Cherubino – Porongurup – Riesling – 2021. Extraordinarily fine and elegant, with flinty minerality and silky texture. The palate is near seamless, with gentle intensity and subtle power. Superb now, but capable of aging for two decades. 95+pts.
Cherubino – Omaggio – Shiraz/Mataro – 2020. Gorgeous nose that is redolent of berries and plum, with gentle savoury characters adding the high notes. The palate is fresh and vibrant, with the delicious fruit flooding the palate. The soft tannins add texture, without impeding the flow of the fruit. A great drink with or without food. 93pts
Cherubino – Block 1 – Shiraz – 2020. This is more reserved, with the fruit slowly unfurling on both the nose and the palate. Precise, with gravelly tannins poking around the edges of the tongue. Very satisfying and food friendly, but needs a few years or an hour in a decanter to really open up. 94pts
Cherubino – Frankland River – Shiraz – 2019. Dusty, savoury, almost earthy nose up front, with the fruit tucked away, cocooned in the structure. But with air, this really starts to sing. Ripe, precise cool climate shiraz, with white pepper and spice adding to the package. The oak adds texture but is otherwise invisible. A day later, this was magical drinking. 95-96pts
Cherubino – Margaret River – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2019 . This has great typicity, with classic blackcurrant/ almost cassis fruit. But it also possesses a juicy/fleshy nature that makes it great drinking now. Supple, balanced and textured, yet there are fine tannins that make their presence felt on the palate which add to the enjoyment and will help cut through rich food. Again, the next day the fruit really started to sing, suggesting that my points will go up over time. 94-95pts.
Cherubino – Budworth – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2018. This is the essence of Cabernet with Ribena-like fruit cascading from the glass in waves. The palate is concentrated, dense, fine, elegant and restrained. The finish is supple and near seamless. Drinks brilliantly, but this really is a 20-year option. With the fruit coming off the Riversdale vineyard, this extraordinary wine that demonstrates that Frankland River can produce Cabernets to rival the best of Margaret River and Bordeaux. 96-97pts
Larry Cherubino has an enviable reputation when it comes to producing great (and great value) red wines and Rieslings.
My impressions started with the brilliant value Moondah Brook, Crofters and Houghton reds from the late 1990s when Larry was senior winemaker at Houghton, and were reinforced by any number of wines under the various labels in the Cherubino range.
But in recent vintages, the Cherubino Chardonnays have risked stealing the show, and the currently available range is an extremely strong portfolio of wines.
Reviewed
Cherubino – Caves Road – Chardonnay – 2021. This is leaner and more citrus driven expression, in a taut, restrained style. The fruit is very fine and elegant, taking some time to express in the glass. But there is a core of ripe fruit that runs the length of the palate. Give it time to show its best. 94-95pts.
Cherubino – Dijon – Wychwood Vineyard – Chardonnay – 2020. Fine, yet with innate power and great depth of fruit. Superb fruit and brilliant winemaking have resulted in a complete wine now, but one that is also worthy of 5+ years in the cellar. This is not a statement wine but is the most compelling wine in the range. 95+pts
Cherubino – Pemberton – Chardonnay – 2020. Ripe, joyful fruit that has plenty of Gingin clone pineapple characters. Delicious and more obvious than the others in the tasting but lacks the ultimate finesse of the best. 93pts.
Cherubino – Gingin – Willows Vineyard – Chardonnay – 2020. This is oh so fine and elegant, with great restraint to the ripe, svelte fruit. Subtle power, supple texture and excellent length make this a wine to watch. A very fine expression of Gingin clone fruit. 95pts.
Cherubino – Margaret River – Chardonnay – 2020. The big brother of the range, and this is demonstrated by the extra depth and intensity of the fruit. Hints of pineapple over ripe stone fruit, with creamy oak and barrel ferment characters adding depth and texture. The mouthfeel is a highlight, with curry leaf minerality building. Gets ever so slightly grippy on the finish, so 2-3 years should see this do very well indeed. A fine, elegant wine. 96pts.
The fact that Margaret River is making world-class Chardonnays is something that I am sure we can all agree on. But I was amazed at just how good some of these wines were drinking at this early stage in their lives.
The pair from Vasse Felix were brilliant, with the value offered by the “premium” Chardonnay hard to beat.
Gant & Co also turned out a great drinking wine, whilst the Allingham is a superb each way bet. And then there was the superb Deep Woods Reserve Chardonnay… Another superb wine.
Reviewed
Howard Park – Allingham – Chardonnay – 2019. Opens with lovely peachy fruit that is fragrant and creamy. The sweet vanillin oak is an attractive addition, complementing the fruit perfectly. The palate is balanced, creamy, textured and near seamless, with fine acidity and excellent length. This is complete drinking now and quite superb, but a few years in bottle will do this no harm. An extra half a point for drinkability. 95.5+pts
Deep Woods – Single Vineyard – Chardonnay – 2021. Leaner and taut, yet still possessing precise ripe fruit. This is less creamy and textural than the Allingham and offers quite a different drinking experience. A high-quality food-friendly wine that is excellent now, but this will also cellar for 5 years with ease. 93pts.
Evans & Tate – Redbrook – Chardonnay – 2018. This is a cracking wine. Exquisite fruit and very fine, sympathetic winemaking have resulted in a superb drinking experience. Seamless and complete. The fruit will fill out with a few years in bottle, but this is good to go now. 95pts.
Vasse Felix – Heytesbury – Chardonnay – 2020. The curry leaf minerality have been turned up a notch in this wine. Great depth of fruit, moving towards citrus (pink grapefruit) rather than stone fruit. The density of fruit is a feature, giving this intrinsic power. A cooler style that would be brilliant with food, as the fresh acidity will cut through the palate. Stunning chardonnay that challenges the best of Burgundy. 97pts.
Trait – Chardonnay – 2020. A ripe and lively wine that offers great drinking, The acid profile will ensure that this goes well with food, and 5 years will see this fill out nicely. 93pts.
Vasse Felix – Chardonnay – 2020 – This made me swoon just a little, such is the beauty of the fruit. Superbly handled, with the subtle winemaking inputs elevating the fruit on a dais. Underneath there is minerality and a lovely texture. The oak sneaks in on the finish, adding texture and mouthfeel. Superb drinking! 95pts.
Deep Woods – Reserve – Chardonnay – 2020 The minerality here was a feature, with curry leaf notes adding impact. The palate is flooded with ripe, peachy fruit that runs the whole length, and lingers for an age. Superb drinking now, but I can’t help but feel that 3 – 5 years will only see this get even better. 96pts.
Gant & Co – Chardonnay – 2020. Wow, the superb fruit that is very much in the middle ground, with supple peach and nectarine notes complemented by hints of minerals and spice. This wine is a Goldilocks wine. Just right! 95pts.
Voyager Estate – MJW – Chardonnay- 2020. This is a treat. Fine, elegant and restrained, but with a core of ripe fruit running the length of the palate. Excellent depth and a creamy mouthfeel are complemented by zesty/lemony acidity. Just needs a few years to open up and show its best. 95+pts.
Lost Farm – Chardonnay – 2021. Excellent varietal characters in a wine that has richer, riper fruit than I am used to seeing from Tasmania. When combined with the supple winemaking inputs, this makes for excellent drinking. 93pts.
Angove – Wild Olive– Chardonnay- 2021. This was a surprise package from McLaren Vale. Ripe fruit, but in a finer, more elegant expression than I was expecting. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of power and intensity, but it is skillfully wrapped up in a supple, understated wine that is spot on for current drinking. 93pts.
The highlights of my tasting month were a pair of Cabernets that were both spectacular, with their different regional characteristics stamped on each, along with another bargain from Aldi.
Wynns 2018 Harold is a superb example of Coonawarra Cabernet. Great purity of fruit combined with subtle, sympathetic winemaking. Peppermint and Cassis play key roles. I liked this so much that I immediately ordered a six-pack for the cellar.
Xanadu’s 2020 estate (black label) Cabernet is defined by the red berry fruit that fans out across the palate. This is a joyous expression of Margaret River Cabernet!
Reviewed
Frankland Estate – Alter Weg – Riesling – 2021. Taut, fine with fruit and acid in the lemony spectrum. On the palate, this really shines. Long and near seamless, with high quality fruit that really fills out on the mid-palate with air. This is in a different style to the Australian norm, with gentle phenolics and subtle worked (barrel ferment) characters. Worth trying to see how different Riesling can be. 93pts – $34.
Freya and Jules 2021
Freya and Jules – Riesling – 2021. This is all floral and pretty, with steely notes, minerals and a hint of pear. There is gentle viscosity which greatly adds to the appeal, yet there are no overt phenolics. Gentle lime acidity adds freshness and vitality. Superb value from Aldi. 92+pts – $9
Leo Buring Leopold 2021
Leo Buring – Leopold – Riesling – 2021. Bright, fresh and really quite delicious. This is packed full of citrus, with just a hint of residual sugar adding balance and adding to the drinkability. Underpinning the high-quality fruit is fine acidity. Different style to the Leonay and very worthwhile. 94pts – $35.
Terre à Terre – Crayers Vineyards – Sauvignon Blanc – 2020. This is vibrant, powerful and delicious, with gentle passionfruit, pear and musk flavours lingering for some time. Textural notes add to the mouthfeel and overall enjoyment. Excellent drinking. 91pts.
Myattsfield – Vermentino – 2020. Excellent food wine where there is enough fruit to make the wine interesting, yet the savoury components are the main feature, making this a great all-purpose wine that would be very enjoyable with, or without food. Could be described as semi-aromatic. 91pts
A.C. Byrne – Organic – Shiraz – 2021. The fruit here is supple, succulent and morish. This is supported by excellent structure, good balance and impressive persistence/ length of flavours. At $12, this is great value and could be the perfect mid-week pasta wine for those on a budget. This scored a gold medal from one panellist. 91pts.
Ata Rangi – Pinot Noir – 2019. OMG. This is quite beautiful. Elegant, seductive, succulent, deep, fine, silky and very long. Pristine red berry and cherry fruit. Subtle power emanates from the core, Ethereal. 96+pts
Lost Farm Pinot 2021
Lost Farm – Pinot Noir – 2021. A lovely wine that combines elegant, ripe fruit, with savoury, earthy notes. Minerality and even a touch of sea spray on the close. Lithe, elegant, supple, this builds depth and a slightly chewy texture with air. Very satisfying, if just a little closed at this early stage. Give it a few years. 94pts – $42.
Yeringburg – Pinot Noir – 2019. This was my pick of a strong bracket of Pinots due to its balance of ripe, supple red berry/cherry fruit and fine, savoury, textural notes. There is excellent length and persistence, with gentle spice notes adding to the appeal. Very satisfying straight out of the bottle but was even better a day later. Do not be put off by the pale colour, this is a serious wine. 94+pts.
Xanadu – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2020. A bit of wow here, with red berry fruit to the fore on the nose. Supple, ripe red berry fruit floods a palate that is long, fine and energetic., with supple oak and tannins providing the textural framework. This is just so morish, with the fruit fanning out across the palate, unrestrained by oak. A joy. 95.5pts.
Wynns Harold 2018
Wynns – Harold – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2018. The purity of fruit here is outstanding. This does not have the showy vibrancy of some of the Margaret River wines that we are used to, but it has a quiet confidence in the way that it has captured the essence of Cabernet. Peppermint, cassis and gentle spice all evolve on a seamless palate. Great length of flavours. Beautiful now or in 10 – 20 years. 96pts
Houghton Stripe Range Wines: Unbeatable value in 2022
Barry Weinman: 10th June 2022
Under the ownership of Accolade, there have been a lot of changes at Houghton. But fortunately for wine drinkers, the quality of the wines has not seemed to suffer, be it at the premium end with wines such as Jack Mann, or at the affordable end of the pricing spectrum.
In this tasting, the panel were blown away by the quality of the wines in the stripe range. These wines are excellent everyday drinking, but when you consider that they can be bought for as little as $7 per bottle, they must surely be some of the best value wines sold in Australia.
Ok, so they are not the most serious wines, but for a mid-week pasta night, you can’t go wrong!
Reviewed
Houghton – Stripe Range – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – 2021. I like the balance of fruit and supple texture here. This is mouth-filling, with gentle viscosity and crunch acidity carrying the length of the palate. Very satisfying drink for when the focus is on the food, or life in general. 89pts.
Houghton – Stripe Range – White Classic – 2021. This is quite neutral on opening, with subtle depth and weight. This is an intriguing wine in that the drinking pleasure it delivers is greater than a sum of its parts. History suggests that a few years in the bottle will see this flesh out nicely. 91pts.
Houghton – Stripe Range – Shiraz – 2018. From an excellent WA vintage, this has bright red berry fruit, with just a touch of earthiness and gentle plum. Savoury spice notes predominate on the palate, with chalky tannins adding texture. Nothing fancy, but a very good drink. 91pts.
Houghton – Stripe Range – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2019. Fresh, vibrant, juicy and succulent. Gentle savoury oak and fine tannins add to the appeal. This could be the perfect mid-week pasta wine for those who don’t want to spend a bomb. 91pts.
To put on a benchmark tasting where your wines are up against some of the country’s finest takes a brave, self-assured winery. The obvious risk is that the comparator’s wines will look better than your own.
The team at Frankland Estate have a quiet confidence in the quality of their wines and did not hesitate to show them alongside a strong line up of comparators. And their wines held their own and then some.
The Isolation Ridge Riesling is in a different style to what we typically see out of Clare or the Great Southern and all the better for it. The gentle residual sugar is a key component in what is a textural treat. The sheer drinkability was a key highlight of the wine.
The evolution in style of the Isolation Ridge Shiraz/Syrah over the last decade or so was brilliantly demonstrated by tasting the 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 side by side. The last two were a real step up in terms of fruit quality and winemaking.
The 2019 was an explosion of ripe, supple fruit, whilst the 2020 was more brooding and introverted. The splash of Viognier appeared to have more of an impact in the 2019.
Somehow, the 2020 Smith Cullam Syrah managed to combine the best of both of these into a magical wine experience. Definitely worth trying. #franklandestate #isolationridge #smithcullam
Bracket 1: Classics
Frankland Estate – Isolation Ridge Vineyard – Riesling – 2021. A drier year that produced pristine fruit. The nose has a wonderful combination of fresh, aromatic fruit and complex winemaking inputs. Ripe, with fine acidity and superbly judged residual sugar, the intensity is a revelation. The finish is textured and long, with great density. Apricot, almond, pear, nectarine and floral honeysuckle all make an appearance.
The style moved to a slightly riper expression where the fruit can shine. Components were left on lees for up to six months in tank, and barrel ferment was used for a small portion of the fruit.
Crawford River – Riesling – 2021. The aromatics here are a highlight. Apricot fruit and supple richness make for a compelling drink, even if it does not have the absolute power of the Isolation Ridge. An understated wine that really builds in the glass.
Grosset – Polish Hill – Riesling – 2021. Pristine and fine. Scintillating acidity and taut structure, yet fine and restrained at the same time. A superb wine in a very different style, that looked just a bit awkward in this line up as the style is so different.
Christmann Gimmeldingen – Riesling – (Village) – 2020. This was a bit overwhelmed in this line up.
Bracket 2: Off dry
Frankland Estate – Smith Cullam – Riesling – 2021. Very similar profile to the Isolation Ridge, but with the floral aromatics turned down a touch, and the textural components turned up. For me, this really needs a few years to really open up but is a super wine all the same.
Heymann-Löwenstein – Schieferterrassen Bohème – 2018. Wow. The aromatics here are amazing, and really quite foreign to anything made in Australia. Intense, powerful, savoury and complex. The palate is a little more mainstream, with lovely acidity playing against the residual sugar. Viscous and mouthcoating, the texture is a highlight. Quite superb.
Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter – Kabinett Trocken – 2020. The balance here is a highlight. The fruit here is much more preserved. But lacks the sheer depth and power of the previous wines.
Loosen Barry – Wolta Wolta – Riesling – 2019. Drier, very intense and very powerful. But the finish is quite closed at present. Would be wonderful with food, or with ten years in the cellar. Possibly the most expensive Riesling made in Australia.
Bracket 3: Isolation Ridge Vineyard Vertical
Frankland Estate – Isolation Ridge Vineyard – Shiraz 2015. Pristine fruit, with hints of spice, menthol and eucalypt. White pepper to the fore over cherry and satsuma plum fruit. Excellent balance and mouthfeel.
Frankland Estate – Isolation Ridge Vineyard – Syrah 2017. The spice is turned up, complemented by sweet fruit that floods the palate. Large format oak allows the fruit to shine. Pretty and vibrant, yet with greater mid-palate density and texture. Lovely mouthfeel and excellent length of flavours aided by a small proportion of whole bunch fermentation.
Frankland Estate – Isolation Ridge Vineyard – Syrah 2019. Wow. This is quite special. The sweet, ripe fruit is still the focus, but the savoury, spicy components really make an impact. There are lovely musk and pear notes that run the length of the palate. Aromatic, floral and quite spectacular. Small amount of Viognier and Mourvèdre add impact, as does a component of whole-bunch fermentation. 95+pts seems only fair.
Frankland Estate – Isolation Ridge Vineyard Syrah 2020. Quite a different expression of Frankland Shiraz. Here the aromatics are less overt, whilst the structure is the focus and the fruit taut, fine, unyielding. With air, the intense, dense and powerful fruit really shines. Despite the power, structure and almost chewy texture., this somehow remains near seamless. Only 6% whole bunch in this vintage. 95 – 96pts.
Bracket 4: Benchmark Shiraz
Frankland Estate – Smith Cullam – Syrah – 2020. This is a special wine, combining the aromatics of the 2019 Isolation ridge, with the depth of the 2020. Yet, at its core, this is elegant and very fine. It offers the opportunity to be appreciated young, but also possesses excellent ageability. The tannin management is a highlight. A magical wine. 96pts.
Craggy Range – Le Sol – Shiraz – 2019. A very contrasting style where the oak (37% new) is much more noticeable, but in no way overpowering. This is a traditional new world red with ripe, structured fruit, along with excellent depth and power. But this is a long-term prospect…
Domaine Ogier – Côte Rotie – Mon Village – 2018. Did not show well on the day. Shaw and Smith – Balhannah – Shiraz – 2019. A very interesting contrast. Another cooler climate shiraz, but here there is a degree of textural plushness that stands it apart. Virtually seamless, the fruit less overt, whilst the texture is key indicator of quality. Superb, but needs years…
Final wines
Frankland Estate – Isolation Ridge – Riesling – 2012. A museum release that is only available in tiny quantities. Lovely toast and aromatics on both the nose and palate. A classic aged Australian Riesling. This really benefited from time in the glass, so a quick swirl in a decanter is probably in order to get the best out of this wine.
Frankland Estate – Alter Weg – Riesling – 2021. I love this wine. So complex and powerful, with great depth and colour.
Brian Croser is a stalwart of the Picadilly Valley in the Adelaide hills, having established Petaluma winery in 1976. The base for Petaluma was the Tiers Vineyard.
In due course, Petaluma was sold to Accolade Wines though the Crosers maintained control of the Tiers vineyard and subsequently established the Tapanappa winery.
The vines are now over forty years old, and the best fruit goes into Tapanappa’s Tiers Chardonnay. Recently, a second wine has been added to the Tiers range: The 1.5M.
The fruit for the 1.5M comes from a section of the vineyard that was replanted in 2003 at even closer spacing to the original vineyard (4,444 vines per hectare). At almost half the price of its big brother, the 1.5M is something of a bargain at $59.
The wines from Tapanappa are tight, lean and high in acid at this very early stage of their lives, but they will be marvelous wines with some time in bottle.
Reviewed
Tapanappa – Tiers – Chardonnay – 2021. This smells expensive! This is a restrained wine where the fruit is initially quite muted, with minerals, curry leaf and spice aromas adding impact. The palate is lithe and fresh, in a slightly leaner style. However, there is power and intensity in spades. With air, peach and tropical fruit start to express. This took three days to be at its best, so give it a few years if you can. 95pts – $110
Tapanappa – Tiers 1.5M – Chardonnay – 2021. As the name suggests, this comes from a portion of the vineyard that has been replanted at closer (1.5 metre) vine spacing. Very similar in style to the Tiers, but here the fruit is a little more accessible at this early stage. There is real depth and power and excellent length of flavours, and if anything, the minerality has been turned up a notch. Give it a couple of years. 95pts – $59.
Tapanappa – Chardonnay – 2021. Very fine and taut, yet this is intense and powerful, and possesses great depth. Peach, nectarine and cashew nut all express. The balance of fruit, oak and winemaking is a highlight. Super drinking whilst waiting for its big brothers to hit their peaks. 94pts – $49.
In the third part of this series, I have reviewed wines by Jacquart, Moet, Roederer & Ruinart.
Part one reviewed Pierre Gimonnet, Pol Roger & Duval-Leroy.
Part two reviewed Ayala, Billecart, Bollinger & Devaux
LouisRoederer
The 2015 Vintage Rosé is a highlight, with lovely red fruits adding to what is a beautiful and very approachable wine.
The 2014 Vintage Brut was somewhat of a contrast, here the fruit was tightly wound and taut, with the lemony acidity playing against the textural, almost chewy structure. Very fine, but deserving of a few years in bottle.
The biggest change at Roederer is in the NV where, much like Krug (and Arras with their excellent Brut Elite), they are now labelling each release with a unique number so that the consumers know what is inside the bottle they are drinking.
This has been accompanied by the establishment of a Perpetual Reserve which appears to be a type of solera to provide a consistent, mature reserve wine for blending.
Louis Roederer – Collection 242 – NV. 56% from the 2017 vintage with a remarkable 44% reserve wine (34% Perpetual Reserve + 10% oak aged reserve wine from vintages between 2009 and 2016). This is fine, elegant and supple, yet possessing of impressive power and serious texture. Generous, yet refined. Superb! Dosage of 8gm/l.
Jacquart
Jacquart’s Brut Mosaique remains a good value aperitif style, but it was the 2012 Blanc de Blancs that caught my attention. This is a serious wine as much as it is a fine Champagne, the fruit coming from 100% Grand Cru vineyards with 6gm/l dosage. The stone fruit notes were a highlight on a fine, elegant and supple palate. Worth a try.
Moët & Chandon
Moët was the surprise package of the tasting. The wines here are more serious and powerful than in some recent releases. Combine this with very reasonable prices, and the wines from Moët are very good buying indeed.
The Brut Imperial ticks all the boxes, the low 7gm/l dosage a testament to the quality of the fruit. A very good wine that is more serious than its reputation suggests, making this fantastic value when discounted around the traps.
Moët & Chandon – Grand Vintage – 2013. This wine takes things to another level. Seven years on lees, and the 5gm/l dosage low enough to qualify as Extra Brut. A very good champagne with a fine, elegant mouthfeel and serious structural components. A great drink!
Ruinart
Ruinart’sBlanc de Blancs is very good indeed, with fine structure and an elegant mouthfeel. The Rosé Brut takes this a step further, with the remarkable addition of 18% still wine adding to this supple, delicious wine.
Ayala was bought by the Bollinger family in 2005 and there has been a process of gradual improvement ever since. In fact, the winemaker (Caroline Latrive) was formerly at Bollinger before taking over the reins here.
A key difference between the houses is the increased focus on Chardonnay at Ayala. The Brut Majeur is a richly flavoured wine, where the fruit takes centre place supported by a very fine structure and drying acidity. The blend includes 45% Chardonnay and the dosage is only 6gm/l
But the standout for me was the Blanc De Blancs.
Ayala – Blanc De Blancs – 2014. A beautiful wine with finesse and elegance, but also possessing great power, supported by an addictive creamy texture. If anything, this would be even better with a few more years in the bottle. Spent six years on lees and the dosage is 6gm/l.
Bollinger
The Special Cuvée is in fine form, combining power with finesse and supple texture. Delicious and ready to go now. A step up in quality and price was the B13!
Bollinger – B13 – 2013. Made from 100% Pinot Noir (Blanc De Noirs), this wine is all about the power and intensity derived from the late 2013 vintage and of Pinot Noir. A wine with tremendous impact, this is a tour-de-force. But the style will not be for everyone. Seven years on lees, 6g/l.
Billecart-Salmon
I am the first to admit that I do not often enjoy zero dosage wines. However, Billecart’s Brut Nature is very much an exception to this.
Billecart-Salmon – Brut Nature – NV. Dry, but very balanced, this is quite lovely. Fine, elegant and laced with minerality, this is delicate, yet possesses gentle generosity. An excellent wine. 40 months on lees, 0% dosage, 2016 base wine, with a high percentage of reserve wines.
Billecart-Salmon – 2009. With a very low 2g/l dosage, this wine is technically an Extra Brut, though this not on the label. The power of the Pinot Noir (40%) is evident in this wine and is accompanied by a very attractive chewy texture and fine acidity. With excellent length and balance, this is a fine wine indeed! Nine years on lees.
Devaux
I very much enjoyed the copper tinged Devaux D Rose, where the addition of a small amount of red base wine from the 2010 vintage adds gentle red fruits. The dosage feels a little higher than some of the other wines tasted and this suits the style well. Five years on lees.
Champagne: What to drink in Australia in Autumn 2022 Part 1: Pierre Gimonnet, Pol Roger & Duval-Leroy
Barry Weinman 3rd April 2022
The title for this series of articles is very specific to a point in time for an important reason. Non-vintage Champagne is not a homogenous product and there are a number of factors that can influence how it tastes.
The blend: The majority of the base wine in NV Champagnes typically comes from a single year, with reserve wines added to keep the style and quality consistent. But the characteristics of the base wine changes from year to year which affects the overall taste.
How long the wine has been left on lees: For the bigger houses in particular, their NV will be disgorged in batches to meet market demand. More time on lees will subtly change the flavour profile.
How long the wine has been sitting in Australia: Once a wine has been disgorged, the characteristics change over time. If a distributor has old stock, or a retailer has slow sales, then the wine will taste differently to a bottle that is fresh of the boat.
So, with the NV wines at least, what I am reviewing below is the wine that is currently available from the wholesaler in Australia today.
These wines were tasted as part of Tyson Stelzer’s fantastic Champagne tasting that is held each year around Australia.
Duval-Leroy
Duval Leroy is a historic Champagne house that was established in 1859 and is still family owned today. These wines were the value standout for the tasting, and it’s worth checking for special prices with your local independent bottle shop.
Given the value on offer, the Brut Reserve is currently our house Champagne here at the Weinman’s.
Duval-Leroy – Brut Reserve – NV. A richer, textured style with decent length and refreshing acidity. Whilst not the most complex wine in the tasting, this is a wine that brings pleasure and can put a smile on your face. Pinot dominant, with four years on lees and 8gms of residual.
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils
The Champagnes of Pierre Gimonnet are notable for being almost all Blanc de Blancs. Even their Rosé starts life as a Blanc de Blancs before the addition of a small amount of still red wine.
Whilst the NV wines have always proved excellent drinking, it was the vintage wines that really stood out this time. There is an excellent article on Wineanorack discussing the house in some detail.
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils – Cuvée Fleuron Brut – 1er Cru – Blanc De Blancs – 2015. A very fine wine where the balance is the key to the success. This is lively, racy and taut, yet still possessing excellent depth and richness. From the Côte de Blancs, 75% Grand Crus, 5gm/l dosage. ($110 from Winesquare)
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils -Special Club – Grand Terroirs de Chardonnay – 2014. As the name suggests, this is really quite special. A Champagne with great richness, depth, intensity and power, with a creamy mouth filling texture. Outstanding Champagne! This is made from old-vines material with the vines between 60 and 100 years old. 5gm/l dosage.
Pol Roger
A house that needs no introduction, and the wines are in top form. The current release of the Brut Reserve is excellent, with a lovely combination of richness, power and balance, but it was the 2013 vintage wine that stood out.
Pol Roger – Vintage Brut – 2013. The key here is the balance. This combines the finesse of the 2013 Blanc de Blancs with the richness of the NV. The result is a sublime wine that is brilliant value at around $125. 60% Pinot Noir 40% Chardonnay, 8gms/l dosage, disgorged December 2019.
