What did we drink for Christmas?

 

Our Christmas drinking was fairly measured, but of good quality. For the red wines, I opted for lighter options, given the warm weather. The 17 year old Burgundy was in good condition, fresh and energetic. I had two bottles of the 2012 Elio Grasso Barolo. They showed considerable bottle variation. One was quite developed. Overall, a satisfying selection of wines.

What did you drink for Christmas? What stood out?

Torbreck RunRig

 Torbreck offers a remarkable line of wines, priced from the $20s/bottle to the $700s or so. For drinkability, I have always enjoyed the mid priced wines the best; Struie, Gask, and in particular The Steading. I found wines like Factor and Les Amis too concentrated and ripe. Sure, this is what the grapes could give, but is it enjoyable? A bit of an exception has been RunRig. This blend from originally eight outstanding and old vineyards always had a bit of magic for me. I described the structure as if built like a skyscraper, with huge fruit weight and massive tannins. But there was always some balance and remarkable complexity.

After quite an absence, I enjoyed another vintage the other day: the 2016 Torbreck RunRig. I do not want to go into much detail on the flavours here. Chocolate and charred meat are dominant. This wine is no longer the poster boy of Parker wines. Yes, it is still very big and intense, but the 2016 version is more harmonious, and simply more enjoyable to drink. It could be argued that Torbreck lost some of its magic since the departure of David Powell, the original winemaker. However, judging by this example, RunRig has been tamed a bit, and this is for the better. This wine is an outstanding example of what a full-bodied Barossa Shiraz can deliver.

Score: 96/+++

Gianni Brunelli Brunello di Montalcino

 I will start with a cheap shot: If your name is Brunelli you would want to make Brunello, wouldn't you. But to be clear, the 2012 Gianni Brunelli Brunello di Montalcino is a remarkable wine. Remarkable for two reasons. First, you would take this for a Nebbiolo, second, this is a very good wine.

The wine has a garnet colour, and the floral and perfumed notes on the nose are strong. On the palate, the wine is red fruited, and has interesting secondary flavours of leather and smoke. This is an elegant wine with great finesse. It finishes with dry and chalky tannins.

The wine is perfect to drink now.

Score: 95/+++

Diren Karaoglan

 This is the first time I have encountered this producer and the Karaoglan grape variety from East Anatolia in Turkey.

The 2020 Diren Karaoglan has a bright red colour. Red cherry flavours and spice are pleasant in the mouth. The feel is between a forward Pinot Noir and new world Merlot. The wine is not complex with limited acidity and tannins. This makes it quite a good food wine and worth a try with Turkish food.

Score: 86/+

By Farr Côte Vineyard Pinot Noir

 Many of you will be familiar with the Farrside or Sangreal Pinot Noirs of By Farr. These are quite distinctive from each other, with Farrside being very savoury and structure focussed, whereas Sangreal emphasizes dark fruit flavours. Over the last decade, By Farr has experimented with a high density vineyard, the Côte vineyard. This hillside vineyard faces north, north east and east in three sections. Tasting the 2016 By Farr Côte Vineyard Pinot Noir is my first experience of this wine. 

I was gobsmacked. This is again quite a different Pinot profile. The wine is quite perfumed on the nose. On the palate, red and dark cherry is the dominant fruit flavour, but the main impression is the smooth character of this wine, which caresses the palate with immense charm. It is a great blend between fruit and savoury characteristics. The wine shows great finesse, supported by fine and detailed tannins, which leads to a very long finish. This is a softer wine than the other two mentioned, but do not be fooled; it has great intensity.

Score: 98/+++ 

Craggy Range Te Kahu

 This wine, from Craggy Range's home block, is a blend of five Bordeaux varieties, with Merlot taking the lead at 63% for the 2016 Craggy Range Te Kahu. It mimics a right bank Bordeaux wine.  I tasted this wine more than 18 months ago and gave it a mixed review. Let's see how it stacks up this time.

The colour of this wine is very dark. Therefore, no surprise on the palate with black fruits dominating, blackberry and dark cherry. There are earthy notes and five spice. The wine is surprisingly developed. The mouthfeel lacks some integration - between varieties, between flavours. The fine tannins provide some compensation, but the finish is slightly hot.

This is a wine that should be drunk now. It provides reasonable value for money.

Score: 90/+

Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon

 Howard Park uses the best fruit from its holdings in Margaret River and Great Southern to produce the flagship Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon. Last night, I drank some 2007 Howard Park Abercrombie from Magnum.

The flavours were typical Cabernet Sauvignon; red- and blackcurrant, capsicum; also cigarbox and a hint of mint. The wine was still very fresh (screwcap). I found it quite lean for the vintage. The tannins were firm, and the wine finished with medium length.

I expected more generosity.

Score: 93/+

Thibaud Boudignon Rosé de Loire

 Rosé does not make it often on lists of serious high quality wines, but the 2020 Thibaud Boudignon Rosé de Loire should be there. It stood out in a recent tasting of about 30 Rosés.

The grape composition is not entirely clear, but it is roughly 90% Cabernet Franc and 10% of a white wine variety, either Chenin Blanc or Grolleau. The regime is biodynamic. The wine is directly pressed and vinified like a white wine, with indigenous yeast.

This wine has a light apricot orange colour, not as pale as Rosés from Provence. The flavours are apricot and yellow peach. This is a bone dry wine of great purity. It is flavoursome, quite linear with a firm structure and a long finish.

Score: 92/+++ 

Ruggabellus Archaeus

 When Ruggabellus arrived on the scene, it created quite a stir. Abel Gibson picked the Rhone varieties much earlier than anybody else and used 100% whole-bunch on Shiraz. Lately it has been quieter other than the announcement he is going back to cork.

The other development is that from the early concept of only making GSM blends of different proportions for the premium wines, he added a 100% Shiraz. This is actually similar to Peter Schell of Spinifex, the master blender of the Barossa, who finally added 100% Shiraz as an ultra premium wine.

So this is the 100% Shiraz from the Eden Valley, the 2018 Ruggabellus Archaeus. I reviewed this wine about 20 months ago, and found it a bit unbalanced. Time to have another look.

The flavours are of red cherry and pomegranate, quite fresh. Herbal notes and firm acidity are quite prominent as well. This time, the wine is  a bit more rounded than 20 months ago, but I find it a bit medicinal on the finish.

Score: 93/+