The Classic November Dozen

CHALKERS CROSSING TUMBARUMBA PINOT NOIR 2002

Winemaker Celine Rousseau

Winemakers Notes

The colour is medium red with the nose showing raspberry, spicy smoky aromas. The palate shows cherry and plum flavours followed by a soft tannin structure. The wine was matured in French oak barriques prior to bottling.

Cellar

“Now to 2010.”

Additional Notes

Paul from Haviland Wines has been pushing Chalkers Crossing for a while, and I finally told him the 2002 Shiraz was in a previous Dozen (Nov. 2003). It wasn’t a case of ignoring him, more that there are always other wines in mind. However, when he told me the fruit came from Tumbarumba, I was both ears. Why didn’t you say so?

Availablity

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 02 6382 6900

Fax: 02 6382 5068

Open: Daily 10 to 4

Address: 387 Grenfell Road, Young, NSW, 2594.

Web: www.chalkerscrossing.com.au

Back To Top

DYSON GRANDE PRIVILEGE RESERVE VIOGNIER 2005

Winemaker Allan Dyson

Winemakers Notes

After fermentation the wine is allowed to settle and start to mature on yeast whilst the unique Viognier flavours develop. Maturation takes place in French oak barriques prior to bottling. Minimal handling and filtration are practised to ensure that the delicate Viognier flavours are protected at all times. The Grande Privilege Reserve Viognier is a unique varietal wine, with stone fruit, tropical fruit and subtle apricot flavours, along with citrus characters and balanced acid on the palate. Our aim is to create a varietal wine with unique textures, structure and fine varietal flavours. We know we have succeeded.

Cellar

Drink now and over the next few years.

Additional Notes

In the last Dozen there was a choice to be made between the Chardonnay and the Viognier. Going with the Chardonnay, I said to Allan I would like to use the Viognier in the next round. When I first met him at his Cellar Door, he said he had been working with Viognier for many years, the point being: “and I’m not blending it with anything!” Mutually amused at the current demand and marketing of the many Shiraz–Viognier blends and while not knocking them, it seems his turf has somewhat been invaded. I suspect he has been asked, often, if he intends doing the same. I didn’t ask if he was tempted, not a wise move I thought!

Availability

Cellar Door or please contact me.

Winery Details

Phone: 08 8386 1092

Fax: 08 8327 0066

Open: Daily 10 to 5

Address: Sherriff Road, Maslin Beach, S.A. 5170

Web: www.dysonwines.com

E-mail: allan@dysonwines.com

Back To Top

GALLAGHER RIESLING 2006

Winemaker Greg Gallagher

Winemakers Notes

Crushed and pressed immediately then cold settled for 48 hours. The clean juice was fermented at 12°C for five weeks to help maintain the fresh fruit and flavours. The colour is pale straw with the nose showing fragrant citrus fruit with lime and rose petal flower aromas. The palate is clean and attractively flavoured with a delicate lingering finish. The citrus, flower fruit flavours are vibrant and the light and pleasant body is balanced and clean finishing.

Cellar

“Enjoy this as a fresh young wine.”

Additional Notes

Also in the notes, Greg has food suggestions to “serve this wine with lightly spicy or aromatic dishes, Thai and fruit salads.” It was to be either Greg’s Chardonnay or Riesling for this Dozen, the two building block whites. I sort of had a Chardonnay in mind already but felt the pressure from Nick Gibson to opt for the Silverwood wine. More on that wine later. I then spoke to Anne Pettigrove asked her thoughts on Greg’s two wines. While supportive of the Chardonnay, the Riesling had her heart. Game over, with selection taking on its own responsibilities very nicely.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 02 6227 0555

Fax: 02 6227 0666

Open: Weekends and Public Holidays 10 to 5.

Address: 2770 Dog Trap Road, Murrumbateman, NSW, 2582.

Web: www.gallagherwines.com.au

E-mail: info@gallagherwines.com.au

Back To Top

GALLAGHER SHIRAZ 2004

Winemaker Greg Gallagher

Winemakers Notes

Crushed and fermented on skins for 10 days, pressed and racked to barrels. After full Malo-Lactic fermentation, the wine was further aged in new and one year old French and American oak for another 16 months, lightly filtered and bottled. The colour is rich garnet red with the nose showing red berry and plum fruit with lifted herbs and pepper characters and a light vanilla note. To the palate, where there are very vibrant and soft flavours with rounded tannin structure. And a clean, long finish on a medium bodied wine that will age well and develop more richness with time.

Cellar

“Enjoy this as a fresh young wine but it has the potential to age to a richer wine with four to five years in the bottle. A crust may develop.”

Additional Notes

With the previous 2001 and 02 Shiraz wines in the Dozens, the 2004 Shiraz is the right choice to remind us of that growing track record of high quality that the Gallagher Shiraz is. I noticed that Greg also has a Merlot as recorded in the Yarra Valley Wine Consultants Wine Portfolio. And also in Halliday’s Wine Companion there is an entry for a Canberra District Sparkling Shiraz. What great mischief these creative souls get up to.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 02 6227 0555

Fax: 02 6227 0666

Open: Weekends and Public Holidays 10 to 5.

Address: 2770 Dog Trap Road, Murrumbateman, NSW, 2582.

Web: www.gallagherwines.com.au

E-mail: info@gallagherwines.com.au

Back To Top

MILLTON GISBORNE CHENIN BLANC 2005

Winemaker James Millton

Winemakers Notes

Frost severely restricted yields in 2005 but enhanced the ripeness in the diminished crop. The wine has an extra dimension gained from the inclusion of selections from the Clos Monique sub-section of the Te Arai vineyard as well as seriously ripe fruit from Clos de Ste. Ane. All grapes were hand picked and given several hours of skin contact. The fully ripened grapes were harvested with approximately 25 % incidence of botrytis giving a fragrant full semi-dry wine. Fermentation in large oak barrels (demi-Muids 600 litre) allows the wine to age and harmonise with time and without the obtrusion of oak tannins which otherwise disrespect the subtle fruit aromas. A powerful ripe style, ocean fresh acidity, aromas of waxy pears, quince and hazelnut. It has a rich quenching finish. Lanolin and honey will develop over longer time. Contains no animal products. Closed with high quality natural cork.

Cellar

“Ageing potential 15 years from date of release (1-3-2006).”

Additional Notes

What a great Note. I saw this wine in the latest Winestate attached to a fully blown five star rating. Never in doubt; it was included on ‘spec.’ And when the wine landed in the warehouse I extracted a bottle and gave it just 10 hours rest before intimacy took place. “Is that botrytis,” I wondered, thinking how a lot of Rieslings included the same element in the middle eighties, something that really didn’t work. Here with its varietal Chenin Blanc power behind it, and the inherent gamut of flavours, just fabulous.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 06 862 8680

Fax: 06 862 8869

Open: Yes

Address: 119 Paputa Road, Manutuke, Gisborne N.Z.

Web: www.millton.co.nz

E-mail: info@millton.co.nz

Back To Top

MINNOW CREEK SHIRAZ 2005

Winemaker Tony Walker

Winemakers Notes

The colour is incredibly deep red with a vivid crimson rim. The nose shows lifted violets, complimented by blackberry mocha and anise with subtle charry oak. To the palate with rich, full dark berry fruits on entry opening up to complex layers of blackberry, olives and spicy liquorice. The finish is very long and is supported by an enveloping but silky tannin structure.

Cellar

“Properly stored, this fine Shiraz should drink well to 2014 and beyond.”

Additional Notes

“The grapes for this wine were picked on February 22nd 2005 and crushed to open fermenters and left on skins for seven days. Pressings were added directly back to the free run. The newly fermented wine completed its secondary malolactic ferment in stainless steel before being racked to new American and second use French oak for maturation until ready for bottling in July 2006.” You may remember the Minnow Creek Rose (Cabernet Sauvignon / Sangiovese) in February this year. This is Tony’s Shiraz from the same 2005 vintage. I suggested to Tony that he let me know when it was available, which he did, and here it is.

Availability

Please contact me or Tony on 0404 288 108

Web: www.minnowcreekwines.com.au

E-mail: tony@minnowcreekwines.com.au

Back To Top

WEHL’S MOUNT BENSON CABERNET SAUVIGNON MERLOT 2002

Winemaker Paul Gordon (Leconfield, Coonawarra and Richard Hamilton Wines)

Winemakers Notes

89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot: the bringing together of these two classic varieties has resulted in a wine that is dark red to purple in colour, very smooth, fruit driven and with subtle nutty undertones. The use of a combination of older French and American oak has given this wine a fine classic tannin structure.

Cellar

“Drink 2017” is the only recommendation found, which means to develop with 10 to 15 year’s bottle age. This is from the Halliday Wine Companion 2005 Edition, where he also rated this wine 91/100.

Additional Notes

“An opulent Cabernet blend that delivers intense blackcurrant flavours with smoke and subtle oak nuances. Great poise and balance on the palate with an abundance of fine, chalky tannins.” Winestate Magazine September / October 2004. This is the write up that caught my eye as it fits nicely with the origin of this wine, the glamorously named Limestone Coast Region of South Australia. Peter and Leah Wehl, natives of Mount Benson first planted grape vines in 1989 and gradually developed this side of their farming to the success it is today. Also in the 2005 Halliday Wine Companion it was listed among “Ten of the best new wineries.”

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone/Fax: 08 8768 6251

Open: Daily 10 to 4

Address: Wrights Bay Road, Mount Benson, South Australia, 5275.

E-mail: wehls.mountbenson@bigpond.com

Back To Top

MOUNT MAJURA SHIRAZ 2004

Winemaker Dr. Frank van de Loo

Winemakers Notes

Hand picked at on the 24th April at 14.1 Beaume and fermented in an open vat with hand plunging. Some whole bunches were retained for complexity. Only 20% of barrels were new, a level that this wine has swallowed up. After the early and hot 2003 vintage, this Shiraz is a return to our more typical spicy cool climate style. The nose is still subdued, with brooding blackberry, spice and ash. The flavour really comes through on the palate, with lots of spice and typical notes of black pepper.

Cellar

“Drink now to 2015.”

Additional Notes

“ Shiraz is becoming the leading variety of the Canberra District, and our confidence in its future at Mount Majura has grown so much that we have expanded our plantings (with material from Clonakilla, no less).” I had this wine in mind for February 2007, being that we already had a Canberra District Shiraz with Greg Gallagher’s wine, also a 2004. Then it occurred to me what a good idea to have both wines in the same box as it gives the practical chance of comparison of the same grape and vintage.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 02 6262 3070

Fax: 02 6262 4288

Open: Thursday to Monday 10 to 5.

Address: RMB 314 Majura Road, Majura, ACT, 2609.

Web: www.mountmajura.com.au

E-mail: info@mountmajura.com.au

Back To Top

PARINGA MERLOT 2005

Winemaker Peter Gajewski

Winemakers Notes

100% Merlot fruit at eight tonnes per acre from the Riverland of South Australia. A low yielding vintage produced a wine dark in colour with purple hues. A lovely varietal violet nose arrives on the palate as soft and supple balanced with oak and fine tannin.

Cellar

Drink now and over the next few years.

Additional Notes

I was surprised when checking: the last Paringa wine was the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon in February 2005; and the 2002 Shiraz in November 2004. Nick Gibson had them and has them again, but we hadn’t seen the Merlot and here it adds to the variety. With the notes from Nick there is a10 point document that supports why the Paringa Vineyard fruit is so sought after. Planted in 1971 and producing fruit at 5 – 8 tonnes per acre rather than the usual 20 – 25, it is managed more as a premium site. “The fruit is machine harvested at night when temperatures are low for the area and is then transported to Boar’s Rock Winery at nearby Waikerie.” This is a change from the other Boar’s Rock site under Mike Farmilo’s guidance where the 2002s were made.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 08 8383 6755

Fax: 08 8383 6855

Open: No Cellar Door

Address Postal: PO Box 188, Clarendon, S.A., 5157.

Web: www.paringa.net

E-mail: info@arhaustwineco.com.au

Back To Top

RED NECTAR CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2004

Winemaker Troy Kalleske

Winemakers Notes

The wine is a bright red colour and the nose is alive with freshly crushed blackcurrants, violets and a hint of clove. The palate displays classic ripe varietal Cabernet. Plenty of juicy fruit is supported by ripe mouth filling tannins. The wine is very well balanced and is extremely lengthy. A highly classy and mouth watering wine showing great depth of flavour and structure while maintaining a beautiful elegance.

Cellar

“With careful cellaring, this wine will age magnificently.” In numbers, 8 – 10 years.

Additional Notes

“This limited release Cabernet Sauvignon has been crafted from fruit grown on vines over 40 years old on the family estate at Stonewall in the western side of the Barossa Valley. Good wine encapsulates the integrity, skill and passion of both the wine grower and winemaker. Tammy Pfieffer enlisted the talents of friend, cousin and winemaker, Troy Kalleske. Red Nectar now exists as an integration of this friendship and family viticultural tradition.”

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 0409 547 478

Fax: 08 8563 3624

Open: No Cellar Door.

Address: Stonewall Road, Marananga, S.A.

Web: www.rednectar.com.au

E-mail: enquiries@rednectar.com.au

Back To Top

SILVERWOOD ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2005

Winemakers Paul Dennis and Phillip Kittle

Winemakers Notes

The wine shows a clear pale straw with vibrant green tints in the glass with restrained peach and citrus aromas with a lovely touch of elegant cedar. The clean fresh palate has citrus flavours with a touch of nectarine and melon complimented by a light butterscotch malolactic background. This wine has a fine structure framed by a delicately structured oak and finishes long and clean.

Cellar

“It will develop over the next 2 -3 years and could be cellared up to 5 years.”

Additional Notes

“The Silverwood hallmarks are all here: The winemaking has given the fruit front -stage in a complete expression of our vineyard terroir. The Silverwood Chardonnays are elegant but complex. The wine is made in small batches using varying techniques and the resulting wine selected to meet our requirements for a great cool climate Chardonnay. Traditional winemaking including whole bunch press, wild yeast fermentation and use of 30% new oak from the best Burgundy cooperages including Taransaud and Francois Freres.” This is the wine that Nick Gibson trumped me with on my original consideration, and I can see why. He sells both.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 0419 890 317

Fax: 03 8317 6642

Open: Not open for tasting.

Address: Bittern – Dromana Road, Balnarring, Victoria, 3926.

Web: www.silverwoodwines.com.au

E-mail: sales@silverwoodwines.com.au

Back To Top

TRENTHAM ESTATE PETIT VERDOT 2004

Winemakers Anthony MurphyAnd Shane Kerr

Winemakers Notes

This Trentham 2004 is the fourth release and shows dark vibrant red purple colour with fragrant berry fruits. The palate is spicy, rich, soft and full with fine firm tannins on the finish and is an excellent example of this great variety.

Cellar

“Petit Verdot is recognised as a great aging wine and this release should cellar well over the next 6-8 years.”

Additional Notes

“An excellent ‘older’ variety from Bordeaux; where the grapes’ dark, thick skins produce deeply coloured, spicy and fragrant wines. It is an ideal variety for warmer regions due to its late ripening and very good acid and sugar balance. A variety we will see more of as its quality is realised.” The food recommendation: “The wines’ robust yet refined taste makes it an excellent choice for many dishes. It goes particularly well with beef and lamb dishes or flavoursome cheeses.” I was hoping for the next vintage Nebbiolo from Trentham as there have been plenty of very positive comments going its way, indeed on all the ‘new’ varieties from this dynamic quality maker.

Availability

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.

Web: www.trenthamestate.com.au

E-mail: cellardoor@trenthamestate.com.au

Back To Top