Taste Champagne

 The Tyson Stelzer Champagne tasting extravaganza rolled into Sydney again this year. Not quite as big as in some previous years, but certainly plenty of Champagne to taste. And it proved to be popular again.

Soon after I arrived, almost disaster struck, as the Champagne pyramid in part came tumbling down, but it turned out the cartons were empty, haha.

On to the tasting; last year I called it 'The main houses are back'. So this year I did a comparison of some Major Houses with some reputable Grower Champagnes. The Major Houses I tasted were Bollinger, Billecart-Salmon and Pol Roger. On the Grower side, I had Ayala, Duval Leroy, Jacquesson, Veuve Fourny and Mailly.

The overall winner, as in the year before, was Bollinger. Bollinger has access to perhaps the best vineyards in Champagne (all premier cru), and it has a Pinot Noir grape bias, adding to the complexity of the Champagnes. I rated the Special Cuvée NV 94 points, with its fine mousse, great balance between freshness and toasty flavours and its long finish. La Grande Année 2015 had a darker colour, more concentration and outstanding length (96 points). I found the special PN AYC 18 NV lighter, quite savoury, and not as refreshing (93 points).

The Billecart-Salmon Champagnes rated 92-94 points, with the Rendez-Vous Number 3, being the best. I have always been quite fond of Pol Roger. I found the Vintage 2016 flavoursome, but a bit short (93 points). I preferred the 2015 Blanc de Blancs with its fine mousse, good depth, and longer finish (94 points).

The two outstanding Grower Champagne houses were Jacquesson and Veuve Fourny. The 746 Jacquesson is based on the 2018 vintage. It includes a significant amount of Pinot Meunier (24%). The flavours make quite a strong statement, based on the Pinot depths (94 points). Equally good, if not better were the Fourny Champagnes I tasted. The Grands Terroir Brut Vertus Premier Cru NV included only 20% Pinot Noir, but showed a lot of depth and good length (94 points). The R Extra Brut Vertus Premier Cru is 100% Chardonnay based on the 2015 and 2016 vintages. It is quite toasty, having spent three years on lees. It is a very layered Champagne (95 points).

I found the Mailly Champagnes agreeable, on the lighter side (92-93 points). The Ayala Champagnes are very refreshing, for a hot summer day (91 points). Duval-Leroy, which also sources fruit from the village of Vertus would not be my choice, compared with Fourny (92 points).

In summary, Bollinger is an outstanding Champagne producer. Overall, it is difficult to generalize, as it is with all wine, but with Grower Champagnes in particular, choose the producer wisely. 

 

Rioja and Ribera del Duero

 In a tasting of 20  mid-level wines from the two major Tempranillo regions of Rioja and Ribera del Duero, four wines stood out. A number of the other wines were a bit out of balance with tannins performing strong, but fruit less so.

My favorite wine was the 2019 Alejandro Fernandez Pesquera Tinto Reserva. Robert Parker once called a Pesquera wine the Petrus of Spain. Well, this obviously was not this wine. This wine impressed with its beautiful fruit, its elegance and its long finish. It is a slightly bigger wine than the following three, but it is in perfect harmony.

Score: 93/++ 

The second wine, a little lighter, but with similar characteristics, was the 2020 Los Tres Dones Tinto Fino. It had quite a generous feel of dark fruit and soft tannins.

Score: 92/++ 

                           

The third Ribera del Duero wine in this 'finals' list was the 2020 Protos '27 Tinto. This wine spent 24 months in American oak, but despite this, the wine had a delicate texture, some minerality and a light finish.

Score: 91/++

The one wine from Rioja which made the list was the 2018 Valenciso Rioja Reserva. The grapes come from Rioja Alta, from vines at least 60 years old, and organically farmed. There is minimal oak influence, showcasing the beautiful fruit. Some earthy flavours add to complexity.

Score: 91/++

Overall, Ribera del Duero wines did a little better with a more rounded profile from the warmer region. Rioja wines can soar very high, but they need to be the very best (and expensive), in my experience. 

Cherubino Folklore Chardonnay

 When it comes to quality value wines from Australia, historically Shiraz would have been your best bet. But lately, I think, terrific Chardonnay is available for a good price, in particular from Western Australia. The 2022 Cherubino Folklore Chardonnay from Margaret River pushes this further, as a wine below $20 per bottle, at a quality level more typical for a high quality $30 bottle.

This wine is barrel-fermented in used French oak, unusual for this price point, with fruit coming from Pemberton, Porongurup, and Margaret River. The wine is light and refreshing at first, but more substance and complex flavours of white peach, melon and apricot emerge on the mid palate. The wine delivers a satisfying mouthfeel and a medium finish.

Score: 90/+++     

 

Clarendon Hills Kangarilla Shiraz

The wines of Clarendon Hills are a conundrum. Roman Bratasiuk, who founded the winery in 1990, is playing at opposite ends of the spectrum. On the one hand, he takes advantage of his great vineyard sites in Blewitt Springs and Clarendon, which allow him to produce powerful, yet elegant Shiraz and Grenache. On the other hand, he started his business when Robert Parker's influence was at his peak. Making wine for his palate has allowed the shy Mr. Bratasiuk to direct the majority of his wines to the US for many years. I have found his wines very variable for my palate.

The 2016 Clarendon Hills Kangarilla Grenache was offered to me at an incredible price. I could not say no. Maybe I should have been warned.

The aroma is perfumed and quite strong. On the palate, ripe raspberry and stewed prune flavours hit the palate hard. The Grenache grape has the habit of hitting a peak in ripening quite suddenly, and then goes into overripe territory quickly. In this wine, I suggest, the best picking time was missed. The wine is intense, but overripe, thereby missing any nuances. One glass was all I could manage, and this with difficulty.

Score: 84/--  

 

Complexity In Wines

 To get to this topic, one firstly needs to clarify what is a blended wine. The common understanding is that it is a wine of different vineyards or of different varieties. There can also be a blending of different sorts in a single vineyard, single variety wine. For example, the grapes which go into Henschke’s Hill of Grace are grown on four different soil types. As another example, Torbreck’s Laird vineyard has in one half an easterly exposure, and in the other half a westerly exposure. The top part of the vineyard has very little top soil, the bottom part has a lot more. However, these variations are not normally used to name a wine a blended wine.

The blending of wine is often used to increase complexity and layering of fruit. Penfolds would be a master of this approach. Considerable skill and experience is required to deliver a seamless wine from different locations or grape varieties. The two single vineyard wine examples I quoted are fortunate that they can deliver complexity from a single vineyard due to its composition.

The main purpose of single vineyard wines is a different one. It is to highlight the terroir. For example, a sandy ground delivers perfumed wines, ironstone soil delivers tannic wines. Another issue that comes in here is the topic of clones. The winemaker of Williams-Selyem, a highly regarded Sonoma producer, made the point that combining different clones in a young vineyard makes a lot of sense, as they emphasize different aspects. This is particularly true for Pinot Noir, a variety quite sensitive to clonal variety. On the other hand, he claims, these differences disappear in older vineyards, as the terroir takes over.

And then there are tools in the winery to add complexity, for example combining different vessels in maturation, part whole-bunch, or different times on lees.

As with everything in wine, there are many options. Hopefully I added some clarity to the topic of wine complexity.

Standish Wines Revisited

 For the last six years or so, Dan Standish has collected incredible praise for his Shiraz wines, and I was one of the first to do so. Now it is one thing to produce wines which are great on release. It is quite another to maintain this level over time. As most people who buy his wines will store them for at least some time, this is quite important.

Yesterday I opened a 2018 The Standish Wine Company The Relic and 2018 The Standish Wine Company Andelmonde to see how they have matured. The corks under wax were very fresh on opening. 

I tried the Relic, a Shiraz/Viognier, first. The wine comes from a Krondorf vineyard, with vines slightly more than 100 years old. The colour is deep purple. The wine is very aromatic on the nose. Intense blackberry fruit hits the palate first. There is spice as well. Tobacco and earth flavours are in the background. The fruit weight in the mouth is strong, yet the wine has sufficient energy to drive the flavours down the palate. This is supported by silky tannins, before the wine delivers this massive finish, which goes on and on, and is not heavy. As an aside, you cannot distinguish the Shiraz from the Viognier, which is great.

This wine has not suffered through ageing. Based on this tasting, I would not even be able to say when this Relic will hit its peak - in ten years?

Score: 99/+++

The Andelmonde comes from a 60 year old, sandy vineyard in Light Pass. The colour of the wine is a brighter red. It is more floral on the nose. It is not as powerful as the Relic, with a focus on elegance. Redcurrant and blood plum flavours dominate, no secondary flavours to speak of right now. The tannins are quite tight-fisted. The overall feel is one of harmony, before the wine finishes firm. Again, this wine will live for a long time.

This wine is different from the other Standish wines, more fragrant. It is a shame that Dan could not renew the lease once it ran out. The Andelmonde will be rare and past vintages will be cherished for a long time.

Score: 97/+++

These two wines have held up incredibly well. They have hardly aged and promise even more in the future. Who says powerful Barossa Shiraz cannot age?

Pinot Noir And Other Highlights

 At a recent tasting, I tasted predominantly Pinot Noir, but also some other interesting wines.

Rippon just found out that its Gamay labelled wine is in fact Pinot Noir; a bit embarassing. And do not be afraid if you cannot tell, the winemakers apparently can't either. I tasted the three key Pinot Noirs. The 2020 'Rippon' Estate wine is very perfumed and quite light. It is an easy drink, quite elegant, with strawberry and red cherry flavours (91 points) . 'Emma's Block' sits at the bottom of the vineyard, just above the lake, facing east. This wine has a similar profile, but a bit more intensity (93 points). 'Tinker's Field' sits right next to it, with the oldest vines from 1986, and north facing. This wine is a bit darker, with a piercing drive and a long finish. Elegance is the key here as well (94 points). The Rippon wines are expensive, and while they are well made, they lack power (for me). I would look elsewhere.

From Tasmania I tasted the 2023 Dr Edge Tasmania Pinot Noir. This is a bright and fruity wine with red cherry and some undergrowth flavours. It fills the mouth nicely, but is a bit forward (92 points).  The 2018 Moorilla 'Muse' is a different proposition. This is a much more complex wine, dominated by red cherry fruit and vanilla from the oak. This is an elegant wine with good length, but too much oak, which is a concern after six years (92 points). Ossa made quite a splash with its new Pinot Noirs from fairly young vines. The 2022 Pinot Noir has red and black cherry flavours, intense on the front palate. The wine is quite fruity, but is helped with elegant tannins and a minor oak influence (93 points).

The wine of the tasting, however, was the 2022 Bondar Clarendon Shiraz. The wine comes from one of Australia's best Shiraz vineyards, the Hickinbotham vineyard in Clarendon, McLaren Vale. The wine is surprisingly blue fruited, fresh, but with good intensity, silky tannins, and a long, satisfying finish (95 points). 

The real surprise (as I expected) were the Dão wines from António Madeira. These wines taste like nothing we have in Australia, and they have personality. The 2020 DãoVinhas Velhas Branco is an interesting white wine, quite full-flavoured (there is some skin contact), tasting of tropical fruit and kumquat (I have never seen this as a descriptor; it is meant to describe complex citrus). The light touch oak is well integrated, and the finish is firm (92 points). The 2019 Dão Vinhas Velhas Tinto is quite a light red, tasting of raspberry and pomegranate; some dark fruits as well. It also has pleasant earthy flavour, spice, and a soft mouthfeel (92 points). The 2019 Dão Vinha da Serra is a step up. It is António Madeira's top vineyard at 600m of altitude based on granite. The raspberry and cranberry flavours are delicate, fresh and elegant, yet quite intense and powerful. Dry tannins lead to a long finish (95 points).

 

Grace Wines

 Last year I reported in detail on the line-up of perhaps the finest Japanese winery, Grace Wines. The tasting this year was a bit more limited, and in some ways, certainly with white wines, is a bit more of the same.

Koshu is the indigenous white wine variety of Japan. These wines are characterized by their transparent colour, citrus flavour, some fruitiness, but also quite a lean mouthfeel, perfect to accompany Sushi. The first wine I tasted was the 2022 Gris de Koshu. This is the entry level wine, if you will. It is crispy, showing citrus fruit, and some residual sugar (88 points). This was followed by the 2022 Kayagatake Koshu, equivalent to a village wine. This wine is quite an improvement on the 2021 tasted last year. The citrus flavours are dry and quite mineral. I really liked this wine (92 points). Then we come to the Grace Koshu wines, the blended Estate wines. The 2022 was paired up with wines from 2012 and 2013. The 2013 Grace Koshu is still pale in colour, with a slightly fuller mouthfeel than the current version, but still fresh. This is a more complete and satisfying version than the current vintage (94 points). The 2012 Grace Koshu is more developed. Some nutty flavours emerge, similar to a matured Hunter Valley Semillon (93 points).

The single vineyard wines are the 2022 Hishiyama Vineyard Koshu. This vineyard is situated at an altitude of 550m, whereas the previous wines  come from vineyards of 300-400m altitude. This translates into more fruit concentration, while still retaining quite a delicate mouthfeel (94 points). I then tasted two 2021 Toriibira Vineyard Koshu wines. I reported on these priviously. The Reserve wine is the only Koshu which sees some barrel fermentation.

The red wines were again quite interesting. The 2021 Yamanashi Rouge is based on the Japanese grape Muscat Bailey. This wine is a big improvement on the previous year. It s a light wine of predominantly raspberry flavour with excellent length. It would give some Beaujolais a run for its money (92 points). The 2013 Kayagatake Red showed a similar profile with still excellent freshness (93 points).  

I finished up with the 2020 Akeno Rouge. This is a blend dominated by Merlot, and including Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux varieties do not ripen easily in this area, with Merlot being the best. The wine has pleasant depth, with a focus on elegance (92 points).

If you like delicate and elegant wines, Grace Wines are for you.

  

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/++  

 

Domaine Castagnier Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru

 There are essentially two strategies for the wine enthusiast wanting to experience good, but not exorbitantly expensive Burgundy. 1) To buy a village wine from a good producer or subregion;                2) To buy a Grand Cru from a lesser vineyard and/or producer. Both strategies have obvious limitations, but then the market and pricing basically works, although not perfectly.

The wine I reviewed last followed the first strategy. Today we look at a wine from the second strategy. It is the 2018 Domaine Castagnier Saint Denis Grand Cru.

Morey-Saint-Denis is perhaps one of the lesser appellations of the Cote de Nuits, the Clos Saint Denis a lesser grand cru there, and Domaine Castagnier is certainly not one of the top Burgundy names. However, the plot is in the historical and original part of Clos Saint Denis, and the winery has made great progress according to Jasper Morris.

Let's look at the wine. The colour is a darker purple, and the aromas on the nose are fruity, rich, and ripe.

On the palate, this is a more concentrated wine than the one reviewed in my last post. Ripe raspberry and dark cherry flavours deliver a pleasant and energetic mouthfeel, which is not too demanding or complex. The silky tannins lead to a medium finish with firm blackberry flavours. For the right price, this is an attractive wine.

Score: 94/++ 

 

 

Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée Burgundy

 The 2016 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée shows a pretty purple colour. The wine is perfumed and fruity on the nose.

On the palate, generous black cherry and plum flavours are very clean. This is an almost voluptuous wine, but the mouthfeel is a little simple. There is a great entry, but then the wine falls off a bit. A show pony? But then, on the finish, tannins are persistent and lengthen the finish.

Overall, this is a good village wine, with a typical Vosne-Romanée profile of fleshy fruit.

Score: 92/++

Luciano Sandrone Tasting

 The one winery I wanted to visit but did not manage to, when I was in Piedmont last year, was Luciano Sandrone. I therefore jumped on the opportunity when Barbara Sandrone was in Sydney this week.

Most wines carry the famous coloured squares on the bottle

The tasting was very crowded and it was not a good space for contemplation. Therefore, I will not allocate points and only make general observations. 

Piedmont wineries always start with Dolcetto and Barbera, and one mostly goes quickly to the main game, Nebbiolo. So it was here. The Barolos on tasting were the 2021 Nebbiolo d'Alba, the 2019 Barolo Le Vigne (the blended wine from five villages), the 2019 Aleste Barolo from the Cannubi Boschis vineyard, and the 2017 Vite Talin Barolo. From left to right, the fruit concentration increases, but only slightly so. The Vite Talin is a very special wine. It is made from a separate Nebbiolo clone. The berries are only half the size of a typical Nebbiolo grape. At first it was thought to be diseased fruit. Luciano Sandrone identified this clone in 1987 and made the first special wine in 2013.

All the Barolos share a typical Sandrone signature. They are very perfumed, very Pinot Noir like. They are finessed, with a firm, mouth plucking tannin structure. In my humble opinion, this creates an imbalance. The entry on the palate is quite beautiful, but then the fruit cannot stand up to the tannins. Maybe long term cellaring overcomes this issue. But still this imbalance  existed in the 2017 wine.

The Aleste and the Vite Talin typically receive high ratings. Maybe I did not get these wines. In the evening I had a 12 year old Cannubi from Chiara Boschis. Now this was a balanced and beautiful wine.