Small Winemakers Tasting Dozens |
The Classic August Dozen | |
| CSU Cellar Reserve TUMBARUMBA CHARDONNAY 2010Winemaker Andrew DrummWinemaker’s NotesGrapes for this wine were grown in the cool-climate Tumbarumba Region of the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. 2010 was warm, which allowed fruit to ripen evenly. Bright, pale green-gold, reflecting the high quality fruit, the wine opens with lifted toasty oak leading to citrus fruit and buttery barrel fermentation characters on the nose. The palate has grapefruit and white peach fruit flavours supported by toasty oak (12 months in French oak puncheons), and some minerally texture. And whilst quite restrained, the palate has excellent length and balance. Cellar“2012 to 2016.” Additional NotesI caught up with Justin Byrne in July, just passed, on a trip to Orange to check out a few things that included a visit to his new 'shed.' Charles Sturt Uni has recently opened a new Cellar Door on their Orange Campus (address below). A good chance to see what was currently available. There were a number of good leads, but this 2010 Chardonnay from Tumbarumba fruit, already scoring in the early to mid nineties in shows / write-ups was the first choice for this Dozen on the day. I look forward to seeing it 'build' over the next six to twelve months. Whilst there, a number of other visitors found their way to this new Orange destination, and it was good to see Justin is still in very good form with his people skills as he warmly welcomed all, and deftly took them through the wines. If you're lucky to catch him at it, you'll enjoy the experience. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 02 6933 2453 |
| d'ARENBERG DADD SPARKLING WHITE NVWinemakers Chester Osborn and Jack WaltonWinemaker’s NotesChardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier were sourced from the cool-climate Adelaide Hills for this wine. These parcels were picked slightly earlier than would be normal for a table wine in order to achieve the crisp taste and acidity that define sparkling wine. These grapes were gently crushed in the cool of night and transferred to stainless steel to undergo fermentation. Following primary fermentation the wine was blended to get the right balance and then bottled and inoculated with yeast and sugar to encourage secondary fermentation. This secondary fermentation creates the bubbles and aids in building complexity of the finished wine. During this process the wines are riddled to stir up the yeast. The wine is then transferred to pressurised tanks to discard the unwanted yeast cells and to finalise the blend. The wine is then bottled under pressure to maintain the precious bubbles. The bouquet has touches of granny smith and brioche with hints of toasted nuts. It has a fine bead with a creamy and vibrant mousse. The palate is dry, delicate and balanced with oyster shell and lemon like acidity. There is a distinct grapefruit pith character which is long and mineral that rounds out the long and complex palate. The creamy Chardonnay character on the palate gives it a poised, polished and focussed feel. CellarDrink NOW! Additional NotesSince 1912, four generations of the Osborn family have tended the 19th century vineyards at their d'Arenberg winery in McLaren Vale, South Australia. Joseph Osborn purchased the property and vineyard;Frank built the winery, and d'Arry created the red stripe adorning every bottle. The current chief winemaker, Chester Osborn, draws inspiration from his Great Grandfather, his Grand-Dad and his Dad to make the winery's first sparkling wine. Their contributions have been so significant he felt that each dad deserved his own D in the title. One D each. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 8329 4888 |
 | DOWN TO EARTH WRATTONBULLY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2012Winemaker Xavier BizotWinemaker’s NotesThe Sauvignon Blanc fruit was picked off our close spaced vineyard in Wrattonbully and was then transported to the Tiers winery in the Piccadilly Valley in the Adelaide Hills where juice was fermented at 15°C in stainless steel. This being the unwooded version of the two wines made from this source. Temperature controlled fermentation means we retain the varietal phenolics and aromatics adding to the depth of fruit flavours in the wine, fine pear and pineapple. The evolving fruit lift complements mineral nuances, finishing dry with a crisp citrusy acidity. CellarDrink young and fresh version. Additional Notes“Terre a Terre is a French expression meaning Down to Earth, and is a small Australian wine 'domaine' run by husband and wife team Xavier Bizot and Lucy Croser. The close-spaced, seven acre Terre a Terre vineyard is located next to Tapanappa's Whalebone Vineyard at the top of a North-South limestone ridge in Wrattonbully, one of Australia's most exciting regions. The climate is similar to Saint Emilion in France. First planted in 2004 with two hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and three of Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2008, one hectare each of Cabernet Franc and Shiraz were also planted.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. No Cellar Door. |
| KRINKLEWOOD BASKET PRESS SHIRAZ 2010Winemakers Liz Jackson and Ron WindrumWinemaker’s NotesThis parcel of Shiraz was hand-picked in pristine condition on the 22nd March 2010. It was the first fruit to go through our new French Bucher Basket Press in our small cellar door winery. We used the open fermenters with a high proportion of whole bunch ferment. This gives the wine a greater complexity and the resultant Rhone-style that we adore. The wine was matured in aged French barriques for 16 months. Bright red with a purple hue, this wine is packed with herb and spice savoury notes, and a touch of cinnamon. It has ripe cherry and plum and berry flavours balanced with subtle well integrated French oak. It is a lovely smooth Rhine-style Shiraz with cool bright acidity on the finish. CellarDrinking very well now and will continue to develop medium term of five to eight years. Additional NotesThis is the new vintage of their Shiraz. The 2009 Shiraz was in the May 2011 Dozen which followed the Semillon in February. And of course the Chardonnay this May. The simple point is they've all been really good as far as I can see. I was always going to look out for the 2010, and just recently I heard a Melbourne wine writer raving about the 2010 Hunter Valley reds. Things have changed! AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 02 9986 1644 |
 | LE BOURGOGNE CHANSON PINOT NOIR 2010Winemaker Jean Pierre ConfuronWinemaker’s NotesGrapes are exclusively sourced from select vineyards (clay-limestone) in the Cote de Nuits, from plots of Domain Chanson and from Terroirs located in the south of the Cote de Beaune. After a very cold winter and a demanding spring, the hot summer was regularly interrupted by cold and rainy intervals which by early September gave way to a bright and warm weather, speeding up the maturation of grapes. Harvest began in the last days of September under bright sunshine. The finished wine is bright red in colour with dark purple nuances. Intense aromas of red berries mixed with liquorice and spices. The palate shows very pure fruit. Tight and crunchy texture, and a long and refreshing after-taste. Cellar“Super 'everyday' Burgundy.” Additional NotesI had been 'talking' on the phone, the way I know best, to Nicholas Gibson, an old friend of the Dozens for a couple of weeks knowing he had a whole new bag of goods to explore. With him were any number of open bottles of these 'goods' to have a look at, but we couldn't cross paths. Eventually, late on a recent Friday afternoon I was summoned to the high verandah on home turf to see the 'goods.' Lurking behind a number of wines was this Burgundy, which at that stage had been opened for a couple of days. Priced to fit the purpose, it would also add an interesting variation to the lot. I left with a number of other future possibilities. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. |
 | MOUNT MAJURA VINEYARD GRACIANO 2010Winemaker Frank van de LooWinemaker’s NotesHand picked 28-4-2010 at 12.9 Be. Fermented in a open vat with hand plunging. Matured in open French oak barriques for six months and bottled under screwcap. A vibrant and fresh aroma that is slightly riper than in most years, with a wonderful red berry fruit and hints of spice and pepper. A light to medium bodied wine, though with deep colour. The palate flows beautifully from spice and fleshy red fruit with a savoury edge, to fine suede-like tannins. Cellar“Graciano is generally suited to ageing, and we hope this wine will age well, but this is only our fifth vintage bottled, so time will tell.” Additional Notes“Mount Majura Vineyard's hand-crafted wines benefit from the unique combination of red volcanic limestone-containing soils, an easterly aspect and a cool climate. These features are consistently expressed in intense, elegant and complex wines. There is some similarity between Canberra and the leading Spanish regions of Rioja and Ribera del Duero, which led us to plant Tempranillo and then Graciano. Graciano is a minor variety in Rioja, considered to be of very high quality and used in blends for its good acidity. In our vineyard it is somewhat difficult to grow and late ripening but shows great distinctiveness.” AvailabilityCellar Door or please contact me. Winery DetailsPhone: 02 6262 3070 |
 | PIZZINI SANGIOVESE SHIRAZ 2010Winemakers Alfred & Joel PizziniWinemaker’s Notes65% Sangiovese and 35% Shiraz. Some batches of Sangiovese were fermented at a warm 30 ° C to extract as much flavour, tannin and texture as possible. The remainder was fermented at a lower temperature of 23 degrees C to help retain freshness and lifted fruit characters. The Shiraz was fermented at 25 ° C to extract more delicate aromatics and fruit flavour. Both varieties were matured in stainless steel to impart freshness into the wine. The wine is bright violet in colour. The nose has lifted aromatics of exotic fruits and spices, with smacks of raspberries, cherries, plums and hints of spicy oak and earthy tones. The palate is soft and round. It has a subtle tannin profile and gentle acidity with cherry, plum and savoury notes. The wine is generous with lovely drinkability. Cellar“This is our 'vino di tavola' Chianti style made for drinking now and every day.” Additional Notes“Bud burst began in mid September. November was cold with the exception of one week of very hot drying temperatures, and irrigation was needed for some sites to maintain vine health. December saw average summer temperatures but the nights were also warm, this helped to increase the rate at which the fruit ripened. There were some nights when picking the whites, that the temperature was still 18 ° C at 3am. Then three days and 5 &1/2 inches of rain. This caused a few disease problems in some vineyard sites but our great sites prevailed. The reds from 2010 vintage have great varietal character with medium term aging potential.” You can catch a train, bus or drive the same route to work everyday and hardly notice or think about the conditions and situations described above. Walking may be the go. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 03 5729 8278 |
 | ROUTE DU VAN DOLCETTO SHIRAZ 2010Winemakers Tod DexterWinemaker’s Notes70% Dolcetto from the King Valley and Alpine Valley; 30% Shiraz from the Goulburn Valley. The colour is bright red/crimson/magenta bright. Smell is of violets, savoury, spicy earth and liquorice and a touch of black cherries. The palate is black cherries, spicy fine tannins and a balanced long flavour. Fresh acidity, fruity smooth, floral. Delicious mouth filling, forest smell …......earthy. CellarYou get the feeling you should drink it now. Additional NotesThe Notes for this wine begins with a line that may help you understand the above description, I hope so. “We've asked our friends to help us describe our wines. Here is their response.” There is no doubt they like it, but what are friends for anyway? Seriously though, only to a point, when I saw this page of two Route du Van wines, I thought here is someone who enjoys them self, and so I asked Paul Stenmark of Winestock about it. Not only was he encouraging in general, “you should try the white,” seemed to be his message. I liked this wine, with interest prompted initially by the Dolcetto component. I don't know enough about the operation, but according to their Website, there is more than one person involved. And I like their whimsy, and their approach. Availability Available to Retail. |
 | STANTON & KILLEEN CABERNET FRANC 2010Winemakers Brendan Heath and Simon KilleenWinemaker’s NotesAn easy-drinking wine, the Cabernet Franc is fruit driven with lovely soft tannins. On the bouquet are lifted rhubarb and violets with the palate having firm balance and flavours of mulberry and cherries. A versatile wine that goes well with a wide range of cuisine. Cellar“Enjoy now or suitable for short term cellaring.” Additional NotesInclusion of Stanton and Killeen wines in previous Dozens was via the local wholesaler. I receive a twice annually six pack from Cellar Door or their Newsletter showing what was currently available. Convention has it that Retail goes wholesale! However, the sync is never there of what was available from both sources at the same time. Previous S&K wines worked out OK. Long story so far. This time, after seeing the Cabernet Franc 2010 in the six pack, I was very interested. About the same time the July Newsletter arrived showing the wine saying that “it is the first release of this single variety wine.” Unavailable through the wholesale channel, I contacted the Winery to secure the wine here. As with a lot of the S&K red wines, for me, they need a good airing to blow off that oak 'forwardness.' After that you can tap into the subtle nuances of an impressive Rutherglen character. AvailabilityCellar Door or please contact me. Winery DetailsPhone: 02 6032 9457 |
 | STEVENS FLEURIEU CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009Winemaker Graham StevensWinemaker’s NotesThis Cabernet Sauvignon was made from nine year-old vines growing in Mount Compass in the Southern Fleurieu Region of South Australia. A higher altitude, higher rainfall and a slightly cooler climate than McLaren Vale. Fermentation in open 1000L fermenters, in a temperature controlled environment, the initial fermentation was completed in six days. During this time Graham and Carolyn hand pumped and rummaged (plunged) each fermenter twice daily to increase juice/skin contact, and enhance tannins, colour and aromas. The grapes were pressed using traditional basket press methods. Careful attention was made to ensure no aggressive tannic/phenolic compounds were imparted into the wine by over extraction during the pressing process. The wine was matured for 15 months in new French oak (300 litre hogsheads). The oak integration complementing the the quality varietal Cabernet Sauvignon fruit flavours. An elegant, dry red wine showing outstanding varietal and mint characters typical of fruit grown in a cool-climate . Cellar“A pleasure to drink now and over the next 3 to 5 years.” Additional NotesCarolyn brought this wine to my attention at the time of the May Dozen. She described as a reminder, the oppressive heat of the 2009, and their decision to look around for some Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from the cooler Southern Fleurieu. Remembering some terrific Trafford Hill Cabernets, I was listening! I was very aware of their enthusiasm in the resultant wine, even this was winning me. Would it still be around for August, I asked? Aware it to be a totally unfair question, I wondered. Carolyn then mentioned it's unusually low alcohol content in a comment referring to it's great elegance. It's a must, I thought. AvailabilityCellar Door or please contact me. Winery DetailsPhone/Fax: 08 8383 0997 |
 | TIM ADAMS CLARE VALLEY RIESLING 2012Winemaker Tim AdamsWinemaker’s NotesRemaining true to our commitment to make quality Riesling expressing true regionalism, only free run juice was used to make this premium Clare Valley Riesling. Following crushing, de juicing and juice clarification, fermentation proceeded for two weeks at 12 to 14° C. The wine has been protein and cold stabilised to normal standards and fined with isinglass. Minimal sulphur dioxide has been used. The use of only free run juice at crushing has resulted in this wine being very intensely flavoured and aromatic. The wine has very lifted varietal Riesling character with floral and citrus aromatics of lime and lemon. The palate is seamless with moderate viscosity and brisk acid finish. Cellar“Use as an aperitif or with any seafood. Riesling wines from the Clare Gallery are most enjoyable when young and zesty, or left to mature beyond five years of age.” Additional NotesAs already mentioned, there are 'mumblings' about that the 2010 Hunter Valley reds are worth a serious look. The same can be said of the 2012 Clare Valley Rieslings. I was talking, again, to Nicholas Gibson (who has nothing to do with Tim Adams Wines) generally, about Clare Valley red wines and the conversation was on the Malbec blends and a belief in its positive presence. That old chestnut! And he said: “Have you seen the Tim Adams 2012 Riesling.” At the time I said, 'no.' AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 8842 2429 |
 | YARRAWOOD YARRA VALLEY PINOT NOIR 2010Winemaker Travis Bush (Contract)Winemaker’s NotesGrapes were harvested from a single vineyard in the cool of the morning over three separate pickings between late February and mid March 2010. Fruit was destemmed only, and pumped into small static fermenters. The whole berries were inoculated through the top of the tank and then allowed to soak for 48 hours. Pump-over and aeration techniques were then used to encourage extraction of colour, fine tannins and assist with ferment. Each ferment was then pressed and a parcel selection and blend was made. The single wine proceeded through a fast malolactic fermentation. After racking it was matured in French oak for 16 months. Only a light filtration was required prior to bottling. As described on the back label, the wine appears burgundy in colour with a violet hue. The nose is plum, dark cherry and clove which carries over to the palate with plum, cherry fruits and spice. CellarEnjoy on release and over the next couple of years. Additional NotesI was talking to that woman Jacki Osborn again, this time about the sparkling wine in this lot, when she asked me if I had heard about her great secret? Unsure of how to respond, I decided to take a straight bat and said, 'no.' Momentarily, and in this situation I forgot her real purpose. She said: “the Yarrawood Pinot Noir is great value.” I was all over the place at first but quickly recovered on this line. The Dozens always need a couple of 'good value' wines and I think this one does a great job. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 03 9730 2003 |
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