Lamonts – Cottesloe

11 October 2009

The Barossa Valley is one of the most significant wine regions in Australia, if not the world. The wine making tradition dates back to around 1850, and some of the early vineyards are still in production today. As the Barossa was not affected by phylloxera, it is home to the oldest shiraz vines on the planet. The oldest of all is thought to be the original vineyard at Langmeil Winery. This was planted in 1843.

I find the “Old Vines” story interesting for a number of reasons:

1. This is a recent trend. No one produced an “Old Vines” wine 20 years ago.
2. In other regions (beg Bordeaux), the oldest vines are replanted to keep up production.
3. There is a belief among some that 20 – 70 year old vines produce the best fruit.
4. There is no formal definition of how old “Old Vines” need to be.
5. The number of “Old Vines” wines released each year seams to go up exponentially. (Maybe they are planting out “Old Vines” vineyards to avoid having to wait for them to get old).

Having said all this, there is no doubt that the Barossa produces some fantastic wines from old vines. The tasting at Lamont’s this week aimed to highlight some of the newer premium producers from the valley.

Many of the producers present had their entire range available for tasting. Due to my desire to stay (relatively) sober, my tasting partner (David) and I decided to focus on the wines made principally from shiraz. The tasting was fascinating as it highlighted some regional differences between Barossa and Eden Valley, and the vintage variations from year to year.

I have always thought that you need to be careful with French wines as the bad years are really bad, and the good years great. By the same token, I have always felt that the Australian regions were more forgiving of vintage variation. This tasting challenged that notion somewhat. The 2006 wines were generally very good, whereas the 2007s were quite variable and often not quite up to expectation. The 2008s were juicy and succulent, but without the density and complexity of the best from 06. Rumour has it that 2009 is going to be a cracker too.

Alcohol levels were another interesting factor in this tasting. Over the last two decades, I have noticed a gradual rise in the alcohol levels of wine in general. Numerous wines in this tasting were at 15%+. This can result in a slightly porty wine or, worse, a wine that actually has a slight alcohol burn. To put things in perspective, I opened a Clare Valley shiraz from 2000 with an alcohol of 13.2%. The wine seamed to possess a balance and finesse that some of the high alcohol wines lack. This, despite 2000 being an average year.

The find of the tasting was Sons Of Eden. We loved their pair of shirazes and I would encourage you to get hold of a bottle of each and see for yourself the difference between Barossa and Eden Valley. Their entire production is only 2000 cases so they may be hard to find. (Lamont’s have them for around $40).

Caveat: The wines in this tasting were not tried blind. I was a guest of John Jens at this tasting.

The Wines

Sons of Eden – Remus – Shiraz – 2006 (18.5+). From the Eden Valley. Great wine this. Enticing nose, with ripe fruit, licorice and subtle mint. The palate displays great balance with elegant black plums, cedar, cigar box and spice. The tannins have a talcum powder silkiness to them which gently dries the finish, and the mouth feel is excellent. Very long finish. Sealed with cork.

Sons of Eden – Romulus – Shiraz – 2006 (18.5). From the Barossa. There was some debate as to which of the two Sons of Eden wines was better. The Romulus is richer and more overt. The fruit is ripe with licorice and spice complementing the black fruit. Whilst this wine has bright fruit on the palate, the tannins tend towards the chalky side. Again, great balance and length.

Schwartz – Nitschke Block – Shiraz – 2006 (18.3). This is good. Opens with dense red berries with chocolate overtones. There is a touch of mint too which adds complexity. At this stage the palate is dominated by licorice, black fruit, cedary oak and tar. The structure and the length stand this apart from many here. The fruit really builds with air.

Teusner – The Albert – Shiraz – 2006 (18.2). Licorice and black fruits to open, with some nice tart plum to add freshness. The palate is dense, ripe and succulent, with a touch of leathery complexity. The palate is silky, ripe and long, with a touch of sweet vanillin oak and cigar box to close. Very good wine.

Teusner – Astral Series Riebke F.G. – Shiraz – 2006 (18). From 130 year old wines! Amazingly dense, ripe and intense fruit. The palate continues the party with some chocolate fruit, but with chalky/dusty tannins that shut down the finish. Very long indeed. A luscious wine that is a bit more “in your face” than The Albert. Will point higher in the future. Choose your style and price!

Kalleske – Johan Gorge – Shiraz – 2007 (17.8). Dense, long and fine, this is very closed. The silky palate is seamless and surprisingly elegant and refined. Needs several years to open up.

Kalleske – Moppa – Shiraz Viognier – 2008 (17.5). This is really juicy. Fresh, vibrant and fruit driven with plums and warming spice. Supple and silky in the mouth, this is good drinking ($28).

Radford – Shiraz – 2006 (17.2). From the Eden Valley, this is clean, fresh and succulent. Sweet ripe fruit and spices lead to a palate that has vanilla bean, spice, licorice and red currant. This succulent wine would be great with a BBQ this season, but will also take a bit of time in the cellar.

Teusner – The Riebke – Shiraz – 2008 (17). Sweet ripe fruit on the nose, but the palate starts off quite austere. Whilst long, it is quite drying. Sweet, spicy, even juicy fruit hidden underneath with plum and cinnamon accents.

Kalleske – Greenoch – Shiraz – 2007 (16.9). Licorice and tar on the nose with spice and fine cedary oak. This is a substantial wine. Perhaps reflecting the vintage, there is leaner fruit on the palate compared to the Moppa.

Spinifex – Shiraz Viognier – 2007 (16.8). Quite dense and ripe, with some aromatic fruit lift on the nose. This is a big wine, but the slight astringency prevented me giving higher points.