11 March 2010

When I talk about the tastings we do, most people think that we must be the luckiest people on earth. After all, we get to try 15 -20 wines and decide what we like. Despite my protestations, most people refuse to believe me when I say that the tastings are hard work. Yes, we try a lot of wine, but how many would we actually want to drink?

Wine tasters are a fussy lot. Because we try dozens of wines each week, a wine has to be really good to stand out. I challenge anyone to taste 20 rieslings or shiraz in 90 minutes and call it fun (you have to write notes too). In any given tasting, often only one or two wines stand out, and these often become our wines of the week.

My neighbours are the great beneficiary of these tastings, as I give away all the wines at the end. I will keep one or two interesting wines to see how they develop, but I prefer to drink wines from the cellar.

This tasting was an exception to this rule. Whilst the actual tasting was still challenging, there were several wines that were noteworthy. Many of the wines were good to very good. Between us, the panel identified nine wines that were worth revisiting, but one wine in particular stood out for sheer drinkability.

The Howard Park chardonnay 2008 was the wine that I kept going back to. In fact, I ended up having a glass of this with a piece of snapper the next night and it was delightful. The Heggies are thoroughly modern and superbly made and showcase high quality fruit, but they need a few years to show their best. I have not seen Tintilla before, but their Hunter Valley chardonnay impressed too.

A couple of the cheaper wines also stood out. The Wynn’s was the absolute bargain in the tasting and is a wine that I will be buying. The Robert Oatley was also excellent value (even if the story behind the label is a bit irrelevant).

Reviewed

Howard Park – Chardonnay – 2008 (18.5). Classic wet stone and mineral notes underlay the subtle stone-fruit characters on the nose. Fabulous palate of real length and finesse. The oak and winemaking inputs (Malo-lactic fermentation +/- lees stirring) add to the complexity. Seamless and delicious. This is the wine I kept going back to!

Heggies – Chardonnay – Reserve – 2007 (18.2+). Minerally and rich with some slate and stone-fruit. Lees and barrel ferment characters add interest and complexity. The palate is rich and has obvious oak input. The fruit is hidden now. The next day this got all lemony. By day three this had really hit its straps. Beautiful floral aromas weave through the stone-fruit, and the texture and mouthfeel are first class.Very modern and will benefit from aging. Do not serve too cold.

Clairault – Chardonnay – Estate – 2007 – Screw Cap (17.5). Bigger, richer style with some malo characters. The palate is rich, buttery, complex and long. This is a bigger style but the excellent fruit has been well handled. A hint of Mendoza clone.

Heggies – Chardonnay – 2008 (17.5). Minerally, but austere with tight structure right now. Both the Heggies wines appear to have had the malo-lactic fermentation at least partially blocked to preserve freshness. A very modern wine. One for the metrosexuals.

Wynn’s – Chardonnay – 2009 (17.5). Restrained with peach and melon characters. The palate is rich, ripe and creamy. White fleshed peach and good acid backbone defines the palate while the oak handling is sympathetic. A pretty wine that will be even better in a couple of years. Great value wine!

Tintilla Estate – Chardonnay – Pebbles Brief – 2009 (17.5). A rich wine with lees and oak characters. The wine is characterised by peach and mineral tones. The palate is ripe, complex, and long. High quality fruit. Well made and a touch of pineapple and grapefruit. You can almost taste the limestone sub-soil on which it is grown.

James Oatley – Chardonnay – Tic Tok – 2008 (17.2). An elegant and restrained nose that hints at potential. Lovely palate with subdued stone fruit and a touch of pineapple suggestive of some Mendoza clones. Creamy oak adds complexity. Unusual regional blend (Mudgee/Pemberton).

Higher Plane – Chardonnay – 2008 (17). I did not get a lot here, but this was highly rated by the other panellists.

Lamont’s – Chardonnay – White Monster – 2007 (17). Darker colour with a touch of caramel suggests an older wine. Old fashioned style with ripe fruit and obvious worked oak. The fruit quality is excellent. One for the lovers of a BIG chardonnay. (Aptly named).

Houghton – Chardonnay/Viognier – The Bandit – 2008 (16.8) More obvious fruit driven style without the complexity of the best. Has some subtle peachy fruit with good length. Excellent short term drinking.

Flametree – Chardonnay – 2008 (16.5). Fine and elegant. The palate is quite linear and tight. The winemaking inputs are obvious yet sympathetic. Creamy finish, but the fruit is shy. May improve.

Capel Vale – Chardonnay – Unoaked – 2009 (16.5). Unoaked. Vibrant and fresh with tropical fruit and peach. Peachy palate but not complex. So fresh that it could be mistaken for a sauvignon blanc!