Small Winemakers Tasting Dozens |
The Classic Summer Dozen | |
| ANGAS & BREMER THE CREEK 2017Winemaker Peter PollardWinemaker’s NotesThe Creek or Malbec Blend is made up of 50% Malbec, 19% Grenache, 19% Shiraz and 12% Touriga. As per label: “The Creek is a refection of our Region's varietal versatility. We have blended a number of small parcels, producing a medium bodied, fruit forward wine with excellent length. It displays lifted aromas of red cherries and orange blossom which combines seamlessly with flavours of raspberry and apricot.” CellarA wine of this 'Cheer' is made for early drinking and will hold this mood over the next several years. Additional NotesFurther Notes are a bit 'skinny' and so to repeat from Bacchus Wines Portfolio, a description of some of Langhorne Creek's unique features and seasonal growing events: “Nestled on the banks of the Angas and Bremer Rivers, this natural floodplain allows the vineyards to start the growing season with a root zone full of water. Collecting the run off from the hills east of Adelaide, the naturally occurring irrigation system of our vineyards contributes to the unique terroir of this region. Sheltered by the Mount Lofty Ranges and within close proximity to the large fresh body of water – Lake Alexandrina, this unique geographical position assists in the growing of premium quality grapes. Partnering with generational farming families, Angas and Bremer have singled out site specific blocks to provide the hand selected fruit used to craft our wines.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 8537 0600 |
| BAROSSA BOY DOUBLE TROUBLE SHIRAZ CABERNET 2016Winemaker Trent BurgeWinemaker’s Notes50% Shiraz and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. Complex aromas of dark chocolate, raspberry confectionery, high note spice and earthy and salty forest floor. A duet of luscious blackcurrant and subtle spearmint flavours reflect sun blessed Barossa Shiraz and cool Eden Valley Cabernet origins. Charred oak and juicy redcurrant fill out the vibrant and layered palate, which has a long and clean, well-structured finish. Cellar“Now and of the medium five to eight years term.” Additional Notes“The 2016 growing season began with a warm, dry spring, providing good conditions for flowering and fruit set. Annual rainfall was at 338mm, less than the long term average. Drier soils combined with a warmer than average spring and summer contributed to pleasing vine and bunch growth. A relatively mild January and timely rainfall saw even ripening in Barossa's red varieties through to March. The resulting harvest yielded satisfying bunch numbers, with small berries of intense flavour and colour, along with excellent tannins and natural acidity. Matured in 80% French and 20% American oak (including our 2,500l French Oak Foudre). 40% was matured in new oak with a balance of two, three and four year old barrels over 12 months.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Distributor Sydney: Vinsight 1300 048 114 |
 | ELDORADO ROAD BEECHWORTH SYRAH 2018Winemakers Paul and Ben DahlenburgWinemaker’s NotesDue to the soil profile and its propensity to ripen rapidly combined with our intention to produce a Syrah style, we picked early to ensure a tension and vitality. This Syrah shows spice and pepper on the nose which carries through on the medium bodied palate loaded with red and blue fruits, right in line with the style outcome we so desired. CellarNo mention in the Notes, but surely the medium five to eight years. Additional Notes“A new addition to our range. This wine came about with the opportunity to lease a neglected vineyard just up the road from our farm and vineyards in Eldorado. The vineyard is comprised of five different Shiraz clones, Durif along with small plantings of Viognier and Marsanne for co fermentation. When we took the vineyard over in 2017 it was in need of some drastic viticulture, so much so that we had to think twice about whether we wanted to take on such a project. We gave the vines a second prune reducing the crop and regenerating the vines. It was a severe late winter haircut and resulted in an expected minuscule yield. The upside of the super low crop was a very high quality of fruit. The ferment was only plunged lightly once a day and gently basket pressed straight to oak after 17 days on skins. Kept on full gross lees for 18 months in three French Oak Puncheons (new, two and five year old) as well as one four year old French Barrique.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 03 5725 1698 |
| GHOST ROCK PINOT GRIS 2018Winemaker Justin ArnoldWinemaker’s NotesThe colour is pure pale straw. A powerful nose yet a nuanced portrayal of hallmark Pinot Gris: nashi pear, fig and nectar, white peach. Delicate floral and cinnamon glide through the background. The palate is deliciously lush on entry and in the middle, whilst our regions lively acidity delivers freshness and length. CellarDrink on release and in its youth. Additional Notes“Sourced across the Estate Vineyards, our Pinot Gris is intentionally left on the vine longer than most. We find it's a variety that develops its delicious fruit profile very late, and lucky for us, our cool temperate climate allows us to do this without the risk of losing vital acidity late in the season. We chose to machine harvest our Pinot Gris fruit, and there are two key drivers for this: Firstly Pinot Gris requires generous skin contact to build texture and palate weight and secondly, vital flavour compounds are located in the layers immediately below the skins requiring liberation prior to pressing. Following harvest, winemaking techniques were kept simple and purposeful. 95% of the juice was pressed to tank with moderate clarification before undergoing a cool controlled fermentation over 10+ days. The remaining 5% was pressed to a 500L French puncheon for wild fermentation before rejoining the majority in tank to preserve overall freshness and purity.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 03 6428 4005 |
 | JACK ESTATE MYTHOLOGY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012Winemaker Shannon SutherlandWinemaker’s NotesBrilliant deep crimson red with purple hues. On the nose, beautifully ripe blackberries, fresh dark summer berries and just a hint of fresh mint and cacao. Dark fruits mingle with vivid flavours of raspberries and plums, dark chocolate and coffee beans. Intensely full bodied with silky tannins, complemented by well-balanced French oak and a long structured finish. Cellar“With careful cellaring, this wine will graciously age for the next 15 years.” Additional Notes“Excellent winter and spring rainfall with even summer temperatures resulted in a near perfect growing season for Vintage 2012. The selected parcels of ultra premium fruit were fermented individually in 4.5t open fermenters. The wines were pressed off to barrel to complete primary alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and then initially matured separately for 12 months. Primary blending and a further 14 months of maturation have allowed the individual components to harmonise into a balanced yet powerful wine.” Timely and a touch of serendipity. I had recently read a September 2017 write up of a vertical tasting of the Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon (vintages 1954 to 2017). In my opinion a 'National Treasure' that has thankfully survived. And in it, I remembered in reference to the 2012 of that line: that it was a: “magnificent wine,in a class of its own.” Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and the vintage year, well, who wouldn't be tempted? AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 8736 3130 |
 | JOSEPH CATTIN CREMANT D'ALSACEWinemaker Joseph Cattin (In House)Winemaker’s NotesGrape varieties for this sparkling wine are Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois, and are Estate grown on Clay and Limestone. Gentle pressing of the grapes. The first fermentation happens between 18°C and 22°C. The second fermentation happens in the bottle, and is followed by 15 months ageing on the lees before disgorgement. To the eye the wine is bright pale gold and has fine bubbles. The nose is fresh, green apple and white flowers. A fresh and dry palate; lively acidity balanced with fruitiness of green apple and lemon; fine and creamy bubbles. Cellar“Drink now or within the next three years.” Additional NotesFrom a viticultural point of view: “yields are limited with on average 5000 vines per hectare.” This and “sustainable farming practices to preserve the richness of our terroirs and guarantee optimal quality,” is the French model for grape growing and winemaking. This wine sneaked in as the last chosen for this Dozen. The first Sparkling wine, the Pankhurst also carries the Chardonnay inclusion for this lot. And one sparkling wine was the conventional way at this time of year. The Dozens have gone against convention in the past, indeed with two sparkling wines in the one lot. Also recently, I had the opportunity to taste a number of Alsatian wines and thought they were such terrific value and this is was the tipping point. This label has been here before, but with a slightly different blend. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Sydney Distributor: Bacchus Wines |
 | JUNIPER MARGARET RIVER SMALL BATCH TEMPRANILLO 2017Winemaker Mark MessengerWinemaker’s Notes“Being from a cooler vintage, the aromas tend towards more red florals, wild thyme, red cherry, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry and a combination of spices, along with hints of red liquorice and sarsaparilla. The palate is smooth with juicy red- berried fruit, cherry stone, dried herbs and spice flavours, showing medium density and fine, dusty tannins.” Cellar“Enjoy now and for at least the next five years.” Additional Notes“This single vineyard wine is made from five different clones of Tempranillo, two originated from Toro and three from Ribera del Duero. The fruit was hand picked and vinified to accentuate bright varietal characters both automatically and on the palate. Hand-plunged in a range of small fermenters (from one to three and a half tons), pressed to tank, settled, racked and straight to barrel. 15 months maturation in both French and American large format oak barrels serve to integrate and soften tannins, providing a resolved and supple mouth feel.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 9755 9000 |
 | LS MERCHANTS PETIT VERDOT 2018Winemaker Dylan ArvidsonWinemaker’s NotesSourced from Celestial Bay vineyard in Wilyabrup, Northern Margaret River. Hand picked in the early morning, crushed and destemmed to an open fermenter. Indigenous yeast started the fermentation until it was seeded with an Italian strain. Plunged by hand twice a day for 14 days before it was transferred to an egg and left to macerate for a further 18 weeks. Basket pressed directly to 50% new and 50% two year old French hogsheads and aged for 18 months. The nose displays violets and plum followed by a rich palate laden with dark forest fruits and red berry acidity. CellarNow and over the next three to five years. Additional NotesI was on holidays when I got an e-mail from Nicholas Gibson that told me of a recent tasting of LS Merchants wines that he had attended, and in particular how much he liked this Petit Verdot. 'All' his wines have been interesting to me and I was very keen on his Chenin Blanc in the last Dozen. The point to Nick's contact wasn't lost on me: though varied in 'outputs,' Dylan's releases are fairly limited. (This wine 60 dozen only). “Please grab some,” was my response. One thing I'm not wrapped in, together with the Barossa Boy, you probably need both hands to pour from such a heavy bottle. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone 0420 307 665 |
 | PANKHURST RIVER ROAD SPARKLING 2013Winemaker Greg Gallagher (Contract)Winemaker’s NotesChardonnay grapes were sourced from an organic vineyard in the Canowindra area. Complexity of the wine has been enhanced by a period of five years on lees and the freshness from the quality fruit and high levels of natural acidity. CellarAs with sparkling wines generally, drink on release and over a few years post disgorgement. Additional NotesA 'one off' and thoroughly interesting wine. It pours a golden colour which reflects age and an unusually long period on lees. The description of this wine and 'why' is caught succinctly above. The 'magic' of Chardonnay. Seasonally, a sparkling wine, and as well, it is the Chardonnay of this Dozen. AvailabilityCellar Door or contact me. Limited Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 02 6230 2592 |
 | STRAWHOUSE THE BIG BAD WOLF 2018Winemaker Justin ByrneWinemaker’s NotesMerlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Cabernet Franc were fermented separately before being blended to make our first Big Bad Wolf. The wine is rich yet refined and has lifted plums and dark fruits and extended maturation in barrel has given texture and balance. We hand picked into small crates, and, at the winery sort and de-stem (no crushing) and ferment in small open pots of about one tonne. Plunging is gentle and not as often as we used to – we're a bit wary of working the skins too much. The Big Bad Wolf is sort of our Reserve wine and we think it's an excellent expression of the Orange Region. CellarMid term - Five to eight years. Additional Notes“The story of this, our first Big Bad Wolf, has several beginnings. The recent beginning was in 2014 when a small amount of Merlot fruit came our way from a vineyard across town. It became the 2014 Strawhouse Orange Red. The viticulturist then was Geoff Cook. The older beginning was back in the ‘90’s when I started working with my neighbour Murray Smith of Canobolas-Smith. The great red blends that Murray made were called Alchemy and definitely taught me the value of judicious blending. Cabernet, Franc, Merlot and a bit of Shiraz – Bordeaux was the model but with an antipodean interpretation. The 2017 beginning was setting up our winemaking in the corner of an old apple shed rejuvenated by Philip Shaw for his new project. This put me in contact with another wine guru who placed high value on the individual character of each wine, in fact each barrel and what each will contribute to the final wine. In the lead-up to the 2018 vintage Geoff Cook again came into frame with a small parcel of shoot thinned Merlot – different year, different vineyard, same viticulturist. The batch of Merlot became the basis of the Big Bad Wolf. The mature vineyard, planted 1994, has similar terroir to Strawhouse – it’s a stone’s throw up the lane, so we figured it would fit the house style.” AvailabilityCellar Door or contact me. Winery DetailsPhone: 0402 498 419 (Justin) |
 | SHUT THE GATE FIANO 2018Winemaker (Contract). Rasa Fabian and Richard WoodsWinemaker’s NotesOur third release of this pretty southern Italian varietal. It's colour is clear and brilliant with a tinge of green. On the nose, light delicate florals with a hint of honeysuckle and citrus. To the palate, complex light lemon, citrus, melon with more textural rich stone fruit mid palate flavours developing, finishing long with fresh natural acidity. Cellar“Fresh and zippy when young but should become more textural and viscous with age. Medium term bottle age up to six years.” Additional Notes“A traditional white variety of the Campania Region and Sicily in southern Italy. Sourced from the Mocandunda vineyard in the north of the Clare Valley. 450M above sea level provides slow ripening resulting in intense flavours. Dry grown block with free draining soils. Machine harvested at night. 2018 saw the natural acidity retained although the yield was 50% down on the previous year due to an extraordinarily dry summer. The berries were quite small and richly flavoured. The resulting wine is quite phenolic, enhanced richness with oxidative handling in the winery (no sulphur used at the crusher or press), two thirds tank fermented and one third barrel fermented and then blended together.” AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone/Fax: 08 8843 0111 |
 | VICKERY WATERVALE RIESLING 2018Winemakers John Vickery and Phil LehmanWinemaker’s NotesColour is pale straw with slight green hues. The nose shows prominent Watervale aromas of lime leaf and lemon curd. Hints of ginger with floral notes, rose and ocean spray. The palate shows crisp acid with a chalky texture, smooth mid palate fruit sweetness with some grassy notes on the finish. Lime and lemon sorbet, hints of nutmeg and spice, good intensity, juicy and buoyant. Cellar“As with all Vickery Rieslings, this wine will be bright and fresh in its youth and will reward careful cellaring for seven to 10 years.” Additional Notes“The 2018 harvest was approximately two to three weeks earlier than v17 due to the long, dry growing season. Canopy management techniques were employed to prevent sunburn, and disease pressure was low which resulted in high quality grapes in the Watervale sub-region. Harvest took place between the 7th and 13th of March when fruit was taken immediately to Watervale for pressing to avoid extended skin contact. The pressing also took place during the cool of early morning hours to avoid extensive phenolic extraction. The wine was fermented in stainless steel to retain freshness and all parcels were kept separate until final blending.” End of Part 1. 'Just released' are the Vickery Reserve versions of the Watervale and the Eden Valley Rieslings. The plan is to include them over the next two Dozens. AvailabilityAvailable to Retail. Winery DetailsPhone: 08 8362 8622 |
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