Innholdsfortegnelse for July - August 2018 i Winestate Magazine

MAY YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES. This is the old saying that can either be a blessing or a curse. We are certainly living in a very fragmented wine environment where it seems that wineries have to go further to make a dollar, both domestically and overseas. However, it is also the best time to be a consumer. The overall wine quality is better than it has ever been as is the range of varieties and prices. If you can't find something you like now you are not trying very hard. It is also a great time to put away a few dozen for cellaring (from Winestate reviews, of course) or buy some of the gems through the auction scene. Having just got back from the Vinitaly Exhibition we see…

HAS the time finally come for crémants to carve a slightly bigger cut of the sparkling wine cake? These wines are generally regarded as potentially good value. The quality of these bubblies has been improving over the last couple of decades, and further impetus in that direction has seen the recent creation of tighter regulations for top cuvées in three of the crémant appellations. What are crémants? The umbrella term is used to denote one group of regional French sparkling wines made outside of the Champagne region, and made in the traditional method, that is, the same way as Champagne. (There are also other traditional method French bubblies that are not part of the crémant category, but let’s not confuse matters…) There are eight French regions that make crémant: Alsace,…

FRENCH gastronome and wine and food writer Andre Simon celebrated his 87th birthday on February 28, 1964, with a superb lunch at Perth’s Palace Hotel. He then boarded the ship Canberra for the voyage home to England. The lunch, his last meal in Australia, was arranged by Western Australia’s Wine and Food Society and was another meal which impressed him. His time in Australia and New Zealand in 1963 and 1964 must have been exhausting. In the hot weather he was ferried around as many vineyards and wineries as possible, as well as restaurants and private homes - everyone wanted the great Frenchman to sample their wines or at least to meet him and chat. He had a daunting and exhausting timetable to keep, one which would have tested even…

YOU would expect that anyone bearing the nom de plume Flying Winemaker would be able to boast a range of adventures and new frontiers, but few could expect the vast and incredibly diverse range of wine experiences that Flying Winemaker Eddie McDougall has posted - and in a relatively short time. After finishing a degree in international business at Queensland’s Griffith University in 2003 he then did a winemaking degree at the University of Melbourne and built into this program lots of first-hand practical experience working at a cross-section of Australian wineries in three states, including Shadowfax, Giant Steps, Clyde Park and Wood Park wineries in Victoria; Deep Woods Estate in Western Australia and O’Leary Walker in South Australia. His next frontier was to have a firsthand experience in the…

THE land and farming runs in Fred Peacock’s blood. His forebears were among the earliest fruit processors and exporters in Hobart Town, reaching back to the mid 1800s. With his grandfather and father both involved in those businesses, it’s little surprise Peacock spent many a day through his childhood running about in orchards and hop fields, checking on sheep and exploring the jam factory. While his early professional days as a horticulturist may have seen him working closer to his family’s roots, it seems as if he was destined to end up in the wine game. During his three years managing Moorilla Vineyard, he purchased his own piece of the Tassie wine puzzle in 1990 - Bream Creek Vineyard, overlooking Marion Bay on Tasmania’s east coast. He hasn’t looked back…

86 TASTED 62 AWARDED This is a great boutique region often overshadowed by its bigger cousins in the Barossa and McLaren Vale. Connoisseurs know that it has no peer for riesling and can also excel with cabernet and shiraz at the mid-weight vivacious berry end. RIESLING 23 TASTED 18 AWARDED This is the region for riesling in Australia. “There are degrees of excellence here,” said one judge. “Here we see the clarity of orange peel, lemon and lime flavours that you don’t see anywhere else. Great to drink now or cellar for another experience!” Pioneer Road Clare Valley Riesling 2017 ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ A spicy floral nose with a zesty fresh lemon lift and an intense lemon palate with honeyed notes and crisp mineral line with a lovely long lingering acid finish.…

166 TASTED 100 AWARDED There are ups and downs in this region! Pun Intended. Don’t expect blockbuster flavours here. Wines tend to be mid-weight and what could be described as elegant (not thin). Costs are prohibitive in this environment but winemakers need to not overcrop to keep the wine price down. Better to tell the story of quality and maintain the price. Across the board some good examples, with chardonnay the champion. SPARKLING 10 TASTED 7 AWARDED Solid class of either commercial wines or broader flavoursome drinkers agreed the judges. “The best here showed elegance and restraint,” said one judge. Chateau Yaldara Vintage Adelaide Hills Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2015 ⋆⋆⋆⋆ Faint strawberry characters edged with nice yeast autolysis. Searing acidity on the flavoursome palate holds it all together. $50…

167 TASTED 91 AWARDED A mix of results this time with great consistency and quality from chardonnay, 2016 shiraz and cabernet sauvignon. The spicy alternative whites struggled as did the sauvignon blancs, but were saved by a nice flight of rieslings and a reasonable class of pinot gris/grigios. SPARKLING 2 TASTED 2 AWARDED A couple of good Aussie red and white sparklings here. Gartelmann Wines 2nd Bottling Hunter Valley Blanc de Blancs 2017 ⋆⋆⋆ Aromas of crisp apples and cracked wheat with more of the same on the delicious palate! $38 Glandore Estate Centurion McLaren Vale Sparkling Shiraz 2014 ⋆⋆⋆ Developed earthy/meaty aromas and tasting of sweet plums with nice spiciness cutting through. $60 RIESLING 7 TASTED 5 AWARDED A mixed group with the best showing varietal character and one…

ADELAIDE HILLS Collalto Wines - Fred Drake & SonsPhone: 0429 611 290Email: office@collalto.com.auWeb: www.collalto.com.au Hahndorf Hill WineryPhone: 08 8388 7512Email: cellardoor@hahndorfhillwinery.com.auWeb: www.hahndorfhillwinery.com.au VinteloperPhone: 0415 297 787Email: david@vinteloper.com.auWeb: www.vinteloper.com.au BEST BUYS Clare Wine Co.Phone: 08 8562 4488Email: renee@kaesler.com.auWeb: www.clarewineco.com.au Lindsay Wine EstatePhone: +61 8 8563 3858Email: sharyn@lindsaywineestate.com.auWeb: www.lindsaywineestate.com.au Macaw Creek WinesPhone: 0418 890 203Email: rod@macawcreekwines.com.auWeb: www.macawcreekwines.com.au Organic Hill WinesPhone: 0418 288 457Email: tanya@organichill.com.auWeb: www.organichill.com.au Taylors Wines Pty LtdPhone: 08 8849 1115Email: info@taylorswines.com.auWeb: www.taylorswines.com.au The Collective Wine CompanyPhone: +61 2 9955 2008Email: t.chang@micaaustralia.com.auWeb: www.thecollectivewinecompany.com.au CABERNET AND BORDEAUX BLENDS Blue Pyrenees EstatePhone: 03 5465 1111Email: jennifer.ganske@bluepyrenees.com.auWeb: www.bluepyrenees.com.au Bowen EstatePhone: 08 8737 2229Email: bowen@bowenestate.com.auWeb: www.bowenestate.com.au Brash VineyardPhone: 0427 042 767Email: anne_chris@brashvineyard.com.auWeb: www.brashvineyard.com.au d’Arenberg Pty LtdPhone: 08 8329 4888Email: clare@darenberg.com.auWeb: www.darenberg.com.au Eden Hall WinesPhone: 0400 991 968Email: graeme@edenhall.com.auWeb: www.edenhall.com.au Gralyn EstatePhone: 08 9755 6245Email: info@gralyn.com.auWeb:…

CHINA RISES THE rise of China as the pre-eminent market for Australian wine continues. Latest Australian wine exports data reveal that China has now overtaken the US to become Australia’s largest export market by volume, increasing by 51 per cent for the year ending March to crack the billion-dollar mark - $1.04 billion, to be precise – a first for exports to a single country. The latest data, released by Wine Australia in April, paints a healthy picture for most markets, but the big story continues to be China. Australia is in an enviable position in China thanks in large part to the Australia-China Free Trade Agreement. Tariffs were reduced by half in January, and will be removed completely in January, 2019. It will provide Australia with a competitive advantage…

ALBARINO has had an interesting story coming to Australia. It was nearly ten years ago now that the news broke that what we thought was albarino vines planted in Australia was in fact savagnin (AKA traminer). You have to go back to 1989 to the source of the error where initial imports of vine material purchased from the Spanish National Collection and sent to the CSIRO were incorrectly labelled. It was only discovered when French ampelographer Jean Michel Boursiquot from the University of Montpellier, questioned the authenticity of vines he found planted in the Barossa Valley. It was a huge mistake, given that savagnin, a grape found in the Jura regions of France, was, and still is regarded as a less attractive grape and harder to sell. However savagnin does…

FEW Australian wine drinkers are aware of France’s Mediterranean wine growing region of Languedoc-Roussillon. The region is the French equivalent to Australia’s Riverland, only much larger. It is the “engine room” as it produces a veritable mountain of wine (more than one-third of France’s wine) and is known as the source of cheap and cheerful French wine. This rustic southern rural viticultural area stretches from the Spanish border to the Rhone Valley. It is by far the largest single wine growing region in the world at just under 300,000ha covering nearly 3000squ/km. It has nearly twice the total vines of Australia’s 170,000ha. On average it produces around the same amount of wine as the US and roughly three times as much wine as what the famed Bordeaux does. As was…

Few cities can boast of having two exceptional vineyards within their suburban boundaries, but Adelaide has two of them – Penfolds Magill Estate vineyard, the home of the famous Grange shiraz, and the Patritti vineyard just south of the city, just one hectare of 110-year-old grenache and shiraz grapes making it the oldest commercial urban vineyard in the world. It’s a story of survival just as remarkable as that of Giovanni Patritti, who was among the first Italian immigrants to in arrive in South Australia. In 1925, the 25 year old Giovanni boarded a ship at the port of Genoa and left his Northern Italian Piedmontese village of Carru with ideals of a new beginning and skills in winemaking. He believed he was on his way to America to meet…

MW WINES (MARCH & APRIL 2018 AUCTION REPORT, BY ANTHONY CAPUTI) MW Wines continued to see strong results in the secondary market for the first few months of 2018, receiving much positive feedback from vendors delighted at their results as final hammer prices continued to exceed estimates. It should also be noted that clearance rates are on the increase, approximately 70 per cent; a sure sign buyer’s insatiable appetite for aged fine wines continues. While the catalogues were slightly smaller for March and April than previously, a healthy $685,000 in sales was spread over the two auctions. More than $380,000 worth of wine changed hands in March, at the clearance rate of 70 per cent. This was considerably higher than the mid 60s per cent clearance rates from January and…

SPONSORED BY 291 TASTED 182 AWARDED Always an interesting judging where we look at cabernet sauvignon and the brothers and sisters of merlot, malbec, petit verdot and cabernet franc. Not as many of the latter varieties this year as the focus seemed to be on the main game, with cabernet. Merlot as a straight varietal proved again to be a disappointment with only a couple rising to the top. There were some good examples of the others. For cabernet it seemed we needed to go $15 plus to get some consistency, with smaller results in the next few flights. We needed to get to $35 plus to get real consistency and the start of some cracker wines. Thereafter it gets really interesting and well worth analysis, right up to the…

85 TASTED 42 AWARDED We are starting to see a revolution from the heartland of Australian wine, with an amazing array of new alternative and emerging varieties well suited to the warmer climate. Here we see whites like petit manseng and reds like tempranillo, sangiovese and montepulciano enjoying the sunshine. A lot to look forward to in the future! SPARKLING 6 TASTED 4 AWARDED Good quaffers offering good value. “Prosecco is a style more winemakers in this region should consider,” suggested one judge. Zilzie Wines Estate Murray Darling Prosecco NV ⋆⋆⋆ Simple refreshing aperitif style with lifted appley aromas and balanced sweetness and acid. $14 Azahara Murray Darling Sparkling Moscato NV ⋆⋆⋆ Perfumed muscat bouquet with aged notes developing, sweet fruit flavours, some phenolic grip. $15 Tatalia Wines Perricoota Sparkling…

37 TASTED 31 AWARDED Winestate’s annual Canterbury and Nelson tasting is one of the most diverse, a testament to the range of grape varieties and wine styles being produced in these two distinct regions. Nelson is sheltered from much of the prevailing weather by the hills that lie to the west, creating one of NZ’s sunniest wine spots. Like most South Island regions, a strong diurnal influence results in wines with a good acid spine and flavours that are both focussed and precise. The region divides roughly into two; the flatter Waimea Plains, home to a number of larger wineries making vivid aromatic wines and the Moutere Hills where smaller producers take advantage of the warm sheltered slopes to produce wines of depth and intensity. Canterbury’s vineyards are centred around…

94 TASTED 66 AWARDED A very good all-round tasting showing that winemakers are getting to grips with the idea that just having an organic wine is a good thing, making a good organic wine is even better! We can see more confidence in winemakers pushing the envelope a little more with techniques, but still within the organic culture. SPARKLING 1 TASTED 1 AWARDED There was only one, easy drinking, balanced, fruity style of sparkling submitted for this category. Grancari Estate McLaren Vale Sparkling Grenache 2016 ⋆⋆⋆ Sweet chocolaty plum aromas. Soft and sweet in the mouth with well-structured tannins and lively acidity. $15 OTHER WHITE VARIETALS & BLENDS 15 TASTED 10 AWARDED Some nice alternative varieties here. As one judge noted, “Good organic wines can be just as good as…

A wide selection of wines Wines are invited from any producer, provided that they meet the criteria of the class being judged. The class may be a regional, style or new release tasting and generally the wines must be available for consumers to purchase, although we have museum and rare wine tastings as well. Awarding scores Winestate carries out the judging using Australian capital city wine show procedures; the wines are not known to the judges. The three judges taste the wines blind and assign a score without reference to each other. Once this is done, only then do they compare scores, and if there is dissension they re-taste the wines and come to an agreement. Scores are compiled using the 20-point international system: gold is 18.5 and above; silver…

HARVEST IN REVIEW AFTER 2017 delivered a fairly challenging harvest to New Zealand wine regions, viticulturists and winemakers could be forgiven for hoping for a more uneventful run into the 2018 season. Whilst they did not quite receive that in the end, most New Zealand wineries have managed to come out the other side of harvest smiling. The season got off to a slow start but soon accelerated with record warm temperatures throughout the country in December and January. Unusually for New Zealand, the mercury did not drop much at night, leaving growers worried about retaining acid and managing alcohol levels – and wineries scrambling to prepare for incoming grapes several weeks ahead of schedule. However, a shift to cooler, often wetter weather in February slowed things down somewhat, though…

BOLOGNA, the oldest university town in Europe, boasts several nicknames - la dotta (the learned), la rossa (the red) for its politics and la grassa (the fat) for its pre-eminence as one of the major culinary centres of Italy. Many of the foods and dishes that define Italian cuisine - parma ham, balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, tortellini, mortadella and tagliatelle al ragu hail from the surrounding region of Emilia-Romagna, which is home to Italy's highest number of IGP and DOP-designated foods and wines - 44 in all. But last November, tradition took a backseat when Eataly World - the largest agri-food park on the planet - opened its doors 30 minutes drive from Italy's "City of Food". Developed at the cost of $193 million, the ambitious project is a collaboration…

Surprisingly, given its reputation for sublime shiraz, my very first Heathcote red was an early 1970’s cabernet from Paul Osika’s Graytown cellar door. Subsequently an occasional Zuber Estate, a Tudhope Heathcote Winery or two, a flight from Wild Duck Creek, a modicum of Mt Ida (sadly one of its original co-owners, artist Leonard French died recently) and many a Jasper Hill hastened my conversion to and love of Heathcote shiraz. Even hardened whisky drinkers like Jeff Kennett succumb to a glass or three of Whistling Eagle now and then! When I visited Heathcote in the early 1980s I was amazed by the ability of its young, immature vines to produce such complex, deep, harmonious flavours. Little wonder the likes of She Oak Hill’s 45 year old vines are making consistently…

SHIFTING GATE POPULAR Clare cellar door and providore Shut the Gate has shifted operations from Watervale to across the road from the Clare Visitors Centre, the site previously occupied by Greg Cooley Wines. The new location for former Sydneysiders Richard Woods and Rasa Fabian has been renovated to offer separate areas for wine tasting either in a tutored tasting environment - which can accommodate up to 20 people - or more informal areas where small groups can taste in a relaxed atmosphere. The providore offers a range of gourmet picnic items so visitors can put together a feast to enjoy at the cellar door or to take away. The tasting area features a cosy lounge area around a wood fire; a conservatory; garden seating and lawns. Shut the Gate is…

45 TASTED 33 AWARDED A nice, albeit diminutive tasting of some of the jewels that can come out of the cool climate region of Southern Victoria. Great chardonnay, great pinot, great cabernet. What more can you want? OTHER WHITE VARIETALS & BLENDS 3 TASTED 2 AWARDED Two good examples here ranging from the classic to the more modern. Boat O’ Craigo Black Spur Yarra Valley Gewurztraminer 2017 ⋆⋆⋆⋆ Dry, vibrant and very varietal with classic rose petal and lychee aromas and oily mouthfeel with lovely spicy fruit flavours. $22 Oakdene Ly Ly Single Vineyard Geelong Pinot Gris 2017 ⋆⋆⋆1/2 Fruity bouquet with subtle spiciness. Crisp acid palate with flavours reminiscent of bruised apples. Warming finish. $28 CHARDONNAY 13 TASTED 9 AWARDED A strong class with a diverse range of styles.…

79 TASTED 58 AWARDED Sweet wines are always interesting, not least for their diversity of varietals involved but also the levels of sugar therein. One person’s sweetness is another person’s dry. Fortifieds also confuse, but fortunately most deliver in quality terms, with world class examples abounding at the complex aged examples. LATE HARVEST 5 TASTED 4 AWARDED A small confusing class from slightly sweet to very sweet botrytis wines. The best wines really stood out. Schild Estate Wines Lorraine Schild Reserve Barossa Valley Late Harvest Semillon 2012 ⋆⋆⋆⋆½ Rich, thick and sweet with dense golden hues. It has Turkish Delight aromas and delicious fruit salad-like flavours with a dash of lemon curd. Looking good for a 6-year-old. $20 K1 By Geoff Hardy Adelaide Hills Autumn Harvest Riesling 2017 ⋆⋆⋆⋆ Lovely…

Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs dominated the five star ratings this edition, with a strong show of Chardonnays again in the four star awarded wines. Prices shown are approximate New Zealand retail. Wines available in export markets are shown as (A) Australia, (UK) and (US). Martinborough Vineyard Chardonnay 2016 ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ This is delightful. Ripe white nectarine and fresh apricot on the nose, joined by a touch of red grapefruit, flavours that run right across the palate. There is some cinnamon and sweet spice from barrel ageing, a little drizzle of melting butter and a lick of fresh cream. Real concentration mid palate, this is a structured, serious poised chardonnay that has layers of flavour and length. Perfect now though would develop well in bottle. $42.95 Vavasour Anna's Chardonnay 2016 ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ Attractive…

Clare Wine Co. Watervale Riesling 2017 Very light fresh tropical nose and an elegant, dry palate with a touch of astringency. $18 Clare Wine Co.Phone: 08 8562 4488Email: renee@kaesler.com.auWeb: www.clarewineco.com.au Organic Hill Wines Pinot Grigio 2017 A warm inviting wine with floral perfumed bouquet and some residual sweetness to the palate. $18 Organic Hill WinesPhone: 0418 288 457Email: tanya@organichill.com.auWeb: www.organichill.com.au The Collective Wine Company The Impressionist Eden Valley Merlot 2017 Fragrant, slightly stalky, plum aromas and generous up-front flavours on the simple palate. $15 The Collective Wine CompanyPhone: +61 2 9955 2008Email: t.chang@micaaustralia.com.auWeb: www.thecollectivewinecompany.com.au The Collective Wine Company The Impressionist Eden Valley Shiraz 2016 Nose has a lovely lift of ripe dark berries and the well structured, medium bodied palate is just full of flavour. $15 The Collective Wine Company…

THE INTERNET has changed so much about how we buy and learn about wine. There are so many wine apps available that curated lists of the best have become a mainstay of wine writers and bloggers and Dan Murphy’s recommends the pick of the bunch for winelovers. But when something is really useful, it shows remarkable tenacity even when confronted by the onslaught of new technologies. The first shopping catalogue was published in Venice in 1498 and offered buyers a new-fangled invention - books. Seed and plant sellers got into the act over the following three centuries, but the first major boom in mail order catalogues arrived with the push West in the US. The fledgling wave of modern consumerism following World War I, as workers had more leisure time…