The Classic February Dozen

AMULET PINOT GRIGIO 2004

Winemakers Sue Thornton and Ben Clifton

Winemakers Notes

Mid-straw colour with coppery tones. The wine has subdued honey, toast and nuts on the nose. The palate has a fine texture of nougat, nuts and spices. The finish is long and dry, with savoury (even salty) undertones and good acidity. This is a flavoursome win to accompany food.

Cellar

“Drink over the next 12 to 18 months.”

Additional Notes

From the back label: “Pinot Grigio is the Italian name for Pinot Gris. Our third vintage of this variety has been blended with a touch of Pinot Blanc and Trebbiano.” I saw that this wine was barrel fermented and was straight away keen to try it. I asked an old friend, Ian Hunt, mentioned in previous Dozens and local seller about it, and he said “funky.” He has used that word before as has Murray Smith in Orange when he described the characters in a naturally fermenting Chardonnay. The label says something, and what a food wine it is. Amulet vineyard was established by Sue and Eric Thornton near Beechworth in North East Victoria in 1997. They have planted a multitude of varieties French and Mediterranean. Son, Ben Clifton is studying Wine Science at Charles Sturt University.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 03 5727 0420

Fax: 03 5727 0421

Open: Friday to Monday 10 to 5

Address: Wangaratta Road, Beechworth, Vict. 3747.

E-mail: amulet@dragnet.com.au

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BELL RIVER ESTATE SHIRAZ 2002

Winemaker Sandra Banks

Winemakers Notes

2002 was a very dry year, a second consecutive drought year. The fruit was picked at over 13º Baumé, cold soaked for three days before fermenting to complete dryness. 5% Bell River Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (2002), was blended to add complexity and depth. The finished wine is dark cherry in colour. The Shiraz nose shows earth and spice, while the palate is long and balanced, showing developed fruit characters, with the earth and spice also carrying through.

Cellar

Now and over the next few years.

Additional Notes

I was encouraged to visit Bell River Estate by a local who is also partaker of the Dozens. Like many I was aware of the small winery out near Wellington, having driven passed it many times, each time with the same observation; that the vines look like they’ve been there for a good while. About ten acres planted in 1974 (seven acres of Muscat and three acres of Shiraz). I finally stopped there in December last year and met Sandra and Michael Banks who have been there since 2000, the 2002 Shiraz being the second Bell River Estate Shiraz made by Sandra. I got to try the wine at the end of a week long drive in late January / early February. I was really impressed by the richness of fruit in the wine, not dominated by wood, a great and welcome change to some monster wines I’d seen the previous week. Wood is probably the issue here, there being no mention of it in the notes, I presume it to be mainly older barrels, and I think that is the key that allows this wine to shine.

Availability

Cellar Door or please contact me.

Winery Details

Phone / Fax: 026846 7277

Open: Daily 9.00 to 6.00.

Address: Mitchell Highway, Neurea, NSW, 2820.

E-mail: sales@bellriverestate.com.au

Web: www.bellriverestate.com.au

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DUTSCHKE WILLOW BEND 2003

Winemaker Wayne Dutschke

Winemakers Notes

Our aim in producing the Willow Bend blend of Merlot (45%), Shiraz (32%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (23%) has been to produce a round, soft and flavoursome wine from those varieties that our vineyard produces best. This is the 14th vintage of Willow Bend and again it’s a full flavoured wine with plenty of fresh red berry fruit and spice, good oak support and mouth filling with a fresh clean tannin finish. They stand out of the 2003’s according to a local journalist who recently visited our shed to have a sneak preview of the new releases. ‘Soft, round and full of spice.’ That must mean it’s a good drink.

Cellar

Going on the following 10 years plus

Additional Notes

“We have been producing this blend since 1990 and have found the style of this wine to be big, flavoursome and very consistent over the years. With time the older Willow Bends have also shown great complexing characters while still maintaining their fruit flavour.” Nick from Winestock recently responded to my question of anything new with all the enthusiasm of a coup like acquisition of Dutschke Wines. Previously known as Willow Bend Wine, Wayne Dutschke joined up with his uncle Ken Semmler and away they went. Previously, with no Cellar Door, wines were only available by mail order.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 08 8524 5485

Fax: 08 8524 5489

Open: Not

Address: PO Box 107, Lyndoch, S.A., 5351.

E-mail: wayne@dutschkewines.com

Web: www.dutschkewines.com

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KALLESKE GREENOCK SHIRAZ 2004

Winemaker Troy Kalleske

Winemakers Notes

The wine is rich red-purple in colour. On the nose there are aromas of ripe black berry fruits, dark chocolate, liquorice, fruit cake, plum, some nutmeg and cinnamon spice and a hint of black olive. These flavours continue to the explosive and mouth filling palate, which is big, concentrated and displays plenty of juicy fruit with a subtle background of barrel maturation characters. The wine is full bodied and multi-layered with solid ripe, but elegant tannins giving it a strong backbone and a long chewy finish.

Cellar

“Rich and flavoursome, this well balanced wine has an excellent cellaring potential,” 10 + years.

Additional Notes

“The Greenock Shiraz is entirely sourced from our single vineyard ‘ Greenock’ block. The grapes were picked in five separate batches over a period of 15 days. After picking, the grapes were destemmed into open top fermenters. Each batch was fermented warm with hand pump-overs twice a day over 7 to 9 days prior to pressing. Ferments were pressed off skins at 1.0 to 2.0 Baumé and were then filled to a mix of 20% new and the balance used American and French oak hogsheads. The wines completed primary fermentation and underwent malolactic fermentation in barrel. The wine was matured in barrel for 18 months prior to bottling.” The Clarry’s Red – Grenache / Shiraz was in the May 2005 Dozen, and was superb value. This is probably a one–off chance to include the Greenock Shiraz, due to its lofty price.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 0409 339 599

Fax: 08 8562 8118

Open: Not

Address: Vinegrove Road, Greenock, S.A., 5360.

E-mail: wine@kalleske.com

Web: www.kalleske.com

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MINNOW CREEK ROSÉ 2005

Winemaker Tony Walker

Winemakers Notes

Harvested and crushed as a blend of 55% Sangiovese, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon on 16/3/2005 from vineyards on the coastal plain near Willunga. Juice was bled off skins after 24 hours and fermented, using a neutral yeast, over a two week period to 7 g/l residual sugar. The wine was then stabilized, racked and filtered prior to bottling. The colour is vibrant rose with crimson edges. The nose shows raspberry and black cherry with savoury notes adding complexity. The palate gives lifted red fruits on entry, leading on to a black cherry depth on the mid palate which combines well with a light spicy, savoury grip on the finish. This wine is a drier style that matches especially well with Thai foods and wood oven pizza.

Cellar

Drink now or up just until the next release.

Additional Notes

Good old serendipity gets this wine in here. Tony, an old college friend who has a noted profile as a winemaker especially in South Australia, has gone small. I didn’t have a natural thought of this style of wine being in the Dozens, particularly at the beginning in 1998. More interesting wines keep working away at you, and a more regular avoidance of higher alcohol wines have caused a shift. I caught up with Tony in January and he pulled a bottle of his Rosé out of his bag. I knew about it, having heard good things about it from other people in Adelaide. I would like to add, well, more for my glass too.

Availability

Please contact me or Tony on 0404 288 108

Winery Details

Cellar Door: No

E-mail: tony@minnowcreekwines.com.au

Web: www.minnowcreekwines.com.au

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MONICHINO SANGIOVESE 2003

Winemaker Terry Monichino

Winemakers Notes

The wine is deep ruby purple, the colour of ripe guavas. The nose shows raspberry with hints of cherry and guava plus low-key oak. The palate is well structured and lengthy with forward tannin balanced by sharp acid backed with a combination of raspberry and boysenberry fruit with subtle nuances of guava, cherry and spice to provide mouth filling characters.

Cellar

“Potential 5 to 7 years.”

Additional Notes

Also from their Notes: “Continuing to break new ground with Italy’s premier grape varieties, winemaker Terry Monichino has created a perfectly balanced wine from Tuscany’s classic grape, Sangiovese. His experimentation with this grape in earlier vintages has enabled him to take full advantage of the high quality fruit available from the exceptional 2003 vintage. The rich full-bodied wine is enhanced with the merest oak and the complex flavours and aromas, with their mix and match of fruit flavour and whispers of spice, have been melded harmoniously into a perfect union. This Sangiovese is becoming more widely appreciated in this country and treatment like this ensures it will soon take its place among Australia’s more traditional grape varieties. Serve it with steak, rich game, Antipasto style dishes, bread and a dip of virgin olive oil or enjoy it on its own.”

Availability

Cellar Door or please contact me.

Winery Details

Phone: 03 5864 6452

Fax: 03 5864 6538

Open: Daily 10 to 5.

Address: 70 Berry’s Road, Katunga, Victoria, 3640.

E-mail: info@monichino.com.au

Web: www.monichino.com.au

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PANKHURST PINOT NOIR 2003

Winemaker Sue & Dave Carpenter (Lark Hill)

Winemakers Notes

The fruit was hand picked in late March 03 and was destemmed and cold macerated for 48 hours before fermentation was commenced. The crusher was set to allow whole berries as much as possible in the ferment. About 10% whole bunches were added after the cold maceration. The wine was warm fermented in small open fermenters, with hand plunging and pigeage. A proportion of the wine was allowed to ferment to dryness and macerate on skins, with the majority pressed off into French oak barriques at about 2º Baumé. At pressing, juice was released from the whole berries, and thus ferment continued in barrel to dryness. The wine was then racked and inoculated and returned to barrel to complete its Malolactic fermentation under temperature control. The wine was matured in barrel under cool conditions for 9 months, to soften and integrate the tannins and develop the flavour profile. In the following February, the wine was racked, lightly filtered and bottled into French Green Burgundy bottles under a cork closure.

Cellar

“It will drink well now or benefit from a few years cellaring.”

Additional Notes

I was talking to Christine Pankhurst around November last year, before this wine was released, when she told me that Halliday had given it 94/100 in his 2006 Wine Companion, and for this reason was listed in the section at the front of the book in the ‘Best of the best by variety.’ At the time she said it could be used in the next Dozen. Thankfully it made it, as she also said just a week ago that people were charging Cellar Door, Companion in hand, wanting a share in the spoils.

Availability

Cellar Door or please contact me.

Winery Details

Phone/Fax: 02 6230 2592

Open: Weekends & Public Holidays 11 to 5

Address: Old Woodgrove, Woodgrove Road, Hall, ACT, 2618.

E-mail: allanandchristine@pankhurstwines.com.au

Web: www.pankhurstwines.com.au

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PARACOMBE ADELAIDE HILLS CHARDONNAY 2003

Winemaker Paul Drogemuller

Winemakers Notes

The season gave exceptionally low yields to produce this stylish, limited release Chardonnay. Fermented and matured in French oak, this wine has an attractive bouquet of honeyed pear, butterscotch and rich cream aromas. The palate flavoursome and well balanced. Fresh melons and white peach flavours accompany hints of nutty ferment characters in an elegant finish. (Back Label).

Cellar

Medium term 5 -7 years.

Additional Notes

I planned to do a Profile on Paul last August with his Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, but time and circumstances prevailed, and it became a failed plan. A new year, a similar plan and a fair chance of success has the added opportunity of showing more of the Paracombe wines. Without going into too much detail, I try to include a high quality Chardonnay in the Dozens. The idea being the ‘goodies’ really stand out now and they’re such a pleasure to drink. I thought with this wine it is a good idea to ‘air it.’ I noticed that the beautifully bright fruit shone through after that little exposure making a nice difference.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 08 8380 5058

Fax: 08 8380 5488

Open: Not

E-mail: winery@paracombewines.com

Web: www.paracombewines.com

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PARACOMBE ADELAIDE HILLS THE REUBEN 2001

Winemaker Paul Drogemuller

Winemakers Notes

This wine, matured in French oak, has poached rhubarb and plum aromas, with hints of leatherwood. The finely structured palate gives rich fruit flavour, interesting spice and savoury notes.(Back Label).

Cellar

A wonderful food wine, will reward with age, up to 10 years.

Additional Notes

Also from the back label: “The Reuben brings together the best of the Paracombe region. Six clones Cabernet Sauvignon were hand picked from Paul and Kathy’s vineyard along with specialist local growers, the Waugh family’s Malbec; Howard’s Merlot; Rensonnet and Clark’s Cabernet Franc and MacGillivray’s Shiraz.” In the past, there was an intent to include Paul’s Cabernet Franc, a wine he is well known for. Again, with the chance to include more of his wines here, the Reuben is a handy choice. We can see here first hand Paul’s instinctive winemaking in the art of blending. I note that in Halliday’s 2005 Companion he gave this wine 94/100. “This wine is dedicated to Reuben Chapman, an early Paracombe settler known for his generosity and passionate love for the area.”

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 08 8380 5058

Fax: 08 8380 5488

Open: Not

E-mail: winery@paracombewines.com

Web: www.paracombewines.com

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PIZZINI SANGIOVESE / SHIRAZ 2004

Winemakers Alfred Pizzini & Joel Pizzini

Winemakers Notes

This wine is sixty five percent Sangiovese and thirty five percent Shiraz. The Sangiovese was fermented at a warm thirty degrees Celsius to extract as much flavour, tannins and texture as possible. The Shiraz was fermented at twenty five degrees Celsius to extract more delicate aromatics and fruit flavour. Both varieties were matured in stainless steel to impart freshness to the wine. Enjoy with pizza and pasta. The wine is rich black cherry in colour. The nose has the intense, powerful and savoury aromatics of maraschino cherries, spice, tobacco and rich fruit. On the palate the wine is rich, powerful and intense. Firm chalky, well integrated tannins coat the whole palate, the wine has generous mouth feel and length with balanced acidity. Food matches include Barbecued meats – white and red, pasta, pizza, Mediterranean antipasta plates.

Cellar

“The resulting wine is our “Vino di tavola” Chianti style made for drinking now and every day.”

Additional Notes

This wine seemed like a good idea, being the same blend as Tony Walker’s Rose, but with 10% more Sangiovese. Tony made a fully extracted version of his wine as well that was very interesting to try at the same time, and added to the idea of including the Pizzini. Probably a little excessive, I can hear some thinking. Oh well, anything Pizzini makes is welcome here, anytime. After all, their’s was the first of this blend I tried some years ago, and it is a perfect recommendation that ‘drinking now and every day’ is good advice.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 03 5729 8278

Fax: 03 5729 8495

Open: Daily 12 to 5

Address: 175 King Valley Road, Whitfield, Vic. 3768.

E-mail: Pizzini@bigpond.com

Web: www.pizzini.com.au

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TRENTHAM ESTATE La Famiglia MOSCATO 2005

Winemakers Anthony Murphy and Shane Kerr

Winemakers Notes

Blended from 60% Muscat a Petit Grains and 40% Canada Muscat which are well known for their intense fragrant characters. A lightly aromatic wine with lifted musky fruit character and balanced sweetness. The taste is fruity and slightly fizzy.

Cellar

None recommended, just: “Enjoy well chilled on a hot summer evening.”

Additional Notes

“The grapes were allowed to reach ripe flavour levels before night harvesting in mid-February. Following crushing, pressing, juice settling and cold fermentation, the ferment was stopped by chilling the wine to 0º C. By stopping the fermentation at this half-way point a lower alcohol level has been achieved with grapey sweetness and balanced crispness from the natural spritz being retained from the fermentation. The young wine was bottled as soon as possible to retain the fresh flavours and refreshing spritz.” I saw this wine as Huon Hooke’s ‘Bargain of the week’ a month or so ago, and thought it would be an ideal inclusion, showing a little more of what Trentham gets up to. As they say: “celebrating their Irish and Italian heritage in their grape growing and winemaking.” So popular has this wine been in Sydney, Ann Pettigrove from Yarra Valley Wine Consultants dipped into their Melbourne stock and got Australia Post to do the rest.

Availability

Future vintages available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 03 5024 8888

Fax: 03 5024 8800

Open: Daily 9.30 to 5

Address: Sturt Highway, Trentham Cliffs, NSW, 2738.

E-mail: anthonym@trenthamestate.com.au

Web: www.trenthamestate.com.au

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WHISTLER THE RESERVE SEMILLON 2004

Winemaker Christa Deans

Winemakers Notes

Following in the footsteps of other years, the wine is a true example of Barossa unwooded Semillon. The strong citrus and melon flavours come through strongly on the nose, while the palate develops these characteristics more intensely and adds other fruit flavours to give a bowlful of fruit salad. Fermentation was in a stainless steel pressurised fermenter and the wine remained in temperature controlled steel tanks until bottling prior to its release.

Cellar

Now to 2010.

Additional Notes

The Vintage… “A heavy fruit set initially had predictions of high yields; however bunch thinning around veraison (when grapes change from the hard green stage, soften, and develop their ripening colour), brought the crops back to acceptable levels. A mild January was excellent for optimal colour and flavour development. Heatwave conditions in mid-February saw acidity decline at a rapid rate in conjunction with rising Baumé levels. The Barossa experienced an Indian summer with no huge rainfalls, and temperatures ranged from between 25 and 30 degrees. The Semillon is some of the best ever produced in the Valley.” “After 28 years with Penfolds Wines managing the ‘Grange’ vineyards and others, and following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as a third generation vigneron, Martin Pfeiffer started Whistler Wines in 1994. (Pfeiffer translates from German to Whistler).

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 08 8562 4942

Fax: 08 8562 4943

Open: Daily 10.30 to 5

Address: Seppeltsfield Road, Marananga, S.A., 5355

E-mail sales@whistlerwines.com

Web:www.whistlerwines.com

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