Author Archives: Weinman on Wine

Burgundy 2008

Boot-Full of Wine

Tasting notes from Italy (and beyond)

March 2011

One of the most important events on the calendar of the Institute of Masters of Wine is the Annual Burgundy tasting. This year, the 2008 vintage was featured, and the tasting was organised in association with Les Domaines Familiaux de Tradition. I was lucky enough to be able to attend.

2008 was a difficult year in Burgundy, and has been christened “the miracle vintage”. The miracle to which they refer is the burst of sunshine the region experienced, accompanied by fresh (and, importantly, drying) northerly winds from the second week of September to the beginning of October.

The cool and humid start to spring was a harbinger of things to come. The whole growing season was wet and cool, with the crop beset by coulure climatique (physiological failure of fruit set) and millerandage (variation in berry size). 2007 was also a cool and wet vintage, but by the end of June, the 2008 vintage was further than three weeks behind where the 2007 grapes were at the same time.

Rot and mildew were a constant threat (those growing organically or biodynamically were particularly challenged), and called for attentive vineyard management. The period of sunshine helped greatly to keep these maladies at bay in the weeks before harvest, but though the sun shone, it was cool, especially at night. Thus the wind concentrated the sugar in the grapes, but full physiological ripeness was difficult to achieve.

The other key to producing good wines in this vintage (other than obsessional vineyard practices) was strict and often laborious sorting. I have heard that some producers rejected up to 40% of their fruit, giving yields as low as 16hl/ha.

As a result, I went to the tasting expecting that acidity levels would be very high (they were – in fact malolactic fermentation took ages to be completed), and that some wines (both red and white) would be a bit lean (indeed some were).

My overall impression was that whites fared better than reds, and that the Cotes de Nuits shaded the Cotes de Beaune (though I enjoyed several of the wines from Corton). I will confess that I am, as Michael Schuster puts it, one who likes my white Burgundy “taut, refreshing, aromatically complex and minerally”. There were no fat white Burgundies here!

But this vintage (though some would argue, every vintage) was more about the producer than the provenance of the wine. Those producers who were fastidious in both the vineyard practices and in their sorting were able to do great things. Below I will highlight a few producers whose wines I thoroughly enjoyed.

**CHANSON

Chassagne-Montrachet – Les Chenevottes – 1er Cru (White). Lean and tight, rhubarb and citrus on the nose, good length and depth of palate. 17.5 pts

Beaune – Clos des Féves – 1er Cru (red). Wonderfully complex and balanced, amalgam of fruit and secondary flavours, silky tannins. 18.5 pts

Savigny-lés-Beaune – La Dominode – 1er Cru (red). Bright red translucence, very expressive nose, fruit and savoury elements, elegant and balanced. 18.5 pts

GEORGE ROUMIER

Chambolle Musigny (red). Sulphurous initially, which blew off. A thoroughly well made wine – each element of fruit, tannin and acid playing a part, but not individually intrusive. 17 pts

Morey-Saint-Denis – Clos de la Bussiére – 1er Cru (red). Lifted nose of sweet strawberries and cherries. A leanness to the palate but fruit flavours not unripe. 17 pts

Bonnes-Mares – Grand Cru – (red). When one tastes wines like this one realizes why people just go crazy about red Burgundy. This was a near perfect expression of pinot noir – cherry fruit, silky tannins, austere but with a rustic edge. Controlled power. 18.5 pts

BONNEAU DU MARTRAY

Corton-Charlemagne – Grand Cru (white). Full, rich and powerful, with layers of complexity – palate variegated but integrated. Effects of battonage, MLF and oak evident, good acidity, and very persistent length. 18 pts

Corton – Grand Cru (red). Intense fruit concentration, with ripe tannins. Far too young – has a great future ahead. 18 pts

MAISON FAIVELEY

Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet – Grand Cru (white). A bigger yet balanced expression, stylish, subtle and long palate. High quality oak. 17.5 pts

Gevrey-Chambertin – Les Cazetiers – 1er cru (red). Serious nose gives way to a serious palate – with fruit and savoury flavours, silky mouthfeel, good balance. 17.5 pts

Mazis-Chambertin – Grand Cru (red). After the initial sulphur has blown off, this is the proverbial peacock’s tail. Aromas keep building in the glass, flavours likewise on the palate. 18.5 pts

DROUHIN

Chablis – Grand Cru – les Clos. Citrus minerality, austere and lean. Acid levels high. Evidence of oak and malo (not atypical for Grand Cru Chablis) 17.75

Beaune – Clos des Mouches Blanc – 1er Cru (white). Depth to olour and flavour. Wet stone and lychee notes. Elegant mouthfeel. 17.5 pts

Grands Echézeaux – Grand Cru (red). Depth to aroma and palate, cherry and even soy. Again, far too young, (and in this case, a bit cold also – new bottle recently emerged from the cellar and opened ~12 deg C. Showed better when warmed.) 18 pts

DOMAINE DUJAC

Vosne-Romanée – Aux Malconsorts – 1er Cru (red). Hints of coffee on the nose (probably from oak). No lack of phenolic ripeness here – the particular mingling of fruit and tannins and acid suggest long aging potential. 18.5 pts

TRAPET

Latriciéres-Chambertin – Grand Cru (red). Layers of complexity, luscious and classically expressive. 18.5 pts

Ciao for now!

Brendan Jansen

** Chanson is not part of Les Domaines Familiaux de Tradition but is an Institute sponsor

Victorian Tasting – New Release

Reviewed – 3 March 2010

The diversity in the Australian wine industry continues to expand each year. It has become hard to keep up to date with the new and exciting wineries that are continually springing up. When John Jens called to say that there was a tasting of some of the new (and not so new) emerging producers, I was keen to attend. The wines were primarily Victorian, with a good selection of pinot noir.

The wines were presented by wholesalers Travis Howe, Cath Willcock (Imbibo) and also a producer, in Erinn Klein (Ngeringa). Whilst the wines on show were diverse in style, the common theme was the passion with which our hosts presented the wines! Ngeringa is an interesting story, with the wines being Biodynamic. Errin is totally committed to the principles and feels that the wines are now expressing a true sense of place. Whether biodynamics is your thing matters not. The chardonnay is worth trying.

There were several highlights including the wines from Bass Phillip and William Downie. The pick for me, from a value point of view, was the Jamsheed pinot (Pepe Le Pinot). An excellent drink at the price.

NB: This was not a blind tasting. There were too many wines on tasting to review them all, so I focussed mainly on the pinots.

Reviewed

Bass Phillip – Pinot Noir – Premium – 2008 (18 – 18.5). Complex nose, but a touch more forward than in some previous years. The palate is a treat, with leather and spice over earthy fruit. Very refined, this is powerful and silky, though very tight. This is more Burundian in style and is not as approachable as the Crown Prince at the moment.

William Downie – Pinot Noir – Yarra Valley – 2010 (18 – 18.5). Rich, dense and structured, the ripe fruit perfectly balanced by textural components and fine, lingering acidity. The mouth-feel is fantastic and will only get better. The finish is very long and precise. A complete wine!

William Downie – Pinot Noir – Mornington Peninsula – 2010 (18+). Silky wine, though tighter than the Yarra and Gippsland wines. The structure here is the key. The acid is a touch high at the moment, so give it a year or two to settle. As this opens up, it develops some of the mouth-watering juicy fruit that these wines all seam to have. The finish is long and textured. May turn out to be the best of the three in the medium term.

Bass Phillip – Pinot Noir – Crown Prince – 2008 (17.5/18). Ripe fruit aromas leap from the glass, with strawberry, plum and cherry fruit characters. A generous palate displaying rich, ripe and textured fruit. Think spice, with earthy and meaty components over ripe red berries. The length and generosity make this a great drink. (I gave this extra points for being a really good drink!)

Mayer – Pinot Noir – Doctor – 2010. (17.5 – 18). From a close planted vineyard. Closed and tight on the nose. There is rich, sweet fruit on the palate that evolves into a savoury mouth-feel with extraordinarily fine tannins that caress the tongue. Balanced fresh acidity carries the palate to a precise and long finish. There is a touch of grip on the finish, but this will soften with air. Bring on the roast duck.

Syrahmi – Shiraz – Climat – 2009 (17.5 – 18). Very enticing nose that is vibrant and perfumed, whilst being really deep smelling. In the mouth, there is cherry, menthol, pepper and chocolate over red fruits. Despite its refreshingly moderate alcohol (13.2%), this is packed with flavour. The finish is silky and long, with some leather, aniseed and spice to close. An elegant wine.

William Downie – Pinot Noir – Gippsland – 2010 (17.5 – 18). More immediate appeal here than the other Downie pinots. With bright red fruits, this is succulent, juicy, generous, round and forward. The length and structure are very good. Drink this while waiting for the others.

Wildcroft – Shiraz – Wild One – 2007 (17.8). Rich and vibrant fruit to start, but there are some really interesting funky characters and white pepper reminiscent of the Northern Rhone. The palate has powerful fruit, with earthy (almost gamey) overtones. A long, silky palate is set off by fine, chalky tannins. Not a mainstream style, but a very good wine.

Ngeringa – Chardonnay – 2009 (17.7). Surprisingly fresh and vibrant for a wine that went through 100% malo-lactic fermentation. The palate is where this wine stands out. Excellent mouth-feel and texture on show here. The sweet fruit blends seamlessly with the wine-maker’s inputs such as barrel fermentation and some lees work. A fine wine with obvious appeal. Biodynamic Wine.

Madderns Rise – Chardonnay – 2009. (17.5). Nectarine, peach and perfumed floral notes. This smells really creamy, courteous of the 100% malo-lactic fermentation, though it is in no way overblown. The palate has fruit richness and texture, with grapefruit acidity running over the top. Very fresh, this should improve for another year or two. Good drinking.

Garagiste – Pinot Noir – 2009 (17 – 17.5). Bright, clean and fresh. The palate is excellent, with forward, bright fruit that is long and textured. This has a lovely mouth-feel to complement the juicy fruit. Not quite as complex as some, but this should be excellent value.

Jamsheed Wines – Pinot Noir – Harem Series – Pepe Le Pinot -2010 (17 – 17.5). Smells like pinot, tastes like pinot… must be pinot. This is a really smart little wine, with cherry and spice on a textured palate. There is a touch of licorice and sympathetic oak to close. At around $20, this is a beauty! Try La Vigna, Beaufort St Merchant or Lamont’s in Perth or United Cellars on the east coast.

Mayer – Chardonnay – Bloody Hill – 2010 (16.9). Subdued nose to start. The palate is fine and silky, with excellent length and texture. The fruit is not particularly complex, but the wine-maker’s inputs add to the mouth-feel.

Ravensworth – Marsanne – 2009 (16.9). Complex aromas of subtle fruit, with a touch of oak evident. Made in a style that emphasizes texture and mouth-feel over primary fruit. Quite a neutral wine that will take food well. Made by Tim Kirk from Clonakilla.

Mayer – Pinot Noir – Bloody Hill – 2010 (16.8). A pretty wine with cherry fruit over tar and spice. The palate is round and satisfying with no rough edges. Acids and tannins keep the fruit fresh and there is little in the way of oak influence.

New Release Shiraz and Pinot Noir

21 February 2011

As many of you know, pinot noir is a difficult grape to make fine wine from. It came as a surprise then, to have several excellent wines in this short bracket. Interestingly, of the top three, one was from South Australia, one from Victoria and one from New Zealand. There were also several very strong shiraz based wines as well.

Reviewed

Ata Rangi – Pinot Noir – 2009 (18.3). Delicate and perfumed nose on what is a very pretty wine. At the moment, this wine is all about texture and structure, but the fruit opens up nicely with air. The palate is superb, with powerful fruit that retains an elegance lacking in some. Textured and very complex, this is very youthful but still enjoyable.

Capel Vale – Shiraz – Whispering Hill – 2008 (18). Pretty wine. There are floral notes and a lovely, peppery lift. This is very fine and textured, and the length is superb. Fruit and oak tannins are well judged, but the fruit needs time and air to really express itself. Chocolate fruit to close. An excellent wine.

Deviation Road – Pinot Noir – 2009 (18). Fragrant and firm to start, with cherry and bright red fruit. A quite delicious wine with a lovely savoury twist on the finish. A complex wine with excellent length and mouth-feel. Feminine and elegant, this will be excellent drinking over the next three years.

Crittenden Estate – Pinot Noir – 2009 – (17.8+). More structured and earthy than the Deviation Road, with forest floor aromas, cinnamon, clove and spice on the nose. Powerful palate, with plenty of structure and sappy/briary fruit. Complex, tight and a touch awkward on the finish right now, this should soften with time in the bottle.

Deviation Road – Shiraz – Reserve – 2008 (17.8). Plum, spice, cherry and oak all impart aromas that gel together well. The spicy palate is complemented by cedary oak. A well made wine that shows quality fruit. Only medium bodied, this should evolve over 5 – 10 years.

Palmer – Shiraz – 2008 (17.6). Cooler climate expression of shiraz fruit. Vibrant, raspberry fruit with licorice and a touch of tar on the nose. The palate has lovely, peppery fruit with some spicy notes coming from the fine grain oak. Silky and classy mouth-feel demonstrates quality fruit and winemaking. Not super long but a very good drink.

Alkoomi – Shiraz/Viognier – 2009 (17.5). Fragrant with Satsuma plum and mulberry. Silky, sweet fruit coats the tongue and there are licorice and tarry notes to add complexity. Long and dense, the finish has no rough edges. Excellent value.

Bird in Hand – Shiraz – 2009 (17.5). Rich, ripe and dense with a seductive nose. Dense, ripe fruit on the palate with sweet fruit that has a slightly candied/vanillin edge. Long and dense, this retains a degree of elegance.

Penfolds – Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Koonunga Hill – Seventy Six – 2008 (17.1). Opens with a lifted nose. There is a degree of depth to the fruit on the palate. Whilst there are ripe fruit aromas, there is a degree of balance here. The middle palate lacks a bit of density but otherwise, this is a smart wine.

Plantagenet – Pinot Noir – Omrah – 2009 (17). Cedar and spice suggest a fairly fresh wine that has seen some new oak. The palate is dominated by strawberry and cherry fruit. Not as complex as some, but good drinking. Represents value.

Juniper Crossing – Shiraz – 2008 (16.8). Dense and rich with perfumed notes coming through on the nose. The fresh and vibrant fruit is balanced and round. Plum and cedar dominate the palate. The finish is tending towards warm.

Greed Sheep – Shiraz – 2009 (16.8). Smells slightly damp and earthy. Restrained and taut, this has lovely, peppery fruit, but a slightly earthy finish. Good fruit, with soft, fine tannins, though just a touch simple.

Pinot Noir and Friends

New Release Tasting

24 November 2010

Pinot noir is a most frustrating grape variety. At its best, the wines possess an almost ethereal character that has aficionados paying hundreds, (even thousands) of dollars a bottle. Often, however, the wines lack any redeeming features, as pinot is a difficult grape to get right in the vineyard, and is also fickle in the winery as well.

With this in mind, pinot noir tastings are the most anticipated that the Fine Wine Club tasting panel judge. It is the hope of finding that mystical wine that hooks us in, though the reality is usually much more painful.

The highlight of this tasting were the two wines from Ostler. I do not know anything about them, but the quality suggests that they are an outfit to follow closely. The Peregrine was great drinking and the Provenance good value.

Of the whites, the Yerring Station is worth a try. It took a couple of days to show its best, but this is an interesting wine. The Nicolas Feuilatte was excellent drinking.

Reviewed – Friends

Nicolas Feuilatte – Champagne – Reserve Particulare – NV (17.9). Quite complex and dense, this has powerful, (though fine) fruit. The palate has lovely red berry fruit characters, suggesting a higher use of pinot noir in the blend. The texture and mouth-feel are excellent. This will get even higher marks with a little bottle age to allow the fruit to open up.

Yerring Station – Marsanne/Viognier/Roussanne – MVR – 2008 (17.8). Very restrained compared to the other whites here. The palate is pristine, pure, restrained, taut, racy and long. The mouth-feel is good and the finish mouth-watering. Whilst very subtle, this has plenty to offer and really hit its straps after being open for two days.

Barwick Estate – Viognier – The Collectables – 2007 (17.2). This wine polarised the panel. Complex, textured, powerful and long, the palate is viscous with nutty fruit characters. The phenolics are a bit less pronounced than in the Millbrook, and the extra bottle age is evident. One reviewer found the palate somewhat fat.

Millbrook – Viognier – Limited Release – 2009 (17). This received mixed reviews. This is a powerful and complex wine. There is apricot, almond and a very viscous mouth-feel. One reviewer felt the phenolics overpowered the fruit somewhat.

Millbrook – Viognier – Estate – 2009 (16.8). Reserved, oily, viscous, tight and long. There is not as much going on here, but this is perhaps the best drink right now.

Gabbiano – Asti – NV (16.5). Fine yet very persistent bead. Pretty nose with floral and grape juice notes. Plenty of floral fruit and sugar sweetness on the palate, though I would have preferred a touch more acid to offset the sweetness a little more. Value.

Reviewed – Pinot Noir

Ostler – Pinot Noir – Caroline’s – 2008 (18+). Very powerful fruit. Pretty fruit characters on the nose, though the latent structure is holding everything in check. The palate is long and dense, and the quality of the fruit is evident. The textural components are a highlight, as demonstrated by the silky mouth-feel. Give it a few years and this will be superb.

Ostler – Pinot Noir – Caroline’s – 2009 (18). Fragrant and very pretty nose of red berries. The quality of the fruit is highlighted by the ripe fruit notes and excellent fruit weight. Texture is a highlight on the palate with dense fruit in the cherry spectrum. There are also hints of truffle/forest floor on a silky, slippery and supple finish. This is drinking really well now.

Provenance – Pinot Noir – 2008 (17.7). Seductive nose! This is silky, fragrant and gently spiced, with excellent fruit quality. The palate is long and nicely weighted. There is a touch of earthy textures and oak tannins on the finish. Very promising wine, and good value at around $30.

Peregrine – Pinot Noir – 2008 – (17.5/18). The real sleeper of the tasting. A lighter style, with more spice over fresh red berries. Whilst closed, this is light, fresh, and easy to drink. With time in the glass, this developed lovely sappy fruit and real depth of flavour. After two days on the tasting bench, this showed very well!

Curly Flats – Pinot Noir – 2006 (17.5). A wine in two parts. There is a seductive nose showing hints of strawberry, stone-fruit and earthy/gamey highlights. The palate, however, is very structured, firm and austere. There is good length, but the finish is drying. This could go either way, but my points indicate that I actually liked it.

Barwick Estate – Pinot Noir – The Collectables – 2008 (17/17.5). Starts out firm and muscular, and the cherry/plum fruit is restrained. There is a touch of bacon fat on the nose, typical of the region/oak treatment. This really opened up with time, and the pretty fruit and texture were a highlight.

Ant Moore – Pinot Noir – 2008 (17). An interesting wine. Powerful, textured, nutty and dense. Will age well. (More akin to a dry red in style and would have received higher marks in a tasting with wines other than pinot).

Peregrine – Pinot Noir – Saddleback – 2008 (17). Fragrant plum, spice and strawberry. Quite medium bodied, this has pretty fruit. Not as complex as the best, but good drinking and not bad value for a pinot.

Clemens Hill – Pinot Noir – 2008 (16.8). Crimson colour. In some ways this is more shiraz like, with sweet fruit, lovely mouth-feel and fine tannins on a textured finish. This represents good drinking, though it is not strictly pinot-like.

Rau – Pinot Noir – 2008 (16.5). More weight than some here. Fresh fruit on the nose and high acidity on the finish. May evolve.

Riesling and Pinot New Release

5 July 2010

Reviewed

Richardson – Pinot Noir – 2006 (17.8). Complex dark fruits including cherry and plum. Cedary oak adds complexity but does not dominate. Good fruit here. Concentrated and dense. The texture and length are highlights. Will evolve.

Angove – Riesling – Vineyard Select – 2009 (17.7). From the Clare Valley. More alive than some here. Opens with citrus zest, grapefruit and lime juice. The palate is flooded with lovely limey fruit. The texture in the middle palate is good and the finish is balanced. Acid builds to add focus. A very good wine.

Dog Point – Pinot Noir – 2008 (17.5). Fragrant and perfumed, with red fruits, cherry and blackcurrant all combined with a touch of cedar in an attractive package. The palate has serious, layered fruit and the wine is well made. Texture and length are the highlights. Leave it for a few years if you can resist drinking it, and be rewarded. NB. I was on my own in recommending this.

Kalgan River – Riesling – 2008 (17.5). Closed. Fine acid dominates fruit right now. Some lemon and musk/spice on a palate that develops and builds. Germanic in style, with a touch of fruit and sugar sweetness.

Lamont’s – Riesling – 2009 (17). Restrained at the moment. Steely and fine on the palate, there is minerals and fine acid to carry the finish. Very long and develops. Clearly superior.

Wynns – Riesling – 2009 (16.8). Restrained and taught on the nose. There is almost a touch of spritz on the palate from the acid and dissolved CO2. Very tight and fine, the acid is beautifully balanced. This is very young and sure to age well, (and score higher points in the future).

Angove – Riesling – Long Row – 2009 (16.7). Not so overt on the nose, but a touch of lemon sherbert and perfume. Round, soft, balanced and with good acidity to close. A touch of sweetness makes it easy to drink.

MadFish – Pinot Noir – Gold Turtle – 2009 (16.5). This really opened up with air. Sweet cherry fruit combine with spice and a touch of perfume. Whilst the palate is long, this is far too young. (Received more support from the rest of the panel).

Kalgan River – Riesling – 2009 (16). Floral and fresh nose. Floral with lime juice running through the palate. A touch of caramel is a bit out of place.

Red Burgundy Master Class

14 April 2010

The last few months have seen our Italian correspondent, Brendan Jansen, back in Perth. To assist with his Master of Wine studies, Brendan has been running a series of tastings aimed at exploring the differences that are experienced across various regions. These have included White Burgundy/Chablis and The Rhone Valley. The last tasting in this series was the Red Wines of Burgundy.

Brendan arranged a cross section of wines from various villages throughout the Cote d’Or. The challenge was to try and identify what characters were synonymous with pinot noir from Burgundy and what characters were unique to specific villages within Burgundy.

An interesting observation was that most of the wines were recommended by Ross Duke. We came to the conclusion that if Ross recommends a Burgundy, then it is most likely to be good. The only caveat would be to choose the better vintages.

Tasted (In Order)

Domaine Du Meix-Foulot – Mercury 1er Cru – Clos du Chateau de Montaigu – 2006 (16.9). Somewhat meaty characters to start, in a solid frame-work. Some lovely cherry fruit leads on the palate, with earthy characters to follow. Not complex on the finish, but very more-ish and good drinking now.

Domaine Marquis D’Angerville – Volnay – 2005 (16.7). Denser colour, and more density to the fruit on the nose. Savoury notes with spice and red (strawberry) fruits on the palate. Souring finish adds interest. Again lacks fruit weight on the finish, but there is enough structure to improve for a few years. Quite linear but not as generous as the Mercury.

Domaine Machard De Gramont – Beune 1er Cru – Aucoucherias – 2005 (17). Cold. Lighter style and quite pretty. The palate builds intensity. Some pepper and spice on the palate. A pretty, even floral, wine that gets better with time. This really improved over the evening.

Albert Morot – Beaune – Cent Vignes 1er Cru – 2004 (17.2). More of the earthy/meaty characters on the nose, but really interesting and succulent. Fruit is more to the plum spectrum with spice. Complex, spice especially cinnamon. Plums and some cedary notes on the palate. Long and savoury finish, but with plenty of grip. Sweet plum fruit. This was delicious with dinner the next night.

Domaine Follin-Arbelet – Aloxe Corton 1er Cru – les Vercots – 2006 (17.4). Quite dumb to start. The palate is fresh and vibrant, silky yet with plenty of structure. The fruit and oak tannins are very fine and tight, but get powdery on the close. This needs quite a few years to open up.

Rapet Pere et Fils – Pernand Verglesses – 2005 (16.5). Fruit tending to the cherry spectrum, with a touch of menthol and medicinal aromas. These continue on the palate. Opens with time, but not my style. (Received stronger support from others.)

Domaine Digioia-Royer – Chambolle Musigny – 2005. (17.5). Earthy, complex nose with dark fruit. The palate is dense, and quite powerful, with good fruit weight. This wine is all about fruit, with minimal new oak influence. Chewy and long, an impressive village wine. Pretty and quite feminine. A mid weight wine.

Earl Domaine Castagnie – Gervrey Chambertin – 2004 (17.3). More developed than the Royer, perhaps reflecting the vintage. Plumy fruit with some cedary oak characters. There is some cooler fruit character on the nose, but this does not detract. Good line and very good length. Does evolve and build spice. Drink in the next few years. (If this has a touch of Volatile Acidity, then it adds complexity).

Domaine Bart – Marsannay – Les Echezois – 2005 (17.8). Balanced and complex nose. This is seductive and ripe. Silky and enticing palate with fruit in the cherry spectrum . Denser fruit than all so far, this is textured and rich. Surprising quality for a village wine, and will improve further.

Bruno Desaunay-Bissey – Vosne Romanee – Villes Vignes 2005. (16). A somewhat meaty wine that is plump and ripe, but perhaps a bit flat. An almost sea-water flavour on the finish. Opens and improves. Firm tannins.

J Cacheux – Vosne Romanee 1er Cru – Les Chalandins – 2006 (18.2). A pretty wine. Feminine and floral, but with spine. Wow, lovely wine with very floral fruit. There is rose water and gentle cinnamon as well as strawberry fruit characters. Very silky, but still with structure. Superior. Interesting to see a fresh sea-water character.

J Cacheux – Vosne Romanee 1er Cru – Les Chalandins – 2005 (18). More structured than the 2006. Similar fruit characters, (i.e. pretty fruit), but more structured and a touch of pepper. The tannins are palpable on the finish. Smart, but will need more time to start drinking well. More masculine, and will score higher in time.

Caves de Pommard – Clos Vougeot – Grand Cru – 2005 (17.5). More weighty, but with poise and balance. Warmer and with some oak influence that is obvious. Dense fruit that is really long and fine. This is a powerful wine but not as identifiably burgundian. Some unusual, almost cooked characters. I was the only one that did not rate this very highly.

Scorpo – Pinot Noir – 2005 (17.9). Has the same spectrum of characters as the burgundies, but everything is turbo charged. Meaty/earthy characters dominate the nose. The palate is a flood of ripe fruit in the cherry spectrum. This is really long and really dense. The ripeness and density of the fruit is reflected in the (slightly) higher alcohol. One for lovers of shiraz, but very good all the same. Tangy acid to close. Interestingly, this evolved into a more feminine wine with airing.

Carrick – Pinot Noir – 2006 (18). Much closer in style to the burgundies, but still with new world fruit characters. Very nice wine with cherries and gentle spice. This is delicate but long and fine. Good length.

Burgundy Comes to Australia

Direct imports by Lamont’s – Cottesloe

17 & 22 December 2009

Burgundy is the holy grail of wines from my perspective. The great wines from Burgundy (both red and white) are possibly the greatest wines on the planet. The problem is that most wines do not reach anywhere near that pinnacle, especially for pinot noir. The best new world pinots are lovely wines but they lack the ethereal qualities of great burgundies. Indeed, most red burgundies fall well short of the mark too.

The story is a little different for chardonnay. The greatest new world wines (e.g. Leeuwin Estate from Margaret River) are indeed great wines. They are different to those from Burgundy though. Not better or worse, just different. Is the quality of these new world chardonnays equal to the best white burgundies (e.g. Grand Cru wines such as La – Montrachet etc)? Perhaps not quite, but the gap is small. Do good whites from the Burgundy region offer a drinking experience that is worth pursuing? Definitely! The minerally characters abundant in these wines are ideally suited to food, and often will take some aging.

At this stage I should highlight that wines made from chardonnay from the Burgundy region come from two main regions. Chablis and Burgundy. Both are typically 100% chardonnay, but the style differs significantly. I will discuss this further in a future article.

So to the wines.

Lamont’s has sourced a number of wines from various producers throughout Burgundy and Chablis. Looking at the order form, the wines appear to be very well priced. They suggest that a combination of the higher Australian Dollar, decreased global demand post the Global Financial Crisis and the ability to bypass the middle-man through direct imports has resulted in significantly reduced prices.

Having said all this, the wines only represent good value if they are actually good. After tasting 18 of the wines (this was not a blind tasting, so points are a bit arbitrary) I am pleased to say that they are good to very good, and there is some excellent value on offer.

Importantly, this is an opportunity to drink/cellar a selection of wines that offer something different to anything being made in the new world.

Tasted

Chardonnay

Bernard Bonin – Meursault Charmes – Premier Cru – 2004 (18). (Burgundy). Open and rich nose with minerals and melon fruit characters The palate is round and rich, with caramel toasty oak. Good mouth feel that is viscous and textured. Drinking well now.

Bernard Bonin – Corton Charlemagne – Grand Cru – 2004 (18.5). (Burgundy). Formerly known as Domaine Michelot. Closed and surprisingly tight given that it is 5 years old. The palate has plenty of minerals, spice, stone fruit and a touch of almond. There is also peachy fruit and a touch of apricot kernel. The palate is defined by fine acidity and high quality oak but remains lean and relatively austere. Will evolve wonderfully over time.

Darviot Perrin – Meursault – Clos de La Ville – 2006 (17.9). (Burgundy). Whilst quite closed at the moment, this has citrus and tropical fruit notes. The palate is rich, ripe and textured with lovely mouth feel. Very fine oak is seamlessly integrated. Opens and builds power with air. Give it a few years to blossom.

Darviot Perrin – Chassagne Montrachet – Blanchots Dessus – Premier Cru – 2006 (18.5). (Burgundy). Closed, complex and creamy. The palate is closed, tight, seamless and very long. Stone fruit to the fore with great subtlety. This is fantastic! Needs several years to show its best.

Laurent Cognard – Montagny Les Bassets – Premier Cru – 2008 (17.5). (Burgundy). More obvious nose. Quite creamy, with more stone fruit and less minerals than the wines from chablis. There is also a touch of Marzipan/rose water. This has potential! The palate has lovely lemony acid, is creamy and has a relatively seamless palate. Some apricot to close.

Philippe Chavy – Borgogne Blanc – 2007 (16.9). (Burgundy). Cold and quite closed to start. Plenty of minerals and lemony acid with a touch of toastiness. Not complex, but would be good drinking with a risotto this summer.

Philippe Chavy – Puligny Montrachet – Folatiers – Premier Cru – 2007 (18). (Burgundy). More complex and ripe. Interestingly, this has more colour than most here. The palate is defined by powerful fruit – this is big. Very good length and more structure. One to drink over the next year.

Philippe Chavy – Puligny Montrachet – 2007 (17.7). (Burgundy). More complex and obviously white burgundy. A touch of mineraly curry leaf. This is quite chewy and textured with a touch of honey and seamless oak. There is a steely finish on this fine wine.

Sylvain Mosnier – Petite Chablis – 2007 (16.9). Classic minerals and flint on the nose with ripe peach and a touch of almond meal. The palate is bright and fresh. This is tasty, and has a lovely mouth watering saltiness on the close. Not greatly complex, but very enjoyable drinking. Good Value.

Sylvain Mosnier – Beauroy – Premier Cru – 2006 (17.4). (Chablis). More complex, with honey, lanolin, and stone fruit. The palate has apricot kernel and honey. There is some oak evident on the creamy finish. This has real density of fruit but is still quite closed. May get greater length with a year more in bottle.

Bernard Bonin – Meursault – Les Tillets – 2005 (NR). (Burgundy). Slight cork taint. Looks promising.

Pinot Noir

Anne & Herve Sigaut – Morey St Denis – Les Millandes – Premier Cru – 2007 (17.5/18). Wow, really perfumed with a touch of meatiness. This really chewy and dense showing fruit and tannin ripeness. The drying finish is very fine. Points for potential.

Aurelien Verdet – Haut Cote de Nuit – 2007 (17.3). Scented and perfumed. A fine and refined wine. More concentrated than the Clos des Faulques. Darker cherry fruit that has earthy undertones. White pepper and savoury notes. This is great value.

Darviot Perrin – Beaune Bellisands – Premier Cru – 2003 (18). Intriguing “French” pong reflects the extra bottle age on this wine. Deep smelling with cherry and red currant undertones. The palate is long, complex, savoury and dense. Subtle oak supports the cherry fruit. Very good drinking!

Jean-Marc Millot – Cotes de Nuits Villages – Clos des Faulques – 2007 (16.5). Ripe cherry with some complexity on the nose. The palate has cherry, strawberries and spice. Simple but a good drink.

Jean-Marc Millot – Clos Vougeot – Grand Cru – 2007 (18.5+). Complex, deep and fragrant nose. Wow, the palate is powerful, deep, dense, very fine and long. Evolves with air, revealing leather, spice and cloves. Majestic wine.

N.B. To add context to the tasting, we opened a bottle of the Leeuwin Estate – Art Series – Chardonnay – 2006 (18.5/18.7) to use as a bench mark. This is a wine of stunning quality and at under $100 a bottle is a real bargain.

Pinot Noir – Premium

Wines from New Zealand and Australia

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Lamonts Wine Store – Cottesloe

This tasting really highlighted to me the value of blind tastings, and the problems of not tasting blind. Arriving late, I tasted the first four wines blinded whilst the rest of the group were having a break. As you will see from my comments, the Mount Difficulty really impressed, where as the Martinborough (traditionally one of my favorite NZ pinots) was disappointing. I was not prejudiced, as I did not know the wines.

For the rest of the tasting, people were discussing the various wines that were in the tasting and guessing as to what was what. There was also (understandably) allot of discussion about the various wines during the tasting. It is very difficult to remain objective in this environment, so treat my scores with a pinch of salt.

Having said all this, there was a couple of real standouts. I found the Central Otago wines held there own against the best from Martinborough. The strength of the 2007 vintage was also highlighted in some of these wine.

Tasting Notes

Mount Mary – Pinot Noir – 2005

Wow, Perfumed, seductive and floral. Hints of rose water/turkish delight. Seductive palate with velvety mouth feel. briary black current fruit. Very long, but finish shut down by very fine tannins. Cleaver use of oak. (18.7)

Felton Road – Pinot Noir – 2008

Seductive and alluring. Perfume and spice. Seductive with cinnamon and red currants. Gorgeous palate perfume. long and subtle, will take several years to show its best. Seductive wine. (18.7)

Mt Difficulty – Pinot Noir – 2007

Perfumed and delicate. A feminine wine with red fruits and strawberries. Follows with lovely fruit on the palate. Seamless and oh so long. Cherry fruit with very fine tannins. Closes with tea leaf. Structured and very good (18.5)

Kupe – Escarpment – Pinot Noir – 2006

Perfumed, complex, supple. Leather and spice complexity. Palate… weighty, meaty, earthy. Complex long and very fine. Palate maintains freshness with pippy cherry fruit and fine tar. Seamless. Will evolve (18.5)

Ata Rangi – Pinot Noir – 2006

Similar nose to earlier wines. Structure and grip to the fore. Tar and tea leaf on the nose, followed by ripe fruit and a touch of tea leaf on the palate. Very good, but needs time (18)

Ata Rangi – Pinot Noir – 2007

Sour cherries with some sappy characters. very closed. The palate has potential ++. Powerful fruit, long, fine and seamless. Builds. Needs time. (18)

Dog Point – Pinot Noir 2007

Turbo charged wine with lots of everything. Perhaps a touch of volatility. The plate is framed by lovely silky fruit with cinnamon. Finish a touch subdued, flattened by fine tannins and oak. One for the cellar, but style may galvanize some (18)

Bass Phillip – Premium – Pinot Noir 2001

Two bottles tried and very inconsistent. The good bottle was ripe, fragrant, complex and seductive, with obvious development. (18) The other was cardboard and dusty

Marchard & Burch – Pinot Noir -2007

Bright cherry fruit with cherry pips and some savoury notes. Clean and fresh. On the palate, quite silky, textured and long. Pleasant souring finish. Lacked the fruit weight of the best, but a good effort. (17.8)

Gibston Valley – The Reserve – Pinot Noir 2006

Not properly assessed, but… soft and open, Complex, feminine and ripe. supple and long. sympathetic oak and tannin (17.5-18)

Quartz Reef – Pinot Noir – 2007

Earthy, meaty, blackberry fruit. Riper strawberry fruit on the palate. Lacks intensity and structure. May evolve (17.5)

Cristom – Pinot Noir – 2005 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)

Weight wine with ripe fruit. Chocolate fruit but lacks complexity of some here. ? alcohol level (17.5)

Yabby Lakes – Pinot Noir – 2006

Touch of smoke and tar. Quite closed. The palate shows ripe fresh fruit with good length. Whilst textured, it appears a bit angular and the finish is a touch unidirectional (17.3)

Domaine A Tasting

Reviewed: 15 March 2013

Peter and Ruth Althaus started Domaine A in 1989 when they purchased a small vineyard on a 20 hectare property in Tasmania’s Coal Valley. Peter was in Sydney recently to show off the wineries current release wines and taste some back vintages of various wines.

Peter is rightly proud of the wines that he produces. The whole range is of very high quality and the wines are not made to follow fashion. They are individualistic and represent exactly what Peter is trying to achieve.

Personal experience suggests that the wines age superbly, though on the day, I was too late to try the older wines. Others reported that the 1998 Domaine A is drinking superbly (from magnum).

The wines are not cheap, but they are certainly worth seeking out. The usual caveat applies to this report – the wines were not tasted blond, so my points are best used as a guide only.

Reviewed

Domaine A – Sauvignon Blanc – Stoney Vineyard – 2011 (17). Grassy aromas over green pea and gentle herbal notes. This has quite a serious nose and displays good complexity. (whilst this sees no oak, it does spend six months on lees). The palate is viscous and textured, with floral notes over the grassy fruit. With 10g/l of residual sugar, there is notable sweetness from the mid palate through to the long and fine finish. This is something that Peter has done to improve drinkability. Whilst this won’t suit all palates, it makes and excellent alternative to an NZ or Adelaide hills wine.

Domaine A – Sauvignon Blanc – Lady A – 2008 (17.5). From a one hectare plot, this wine gets the royal treatment. Barrel fermentation and 1 year in new French oak followed by further time in the cellar. A complex nose that has minerals and match-strike/flint characters from barrel ferment and lees work. At 5 years of age, this is really coming together beautifully. The hint of gun smoke on the long finish adds interest. Despite the expansive winemaking inputs, this is a surprisingly gentle/elegant wine with subtlety and charm. A delightful wine.

Domaine A – Pinot Noir – Stoney Vineyard – 2011 (17.3). Quite a meaty/earthy nose. Quite grippy on the palate now, this needs a few years for the cherry/pippy fruit to settle in to the structure. With air, this is quite long and dominated by savoury/spicy notes. A smart wine that works best with food, where the savoury characters come in to their own.

Domaine A – Cabernet Sauvignon – Stoney Vineyard – 2007 (17.5). The extra time in bottle makes its presence felt in this wine. Savoury and spicy, with forest floor highlights, this is a long and textured wine of real presence. Whilst a long way removed from the wines of Margaret River and Coonawarra in style, this is a textural feast and represents excellent value.

Domaine A – Cabernet blend – Petit “a” – 2008 (17.8). A much more familiar flavour profile here, with ripe fruit showing black currant and even a hint of cassis. The palate is fine and textured, though the finish is linear and structure. Either food or time will serve this well.

Domaine A – Pinot Noir – Domaine A – 2008 (17.8). Delicate and refined nose that is subtle and intriguing. The palate is extraordinarily fine, with the core of tannins providing a seamless passage from mid palate to the very long conclusion. In the style of Gevrey? According to the website, the low yields mean that it takes two vines to produce each bottle of this wine. (Diam closure).

Domaine A – Cabernet Sauvignon – Domaine A – 2008 (18.5). Densely structured fruit leads the attack on the nose. This is a powerful wine, though it is not “big”. The power comes from concentrated fruit that whilst ripe, is at the cooler end of the flavour spectrum. There are hints of black fruits, crushed ant, a touch of menthol and supple, cedary spice. The length is outstanding, though this needs years to reach its peak. The wine spends three years in new French oak and is held back for another two years in bottle. A superb wine and a worthy alternative to the wines of Moss Wood, Cape Mentelle etc.

New Release – Mixed

Reviewed: 14 March 2013

Every now and then, a tasting slips through the cracks and does not get published.

I reviewed these wines a month ago, but forgot to write up the review. This means there is a little bit of context missing, as I have had to rely solely on my tasting notes to bring the reviews to you

Reviewed

Millbrook – Tempranillo – 2012 (17). I like the smell of this as it has ripe fruit, balanced by savoury highlights. There is a touch of fruit cake, currants and cedar on the palate. The tannins are quite fine, yet assertive, giving the finish a drying edge. The texture is good and the fruit builds with air. A year or two will see this flesh out and build.

Cape Mentelle – Zinfandel – 2011 (17.3). Dense, fleshy fruit is the dominant character on both the nose and palate. This is a ripe, yet well structured wine that balances fruit richness with an excellent mouth-feel. This is a leaner style of zinfandel that balances the fruit with fine tannins and a savoury edge. Will work a treat with a casserole anytime in the next 5 – 7 years.

Hamelin Bay Wines – Merlot – Rosé – 2012 (17). The panel really enjoyed this wine as it was considered to be a good example of the style. Leads off with a neutral nose that, whilst dry, has a floral lift. Dry and savoury on the palate, this has refreshing acidity balanced with a hint of savoury fruit.

Fifth Leg – Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc – Rosé – 2012 (16.5). Richer hue and more body to the fruit on the nose. Savoury, dry and with a touch of grip on the close. I like this style where the savoury structure takes precedence, and the gentle red fruits caress the palate on the finish.

Swings & Roundabouts – Chardonnay/Pinot Noir – Backyard Stories – 2011(16.7). Ripe, new world fruit, but there is good acidity to balance the fruit and dosage. Good length and gentle complexity to a wine that is uncomplicated and easy to drink.

Brookwood Estate – Chenin Blanc – NV (16.5). I like the fact that this is obviously made from chenin blanc in the style of wines from the Loire Valley in France. The fruit has real apple like overtones and the acid is refreshing and lively.