20th August 2009

There were some high quality wines in the chardonnay bracket, but this tasting highlighted a few important points about the new breed of Western Australian chardonnays. The style has evolved thoroughly, and the modern wines are much leaner and more elegant than many of their predecessors.

The down side of this is that the wines are less approachable when very young. The higher acidity and leaner fruit has been combined with a more subtle approach to the use of oak and winemaker inputs.

Another factor that is influencing the style of the wine is the use of screw caps to seal the bottle. There is no doubt that these keep the wines fresher than a cork.

So what does this mean for this week’s tasting? Many of the wines have just been released and this makes them hard to assess. As I look through my notes, I feel that the points given do not quite reflect the quality of the wine. Many of these wines will improve with a year or two in the bottle. Besides the chardonays, look out for the Moss Wood Merlot. I am not a big fan of straight merlot as I feel that most producers are unsure as to what style of wine they should be making. The Moss Wood however is a stunning example.

Moss Wood – Ribbon Vale – Merlot – 2007 (18.4). Dense and closed nose. There is black currant and fresh plums on the nose. The palate is complex, with juicy high quality fruit. The lovely tannins, fine knit vanillin oak and a lovely souring finish define the palate. This dense and very fine wine will evolve for many years.

Cape Naturalist – The Westerly Paddock – Merlot – 2007 (17.5+). Better than some here. Opens with plummy fruit that is both fragrant and spicy. Think red currant fruit and there is cedary oak to round out an enticing nose. The palate is savoury and mouth watering. The fruit is shut down by very fine powdery tannins. There is also a touch of menthol to close. This is a powerful wine that will benefit from 5-8 years cellaring.

Juniper Estate – Chardonnay – 2008 (17.5+). Supple and fresh. Creamy and complex. This is an expensively made wine. The palate is expressive and quite seamless. The fine knit oak is suppressing the fruit right now. Will be very good.

Fraser Gallop – Chardonnay – 2008 (17.4). Balanced and complex wine. Some peach on the nose with creamy overtones. The palate is long but in a leaner style. There is worked barrel ferment characters and vanillin oak to close. Modern style.

Castelli – Chardonnay – 2008 (17.3). This is fresh and vibrant with white peach and lemon on the nose. The palate has ripe stone fruit, melon and nuttiness to close. The oak is still integrating. This really improved after being open for a while, and will improve for several years.

Deep Woods – Reserve – Chardonnay – 2008 (17). Almond meal and minerals on the nose, but quite tight. The palate has good quality fruit has stone fruit characters. The oak grip is a bit dominant now, but opened up nicely in the bottle. Modern lean style that will improve in the bottle.

Chalice Bridge – The Chalice – Chardonnay – 2007 (17). Creamy, lemon, minerals and a touch of spice. Complex long and fragrant, with balance and poise.

Cape Naturalist – Torpedo Rock – Merlot – 2005 (16.8). A lighter, fresher style with aromatic fruit. The palate is leaner than the Howard Park (a good thing), with elegant red fruits. Not that complex, but a good drink.

Howard Park – Best Barrels – Merlot– 2003 (16.7). Dense, with licorice, plum and intense black fruit. The palate continues on the theme with dense, chewy, layered fruit. The finish is textured. Not my style.

Charlies Estate – Regional Selection – Merlot – 2006 (16.7). An unusual style. Savoury and spicy fruit. The palate is quite complex and savoury with tobacco leaf to close. Not typical.

Pemberley of Pemberton – Chardonnay – 2008 (16.6). This is quite interesting, with mineral and spice on the nose. More overt than some here, but not quite as complex. Oak a little more obvious.

Windance – Chardonnay – 2009 (16.5). Floral and fragrant nose with surprising depth to the palate. With apricot fruit on a long, lean finish.

12th September 2009

This week’s tasting was a bit of a licorice all–sorts. It was an opportunity to taste a few of the wines that had been kicking around for a few weeks. The highlight was the Wendouree shiraz/malbec 2006. To say that Wendouree is an icon is an understatement. Not many people know the wines, as they are not available in shops. The only way to buy them is via the mailing list, and you have to go on the waiting list to get on the mailing list!

Wines like Wendouree can present a real challenge for collectors. As they are hard to get, I tend to tuck them away in the cellar for many years and save them for a special occasion. The downside of this is that I don’t know what they taste like, and miss the charms of their youth. It was with this in mind that I slipped the Wendouree into this week’s tasting.

At the other end of the price spectrum, the Yalumba cabernet is a real bargain. This should be available for around $10 and is remarkably good.

Tasted

Wendouree – Shiraz/Malbec – 2006 (18.7). This has a lovely nose with cherries and plums to the fore. The palate has extraordinarily dense fruit, but remains supple and fine throughout. Plums and licorice dominate the palate, but there is chocolate and coffee too. Great length and persistence. The palate is seamless and there is a lovely souring finish that suits food. This wine is quite magical. The fruit is allowed to express itself, yet the wonderfully fine and silky tannins and oak guarantee a 20-year life. Was even better the next day.

Paxton – Jones Block – Shiraz – 2005 (18.3). This is a bit of a monster. Dense, ripe and deep smelling fruit with licorice and star anise. The palate is big. The fruit is dense, textured and layered. Black fruits and spice dominate. There is plenty of sweet alcohol but it holds it well. A serious wine that will age well.

d’Arrenberg – Vintage Fortified– Shiraz Chambourcin – 2005 – (18). Typical dusty nose to open. Massive nose of plums and licorice all-sorts. This is really the essence of shiraz, and it has been fortified with good quality spirits. This is sweeter than the Portuguese ports, but has all the elements for a very long (30yr) life.

Paxton – Elizabeth Jean – Shiraz– 2006 (17.8). Fresher and lighter than the Jones Block, and more approachable now. The nose is defined by fragrant fruit, and a touch of cedar. The palate has masses of licorice, cloves and spice, with red fruits to the fore. The oak is less obvious, but the alcohol is more dominant. 5-10 years.

Fraser Gallop – Cabernet – 2007 (17.6). Closed, but dense fruit on the nose. The fruit is cooler, with a touch of eucalypt and menthol. The palate is defined by dense fruit that is textured and layered. High quality oak is starting to integrate. This will get better with a few years in the cellar. Winner of best Bordeaux varietal in the Decanter Wine Awards. (David looked at the Fraser Gallop wines after 2 days, and found them to be better again. One to watch!)

Yalumba – Y Series – Cabernet – 2007 (17). I admit to being seduced by the forward floral fruit here. There is black currant and red fruits too. The palate is full, ripe and plush, with well-managed tannins. Again, this polarised the panel, but is a bargain none the less.

Higher Plane – Merlot – 2007 (17). Overt, ripe, dense and really deep smelling. The palate has cassis to open, but the oak grip dominates the finish. Very good quality fruit, but can it beat the oak into submission? Polarising style.

Shepard Hill – Matthew’s Vintage – Cabernet – 2004 (16.9). Cassis, mint, mortien and a touch of eucalyptus on the nose. The palate has cool fruit characters with ribena the dominant character. Sweet cedary oak dominates the finish. Needs several years to start drinking well. (Excellent potential, but some dissent among the panellists).

CJ Pask – Gimblett Road – Cabernet/Merlot/Malbec -2006 (16.8). Round and complex with cedary oak The palate is dense and ripe, but this is not a generous wine. Fine finish.

Bird in Hand – Rose – Pinot – 2008 (16.5). Lifted ripe fruit characters, but not candied or overtly sweet. The palate has raspberry and spice with a touch of savoury meatiness. Not too sweet. All agreed that this was actually a rose that was worth drinking. Rare praise indeed!

27 June 2009

The chardonnay bracket proved very interesting on a couple of points. Firstly, the best had a minerality that really added complexity. This character presented as fresh curry leaf. I have a plant growing near the back door, and I have rubbed the leaves many times to confirm the smell. I have seen this now in many top White Burgundies and Chablis.

The other take home point was that although screw caps are much more reliable than corks, there are other factors that can affect the quality of an individual bottle of wine. This was highlighted by the Yerring Station wines. I had very high expectations for these, but they showed poorly on the day. Perhaps it was the way they were transported.

To the wines. The Moorooduc and the La Strada were both excellent, but stylistically diverse. The Moorooduc was rich textured and creamy, while the La Strada was tight, lean and elegant. The 2007 Howard Parks continue to impress. This time it was the Leston from Margaret River that we saw. Finally, I don’t quite get the point yet of a lot of the unusual blends that we are seeing at the moment. May be it is just me but…

Tasted

Moorooduc – Chardonnay – 2006. Serious nose on this. It opens with a touch of vanillin oak. The palate is creamy long and fine. Really builds in the glass and is quite seamless. A rich style that is perhaps a bit dated. There is plenty of barrel ferment and lees work apparent. Was fantastic with steamed fish over dinner. (18)

Howard Park – Leston – Shiraz – 2007. Powerful nose.Some lovely floral – perfume on the nose. The palate is all about licorice, spice and white pepper. Plums and finishes with fine tannins and spicy fruit. Very long and fine and will age well. (18)

La Strada -Chardonnay – 2006. Closed and restrained on the nose but with pure varietal fruit. Curry leaf complexity too. The palate is fine and lean, with minerals and spice. Should evolve. (17.8)

Port Phillip Estate – Estate – Chardonnay – 2007. Opens with curry leaf. Must be good. Complex, with barrel ferment and lees characters in the nose. The palate is flinty with minerality. The wine is complex, with lemony acid. Lovely length and texture. Fine oak to support, but is too young right now. (17.5)

Duke’s – Shiraz – 2007. This was all about Spice with some tobacco to close. The palate is vibrant and spicy, but the fruit is hidden by fine tannins and oak. Just to young. 5yrs (17)

Forester – Shiraz – 2006. Concentrated nose with licorice and plummy fruit. This continued on the palate with more Licorice, plum and cinnamon to close. Well supported by JJ. (17).

Forester – Home Block – Shiraz – 2007. Tasting notes to follow (17)

Two Tracks – Chardonnay – Marlborough – 2008. Closed, > lemon, toasty, textured, zesty finish, long and creamy. (17)

Robert Oatley – Chardonnay – 2008. Creamy but quite lean, > Apricot, Lemon, lanolin and peach. Long but in a lean style. (16.8)

Yerring Station – Coombe Farm – Chardonnay – 2007. Subtle curry leaf and minerals. Complex. >> Tight, balanced, lemony, grippy close. Minimal oak . But adds to finish. Closed. Opens and gains complexity. (16.5)

Schwarz Wine Company – The Dust Kicker – Hunt and Gather – Red Blend – blend – 2007. Cooler fruit here, with some herbal overtones. The palate has chocolate, cherry and plum. Manufactured wine for the punters. (16.5)

Redhouse – Mediterrane – s/tem/sang – 2008. Sweet vibrant fruit. Red fruits and a touch of ripe banana. Red fruits and tar on a moderately long palate. Not complex but a good quaff. (16.5)

Guinea Run – Shiraz/merlot/cabernet – 2007 . Luscious cherry and plum. There is plummy and vibrant fruits, and the dusty tannins add interest. Tarry finish. Tasted twice. (16.5)

15/06/2009

Shaun Maher from Liquid Library (Wholesaler in Western Australia) put on a tasting to highlight the quality of some of his new release wine. The focus was on imported wines from France as well as Itally, Spain, Portugal etc. Held at The Ellington, there were over 50 wines to try. This was too many to try, and to many to write up, so I will focus on the most interesting and best. A highlight was the Chablis’ from Christian Moreau and the Burgundies from Jean-Louis Chavy.

Other highlights included the Domaine La Barroche – Chateauneuf du Pape – 2006, the Chateau du Cedre “Prestige” 2005 form Cahors and the Artadi – Vinas de Gain – 2006 from Rioja. A word of warning, this was Not a blind tasting, so I may have been seduced by some of the labels. If the wines are reviewed here though, it means that they were pretty good.

Tasted

Te Whare Ra – Sauvignon Blanc – 2008. More Complex than the Wairau River. Goosebury and some tropical characters on the nose. The palate is bright, fresh andfleshy with zingy acid to keep it all together. (17.5)

Vincent Pinard – Flores – Sancerre – 2007. Quite a contrast to the NZ sauvignon blancs. This wine was more about the minerally charachters with lemony acid. Not obvious. (16.5)

Serge Dagueneau – Pouilly Fume – 2007. Complex wine with obvious worked characters (Lees stirring +/- barrel ferment), but with fresh floral notes too. The mouth feel and texture really made this stand out. The palate is quite steely, with a mineral finish. Long and mouthwatering. (17.5)

Pichot –Coteau de la Biche – Sec – 2007 (Vouvray). Complex, earthy and minerally on the nose, followed by a palate with “WOW” factor. Long, textured and viscous, this is a big wine. Whilst the acid keeps the fruit in check, the residual sugar just shows up on the finish. One to drink not to sip. (17.3)

Christian Moreau – Chablis (AC) – 2007. Typical style with mineral/honey and a touch of toast from ? barrel ferment/lees working. Good, but finishes a bit short (16.5)

Christian Moreau – Vaillons – Chablis – 1er Cru – 2007. Still quite closed. More complex than the AC wine, this is al about the minerally charachters. The palate is quite big and rich with the minerals/honey coming through the mid palate. Long, and with very good acid balance. (17.5)

Christian Moreau – Valmur – Chablis – Grand Cru – 2007. This is good! Very closed (and served way too cold). You get a sense that the amount of new oak is a little higher her, thought the Vanilla/lemony charachters are well balanced. The palate is very long and fine, and it builds in the mouth. excelent acids to close. (18.5)

Christian Moreau – Les Clos – Grand Cru – 2007. Only hinting its potential now, this is closed tight and minerally. The palate is a standout. Mineral and spice withjust a touch of honey. Seamless, long and really builds inthe mouth. Harmonious oak adds texture, and the fine acids bring the finish to life. (18.7)

Jean- Louis Chavy – Puligny Montrachet (AC) – 2006. Richer, more viscous and textured than the Chablis. This is long, and rich on the palate, but without the concentration of the Chablis. Some mineral and honey to close. (17.5)

Jean- Louis Chavy – Perrieres – Puligny Montrachet – 1er Cru -2006. Complex and enticing. More obvious mineral and hints of honey. Fine oak also apparent with some barrel ferment and lees working. Follows with a rich and textured palate that is quite seamless. Fine acid to close. Good Stuff (18.5)

Chateau Mont-Redon – Chateauneuf de Pape (rouge) – 2006. A real suprise here because of the rich and forward nose. There is a complex and enticing nose of ripe rasberries, white pepper and floral notes. The palate is very long and fine, but is not as forward as the palate. Tight and closed, this needs several years to show its best. (17.8/18.2)

Domaine La Barroche – Chateauneuf de Pape (rouge) – 2006. I have not seen this label before. Ripe and aromatic, thought the fruit is shy. Plenty of pepper and cinamon, with subtle oak apparent. The white pepper and spice are to the fore on the palate. Develops lifted fruit. The tannins and oak are grippy now. (18+)

Artadi – Vinas de Gain – Rioja – 2006. I have a soft spot for tempraillo based wines, and this is a good one. It has a beautiful nose that is complex and has spices running through it. The balance is the key to the palate. It is ripe, with fruit in the plummy spectrum, folowed by supple but powdery tannins. Builds in the mouth. (18)

Roda – Reserva – Rioja – 2005. Silky wine with floral and red fruit characters. I have to question the value here. (17.5)

Quinta do Vallado – Douro – 2007. No question on value here. Complex wine with ripe red fruits. Bright red fruits continue o the palate. This is complex, long and textured with powdery tannins and a very drying finish. Will take years in the cellar. (17.8)

Te Whare Ra – Pinot Noir – 2007. Silky and complex with cherries and spice. a touch of oak is present on the nose. The palate has more cherries and a touch of blackcurrant. The wine has good lenght and builds in the mouth. (17.9)

Chateau du Cedre – Le Prestige – Cahors – 2005. Made predominantly from Malbec, this wine has the lot. Starts with liquorice allsorts on the nose as well as aniseed and plum. A dense wine. The palate has more liquorice with a slky mouth feel. Dusty fine tannins and oak grip finish off this big wine. Very drying to close. The style may polarise.(18)