Assyrtiko

 Of the many so called alternative or new varieties, not all are equally appealing to the Australian market. Do we really need to promote Primitivo or Aglianico? These are full-bodied red wine varieties, often with high alcohol content. In my opinion, we grow enough Shiraz and Shiraz blends to cover this market very well.

However, other varieties really add to our wine drinking experience. One such variety is Assyrtiko, the national Greek white wine variety, most popular on the island of Santorini. I yesterday drank a well priced version, which expresses the features of Assyrtiko well.

The 2020 Gaia Monograph Assyrtiko is widely available in Australia (Gaia is a well regarded Greek winery, not to be confused with Gaja in Piedmont). This wine is very fresh with lively acidity. Lemon zest is the dominant flavour. It is most suited as a summer and lunch wine. It has a more interesting mouthfeel than most Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, and I see no reason why Assyrtiko could not take significant share from these varieties.

Score: 90/++

Clare Valley, Part 2

 The next stop was Jim Barry. Jim Barry can offer a number of highlights in its portfolio. First is the 2021 Assyrtiko. This really is an attractive variety, originating from Santorini. I have written about this before. Jim Barry is the only Australian producer. And this variety is well worth seeking out. Why? It is an aromatic variety, and at the same time, it is very energetic. This is a great summer drink (92 points).

Of course, you cannot go past the Florita Rieslings. This vineyard came to prominence under John Vickery and the Leo Buring label. I tasted three years: 2021, 2015, 2013. The 2021 showed white flower on the nose. This continued on the palate together with lime flavours. This wine is quite powerful and very driven (94 points). The 2015 had a similar fruit flavour profile, and started to show the maturing signs of Riesling: a whiff of kerosene, but actually more of a marmelade flavour (95 points). The 2013 displayed more kerosene, but the fruit was still fresh (94 points). I also tasted the 2018 LoosenBerry Walta Walta, the joint effort with Dr. Loosen from Germany. This wine is made more in the German style, with more time on lees and maturing in used oak. I found the wine a bit nondescript and a little sweet, although it is labeled dry (92 points). The 2021 showed more freshness and line (93 points).

The next bracket featured Cabernet Sauvignon. The first wine was the 2016 Pb Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon. It had redcurrant on the front palate, some Shiraz sweetness in the middle and an earthy finish. This was a decent example of Australia's classic blend (92 points). Then came the 2018 First Eleven Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has a very bright profile with redcurrant dominant, backed up by some mocca flavours (92 points). The 2017 Benbournie Cabernet Sauvignon from the Clare was quite different; a solid structure and a very tannic wine which gripped my mouth (91 points). This bracket was ok, but there were no outstanding wines here.

This changed with the 2018 The McRae Wood Shiraz. This wine is dark fruited with blackberry flavours, 5 spice and olive notes. The fruit is from declassified Armagh, and augmented with fruit from other vineyards. But hey, this wine is quite brilliant, with silky tannins and a long finish (95 points). The Armagh comes from 54 year old vines, and has quite some pedigree, obviously. The 2017 is very dark and more concentrated than the before tasted McRae Wood, and it still has some freshness. Yet I found the wine a bit dense (94 points).   

Jim Barry Assyrtiko

The home of the Assyrtiko grape is the Greek island of Santorini. Santorini is basically a large caldera formed from a relatively recent volcanic eruption. The soil is volcanic, and the wines' strong characteristics are acidity and minerality. It is quite brave to assume this would go well in the Clare Valley. But this is what Jim Barry has done after having to take the variety through years of quarantine - and in search of varieties suited to ever increasing temperatures.

  

The 2017 Jim Barry Assyrtiko is good, but it is not the same as the Greek versions. It displays citrus character, a bit like Chablis, but broader on the palate.The acidity is not as pronounced, nor is the minerality. The wine is a bit middle of the road, but Rome was not invented in a day, either. This is an early effort and the wine shows potential to excite some more in the future.

Score: 90/+

Jim Barry Tasting

Jim Barry is an unusual family wine business, maybe only comparable to Yalumba. It produces wine in large commercial quantities, like more than 100,000 cases, as well as high quality specialty wines. Based in the Clare Valley, the focus is on Riesling and Shiraz. The other day, I tasted most of the line-up.

The 2017 Assyrtiko is a welcome addition to the portfolio. It is the first Assyrtiko (native to Santorini, Greece)  commercially available in Australia, planted as recently as 2012. This is actually an excellent summer wine: crisp citrus, acidic, dry (90 points).

The 2018 Watervale Riesling is the high volume product, and it shows. This wine is straight forward and quite fruity, but not unpleasant (86 points).

The Clos Clare Riesling is a side project by third generation Tom and Sam Berry. It is actually a little block at a corner of the famous Florita vineyard. The 2017 has reasonable fruit weight, but is a little broad (89 points). The 2012 is quite different, maybe due to the ageing. Earthy flavours dominate this wine (89 points).

The 2012 Lodge Hill Riesling has more power. It is on the fruity side, but dry (90 points).

The game changes with the 2017 Florita Riesling from this exceptional vineyard, established by Leo Buring in 1962. This is a world-class dry Riesling. The colour is straw green. On the palate, the wine is delicate, but powerful at the same time. Citrus flavours dominate, but the key here is the steeliness and linearity of the wine delivered on the back of firm acidity. This wine will live for a long time, but is excellent to drink now as well (96 points).

Of the reds, I tried the 2014 McRae Wood Shiraz. The fruit is covered in  American oak. At four years of age, this is too much and unlikely to lift (89 points).

Then we come to the Armagh, one of Australia's most highly regarded Shiraz. The 2013 Armagh has some trouble to live up to that lofty expectation. This wine is still young and quite closed. It needs decanting. Blackberry and plum flavours are concentrated. Vanilla oak flavours hit on the front palate, cream and mocha on the back. The structure is impressive and not alcoholic, but will it all come together? (93 points).



  

Gaia Thalassitis Assyrtiko

I have written about Assyrtiko, the grape native to Santorini, Greece before, and described the unusual vineyard methods for protecting the grapes in a previous post. But I want to point out more strongly this time that everybody interested in wine should experience this variety.

The 2013 Gaia Thalassitis Assyrtiko is vibrant and powerful, typical for this variety. Flavours are of green apple and minerality. It is amazing how grapes grown in such hot and dry conditions as on the volcanic soil of  Santorini can maintain such attractive acidity. This wine delivers a nice package, maybe lacking a bit of charm, but throwing a punch without being big or fat. Try it out.

Score: 91/++