Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay Mini Vertical

 Sorry, I have not posted for a while, as I have mainly been drinking wine I already reviewed, but I experienced a mini vertical of the Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay, which is worth while talking about.

There are not many Australian Chardonnays which age well, but the Leeuwin Art Series is one. This tasting included the years 2020, 2013, and 1999.

The 2020 Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay is pale in colour. It is quite restrained on the nose. On the palate, many flavours reveal themselves: white flower, white peach, lemon curd, white melon, flint, and marzipan. Very high quality French oak is noticeable. The wine is very focused, and reveals its intensity after some time in the glass. Very complex and long on the finish (97 points).

The 2013 Chardonnay is light gold in colour. Flavours of white peach, citrus, nectarine, and some cashew. This is a powerful wine with a luscious mouthfeel. Acidity is more obvious than in the 2020. This wine is obviously more developed than the 2020, probably drinking at its peak now, and certainly proving this label can be aged (97 points).

The 1999 Chardonnay is different. The colour is an intense yellow. It delivers a big mouthfeel of lemon, melon, pineapple, fig, a hint of butterscotch. In comparison to the first two wines, it feels a little worked and heavy. However, it is a great effort to keep a 25 year old Australian Chardonnay alive and well (95 points).

At some point, I think in the early 2000s, the style of the Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay changed. Prior its fruit flavours were tropical, such as pineapple or yellow peach, and the mouthfeel broader. Since then precision on the palate increased, and citrus and white fruit flavours started to dominate, making the wine closer in style to a top level Burgundy. This was certainly brought out in this small tasting.

 

Mount Mary Quintet Vertical

 Vertical tastings, not easy to come by, are great opportunities to identify a producer's style, while also appreciating vintage variations. I was lucky to recently participate in a vertical tasting of Mount Mary Quintet from this iconic producer of the Yarra Valley. The Quintet has never been a top pick for me. This tasting has told me why. These wines only come into their own once they are at least 10 years old - and I never had the patience. This tasting spans vintages from 2017 to 2002.

The youngest wine, the Quintet 2017, was the least impressive. The wine is red fruited, with red cherry and raspberry flavours. The fruit has great purity and is enriched by mocca flavours. I notice a whole in the mid-palate, typical for Cabernet Sauvignon, even though the Quintet includes Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Hard to know if the wine will integrate as well as the older ones on tasting, but judging the wine as it is, I give it 93 points.

The Quintet 2013 impresses with quite a purple colour. The wine is very aromatic on the nose. In the mouth, it feels a little leaner. This is supported by some blue fruit flavours, which add to the raspberry, plum, and mocca character. In this wine, the different grape varieties are well integrated, and the mouthfeel is seamless (95 points). 

The Quintet 2012 is very different. This is quite a big and fruity wine; concentrated, yet very balanced. There is cassis and graphite on the palate and some muskiness. This is complex, with a long finish (97 points).

When we come to the Quintet 2005, we notice a difference due to age. This is now a wine on the plateau of development. It is very settled, a bit more linear than the bigger mouthfeel of the 2012. This wine is dark fruited and very elegant. It offers less generosity than the 2012, but a long and silky finish (95 points).

The Quintet 2002, from a cooler year, is still very much alive. The colour is still dark and intense, not at all flaky. This wine could be taken for a 1st or 2nd growth Bordeaux. Layers of red and black fruits are very smooth on the palate; chocolate and hints of muskiness. I detect some bret, but at this level it is not distracting. This is a beautiful aged Yarra Valley Cabernet (96 points). 

What are the key takeaways? As already mentioned, this wine should be drunk at 10 years plus. Also, as others have suggested, high quality aged Cabernet tends to end up in a similar spot (of taste).

 

Delamere Pinot Noir

 As I mentioned in previous posts, Tasmanian Pinot Noir is difficult to get a grip on. There are a number of sub-regions with quite different terroir, and, being a marginal wine growing region, depending on the vintage, in one year one sub-region works out well, and in another year another. For the 2021 vintage, Delamere from the Pipers Brook region in the north-east was written up well. This is my first taste of the 2021 Delamere Pinot Noir.

The wine shows a ruby colour, bright and intense. On the palate, black cherry and licorice dominate. This Pinot Noir is very deep and concentrated, surprising for Tasmania, perhaps (although there are other examples). There is fresh acidity and firm tannins, but the fruit flavours outweigh the structure elements. As a result, the strength of the wine is on the front and mid palate. Still, this is a satisfying wine, which drinks well right now. 

The wine clearly benefits from 40 year old vines and the winemaking skills of the Bay of Fires team.

Score: 95/++

A Winning Strategy?

 We all like to acquire an excellent wine at a low price. Is there a systematic way of doing this? One approach is to buy a second or third level wine from a leading winemaking team. Well, this can work to some extent, but there is a reason why these wines are second or third tier. I have now come across another approach. It is terroir related. The first wine is from Lusatia Park, Yarra Valley. This vineyard has delivered fruit to Giant Steps, Oakridge, Phi and others. Since 2015, the site is owned by De Bortoli. Interestingly, this name is not found on the label of their 2022 Riorret Lusatia Park Pinot Noir.

The wine comes across as quite fruity, in a typical strawberry, red cherry blend. It is a lively wine, and some savoury backbone starts to develop on the mid-palate. The wine is medium weight, with a balanced mouthfeel. The tannins are mild and the finish medium. This is a good quality all-rounder, but it lacks the sophistication of a top Yarra Pinot Noir.

Score: 93/++

So, has this approach been successful? I guess to a degree, but not completely.

The second wine is the 2022 Terra Sancta Mysterious Diggings Pinot Noir.

This wine is from Central Otago. In fact, the vineyard is right next to the original Felton Road vineyard. It sits at 300m altitude and consists of sandy soils.

This is a more intense wine than the first wine, with red and black cherry fruit, raspberry, black truffle, and forest floor. There is good complexity in this energetic wine. It is also fruit dominant and delivers a silky mouthfeel. Other elements fall in the mid range: body weight, tannins, and finish.

Again, the wine is good quality, a bit darker and bigger than the first wine.

Score: 93/++

So, is this strategy working? The wines did not disappoint, and they deliver very good value for money, in particular the Mysterious Diggings. But is it a major revelation or an absolute steal? Probably not. The wine market is quite efficient.