese was brought to Australia by the Chalmers family in the late 90s. Ever since then, it has been seen as a very promising grape for Australian vineyards. Wines made from Nerello Mascalese are usually quite structured with high acidity and fairly grippy tannins features.

Often characterised by red berry fruits, wild strawberries and cherries in a sour spectrum along with woodsy herbs, dried florals and minerals. Nerello Mascalese is a late-ripening variety, and most vines are trained in the traditional bush-vine training method.

 Petit Verdot

 The potential for this grape variety has been recognised by Australian winemakers. Famous regions like  Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek are excelling in this style. On the other hand, wine regions such as Perricoota, Murray Darling and Hunter Valley have their location characteristics to offer to the Australian Petit Verdot. A late-ripening bold grape variety, it is rich in dark fruits. Black cherry, violet, plum, sage and lilac notes are common. A full-bodied structure wine, it has strong and firm tannins and spices that emerge due to the small berries and thick skin of this variety. If you like Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre and Zinfandel, you will love this style.

 Give these intriguing and flavourful wines a try from the comfort of your home, for example by looking up Just Wines. 

 

 

Kumeu Village Chardonnay

 Drinkers of Australian Chardonnay never had it so good. I do not review many value wines, because I do not find them satisfying, but with Chardonnay it is different. Flametree and Hoddles Creek featured on my blog as great value Chardonnays. Perhaps the most exciting actually comes from New Zealand's best Chardonnay producer: Kumeu.

The 2020 Kumeu Village Chardonnay is an excellent wine. It is delicious on the palate, richer than others, but not overly so. Citrus, white peach, and passionfruit flavours vie for your attention. But what is really attractive in this wine is balance. The fruit is perfectly matched by fine acidity, and there is also balance between richness/roundness in the mouth and linearity/drive down the palate. Highly recommended.

Score: 93/+++ 

Grace Kayagatake Koshu

 When it comes to alternative varieties, most people think of wines from the Mediterranean; Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece even. Close to the top of my list is Koshu, Japan's indigenous grape variety. The Grace Winery is one of Japan's best with a variety of wines. This review is of a single vineyard wine, the 2019 Grace Kayagatake Koshu.

The wine has a light and bright colour. Citrus and minerality dominate, but the main impression is the purity of the fruit. Medium acidity delivers good energy of this balanced wine. The closest would be a light Chablis. This relatively low alcohol wine (11.5%) is delightful to drink.

Isn't it interesting how indigenous wine often matches the food in the country perfectly, for example Chianti and Pizza or northern Italian food and Nebbiolo. This wine is perfect with raw fish, sashimi or sushi.

Score: 93/+++

 

by Farr Farrside Pinot Noir

 This will be a more radical review of this highly acclaimed wine - a perspective you may not find on commercial review sites. The review is for the 2014 by Farr Farrside Pinot Noir.

The colour of this wine is purple with a brown-orange overlay. It looks like this wine is quite developed already.

But what is more significant is the flavour of this wine, whose grapes are grown on a vineyard of dark volcanic soils. On the palate, this is a very savoury wine, not in a forest floor way, but in a uncharacteristically masculine and powerful way for a Pinot Noir. The flavours are of black olive, licorice, smoke and charcoal meat. There are saline notes on the back palate. There is nothing wrong with this profile in principle, but is this what a Pinot Noir should taste like? It is certainly quite extreme and would split consumers of fine Pinot Noir.

Score: 94/0

Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon

 I commented on the impact of Magnum bottles under cork in my last post. But what about when the closure is a screw cap? To find out, I opened a 2007 Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum.

This wine is still very aromatic, with blackberry, blackcurrant, and mulberry flavours. Mocca notes on the mid palate. The flavours have dried a little, but this Cabernet is fresh for a 13 year old wine. The wine has a balanced and elegant mouthfeel. The tannins are firm, and have mellowed a little. This Abercrombie is drinking beautifully right now. 

What is the Magnum impact? Probably not much. I have certainly had 13 year old Margaret River Cabernet in a standard bottle and under screw cap with similar characteristics. My view is the benefit of the Magnum is not present here. The attraction would be restricted to a dinner party or similar.

Score: 94/+++  

Coriole Lloyd Reserve Shiraz

 We do not drink enough wines from Magnum. Somehow the reduced ratio of cork exposure to wine volume, when compared with the standard bottle, can deliver magic. It is clear that wines age longer in Magnums. I guess there are two reasons for the relative unpopularity. One is that a couple would not normally finish a Magnum bottle in one session. It is therefore seen as a party drink. However, wine in Magnums will keep for two to three days minimum without problems, even with a simple stopper. The other reason is that Magnums in Australia cost more than double the standard bottle, largely because of low scale and high glass bottle prices. However, European Magnums are often priced just double the standard bottle. I am not sure how the taste comparison goes with Magnums under screw cap.

Today's Magnum is the 2005 Coriole Lloyd Reserve Shiraz, one of their flagship wines. This is a full-bodied, quite ripe wine. Plum flavours are accompanied by light leather and smoke, but the dominant sensation is black pepper. The texture of the wine is a bit rustic. This is a traditional South Australian Shiraz. The structure is still balanced after 16 years, with firm tannins leading to a smoky finish.

Score: 91/+

   

Henschke Tappa Pass Shiraz

 I have been told today is Shiraz day. One website says it is domestic Shiraz day, another it is international Shiraz day. Who cares? What does it even mean? In any case, I tasted the 2015 Henschke Tappa Pass Shiraz with the objective to identify what happens, when you 'downgrade' from Mt. Edelstone for price reasons.

The grapes of this wine are sourced from three vineyards in Tappa Pass and Light Pass. They are reasonably mature, up to 70 years old. Light Pass vineyards are on sandy soil, Tappa Pass likely clay and red brown earth, but at higher altitude, like a semi-Eden Valley.

These attributes are present in this wine. The fruit is very pure and aromatic. The palate is a bit overwhelmed by fruitiness with flavours of blackberry and mulberry. This is a full-bodied wine, but it has good energy. The wine is a bit forward. The tannins are firm, and the wine has a medium length finish.

I guess you get what you pay for, which in Henschke's case, is always a premium price.

Score: 92/+ 

Why (Almost) Everybody Loves Wine

 Wine or grapes are the most complex agricultural product on earth. The variety of flavours based on chemical compounds is not matched by any other product. The impact of climate, altitude, rainfall, soil and other environmental factors, as well as the human factor is profound. This means that many interests of wine consumers can be satisfied by some kind of wine. Here is a list for red wine drinkers.

1) Red wine is for consumers who enjoy berry flavours. Many different fruits can be tasted in red wine, from red fruits such as strawberry, red cherry, raspberry, boysenberry to dark fruits, such as blueberry, black cherry, mulberry, blackberry. People who enjoy these elements like to drink young wine.

2) Then there are people who enjoy the secondary flavours, such as tobacco, leather, nuts, earthy notes, and meat. These are more pronounced in aged wines.

3) Another group of consumers enjoy big and ripe reds, often with high alcohol levels. Typical examples would be Barossa Shiraz or Napa Valley Cabernet.

4) A further group is less focused on the flavours of wine, but more how it feels in the mouth. Is this a 'wide' wine or a wine with a more precise, linear feel. For these consumers, the structure of the wine is most important.

5) The last group I want to mention look for hedonistic or 'emotional' wines. By definition, it is hard to say what characterizes these wines. They are simply delicious and evoke pleasure in the consumer. 

All these differences can be had in red wine. It is an exciting world to explore.

500,000 Views

 My blog just passed 500,000 views. This is pretty amazing and was never expected. I would like to use this milestone to thank everybody for showing an interest in my posts, many over a long period of time. I would like to thank those particularly who have posted comments, such as Colin and kr1. This makes the blog more lively and interesting. I know it takes time, but I would encourage all readers to write back if you feel like it.

Giovanni Rosso Serra Barolo

 As I opened the 2012 Giovanni Rosso Serra Barolo last night, I had moderate expectations. The producer is not thought to be in the top echelon of Piedmont; 2012, while a good vintage, is overshadowed by 2010 and 2013; and the Serra vineyard is not a top terroir. In fact of the seven producers who take fruit from there, only Giovanni Rosso makes a single vineyard wine. This is somewhat perplexing. The vineyard is situated about 1km south of Serralunga, south-east facing, at good altitude, with limestone soil.

The limestone shines through on the pathways

Anyway, this wine was sheer delight. In my mind, the best Barolo shows the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon, and the aromatics of Pinot Noir. This wine did just that. It was very aromatic on the nose, with rose petal, red cherry, and mushroom aromas.

On the palate, the wine was very lifted, with red cherry fruit dominant. This is quite a light-footed wine, yet complex, with great minerality - unusual for Serralunga. You could almost take the flavours and energy for a Pinot Noir, except for the very dry and chalky tannins. Beauty in the glass!

Score: 96/+++