Small Winemakers Tasting Dozens |
The Classic May Dozen | |
| ALLINDA ALBA TORO SAVAGNIN 2009Winemaker Al FencarosWinemakers NotesHighly aromatic lychee / kiwifruit nose with some hints of musk bubble gum. The palate is spicy, dry, crisp and refreshing with an elegant rich texture. CellarAccording to The Oxford Companion to Wine: “Jura’s Savagnin is famous for its aroma and ability to age.” (This is in reference to Austria’s Traminer). ‘Alba Toro’ translates to ‘white bull.’ Additional Notes“This variety, Savagnin, not to be confused with Sauvignon Blanc, was introduced into Australia from Spain by the CSIRO, mistakenly in place of the intended Albarino variety. Originating from the Jura Region in eastern France, Savagnin is also found in the Galicia region of Spain where Albarino is the main variety grown. Interestingly, when we traced back further, Savagnin is also related to Pinot Noir. This is an interesting twist to the whole saga as we have grafted our Savagnin onto our Pinot Noir rootstock. Our move away from Pinot Noir towards a Mediterranean variety is in response to dramatic changes we are seeing in our climate with summers becoming much hotter and drier than they were two decades ago. Savagnin, and indeed the intended Albarino, varieties are highly suited to our current climate as they perform extremely well in mild to warm as well as in cool, wet climates.” (Taken from Allinda’s Website.). AvailabilityAvailable To Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 03 5965 2450 Fax: 03 5965 2467 Open: W/E & P/H 11 to 5. Address: 119 Lorimers Lane, Dixons Creek, Victoria, 3775. |
| CLOS HENRI PETIT CLOS PINOT NOIR 2008Winemaker Damien YvonWinemakers NotesWith this fantastic vintage, showing great fruit, dense structures and complexity, we wanted to add a new wine to our range. A wine that is still estate grown, comes from our terroir, but is ready to drink at any moment. With a lovely chocolaty nose, its shows deep black fruit and subtle smoky aromas. And with no sweetness, the mouth follows with luscious fruit and freshness and lithe / supple tannins. A wine made to enjoy. Cellar“Potential 2 – 3 years.” Additional Notes“This wine is a selection of fruit off our Estate and coming from young vines, was fermented and macerated in stainless steel tanks to maintain the fruit aromas. However, to enrich the structure and gain complexity, 9% was aged in new French oak. The fine balance between the fruit and the oak enables us to soften the tannins as well as develop a vibrant and charismatic Pinot Noir to suit every pocket. It is a wine we took pleasure in making. A wine to be enjoyed at its release, and one we want people to have fun with.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 03 572 7923 Fax: 03 572 7926 Open: Daily. Address: 639 State Highway 63, RD 1, Blenheim N.Z., 7204. Web: www.closhenri.com |
 | EDEN VALLEY WINES the Saviours RIESLING 2007Winemakers Stephen Henschke James and Jo IrvineWinemakers’ NotesThe 2007 vintage is platinum with a touch of green, very bright. It exhibits spicy, lifted citrus and a touch of tropical fruits, quite vibrant with full-on steely back, crisp acidity with a totally dry finish. Complex spice of light cinnamon with a touch of fruit over the flinty regional acid character, tangy, lean and taught. Cellar“Has excellent long life potential developing into a classic toasty Riesling at around seven years of age.” Additional Notes“Each year, the Eden Valley is combed by our winemakers to find those members’ vineyards where outstanding Riesling crops show exceptional varietal and regional Riesling characteristics. The winemakers look particularly for the steely acidity and pristine varietal attributes which make great Riesling. The vineyards which contribute the grapes for this wonderful wine include some on ancient soils of low fertility around 500 metres above sea level and others in Eden Valley’s lower reaches, around 400 metres, growing on richer loams.” It seemed a good idea to address the curious side of our makeup to see how Eden Valley people interpret their wonderful gift to the world: those lean, long living Riesling beauties. The back label is well worth a read. AvailabilityAvailable To Retail. Contact DetailsPhone / Fax: 08 8562 4590 There is no cellar door. |
| FREEMAN RONDINELLA CORVINO SECCO 2005Winemaker Brian FreemanWinemakers NotesTo create the Freeman Rondinella Corvina we dry a portion of the grapes in a neighbour’s solar powered prune dehydrator. The grapes are layered on racks and gently heated in air tunnels at 40°C for three days, a process that concentrates flavours and modifies the tannin structure of the seeds. The ‘dried’ grapes are then fermented dry and aged for 12 months in a combination of old French and American barriques. The finished wine carries those distinctive cherry and plum aromas with a warm savoury finish, in classic Amarone style. CellarMedium term 5 to 8 years. Additional NotesThe neighbour’s dehydrator ‘follows’ the tradition in Veneto where grapes are partly dried for two or three months before they are fermented to give a wine “that is intense and long on the palate, rich, yet dry with a hint of bitterness.” Exploring Wines & Spirits C. Fielden and WSET. Corvina and Rondinella are described on the Freeman Website as the ‘backbone’ of Italy’s Amarone and Valpolicella wines and with a long term interest in this style of wine, is the alternative to presenting the Australian drinkers with “another cool climate peppery shiraz label.” Creativity is the small winemakers’ domain and we drinkers are always grateful for their consideration! AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone / Fax: 02 6384 4299 Open: By appointment. Address: 101 Prunvale Road, Prunvale, NSW, 2587. |
 | MICELI LUCY’S CHOICE PINOT NOIR 2006Winemaker Anthony MiceliWinemakers NotesHand picked and crushed into open fermenters in small batches, fermented relatively warm (max 30 – 32 ° C), with part wild yeast ferment, part extended maceration prior to ferment, part extended maceration after ferment, part barrel ferment and part cool ferment. The colour is brilliant deep red. Showing on the palate are: rich dark cherries, coffee, spice and fragrant oak. It is savoury with great length and silky tannins, a wine with body, complexity and depth. This wine benefits from the maturity of the vineyard, our cool maritime climate, our dedicated approach to winemaking, two years maturation in oak and further time in bottle. Cellar“Drinking beautifully, this wine will still improve with a further 5+ years. It benefits from breathing after opening.” Additional Notes“Rich and complex but fine, with great Pinot fruit, lovely oak and great length. Contrary to the opinion of many Australians, this variety cannot show its true value without prolonged maturation, particularly from our cool climate (we pick at comparable times to Burgundy). Do not underestimate this variety, when grown in the cool, even conditions it relishes, and given time and sympathetic winemaking, it will show the depth and subtlety worthy of the most noble of all red varieties. Lucy is our eldest daughter, and it is with pride that her name is given to this wine.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone / Fax: 03 5989 2755 Open: 1st weekend of the month 9 to 5. Address: 60 Main Road Creek, Arthurs Seat, Vic., 2755. |
 | MT BILLY HARMONY SHIRAZ GRENACHE MATARO 2007Winemakers Dan Standish and John EdwardsWinemakers NotesThe colour is bright and inky, with a dark plum rim. The nose is elegant, a complex blend of spicy plum, raspberry and minerally blackberry, some cream and a hint of smoked / cured meats and licorice. The palate is well balanced, very elegant, a seamless integration of flavours as expected from the bouquet, finishing with long, gamey, tart dried plum, fine textured black tea tannins, with hints of black olive and dried orange peel. CellarMedium term 5 to 8 years. Additional Notes“In 1993 John and Pauline Edwards planted three acres of Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier in the “backyard” at their Victor Harbour home in the Southern Fleurieu Peninsula. In 1998 John and a close friend picked over a machine harvested vineyard in Lyndoch in the Barossa Valley. Scavenging about half a tonne of fruit, they made a ‘not bad wine’ which helped fuel the love of Rhone styled / varieties wine. The following year, the chance to vinify a tonne of dry grown Grenache from an 80 year old vineyard with some five year old Shiraz proved too exciting, and Mt Billy is the result.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 0416 227 100 Fax: 08 8552 8333 Open: No Cellar Door. Address: 18 Victoria Street, Victor Harbour, S.A., 5211. Web: |
 | PARACOMBE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2009Winemaker Paul DrogemullerWinemakers NotesThe 2009 season produced lower yields for Sauvignon Blanc with this vintage showing lifted aromas, good flavour definition balanced with excellent natural acidity. The result is a stunning wine with long lasting flavours and soft crispness on the palate. The bouquet shows enticing, lifted passionfruit and tropical aromas, good flavour definition and mineral notes for a clean, lingering finish. Paracombe continues its strong reputation as a consistent benchmark wine. This vintage is no exception. CellarTypically, this wine is recommended to be drunk early, in the first couple of years after release. Cellar Ref: SWTD August 2005. Additional Notes“2009 was a superb vintage for Paracombe Wines. After a warm start to the season, the weather settled down to perfect sunny days and cool nights. Grapes were harvested from late February to late March from Paul and Kathy Drogemuller’s Paracombe vineyard and specialist Adelaide Hills’ growers.” Adelaide Hills does indeed have a ‘strong’ reputation for this variety. All Paracombe whites stand up nicely, and over the years their Sauvignon Blanc has developed a similarly muscular repute, due in no doubt to its consistency via high quality home grown fruit. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 8380 5058 Fax: 08 8380 5488 Open: Not Web: paracombewines.com |
 | SHAW VINEYARD ESTATE SHIRAZ CABERNET 2008Winemakers Bryan Currie and Graeme ShawWinemakers NotesFermentation on skins in open fermenters with subsequent maturation in predominantly French oak barrels for 19 months prior to bottling. Stelvin closures are used for freshness and to ensure long term quality. The wine is a delightful mix of spicy elegant Shiraz and rich berry Cabernet resulting in a silky fruit driven wine. 70% Shiraz and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cellar“Should cellar up to 10 years or more.” Additional NotesPaul Sanderson from Haviland Wine Merchants was keen to introduce the Shaw Vineyard Estate wines to the Dozens, but perhaps this wine wasn’t his first choice. As is my way I was interested in this ‘classic’ blend. I have a glass of the very same wine beside me poured from a bottle at half ullage that was opened five days ago. The colour is impressively deep and red with a youthful crimson edge; and after all this time open the nose is ‘still standing,’ fresh with a nice lift of a little pepper and cedar. An interesting wine to begin with that opens out to a very impressive ‘Canberra’ wine. It did open as described: very berry – like Cabernet and fruit driven. Airing is the answer. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 02 6227 5827 Open: Wed. to Sun. & Pub. Hols. 10 to 5. Address: 34 Isabel Drive, Murrumbateman, NSW, 2582. Web: |
 | SILVERWOOD ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2008Winemakers Paul Dennis Philip Kittle & Andrew ThomsonWinemakers NotesThe wine shows a vibrant pale straw in the glass with restrained peach and citrus aromas. The clean, fresh palate has citrus flavours with a touch of peach, nectarine and melon complemented by a light buttery malolactic background. The wine has a fine structure framed by delicate 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 grapes are whole bunch pressed to tank, chilled and allowed to settle overnight. The juice is transferred to barrel and fermented using indigenous and cultured yeasts. Approximately 20% new oak is used from the best Burgundy cooperages including Taransaud and Francois Freres. Maturation in barrel takes place over 10 months before filtering and bottling. We employ a non-interventional approach in order to allow the wine to fully reflect the vineyard site and season. We DO NOT use fining agents that may have an allergenic effect, such as chemicals, egg whites or fish products. In this way we are allowing the fruit flavours developed in the vineyard to be fully expressed without manipulation or enhancement. The Silverwood hallmarks are found in this outstanding example. The winemaking has given the fruit front-stage in a complete expression of vineyard terroir. Silverwood Chardonnays are elegant but complex.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 0419 890 317 Fax: 03 8317 6642 Open: Not open for tasting. Address: 66 Bittern – Dromana Road, Balnarring, Victoria, 3926. Web: |
 | STEVENS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006Winemaker Graham StevensWinemakers Notes"Cabernet Sauvignon grapes have become one of the most popular varieties grown in the McLaren Vale wine region. This wine is truly a great McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon. With 15 months ageing in new French oak barrels, this wine shows supreme balance of varietal fruit characteristics with excellent wood integration.” Notes taken from the back label. CellarEight to ten years with ease. Additional NotesWe missed out in February as hoped (November), but here it is. There is an interesting excerpt on the Website described below under the title of Water Conservation. “Graham Stevens remains passionate about the environment and conserving our most precious resource, water. Graham manages his vineyard with precision and meticulous care. His 50 years of experience on the land has taught him about nature, and his conscientious vineyard cultivation practices means he is able to achieve what many vignerons and experts would claim ‘impossible.’ Graham’s vineyard produces extremely high quality fruit, whilst only using as little as 25% of the water per acre as some vineyards in the region.” AvailabilityCellar Door or please contact me. Winery DetailsPhone / Fax: 08 8383 0997 Open: Thurs. to Tues. 10.30 to 4.30. Address: Ingolby Road, McLaren Vale, 5171. |
 | WILLOW BRIDGE GRAVEL PIT SHIRAZ VIOGNIER 2008Winemaker David CrawfordWinemakers Notes95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier, this wine has an instant floral appeal from the Viognier. It is a wine that is continuing the tradition of this blend within the Ferguson Valley. Co fermented with the Viognier, the rich Shiraz flavours of plum and mocha chocolate are complimented by subtle oak usage that gives length of flavour and structure. 40% new French Barriques and 60% 1 year old French Barriques. Cellar“It is a wine that has been crafted to cellar carefully over eight to ten years to reward the patient with a full, soft and complex wine.” Additional Notes“With the development of the Willow Bridge Estate site in 1996, gravel for the roads was excavated from a site that now is home to some of our best producing Shiraz vines. The vines are naturally restricted in vigour and as a result, produce fruit that is heavily concentrated.” This wine was a recommendation of Paul Sanderson from Haviland Wine Co in February, but it seemed like a better bet for a Dozen in the cooler part of the calendar. There is one slight contradiction I noticed where the Technical Data sheet has the alcohol level at 14.1% and the bottle carries a rating of 14.5%. Interesting! AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 9728 0055 Fax: 08 9728 0066 Open: Days 11 to 5. Address: Gardin Court Drive, Dardanup, W.A., 6236. Web: |
 | WISE LOT 80 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007Winemakers Jake Bacchus and Andrew BromleyWinemakers Notes100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the grapes were hand picked and crushed into open stainless steel vats. Cool processing and low fermentation temperatures were employed to retain aromatics and flavours. Extended fermentation on skins allowed good extraction, ensuring fine tannins, deep colour and flavour retention. The wine was matured in predominantly older quality French barriques and 30% in new French oak. The wine is deep purple in colour. The nose is a fragrant mix of cassis, plums, black berries and ground espresso beans. These characters are also evident on the palate, and are supported by mouth feel, fine tannin structure and a lengthy finish. Well integrated oak supports the fruit in a wine of excellent balance.” Cellar“Cellar carefully for up to eight years for maximum enjoyment.” Additional Notes“The Eagle Bay estate vineyard is one of the northern most vineyards of the Margaret River region and sees slightly warmer days during the growing and ripening season and consequently slightly earlier harvest dates than the southern vineyards. The proximity to the ocean with its cooling sea breezes allows maximum air flow through the vineyard, reducing disease pressures and therefore allowing the use of fewer chemicals to give healthy, clean vines.” Glen Brereton on the job again, recommending this wine as a classic Margaret River Cabernet, and there is not much more one can say. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 9756 8627 Fax: 08 9756 870 Open: Daily 10 to 5. Address: Lot 4 Eagle Bay Road, Dunsborough, W.A., 6281. Web: |
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