Cabernet Sauvignon: April 2020

Barry Weinman: 10^th April 2020

I hope you and your family are safe and well during this difficult times.

Given everything that is happening globally, it seems a bit irreverent to be reviewing fine wines. But given that we are living in relative isolation, a decent bottle of wine at the end of the week might bring a little consolation.

With the border closures, and their impact on freight, what better time to focus on the great wines made here in WA?

I recently reviewed Chardonnays made by Vanya Cullen, but this week, it was the Diana Madeline that stunned the (socially isolated) panel. Here is a wine that is only 13% alcohol, yet has perfectly ripe fruit.

I can’t remember a better wine under this label.

At a more approachable price level, there were several wines that stood out.

Singlefile has consistently produced high quality wine from a number of varieties, with Cabernet, Chardonnay and Riesling all featuring strongly year after year.

The entry-level Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot is my pick at the moment. Excellent fruit quality and deft winemaking (cold soaked berries, extended maceration, 13 months in French oak, 30% new). A tremendous bargain at only $25.

Marri Wood Park is the run by Julian Wright and his children. There are seven hectares of vines, planted in 1993. There is a very hands-off approach in the vineyard (dry grown, no fertilisers), which are certified biodynamic, resulting in quite low yields.

The wines are made by Nic Peterkin from L.A.S. Vino, and the focus is on Cabernet, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.

Reviewed

Woodlands – Cabernet Sauvignon – Clementine Eloise – 2016 (18.7/20pts). Beautifully fragrant and intense fruit on the nose, with blackcurrant, cassis, menthol and a touch of cedar. On the palate, the perfectly ripe fruit continues, but this is framed by the tannins and supple oak leading to a taut finish. A great wine, but really needs years.

Woodlands – Malbec – 2018 (18.5/20pts). Very drying and firm, a wine with density and gravitas. Bordeaux- like, with leaner fruit and dry, savoury complexity. A serious, intense wine that needs years in the cellar, but with air, the fruit really builds.

Marri Wood Park – Cabernet Sauvignon – Single Block – 2018 (18.5/20pts – $40). This is reserved and taut, yet the berry fruit has lovely mouthfeel and is polished, refined, elegant, and very long. A savoury, textural wine that combines high quality, perfectly ripe fruit with sympathetic winemaking. Approachable, but better with 5 – 10 years in the cellar. Great value!

Woodlands – Cabernet/Merlot – Margaret – 2017 (18.3/20pts). I like that a lot. Fine, elegant and refined, the pristine fruit displaying blueberry, cinnamon and spice. Textured, dense and powerful, this is a bigger, richer style that is full of immediate pleasure, though also worthy of mid-term aging.

The Yard – Cabernet Sauvignon – Riversdale – 2018 (18.4/20pts). More approachable and even delicious, with ripe blueberry fruit that is floral and perfumed. The fruit weight is not overly dense, making for great drinking. Ultimately, there is a degree of restraint that suggest cellaring is in order.

Singlefile – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2018 (18.2/20pts – $25). The ripe fruit is rich and intense, with concentrated berry notes. Excellent depth on the palate, with the fruit wrapped in a savoury, textural blanket. Clearly different to the wines from Margaret River, but equally worthy. An all-purpose wine that would be great with food, but even better in 5 -10 years. Bargain!

Cullen – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Diana Madeline – 2018 (18.8/20pts). Superb fruit has been massaged in the winery to produce a wine that very elegant and refined. The palate is ripe, supple and completely seamless, yet the tannins sneak up on the close, leaving a dusty, textual component that adds depth. A beautiful wine, and perhaps the best yet under this label.

Chardonnay – New Release

Barry Weinman: 18^th March 2020

In recent years, Cullen’s Kevin John has been one of my favourite Chardonnays from Margaret River, holding its own against the region’s best. So the release of the 2018 vintage is eagerly anticipated.

At a recent Chardonnay tasting hosted by John Jens, the 2018 Cullen was put up against some of the region’s best, along with a smattering of Burgundies and iconic wines from other regions in Australia.

Not surprisingly, the wine ranked amongst the best of the blind tasting. Disarmingly accessible, yet worthy of five years in the cellar.

Another highlight was Woodlands’ Chloe, also from 2018. A little richer and more textured than the Cullen, and already drinking superbly.

The tasting also served to highlight just how different the Chardonnays from Burgundy (including Chablis) appear. In this tasting, there was no mistaking the origin of any of these wines, with their nutty minerality and more subdued fruit.

There was also a touch of honey and toast in many of the Burgundies, reflecting the different philosophy to winemaking.

I also opened a few 10 – 15-year-old Chardonnays from Australia and Burgundy, to illustrate the impact of bottle age on Chardonnay. From this, two clear take-aways emerged. Firstly, it was just how well Australian Chardonnays can age under screw cap. Whilst it is no surprise that the likes of Leeuwin Estate age well, others also showed very well indeed.

The second point was the vagaries of the cork used to seal the Burgundies. Random oxidation and cork taint are an ever-present risk.

Reviewed

Cullen – Chardonnay – 2018 (18.8/20pts – $127). Beautifully fragrant nose with floral white peach and subtle nuttiness. The powerful and dense palate shows excellent fruit and superb winemaking. There is gentle spice, creamy, texturing French oak (50% new), citrus and tropical fruit on the mid-palate and a complex mealy nuttiness and great length on the finish. Now to 10 years.

Domaine Oudin – Chablis – 1er Cru – Vaugiraut – 2017 (18/20pts – $80). Pretty, peachy stone fruit on the nose, with subtle minerality adding depth. The palate is supple, textured, creamy and long, with gentle toast on the close. No oak used. Fermentation and aging in stainless steel. A smart wine and very different to what we see from Margaret River.                                                                

Woodlands – Chardonnay – Chloe – 2018 (18.7/20pts – $110). White peach, cashew and grapefruit lead both the nose and palate. The viscosity, mouth-feel, depth and subtle power of the fruit are all highlights, as is the seamless finish. From the Woodlands vineyard, wild yeast fermentation, 10 months in oak. One of Margaret River’s best Cabernet producer demonstrates a deftly crafted Chardonnay.

New Release – April 2020

Barry Weinman: 20^th April 2020

Over the last few weeks (before the COVID-19 shutdown), the panel had a first look at several producers.

Below & Above: The primary focus of this Pemberton producer is on growing high-quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay under contract, for a number of large and small producers. They currently have 35 hectares under vine, with efforts being made on increasing clonal diversity, especially for Pinot Noir.

A small percentage of grape production is set aside for their own label, made under the watchful eye of Bruce Dukes. The current Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are solid wines, but it was the Merlot that caught my eye.

This is notably different in style to a Margaret River Cabernet, the powerful fruit taking on a dark, brooding character. The 2013 is the current release and represents decent value.

Hutton Vale: Slick, polished wines made by Kim Teusner

Liv Zak range by Warramunda: These are fresh and approachable wines that are perfect for early consumption.

Reviewed

Below & Above – Merlot – 2013 (17.7/20pts – $35). Quite dense and powerful fruit that is brambly, brooding and chewy. A different style to what we are used to from Margaret River, but a compelling wine. Slick enough to enjoy now, but cellaring likely to add complexity.

Liv Zac by Warramunda – Chardonnay – 2019 (17.5/20pts). Quite a smart wine this, with all the winemaking boxes ticked. Peachy fruit, fine creamy oak and gentle lees work add up to an approachable, moreish wine. Delicious, supple and uncomplicated. Don’t serve too cold.

Liv Zac by Warramunda – Malbec- 2018 (17.5/20pts). Lifted pretty blueberry fruit on both the nose and palate. Fruit driven and vibrant, but the immediacy is compelling. Drink now.

Hutton Vale Farm – Shiraz – 2014 (17.8/20pts – $75). Spice here is a key feature. Ripe, fresh fruit is intense and powerful, with texturing tannins and acid build on the finish, keeping the finish tight. Dense, concentrated and age-worthy, with excellent fruit quality.

Marchand and Burch – Pinot Noir – Mt Barrow – 2018 (17,7/20pts -$60). Pretty and fragrant, with cherry, berry and spice aromas. The palate is firm, but accessible, with the oak spice notes complementing the fruit well. Supple and savoury, with excellent length. A  year or two in bottle should see this fill out. From Mt Barker.

First Taste: Duval-Leroy & Giovanni Rosso

Barry Weinman: 27^th March 2018

Depending on who you believe, there are somewhere between 6000 and 15,000 unique grape varieties grown globally. Of course, only a proportion of these are used for wine production, and even less are in common production.

In the seminal work Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties, including their Origins and Flavours, Jancis Robinson et al gave detailed descriptions of 1368 varieties that are currently used in commercial production. It is safe to say that most of us have only tried a small fraction of the grapes regularly used in winemaking.

In their 2018 report, OIV estimated that there was 7.6 million hectares under vine, with Australia contributing 145 thousand hectares (2%).

So it is little wonder that almost weekly, I review wines from producers I have never heard of before, or grapes that I have little experience with.

This week, I was particularly taken with the wines of Giovanni Rosso, a long-term grower who started making wines in the 1990s. The family is proudly traditional in their approach to winemaking, seeking texture and savoury complexity over overt fruit/oak characters.

I was also very impressed with the Champagnes of Duval-Leroy. This is a family owned house based in Vertus, run by Carol Duval-Leroy since 1991. The family owns 200 hectares of vines (primarily Grand and Premier Cru) in Côtes des Blancs, which supplies 1/3 of their needs.

The Brut Reserve and Rosé are both fine wines, but the prestige Femme de Champagne was the highlight. The current release is an NV based on the 2004 vintage.

Reviewed

Duval-Leroy – Brut Reserve – Champagne – NV. (18.3/20pts – $90). There is more depth and power than I was expecting here. The palate is quite rich and textured, with good complexity and mouthfeel. Fresh enough to enjoy as an aperitif but has enough weight to accompany the start of a meal. Includes 40% reserve wines, 100% malolactic fermentation, 8g/l dosage.

Duval-Leroy – Brut – Femme de Champagne – Grand Cru – NV (18.6/20pts – $220). A most impressive wine. Very fine and subtle, this could almost be described as delicate. Yet this is supple, mouth filling and intense, with the power building on the finish. Refined acidity and near seamless palate transition to close. 87% Chardonnay. 10 years on lees. 5gm/l.

Giovanni Rosso – Barbera d’Alba – Donna Margherita – 2016 (17/20 – $50). Pretty and floral. Really quite perfumed. A food-focused wine, where the acid and structure take pride of place on the palate. Uncomplicated, and easy to drink.

Giovanni Rosso – Barolo – Del Comune Di Serralunga – 2015. (18/20pts – $110). The nose is fragrant and supple, with just a hint of spice adding depth. The palate is textured and firm, in a more traditional style, but the quality of fruit is palpable. Slightly grippy, drying tannins to close. Worthy of time in the cellar.

Giovanni Rosso – Barolo – Serra – 2015 (18.5/20 – $170). Similar profile to their standard Barolo, but with greater intensity and refinement. The palate is near seamless, with the texture building in layers. Very long, with intrinsic power, yet supple enough to be drunk now. Very impressive indeed. 30 days on skins, fermentation in large concrete vats, three years in older oak.

New Release: Barolo and Barbaresco

Barry Weinman: 11^th March 2020

Unlike Cabernet or Shiraz, Nebbiolo is not a household name here in Australia. Yet some of the world’s great wines are made from this grape from the Piedmont region in Italy. The two key districts are Barbaresco and Barolo.

Barolo, whilst not a household name in Australia, is a wine of great repute. The neighboring village of Barbaresco, being only 1/3 of the size of Barolo, does not have quite the same recognition, but the wines can be just as impressive.

Luckily for Australian consumers, two new producers are being represented in Australia for the first time.

Bera is family-owned, with 35 hectares of vineyards across Piedmont. Moscato d’Asti is the backbone, accounting for 50% of production. Freshness is the key for the Moscato.  Bera cold stabilizes the juice, bottling what is needed each month. The Barbarescos straddle the boundary between traditional and modern: Fruit characters are preserved and new oak is eschewed.

Revello is also family-owned, the 10 hectares of vineyards gradually acquired over the last 50 years.  Sixty percent of the Baroko vineyard holdings are in La Mora, and thirty percent in Seralunga. A modern approach is taken, with shorter fermentation/skin contact times and ageing in French oak bariques (20-30% new) for the Barolos.

A number of the wines were from the excellent 2016 vintage, which ranks among the best of the decade. Overall, the quality was very high indeed.

The wines will be arriving in Australia in May. Contact your local fine wine retailer for stockists

I tasted these wines with the winemakers (unblinded), so points are an indication only.

Reviewed

Bera – Barbera d’Alba – 2018 (17.5/20pts – $29). Both a surprise and a delight, with fresh, vibrant fruit the primary focus. Pretty, fragrant berry and cherry notes combine with a supple mouthfeel to make for a great drink. There is enough structure to add depth, without detracting from the purity of fruit. Food not required.

Bera – Langhe- Nebbiolo – Alladio’ – 2016 (17.9/20pts – $54). 2016 was a great year in Lange, and this is evident in the greater density of fruit and finer structure. The textural components are a highlight, with the slightly chewy tannins getting quite dry on the close. A Barbaresco by any other name…

Bera – Barbaresco – 2016 (18/20pts – $77). The perfumed fruit is a highlight and is so typical of Nebbiolo (even a hint of rose blossom). But the main feature here is the balance. So approachable and delicious, yet clearly worthy of 5+ years in the cellar. Spends two years in older oak.

Bera – Barbaresco – Serraboella’ – 2016 (18.3/20pts – $110). More structural, textured and powerful, yet possesses grace and balance. Elegant, though the finish is taut and fine. Altogether more reserved than the straight Barbaresco, with greater viscosity. Yet supple enough to enjoy young.

Bera – Barbaresco Riserva – Rabaja – 2013 (18.6/20 – $187). The depth and power here is something to behold. The classic Nebbiolo floral notes build and gets quite perfumed in the glass. Whilst near seamless, this is taut and closed, and needs years to hit its straps. From 35y/o vines, spends three years in oak. 

Bera – Moscato d’Asti – 2018 ($29). The juice for this wine is held in cold storage, with a batch made each month to ensure maximum freshness for the consumer. Apple, musk and grapey goodness that is fresh, vibrant and refreshing. With 130g/l of residual sugar and only 5% alcohol, this is smashable and fun. But don’t let the kids try it…

Revello – Barbera d’Alba – 2018 – (17.5/20pts – $44). More structured than the Bera, with the fruit a touch subdued. Textural and very food friendly, with the souring cherry-like acidity adding drive and zip on a finish that gets slightly chewy on the close. (No oak used).

Revello – Langhe – Nebbiolo – 2017 (17.5/20pts – $59). Reflecting the vintage, this is quite masculine and structured, yet with air, the dense fruit gets quite pretty. Will be better with short-term aging.

Revello —Barolo – 2016 (18.3/20pts – $116). More depth to the colour here. This is the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. Pretty, almost succulent fruit abounds, but there is serious fruit weight and density. The fruit is sourced from both La Mora and Seralunga, with the latter contributing a muscular framework. Oak and fruit tannins are fine, but notable.

Revello – Barolo – Gattera– ’ 2016 (18.5/20pts – $148). A modern Barolo of great charm, with the fine, perfumed floral aromas a highlight. With excellent texture and mouthf-eel, the fine tannins were polished enough to allow the fruit to shine, yet guarantee age-worthiness. Impressive.

Revello – Barolo – Giachini –  2016 (18.6/20pts $172). More power to the concentrated fruit, accompanied by more notable tannins (fruit and oak). All of this comes at the expense of short-term drink ability, even though there is near seamless palate transition. With air, the fruit starts to shine. A brilliant wine, but really needs a decade or more to start opening up.

Revello – Barolo – Conca – 2016. (18.7/20pts – $187). Wonderful fruit lies at the heart of this wine. Whilst pretty and supple, there is great depth and intensity, with a near seamless finish.   An ethereal wine that was my pick of the tasting. The Conca vineyard totals just three hectares, with Revello holding 1/3 of the vineyard.

New Kids on the block

Barry Weinman: 21^st February 2020

The new year has given me the opportunity to try wines from a number of wineries that are new to WA or have had limited distribution in the past.

The most exciting aspect of the tastings were the opportunity to try several different grape varieties, or wines made in styles that are different to what we are used to here in the west.

From the Barossa comes the Auld family, who can trace their history in wine in Australia back six generations. The current generation is sticking to what Barossa does best, producing Riesling, Cabernet and Shiraz.

Unusually, there is very little difference in price between their three ranges, making the premium William Patrick Shiraz the obvious choice.

Another producer to catch my eye was JC’s Own. Whilst based in the Barossa, Jaysen Collins is producing wines from several regions, including a Pinot and a Mataro from Sierra Nevada in the USA.

The first thing that struck me was the brilliant packaging. Distinctive bottle shapes combined with clever art work has resulted in some of the most memorable bottles that I have seen of late. The Grenache is well worth tracking down.

Closer to home, I had tried a few wines from Aylesbury. The Gibbs family have been farming on the property since 1883 and diversified into viticulture in 1998. Ryan Gibbs (5^th Generation) established the label in 2008.  I was quite taken by the Arneis.

JC’s Own and Aylesbury are distributed by Claret & Co, so try your local wine store.

Reviewed

Aylesbury – QO5 – Arneis – 2019 (17.5/20pts – $30). From the Ferguson Valley in Western Australia, this has a fragrant and perfumed nose. The mouthfeel is a highlight: creamy, viscous, mouth-filling and long, with the fruit persisting to the close of the palate. The crisp acidity adds to the drinking pleasure, while the textural components are well suited to food.

Coriole – Nero – Nero D’Avola – 2018 (17.8/20pts – $31). Initially muted on the nose, but the palate is bursting with bold ripe fruit, supported by a savoury lift. Little in the way of oak to get in the way. Ultimately, the finish gets a little chewy, but this is all part of the charm. A generous wine that deserves to be popular.

JC’s Own – Bluebird – Grenache – 2019 (18/20pts – $38). Very pretty fruit on the nose that is lifted and redolent of ripe red berries and cranberries. The palate continues with bright, succulent fruit, but then things get quite serious and firm on the close. Yet the balance is maintained, making this a delicious drink over the next few years. Great packaging!

Auld Family Wines – William Patrick – Shiraz – 2016 (18/20pts – $50). Powerful ripe fruit has been paired to quality oak here, though the whole package is a bit subdued initially.  Opens to show pristine fruit, with white pepper and a spice lift. The vibrant palate has depth and finesse, though the tannin structure makes this better suited to extended aging. Contact the winery.

Vasse Felix Alternatives Range

Barry Weinman: 6^th February 2020

Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are the heart and soul of Margaret River wines and producers are typically trying to make ever finer wines in a style that we know and love.

But there is more to Margaret River, and Sauvignon Blanc (often in conjunction with Semillon) and Shiraz are also important varieties for the region.

Unlike Cabernet and Chardonnay however, there is not a regional style that defines these wines. This gives winemakers the opportunity to explore techniques that are, perhaps, less mainstream.

With Sauvignon Blanc for example, the trend is towards increased barrel fermentation, lees and oak characters, resulting in more complex and savoury wines that is particularly suited to food.

This trend appears to be mirrored at Vasse Felix.

Virginia Wilcock and her winemaking team maintain an unrelenting focus on making the best possible wines from Chardonnay and Cabernet. This is exemplified by the Heytesbury Chardonnay and Tom Cullity Cabernet.

With the main focus firmly on Cabernet and Chardonnay, the Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon and Shiraz are being repositioned as the alternative range, allowing an evolution of their styles.

The winery has been producing experimental batches of Sauvignon Blanc for ten vintages now, with the lessons learnt being implemented in the Estate wines. The experimental Shiraz program is now up to its fifth vintage.

In 2020, the winery will be releasing limited quantities of these experimental wines in a new “Black Label” range, and they are definitely worth seeking out.

The current SBS and Shiraz give a clear window to where the winery is taking these wines.

At a different price point entirely, but also embracing the small batch ethos is Cullen’s Legacy Series Chardonnay from 2016. Vanya Cullen has been producing tiny quantities of quite exquisite Chardonnays for the last few years, and the current Fruit Day version is a brilliant wine.

Enjoy!

Reviewed

Vasse Felix – Blanc IX – Sauvignon Blanc – 2019. $39. Unfined and unfiltered, with a cloudy appearance, though the wine is clean, fresh and attractive. The initial nose is incredibly floral, showing blackcurrant, stone fruit, melon and citrus, along with supple lees work. The palate is complex, lemony and bright, with the mouth-feel a highlight. Very approachable and quite delicious.

This is the tenth vintage of this series. Initially started as a SSB blend, but has had gradually increasing proportions of SB in the blend. From 2017 this moved to 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The wine spends ten days on skins and seven months in one year old French oak.

Vasse Felix – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – 2018. (17.6/20pts – $26). The nose is a bit funky (in a good way), with lees, oak and wild yeast characters adding depth. The palate is fine and elegant, with citrus fruit balanced by herbal notes typical of Sauvignon Blanc. Lemony acidity drives the textural, almost steely finish. A wine that is eminently suited to food.

Vasse Felix – Shiraz – 2018 (18/20pts – $37). Superb vibrant colour. Silky, fragrant aromas of Satsuma plum and dark cherry, with hints of chocolate and spice. The palate is fine and elegant, with feathery tannins and subtle, texturing oak. Refined and elegant, this has immediate appeal, but is also cellar worthy, as with air, this gets quite serious and sinewy.

Cullen – Kevin John Chardonnay                  – Legacy Series – Fruit Day – 2016 (18.9/20pts – $250). The intensity of this wine is quite remarkable. Initially appears modern and taut, yet the fruit power building in layers. The superb winemaking, supple oak (50% new) and fine acid balance confer instant appeal to what is a long-term aging prospect. Outstanding!

Amelia Park in Review

Barry Weinman: 29^th January 2020

If I had to choose one word to describe Amelia Park, it would be polished. From the impressive cellar door, to the superb restaurant and refined and elegant wines, every detail has been executed with great skill and attention to detail.

Walking into the cellar door is an experience in itself. The impressive doors and barrel hall set the scene, and when the inner doors slide open, the windows frame a spectacular view. It is like walking from darkness into light, with mature vineyards stretching into the distance.

The views from the elegant dining room are no less impressive, but somehow, these are overshadowed by the food. Surely, this must rank as one of the region’s best restaurants. The comprehensive menu made it very difficult to choose, given that virtually every dish sounded divine.

Guided by the friendly and efficient staff, we enjoyed a feast of riches, with so many highlights in both taste and presentation, including a superbly cooked shoulder of lamb, the ever popular “fish wings” and wood-grilled marron.

But the main reason for the visit was the wines.

Launched in 2009, Amelia Park moved to its current location in 2013, following the purchase of the former Moss Brothers vineyard. Like the restaurant, the winery seriously over delivers in the quality/value equation right across the range.

The Trellis range offers honest, easy drinking wines that are terrific value for under $13 for wine club members.

For me, however, the sweet spot is in the estate range (white label) which are available for as little as $27 from the cellar door. And watch out for the soon to be released 2018 reds. The Cabernet, Shiraz and Malbec were all knockouts and are due for release mid-year. See the website for tasting notes.

Enjoy!

Reviewed

Amelia Park – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – Trellis – 2019 (17.3/20pts – $16). An enticing nose with hints of guava, passionfruit, musk and spice. The palate is fresh and vibrant, with crisp, zesty acidity, along with decent viscosity and mouth-feel. At $12:80 from the cellar door for wine club members, this is a bargain!

Amelia Park – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – 2019 (17.6/20pts – $23). More depth and intensity to the fruit. The palate texture is also more pronounced, with the fruit and aromatics a little muted. The supple acid rounds out the finish nicely. A more serious wine and well suited to food. A 60/40 blend, with partial barrel fermentation.

Amelia Park – Chardonnay – 2019 (18/20pts – $33).  An elegant wine with white nectarine and peach aromas. The fine and supple palate is complex yet approachable, with near seamless palate transition and well-judged acidity. Needs a year or two to show its best but represents great value (wild ferment, no malolactic fermentation, 9 months in French oak – 30% new).

Amelia Park – Chardonnay – Reserve – 2018 (18.5/20pts – $65). Different nose to the Estate Chardonnay, with Burgundian overtones from the winemaker’s inputs. Complex, dense, textured and powerful, the oak (40% new) is more apparent but sits very well with the fruit. Builds stone fruit and mineral notes with air. Whilst enjoyable now, this ideally needs a few years in the bottle.

Amelia Park – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – Trellis – 2018 (17.3/20pts – $16). Bright, fresh and vibrant, with decent fruit quality (especially at this price). Earthy, textured and supple, the acids and tannins frame the fruit, but are soft enough to make this a great quaff. Spends six months in oak. At $12:80 from the cellar door for wine club members, this too is a bargain!

Amelia Park – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2017 (18/20 – $33). Opens with restrained fruit in the blueberry spectrum. The palate, whilst taut, is complex, powerful, long and fine, with supple mouth-feel and texturing oak. Like many of the wines, this is enjoyable now, but will benefit from extended aging to allow the fruit to open.

Amelia Park – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2018 (18.4/20pts). Richer, with more fruit density than the 2017, resulting in a svelte and textural wine that is more approachable young. But underneath the supple exterior, there is serious fruit matched to excellent winemaking. A polished and age-worthy wine. Great winemaking and brilliant value.

Amelia Park – Shiraz – 2017 (17.5/20 – $33). Restrained, but with vibrant fruit sitting underneath. White pepper, chocolate, plum and spice, with a chewy, textural palate. Refined and enjoyable, but really needs time.

Amelia Park – Shiraz – 2018 (18.5/20pts). Richer than the 2017, with ripe, vibrant fruit with lifted white pepper spice. The palate is textured, chewy and quite delicious, with the supple, savoury oak adding to the balanced and finesse. A lovely wine with grace and presence. Now – 10 years. From Frankland River.

Amelia Park – Shiraz – Reserve – 2016 ($65 – 18.6/20). Very fragrant nose redolent of plum, cherry and spice. Rich, textured, dense and powerful, the savoury oak (100% new French) adds depth and sits perfectly with the supple fruit, whilst the earthy, textural notes are reminiscent of the Rhone Valley. Will be even better with at least 10 years in the bottle.

Amelia Park – Malbec – 2018. (18/20pts). What a delightful wine. Fresh and vibrant, the bright strawberry fruit is expertly matched to subtle savoury, earthy notes. The finish is supple, yet there are serious tannins and structure sitting in the background. Will be great with savoury food and should represent excellent value.

Piper Heidsieck Champagne

Barry Weinman: 19^th December 2019

My favourite Champagne over the last few years has been Charles Heidsieck’s Brut Reserve.

Yes, this is a superb Champagne, but it also has something to do with the fact that it has been served routinely on Singapore Airlines in Business Class.

I travel extensively for work and at the end of a long week, the Charles Heidsieck is one of life’s small pleasures

There are a number of other airlines serving quality Champagnes.  Qatar for example provides a drinking treat, with the elegant (and food friendly) Laurent Perrier Cuvée Rosé, whilst Emirates serves the ever-reliable Veuve Clicquot on Perth flights.

In recent times, Piper Heidsieck has also started to appear on more airline wine lists. Initially, I thought this was purely a cost cutting measure, given that Piper is one of the more affordable Champagnes on the market, but two recent tastings have changed my perceptions on this.

At the start of last week, I sat down with Benoit Collard to taste through the range. From the NV through to the Rare, the wines were uniformly excellent.

But wines always taste better when trying them with the producer, so at the end of the week, we put the Cuvée Brut and the 2008 Vintage into a blind sparkling wine/Champagne tasting and the wines showed brilliantly.

Ownership of Piper and its sister house Charles Heidsieck changed in 2011, and this seems to have coincided with a subtle refinement in the style. Piper has become drier and finer, with greater intensity of fruit.

The arrival of a new Chef de Caves in 2018 has reinforced the focus on refinement.

Luckily for consumers prices have not changed, making the wines a tremendous bargain. With the NV on sale for as low as $40, this is a no-brainer for the office Christmas party. For me though, the greatest value sits with the Vintage which is available in the big box retailers for around $80.

The excellent 2008 vintage is still available, with the equally good 2012 also starting to appear on the shelf. The 2008 is just hitting its drinking window and is more approachable right now than the brilliant (if reserved) 2008 Veuve Clicquot.

If you pop in to the Weinman house over the holidays, don’t be surprised if you are offered a glass of the 2008.

Enjoy!

Reviewed:

Piper Heidsieck – Cuvée Brut – NV (18/20pts – $62). Creamy and textured, with gentle floral peach, apple and nectarine fruit notes. I was impressed by the length of flavours and the finesse of the finish.  With a dosage 9.5gm/l, this feels quite dry. The use of 18% reserve wine in this blend has had a noticeable impact on complexity. Great aperitif and brilliant value.

Piper Heidsieck – Essentiel – Cuvée Reserve – NV. ($75). Complex autolysis characters on the nose, with obvious bread dough and fresh brioche characters. The richness of the fruit is a defining feature on the palate. This is quite rich, with increased density and weight. The low 5gm/l dosage gives this extra brut status, but the balance is spot on (18% reserve wine. 2012 base wine. Disgorged June 2017).

Piper Heidsieck – Vintage – 2008 ($90). From an excellent vintage, the last stocks of this wine are in the shops now. Opens with gentle toasted nut notes, but there are still hints of pretty, fresh fruit. Excellent intensity, mouthfeel and texture, with fine acidity adding balance and drive. Not as concentrated as the best of this vintage, but great value drinking.

Piper Heidsieck – Rare – 2002. (18.8/20pts – $300). The intensity and complexity of the nose is impressive indeed. The palate is so intense and fine, yet with subtle power and great depth of flavours. The persistence is a stand out, with the flavours lingering for seemingly minutes. A superb wine and an excellent Christmas gift. From the eight best parcels of fruit of the vintage. 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir. This is only the eighth vintage of the Rare produced since 1976.

Charles Heidsieck – Brut Reserve – NV (18.6/20pts – $95). Delicate fruit, with subtle toast/autolysis characters that hints at bread dough and toast. The palate is fine and elegant, yet with a seemingly endless cascade of flavours and textures. The tremendous depth and complexity results from the inclusion of 40% reserve wines (average age 10 years). One of my favourite non vintage Champagnes.

Getting to the Point

Barry Weinman: 25^th November 2019

When rating and reviewing wines, there are a number of points systems in use globally. This includes scoring wines out of 5, 20 or 100. On top of this some reviewers use a “star” system, whilst wine shows use gold, silver and bronze medals to demonstrate different levels of quality

For decades, the 20-point system was the default, having been developed by the University of California in the 1950s. However in recent years, the 100-point scale has become something of the default, having been popularised by Robert Parker, the USA’s most influential wine critic.

The problem with these scales is that only the top end of the scale has any relevance. A score below 15/20 or 85/100 indicates a wine that has nothing to recommend it or is faulty.

So in reality, the 20-point scale is a score out of five, whilst the 100-point scale is a score out of 15. But giving a wine a score of 2/5 or 5/15 does not sound very good, whereas 17/20 or 90/100 sounds a lot better, even though they would be, in effect saying the same thing.

The advantage of the 20-point scale for me however, is the ability to use decimal places to differentiate between two wines. The difference between 18.5 and 18.7 is very small in absolute terms, yet it shows a clear preference for one of the wines.

Using the 100-point scale would see both of these wines scoring 95 if using the Decanter conversion chart. https://www.decanter.com

Reviewed

Vasse Felix – Chardonnay – (Gold Capsule) 2018 – (18+/20pts – $39). The pretty floral fruit is a delight and sits over a core of white peach and nectarine. Continues on the palate, with medium weight fruit, and excellent complexity from the oak and lees work. Overall, a fairly restrained style that will suit food well.

Deep Woods – Chardonnay – Reserve       2018 (18.7/20pts – $55). Wow, a majestic nose reminiscent of fine White Burgundy. Perfume, minerals, stone fruit, hints of curry leaf all collide on the nose. The palate is creamy and textured, with precise fruit flooding the mid-palate. Fine acidity and oak add depth on the close. Wonderful now – 5 years. Five trophies to date!

Howard Park – Chardonnay – Allingham – 2018 (18.6/20 – $89). Taut and restrained, but with serious fruit and power sitting in the wings. Long, fine and elegant, persistent fruit on the palate. This is subtle and refined, though needs a few years for the fruit to unwind. Opens in the glass, revealing pretty peach and floral notes and a near seamless finish.

Juniper Estate – Chardonnay – Juniper Crossing – 2018 (17.9/20pts – $25). Amazing value here, given the depth and intensity of fruit, as well as the quality winemaking (oak pared back to allow the fruit to shine). Great drinking now with a haloumi salad or simply grilled chicken.