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.

Domaine Jaeger-Defaix

 Vineyards in Rully in the northern part of the Côte Chalonnaise are the second interest of Hélène Jaeger-Defaix. Wines from the Côte Chalonnaise create interest, because one tries to find the same quality of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir as in Burgundy 'proper', but at a fraction of the price.

Two whites and two reds are available for tasting. The 2022 Jaeger-Defaix Rully 1er cru Le Cloux is light and fresh, with an elegant mouthfeel. This is a pleasant, well made Chardonnay without a lot of impact (91 points). The 2022 Jaeger-Defaix 1er cru Rabourcé Blanc sits right above the Le Coux vineyard. There is less of the white clay soil here. This is a fuller and more powerful wine with a longer finish (93 points).

The first red is the 2022 Jaeger-Defaix Rully Rouge. This is a village wine. It is light, well made, but not complex (91 points). The best wine of these is the 2022 Jaeger-Defaix Rully Rouge 1er cru Clos du Chapitre. The soil is clay. This wine is 100% barrel fermented, with 10% new oak. Strawberry flavours dominate. This is a bigger wine, but still energetic, with quite a tannic finish (94 points).

Overall, the Jaeger-Defaix wines are well made: balanced, with delicate flavours, and an elegant mouthfeel.

Tyrrell's Old Patch Shiraz

 

Tyrrell's Sacred Sites vineyards are mostly located between the road and the winery (4 Acres, 8 Acres, Johnno's). However, the most famous of this quartet, the Old Patch comes from a vineyard about 2km further south. The vines are over 150 years old.

I am tasting the 2018 Tyrrell's Old Patch Shiraz. The fruit in this wine shows incredible purity, tasting of red plum, cranberry, and blueberry. The flavours are deep, but lifted at the same time. The wine delivers a very elegant, even majestic mouthfeel. Silky tannins lead to a long, lingering finish. This is a superb wine. It stands out among the Secret Sites wines.

Score: 97/+++

At this point the wine is fruit dominant thanks to a screw top closure. The wine has the structure to grow in complexity when secondary characteristics emerge, and achieve an even higher score, but we will have to wait another 5-10 years for this to happen.

Domaine Berrnard Defaix Chablis

 This estate is currently run by Bernard's son Didier and his wife Hélène. The Domaine is small but punches above its weight because of its terroir and astute winemaking. 

Hélène Defaix

I tasted the three main Chablis from the 2022 vintage. All wines are organic since 2009. Petit Chablis often includes material from the outer regions, where the soil is clay. However, the 2022 Domaine Bernard Defaix Petit Chablis is only sourced from flat vineyards close to the village center, where the soil is kimmeridgian, including marine fossils. This gives the wine Chablis' famous minerality. This wine is citrus based, clean and linear. A bit of almond flavour appears on the finish built around fine acidity. Despite 2022 being a warm year, and the wine undergoing 100% malolactic fermentation, it is fresh and energetic. The skill here is to pick as early as possible, but the fruit needs to be ripe, according to Mrs. Defaix.

Score: 93/+++

The second wine is the 2022 Bernard Defaix Chablis. The fruit comes from similar vineyards to the Petit Chablis, but the vines are older. The wine also spends more time on lees. The result is a similar wine, with good dynamic on the palate and more fruit concentration - a very harmonious wine.

Score: 94/+++

The third wine is the jewel in the crown, the 2022 Bernard Defaix 1er cru Côte de Léchet. Bernard Defaix is the largest single holder of this vineyard. This vineyard has a perfect exposure to south-east. As a result, the fruit ripens early. 25% of the fruit sees old oak. This is a more complex wine with again more concentration, but still maintains a saline character. White fruit flavours deliver a delicate palate, with an excellent finish.

Score: 95/+++