An 18 year old Henschke

I am not talking about the next Henschke generation, but rather the 1994 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz. I opened my last bottle, in fact my last bottle from the 90s, last night. This has been my favorite Mount Edelstone for some time, and this bottle did not disappoint.

The 1994 achieved only moderate acclaim when released, but what a wine it has become. The cork came out perfectly, and I was immediately engulfed by the bouquet of the deep, concentrated fruit. The flavours of rich blackberry fruit are incredibly pure. There is some mellowing in this wine, but not much. As the wine rolls down my palate, the image that comes up is of the swell building off the coasts of Tahiti, then rolling smoothly, but powerfully to the shore.

There is great harmony in this wine, firm, but very silky tannins, and an incredible length of finish. This will stay in my memory for a long time - almost perfect.

Score: 98/+++  

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon

When I open a bottle of Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon, I am looking forward to its mocca flavours. How does the 2004 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon stack up?

This is a strange wine, actually. It seems half pregnant on a number of dimensions: there are pretty red currant flavours, but not enough to fill the mouth; there is elegance, but not enough to carry through to the back palate; the mocca flavours are there, but pretty much in the background. What I would wish is that this wine had a bit more grip, as you would expect from a Cabernet Sauvignon. It is not a bad wine, it has quite silky tannins, but they get a bit lost next to a hearty meal.

In terms of maturity, the wine is still quite fresh and not yet mellowing (under screw cap). Therefore it would certainly hold up for another five years and possibly improve its allure during this time.

Score: 92/0

Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay

I make no secret of it, Leeuwin is my favorite Australian Chardonnay. On the eve of the release of the 2009 Chardonnay, I thought I might try a more mature one.

The 2005 Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay displays a dazzling array of tropical fruits: Peach, melon, guava, papaya, mango and pineapple. It is not a fruit salad though, rather the flavours are finely layered on the palate. One of the amazing things about this wine in general is that the fruit is able to absorb the 100% new oak without trouble.This is not quite the case with the 2005. The oak is quite noticeable here, but it is not unpleasant. It adds to the complexity of the wine. The wine is soft and melts on the palate - maybe a bit too much. This year, the wine is riper and sweeter than in the best years, but the citrussy acidity on the finish provides some balance. As usual the wine has a smooth and lengthy finish.

This wine drinks well at seven years, but I would not keep it for more than a couple of extra years. Overall, the 2005 is a very good wine, although it does not quite reach the pinnacle of some of the earlier years.

Score: 94/+++

Domaine Bernard Defaix Chablis

In this perfect Chablis weather in Sydney, the 2009 Domaine Bernhard Defaix Chablis is a good choice. The wine has typical lime and mineral characteristics. The 2009 vintage has made some Chablis a little broad, but this one is just right. Good flavour, not as steely as from a 'classical' vintage, but utterly enjoyable.

Score: 89/+++

Three Mature Australian Premium Pinot Noirs - And A Burgundy

These days, there are at least 10 Australian producers, whose Pinot Noirs can be cellared with benefit for quite some time. Over the last few days, I tried wines from three of them. They all come from the wine growing belt around Melbourne, in this case Gippsland, Macedon Ranges and Mornington.

The 2006 Bass Phillip 21 Pinot Noir is an unusual labelling. During this year, Phillip Jones did not produce his premium labels. When this happens, winemakers claim it enhances the base wine, but one has to assume that the grapes for the base wine have also suffered, so maybe the premium grapes just create a counter force. In any event, this wine drinks well after six years. It is made with wild ferment yeast and tastes quite funky. In contrast to the other wines, it has a lighter colour and strawberry flavours. It has an ethereal character and a smooth finish. It drinks well at this age, but will go on well for a few years.

The 2005 Kooyong Ferrous Pinot Noir is different. The colour is darker, and the taste is of black cherry. I find the flavour a bit metallic (am I influenced by the name?), and the mouthfeel is not as good as with the Bass Phillip. On the other hand, the wine has good length.

The 2006 Curly Flat Pinot Noir is still a big wine (a Shiraz drinker's Pinot Noir?). It's flavour profile is similar to the Kooyong, but the mouthfeel is more rounded. On the other hand, this wine is maybe less defined than the Kooyong.

In conclusion, all these wines perform well after six to seven years. They have maintained their characteristics displayed early on. The Kooyong and Curly Flat perform similar to top Central Otago wines, whereas Bass Phillip is more Martinborough, if these reference points mean anything to you.

Score: 93-94/++

I also compared these wines with a 2005 Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru 'Boudriotte'. Ramonet is predominantly known for Chardonnay, but this Pinot Noir from a superb vintage is impressive. Its flavour is dark cherry, and the structure not dissimilar to the Kooyong. The fruit is not as concentrated as in the Australian wines, but it has a strong structure and an impressive long finish, displaying the Burgundian fan, an expanding mouthfeel on the finish.

Score: 94/++

Chapoutier Tournon

Michael Chapoutier, the doyen of terroir in the Rhone, has been making wine in Australia for 14 years. He is focussed on Shiraz, of course, and picked Victoria as his region. He now has a number of vineyards in the Pyrenees area and Heathcote.

I tried three of his wines, my first experience with his Australian production.

The 2010 Chapoutier Mathilda Victorian Shiraz is a fruit forward wine. They call it vin gourmande, which is similar to table wine, I think. It has an interesting bouquet of red currant and some smokiness which translates nicely onto the palate. This is not a complex wine, but it has some length and is quite harmonious. At under $20 per bottle, this must be the value for money wine of the year.

Score: 88/+++

While the previous wine is sourced from three vineyards in the Pyrenees, the 2010 Chapoutier Shays Flat Pyrenees Shiraz is a single vineyard wine. The fruit is darker and more concentrated. Plum and spice dominate. The acidity is noticeable and will give the wine aging potential, but overall, I find this wine not particularly special.

Source: 89/+

The 2008 Chapoutier Lady's Lane Heathcote Shiraz was clearly the best of the three.Bottle age helped, but it was more the fruit and structure which stood out. The dark berry fruits give the wine a very smooth feel in the mouth. The wine is well balanced, something which cannot be said of all Heathcote wines, with good acidity and palate length. This is an excellent example of a full bodied wine, which is not overbearing and heavy.

Score: 94/+++

Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon

Take-away pizza and Moss Wood Cabernet, what's wrong with that? Absolutely nothing! In his latest newsletter, Keith Mugford, Moss Wood's long standing wine maker, compares the newly released 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon to the 2003, one of the wines he really enjoys. As I happen to have the 2003 in my cellar, I thought I better find out about this comparison and if I might like the 2009.

The 2003 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon is a very concentrated wine. It almost tastes as if some water reduction has been applied. I know this is not the case, but the fruit flavours are so intense. In typical fashion, the wine tastes of dark berries, blackberry and mulberry in particular - very attractive. And the structure stands up to this flavour attack. Oak and tannins are well integrated. The wine runs down the palate in equal intensity from front to back.

This will be a balanced wine, which is just at the beginning of its drinking window. The Moss Wood Cabernet is one of maybe half a dozen Australian red wines, which not only increases complexity over time, but actually gets a lot better. I reported on the 1991 a few months ago, which was drinking beautifully. This 2003 wine will increase elegance dramatically from now on. The intensity will remain, as the wine mellows. This wine should be cellared another 3 years at a minimum. It will drink very well for another 20 years if cellared well.

So I am inclined to buy the 2009, but will I live long enough to see it at its peak?

Score: 96/+++

Craggy Range Syrah

Without doubt, Craggy Range has been a large part of the increasing reputation of New Zealand Shiraz. The Gimblett Gravels at Hawkes Bay is the best Shiraz growing area in New Zealand. While the stones keep the daytime temperatures longer into the night, thereby creating a great ripening environment, the wines would still be classified as cool climate Shiraz.

Therefore I was confident to open the 2002 Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Block 14 Shiraz after ten years. The bouquet smells beautifully of forest berries, and this carries onto the palate. This is a medium bodied wine, full of blackberry and blueberry flavours.There are savoury and earthy tones as well. The oak is well integrated, and the tannins are fine grained. However, on the back palate, the wine falls off a bit.

Overall, this is an excellent wine, great with meat dishes, and not even Craggy Range's best Shiraz. The wine is more complex, yet still fresh, than a number of years ago. I think it will stay at this level for at least 3-5 years.

Score: 93/++

Poll Results

I have been involved with statistics for decades in one form or another, and one of the things that has always amazed me is how results based on small numbers remain unchanged when the sample size is increased. I am a bit disappointed with the response rate re my last poll, given the numbers of viewers I now have, but the results are remarkably consistent with national statistics.

Most of you drink some imported wine, and 40% of you have been drinking more imported wine. It is interesting to see why. Basically, you are looking for new experiences and new varieties, I suspect mainly Italian and Spanish varieties. This explains why local producers have started to plant these as well. It will take many years, before the local quality will match the European wines. However, in some cases, this is achieved today.

Luckily for the local industry, quality concerns or price concerns are not major driving factors, although imported wines to Australia have become cheaper as a result of the strong Australian dollar.What we are looking for is variety and new experiences.

Two Hands Bella's Garden Shiraz

If a winery is reliably reported to not treat suppliers and customers very well, should it influence my wine reviews? Of course, it should not. I only assess what is in the glass. However, I am glad I mentioned it.

Bella's Garden is part of the Two Hands 'garden' series. Premium wines are produced from the major Shiraz areas in Australia, such as McLaren Vale, Heathcote etc. This one is from the Barossa. The different wines are a good basis for comparing key characteristics of each region, and the wines can be tasted at cellar door.

Last night I had the 2004 Two Hands Bella's Garden Barossa Shiraz. From a good  vintage, this wine shows impeccable fruit. The solid blackberry flavours fill the mouth nicely. The wine is a little sweet, but not too sweet for my palate (Pinot Noir drinkers be warned!). The wine is drinking well now, but the structure is a bit suspect. The tannins are soft, there is not much acidity. I would not recommend to cellar this wine much longer. This is no doubt a big Barossa Shiraz, but it can carry the 15% alcohol, and it is not overblown.

Score: 93/0

New Poll Reminder

Guys, there are a lot more people reading my posts than responding to the poll. It only takes 1(!) minute to do. It is useful for me to know the type of readership I have, and the outcome might be interesting to you, too. How similar or dissimilar is your wine drinking experience to others?

Please participate.

New polls

These polls are for non European readers only, i.e. Australians, New Zealanders, Americans, South Americans and others.


I would like to know how much you drink wines from the 'cradle' of wine: Europe. Are you drinking more from there or less and why?

Please vote and answer all three polls. You can only tick one box in each section.

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