SWTD May 2020
Fruit was sourced from several Hunter vineyards, most notably from the 27 year old Hindmarsh Vineyard in Lovedale. Fruit was picked early to preserve natural acidity and cold fermented in stainless steel using selected yeast. The acid backbone provides lifted lemon – lime flavours. On the palate, crisp grapefruit, sherbet and more lemon and lime with a lingering finish that is zesty and dry.
“Fresh and vibrant: one to four years; mellow and complex: four to 10 years.”
Cellaring advice is interesting as it reminds me of the way it was once given. Along the lines of 'drink Hunter Semillons either young or mature as they go to sleep after a few years.' So I guess 'fresh and vibrant' is straight forward enough, but beyond four and counting is when the wine will repay your patience. And according to a quote from Andrew Thomas in the Newcastle Herald, May 2018: “I see the 2018 as an almost carbon copy of the awesome 2017.” (Andrew is highly regarded winemaker of Thomas Wines). The Lower Hunter is on a bit of a run in terms of high quality Semillon wines and the feeling is that the 2018 will 'repay.'
Available to Retail.
Phone: 02 4990 4526
Fax: 02 4990 1714
Open: Daily 10 to 5.
Address: 132 Lovedale Road, Lovedale, NSW, 2321.
Web: www.allandalewinery.com.au
This is a wine made from the Tempranillo and Grenache varieties, proportions of which are not stated in the Notes. " The Spaniard,' is a red blend that exhibits aromas of ripe strawberries, currants and sour cherries, with hints of spice and cured meats on the nose. The palate is savoury and complex, with dusty oak and ripe tannins giving the wine body and texture, and length and persistence of flavour."
“Released early for early drinking in mind but will develop and be enjoyed in the medium term of three to five years.” I feel a couple of months will settle this wine down very nicely.
"Atlas Wines began on a 26 acre block of vineyard planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, on the eastern slopes of the Clare Valley. The year was 2007 and husband and wife team Adam Barton and Amy Lane had made an investment in Clare, and an investment in their future. Adam has come to understand the complexity and diversity of the Clare Valley, and how the unique characteristics of different sites produce fruit with distinctive qualities. As such, the Atlas house style is a carefully composed mosaic of the region. The red wines, sourced primarily from the White Hut in the North and Leasingham in the south, are elegant yet powerful, and well structured; the whites, sourced from several sites at Watervale are finely structured, aromatic and pure." I came across the Atlas Watervale Riesling with a long term friend, first, and Accountant second, at our annual get together, and we both enjoyed the wine.
Available to Retail.
Phone: 0419 847 491
Open: No Cellar Door.
Address: PO Box 458, Clare, S.A., 5453.
Web: www.atlaswines.com.au
This 2015 Nellie Melba Blanc de Blancs is distinctly varietal, showing all elegant, classic Chardonnay characters on the nose: delicate white orchard blossom, flinty green melon with a hint of spiced nuttiness. On the palate, it is pure and minerally with lashings of grapefruit rind, ripe white stone fruits and sweet brioche – finishing long, taut and fine.
“Drink now and to 2026.”
It seemed the right time for a sparkling wine after the first half of 2020 and all it has brought with it. Maybe the 'style' will give whoever is driving a new direction. I saw this last year at Bacchus Wines' Portfolio tasting and thought it shows Chardonnay off very well. Back to the Notes. “2015 was a remarkable year in the Yarra Valley. A mild spring allowed excellent fruit set and mild conditions continued throughout the vintage, presenting almost perfect ripening conditions. The resulting wine is effortlessly poised with great fruit and natural acidity. This acclaimed Blanc de Blancs was produced in the traditional bottle fermentation method from Estate grown Chardonnay (Clone 76). Following secondary fermentation, the wine was aged on lees in bottle for 48 months. Dosage was kept to a minimum at 6.5g/L to allow the wine to maintain its distinctive fresh, dry style.” Stay well.
Available to Retail.
Phone: 03 9739 1131
Open: Thur. to Mond. 10 to 5. Or by Apptmnt.
Address: 11 St. Huberts Road, Coldstream, Vic. 3770.
Web: www.coombefarm.com.au
60% Grenache from Tanunda; 20% Mataro from Bethany and 20% Shiraz from Gommersal. Made as three wines and then blended. The Grenache is made in a low alcohol style (12.5%) and then the Mataro and Shiraz are used to add depth and complexity. All three components are open top fermented and basket pressed with minimal sulphur added prior to bottling. Maturation was in used French oak for 20 months. Lovely spice and floral notes from the Grenache and some meatiness from the Mataro and red fruit from the Shiraz. Deliciously complex, yet light of frame.
Drinking well young and will develop up to 10 years.
Always, there is an ear ready to take for any recommendations of red blends. This is the second vintage of this wine. Previously, the 2012, with the same description as above, and called the 'Drone Blend' shares the attractive nature of this wine. Tweaking the Grenache separately, to just around 12.5% alcohol provides a more elegant basis to this wine, and personally, preferable at times, to some of the more robust GMS wines of Barossa Valley origin. In the Portfolio Notes (with no reference to the 'Author'), the closing sentence is: “All the wines are hand – made gems.”
Available to Retail.
Phone: 0411 668 949
Open: Sat. 10:00-17:00; Sun. 10:00 - 16:00 Booking required.
Address: Lot 535 Flaxmans Valley Road, Angaston, S.A., 5353.
Web: www.flaxmanwines.com.au
“50% Shiraz and 25% Grenache Estate grown and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon from Southern Fleurieu. Each variety was fermented separately in open 1000L fermenters in a temperature controlled environment, plunged twice daily to increase juice / skin contact and enhance tannins, colour and aromas. Each varietal wine was then matured separately for 15 months in either French or American barriques prior to blending. This technique of maturing then blending allows each variety to develop and integrate with the oak in isolation to bring out the individual characters of the variety.” The art of the blender, Graham, with a long and rewarded history of the task gives us, “a perfectly balanced and complex wine where the parts come together in full harmony, and linger, begging another sip.”
“To be enjoyed on release and will develop for five plus years.”
Graham has been producing this or similar (depending on the season) blend getting close to 50 years now and it remains popular for the simple reason it's a cheery good drink, but it remains a serious wine. Far from the same time line, but nevertheless intimate with the style, Carolyn's comment to me after a recent look at this wine was: “I'll enjoy working with it at Cellar Door.” Personally, I'm sensitive to American oak and tend to shy away from wines that are over done in this way, but I watched fascinated after an initial and therefore cautious whiff as that character blew away to become a nicely integrated part the final balance. And that is winemaking art. Every Dozen should have a good blend. At least one!
Cellar Door or please contact me.
Phone/Fax: 08 8383 0997
Open: Daily
Address: Ingolby road, McLaren Flat, SA., 5171.
Web: www.grahamstevenswines.com.au
Intense crimson red with bright blue hues. Ripe blackberry, blackcurrant, Cacao and subtle mint combined with a touch of spice and old English garden herbs. An elegantly styled full bodied wine abundant in black fruits, mocha and velvety, dusty tannins. Perfectly balanced fine grained French oak integrated with the fruit, ensuring a refined and poised finish.
"With careful cellaring, this wine will gracefully age for the next five to 15 years."
"An excellent spring combined with great berry set provided a vintage with balanced yields and high quality fruit. The warm summer months followed by a beautiful 'Indian summer' allowed the grapes to be harvested at optimal flavour and maturity. Sourced from three dedicated and local families vineyards across Coonawarra, each block of Cabernet Sauvignon fruit was carefully assessed for optimal ripeness, flavour and tannin development." I included this wine after a write up I read that finished with its 'good value for money' rating. Its outstanding.
Available to Retail.
Phone: 08 8736 3130
Open: Daily 10.00 to 5.00.
Address: 15025 Riddoch Highway, Coonawarra S.A., 5263.
Web: www.jackestate.com
This Chardonnay comes from the cooler sites of Limoux, in the high valley where the influence of both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean make for a more temperate climate, slower ripening and better levels of acidity. The must is lightly clarified before fermentation in order to express the the aromas of the Chardonnay. Maturation on fine lees and in stainless steel vats for a part of the cuvée. 20% is matured in second hand French oak. A bright yellow gold hue and seductive scents of blossom and cinnamon spice. A remarkable melange of pears, peach, honey toffee, cream and vanilla (from a short spell of oak ageing) on the palate. Beautifully balanced with ripeness, acidity, length and real structure. A very classy Chardonnay.
With a little airing, excellent now and will develop for five years or so.
"The wines of Monstable are inspired by the desire to craft elegant Burgundian varieties from Southern France. Working with growers in the cooler, lower vigour sites of the St Chinian area of Languedoc, to seek out fruit which delivers pure flavours and great balance. In the winery, the fruit is handled carefully to build texture and mouth feel, with oak only ever used to add just the subtlest seasoning. The result is a Chardonnay with great palate weight, bright fruit and texture." In an attached Note, headed 'Recent Accolades' the previous 2016 was described as a "vinous treasure. " That got my attention.
Available to Retail. Distributor Sydney: Vinsight 1300 048 114
Grapes were hand picked at 12 baumé and a pH of 3.5 then transferred as whole bunches directly to stainless steel fermentors, covered and protected with CO2. Fermentation didn't commence for nearly a week and then was allowed to rise to a temperature of 30°C where it was held. After two weeks we begun foot treating the the ferments to compact the bunches, then after three weeks all ferments were gently basket pressed to four to six year old 500L French oak puncheons then allowed to rest on full lees to build texture for 12 months. The wines are then lightly filtered and bottled and given at least three months post bottling to settle.” The brief flavour / tasting profile is: “bright, perfumed, light bodied, raspberries. Think Beaujolais. Adding: This wine also looks fantastic as a lightly chilled red in the warmer months.”
Drink on release.
“Selected from our home vineyard at Eldorado in the Woolshed Valley at the foot of the Beechworth plateau, just outside the official Beechworth GI. Over millions of years the Reedy Creek, which meanders through our farm, has washed down a unique seam of decomposed red granite soil from its origin up on the Beechworth plateau. This special dirt and the continental Mediterranean climate was the inspiration for planting this Sicilian native. 2017 gave us the perfect fruit to experiment in early picking to create a wine inspired by the easy drinking Gamays of Beaujolais.”
Available to Retail.
Phone: 03 5725 1698
No Cellar Door.
Web: www.nomadsgarden.com.au
Address: 1317 Eldorado Road, Eldorado, Vic., 3678.
Web: www.eldoradoroad.com.au
50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre and 10% Cinsault. Average age of vines is 40 years on sand and colluvium (rock and fine sand sediments is what I found). Harvest by night to prevent oxidation, avoid the use of SO2, keep the freshness to protect the aromas. Fermentation is based on natural yeasts and is maintained at a temperature of 28°C to preserve the wine's fruity aromas. The colour is deep crimson with the aromas violet and licorice. On the palate, red fruit and spices, powerfulness and velvet.
Very much drink now.
Of late, I have asked a number of people about the rise, 'currently,' of alternative 'farming.' Sustainable, Organic and Biodynamic being the thing. Again, I'm not promoting anything other than an interesting and flavoursome wine for the glass. Yet I do find anyone, anywhere, stitched up in a creative cause to be of interest and this is the starting point for this wine. Casually, I asked Jo (a dynamic person herself, extraordinary), what was this wine like, and she said: “Delicious.” And how did you become the local Distributor. Simple: “a friend of a friend in the Trade.” Last year she took her Sales Reps to Europe to visit her clients, including this mob, who she described as “amazing.” These adjectives are the full price Dictionary definitions, not the current give away marketing versions. Anyway, that was enough for me as an answer, and it does give me ideas. Her husband, Rodney, was employed on tour as the responsible driver!
Available to Retail. Sydney Distributor Bacchus Wines.
Web: www.bacchuswinemerchant.com.au
Phone: 1300 309 773.
The 2018 Inigo Barbera was crushed into a 10 tonne, stainless steel fermenter. The must was inoculated with dry wine yeast to start the fermentation. To achieve gentle tannin extraction, the wine was pumped over twice daily. Barbera is a variety with naturally high amounts of tannins and acidity, so soft pump overs give the wine balance without extraction of bitter seed tannins. The finished wine was pressed to old oak puncheons for one year before bottling. As per label: The 2018 Barbera displays a bright cherry red colour and aromas of plums with a touch of earthiness. The palate, with its sweet juicy fruit, soft tannins and gentle acidity, has broad appeal and approachability.
A 'drink now' and enjoy early wine, but will travel to medium term up to five years development, thanks to its natural high acidity.
“Our Jesuit Winemaker Emeritus, Brother John May, SJ, has always maintained an interest for the viticulturally new and different. Knowing the wines of Italy, Br John believed that Barbera, a late – ripening variety, was capable of producing wines of concentrated colour and flavour. In 2018, rain at critical times in an otherwise dry spring and summer, ensured sound development of fruit. Warm days and cool nights leading into vintage and during the harvest allowed gentle development of the crop, which meant the fruit could be picked at optimum ripeness. Reds were considered to be the stand out varieties of this vintage.” I have seen, and booked the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon for the August Dozen, after a tasting with Nicholas Gibson in late May.
Available to Retail.
Phone: 08 8843 5900
Open: Monday to Friday 9 to 5 & Weekends 10 to 5.
Address: 111 College Road, Sevenhill, S.A., 5453.
Web: www.sevenhill.com.au
Sourced from three well – tendered, low yielding vineyards in the Blind River, Omaka Valley and Dashwood sub regions. The fruit was picked at optimum ripeness and transported to the winery for destemming and chilling. Each vineyard was kept separate in small open topped fermenters and cold soaked to extract maximum flavour and colour stability. After fermentation, several batches were put to French oak barrels. The remaining batches were aged in stainless steel to preserve the delicate fruit characters. Each batch went through malolactic fermentation. Colour is ruby red with purple hue. Intensive aromas of black cherry, blackberry and plum mingle with a hint of red currant. Savoury mushroom and toasty oak characters complete the attractive nose. Classic black cherry notes dominate the palate and are supported by hints of bramble, reflecting the aromatics. Structurally the tannins are soft and silky. Well balanced acidity ensures good length and weight.
“Perfect for drinking after release, this Pinot Noir will develop to its best over the next three to four years.”
“The 2017 growing season presented some challenges, but careful harvest decisions and good management in the winery have ensured an exciting spectrum of flavours in the harvested grapes.” One 'challenge:' “a major earthquake in November affected the trellising in the Home Block.” So matter of factly in the Notes. The story's in the bottle.
Available to Retail.
Phone: 03 579 2024
Web: www.tinpothut.co.nz
Address: 2A Opawa Street, Marlborough New Zealand, 7201.
The grapes were harvested on 10th March at 12.1 baumé before being pressed immediately to avoid extended skin contact. Only free run juice was used for the final blend which was fermented for 24 days in stainless steel at low temperatures to retain delicate aromatics. Low extraction rates were used to avoid excessive phenolic retention and there was no malolactic fermentation completed so as to avoid creamy textures. Colour is pale straw with a silver rim. Fresh citrus of lemon zest, lime curd and blood orange. Ocean mist and hints of white peach with delicate mineral notes. Slight developed notes of fig and honey with hints of brioche. On the palate, lime curd and zest with a soft mid palate of rock melon and hints of white pepper. Delicate structure with persisting acid that lingers.
"Made to age, 20+ years."
"From the 2017 vintage, a small parcel from the Koerner 'G6 Block' stood out for its unique character and potential for ageing, and was therefore kept separate from the main Watervale blend. The 'G6 Block' has east – west row orientation and a steep west facing aspect. The vineyard sits at approximately 410 – 420m above sea level from top to bottom. 2017 was an exceptional vintage for Watervale Riesling with good rainfall and no extreme weather events, creating perfect conditions."
Available to Retail.
Phone: 08 8362 8622
Web: vickerywines.com.au
