Buy West – Buy Best.

Barry Weinman: 25^th November 2019

This article first appeared in the Western Suburbs Weekly on the 22nd November 2019

In James Halliday’s Top 100 wines, a remarkable 27% of the wines reviewed came from Western Australia. South Australia was next best with 25%. To put these figures into perspective, Western Australia accounts for only 5% of all of Australia’s wine, whereas South Australia produces 50%.

As expected, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon shone. Western Australian wines contributed six of the eight Cabernet in the top 100, with five of these from Margaret River. With Chardonnay, Western Australia contributed nine of the 14 in the Top 100 (seven from Margaret River, two from Great Southern).

Additionally, four of Halliday’s ten Rieslings came from the Great Southern (from only 1% of the nation’s vineyards), the same number as South Australia!

This success is also reflected in national wine shows. In 2019, six capital city wine shows have announced their results. Remarkably, Western Australia wines have won the Trophy for Best Cabernet in every show.

Even more remarkably, Xanadu accounted for five, as well as the coveted 2018 Jimmy Watson Trophy. In 2019, the DJL has two trophies, the 2017 Estate four, and the 2016 Stevens Road three. That the Estate can be bought for as little as $30 is hard to believe.

Western Australia also won five out of seven best Cabernet trophies in 2014, 2015, 2017 & 2018, and all seven in 2016!

Of course, statistics do not tell the full story. Many of Australia’s greatest producers do not enter wine shows (Penfolds, Leeuwin Estate, Cullen, & Yarra Yering etc).

Yet there is no denying the brilliance of Western Australian wines.

Reviewed

Shingleback – Cabernet Sauvignon – Red Knot – 2018 (17/20pts – $15) Ripe, plummy fruit that is fresh, youthful and vibrant, but not overly complex. Soft tannins and balancing acidity support a gentle finish. Not overly typical, but a good BBQ red.  Along with the excellent Shiraz, this is a bargain given that Dan Murphy’s will discount this to around $12.

Xanadu – Cabernet Sauvignon – DJL – 2017 (17.8/20pts – $25) Lithe and fresh, with bright redcurrant/ blueberry fruit. The palate has fine tannins and supple texturing oak that provides balance and allow the fruit to shine. Lacks the ultimate depth of the best, but fine drinking given the price. Trophy for best Cabernet at Perth.

Plantagenet – Cabernet Sauvignon – Aquitaine – 2017 (18,3/20pts – $45). Plantagenet is surely one of the most underrated wineries in Western Australia. This is dense and inky, yet supple enough to drink now. The savoury oak adds texture and depth, without constraining the excellent fruit. Structured and cellar-worthy, so food is a must if drunk now.

More than a coming of age – 21 years of Mark Messenger at Juniper Estate

Brendan Jansen MW: 20^th November 2019

What a privilege to have been included in a small select group of wine writers and experts to celebrate Mark Messenger’s 21 years at Juniper Estate. For the tasting, Mark whetted our appetite with a young and old example each of Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz, before we embarked on the mammoth vertical tasting comprising 21 vintages of the Juniper Estate Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon (minus the 2006, when the fruit didn’t come up to scratch).

A few general points before I run through a (necessarily) succinct review of the wines:

1. Vintage variation occurs and matters in Margaret River. Never mind the notion of the region being moderately warm each year, and of Australian wines being all “sunshine in a bottle”…. We were able to see quite clearly the influence of cooler overall vintages, the scourge of rain at harvest, and relatedly, the importance of care in the vineyard to mitigate these changes.
2. Mark’s nine years at Cape Mentelle before he joined Juniper Estate shows, with the early wines in particular showing the structure derived from extraction typical of older Cape Mentelle Cabernets. What Mark has managed to do, however, is to bring the fruit to the fore: Mark’s red wines always have both fruit and tannins in generous proportion, and in balance.
3. As vine age and Mark’s knowledge of the vineyard and site (can I say terroir?) have increased, so has he honed his winemaking to suit. New oak influence is dialled back in recent vintages. Picking times have changed, sometimes with two or three passes per vintage.

Here is the list of the Cabernets tasted:

1999 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: Aged, tertiary characters evident, reminiscent of an old Claret. Cork closure

2000 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: Balanced but weight affected by rain at harvest.

2001 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: One of the wines of the tasting – structure, varietal character, power.

2002 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: More linear and even tighter than the 2001, reflecting a sunny but cooler year.

2003 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: Another one of the wines of the tasting – powerful and rich – a sleeper…

2004 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: Varietally faithful, mid weight cabernet, whose structure offers a long life ahead – and the by-now routine use of screw cap will no doubt assist.

2005 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: Subtle with excellent drive to a persistent finish.

2007 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: Polished wine. Fruit structure and a long life ahead – repetitive but true!

2008 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: Another wine with amazing potential. Use of a sorting table for the first time. A baby, and still closed.

2009 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: Perfectly in its drinking window, the wine I most wanted to drink that day. Everything perfectly in place, tannins silky…

2010 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: Dignified, aristocratic even, reflecting the warm year. Mark took a month of blending to finalise the finished product!

2011 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: Big, juicy, ripe, with the signature fruit and structure.

2012 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: All class. An infant. Fruit, power and structure.

2013 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: Closed, but like a chrysalis waiting to turn into a butterfly.

2014 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: Another baby, with excellent potential.

2015 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: The power of the fruit and the tannins is hard to fathom, and even harder to describe

2016 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: Mark described this wine as dark, brooding and concentrated – very apt.

2017 Juniper Cabernet Sauvignon: A touch lighter tone to fruit and aromatics, reflecting the cooler vintage.

My faves?

Splitting hairs, but…. 2001, 2003, 2008, 2012 and 2015. With the option of drinking the 2009 tonight!

Riesling: No Longer The Bridesmaid?*

Barry Weinman: 5^th October 2019

Riesling has been the perennial bridesmaid of the Australian wine scene. Capable of breathtaking beauty, but routinely overlooked in favour of more overt wines such as Sauvignon Blanc and complex, approachable Chardonnay.

For as long as I can remember, experts have been extolling the virtues of Riesling, but it has remained steadfastly out of fashion with the average wine drinker. Perception about what a Riesling should taste like is at the heart of the problem.

In its native Germany, where the grapes are grown in a very cold climate, Rieslings have traditionally ranged from off-dry to sweet, with the precise acidity providing the perfect counterpoint to the sugar, leaving the palate refreshed.

In years gone by, Australian Riesling (often sold in casks and made from anything but Riesling) was insipid swill, made sweet, but without the acidity to provide balance. Unfortunately, this reputation stuck, despite many years of excellent wine being produce in regions such as Clare Valley.

Fast-forward 20 years and the situation has evolved significantly. The best Australian Rieslings have become ever finer, with Great Southern wineries now vying with the great South Australian producers for the title of Australia’s best. Leading the vanguard are producers such as Singlefile, Howard Park and Castle Rock all capable of producing great wines. Another is Cherubino, who has consistently produced exquisite wines.

But traditional SA producers have not stood still, with Grosset still staking a claim as Australia’s greatest producer.

Fine, dry and elegant, these are wines that are redefining just how good Australian Riesling can be. Now it is over to you to try them…

Reviewed.

Grosset – Riesling – Polish Hill – 2019 (18.8/20pts – $60). Beautiful perfumed fruit, with floral and lime juice highlights. There is even a touch of aromatics reminiscent of a fine gin. The palate shows all of this, yet it is remarkably fine, restrained and elegant, with great length, persistence and near seamless palate transition. Exceptional.

Cherubino – Riesling – Great Southern – 2019 (18.5/20pts – $35). The floral aromatics are a highlight here with musk and gentle herb highlights. The pristine fruit is seamless and near ethereal, showing great depth. The mouth-feel is a highlight, with the elegant fruit perfectly balanced by the lemon-like acidity. Now – 10 years.

O’Leary Walker – Riesling – Polish Hill River – 2018 (18/20pts – $25). Steely, powerful and austere compared to the Grosset, this is a more traditional with lemon zest acidity defining the finish. There is excellent fruit tucked in behind the structure, but this needs years to hit its peak.

* This article first appeared in the Western Suburbs Weekly

The Institute of Masters of Wine – Annual Claret Tasting – 2015 Vintage

Brendan Jansen MW: 10th December 2019

Each year, the Institute’s Bordeaux tasting is one of the most anticipated and well-attended tasting events on the calendar. The Institute holds Claret tastings in the USA and Australia annually also, but the event in Vintner’s Hall in London is arguably the biggest. Again, the event was sold out this year.

Being in London for the Annual MW Awards Ceremony, I decided to undertake the blind tasting this year, an option that has been offered in recent years. All 91 wines were masked, and grouped as follows:

• Pauillac,
• Saint-Julien,
• Saint-Estéphe,
• Pomerol,
• Saint-Emilion,
• Margaux,
• Haut-Médoc,
• Pessac-Léognan, and
• Sauternes & Barsac.

The vintage notes provided by Charles Taylor MW were helpful, but I attempted not to be too influenced by them, allowing each wine to show its merits. In summary, however, the earlier ripening Merlot of the Right bank did better, both as the Right bank received less rain, and because of the earlier picking before the rains. Wines from the Left bank did less well, though in areas with well-draining gravelly soils, the effects of the higher than average rainfall were mitigated against. Thus Margaux, Saint Julien and Pauillac were expected to perform better than Saint Estéphe and the northern Medoc. The sweet wines of Sauternes were expected to be rich and ripe, and certainly did not fail to please.

A few general impressions:

• Nothing beats a blind tasting. All bets are off, and no preconceived notions apply. Receiving the crib sheet at the end was humbling.
• Many of the usual suspects, all household names, did well (in my books) and their quality level justifies their renown. See specifics below.
• Right bank wines were far more alcoholic, with levels up to 15% and 15.5% alcohol not infrequently encountered. Often this was accompanied by over-extraction and heavy oak handling. Some, it must be said, were more balanced.
• There is a general “de-Parkerisation” of the wines of Bordeaux, and indeed, when a heavily oaked and bolder wine appeared in the lineup, it clearly stood out.
• Pauillac and Saint Julien did well, but Margaux was a veritable star on the Left bank.
• Right bank wines from both Saint Emilion and Pomerol were expressive and many built for the long haul. The wines with better overall balance appealed most.
• A few lesser-known Chateaux showed really well, and I hope to highlight them in the (necessarily brief) notes below. I have used the QPR designation – quality price ratio – to signpost them! As you will see below, Margaux offers excellent buying this vintage.

A note on tasting order: many chose to taste the wines in order of 1-91. Others, I noted, did not. I decided to taste all Left bank wines first, going in the following order: Pauillac, Saint Julien, Saint-Estéphe, Haut-Médoc, Pessac Léognan, Margaux. I then went to the Right bank with Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. I tasted the First Growths next, before pausing for Sauternes and Barsac (ending with d’Yquem).

My picks:

Pauillac – Overall impression – this group was fresh, fleshy, not over-oaked, with ripe (not green) tannins and very approachable.

• Ch Pontet-Canet – first bottle was tainted but replacement showed remarkable depth. 18/20pts
• Ch Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande – wonderful – superb depth and complexity. High quality oak. 18.5/20pts
• Ch Haut-Bages Liberal – classic claret. Everything perfectly in place. 18+/20pts QPR

Saint-Julien – Overall impression – as Pauillac, but a little lighter.

• Ch Leoville-Las Cases – rich complex, balanced and long. 18+/20pts
• Ch Leoville Barton – high quality oak, polished wine – huge aging potential. 18.5+/20pts
• Ch Lagrange – nose closed and not that inviting, but palate very pleasing indeed. 17.5+/20pts QPR

Saint-Estéphe

• Ch Lafon-Rochet – oak, fruit and tannins all in good balance. 17.5/20pts QPR
• Ch Montrose – superb depth to fruit. Best of St-Estéphe. 18.5/20pts
• Ch Cos D’Estournel  – perfume ?from oak, tight, tannic, elegant mouthfeel. One for a very long haul. 18.5/20pts

Haut-Médoc

• Ch Cantemerle – well-balanced and accessible. One for earlier drinking 17.5/20pts QPR

Pessac Léognan

• Ch Smith Haut Lafitte – Very closed and tight but with potential. 17/20pts
• Ch Haut-Bailly – aging potential but unyielding at present. 17/20pts

Margaux – Overall impression – generally superb…! Offers great value.

• Ch Rauzan-Ségla – perfumed, textured, persistent. One of the best of the tasting. 18.5++/20pts
• Ch Pouget – heavily oaked but has the fruit to carry it if you like this style. 17.5+/20pts QPR
• Ch Kirwan – lovely depth to nose and palate, in many ways un-Margaux-like, but brilliant nonetheless. 18.5/20pts QPR
• Ch Ferriere – more classic Margaux perfume, lithe palate, deft oak treatment. Aging potential also. 18.5/20pts QPR
• Ch Desmirail – lighter tone to fruit but overall polished . 17.5+/20pts QPR
• Ch Brane-Cantenac – all round excellence, serious, hedonistic even, with a long life ahead. 18.5+/20pts QPR
• Ch Boyd-Cantenac – oak again more evident but fruit and tannins there in support. Lay it down. 18/20pts QPR

Saint Emilion – Overall impression – I was a touch disappointed given the hype. Wines as a whole were very tannic, and tight, appealing to classical palates.

• Ch Trotte Vieille – opulent and ripe but not overly so. 18/20pts
• Ch Figeac – powerful fruit and tannins 18+/20pts
• Ch Cap de Mourlin – Classic nose and palate. Could so easily have hailed from the Left bank. 18.5/20pts QPR
• Ch Belair-Monange – power crept up on me. Shows great potential 18/20pts

Pomerol – Overall impression – some wines were too big for my liking, and I tended to favour those with alcohol levels 13.5-14.5%

• Ch Petit-Village – lovely ripeness matched with textured mouthfeel and good length 18.5/20pts
• Ch La Fleur-Petrus – this is a big wine, and classically merlot. Oak treatment is generous, in keeping. 17.5/20pts
• Ch Gazin – big and bold but not too brash. Complex and persistent. 18/20pts
• Ch Beauregard – deep, unctuous and complex. 18.5+/20pts QPR

Sauternes & Barsac – Overall impression – a wonderful way to cap the tasting. Best of the lot were ripe without being cloying. Those that maintained subtlety and linearity were most attractive.

• Clos Haut Peyraguey – superb all round, balanced with no heat. 18/20pts QPR
• Ch Guiraud – subtle, long and complex. 18.5/20pts QPR
• Ch Doisy Daene – reductive to start but potential evident. 18/20pts
• Ch Coutet – the greatest palate length and reach. Subtle balance. 18.5/20pts QPR
• Ch Climens – again, superb length and balance. 18/20pts

A note on my points – I mark out of 20, and if the points I have given seem high, it is because I have spared you the 15s and 16s.

I have chosen not to write about or point the First Growths – they were not tasted blind, but stood apart for their length and sheer power. Suffice to say, they were difficult to separate.

Brendan Jansen MW

Nov 2019

Brendan Jansen MW: 10^th October 2019

Attempting to come to grips with Tasmania’s terroir diversity…

…with a little help from Shane Holloway and Fran Austin of Delamere wines

My recent visit to Tasmania was my first, and not wanting to bite off more of the Apple Isle than I could chew, I limited my winery visits to the Pipers River area and the south around Hobart and the Coal River Valley. I was immediately struck by the diversity of terroirs, even those in very close geographical proximity, and foremost among my inquiry was an attempt to make sense of the Tasmanian wine geography.

I do not pretend to have done so by any means, but discussions with winemakers on my travels, and especially with Shane Holloway and Fran Austin of Delamere Wines, went a long way to filling in some knowledge gaps.

A few broad strokes are possible – the West coast, and North-western parts of the island receive far more rainfall than in the south. The West coast is thus better suited to dairy farming than viticulture. The South is much drier, and Hobart is second only to Adelaide as the driest capital city in Australia.

Winds from the Antarctic south have a cooling effect, but even the theoretically warmer northerly winds are cooled coming over Bass Strait, so that not much warmth is added until the winds pick up heat over land heading further south of the island. The result is a much higher diurnal temperature variation in the South compared to the North. Tasmanian wine regions do not easily fall within continental/maritime climatic distinctions…!

Thereafter, things become even more complicated. Soils are all ancient, but can vary over short distances. In the Pipers River area, for example, soils are iron-rich and have a high clay content with the ability to hold water. Vines are dry grown at Delamere, and vine roots are pushed deep down. In drier years, these vines continue to do well. Soils in the neighbouring Tamar Valley are far sandier. The Tamar Valley is sheltered from Westerly winds, leading to a warmer, shorter ripening season. Shane and Fran explained that picking in Pipers River can be up to two weeks later for sparkling base wines, and four weeks later for table wines, than the Tamar Valley.

Soil variation over short distances was also showcased by the two single vineyards of Pooley estate. Both in the southern Coal River Valley, the Cooinda vineyard has sandy loams and sandy clay loams over impervious clay, while the Butcher’s Hill vineyard has dolerite and black vertosols over sandstone. The result is a much more perfumed and elegant Chambolle-styled Pinot Noir from Cooinda, and a more sinewy, structured Gevrey-styled Pinot Noir from Butcher’s Hill.

There are still gaping holes in my knowledge of the topography and climate of Tasmania – and I would welcome any comments on this article. Another visit to Tasmania beckons!

Barry Weinman: 23 October 2019

The life of a wine taster may sound glamorous, tasting dozens of wines each week, trying to find high quality and good value wines that we are happy to recommend. But the reality is often quite different from the image.

Sitting down to a tasting (generally blinded to the wines we are trying) with the prospect of trying 20 Sauvignon Blancs or two dozen Rosés is just not that much fun. High acidity wines such as Riesling and very firm/tannic wines can also prove very challenging.

But then there is the occasional tasting that is approached with anticipation or even excitement, given the prospect of trying a cross-section of very high-quality wines.

So it proved when I recently sat down at Lamont’s in Cottesloe to taste 20 Cabernet- based wines predominantly from Margaret River. Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River ranks amongst the nation’s (and world’s) finest, so being able to compare a cross-section side by side is indeed a privilege.

But what is not as well understood is just how good the Cabernets can be from the Great Southern. I wrote recently about Singlefile’s Cabernet, but in this tasting, Howard Park and Cherubino took up the challenge to the best of Margaret River.

It is telling that Cherubino’s top Cabernet is sourced just from Frankland River. Howard Park’s Abercrombie vineyard in Frankland is the basis for their wine, but has had a proportion of Margaret River fruit from the Leston Vineyard included in recent years.

Full results can be found at www.finewineclub.com.au

Reviewed

Cherubino – Cabernet Sauvignon – Frankland River – 2016 (19/20pts). Refined, elegant and youthful, with bright blueberry fruit on the nose. The palate is vibrant, supple, elegant, seamless and very long. Whilst extraordinarily fine, there is latent power that slowly uncoils in the glass. A brilliant wine that left my palate tingling with excitement.

Penfolds – Bin 707 – Cabernet Sauvignon –2016 (19/20pts – $600). A powerhouse of a wine that is quintessentially Cabernet. Whilst the fruit is spectacular, the presence the wine has in the mouth that made the biggest impact. Textured, mouth-coating and viscous, yet remarkably fine and polished. Lives up to the hype.

Howard Park – Cabernet Sauvignon – Abercrombie – 2016 (18.8/20pts). Pretty fruit, with mulberry, redcurrant and gentle savoury/spice highlights. The palate is mouth-coating, the textured, leading to a finish that has a savoury edge and is quite closed. With very fine (though prominent) tannins and oak, this superb wine has great power. Destined for the long-haul.

Juniper Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon – Single Vineyard – 2015 (18.7/20pts). This is so seductive, with supple red berry fruit and silky, savoury tannins and oak. Yet behind the veneer, there is powerful fruit that just needs time to unwind. Souring acidity adds life, while the cedary oak adds a pencil shavings note on the very finish. Full of joy, this is a brilliant wine.

Corymbia – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2018 (18.7/20pts – $60). The grapes for this wine come from a vineyard near Redgate beach, in the cooler southern part of Margaret River, which is expressed in menthol and eucalypt characters.  A superb wine, with perfectly ripe fruit framed by subtle, savoury oak. The balance and length of flavours are a highlight.

Vasse Felix – Cabernet Sauvignon – Tom Cullity – 2015 (18.9/20pts). This wine was the sleeper of the tasting. Initially easy to overlook, but ultimately the sheer quality shines through. There are cooler fruit characters, but it is the mouthfeel that sets this apart. Gentle herbal characters, menthol and supple spicy oak all play their role in this extraordinary wine. Needs time.

Moss Wood – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2016 (18.8/20pts). A sublime wine. Fragrant and perfumed in the violet spectrum, with a core of ripe blueberry fruit. The palate is refined, elegant and supple, the fruit perfectly framed by fine, savoury oak and tannins. Irresistible now, but will age well for decades.

Woodlands – Cabernet Sauvignon – Clementine Eloise – 2016 (18.8/20pts). Refined, elegant and gentle, with supple red berry fruit. There is great depth, though this is intrinsically an elegant/delicate wine that will build for a decade or more. Very pretty indeed.

Cape Mentelle – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2016 (18.7/20pts). Whilst only medium bodied fruit, this wine is closed, taut and a touch austere right now. That said, the finish is remarkably fine and approachable All the ingredients are there for a fine wine, but this needs years to really shine. Points for potential.

Devil’s Lair – Cabernet Sauvignon – Ninth Chamber – 2015 (18.7/20pts). Beautiful, ripe blueberry fruit on both the nose and palate. Elegant, silky and seductive, with superb oak and tannin integration resulting in a near seamless palate transition. As an added bonus, this is absolutely delicious now.

Evans & Tate – Cabernet Sauvignon – Redbrook – Reserve               – 2013 (18.7/20pts). A more robust wine where the power of the fruit is more obvious. Shows rich, concentrated blackcurrant berry notes and a hint of cassis. The palate is rich and textured, with the tannins and oak still wrestling with the fruit at this stage. Will be a great wine but needs a decade or two to really open up.

Leeuwin Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon – Art Series – 2015 (18.7/20). Wow. This is a complete wine! Supple mulberry and plum fruit is supported by hints of mint, liquorice, chocolate and coffee. These savoury notes are primarily from the oak, though the oak is virtually invisible from a structural perspective. Great length, texture and persistence on the finish. An elegant and seductive wine that is also great value.

Juniper Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon – The Tribute – 2013 (18.6/20pts). Lithe and fresh, with red berry fruit and hints of spice from the supple, savoury oak. This is all about balance, with the fruit allowed to take centre stage. May score even higher in time, and is also very approachable now.

Voyager Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon – MJW – 2014 (18.6/20pts). Initially, there are savoury aromas, along with muted blueberry fruit. The berry fruit continues on the palate, with a touch of mulberry over gentle spice from the oak. The mouth-feel is a highlight, as is the length of flavours. With air, this really opens and shows very attractive fruit. A very high-quality wine that has a long drinking window.

Deep Woods – Cabernet Sauvignon – Reserve – 2014 (18.6/20pts). Closed and muted on both the nose and palate. Everything is in place, with the high-quality fruit skilfully matched to savoury, spicy oak. Importantly, the oak is there to support the fruit, rather than dominate it. There is also excellent length and mouth-feel. Just needs time.

Brendan Jansen MW: 21^st October 2019

In well-established Old World wine regions, producers can command prices many times that of their neighbouring competitors, based upon reputation. Prices can vary hugely for wines of different producers from, for example, the very same Burgundian commune and vineyard quality designation.

We are far from reaching that position in Australia. Consumers tend to benchmark according to style and provenance – like how much a serviceable Barossa Shiraz or Margaret River Cabernet should cost – sometimes without much knowledge of the work that has gone into the liquid in the bottle. They all look the same on the shelves….?

I am on my first ever trip to Tasmania, and only have time to visit a few producers. I should qualify my remarks by saying that my views are thus skewed to the producers I have visited. Nonetheless, I am forming the impression that Tasmanian wines in general, and some producers in particular, suffer from this pigeon-holing. For example, Tasmanian sparkling wines are often benchmarked against Champagne for price, but not necessarily quality.

One very potent example is Stefano Lubiana Wines. A passionate vision, strong work ethic, investment of time and capital, and an enormous amount of hard yakka, led Steve to where he is now. After falling in love with sparkling wine working in Champagne, he considered other sites in Australia, and indeed Tasmania, before settling on Granton, outside Hobart. Steve is descended from several generations of winemakers – and his son looks to be following in his footsteps.

The 24 hectares were planted in 1993, and a further 1.2ha close planted Pinot Noir is in the pipeline. The area has a cool climate but with wide diurnal temperature variation, especially in summer (Tasmania does not easily conform to the continental/maritime climate distinction), ideal for the production of sparkling and still table wines.

Minimal intervention has become a cliché but is epitomised in Steve’s winemaking philosophy. He has come to intimately understand the terroir and most appealingly, does not allow oak flavours to overwhelm the fruit in any way. He thus is able to coax distinctive characters out of each variety and site. Another cliché has been to make food-friendly wines, but for Steve not doing so would belie his Istrian peninsula family roots.

Below are just a few wines I had the opportunity to taste:

Stefano Lubiana – Grande Vintage – 2009 (18.8/20pts $ 80). A blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir in the cuvee, this wine was disgorged in March 2019, thus spending a whopping 8+ years on lees. A study in complexity, with lemon curd, biscuity, toast and honey characters competing for ascendency. The low dosage of 4.5g/l is ideal. I nearly fell over when Steve told me the RRP of this wine – a wine of similar quality and workmanship from France is likely to command three or four times the price!

Stefano Lubiana – Estate – Chardonnay – 2017 (18.5/20pts – $58). Hand-picked, hand-sorted, whole bunch pressed, with natural fermentation in Minier Chagny barrels. Subtlety, finesse yet with power and complexity. I was pleased we tasted this at cellar temperature as it showed its evolution in the glass.

Stefano Lubiana – Primavera – Pinot Noir – 2018 (18.2/20pts – $38). 13.5% alc, totally destemmed, whole berry fermentation, the natural fermentation giving rise to a de facto short pre ferment maceration. The red cherry flavours possess a freshness and vibrancy, yet with super structure, deriving largely from the site.

Stefano Lubiana – Estate – Pinot Noir – 2017 (18.6/20pts – $62). In contrast to the Primavera, this has a darker tone of cherry fruit, and is at once a more serious proposition, with spicy savoury notes. If the Primavera was more Chambolle, the Estate is more Gevrey Chambertin. The 20% new oak is but a frame and is almost imperceptible.

Brendan Jansen MW: 7^th October 2019

There is no shortage of passion in the wine industry. But rarely is the confluence of factors of passion, technical know-how, economic backing and singularity of focus found together.

Sittella wines is, I believe, an example of such an establishment. Founded in 1993, with the winery built in 1998, what began as a hobby has become a sophisticated operation.

The winemaking duo of Yuri Berns and Colby Quirk have set out an ambitious program of crafting the very best of several wine styles, to reflect the character if the WA fruit they grow or source. Colby Quirk has a wisdom far beyond his years, and both he and Yuri Berns have an insatiable hunger for wine knowledge. Importantly, they work well together. Theirs is a complex mini portfolio, crushing 150 tonnes of fruit per year, focusing on regionality, and including fruit from the Swan Valley, Margaret River, Pemberton and Frankland River.

Most notable is their sparkling wine project, in which a growing cache of reserve wine adds to complexity of their cuvees, and extended time on lees (24 months for the Sitella Cuvee Blanc NV) matches the best Champagne houses. I echo the comments they have received about comparisons to Charles Heidsieck – their wines share the same depth, texture and complexity.

In addition to the sparkling wine project, still Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are all faithfully and pristinely represented, as well as varieties adding a savoury, European, food-friendly note to their wines – including Grenache and Tempranillo. Below is just a small selection of Sittella wines tasted recently:

Sittella –  Avant Garde – Blanc de Blanc – NV (18.5/20pts). A  deep straw colour, this cuvee has Pemberton fruit from the 2011, 2012, 2013 vintages in addition to the 2014 base. The chardonnay fruit underwent primary fermentation in oak puncheons. Tirage of 48 months adds a toasty, brioche complexity to this wine.

Sittella – Buckshot Ridge – Chardonnay – 2018 (18.3/20pts). The gravel site was purchased in 2009, the fruit is hand-picked, whole bunch fermented with natural yeasts in 40% new oak; there is no malolactic fermentation. Naturally slim-lined, without the ‘corseted’ impression of other chardonnays – could be confused with a premier cru St Aubin. Interestingly, the clones are Dijon 95 and 96 and not Gin Gin. 18.3

Sittella – Avant Garde-  Pemberton – Pinot Noir – 2018 (18.5/20pts – $36). Dijon 115 clone, whole berry destemmed, 20% whole bunch fermentation, natural yeasts – a silky structure and dark cherry fruit results and even though 50% of the oak is new French (Vosges) oak, it is but a minor player.

Sittella – Golden Mile Rare Series – Grenache – 2018 (18.6/20pts). Old bush-vine Grenache, the wine spends 7 months in oak and is bottled unfined and unfiltered, 13.5% alc. This is a pretty, textured and crunchy Grenache that will only get more pinot-like with bottle age – if restraint is possible!

Brendan Jansen MW

13^th September 2019

France has long been regarded, and regarded itself, as the centre of the wine universe. This is understandable, given the offerings of classic wine production areas such as Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, the Loire and Rhone Valleys, and Alsace, to name but a few.

French varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah (Shiraz), Grenache and Sauvignon Blanc, dominate the international wine landscape, and in the New World in particular; so much so that these varieties are often called the “International” varieties.

The situation is understandable, and is reflected in the winemaking histories of many a colonial nation. Some of these varieties have thrived in their new destinations, offering impressive manifestations of the grape, sometimes without attempts at mimicry of the varieties’ ancestral homes. (Think Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand compared to Sancerre and Pouilly Fume in the Loire, Argentinian Malbec compared to Cahors, Uruguayan Tannat to Madiran, and American Zinfandel to Siciliy’s Primitivo… all very different incarnations of the same variety!)

Recently, lesser known (in Australia) varieties have been making an appearance on our shelves. Wines based on Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Touriga, Sagrantino, Saperavi, Fiano, and even Assyrtiko have emerged in the lexicon of both Australian and other New World producers’ wines. These varieties are of course well known and loved in their home. But there are many reasons for us in Australia to embrace them.

Firstly, our market has matured, so that we seek novelty in greater measure. We as consumers are now prepared to stray from Shiraz and Chardonnay, even if it be only fleetingly. Secondly, these varieties are often more suited to Australian climates. Many Italian varieties, for example, have the ability to maintain high levels of natural acidity, even when at phenolic ripeness. Many southern Mediterranean varieties are slow ripening, and so suit the warmer climes of parts of our great southern land. It is no surprise that one such variety has Spanish, Portuguese and French names, as it is grown in warmer regions of all three countries – I am thinking of Monastrell /Mataro/ Mouvedre. Grenache is the name of another variety – grown in the Rhone valley, but called Garnacha in Spain, and Cannonau in Italy (Sardinia).

In truth, some of these varieties have been grown in Australia for a very long time. Australia’s strong historical reputation for fortified wines is one reason, where both International and other (e.g. Touriga Nacional) varieties made up Australian port-style wines. Also, we owe a debt to generations of our immigrant Australians, who, in the King and Barossa Valleys, for example, brought little pieces of Germany and Italy respectively to Australia, including vines, to cite but two examples.

Below is a selection of wines that stood out for me at a recent tasting of, shall we say, non-standard varieties:

Juniper Estate Small Batch Margaret River Fiano 2018

• Most appealing was the persistence of complex flavours on the palate and a luscious mouthfeel, possibly betraying time spent on lees.

Heirloom McLaren Vale Touriga 2017

• The fruit, the whole fruit and nothing but the fruit! Full and round and balanced, with no hint of heaviness.

Juniper Estate Small Batch Tempranillo 2017

• Mark Messenger has captured the essence of the variety, with savoury tannins and sarsaparilla flavours, framed gently in oak.

Denton Yarra Valley Nebbiolo 2015

• Luke Lambert’s love affair with this variety is reflected in the varietal purity of this wine – beautiful tannins and scents of violets. His history of making excellent Pinot Noir also comes through in the aromatic perfume.

Barry Weinman: 8^th August 2019

As it is with all professions, some winemakers are more capable than others. And then there is the elite few, who seem to be able to regularly achieve things that others can’t. Perhaps it is a result of hard work, technical expertise, passion, a special understanding of the vineyards, or even an innate affinity for turning grapes into wine.  

In the Margaret River region, there are a number of excellent winemakers producing world class wines. If wine show awards are any guide, then Julian Langworthy at Deep Woods Estate must rank amongst the region’s best. Since taking over the reins in 2011, Deep Woods has been awarded more than 25 trophies and 70 gold medals in major wine shows. This includes numerous trophies for best Cabernet in show.

I am not the only one to sing Julian’s praises. He is currently James Halliday’s Winemaker of the Year and was awarded the same title from Ray Jordan in 2017.

What makes the Deep Woods offering even better is the value that the wines offer. Be it the entry level, Estate or Reserve wines, you will be hard pressed to find better value for money at their respective price points.

Reviewed.

Deep Woods Estate – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – Ivory – 2019. ($15). Supple fresh tropical fruit notes, with cleansing acidity. Excellent summer drinking.

Deep Woods Estate – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – 2018 ($20). Bright nose with citrus and herbal notes. The palate is more subdued than the Hillside, but with the same textural components from lees/barrel work. This is a subtle/supple wine, with decent depth (trophy winner).

Deep Woods Estate – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – Hillside – 2018 ($25). More gooseberry and grass, with extra mid-palate weight and texture courtesy of a component of barrel- fermented fruit. The refreshing acid backbone suggests that this would take food well.

Deep Woods Estate – Verdelho – Verde – 2016. Grassy, and with gentle viscosity, this is crisp and very dry. This is worth a look, as it would be great on a hot day, with food, or with a few years in the cellar.

Deep Woods Estate – Chardonnay – 2018. ($20). Very attractive, with almond/cashew nut, flint and complex smoky notes all in balance. The palate is bright and supple, with gentle worked notes adding depth. Excellent value indeed (wild yeast ferment, 20% new oak).

Deep Woods Estate – Cabernet/Shiraz – Ebony – 2017 ($15). Vibrant, lifted fresh red berry fruit aromas from the Cabernet, with the Shiraz adding hints of satsuma plum. The palate is fresh, but has enough texture to keep the palate balanced. Pasta or Pizza? Great everyday drinking at this price.

Deep Woods Estate – Shiraz et al – 2017. (Shiraz/Malbec/Grenache) ($20). I like the balance here. The fruit is ripe and fruit forward, but the spicy structure adds depth. The tannins are fine and there is a lick of savoury oak adding texture. Drinks well now.

Deep Woods Estate – Shiraz – Block 7 – 2017 ($50). Wow. The rich and ripe fruit here is most attractive, with sweet, vanillin oak highlights adding to the package. The palate is refined and silky, with polished tannins and texturing oak that is well integrated. Souring acidity builds on the close, adding vitality. Delicious, but also worthy of a few years in the cellar (sees a proportion of whole-bunch fermentation).

Deep Woods Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2017. I was impressed by the amount of minerality on show here. Yes, there is ripe and savoury fruit, but the subtle oak and fine tannins keep the whole package a little closed right now. With air, this builds, but remains medium bodied, reflective of the year.

Deep Woods Estate – Cabernet Franc – 2018 ($30). Big, ripe and textured, with power to the fruit that is in the blueberry spectrum. The tannins are prominent, but in balance with the fruit. Oak is not obvious, but the texture suggests that this has seen a little barrel work. Notable length and persistence.

Deep Woods Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon – Willyabrup – Grand Selection – 2012 ($130). Perfumed, but with a core of powerful ripe fruit on the nose. That power continues on the palate, though the refined tannins and oak still keep the fruit in check, despite the extra years in bottle. Opens and builds in layers but needs years to reach its peak. Gets a little chewy to close. For the long haul.

Deep Woods Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon – Yallingup – Grand Selection – 2012 ($130).  A little more blueberry fruit, as compared to the Willyabrup. More minerality and texture on the palate, and a touch more savoury too. Needs years, but this is already a great drink. This really builds in the glass, with the power of the fruit coming into its own. Impressive wine indeed.