Two New Polls Announced

The next two polls are of varieties and styles which are almost uniquely Australian. However, they are not widely appreciated here either. This is why I will run them in parallel. You may be familiar with at least one group.

I am expecting low numbers here, but please vote if you have experience with these wines. There is not much information about perceived quality . Please do not vote if you know the wines through hearsay only. The two categories are Semillon, all from the Hunter, and Sparkling Red.

Howard Park Tasting

Hot on the heels of Leeuwin Estate came Howard Park with a dinner to showcase their new wines, including a first look at the 2007 Abercrombie Cabernet Merlot. The evening was hosted by Jeff Burch, the owner. Now, irrespective of if you like the Howard Park wines or not, if you have a chance to go to an event where Jeff Burch speaks, do not miss it. He tells some of the most amazing wine stories, and in a style which makes you laugh for the rest of the night.

On to the wines. The 2008 Howard Park Sauvignon Blanc was the first white. While Jeff Burch made a big plea to buy Aussie Savvys, instead of those from New Zealand, I am not sure that this is the wine I would turn to. It has some Semillon in it, to help with the mid palate, but the overall effect is a fairly bland wine, however, it will be complimentary to many food dishes (89 points). Then came, as it turned out, the star of the evening, the 2009 Howard Park Riesling. It shows typical citrus and lime flavours, it is dry and finishes with well balanced acidity. The wine has a strong linear profile, going beautifully down the palate, it is very harmonious, with a lengthy finish. While the wine is dry, it is not quite as restrained as some Clare Valley wines (94 points). The 2007 Howard Park Chardonnay was a bit of a disappointment. The fruit appeared quite concentrated, but quickly leaves a hole on the mid palate. This is unusual for this vintage. They take only free run juice for this wine, and maybe stop it too early. As a result, the oak (1/3 new) tends to dominate. The wine does have a decent finish in terms of length and freshness (90 points).

The two Shirazes to taste were the 2007 Leston Shiraz from Margaret River and the 2007 Scotsdale Shiraz from Great Southern. The Leston hits you with an upfront wall of sweet plum and licorice, followed by vanilla oak. This wine does not seem well balance, but is also too early to drink (89 points). The Scotsdale is a much leaner wine, with cherry and peppery flavours. There is too much acidity on the palate and not much length in the finish (88 points).

These wines did nothing to convert me to WA Shiraz.

The 2008 Leston Cabernet Sauvignon was a much better wine. Red berry flavours dominate and there is good vitality in the wine. While the mouthfeel is not as full as a top Cabernet would have it (a bit of Merlot would have been nice), this is a well balanced wine with a lengthy finish (93 points). The 2007 Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, in contrast, is a much bigger wine, although 70% come from Mt. Barker and only 30% from Margaret River. The flavour profile was unusual: I expected ripe currants, but instead, it tasted more of cassis, tomatoes, cigarbox and indeed some chemical components I could not name. In a nutshell, this wine seemed more an industrial product than an artisan result, which is what you would expect from Western Australia. Still, the wine has a big flavour profile and will satisfy some, but it is certainly not in the top league for the 2007 year (92 points).

Overall, the wines were mixed and a tad disappointing. With so many vineyards to chose from, I expected a better result from vines harvested in these good years in WA.

Tappanappa Chardonnay

The 2008 Tappanappa Chardonnay has quite intense stone fruit characteristics. It is very polished and pleasant on the palate. Good oak integration. The style is similar to the Petaluma Chardonnay, maybe slightly fuller. My problem with it is this: these Croser wines are very clean, but they lack character. This is a good wine, but I would find others more interesting.

Score: 93/0

Leeuwin New Art Series Releases and Mini Verticals of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon (part 2)

I discussed the white wines of this evening in my last post. Now on to the reds.

The first red wine was the Art Series Shiraz. I have to admit, I cannot remember which year; it was the current release. The fruit was bright, cherry and plum flavours, and there was spice, too. This was not a bad wine, but I am not quite sure why I would buy it (91 points).

Then came the series of Cabernet. It started with the 2002 Leeuwin Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a medium bodied wine, with typical Cabernet flavours and a somewhat musty palate. It did not have a great mouthfeel and is nothing to write home about (87 points). The 2003 Leeuwin Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon was a little better. A fresher palate, with redcurrant flavours, but still a fairly thin mouthfeel leading to a dusty finish (89 points).

The 2004 Leeuwin Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon was a step up, to be expected in a great year in Margaret River. The flavour profile was not all that different from the previous year, but the wine was riper, delivering a fuller mouthfeel. The wine is quite polished and the oak well integrated (92 points).

I would rate the 2005 Leeuwin Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon on par with the 2004. Its flavour profile is of darker fruit and attractive. The wine seems to carry more acidity, yet it is an elegant wine. The finish not as long as its predecessor (92 points).

I left with the impression that the big effort into the Cabernet is paying off - to a degree. This wine was really not up to scratch until 2004. Now it is an attractive Cabernet worth considering. However, it still has a long way to go before it enters the premier league of Western Australia. The Leeuwin Cabernet does not yet have the harmony and texture of a Moss Wood or Cullen.

Overall, this was a terrific tasting.

Leeuwin New Art Series Releases and Mini Verticals of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon (part 1)

A dinner with Leeuwin Art Series wines, in particular when there are more than ten, has a special feeling to it. Will any other wine reach the quality of the Chardonnay? How is the Chardonnay style evolving?

Two quick conclusions upfront: Despite major efforts, Leeuwin is still a one-show pony - how bizarre. The Chardonnays are world class and have no equal as a series in Australia. (Bindi will be the one to watch)

The 2009 Leeuwin Sauvignon Blanc was unremarkable. The palate was a little plump, clearly an attempt to avoid the NZ grassiness, but it offered nothing in return. The wine is well made, but fairly boring (87 points). The 2009 Leeuwin Riesling was a more interesting wine. It displayed a fairly soft flavour of lime and citrus, a pleasant food companion, but lacking length on the palate (89 points).

On to the Chardonnays. On offer were the 2004 to 2007 vintages, the latter being the new release. This comparison allows to make some comments on the Leeuwin style, which has significantly evolved since the 90s, when the flavours often competed leading to a bit of a fruit salad impression. I would describe the main characteristics of the style now considerable fruit intensity, fairly high alcohol, yet a very linear form leading to lengthy finish. When I asked the proprietor, Denis Horgan, how he achieved this, he gave a (to me) surprising answer: the wine spends 12 months in new french oak. He did not elaborate, but I think it means that a lot of the fruit intensity is taken up by the oak, and there is enough acidity to carry the wine to the finish.

The 2004 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay was a stunner. Beautiful ripe tropical aromas, also cashew from the oak, which was well integrated. The wine is still very fresh, with linear mouthfeel as discussed above, and a long rich finish (97 points).

The 2005 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay was the weakest in this line-up and did not quite deliver the typical profile. This Chardonnay was quite rich, more nectarine than classical stone fruit flavours. It had less acidity than the other Chardonnays, and was not as linear on the palate. The finish was a little short, but overall still a fine wine (92 points).

The 2006 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay was similar in its profile to the 2004, but overall a bit lighter and more delicate. It is still quite backward and had more grapefruit than stone fruit flavours (95 points).

The 2007 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay, from a warm year, is quite intense and powerful, many fruit flavours are present, stone fruit, peach, pineapple, but also citrus. Despite this richness, the wine is elegant and leads to a crisp, long lasting finish (96/+++ points) . I give the 2004 a slight edge due to its superb balance, but would not be surprised if the 2007 will be similar in a few years time.

PS: Grape Observer is also reviewing these wines.

Chardonnay Poll Now Closed

Not surprisingly, Leeuwin Estate took the Chardonnay crown. Highly regarded Chardonnays from Petaluma, Penfolds and Pierro did not get one vote. Bindi is an up-and-comer. Let's see how they go in the Pinot Noir poll. Winners so far

Shiraz <$100 per bottle: Henschke Mt. Edelstone

Cabernet and Blends: Cullen Diana Madeline

Shiraz/Viognier: Clonakilla

Riesling: Grosset Polish Hill

Chardonnay: Leeuwin Art Series

I would be very happy with a line-up like this any day. Another thought: I would be proud to put up these wines in any country comparison and demonstrate the high quality variety Australia can produce.

Keith Tulloch Semillon

I am just finishing off the delightful 2002 Keith Tulloch Semillon. Tyrell claim to own four of the five best Semillon vineyards in the Hunter. I wonder who they think the 5th is: Thomas' Braemore? Anyway, there is plenty of other good Semillon in the Hunter. Keith Tulloch gets his from a variety of vineyards.

The 2002 Semillon is a cracker. The colour still has a bit of green, but the yellow is stronger. No honeyed flavours yet. The wine is fresh, with dominant lime flavours, enough acidity to keep it going, but not very noticable on the palate. The wine is remarkably full for a Semillon and very harmonious, before finishing dry, but soft. Did I say this is a cracker?

This will go for another 10 years at least. The wine has the structure and isn't even in the mellowing phase yet.

Score: 95/+++

Rose - Don't judge by colour

I had two interesting bottles of Rose in front of me at lunch yesterday. One was a Spinifex, the other a Yelland & Papps. Both are from the Barossa, and both are Grenache based. The Spinifex wine is very pale, the Yelland & Papps dark ruby. So you think the former will taste watery, and the latter like a fruit bomb. Neither was true. The Spinifex has great vitality and freshness and a serious linear structure going down the palate. The Yelland & Papps has more of a fruit flavour, but is nicely balanced with savoury flavours and an elegant finish.

There are many ways to make Rose. This has become a much improved variety in Australia, but try before you buy.

Thomas Kiss Shiraz

I do not review wines from the Hunter Valley very often. Too many wineries have given in to a tourism focussed approach. However, there are a handful of serious wineries there. Thomas is one. The Kiss Shiraz is its premium red wine.

Last night I tried the 2003 Thomas Kiss Shiraz. This is a wine from a warm year and it shows. The flavours are plum and raspberry and you experience a lot of ripeness in your mouth. The velvety tannins, typical of Hunter Shiraz, are there, but they are overpowered by the alcohol in this wine. This is probably a case where the standard wine delivers better. I will keep the remaining bottles for longer and hope for more mellowing.

Score: 91/0

Clarendon Hills Brookman Syrah

Roman Bratusiuk and his wines at Clarendon Hills are not often mentioned when it comes to leading Australian wines, yet few would argue that his Astralis in good years is remarkable. There are probably three reasons for this: the wines are very expensive, there is a large array of single vineyard, small volume labels, and Roman is not very visible or supporting certain reviewers.

I always hold a small number of his wines. The 2004 Clarendon Hills Brookman Syrah has an impenetrable dark colour. The fruit is very concentrated and rich with an overwhelming taste of black cherries. Despite the richness, the wine is quite elegant. It has a big mouthfeel, and on the first night, the fruit was so dominant that it felt almost like drinking concentrated fruit juice. On the 2nd day, earthy flavours came through on the back palate and pleasing tannins lead to a long finish.

At six years, the wine tasted quite young. The fruit ripeness is certainly not impacting the ability to age this wine. On the downside, there is a lack of differentiation in the flavour. It hits you like a brick wall.

Score: 93/+

Leeuwin verticals

I had the opportunity to taste quite a lot of Leeuwin at a recent dinner sponsored by them. It included small verticals of their Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignons. However, as we are in the middle of the Chardonnay poll, I will publish my comments once the poll is closed.

Chardonnay Poll

Somebody pointed out to me, correctly, that I have used Bindi's Pinot names in the current Chardonnay poll. I sincerely apologize for that. Their premium Chardonnay is the Bindi Quartz Chardonnay. This is what I should have said. Unfortunately I cannot change anything once the poll is open.

So please, when you think of Bindi, think of the Quartz. And please vote.