20th August 2009

There were some high quality wines in the chardonnay bracket, but this tasting highlighted a few important points about the new breed of Western Australian chardonnays. The style has evolved thoroughly, and the modern wines are much leaner and more elegant than many of their predecessors.

The down side of this is that the wines are less approachable when very young. The higher acidity and leaner fruit has been combined with a more subtle approach to the use of oak and winemaker inputs.

Another factor that is influencing the style of the wine is the use of screw caps to seal the bottle. There is no doubt that these keep the wines fresher than a cork.

So what does this mean for this week’s tasting? Many of the wines have just been released and this makes them hard to assess. As I look through my notes, I feel that the points given do not quite reflect the quality of the wine. Many of these wines will improve with a year or two in the bottle. Besides the chardonays, look out for the Moss Wood Merlot. I am not a big fan of straight merlot as I feel that most producers are unsure as to what style of wine they should be making. The Moss Wood however is a stunning example.

Moss Wood – Ribbon Vale – Merlot – 2007 (18.4). Dense and closed nose. There is black currant and fresh plums on the nose. The palate is complex, with juicy high quality fruit. The lovely tannins, fine knit vanillin oak and a lovely souring finish define the palate. This dense and very fine wine will evolve for many years.

Cape Naturalist – The Westerly Paddock – Merlot – 2007 (17.5+). Better than some here. Opens with plummy fruit that is both fragrant and spicy. Think red currant fruit and there is cedary oak to round out an enticing nose. The palate is savoury and mouth watering. The fruit is shut down by very fine powdery tannins. There is also a touch of menthol to close. This is a powerful wine that will benefit from 5-8 years cellaring.

Juniper Estate – Chardonnay – 2008 (17.5+). Supple and fresh. Creamy and complex. This is an expensively made wine. The palate is expressive and quite seamless. The fine knit oak is suppressing the fruit right now. Will be very good.

Fraser Gallop – Chardonnay – 2008 (17.4). Balanced and complex wine. Some peach on the nose with creamy overtones. The palate is long but in a leaner style. There is worked barrel ferment characters and vanillin oak to close. Modern style.

Castelli – Chardonnay – 2008 (17.3). This is fresh and vibrant with white peach and lemon on the nose. The palate has ripe stone fruit, melon and nuttiness to close. The oak is still integrating. This really improved after being open for a while, and will improve for several years.

Deep Woods – Reserve – Chardonnay – 2008 (17). Almond meal and minerals on the nose, but quite tight. The palate has good quality fruit has stone fruit characters. The oak grip is a bit dominant now, but opened up nicely in the bottle. Modern lean style that will improve in the bottle.

Chalice Bridge – The Chalice – Chardonnay – 2007 (17). Creamy, lemon, minerals and a touch of spice. Complex long and fragrant, with balance and poise.

Cape Naturalist – Torpedo Rock – Merlot – 2005 (16.8). A lighter, fresher style with aromatic fruit. The palate is leaner than the Howard Park (a good thing), with elegant red fruits. Not that complex, but a good drink.

Howard Park – Best Barrels – Merlot– 2003 (16.7). Dense, with licorice, plum and intense black fruit. The palate continues on the theme with dense, chewy, layered fruit. The finish is textured. Not my style.

Charlies Estate – Regional Selection – Merlot – 2006 (16.7). An unusual style. Savoury and spicy fruit. The palate is quite complex and savoury with tobacco leaf to close. Not typical.

Pemberley of Pemberton – Chardonnay – 2008 (16.6). This is quite interesting, with mineral and spice on the nose. More overt than some here, but not quite as complex. Oak a little more obvious.

Windance – Chardonnay – 2009 (16.5). Floral and fragrant nose with surprising depth to the palate. With apricot fruit on a long, lean finish.