Tag Archives: Wine Tasting

Ostler – Current Release

Reviewed: 25th April 2013

I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with Jim Jerram from Ostler recently to try their current range of wines as well as several older Caroline’s pinot noirs.

Located in the cooler Northern Otago sub-district of Waitaki Valley,  the pinot vineyard was first planted in 2002. The relatively thin top soil, with limestone substrate was the key attraction to the producers when they purchased the land for the vineyard.

The pick of the wines was the 2010 Caroline’s pinot. A superb wine that is worthy of time in the cellar. The bargain though, and the one that I will recommend the strongest is the Blue House Vines pinot from 2011. Not overly complicated, but bright and delicious.

Reviewed

Ostler – Riesling – 2011 (17 – 17.5). Floral fruit on the nose, with subtle spice. The palate is textured and there is a degree of phenolic richness. Whilst there is noticeable sweetness, the excellent length and acid on the finish sets this apart, leaving the palate relatively dry to close. An interesting alternative to Australian rieslings. This has 10.6 g/l of residual sugar and is the 1st vintage from this vineyard (planted in 2008)

Ostler – Pinot Gris – Audrey’s – 2011 (17). Lovely floral notes here. This is an amalgam of Turkish delight, spice and phenolic texture. Quite a chewy finish adds interest, but the finish is a touch closed at first. The mid-palate is viscous and textured and this opens and develops richness in the glass. There is good acidity to close. A portion of this wine ferments in old oak.

Ostler – Pinot Noir – Blue House Vines – 2011 (17). Lighter hue than the other pinots tasted here. Soft, fresh and vibrant, this has attractive, albeit uncomplicated fruit aromas. The fresh cherry fruit is the key feature on the palate, though there is enough structure and souring acidity to make this quite delicious. This is an early drinking style that will work really well with food now.

Ostler – Pinot Noir – Caroline’s – 2010 (18+). More density to the fruit compared to the Blue House Vines. The nose is closed, but hints at potential. The palate is dense, structured, powerful, and chewy. The tannins and oak are present, but add texture and complexity rather than overt flavours. With air, this opens to show sweet red fruits and the structure really builds. Whilst this is a wine that needs time to show its best, the balance is spot on. The wine has new world fruit, but is not as fleshy as many Central Otago wines.

Ostler – Pinot Noir – Caroline’s – 2008 (17.5). Typical of the style, but from a cooler year. Perfumed, spiced, floral, red fruits on display. In the mouth, this is silky and supple, developing texture and body on the mid-palate. Lovely texture and mouth-feel, this is very good drinking now, but also has the potential to develop more texture and complexity. Fined and filtered which is not normal for the producer.

Ostler – Pinot Noir – Caroline’s – 2006 (17.5). Very seductive nose! Silky and supple, with masses of red fruit on the palate. Textured and soft, the dusty tannins add to the long, fine, spicy finish. Excellent persistence. Very impressive given the age of the vines.

New Release Cabernet

Part Two – 6 June 2010

In the second half of our line up of wines made from Bordeaux varietals, there were a number of excellent wines yet again. In fact, the only wine that did not get a bronze medal or better was not made in Australia.

From a value point of view, three wines really stood out. The Angove’s Long Row cabernet is a steal at less than $10 dollars, and the Kalgan River and Palmer reds deliver great drinking enjoyment for less than $20 at the cellar door.

In the middle is my pick for the tasting. The O’Leary Walker is deserving of its gold medal and should be available for not much more than $20. This is a contender for Cabernet of the Year. Try contacting the winery as I am not sure if this is in the shops yet.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Heytesbury from Vasse Felix is a wine of immense power and structure that will live for many years. The other wine that I will recommend is a cabernet from Howard Park. Whilst their Abercrombie may be the better wine in the long term, the Leston is so delicious and well balanced that this is where I would put my money, (esp. given that it is half the price).

Finally, a word on Cullen. The Diana Madeleine topped the tasting on my score sheet, but I am not going to recommend it. The wines at Cullen are quite unique. With the move to biodynamic, Vanya Cullen has found that the grapes achieve ripeness of tannins at much lower sugar levels. Their wines in this tasting ranged from 12% – 12.5% alcohol. This has resulted in very fine wines, though the flavour spectrum is quite different to the other wines in this tasting. Primary fruit characters are definitely reduced. Time will tell whether the general drinking public will understand these wines.

Reviewed

Cullen – Cabernet Sauvignon – Diana Madeleine – 2008 (18.5). Silky but very closed. The palate is seamless and very fine. This is elegant and classy. The texture is soft yet mouth-coating and the tannins are silky and very elegant. Whilst this is an excellent wine, it will not appeal to all. With 12.5% alcohol and very fine structure, it is easy to miss this wine.

O’Leary Walker – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (18.5). Mortein to start with. Blackcurrant, cherry and tar. The palate has real depth and density of high quality fruit. This is generous, mouth-coating and textured. Blackcurrant, raspberry, tar and a touch of menthol to close. High quality oak is absorbed by the fruit and adds to the close. This wine is the opposite of the Cullen. It is a wine that anyone can enjoy. A very good drink.

Vasse Felix – Cabernet Sauvignon – Heytesbury – 2007 (18.5). Lovely fruit on this. Ripe, structured, intense and dense. Extraordinarily powerful fruit, but the palate is still coming together as the high quality oak is a touch obvious. A very intense wine that demands 10 years in the cellar, and deserves 20.

Howard Park – Cabernet Sauvignon – Leston – 2008 (18.2). Alluring and intriguing. This has hints of many of the other wines in the tasting. Red fruits and cedar are predominant. The finish is structured, dense and closed. This is a potential star. (We had a glass of this the next night with pizza, and it was fabulous).

Brown Brothers – Cabernet Sauvignon – Patricia – 2005 (18). More Bordeaux-like to start; this has a touch of savoury notes to the ripe and elegant fruit. There is even a touch of pepper to close. Red fruits are shy, though there is a touch of stewed fruit to close. A textured wine that will show its best in 5 -10 years.

Howard Park – Cabernet Sauvignon – Abercrombie – 2008 (18+). Concentrated ripe fruit on the nose with blackcurrant and cedar. The palate is firm, dense, textured and powerful. The acids and tannins are firm, but this will improve with age. Give it ten years and you will be amply rewarded.

Kalgan River – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2008 (18). Obvious cooler fruit characters here, though still ripe and lifted. There is menthol, blackcurrant and spice. The palate is fantastic. The fruit flavours run across the spectrum and fan out and coat the tongue. Quite silky and seamless. Excellent length and texture to an early drinking style. At $18.50 per bottle from the winery, this is great value.

Palmer – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007 (17.9). Starts to sing as it opens up with fresh red and black fruit. Vanillin oak is notable, but this is fine and will integrate further. Blackcurrant, eucalypt, mint and spice all make an appearance on the palate. The tannins, (fruit and oak), are firm but will soften. Good value at $19 from the winery.

Mt Horricks – Cabernet – 2008 (17.7). More plumy fruit on the nose, with sultanas and with a touch of licorice and camphor. This really evolved with air to develop some lovely mint and blackcurrant. The palate is fresh, with juicy fruit, plum, prune, licorice and a touch of cedary oak. This is different in style to the wines from Margaret River, but it is very good drinking.

Brookland Valley – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2008 (17.7). Lovely fruit. Fresh and plump, with real attack and thrust on the palate to start and with soft, plump, plumy fruit on the finish. This is great drinking and very accessible. (I can’t wait to try the reserve).

Angove – Cabernet Sauvignon – Long Row – 2008 (17.3). Dense and closed. Hints at cool climate fruit. More fly spray on this and the structure is good. The fruit is a bit shy, but at under $10, why not put a few in the cupboard and see how they develop.

Howard Park – Cabernet – Scotsdale – 2008 (17.3). Classic cabernet nose with a touch of cassis, ribena, redcurrant and spice. The palate is supple, soft, round and generous with more ripe fruit. This is quite a fruit-forward style that is easy to drink right now, though the fine tannins and length ensure that it will improve with age.

Cullen – Cabernet Sauvignon – Red – 2008 (17). Closed but promising. Fine, tight and closed on the palate. Some redcurrant and vanillin oak to close. Try again in a year or two.

Mount Avoca – Merlot – 2008 (17). Forward, fresh and plumy fruit on the nose. The palate is full of soft, round and succulent red berries. Really good drinking in a less complicated style.

Wine By Brad – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – 2008. (16.9). Dense fruit and with a touch of fresh ocean characters. . Ribena and cedar on the palate with a touch of stewed fruit to close. This is in the more herbal spectrum, yet has sweet fruit to close.

Cullen – Merlot/Petit Verdot/Malbec – Mangan – 2008 (16.8). Quite dusty to start, with plenty of plumy fruit with cherry and spice. This is an interesting wine, but not typical. (This uses varieties from Bordeaux other than cabernet sauvignon and gets the plumy characters from the merlot).

20 Great Australian Cabernets

28th May 2009

This tasting was put together to highlight the quality of Australian cabernet based wines. The overall consistency of the wines was a feature. Whilst most of these wines retail for between $50 and $150 per bottle, in world terms, they represent outstanding value when compared to their peers from Bordeaux and California.

Vintage variation appears to translate into the wine styles, with the less years producing wines with more primary red fruit and lighter palates. These wines will make excellent drinking in the short to medium term. The best wines showed depth of flavour characterised by ripe blackberry/blackcurrant fruit combined with very sensible use of high quality oak

Houghton’s has been producing some outstanding wines over the last 5 years, and the wines here reinforce the quality of their wines. Importantly, besides the Gladstone and the Jack Mann, Houghton’s was also responsible for producing the Thomas Hardy, which was in 2004 (and some other recent vintages) 100% Margaret River. The current Wisdom range is outstanding in both absolute quality terms and for value.

Houghton’s – Gladstone – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2003

Still closed. Beautiful wine with a blend of both red and black fruit. A wine of great power that still retains great balance and fine structure. The palate is seamless and possesses outstanding length. A great wine (18.8)

Majella – The Malleea – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2005

A very serious wine. Intense fruit with cigar box, leather and a touch of herbs on the nose. The palate is powerful and intense. The fruit has soaked up the oak beautifully. A magical wine (18.6+)

Cape Mentelle – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2005

A star of the tasting. A profound wine showing dense ripe fruit. Cedary oak was apparent on the nose. On the palate, the fruit really opened up. Blackcurrant and red fruits that are both dense and ripe. very long, with very fine chalky tannins. Beautifully balanced, the finish is silky and oh so long. Very Fine. Tasted twice with consistent notes (18.6)

Thomas Hardy – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2004

Ripe fruit on the nose. quite a feminine style of wine. red fruits to the fore. Very refined palate with great length. Refined tannins and oak. Seamless (18.6)

Penfolds – Bin 707 – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2005

Solid dark fruits on the nose. Great fruit on the palate. This is a big wine with lots of cassis Very high quality oak, and very fine finish. Obviously different in style to the WA wines. Needs 15 years to show its best (18.5)

Pierro – Reserve – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2004

Another lovely wine showing red and black currant fruit in a lighter style. There is a touch of menthol, plum and cinnamon to close. quite seamless, this fine tightly knit wine will improve for several years. (18.4)

Houghton’s – Jack Mann – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2002

Closed and shy at present. lovely fruit and palate feel. acid still fresh. A very good wine from a lighter year. Cork (18.2)

Vasse Felix – Heytesbury – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2005

Very closed. A riper style with some cool fruit characters. Very well made, and builds in the mouth. May get better. (18)

Woodside Valley Estate – Baudin – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007

Minty fruition a leaner more elegant style. Comes to life on the palate with powerful ripe fruit. Long and silky with drying tannins. Lacks the ultimate fruit density of the best. (18)

Balnaves – The Tally – 2006

Two bottles tried with some variation. Has underlying cool fruit with some eucalypt and black currant fruit. A rich wine with plenty of grip, but tannins are fine. Oak evident at present. Should settle down. Pro Cork (17 – 18pts)

Evans and Tate – The Reserve– Cabernet Sauvignon – 2005

Very Closed at the moment. The wine is quite lean at present, but has some lovely red fruits. Builds with time and has a long finish. Will receive higher points in time (17.7/18.3)

Moss Wood – Cabernet Sauvignon -2006

A lighter style with primary red fruits. Tasted twice with inconsistent notes (18 and 17)

Cullen – Diana Madeline – 2007

Elegant, ripe and seductive. Red fruits to the for with a silky finish (17.5)

Grenache Master Class

Reviewed: 5 April 2013

Following on from the recent grenache discoveries I wrote up last week, I was very pleased to attend a grenache tasting held by a local wine group. Grenache is a variety that is commonly blended with other varieties (typically shiraz), so straight grenache based wines can be overlooked as a source of fine wines. Confusingly, where it is produced can affect what it is called. In France and Australia, it is referred to as grenache, whereas in Spain, it is typically referred to as garnacha.

This tasting looked at grenache based wines and grenache blends, looking at how different countries and regions handle the fruit, as well as how well the wines can age. After all, it is not only the climate that effects the finished wine, it is how it is treated in the winery. A few wines did not make it to these pages as there was considered to be an unacceptable degree of Brettanomycis evident. In small amounts, this can add complexity, but in large amounts, it can make the wine smell like a barnyard.

Reviewed

Baltasar – Garnacha – Gracians – Vinas Viejas – 2003 (17.5). Ripe, fragrant fruit that combines red fruit characters with cherry and a touch of tar. At 10 years of age, this is still quite dense and chewy. The palate has excellent length and mouth-feel. Great now, but may still improve.

Guigal – Cotes du Rhone – 1995 (17.5). Remarkable wine in that this is made in very large quantities, is relatively inexpensive and has aged superbly over its 18 year life. On the nose, there is still a degree of ripe fruit, but with a lovely savoury lift adding complexity. There is obvious age on the palate, with earthy characters, forest floor and supple, though savoury tannins. A complete drink now.

La Bruja Averia – Grenache – 2011 (17.5). Pretty, spicy grenache fruit with bright red berries. The palate has cherry, tar, spice and red fruits and a finish that is long, supple and savoury. Lovely balance, with souring acidity that cuts through to the finish leaving the palate refreshed. From Madrid!

The Willows – Grenache – 2010 (17). An interesting wine that shows mint and eucalyptus over herbal notes. With air, the floral fruit really comes through with soft, textured tannins driving the finish. There is good length of flavours on the close.

La Fiole – Cotes du Rhone – 2010 (17.3). I liked this wine. There was a surprising level of density to the fruit and even some fresh oak characters in a balanced package. The palate on this gets really floral and perfumed, while the fine tannins make their presence felt on a finish that is drying and textured. Really needs food to shine.

Clos Des Papes – Châteauneuf du Pape – 2004 (17.5). Sweet fruit on the nose with a lovely savoury lick that imparts gentle spice to the wine. The palate is textured, chewy and long, with a degree of fleshy fruit and a savoury edge. Excellent length and persistence.

Cirello – Grenache – 1850 – 2006 (18+). The adjectives flowed in my tasting notes for this wine. Dense, textured, long, chewy, savoury and earthy. Tremendous length and latent power to the fruit. Superb quality fruit has been matched to quality oak, the old bush vines providing real concentration and penetration, especially on the palate. Bravo. (From the Barossa).

Roger Sabon – Châteauneuf du Pape – Cuvee Prestige – 2000 (17.5). This has dense fruit, with attractive, savoury complexity. The palate is long and supple, yet there are chewy textural components on the finish. Robust fruit, but with a degree of finesse.

Clos Mogador – Grenache – 1997 (18). A beautiful wine that has delicious ripe fruit. Supple and juicy sweet fruit leads on to chewy, texturing tannins and quality oak. From Priorat.

Rayas – Châteauneuf du Pape – Pignan – 1998 (17.8). Really showing its age, the wine is silky, supple, long and quite seamless. Really needs food to complement the less obvious fruit characters.

Charles Melton – Grenache – 1997 (17.5). Much fresher than the Rayas, with dense, ripe fruit that has chocolate overtones. The palate is defined by floral fruit, that is supple and long. This is balanced by lovely pepper and cedar spice characters.