Devotus Pinot Noir

 Martinborough is a small and very special place for making Pinot Noir. This is where Ata Rangi is located, as well as Dry River, Kusuda, and a few others. For me, the silky tannins and ethereal character of the wines are the hallmark of this region. Now, a new specialist has emerged, Devotus. The 2.5 ha site is only planted to Pinot Noir. The winemaker, ex Dr River I believe, is devoted to Pinot Noir. This is obviously very small production. I was given a bottle of this special wine.

The 2021 Devotus Pinot Noir is quite concentrated. The purity of fruit, an indication of the meticulous work in the vineyard as well as the winery, is impressive. Black cherry flavours dominate. This is nothing like the much more savoury expression of Dry River. This is quite a big wine, still smooth and elegant on the palate. The tannins are quite soft. Overall, the wine is perhaps a little bit too focussed on fruit, but this is a very promising start. A winery to watch.

Score: 94/++ 

 

Moorooduc Shiraz

 Moorooduc is best known for Pinot Noir. Some time ago they offered a six pack of some of their strong wines, which included a 2015 Moorooduc Shiraz. I was intrigued.

It is immediately pretty obvious that this is not your typical Shiraz. The colour is bright red to start with.

It does not have the depth of South Australian Shiraz, nor the peppery notes of cooler climate Shiraz. Red cherry notes are prominent on the palate, but the wine tastes quite confected and chewy. It was sharp initially, but this disappeared after opening for some time. it did not reach the elegance though, a wine of this style should achieve. The bright acidity kept the wine alive, but also emphasizes the light finish. 

Score: 87/-

Larnook Grenache Gris

 

Here is another terrific value wine made from the seldom seen in Australia Grenache Gris grape. The 2024 Larnook Grenache Gris combines lightness and freshness with more textural elements, often found in southern Rhône whites. White flower, apple, and almond flavours combine to an appealing mouthfeel. The lively acidity delivers a crisp finish. 30% of the wine has been matured (for a short time) in oak.

Score: 93/+++ 

Miraval Rosé

 

In Asia, I enjoyed the Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé, as did many others. The domaine and winery has a glamorous history. There is a recording studio, where Sting recorded, and Pink Floyd laid down tracks for The Wall album. I think they once released a wine called Pink Floyd. In 2011, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt bought the Domaine and 50% of the wine business. Their share was sold to a Russian vodka business in 2021. However, the other 50% is owned by the Perrin family of Château Beaucastel fame. Marc Perrin is responsible for winemaking.

While the wine would fit into the pale Rosés of Provence, it is not pale to oblivion. Equally, it is not hearty, like some Barossa Rosés. Colour and flavour add up to a nice balance of this easy drinking style. The grapes are Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle, and Shiraz. Roses and strawberry flavours, backed by some citrus zest, deliver a refreshing mouthfeel. Natural acidity keeps the mouth fresh and dry and the minerality on the finish invites you to another glass.

Score: 92/+++

Three Value Chardonnays

 It is not a secret that the quality of moderately priced Australian Chardonnays has gone up dramatically in the last few years. They are now perhaps the best value proposition in the world. This is in particular true for Chardonnays from the Yarra Valley. Here are three I recently tried.

The first is the 2021 Wheeler Electric Lines Chardonnay. This is the first time I come across this producer, and I am very impressed. This fresh wine of citrus flavours is quite tight and linear in a modern style. The wine has good depth and bright acidity. There is minerality on the pretty long finish, like a classy Chablis.

Score: 94/+++

The 2024 Hoddles Creek Chardonnay is much better known. This wine  is broader and quite fruity, and fills the mouth with its citrus and pear flavours, and ends nicely on a mineral finish. It is very young now, and would be a better drink in a year's time.

Score: 90/+

The 2024 Giant Steps Chardonnay is a little superior, in my opinion. It does have intensity of citrus and stone fruits, but matches this with a good drive down the palate. This is a smooth wine with a crisp finish, but not as good value as the other two.

Score: 92/++

Cabernet's from Margaret River and Hawke's Bay

 

It was difficult to come to generalized conclusions in a recent comparison tasting of Cabernet's from Margaret River and Hawke's Bay. The wines varied wildly in age, grape composition, and screw cap vs. cork also made a difference.

The two Gimblett Gravels wines from Hawke's Bay, the 2021 Tom by Church Road, and the 2013 Sophia by Craggy Range, were full-bodied, with the Sophia quite rich and dense, whereas the 2021 Tom was more red fruited with a silky finish. New oak was significant in both wines.

In contrast, the Te Mata Coleraine comes from vineyards near Havelock North, with a different soil profile. This shows in the wine, which is a bit lighter, savoury, and higher levels of acidity. 

The Margaret River wines were very different from each other. The 2014 Woodlands 'Matthew' is quite open and fruit oriented, the 2008 Howard Park 'Abercrombie' was surprisingly sweet and ripe, whereas the 2005 Diana Madeline from Cullen impressed with its complex palate of various fruits, licorice, dark chocolate and earthy notes.

I could not draw any generalizations from this comparison, maybe other than 'when wines come from similar climates, it is down to the winemaker'.

Woodlands 'Margaret' Cabernet Blend

 The 'Margaret' Cabernet Blend comes from the estate block where these vines were planted in 1990. A couple of days ago I tasted the 2019 Woodlands 'Margaret' Cabernet Blend. This wine is always around 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, and so it is in 2019. The rest is Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

The red and blackcurrant fruit is very smooth. It is not overly concentrated, but with enough intensity, leading to an elegant mouthfeel. There is a savoury character to this wine as well, almost like a forest floor Pinot Noir character. The tannins are smooth, and the wine surprises with a long finish.

Score: 94/+++

Prowein, Day 3, Final

 The afternoon of day three was a mix of tastings, with some absolute highlights. It started with some wines from Argentina. First I tasted some wines of Colomé, the winery with vineyards with the highest elevation in the world. The 2022 El Arenal, with fruit grown at an altitude of 2700m was the highlight. The concentrated Malbec fruit is pure and intense, yet elegant and with good energy. The extreme is the 2019 Altura Maxima, from a vineyard at 3100m. I enjoyed the fruit here as well, but the tannins were quite blocky.

Then I tasted wines from Familia Zucchardi.I never really warmed to them, and this afternoon was not different. The 2023 Poligonos was fresh, but simple. The 2020 Altamira lacked depth. The 2022 Amphora was fresh and fruity. And the 2021 Piedra Infinita had good fruit intensity, backed by firm and dominant tannins.

In a strange way, I lost my notes on Norton, El Enemigo, and Alta Vista, but I remember I was very impressed with the Norton Privada.

Craggy Range showcased its premium wines. The 2022 80% Merlot based Sophia is excellent. The wine has a strong fruit profile. It is very balanced, and long on the finish. I preferred it to the flagship  2022 Le Sol, which has a very soft profile. It is a well rounded wine, but lacked some acidic backbone, in my opinion. The 2022 Te Kahu, a Cabernet based blend, is also a strong wine, with firm tannins and good length.

Australia did not have a major presence, but Yalumba showed their most prestigious wines. The 2020 Octavius came across as a little sweet and broad. The 2020 Caley is a big wine. It is more red fruited, and a bit alcoholic on the finish. The 2023 Centenary, which does not see any oak, was very young and a bit confected - overall, I was a bit disappointed.

Then I tasted some South African wines. This was interesting to me. I have not been exposed to these wines since the late 1980s, when I traveled there a bit. The red wines were fashioned along Bordeaux, but did not quite make it, with earthy notes often overwhelming. I now had a chance to revisit the same producers, after a break of 35(!) years or so.

I started with the well known Rust en Vrede. I liked their 2022 Syrah. The inclusion of 30% whole bunch made this quite an elegant wine. I also enjoyed the 2022 Cabernet. This wine showed the earthiness of years gone by, but in this case it just added to the complexity of the palate and was not dominant. The soft tannins lead to a long finish. I found the 2021 Estate wine, a Cabernet/Shiraz blend, and perhaps the flagship wine, less appealing.

Then it was on to Kanonkop. The 2021 Paul Sauer is a Cabernet Sauvignon dominated Bordeaux blend. This wine drank really easy - quite a crowd pleaser. The 2022 black label Pinotage, South Africa’s signature wine, was my preference.

The last stop was at Meerlust, probably my favourite 35 years ago. I tasted three reds from 2021, with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon leading varieties respectively. These wines were good, but perhaps not as polished and balanced as they could have been. The 2022 Rubicon, their flagship wine, was more elegant and my pick from Meerlust.

Overall, the South African wines I tasted were quite attractive and an improvement over what (little) I knew. I am looking forward to taste more of these wines when I will be back in South Africa later in the year.

My final tastes provided an absolute highlight. I stumbled over the wines of Wine & Soul from the Douro, which I previously could not find. These were gorgeous wines. The 2022 Pintas, from 90 year old vines, is the standout. This is a field blend of more than 30 varieties, with Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) the largest contributor. This is quite a big wine, with a lot of complexity. It makes an elegant statement, and is not overripe. I also like the 2023 Character a lot. The fruit comes from vines surrounding the Pintas vineyard. This wine is a bit less concentrated, with a beautiful palate. The fruit is dark, with balanced acidity leading to a refreshing finish. The 2022 Manoella, from a different vineyard, but in eyesight, is based on Tinta Francisca. This is a somewhat lighter wine, very elegant, with silky tannins. After Vietti, these were my favourite wines at Prowein. They are now available in Australia as well.

These three days were quite full on. I hope I did not bore you too much with the many, but quite brief reviews. It was meant to highlight the variety of what was on offer, and I only scratched the surface.

 

Prowein, Day 3, Part 1

 On the final day, I am starting with some Grüner Veltliner from Austria. I compared the wines from Bründlmayer, Nigl, and Pichler Krutzler. The quality of these wines was very high. The wines impressed with their line down the palate, floral and apple flavours, spice, and salinity. The soil is mostly rock and slate. These wines were fresh, and in general, I would say, vastly underrated. I tasted the 2023 Loiserberg and Vogelsang Grüners from Bründlmayer, the 2023 Pellingen from Nigl, and the 2024 Ried Superin and Ried Kellerberg, as well as the 2023 Pfaffenberg from Pichler Krutzler. I found it difficult to pick a favourite. I liked them all.

Then I was off to the French pavilion. It was disappointing; no Bordeaux, no Burgundy to speak of. Is the effect of the arrogance still not biting, at least in Bordeaux? Larger tasting set-ups were all empty - depressing. I ended up with a couple of mixed Rhône tastings.

The first was a large tasting of wines by the Perrin family, best known for their Beaucastel wine. The two wines which stood out were the 2022 Famille Perrin Les Chapouins, a single vineyard Chateâuneuf, and the better known 2022 Château de Beaucastel. The former wine is a GSM blend of old vines, expressing power and intensity, held in by firm tannins. The latter is a blend of up to 30 varieties. The fruit is quite beautiful, and the wine a bit lighter on its feet, with a long finish. I concluded that the Northern Rhône wines from Crozes-Hermitage and St. Joseph were less successful. Quite a special wine was the 2022 Château de Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin. This is an expensive wine, with the Mourvedre grape dominant. It is dark fruited, round and balanced, not harsh as Mourvedre can be.

The second tasting was Jaboulet. I found the four wines I tasted disappointing. They were either quite light or a bit ‘dirty’ in the mouth. These wines were a 2022 Crozes-Hermitage, a 2021 Saint-Joseph,  a 2018 Talabert, and a 2018 Hermitage.

Phew! One afternoon to go.

Prowein, Day 2, Part 2

 The few other Italian wines I tasted could not match the Barolos from earlier on. The 2021 Cepparello by Isole e Olena had beautiful kirsch flavours and decent length on the palate, but was not outstanding. The 2019 Frescobali Castelgiocondo Brunello, from this acclaimed vintage, included nice mocca flavours and good intensity with firm dry tannins, but again, not outstanding. The 2020 Luce Brunello was lighter in the mouth, but quite tannic.

Of these other wines, I preferred the Fontodi wines. The 2021 Vigna del Sorbo was elegant, with good depth and some interesting herbal notes, while otherwise quite ripe. The 2021 Flaccianello delivered typical mocca flavours with good intensity and drive.

Then it was time to go to the Spanish pavilion. First stop was Capellanes from Ribera del Duero. The wines were a mixed experience. I found the 2021 Reserva oaky, a bit rough and alcoholic. My preference was for the 2021 Un Sueno, from vineyards at 1100m altitude. This Tempranillo was very dark, with great fruit purity and elegance. The 2020 Picon is a big wine, full-bodied and oaky.

The second winery from Ribera del Duero was Cepa 21. The 2022 Malabrigo, grown on rocky soil, was fresh and complex, with the finish a bit unbalanced. I also tasted the low yielding 2020 Hortago.

Unfortunately, I only managed to taste two wines from Muga, the Rioja superstar.. The 2016 Prado Enea Gran Reserva was dark, with a good fruit profile, and the noticeable oak well integrated. I preferred the 2021 Muga Torre. The wine comes from 40-90 year old vines. It is a concentrated Tempranillo, built out in French oak, with an elegant mouthfeel. It gives this deceiving lightness impression, which I feel only old vines can do - excellent.

I could not find the Louis Sebra wines when tasting wines from Portugal, but I found the wines this afternoon, tucked away behind others. Luis Sebra was there himself. These Douro wines are different from most, not coming out of a Port tradition. My word for the 2022 Albariño Granito Cru Vinho Verde; simply exuberant. The 2022 Xisto Cru Branco is a high altitude wine from schist and granite, with many varieties. This citrus flavoured wine is similar to the very good Niepoort whites. The first red was the 2022 Mono C Castelão. This is a very different wine from the full-bodied typical Douro red. This wine, from the Castelão variety, is very light on its feet, matured in concrete, quite easy drinking, a bit like an easy drinking Grenache. The 2022 Xisto Cru Red comes from high altitude vineyards. It delivers more traditional flavours, and is complex on the palate. The 2022 Mono A is a single varietal wine from Dão. It is floral and quite light. Overall, this was an interesting and different set of wines from one of Portugal’s most innovative winemakers.

What a day!

ProWein, Day2, Part 1

 Today started with a tasting of a few selected German Rieslings, followed by Piedmont reds.

The first stop was at Schloß Johannisberg, perhaps Germany’s most famous winery. They are mainly known for off-dry and sweeter Rieslings, but I wanted to try the dry Rieslings. The wines are distinguished by the colour of the caps. First up is the 2023 Bronze Riesling. The citrus flavour is nice, but the wine lacks concentration. The 2022 Silver Riesling is better. It has a satisfying fuller mouthfeel of citrus flavours. I then tried the same wine from 2015. This wine was still fresh, quite elegant, with added complexity- the pick of the three.

Then it was over to Robert Weil, my favourite Riesling producer from the Rheingau. The two key wines are the Klosterberg and the GG Turmberg. Both were available from 2024, and clearly a bit young. The Klosterberg is a bit fruity at the moment, whereas the Turmberg already showed its steeliness on the palate, minerality on the finish, and great length.

Finally, for a different expression, a tasting at Reichsrath von Buhl from the Pfalz. The 2022 Ungeheuer, grown on slate, is excellent. It is quite full bodied, as you would expect from a Pfalz wine of this year, but slaty minerality is shining through on the very long finish. The 2022 Pechstein, from black volcanic rock is quite different. This wine is extra dry and salty - quite interesting and good.

Now over to the Italian pavilion, where I happen to start at Vietti, which turns out to be the ProWein highlight. I start with the 2022 Nebbiolo Perbacco. This wine has set the standard for Langhe Nebbiolo in the last few years. And the 2022 does not disappoint. The wine is dry and quite elegant. Perhaps it does not reach the hights of 2019 or 2021, but it is still a top choice for Langhe Nebbiolo. I then tasted one Barbaresco and 7(!) Barolos from the 2021 vintage. The Barbaresco Roncagle is a beautiful wine. It is elegance over power, and a great example of Barbaresco at its finest.

When it comes to the Barolos, where to begin? The blended Barolo was quite attractive. It is quite a dry wine, with excellent definition. It appears a bit reserved and lean now, but the purity of fruit, the balanced structure and the firm tannins are there for this to develop into an excellent wine. The standard of the single vineyard wines was outstanding. It comes down to preference. Mine was the Cerequio from La Morra, and the Lazaretto from Serralunga, both amazing wines. The former stood out for its freshness, minerality, and energy. The latter impressed with its bigger mouthfeel, reflecting limestone drive and iron soil fullness, while retaining elegance all the same - the power and the beauty. Then comes the Rocche di Castiglione with typical dark fruit and a very long finish. The Ravera has a complex palate with some meat character coming through. The Monvigliero from the north includes 60% wholebunch, and showed a little broader in the mouth. The only one which did not impress me that much was the Brunate, which I found a bit blocky. Overall, these wines combine excellent fruit clarity, drive, expression of their terroir, power, balance, and elegance. The Lazaretto is close to perfection. The only drawback: pricing has gone quite stratospheric. If that is a problem, and it would be for most of us, enjoy yourself with the Perbacco.

It would be very hard for the other two Piedmont wineries I tasted from to match this, and they could not. G.D. Vajra has a decent profile, but the 2021 Barolos were not in Vietti’s league. Albe, Coste di Rose, and Bricco delle Viche were fruity and less complex.The exception was the Ravera, which was more concentrated, elegant, and long. This is a wine in the top tier. I also tasted the Serralunga Barolo from their second winery, Luigi Baudana. This was a more concentrated wine, but not overly complex.

I finally tasted an interesting set of wines from Oddero. The 2021 Langhe Nebbiolo from 40 year old vines in La Morra was fresh, with good fruit purity and elegance - a find. The 2022 Barbaresco Gallina, grown on sandy soil, is quite light and soft, with a silky mouthfeel. I enjoyed this. I was less impressed with the 21 Barolo from two vineyards in La Morra and one in Costello. It came up a bit short. The 2019 Bussia Reserva, from a good area of this very large vineyard, was more impressive. The fruit is quite concentrated, and the wine powerful, while retaining elegance - just not quite in the Vietti league.

Phew! This was only part one of day two.

Prowein, Day 1, Part 2

 The afternoon involved tastings of Portuguese and US wines. 

I started with my favourite Portuguese winery, Quinta do Crasto from the Douro river. First came the individual variety wines, the Touriga Nacional, the 2019 Touriga Franca, which was a strong, muscular and complex wine, and the 2018 Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), a big red fruited wine, which was elegant, with a long finish, and my favourite of these three. I then had an opportunity to taste the quite rare field blend wines from vineyards 100 years plus old. The 2019 Maria Theresa was not as big as the single variety wines, but more refined, elegant and very balanced, with silky tannins. This wine was excellent. The 2019 Vina Porte was darker and stronger, with a lot of drive and firm tannins, also a very good wine.

The wines from Quinta do Vallado were also very interesting. The Lady Baga is an interesting wine, unusual and quite rare  for the Douro. It is a lighter wine, and very elegant. Then I tasted the two field blends for the first time. The 2022 Vinha de Curoa comes from a north facing high altitude vineyard. It is a full-bodied wine, but a bit undifferentiated. The 2022 Vinha de Granja comes from a south facing vineyard. It is also a big wine, but quite elegant, with a long finish. The wine has a slightly sweet core.

The third winery was Niepoort. In the past, I have been very impressed with their white wines, which come from high altitude vineyards in the Douro. The 2023 Redoma comes from 80 year old vines. I found it a bit broad. The 2023 Coche was a more interesting wine. The vines are grown on schist. The wine shows tropical fruit. It is elegant with a refreshing finish. The 23 Tiara from granite soil was quite different; very clean and precise. The VV Bairrada was interesting. It underwent 100% malolactic fermentation, and still it was quite acidic. The 2016 Lomba from Dão had an unusual flavour. It was still fresh, and had a mineral character, while a bit reductive at the same time. It was time for a couple of reds. The 2023 Charme has very little skin contact and is fermented with 100% whole bunch. I like the elegance, shall I say charme, in this wine. The 2021 Vinha du Carril is very good and expensive. Kirsch flavours dominate in this darker wine. It is not as big as the equivalent wines from the other producers. It is understated, yet quite complex.

This was an excellent set of very interesting wines from Portugal. Portugal has come a long way.

There has been a lot of discussion in California of producing less ripe wines, with drinkability the main objective. Yet this was not at all obvious from the wines I tasted. Wines from DuMol, Clos du Val and Merryvale were big, ripe, and sugary. The 2022 Merlot from Duckhorn, a simpler wine, at least showed some acidity. The best wines came from the legendary Ridge Winery. The 2022 Cabernet was very pure and quite elegant. The highlight was the 2022 Monte Bello. This wine is way too early to drink with its firm tannins, but underneath was a well balanced, complex fruit profile.

A fascinating first day has come to an end.