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CHALK HILL SIDETRACK 2005

Winemaker Emmanuelle Requin-Bekkers

Winemakers Notes

Sidetrack is a blend of 60% Shiraz, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Grenache and was aged in a mix of old and new tight grained French Oak. The wine has a deep plum red colour, with a lifted berry fruit and caramel on the nose. The strong varietal characters on the palate are supported by peppermint, chocolate and some earthy flavours, with a persistent finish. Chalk Hill Sidetrack is an easy drinking full bodied wine packed full of jammy fruits and great oak integration

Cellar

“The wine will develop further in the bottle and with good cellaring will be enjoyed through to 2015. Wines sealed under screw cap will benefit from decanting prior to drinking.”

Additional Notes

In terms of very good value, this wine and in fact the Chalk Hill operation was only recently discovered during a conversation with Paul Stenmark of Winestock, the local Distributor. While running through what was new in their Portfolio, he mentioned this new one from McLaren Vale and the word “blend” picked my ears up. Then he mentioned its name and that also struck a chord: “The Sidetrack gets its name from John Harvey (Proprietor), and his ability not to finish one task before something more interesting arises.”

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 08 8556 2121

Fax: 08 8556 2221

Open: Contact Winery for details

Address: Field Street, McLaren Vale, SA, 5171.

E-mail: wine@chalkhill.com.au

Web: www.chalkhill.com.au

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DEAD HORSE HILL HEATHCOTE SHIRAZ 2005

Winemaker Jencie McRobert

Winemakers Notes

The vines are dry grown with yields at a low 4 tonnes per hectare. The fruit has produced a wine of medium body with blackberry, black cherry fruits and spice, with crisp acidity. The wine was matured for 18 months in French oak and bottled with minimal filtration.

Cellar

A cellaring prospect of at least 10 years.

Additional Notes

The following notes are taken from Four Seasons; the local Distributor’s portfolio list, and is what first caught my eye. “Jencie McRobert and Russell Pretty returned to their family farm to establish Dead Horse vineyard in 1994, which is named in remembrance of the burial ground for the working horses of the Tolleen district. In the vineyard Jencie practices minimalist viticulture, producing very low yields of intensely flavoured fruit. Located 20km north of Heathcote, Dead Horse Hill wines continue to reflect the characteristic richness and depth of the Heathcote region.” Then with Glen Brereton I tried this Shiraz together with the Austins, which was in the May Dozen. But I wasn’t about to let this one get away, even though it does need time.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 03 5433 6214

Fax: 03 5433 6164

Open: By appointment.

Address: Myola East Road, Toolleen Victoria, 3551.

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DOONKUNA CABERNET SAUVIGNON MERLOT 2004

Winemaker Bruce March

Winemakers Notes

The hand picked fruit: Cabernet Sauvignon (80%) and Merlot(20%) were open fermented with hand plunging, then matured in French Oak Barriques for 20 months. It is medium red in colour. The nose is a complex blend of fruit cake, chocolate, liquorice, cedar and minty characters with a hint of vanilla oak. The soft, ripe palate has soft berry fruit flavours with hints of liquorice and spice, offset by long, fine grain tannins.

Cellar

Medium term 5 to 8 years.

Additional Notes

‘It’s one of those things,’ to borrow the quote, that I have driven past the entrance to Doonkuna Estate off the Barton Highway countless times over the years and I always think, I must call in. It finally happened recently and the first impression settled into a very good one. It is undergoing fairly substantial renovations and it was explained to me by one of the family in this family owned vineyard and winery that they should have done the work years ago. But it seems to me that all the early effort (since 1996) was focused on producing the wines they wanted to make in a very much smaller shed where Cellar Door now operates. It is reminiscent of other good operations where it is getting it right before it looks right, maybe. I saw very good reason to dig deep into the riches that are on offer here, especially the bargains at Cellar Door.

Availability

Cellar Door or please contact me.

Winery Details

Phone: 02 6227 5811

Fax: 02 6227 5085

Open: Daily 11 to 4.

Address: 3182 Barton Highway, Murrumbateman, NSW, 2582.

Web: www.doonkuna.com.au

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LIEBICHWEIN BAROSSA PINOT NOIR 2002

Winemaker Ron Liebich

Winemakers Notes

Two pickings took place to enhance acid / weight balance. The first at 12° Baume and the second at 15.5° Baume to provide an average of 14.5. Fascination Pinot style matured for 12 months in aged French Oak barrels showing a fine balance between deep, dark strawberry / mocha and soft mature oak.

Cellar

Drink now and over the next three to five years.

Additional Notes

“A successful experiment! Only 50 cases were made after a picnic party where some un-ripened grapes were stomped by foot. We could not waste the juice, so later decided to crush some riper fruit. The resulting blend is a unique classic! Pinot is not normally grown in the Barossa. This Pinot clone NVG is trained on the up and down principle to provide a balanced environment. A heavy red soil and cool gully breezes and minimum irrigation fur ther influence flavour.” I was talking some months ago to Janet Liebich when this wine was mentioned, and I too was fascinated by the idea of a Pinot Noir from the Barossa. With several other wines she sent a ‘sample’ of this one. I fully intend to approach them to include a ‘super’ Merlot for November. Back to the Pinot. I tried it and I had a similar thought attributed to the Mount Pleasant Merlot, this time it was a Barossa red with Pinot characters. I then rang Ron and suggested my reaction, to which he agreed, adding, “It’s a good wine I think.” Me too.

Availability

Cellar Door or please contact me.

Winery Details

Phone: 08 8524 4543

Fax: 08 8524 4047

Open: Wed to Mon. 11 to 5. Closed Tuesdays

Address: Steingarten Road, Rowland Flat, S. A, 5352.

Web: www.liebichwein.com.au

E-mail: info@liebuchwein.com.au

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LINDSAYS WOODONGA HILL TEMPRANILLO 2006

Winemaker Jill Lindsay

Winemakers Notes

Text books talk of the chocolate and caramels that this variety should show at ripeness, and that the wine with some maturity should exhibit not only those characters but an underlying dark fruit character. Because of the hailstorm damage, the ferment was to be fairly quick, with some aeration but not excessive. Maturation was in one year old French oak, giving a delightful yet firm Oak balance.

Cellar

“At twelve months in the bottle under a Diam cork seal which are more excluding of oxygen, the initial development has been text book. Time will tell how much the fruit characters will develop…….”

Additional Notes

I caught up with Phill at Cellar Door in July after a reasonable absence. I just wanted to catch up with both of them, but unfortunately Jill wasn’t home, there being a new grandchild in town. I asked him how long she’d been away and his reply was: “I did an empty bottle count yesterday and there were 23, so that’s about three weeks.” Some bottles were ‘left overs’ from Cellar Door tasting stock and there were visitors as well to help the numbers. Life is often about measurement and there is a system at work here! To the wine and what a nice surprise as I knew they didn’t have any Tempranillo vines themselves, yet! “Try this” he said, and in doing so you are immediately taken in by incredible chocolate – truffle notes fired straight up your nose. I’ve never seen anything so prominent. The wine has its own story as these types of ‘one – offs’ (perhaps) always do.

Availability

Cellar Door or please contact me.

Winery Details

Phone/Fax: 02 6382 2972

Open: Daily 9 to 5

Address: Cowra Road, Young, NSW, 2594.

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MAHI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2007

Winemaker Brian Bicknell

Winemakers Notes

Our Sauvignon this year came from six different vineyards, with all of them giving particular attributes to the final wine. The fruit was picked over nearly a month. The fruit was taken straight to press at our new winery in Renwick. The final blend was made solely from free – run juice. The juice was fermented cool to retain the fruit characters and then held on yeast lees for three months to gain palate richness and texture. This Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc shows a range of fruit characters from citrus through to tropical notes, aligned with some secondary characters from natural yeast ferment. The palate has an elegant structure with a textural mid – palate and a long finish.

Cellar

“The wines of Mahi are not rushed to bottle and we believe with correct storage this wine will continue to develop in interest and complexity.”

Additional Notes

“All the wines of Mahi are made in a hands – off fashion so that the characters of those vineyards are respected. Weather conditions for the 2007 season didn’t give us any problems. With no threat of disease we weren’t forced to pick when we didn’t want to. Earlier in the season the cool temperatures during flowering meant that crops were generally low. This suits the style we aim for at Mahi, allowing the grapes to ripen fully and providing wines with great palate weight.”

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 03 572 8859

Fax: 03 572 8814

Open: Daily 10 to 4:30

Address: 9 Terrace Road, Renwick, Marlborough 7272.

E-mail: wine@mahiwine.co.nz

Web: www.mahiwine.co.nz

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MILLS REEF CHARDONNAY 2006

Winemakers Paddy and Tim Preston

Winemakers Notes

This golden wine is made in a refreshing, fruit forward, approachable style. It has tropical fruit, peach, melon and pear aromas. A full bodied wine, its lively acidity compliments stone fruit and orange marmalade flavours with hints of citrus and butterscotch, and length on the palate persisting to a soft, creamy – smooth finish.

Cellar

It is very good drinking now and will improve with bottle age over the next 3 to 5 years.

Additional Notes

“The grapes for this wine were grown in three specially selected vineyards located in the coastal Meanee area of Hawkes Bay. They were harvested during mid April at ideal ripeness and in excellent condition. The juice was tank fermented for enhanced fruit driven flavours and characteristics, with aging for twelve months. Twenty percent of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation for enhanced complexity, then blended and bottled in June 2006.” I was taken by this and other Mills Reef wines, especially their subtle Syrah (Shiraz) at this year’s Haviland Wine Show. ‘Mills Reef Winery was established in 1989 by the Preston family. Father and son, Paddy and Tim along with Paul Dawick make the wines from fruit drawn the vineyards of Mills Reef made up of soil structures ranging from clay and silt through to the stoney soils of Gimblett Gravels, located at the heart of New Zealand’s oldest winegrowing region of Hawkes Bay.’

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 07 576 8800

Fax: 07 576 8824

Open: Yes, but contact them for details

Address: 143 Moffat Road, Bethlehem, Tauranga, NZ.

E-mail: info@millsreef.co.nz

Web: www.millsreef.co.nz

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PARACOMBE PINOT GRIS 2008

Winemaker Paul Drogemuller

Winemakers Notes

The fruit for the 2008 Pinot Gris was harvested from late February through to mid March from selected specialist vineyards in the Adelaide Hills. The wine displays elegance in a fruit driven style with an appealing bouquet of pear and rose petal aromas. The palate gives fresh flavours of nectarine, nashi pear and crème caramel with flinty mineral notes on the finish.

Cellar

Drink now.

Additional Notes

This is the second time for a Paracombe Pinot Gris. Paul and Kathy Drogemuller regard the Paracombe region as being well suited to this variety. The previous inclusion was the 2006 last February. The web notes are very similar to the above which is very positive, especially when you work to produce a particular style. If anything this one seems to have a seasonal advantage of a little more power. In late May Jacki Osborne rang to say that the Paracombe Sauvignon Blanc was about to be released. It is a very popular restaurant wine and one that can sell out quickly. As May was ready to go I told her I would get back to her in August. Having also seen the Mahi Sauvignon Blanc with Glen Brereton (Four Seasons)I rang her. She quickly put the case for the Pinot Gris and I was convinced with similar speed.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 08 8380 5058

Fax: 08 8380 5488

Open: Not

E-mail: winery@paracombewines.com

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PINDARIE “BAR ROSSA” 2007

Winemaker Mark Jamieson

Winemakers Notes

The style is medium bodied. Our thinking as we bring together Spanish, Italian and French varieties is the (theoretical) attraction of a Mediterranean blend. The wine shows varietal fruit with savoury notes, combining characters of cinnamon, blackberry, pepper and more – complementing each other in as intriguing delicious blend.

Cellar

“Now until 2012.”

Additional Notes

Pindarie is the third wine included from the recent Haviland Wine Show. A new producer established in 2005, at this stage makes a total of just 1000 cases. “Careful planning went into the make up of this medium bodied blend. There is a synergy with the co – fermentation of the low acid Spanish Tempranillo (70%) and the high acid Italian Sangiovese (25%). A small amount of Shiraz (5%) was later blended for softening the tannins. Produced from fruit grown at Pindarie the wine spent only six months in aged French oak to ensure up front fruit flavour and soft, but drying ‘savoury’ tannins. Special care is taken not to over oak the wine to maintain varietal fruit integrity. Of course an ideal dish evokes southern France, Tuscany or Spain, rich in herbs, olive oil and tomato, but ‘Bar Rossa’ is really a great Mediterranean all – rounder.”

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 08 8524 9019

Fax: 08 8524 9090

No Cellar Door

Address: PO Box 341 Tanunda, SA, 5352.

Email: pindarie@pindarie.com.au

Web: www.pindarie.com.au

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RAVENSWORTH RIESLING 2008

Winemaker Bryan Martin

Winemakers Notes

2008 was one of the best years to date for this delicate variety: an early budburst and spring rains set a good sized crop, cool summer temperatures without the hot winds gently ripen the fruit, maintain a crisp acidity and delicate flavours. An attractive array of white blossom, citrus and anise spice lead to a zesty palate with typical fresh acid tang and a slight touch of appley sweetness.

Cellar

Should cellar for 4 to 7 years.

Additional Notes

Further to the cellaring recommendation… “attractive now with delicate seafood like scallops, King George whiting and abalone, I for one can’t wait Bryan! Exciting stuff if you have tried Rieslings from Murrumbateman and Canberra area you will know that it is our premier mainstream white varietal.” There have been many terrific Rieslings in the Dozens from Helm, Clonakilla & Co and in fact I am waiting for the next vintage from Koonaburra Vineyard in the Canberra District, a drier style and very good. Grape grower and Proprietor, Nico Duynhoven whom I met only in July said he was considering grafting his only red variety, Merlot over to Riesling. Maybe it has slipped past me, but I haven’t heard the claim that Riesling is regarded as the Region’s ‘premier mainstream white varietal.’ I believe and applause, applause.

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 1300 302 292

Fax: 02 6262 2161 No Cellar Door.

Address: PO Box 116, Mawson, ACT, 2607.

Email: sales@ravensworthwines.com.au

Web: www.ravensworthwines.com.au

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TRAFFORD HILL FIONA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006

Winemaker John Sanderson

Winemakers Notes

Hand picked and lightly basket pressed, the wine produced was immediately recognized as having potential for elegant fruit flavours and softer tannins. Maturation in French oak gave lovely vanillin bouquets and flavours with classic mint and forest fruits on the full palate.

Cellar

“Immediately approachable or cellar for 3 to 5 years.”

Additional Notes

“Trafford Hill only produces Cabernet Sauvignon with exceptional vintages. On the Southern Fleurieu of South Australia, 2006 was such a vintage. A longer, even temperature during the ripening period produced fruit that was beautifully balanced.” A straight Cabernet Sauvignon from Trafford Hill has only once previously been included in the Dozens. That was in May 2005 with the 2001, which was the first one, and so we have all witnessed a little history from the Sandersons. To repeat the story in part, John always wanted to make this style which wasn’t the want of the other Sanderson, Irene. The proto-type 2001 was made in secret and as far as I know only became general knowledge when labels were required for the bottled wine. It was confession time. As Trafford Hill’s official line states that it: “only produces Cabernet Sauvignon with exceptional vintages,” means that ‘want’ can lead to general agreement and in fact winemaking policy out of the best sort of mischief! An elegant wine.

Availability

Cellar Door or please contact me.

Winery Details

Phone: 08 8558 3595

Open: Thursday to Monday 10.30 to 5

Address: Lot 1, Bower Road, Normanville, South Australia, 5204.

E-mail: traffordhill@bigpond.com

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WITCHMOUNT BARBERA 2005

Winemakers Tony Ramunno & Steve Goodwin

Winemakers Notes

The colour is deep red, with the nose showing varietal savoury, cherry and herbal characters. The medium bodied palate has sweet berry fruit and subtle oak flavours. Ripe tannins give this wine excellent length and elegance.

Cellar

“Drink now and up to 6 years.”

Additional Notes

This is the first release of a Barbera wine from Witchmount, and I was told at the Haviland Wine Show by the Witchmount mob that it is the ‘flavour of the month’ at the winery. “The fruit for this wine was picked fully ripe with intense and complex characters. The grapes were crushed and destemmed into stainless steel fermenters with SO 2 addition and inoculated with a proven clean fermenting yeast strain. Ferments were allowed to reach 30° C+ in order to extract maximum colour and flavour. Malo lactic fermentation was allowed to occur naturally in the barrel. Maturation was 12 months in 1 and 2 year old French and American oak.”

Availability

Available to Retail.

Winery Details

Phone: 03 9747 1188

Fax: 03 9747 1066

Open: Wednesday to Sunday 10 to 5.

Address: 557 Leakes Road, Rockbank, Victoria, 3335.

Web: www.witchmount.com.au

E-mail: cellar@witchmount.com.au

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