Small Winemakers Tasting Dozens |
The Classic August Dozen | |
| Canobolas – Smith Wild Yeast Chardonnay 2005Winemaker Murray SmithWinemakers NotesThis is an excellent, rich round stylish Chardonnay, showing all the textural attributes of the ‘wild style’. Twelve months in older French oak barrels ‘sur lie’* provides the platform from which this delicious wine leaps. Peach fruit characters lead to a smooth, fruit-driven palate that has length and style. Typical cool climate acidity maintains the appeal. Cellar“In the drinking window now and over the next few years, but could surprise and go longer” Additional NotesEarlier this year I said goodbyes to Murray and Justin and headed home with two Chardonnay wines in my care. The premium Chardonnay was a reminder of the excellent wines of that variety from this Orange Estate. But the Wild Yeast one was as they say ‘more approachable’ at the time and reflects Justin’s call in the Cellaring description. *Sue Lie means left on lees, the sediment produced from fermentation, where the fermented wine picks up added profile or depth of flavour through this winemaking technique. (“When the wine is drawn off, it was found to contain a minute amount of carbon dioxide which keeps the wine fresh.” Ref: The Wine Dictionary by Rosemary George). AvailabilityCellar Door Or Please Contact Me. Winery DetailsPhone / Fax: 02 6365 6113 |
| Fairbourne Sauvignon Blanc 2008Winemaker Sarah InkersellWinemakers NotesIn style Fairbourne is a dry Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with a mineral and citrus expression. The wine has a focus toward fruit retention balanced with nature's fresh acidity. It's smooth on the palate and has a lengthy structure with persistent flavours. Fresh crushed lemon and lime on riverstone then passionfruit and melon. On the palate a fresh citrus entry with a smooth tropical mid palate. The finish is dry with persistent fresh, pure and definable Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Cellar"The promise of cellar potential." Enjoy now and over the next few years. Additional Notes"The grapes for Fairbourne are grown in Marlborough in the Narrows Hillside and Bay A block vineyards. The Narrows Hillside, in the upper Wairau Valley produces grapes with ripe citrus flavours and an underpinning mineral structure from the soils (alluvial and clay gravels). The Bay A block in Marlborough's centre valley (on older river gravels overlaid with alluvial loams and some clay gravels) gives the grapes more pungent varietal definition, expressed as tropical and gooseberry characters. This fruit adds balance to the austerity and purity on the Narrows Hill vineyard. The grapes were fermented as site batches with selected yeasts strains to capture their individual fruit expressions. Fermentation was in temperature controlled stainless steel over a four week period. A judicious blend of the finished wines created a pure and expressive style of Sauvignon Blanc we consider uniquely superior." Great Notes. AvailabilityAvailable To Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 021 946 371 (Local) + 64 21 946 371 (International) |
 | Forrest Estate Dry Riesling Library Aged 2001Winemaker John ForrestWinemakers NotesThis stunning bottle – aged wine is a rare treat with only a small quantity available as a library release. Dry yet full flavoured with lemon and lime zest, honey, a hint of toastiness and spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon, the mouth – feel is silky smooth and weighty. A highly memorable wine that accurately reflects the Wairu terroir. CellarReleased to drink. Additional NotesAlso from the Notes comes a description of winemaking that one can relate to. "John Forrest's commitment and dedication to Riesling can almost be classed as an obsession. Created from the distinctive geography of Marlborough's Wairu Valley, this 'single valley' wine expresses the young river gravel soils and slightly warmer climate. These shallow, free draining, low fertility soils reduce vine vigour producing lush aromatic grapes with distinctive minerality and acid profiles." As mentioned in the May Dozen it is a great benefit to have John's wines again. I still have visions of him working the room with a very busy glass at a past New Zealand Wine Show, and while showing his own wines to all comers, he always had something special under to counter for those he felt would be interested in his latest adventure into flavour. It was at one of those Shows I received a welcome ration of his Botrytised Riesling. Wow! AvailablityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 03 572 9084 |
| Gherardi Merlot 2007Winemakers Jurg Muggli and Simon KeallWinemakers NotesThis wine is our latest release and again was made using traditional small batch fermentation techniques. Gentle hand plunging together with some pumping over carried out during the eight to ten day fermentation. Malolactic fermentation was carried out in both tank and barrel. The wine was then aged in a mixture of French barriques. The wine exhibits both a cedary and dark fruits nose, while the colour is a deep red with vibrance. First impression on the palate is one of fullness and great length of flavour. The palate weight is not overpowering and shows evidence of dark plums and spicy fruit cake coming through. The tannins are evident but not aggressive. This release is again very typical of the Merlot style. Cellar"The wine will develop well over the coming four to six years." (Web). Additional NotesDavid Lands, a 'character' I worked with in the 1970s has lived in the West for years and is in partnership in a Wholesale / Export / Consultant setup, and every now and then I catch up with him. Part of a recent e-mail regarding Gherardi is as follows: "Peter (Gherardi) owned Freycinet Estate in Margaret River for 15 years before selling to Michael Wright who changed the name to Voyager Estate in 1991. Peter then worked as the Viticulturalist for Xanadu for 8 years before setting up Gherardi Wines on his 10 hectare property in Margaret River 10 years ago." That history grabs one's attention, and so this wine is a start. There's a lot to explore in this career. AvailabilityPlease Contact Me Or Gherardi. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 9757 3142 |
 | Killara Estate Sparkling Cuvee 2006Winemaker David Bicknell (Oakridge)Winemakers NotesThe colour is pale salmon blush and a fine persistent bead. The nose shows strawberries, rhubarb and sweet perfume. And onto the palate, the same fresh fruit characters together with fresh baked doughy bread flavours combine with wonderful mouth filling character. The palate is long with excellent flavour persistence. CellarCurrent drinking. Additional Notes"Killara Estate wine making philosophy for Methode Champenoise styles calls for the careful preservation of the delicate fruit flavours of grapes through to the finished wine, enriching these with the creaminess of yeast autolysis and allowing the crisp, natural acidity to provide a liveliness all the way to a fragrant finish. The grapes were whole bunch pressed and the juice carefully settled, racked and fermented cold and slow. A few months later, raw wines were racked off yeast lees and blended, cold stabilised and polish filtered. They were then tiraged and left on lees for between two and a half and three and a half years prior to disgorgement." (Liqueur de tirage: a mixture of wine, sugar and yeast added to the bottle to kick off the second fermentation creating the bubbles that enhance our storytelling). It was that man Glen Brereton again. He mentioned this wine as being a bit special and that it had spent so much time on lees in a casual sort of way, but that 'lees time' was enough for formal selection. AvailabilityAvailable To Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 03 5961 5877 |
 | Matahiwi Estate Pinot Noir 2008Winemaker Jane CooperWinemakers NotesDifferent batches of fruit are processed separately so that we can see the individual characters on their own and we add further complexities by incorporating different techniques and yeast combinations. The grapes are cold soaked for between five and seven days and then fermented at about 28 to 32 °C. Depending on the fruit, post ferment time ranges from 3 – 10 days before the wine is pressed off. The wine is then held in both tank and barrel for eight months, undergoing malolactic fermentation before being blended for bottling in November 2008. This attractive, soft Pinot Noir shows red berry, dark plum and cherry flavours with fragrant fresh hay and savoury oak characters. On the palate, it is soft and round with a hint of spicy smoky oak and a long finish. CellarEnjoy now and over the next two to three years. Additional Notes"The Matahiwi vineyard is planted in several combinations of rootstock and Pinot Noir clones and this Pinot is a blend of some of these (115, 114, 10/5, 777 and Abel), with each adding their own character and complexity. 2008 was an excellent vintage, having warm weather during flowering and a long dry summer with hot days and cool nights; perfect Pinot Noir ripening conditions." AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 06 370 1000 (Local) +64 6 370 1000 (International) |
 | Merops Margaret River Shiraz 2005Winemakers Liz Reed and Damon Eastaugh (Flying Fish).Winemakers Notes The colour displays a dense ruby red with purple hues. The bouquet is clean and vibrant, exhibiting flavours of ripe mulberries, notes of confectionary, dark fruits and finest cocoa. The palate is rich and savoury, well balanced and framed by firm a soft tannin structure. The flavour spectrum is well proportioned leaving the oak component to be the secret of the winemaker. Cellar"It will mature gracefully for a further five to eight years with careful cellaring." (Web).Additional NotesIn the most recent contact with an old workmate, David Lands, there came a number of wines from across the country via his prompting. They were all interesting some more than others and some that had that ‘you’d better take me seriously’ aura about them. The Gherardi Merlot was one and this Merops Shiraz is another. (There're still others to be looked at). “Jim and Yvonne Ross went to live in the Margaret River in the 1970s. Merops Vineyard is just seven hundred metres from the Margaret River and a few kms from the famous surfers point break. Our philosophy is to 'care for the environment.' We have grown without the use of chemicals and pesticides since establishment and our full NASAA Organic Certification was achieved in 2009.” AvailabilityPlease contact me or Merops. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 9757 9195 |
 | Minnow Creek ‘The Black Minnow’ 2008Winemaker Tony WalkerWinemakers NotesComprising 65% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Malbec, this is my version of producing a consumer friendly Sangiovese based wine. As is widely known, the vintage had its trials in McLaren Vale. However we managed to pick all fruit prior to the worst of the heat, giving us wines with good berry lift, colour and structure. The wine was blended by the winter of 2008 and was matured in older French oak. Bottling was in mid May 2009. Cellar“The wine is intended to be balanced for drinking on release, and should cellar well for at least three years.” Additional NotesTony is a quiet speaking winemaker who is good at what he does and that’s why ‘The Black Minnow’ is here. There’s no Minnow Creek winery, and I’m not even sure where he makes the wine. But over the years, and he has been around a few now, he has become very good sourcing the grapes from which he produces his wines. They’re regular and ongoing, high quality suppliers. Personally, I would like to see economics pushed back a little and see the wine released as a two year old, even if only for spiritual reasons. But it ain’t, and to leave it till a later Dozen there may well be none around (600 cases), and lost would be the chance to taste this fabulous Malbec blend! Sorry Tony, this Sangiovese blend. AvailabilityPlease contact me or Tony on 0404 288 108 Winery DetailsNo winery as such but contact details are: |
 | Penny’s Hill Mclaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2007Winemaker Ben RiggsWinemakers NotesA rich plum and mulberry nose with spice and savoury earthiness in the glass. Hints of old leather are buried in the complexity, and you’ll find black cherry and blackberry embedded in the layers too. Soft, juicy and extraordinarily generous on the palate, the 2007 Cabernet exudes McLaren Vale, finishing with rich, yet silky fine grained tannins and pleasing length.” CellarAlready a good drinking wine, but being a McLaren Vale Cabernet it will develop for years, up to 10. Additional Notes“Made using only the very best French and American barrels, the wine spent 16 months in new (30%) and three year old oak. The fruit was picked over different days to allow for optimum ripening. We take advantage of these differences by keeping the grapes separate through the winemaking process, which allows Ben access to various components when it comes to final blending, thus maintaining a reputation for fine, complex wine.” There have been some interesting Cabernet Sauvignons this year, wines that have shown ‘earthy’ and other characters which I think in balance is a nice change to the ‘safer’ commercial style from a grape in decline sales wise. Perhaps it will return to true grace through our smaller producers. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 8556 4460 |
 | Racers & Rascals Shiraz 2005Winemaker Rob Dolan (Sticks)Winemakers NotesOur Shiraz vines produced lovely rich, ripe fruit from this vintage. This wine is medium bodied with a sweet ripe nose of blueberries and chocolate and, tasty berry fruits, sweet spice and a soft berry, plummy palate. It finishes with mild, dry tannins. CellarPerfect now and over the next couple of years. Additional NotesUnder Viticulture Notes is the following dedication: “The Racers and Rascals range was named after the Vintage Sports Car Club of Victoria who used to race on a quarter mile track on the Killara property in the 1940s. The wines were designed for fun casual drinking.” This was the original Killara Estate wine chosen for this Dozen and as mentioned the Sparkling Cuvee was included after the fact. This wine, made by Rob ‘Sticks’ Dolan was pointed out quite rightly by Glen Brereton as a ‘sleeper’ in a way because it is such a good value for money wine. The terminology “fun casual drinking” is open to interpretation and for that ‘lot’ to which I belong, it’s a pleasure to drink a wine like this compared to some very expensive ‘overdone’ offerings that seem to appeal to the greater market. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 03 5961 5877 |
 | St Ignatius Hangmans Gully Shiraz 2006Winemaker Enrique DiazWinemakers NotesThis outstanding stylish Shiraz displays deep purple hues and lifted aromatics of cassis and cinnamon. The ripen fruit has undergone fermentation at 26 to 29 °C, followed by an extensive maceration period. The wine was then aged for twelve months in American oak barrels where it acquired an uplifting and long lasting vanilla aroma. Clarification occurred naturally during barrel ageing; it was then lightly filtered at bottling. On the palate the wine is rich and complex showing typical Shiraz character with a long earthy finish. Cellar‘This wine will cellar magnificently over the next eight years” (From the back label). Additional NotesAs with John at Trafford Hill, I spoke with Silvia at St Ignatius about following the seasonal / winemaking course of some wines as a Dozen’s project and she responded by e-mail as follows. “Unlike its predecessors, 2006 Shiraz was aged in American Oak barrels; hence its bouquet is very different to the one present in 2002, 04 and 05 vintages. The choice of oak highlights a quality already present in the wine before ageing: ‘the spices’ (cinnamon, clove and black pepper) somehow reminding you of the blood – red blackcurrant flavour of crème de cassis but without the sweetness of the liqueur as in this case the wine was fermented to dryness. I leave the wine in your hands, hoping that those who have been following our vertical vintages of Shiraz (and its variations including the blend Shiraz Merlot 2005) through the Dozens appreciate the uniqueness of each season and enjoy this new vintage. Salud! Silvia.” Perfect. AvailabilityCellar Door or please contact me. Winery DetailsPhone / Fax: 03 5465 3542 |
 | Trafford Hill ‘Monique’ Family Reserve Red 2005Winemaker John SandersonWinemakers Notes85% Shiraz, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Grenache making up the remainder, the 2005 ‘Monique’ is vintaged from a near perfect growing season. The crushed and fermented grapes were left on skins a little longer resulting in a deep brooding purple colour which is enduring. Two and a half years in better quality French oak, most new with a couple of second use ones has allowed the tannins and oak to achieve a balance rarely achieved beforehand. The immediate bouquet is one of mint chocolate, cassis a blackcurrant. The aromas are instant, no need to wait for the wine to open up. On the palate the wine is smooth with pepper – spice on the tip of the tongue and classic vanillin oak and rich berry fruits. The palate length is very full and follows through with a strong aftertaste.” Cellar“Cellar with confidence to 2012.” Additional NotesI caught up with John and Irene in Sydney recently and a week or so ago had the opportunity to try the Monique on site overlooking their bit of South Australian coastline. John reckons the local tourist mob suggests to travellers to have a look at this view, thus explaining the ‘regular’ drive throughs, not stopping to look at the wines. Cheers! AvailabilityCellar Door or please contact me. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 8558 3595 |
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