De Bortoli Estate Vineyard Chardonnay

 De Bortoli is mainly know for its famous Noble One brand. But one should not forget it has sizable vineyard holdings in the Yarra Valley. This 2018 De Bortoli Estate Vineyard Chardonnay comes from there. 

The wine has an attractive mouthfeel with green apple and peach flavours. There are also some nutty notes. This is well balanced with sufficient acidity. The finish is a little short, but the overall 'package' is impressive for a value wine.

Score: 90/+

Domaine Santa Duc Le Pied De Baud Chateauneuf

 This 2015 Domaine Santa Duc Le Pied De Baud Chateauneuf-Du-Pape is a bright wine. Home for them is Gigondas, but they have this plot in the northern part of Chateauneuf. The soil is a mixture of sand, clay, limestone and pebbles. I believe clay dominates. The vines are 90 years old, on average. The wine is Grenache dominant (80%).

The winery aims its wines squarely at the American market. So this is full-bodied, ripe, but also quite energetic. The palate is an attractive mix of cherry flavours, earthy characters, and spice. The finish is long and persistent, but the alcohol is distracting.

Score: 92/+ 

Stonier Chardonnay

 The first impression of tasting the 2020 Stonier Chardonnay is the smart oak treatment. Cashew nut flavours dominate the palate. Underneath sit stone fruit flavours, but then again it is cashew nut. The oak influence is not massive, but enough to cover the underwhelming fruit flavours. The outcome is a well made, but not very interesting wine.

Score: 89/0 

Miloš Winery

 The winery Miloš, situated about 50km north of Dubrovnik, is astonishing. More than 20 years ago, while all aspiring Croatian wineries went for new oak and French barriques, this winery started to make what they now call natural wines. The winery is certified organic, fermentation with indigenous yeast, no fining and filtration, very little sulphur and maturation in large Slavonian oak (like Barolo). Volumes are very small, only a few thousand bottles per wine, yet the premium wine is found in leading restaurants in Los Angeles and New York.

The vines are grown on steep limestone hills. Yield is a low 0.8kg per vine. The red variety is Plavac Mali, which I described in a previous post, the white Rukatac, which I know nothing about.

The white wine is a relatively new addition to the portfolio. It is grown at 250m altitude. I taste the 2020 Stalagmit. This is quite a full-bodied wine at 13.5% alc. matured in stainless steel. The focus is the texture, not the fruit. Wet stone and minerality are key, with some citrus flavours coming through. The two sons of the original winemaker are now in charge. I spoke with one of them who admitted there is a bit to go before this is an outstanding wine (86 points). The 2020 Rosé is made from Plavac Mali. It is dry, but not as pale as the French versions, and bigger in the mouth (86 points).

Then we come to the red wines, and they are fantastic. First the 2018 Plavac Mali. This is made from vines less than 20 years old. Red and black cherry flavours are integrated with attractive limestone minerality. The wine is very clean and pure. The tannins are chalky, very dry. This is such an attractive package at 13.5% alcohol. I have never given a wine at 12€ or less than $A20, 92 points.

However, a big step up is the 2012 Stagnum. This is the premium Plavac Mali. This wine has just been released after spending 6 years in barrel and 4 in bottle. It comes from 20 to 50 year old grapes. Detailed work in the vineyard means they can pick earlier than less sophisticated neighbours at phenolic ripeness, with the resulting wine being 14 to 15% alcohol, whereas other Plavac Mali can go to 16, even 17%. Also, acidity is higher. This wine has a slightly orange tint, like Barolo. It tastes of red and black cherry and dry figs. Earthy notes underline the palate. This is a powerful wine, yet elegant in the mouth. The wine has drive, the tannins are smooth. This is a revelation (96/+++).

I also tasted the 2007 Stagnum. For starters, this is a 15 year old natural wine. It can be done. This wine is very smooth, lingers in the mouth, but it does not have the complexity of the 2012. The young winemaker attributes this to the learnings they have had since then (93 points).

It is a pity that most of you will never have the chance to taste these wines. They are utterly unique and amazing.

Complexity In Wine

 Pinot Noir is probably the grape variety most influenced by clone selection. Therefore, many years ago, winemakers were trying to identify the ‘best’ clone. They then discovered a certain sameness in the grape juice. Then there was a switch to growing a number of different clones per vineyard which lead to positive results; more interesting wines.

Single vineyard wines are all the rage now, and they are supposed to represent the place where the grapes come from, but do they deliver the most interesting wine? Penfolds does not think so. It is famous for its multi-regional blends. And if you have ever tried Grange, you may have marveled at the layering of the fruit flavours. This is the result of different vineyard sources.

But if you dig a little deeper, a more complex picture emerges. Take Château Cheval-Blanc, the famous right bank winery in Bordeaux. The vineyard has sections of gravel, clay, and sandy soil. They have identified 53 mini vineyards on this site. They have younger and older vines. They grow Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. All this goes into their famous wine. Single vineyard yes, but a multitude of expressions.

Closer to home, the Gnadenfrei vineyard at Marananga has a west and an east orientation. At the top of the hill, there is little top soil. At the bottom, there is alluvial soil. All this is the source of Torbreck’s Laird.

Vineyards and winemaking are incredibly complex. There is not a one size fits all, but complexity is something worth striving for.

Any thoughts?