Small Winemakers Tasting Dozens |
The Classic Spring Dozen | |
| CHAIN OF PONDS SECTION 400 PINOT NOIR 2012Winemaker Greg ClackWinemaker’s NotesThe grapes were crushed and de-stemmed soon after receipt and cold soaked for 48 hours before inoculation. The juice was then fermented with minimal cap management in open static fermenters with a varietal enhancing yeast to preserve the fresh primary fruit aromas of Pinot Noir. It was pressed off skins after seven days of fermentation and transferred straight into French oak to ensure the complete integration of oak and fruit. Malo-lactic fermentation was completed while in oak and the wine was then racked and returned post malo for maturation. The colour is cherry red with crimson plum hue. On the nose you are initially greeted by lifted berry, rhubarb and blueberry with nuances of fresh beetroot and dried sage. An underlying aroma of eucalypt is seamlessly integrated with aromatic savoury oak. The medium bodied palate shows trueness of fruit from the sites selected; sour cherry and rhubarb with hints of eucalypt from the northern hills and red and blueberry fruits with hints of strawberry from the southern hills. Great palate volume with lifted, lively acidity. Structural tannins which are firm yet velvety add a subtle savoury note that is integrated with the fruit length in the wine. CellarEnjoy on release and over the next three to five years. Additional Notes“Fruit for the Section 400 Pinot Noir is sourced from a number of premium Adelaide Hills vineyards. A combination of east and north facing slopes with different clonal material produce distinctly different flavours which combine to complement each other.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 8389 1415 |
| DELATITE ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2012Winemaker Andy BrowningWinemaker’s NotesThe 2012 Pinot Noir has rich layers of flavour and complexity. The colour is a deep red, with hints of purple, while the nose shows alluring black cherry and plum characters. The palate again shows these sweet fruit characters with layers of spice, mushroom and interesting tarry characters from the barrels. The finish is long and intense. Enjoy this Pinot Noir with the classic Pinot accompaniments like duck and other rich, gamey meats. Cellar“Cellaring potential will reward careful storage for up to 15 years.” Additional Notes“Our Pinot Noir is exclusively hand picked, then divided up into various fermentation treatments, to give complexity to the final wine. These treatments include whole bunch fermentation, carbonic maceration and standard open fermentations. All our Pinot Noir was wild fermented to ensure full expression of our unique 'Terroir,' and hand plunged three times a day to extract all the potential colour and flavour locked in the grape skins. Most of the batches were then left on their skins post fermentation to extract tannin and then pressed off to tank. The wine was mature in oak barrels with 40% new French oak adding further complexity and tannin structure before being bottled without filtration” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 03 5775 2922 |
 | DYSON PREMIUM RESERVE SHIRAZ 2011Winemaker Allan DysonWinemaker’s Notes"Most of the grapes for this wine were grown by Richard and Janice Evans on their Willunga Vineyard in McLaren Vale, 'with a little bit of Shiraz off my block.' Grapes were hand picked and chilled over night in our cool room, and then crushed into open fermenters, naturally fermented with hand plunging every four hours, day and night for a fortnight. And then gently basket pressed. The wine was then put into a mix of new to three year-old French barriques for 18 months where it went through malo-lactic fermentation. The wine was then settled and bottled. Elegant, complex, savoury characters with dark spicy berry fruit, even subtle tannins and well balanced oak are features of this unique single vineyard wine.” Mainly from the label. It's all there. CellarFive to eight years plus. Additional NotesI caught up with Allan a few weeks ago and had lunch with him, Richard from Willunga (above) and another neighbour, Darrel, also a grape grower. It seems there is an ongoing creative partnership between friends in the classical winemaker / grape grower sense. Both growers have varieties Allan is interested in, and Darrel also plans a label of his own. On the day, Allan brought to the restaurant a bottle of his first Pinot Noir made from a number of clones which were grafted onto existing rootstock. Anxiety in Allan was high, as it had only been bottled 16 hours. He had resisted an early look at the wine at breakfast time. I always looked forward to anything he does, and this is due mainly after trying his Chardonnay (February 2011Dozen), a lifted and somewhat delicate wine from the warmth of McLaren Vale. When released, the Pinot has an elegance that will surprise as well. AvailabilityCellar Door or contact me. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 8386 1092 |
| FORREST MARLBOROUGH PINOT GRIS 2013Winemaker John ForrestWinemaker’s NotesAn attractive nose of royal gala apple, orange blossom and nashi pear, with a hint of ripe stone fruit and honeysuckle. On the palate, this beautifully balanced wine is rich, soft and rounded, showing savoury spicy notes with a weighty, oily texture. A hint of natural fruit sweetness leads to a lingering exotic finish; serve chilled on a hot summer's day. CellarMade to enjoy on release. Additional Notes“Our Pinot Gris is grown on two distinctly different vineyard sites within the Wairu River Valley - the first of these sites; geologically young soils predominantly made up of recently deposited Wairu River stone. Gravel and silt. Pinot Gris from this site has a delicate citrus and apple flavour profile, crisp acidity and fine minerality. The second site, on the Northbank of the Wairu River where the soil is a mixture of river stones and Kaituna clay, gives a much more exotic flavour profile – orange blossom, peach. Asian pear and honeysuckle. The grapes were hand harvested, whole bunch pressed, cold settled and cool fermented prior to blending and finishing for bottling in spring.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: +64 3 572 9084 (Local) |
 | HAPPS MARGARET RIVER PF RED 2013Winemakers Earl Happ and Mark WarrenWinemaker’s NotesPinot Noir 81%, Tinta Cao 13%, Malbec 4% and Grenache 2%. Matured for 18 months in stainless steel. The colour has medium intensity with a red / purple hue. A clear indication that the wine has escaped the harmful effects of oxidation despite the absence of the antioxidant sulphur dioxide. The nose shows ripe strawberry, cherry, cocoa and truffle aromas with hints of dried herb and raspberry jam. The palate is medium bodied with flavours of cherry, plum skin and dark chocolate with hints of liquorice and green plum. The tannins are soft and fine while the finish is persistent and juicy. Cellar"PF will hold its condition in the bottle as well as any wine containing preservative. A minimum of five years may be expected. A tasting of all our PF Reds since 1994 confirmed the point. There is little however to be gained in cellaring beyond four years. It is our aim to produce a wine that can be consumed with satisfaction from release." Additional NotesRecently, Nicholas Gibson decided to take up the Sales end of these wines in Sydney after he and a friend (Ian Hunt, whom I met in the early 70s when he was with Tyrrells Wines), tried 20 of Happs wines, and in their words: 'couldn't find a dud.' It was of course an understatement. They were impressed with all the wines, very impressed in some cases. Years ago I thought the PF Red was a very interesting blend, and here is a reminder. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 9755 3300 |
 | HAREWOOD ESTATE FRANKLAND RIVER RIESLING 2015Winemakers James Kellie & Paul NelsonWinemaker’s NotesA long, cool ferment in stainless steel tanks, minimal fining and the use of screw caps are all further steps towards capturing the inherent delicacy of this cool climate variety. A brilliant, exceptionally pale straw colour with youthful green tinges. The wine exhibits pungent spicy blossom and hints of stone fruits enhanced by an underlying citrus vibrancy. A seamless palate, with initial flavours of passion fruit and lemon barley leads to a spicy mid-palate with hints of citrus peel finishing with classic mouth-watering lemons and limes. The fine structure is testament to the care taken during this wine's production. Cellar“This wine's youthful intensity and fruit-driven vibrancy can be enjoyed over the next two to three years. Cellaring for up to 10 years will be rewarded with classic complex, toasty, textured characters of an aged cool-climate Riesling.” Additional Notes“The grapes for this wine were sourced from single vineyard in the Frankland River, the most northerly sub-region of Western Australia's Great Southern wine region. Only the finest, more pristine, 'free-run” juice was used in the production of this wine resulting in a palate of outstanding elegance, free from the harsh, phenolic characters associated with pressings.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 9840 9078 |
 | HEMERA SV BAROSSA SEMILLON 2014Winemaker Alex PeelWinemaker’s NotesThe Semillon grapes are from the 'Gully Block' in the Southern Foothills of the Barossa. In this cool sub-region the grapes ripen on the southern facing slopes, benefiting from the gentle gully breezes. The aspect is free from frost and the soil is fine grain loam. At optimum ripeness the grape parcels are brought into the winery where they are gently crushed into the air bag press. Only 'free-run' juice is used in this wine as it contains the purest fruit flavours and minimal phenolics. For maximum fruit retention, the fermentation took place at cool temperatures of 10 to 14 ºC. This individual wine is crafted to display purity of fruit and vibrancy. The nose is full of fresh citrus, melon and white peaches. The palate is rich and silky from lees stirring, with the lemon and mandarin flavours lingering all the way to the lush finish with some nutty undertones. Cellar“Six to eight years.” Additional Notes“The 2014 Vintage saw the hottest summer recorded in South Australia. With 13 days reaching 40 degrees or above and normally followed by strong winds at night. This resulted in lower crops than the average and early ripening across most varieties. After the heat, a rain event caused the most February rain for 30 years, providing beneficial moisture and berry flavour to develop alongside sugar formation. The resultant wine is abundant in fruit with elegant mouth-feel.” At 85% Semillon and 15% Chardonnay, it is just legal to be called Semillon, and what good fun this wine is. A wonderful style. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 8524 4033 |
 | MI TERRUNO UVAS MALBEC 2014Winemakers Maria Eugenia and Sergio GimenezWinemaker’s Notes100% Malbec hand-picked off a 45 year old vineyard at 700m in late March. Grapes were destemmed and crushed. Maceration took place before fermentation. The fermentation lasted 10 days in stainless steel tanks at 25 to 29 ºC. Natural Malolactic fermentation. 20% of the wine was then aged for two months in American oak barrels. The wine was filtered and bottled. The wine has a vibrant red colour with violet hues. The nose presents a fine mix of red fruit and fresh herbs. Well balanced in the mouth with firm and silky tannins. Medium bodied wine with a long and savoury finish. CellarEnjoy on release and over the next three or so years. Additional NotesThings have changed at Untapped Fine Wines. Glen, who has for some time now answered the call, so to speak has now moved on, again! I would ask him if he had ideas here or there on current imports, and you would get a detailed run-down, at the end of which would be his preferences, which was where I was headed all along, but it took time. Untapped now has a new fellow, Harry, who is thankfully very keen, and together we have come up with a couple of wines, including this Malbec, which I think 'fits' well in this Dozen. A family owned winery in Maipu county in the Provence of Mendoza. Glen had the time and opportunity to see these wines, 'Internationals,' early. Wines that are in increasing numbers in our Retail world. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery Web: www.bodegamiterruno.com.ar/english/index2.html |
 | MOUNT MAJURA CHARDONNAY 2013Winemaker Dr Frank Van de LooWinemaker’s NotesGrapes were hand picked in early March at an average of 11.9 Baume. Only free-run and lightly-pressed juice was used, with minimal settling, and entirely fermented in French oak barriques (16% new). Ferments were entirely by the indigenous yeast. The wine was stirred on yeast lees for nine months and one quarter of the barrels underwent malolactic fermentation. A complex and beguiling Chardonnay, the citrus/grapefruit character meshes with barrel ferment savouriness. On the palate it has fruit purity and drive, complemented by creaminess from lees contact and a grilled nuts savouriness from solids fermentation. Cellar“Drink now to 2024.” Additional Notes“Chardonnay is clearly one of the best-suited varieties to our site, consistently producing wines that combine intensity of flavour with richness and balance. Our Chardonnay style has been changing and is now entirely wild fermented. The emphasis is on complexity and depth of character, combined with intense fruit and crisp structure. 2013 was simply an outstanding vintage. Temperatures were fairly average during the season, though nights were cooler in spring and autumn, and there were hot days in January. Rainfall was low at critical times, allowing some stress on vines post flowering, resulting in greater intensity in fruit. Vintage was very benign, without the rain and disease pressure of recent years, allowing grapes to be picked at optimal ripeness. The Chardonnay grapes for this wine were picked at modest yields with outstanding flavour and balance.” AvailabilityCellar Door or please contact me. Winery DetailsPhone: 02 6262 3070 |
 | OPTIMISTE TEMPRANILLO 2013Winemaker Jacob Stein (Contract)Winemaker’s NotesThe classic Spanish variety of Tempranillo, backbone of Rioja is suited to Mudgee where there are climatic and geographical similarities to the dry, mountainous regions in parts of Spain. The colour is ruby red. On the nose there are aromas of morello cherry backed up with toasty oak. A medium bodied wine showing good varietal cherry characters, (raspberries and blackberries) nicely balanced with a generous finish. Cellar"This wine is made for enjoying on release." Additional NotesTo repeat from the last Dozen, Optimiste wines are made from grapes "planted on the rocky slopes of Mudgee over 15 years ago by the Dadd family." Unfortunately there isn't a lot of text regarding winemaking / tasting to be had. As with the Petit Verdot last time, I thought this Tempranillo was good enough to be included and it did help support a couple of others this time around. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. |
 | PACO GARCIA SIES RIOJA 2014Winemaker Juan Bautista GarciaWinemaker’s NotesClean and bright blackberry and ruby-red colour. On the nose it is an aromatic explosion of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and violets. On the palate it has an intense entry with tones of fresh red fruit, floral tones (violet), sweet flavours (blackberries). Round, full and pleasant in the mouth with hints of oak and caramel. Very harmonious. Long and easy after taste. Cellar"Peak drinking now and over the next three years." Additional Notes"This young wine with six months in oak has been made seeking the highest expression of the grape, taking all possible flavours of the Tempranillo grape and maintaining a sweet and harmonious palate. An accurate selection of grapes is followed by a maceration pre-fermentation for 48 hours at 17 ºC. This pre-maceration is done to preserve the fruit and primary aromas of the grape; it also results in a richer colour in the future wine. After this process, the alcoholic fermentation takes place at 24 ºC. The wine macerates in the warehouse for five days. After the maceration is completed the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation. The wine undergoes micro-oxygenation for two weeks. After maceration the wine is aged on its lees and the liquid is delicately separated so the skins and seeds can be pressed. The wine is then aged for six months in semi new (two year-old) Bordelaise French oak. The result, Paco Garcia Seis, is a wine with great aromatic power and velvety mouth-feel that awakens the senses." AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery (in Spanish): www.bodegaspacogarcia.com |
 | STEVENS FLEURIEU CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012Winemaker Graham StevensWinemaker’s NotesGrapes for this Cabernet Sauvignon were again sourced from Mount Compass in the cooler Southern Fleurieu Region of South Australia. A higher altitude, higher rainfall and slightly cooler climate than the McLaren Vale. Fermentation was carried out in open 1000 litre fermenters in a temperature controlled environment. During fermentation it was hand pumped and plunged twice daily to increase juice to skin contact and enhance the tannins. The grapes were pressed using traditional basket press methods. The wine was then matured in new French barriques for 12 months. Deep brick red core with crimson hue. Beautiful, plump and up-front varietal fruit on the nose. Wonderful, broad and elegant palate, fruit and oak complementing each other, and with a touch of eucalypt, typical of fruit grown in a cool climate. Cellar"Excellent drinking now and over the next three to five years." Additional NotesThere was no intention for including another Stevens wine in this Dozen. I did however drop into the Cellar Door in early August to say hello and enquire as to whether they were gong to release, or in fact, had they made another Sparkling Grenache. To my delight, the answer was yes and release was due later in the year. As I was about to leave I asked for a bottle of red to take to dinner. In a fake show of 'protest,' at parting with a single bottle, Carolyn sold me a bottle of this Cabernet Sauvignon. A good omen I thought. And it was. AvailabilityCellar Door or please contact me. Winery DetailsPhone/Fax: 08 8383 0997 |
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