KT Wines

Kerri Thompson is an interesting winemaker from the Claire, with access to a couple of great vineyards, and a special focus on Riesling. In 2013 she made five Rieslings.

The  2013 KT 5452 Riesling (it's the postcode) shows pretty citrus fruit, but is quite forward (86 points). The 2013 KT Peglidis Riesling is one of the flagship Rieslings. This one is a big wine for a Riesling. It displays floral flavours and fleshy citrus fruit on quite an acidic and dry backbone (92 points). The 2013 KT Churinga Riesling was my favorite. This vineyard is much rockier and as a result, the wine tastes quite slatey. Apple flavours move to minerality on the back palate before the wine finishes on an acidic note. This wine will be long lived (94 points).

The 2013 KT Melva Riesling is also from the Peglidis vineyard, but it is treated differently. It is fermented with indigenous yeast in old oak barriques. This wine is more rounded and softer than the "fresher" wines made in traditional style. It also has slightly higher sugar levels, not as bone dry as is typical for Claire. I found it very appealing (93 points). And finally, the  2013 KT Pazza Riesling. This is Kerri Thompson's take on natural wine. It is wild fermented and unfiltered. A found the wine interesting, but its profile a bit woolly. I don't think it will age well, either (89 points).

The red wine portfolio is also expanding. The 2012 KT Rosa Rose is made from Tempranillo and Grenache. This wine is simple and sweet, not recommended (82 points). The 2010 KT 5452 Shiraz/Grenache/Tempranillo/Mataro is quite enticing. The wine is soft and fruity - an easy drinking style with no pretenses (87 points). The more ambitious wines are the 2010 KT Churinga Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2010 KT Churinga Shiraz. The Cabernet Sauvignon is carefully hand picked and gently made.  The resulting wine is fresh and vibrant, with redcurrant fruit dominating. I taste some mint and spice as well. The wine has a firm grip on the finish (93 points). The Shiraz is made in the same way. It moves from plum and blackberry fruit on the front palate to earthy flavours on the back palate. The tannins are sneaking up on you on the finish (94 points).

The KT wines are well worth seeking out. The overall production is only 3000 cases, so they may be hard to find. The wines are quite refreshing, most have a good structure, and they bring out very good varietal character.    

Two Hands Samantha's Garden Shiraz

The Two Hands Garden series showcases Shiraz from the main different Shiraz growing regions in Australia. Bella's Garden from the Barossa is the most popular. Samantha's Garden is from the Claire Valley.

The best wines from the Claire have an amazing length of life and vitality. Unfortunately, this 2002 Two Hands Samantha's Garden is not such a wine. The fruit is predominantly plum, there is also some eucalypt, but the fruit tastes dried out. As a result, the tannins have taken over. And although they appear fairly soft, they produce a finish which is somewhat lean and harsh.

This wine does not live up to its premium wine price point.

Score: 88/--

Wendouree Shiraz/Mataro

I have quite a few Wendouree bottles in my cellar, but have not a lot of experience in drinking them. This is because they are probably the most unyielding of all Australian wines at a young age.

However, last night felt like a Wendouree night, cold and miserable. I opened a 1999 Wendouree Shiraz/Mataro. Next to the straight Shiraz, this is probably the highest quality wine in the stable. Out of curiosity, I had a look at the suggested drinking window in Jeremy Oliver's book. Wow, he suggests 2019-2029. Obviously, I am sceptical. Only good after 20 years?

Now to the wine. After decanting it for a couple of hours, I was certainly amazed to find this ten year wine very fresh. I am having difficulty to describe the wine, though. The fruit, mainly plum, is overlayed by quite a strong eucalypt flavour. The wine has a good and balanced structure and a long, somewhat acidic finish. However it is quite linear, not as big as I expected, and a little harsh. Overall, it is not a very sympathetic wine. And... I probably opened it too early. It may come around more in years to come. It certainly has the structure to hold for a long time.

O'Leary Walker

Last week, I tasted the recent releases of O'Leary Walker. These were excellent wines.

First was the 2008 O'Leary Walker Polish Hill Riesling. This wine was outstanding. It tasted of stone fruit, was very fresh and showed the typical minerality and slate characters of the Polish Hill region. It finished very dry. In fact it was quite similar to the Grosset, for half the price. This wine will live for more than a decade.

I liked the 2008 O'Leary Walker Watervale Riesling a lot less. This wine showed a much broader palate, bigger upfront fruit, mainly lime. No doubt, it has its appeal for some people. I for one like my Rieslings as steely as can be.

The 2006 Shiraz was very fruity (but good). It showed some eucalypt flavours and also some licorice on the back palate. This wine is a blend of of McLaren and Claire. It would be a very good barbeque wine.

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon was quite different in character. It was much drier and quite tannic.

The best part is that all these wines sell for about $20/bottle. Wines for our times!

Taylors Eighty Acres

I had this wine during a night out: a Cabernet, Merlot, Shiraz blend. I have never been a fan of Taylors, but I thought I might give it another try.

Well, stay right away from this one: no varietal character, harsh palate, unpleasant finish. Yuk!

2005 Paringa Estate Pinot Noir and 2006 Penna Lane Willsmore Shiraz

A couple of nights ago we had the above wines at a dinner invitation.

The 2005 Paringa Pinot Noir is another example of a great Pinot from the 2005 year from the Mornington Peninsula. It further confirms my view this is the best Pinot region in Australia. The fruit was very vibrant, the wine had good mouthfeel and an excellent smooth finish.

I had never heard of Penna Lane before, but the winery has a top rating in the James Halliday
wine bible. It is a small operation in the Claire Valley. I therefore expected a highly acidic wine, but this is not what I got. The fruit was complex and quite sweet with a good core which suggests ability for long term cellaring. The wine had a lot of new oak, maybe a bit much for early drinking, but I think the wine will have a good future ahead. I will try it again.