20 November 2010

Of the thousands of wines on the Australian market, there are a few truly great wineries/wines (both big and small). For example, Penfolds has Grange, Henshcke has Hill of Grace and Leeuwin has the Art Series Chardonnay. Then there is Wendouree.

The wines of Wendouree are, in my opinion, even more special. Yes, the quality of the wines is stunning, but it is the way that the Bradys go about things that sets them apart. Rather than selling their iconic wines to bottle-shops and restaurants, the wines are only available from the mailing list. The mailing list is closed however, so the only people who can buy the wines are their regular customers. This has prevented the price escalation and profiteering by retailers as seen with the likes of Grange.

At around $50 per bottle, the wines are not cheap, but their iconic status and sheer quality means that they are bargains all the same.

To celebrate the release of the 2008 vintage, The Wine and Food Society of Western Australia held a tasting of all the new release reds, (They also make a dessert wine). For many of us, this was a unique opportunity, as we tend to cellar the wines for many years, (as they deserve). We also tasted some back vintage wines to track their development. The results were spectacular!

If I had to make a generalisation, I would suggest that the blends are more approachable than the straight varietals when young, but all possessed elegance, combined with supple fruit that made them a joy to taste. There is, however, an extraordinarily fine tannin backbone running through the wines. The other fascinating observation was how the different blends compared. The malbec added both perfume and structure, whilst the Mataro (mouvedre) added lovely floral notes.

A special thanks to Lindsay Silbert for supplying the wines from the 1990s and to La Vigna for kindly hosting the tasting.

So to the tasting. In many ways, my points are irrelevant. The wines from 2008 were all fantastic. Whilst I had my preferences, they would all get a gold medal on their own. A word on vintage. It seems that Wendouree, like all single site wines, suffers from variations in vintage conditions and subsequent wine quality. My suggestion would be to drink the 2000 vintage while waiting for the best wines from the 1990s to fully mature.

Reviewed

(In order tasted)

Wendouree – Malbec – 2008 (18). Floral and very fragrant, with a touch of eucalypt. There is a firm seam of structured components running through the nose. The palate is silky and stylish, but the fine tannins present a striking backbone. Long and succulent fruit. Extraordinarily tight, yet very powerful fruit.

Wendouree – Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec – 2008 (18.5). More minty cabernet fruit components to the nose. The palate is fresh and has juicy blackcurrant fruit. The balance of the wine is exceptional, with the malbec providing structure on the finish. A joy to drink.

Wendouree – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (18.6). More fragrant than the blend. There are ripe red fruits with a touch of blackcurrant on the nose. The palate is again silky, but there are masses of extraordinarily fine fruit tannins on the finish. Length and texture are the key, as this is less approachable. Will be stunning.

Wendouree – Shiraz/Malbec – 2008 (18.3). Subtle shift to more black fruits and Plum. There is also cedary oak and lovely gentle spice. Silky and seductive , the balance is again a highlight. This will drink a touch earlier though will still last for many years.

Wendouree – Shiraz/Mataro – 2008 (18.5). Wow. This is lovely. Perfumed and very pretty floral notes. The palate is textured, supple, subtle, very long and incredibly silky. Yes there is power, but this is slippery. Others commented on the balance and finesse, and the grippy tannins on the close.

Wendouree – Shiraz – 2008 (18.7). Plum and spice on the nose. Very tight and restrained, this develops mulberry, plum and cedar, with a touch of floral/citrus. The palate is full of finesse and subtlety, but it really needs 10 years to start to shine. The length of the palate is incredible and very youthful.

Wendouree – Shiraz/Malbec – 2005 (17.8). Quite structured. Floral characters, with a hint of aniseed. There is also menthol and Clare Valley mintiness. There is even a touch of eucalypt. This is a firm and structured wine that needs time. The length is superb, but the wine remains austere. Already showing development and generosity of fruit reflective of the vintage.

Wendouree – Shiraz/Mataro – 2000 (17.7). Developed nose. Plum and mocha notes with a touch of licorice and cigar box. A lovely developed wine with coffee, spice and plums. The acid and tannins have softened enough to make for a good drink. Approaching peak drinking.

Wendouree – Cabernet/Malbec – 1997 (17). Quite green fruit characters, with some eucalypt, mint and a touch of herbs. The palate is firm and less generous. The balance remains but it is a cooler style reflective of a difficult year.

Wendouree – Shiraz/Mataro 1996 (18.3). Lovely nose with chocolate, coffee and red berries. The palate is still closed, but there is a generosity of fruit on the palate that is seductive. Surprisingly fresh, this is a remarkably youthful wine. Lovely drinking. Others noticed that the wine was deceptively intense and powerful.

Wendouree – Shiraz/Malbec – 1994 (18.6). Somewhat different nose. The malbec is more obvious here. The palate has coffee and chocolate fruit with dense plum and licorice. Quite developed, this is approaching its peak. Tremendous length and depth to the palate. The silky texture is a highlight. Others commented that this really has everything. Smooth, and good drinking, this will still develop.

Wendouree – Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec – 1991 (18.5). Remarkably restrained. There are classic cabernet notes of mint, red fruits and blackcurrant. This is amazingly youthful! The palate is dense and ripe. The berry fruit is intense and fresh and the tannins are firm. Develops a touch of leather on the souring finish.