Monthly Archives: May 2013

Piquepoul and the oyster man

29 May 2013People, Vineyard, WineChris Shanahan

Steve Feletti, Clyde River, Batemans Bay NSW

This story of oysters and wine links France’s Languedoc coast to Bateman’s Bay, half a world away, and to Cowra, on the warm floor of the west-flowing Lachlan River.

The man joining the dots is Steve Feletti, owner of Moonlight Flat Oysters, Bateman’s Bay. His website borrows the language of wine – “Just like premium wines and cheeses oysters reflect their context of finish and provenance with a unique flavour profile”, it says. On the website, Feletti recommends wines that “balance the saline strength of our structured rock oyster brands” and “smoky finish end palate of the angasi”.

Feletti’s eclectic list includes a chardonnay from Orange, NSW, and a chardonnay, a gewürztraminer and a cortese (an Italian variety) from Victoria’s Yarra Valley, Mansfield and Mount Tallarook, respectively. The limited list suggests Feletti finds few wines that really do the trick with oysters.

But during a 2008 French tour, Feletti tasted picpoul de pinet with oysters farmed nearby on the Languedoc coast. “No single wine rang my bells up until this experience”, he says.

For the locals, however, the bells rang centuries ago, says Feletti. And today wine producers within the picpoul de pinet appellation promote their inexpensive, acidic young white under the slogan son terroir, c’est la mer (it’s territory is the sea) – with images of wine, oysters and the sea.

The picpoul de pinet appellation stretches from Pezenas, in the hinterland, southeast to Sete on the Mediterranean. The region’s white grape variety, officially piquepoul blanc, produces acidic, lemony, dry whites – its high acidity the key to a successful pairing with oysters.

But piquepoul blanc remains a small-scale specialty, with French plantings totalling just 1,455 hectares in 2009.

Two years after discovering piquepoul, Feletti asked French grape grower, Guy Bascou, for vine cuttings to take back to Australia. Bascou obliged, and after three years in quarantine, the cuttings arrived in Cowra, where Feletti owns a farm.

Shortly after, the local state member, minister for primary industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, planted what Feletti believes to be Australia’s first piquepoul vine.

Feletti intends to follow this symbolic planting with a commercial venture in August, establishing 1,000 vines on the O’Dea family’s nearby Windowrie vineyard. He expects Jason O’Dea to oversee the first vintage as early as 2015. We should then taste the first Australian piquepoul some months later, under the Borrowed Cuttings label.

Feletti hopes in future to establish vines on the south coast and, over time, establish piquepoul as “part of the oyster experience”, much as French vignerons and oyster farmers have done for centuries. He agrees with one US description of the variety as “the default wine for oysters” as it forms a “backdrop, allowing the oyster to shine”, he says.

Feletti’s idea of oysters, though, may not be the same as those of us who belt down the coast for the weekend, picking up a hessian bag full from Batemans Bay, Tuross, Narooma or wherever.

He raises flat (angasi) and cupped (Sydney rock) oysters year round in the Clyde River, near Batemans Bay. He sells most, under his patented brands, including Claire de Lune, to restaurants– where they sell at around $7 each. Feletti says he finishes each brand differently in response to different markets.

They’re not in any Canberra restaurants. But where you do find them – for example at Sydney’s Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay – they’ll be shucked on demand by trained staff. And in the years ahead they’ll no doubt be served with Feletti’s piquepoul.

Feletti says he sells to 20–40 restaurants in long-term partnerships. He expects restaurants “to do something for my brand” and, in return, he provides staff training, as well as a year-round supply of succulent oysters. He also writes a regular newsletter and conducts master classes for consumers – all in the cause of better appreciation of live, shucked-on-demand oysters.

This is a far cry from popular consumption; or indeed of heroic efforts like those of Henry IV, who reputedly swallowed three hundred before dinner; or of a customer of Brillat-Savarin’s 32 dozen pre-dinner snack.

In my own experience, the strong seaside flavours of oysters overwhelm many wines. But I’ve found several up to the task over the years, each in it own way. At a little café in the dunes of Cap Ferret (near Bordeaux), a tart, fairly neutral young Muscadet de Sevre et Maine, from the Loire Valley, refreshed the mouth but allowed the briny, oyster flavours to sing.

Years later in Bordeaux, a local, partially oak-fermented semillon sauvignon blanc blend sat happily with plump, juicy, ice-cold oysters.

On many occasions, young Chablis (cold climate French chardonnay) proved itself perhaps the most reliable of all oyster wines. Its high acidity, desert dryness and subtle flavour easily balanced the saline, iodine-like twang of the oyster. To date, this is my favourite oyster match up. Costco, Dan Murphy’s and First choice all offer inexpensive imports from the region.

And one Australian riesling remains in the memory – a success of wine, oyster, location and occasion. On a cold, rainy dusk at the Steingarten vineyard, Eden Valley, huddled under umbrellas, we slurped down fresh-shucked Coffin Bay oysters with wine from from the vineyard we stood in. Steingarten Riesling 2007’s brisk lime-like flavour simply replaced the traditional squeeze of lime.

Amanda Yallop, chief sommelier at Sydney’s outstanding Quay restaurant, leans more towards high acid, savoury-to-neutral whites. She says in the days when Quay offered oysters, she recommended aromatic young whites, including riesling, and also Champagne, which she sees as a classic match for its tangy, zesty finish.

Proprietor of Canberra’s Mezzalira and Italian and Sons restaurants, Pasquale Trimboli, says his customers moved away from dry white to prosecco – a fresh but neutral sparkler that offers a refreshing backdrop to the briny oyster flavour. Trimboli says it’s been 10 years since he offered pre-shucked oysters and currently offers Sydney rock oysters from Pambula. He rates Steve Feletti’s oysters, “the best I’ve ever tasted in Australia”. He hopes to offer them in future and has been in discussions with Feletti for some time. He says Feletti “is very fussy about storage and service”.

But matching wine with oysters isn’t a science and oysters, like personal taste, vary widely. Piquepoul can only add to the choice. Tim Stock’s Vinous Imports offers picpoul de Pinet from Chateau Petite Roubie, though he’s sold out at present. And Randall Pollard’s Heart and Soil Imports, Melbourne, currently offers Domaine de la Majone 2011 for $2 (phone 0408 432 456.

Steve Feletti offers Moonlight Flat oysters live by courier to Canberra customers. Email info@moonlightflatoysters.com.au for details.

Wine review — Vasse Felix, Courabyra, Chapel Hill, Half Moon and Grant Burge

29 May 2013Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Vasse Felix Heytesbury 2010 $86–$90
Margaret River, Western Australia
Dr Tom Cullity established Vasse Felix at Margaret River in 1967. He selected the region largely on Dr John Gladstones’ 1965 paper likening the Margaret River climate to Bordeaux’s. The Homes a Court family purchased the property in 1987. And today winemaker Virginia Willcock seems well on the way to perfecting the Bordeaux blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and malbec –the latter sourced from Cullity’s 1967 plantings. This is a beautiful, elegant cabernet blend that grows in interest with every glass and should cellar well for decades.

Courabyra 805 Pinot Noir
Chardonnay Pinot Meunier 2001 $55
Gairn family Vineyard, Tumbarumba, NSW
Courabyra is a collaboration between Stephen Morrison and his sister and brother inlaw, Cathy and Brian Gairn. The Gairns planted their vineyard in 1993. And Morrison owns Revee Estate, a vineyard planted by Ian Cowell in 1981 and originally named Tumbarumba Champagne Estates. A significant player in Australia’s quest for cool-grown fruit suited to sparkling wine production, the vineyard provided fruit to Seppelt (later part of Southcorp, which owned the vineyard for a time) and Hardys. This gold-medal winner, presumably originally made by Hardys for Kamberra, delivers delicate, fresh fruit flavours, brisk acidity and the patina of textures and flavours derived from a decade’s maturation on yeast lees.

Chapel Hill Parsons Nose Shiraz 2011 $15.20–$19
McLaren Vale, South Australia
This is a great triumph from the cold 2011 vintage – no doubt the result of collaboration between viticulturist Rachel Steer and Chapel Hill’s two winemakers, Michael Fragos and Bryn Richards. The bright and savoury fruit gives delicious sweetness to the generous mid palate – made even more attractive, even irresistible, by the round, soft, juicy tannins meshed in with the fruit.

Half Moon Chardonnay 2012 $19.50
Braidwood, NSW
Tiny Half Moon vineyard (1.6 hectares) currently offers the 2010 and 2012 vintage chardonnays, though they kindly sent the unreleased 2011 to compare with the other two. The wines share an elegance and finesse, though three distinct growing seasons left their marks. The 2010, still very young and fresh, shows a delicate, butterscotch-like character (probably derived from malolactic fermentation); the pale, high-acid, austere 2011 needs years more to evolve and probably will; and the 2012 appears the most complete. Its pale colour and taut structure suggest years of cellaring ahead. But the intense grapefruit-like varietal flavour and barrel-derived flavours and textures give it great drinking appeal now.

Half Moon Riesling 2011 $19.50
Braidwood, NSW
Rhine Valley move over. In the cold 2011 season, Braidwood’s Half Moon vineyard produced riesling of gum-searing acidity. That’s not a bad thing, though, as the acidity accentuates the limey, grapefruit-like varietal flavour. And winemaker Alex McKay balanced the acidity with residual grape sugar – much as Rhine and Mosel River makers do in their traditional styles. The result is an intense, taut, racy, light-bodied wine, featuring a delicious tension between the acidity and delicate sweetness.

Grant Burge Holy Trinity Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2010 $28.50–$42
Barossa Valley, South Australia
Grant Burge made the first Holy Trinity blend in 1995. But, following a trip to France’s Rhone Valley with winemaker Craig Stansborough, he refined the style dramatically over the following vintages. In particular a move to extended post-fermentation maceration created silky, soft tannins; and a shift away from American to older French oak meant an altogether more subtle wine. The beautiful 2010 vintage matches anything else to date under the label, and provides smooth, satisfying, supple, spicy, vibrant drinking. It’s an excellent example of this distinctive Barossa style.

Beer review — Monteith’s

29 May 2013Beer reviewChris Shanahan

Monteith’s Autumn Amber Ale 330ml $2.75
Monteith’s offers the warmth and subtle, coffee-like flavours of roast barley malt, with the special fruity lift of ale and attractive hops. Green bullet hops provide the bitterness that offsets the malt sweetness. And Motueka hops, added late in the brewing process, give the aromatic lift.

Chuck revives Hahn Premium

29 May 2013Beer, Beer reviewChris Shanahan

In 1988 Chuck Hahn carted from Sydney a keg from his first batch of Hahn Premium Lager for tasting at Farmer Brothers Belconnen. People loved the brew and it went on to become a favourite in Australia’s rapidly expanding premium beer market.

Tooheys, now part of Lion, bought the brand and expanded production. Over time the beer became just another so-called premium, lacking the bitterness or character of the original.

Then a week or two back Chuck Hahn phoned saying he’d been disappointed with the beer, especially in its use of old hops. He intervened late last year, bringing the recipe back to 100 per cent malt (it’d slipped to 80 per cent) and reintroducing fresh German Hersbrucker hops. The hops, especially the late addition, give the beer its vibrant, spicy aroma, says Hahn.

I hosted Hahn for that first tasting in Canberra and welcome its return to form.

Hahn Premium Australian Pilsener 330ml 6-pack $16
You’ll notice Hahn Premium recently changed from “Lager” to “Australian Pilsener”, reflecting a significant tweak to the quality. It’s in the European pilsner style, pale golden in colour with attractive spicy hops aroma and a gentle, fresh, lightly malty palate seasoned with spicy hops flavour – though not particularly bitter.

Wine review — Rolling, Hewitson and Mud House

26 May 2013Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Hewitson Baby Bush Barossa Valley Grenache 2011
Even in the cold, wet 2011 vintage Dean Hewitson produced a delicious mourvedre, a very late-ripening variety. The wine seems a tad lighter in colour than usual, though being mourvedre, that’s still pretty dark. It’s also a little lighter bodied and shows more pronounced peppery and spicy notes. But the medium body and spicy flavour suits the fine, grippy tannins, which add a savoury dimension. Hewitson makes the wine from bush vines he established from cuttings off old southern-Barossa vines planted in 1853.

Rolling Central Ranges Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2012 $18.95
The vineyards at Cumulus Estate wines roll in and out of the official Orange winemaking district. Vines situated below Orange’s defined altitude claim the “Central Ranges” appellation and are released under the Rolling label. The latest release is the first appearance of the late-ripening varieties grenache and mourvedre, though the two were planted in 1999. The unoaked wine comprises 48 per cent grenache, 40 per cent shiraz and the rest mourvedre. Medium bodied, spicy and peppery with vibrant fruit and fine soft tannins, the wine offers quite a departure from the bigger styles from Australia’s warmer areas.

Mud House Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2012 $18–$22
The massive flood of Marlborough sauvignon blanc now washing around the world began as a trickle in the early eighties. Montana, now Brancott Estate, planted its first vines there in 1973 and by 1981 had attracted some attention in Australia. But chardonnay dominated the dry-wine market in Australia until the late nineties and was finally swamped by sauvignon blanc early in the new century. Marlborough’s cool but sunny climate and broad acre plantings make the mass production of the style seemingly effortless – wines like Mud House that flaunt the variety’s pungent, grassy, capsicum-like flavours and fleshy mid palate.

Penfolds Grange 2008 leads a distinguished line up

22 May 2013People, Wine, Wine reviewChris Shanahan

A few strokes on Lisa Perotti-Brown’s laptop – 100 points – gave the world its headline – “The perfect Grange”. And like catatonic chooks, eyes glued to a single point, the world’s editors obsessed on one wine of the seven Penfolds released on 2 May.

What a lot of fun they missed. But Grange makes the news every year one way or another. It’s always controversial and always delivers in the robust, long-lived style Max Schubert developed in the early 1950s.

Successive winemakers over the decades refined Grange, so that today its fruit is probably a bit brighter and the oak more refined. But it remains inky blank, powerful and layered with winemaking inputs that add more aroma, flavour and textural dimensions than fruit alone could give.

And it’s always released in good company nowadays – alongside remarkable wines, some inspired by Schubert, some created long after his death in 1994, but all made by winemakers who knew him and his wine styles well. Schubert retired in 1973, but he maintained an office at Magill winery for the rest of his life and enjoyed regular contact with his successors – Don Ditter, John Duval and Peter Gago.

The new red releases include St Henri, an elegant, supple counterpoise to Grange, but equally long lived and created by John Davoren, not Schubert. Bin 707, or Grange Cabernet as some call it, is essentially Grange made from cabernet sauvignon instead of shiraz. It’s Grange’s match in power and individual character and as good a wine at half the price. Schubert made the first vintage in 1964.

Layout 1 — Max Schubert saved Magill Estate from urban subdivision. Extract from Schubert's hand-written business case presented to the board of Adelaide Steamship Company, owner of Penfolds. Document courtesy of Barrie Woodward.

In 1983, Don Ditter made the first vintage of Magill Estate Shiraz, the single-vineyard wine that saved Penfolds’ Adelaide vineyard from urban subdivision. In late 1982, Max Schubert hand wrote a business plan, including details of the wine, for a board meeting of the Adelaide Steamship Company, then owners of Penfolds. Penfolds Managing Director Ian Mackley (ISM in the document above), and General Manager Jim Williams (JLW), convinced the board to retain the vineyard on the basis of Schubert’s proposal.

RWT Barossa Shiraz arrived in 1997, following John Duval’s quest (the ‘red wine trial’, hence RWT) for an elegant, aromatic Barossa Valley Shiraz, matured in French oak. The wine contrasts starkly with the power and American oak character of Grange shiraz.

And the newest arrival, Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is to Bin 707 what RWT is to Grange. Its creator, current winemaker Peter Gago, says Bin 169 and RWT take the pressure off Bin 707 and RWT. Gago believes the two new styles deflected criticism from some quarters that Grange and Bin 707 needed “modernising” – lightening up and moving from American oak to less aggressively flavoured French oak.

The lone chardonnay in the line up began as the “white Grange” project in the early nineties, under John Duval. Duval’s team sought a white equivalent of Grange. With no restrictions on grape variety or region, the winemakers initially sourced semillon, riesling and chardonnay from a diversity of regions. The search quickly narrowed to chardonnay, initially from mainland regions, including Tumbarumba, the Adelaide Hills and McLaren.

The first vintage released under the new flagship chardonnay label, Yattarna 1995, combined fruit from the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale. However, the continuing search for suitable fruit soon took Penfolds to Tasmania – just as Hardys had done for its flagship, Eileen Hardy. The just-released 2010 vintages combines fruit from Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills.

Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 2009 $95
Modern St Henri reveals something of Australia’s massive vineyard expansion of the nineties. Fruit from Robe and Wrattonbully on the Limestone Coast and the Adelaide Hills now joins material from the warmer, traditional Clare Valley, Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. But the style remains unchanged. St Henri 2009 is a little lighter coloured than Grange or RWT, a tad less crimson than RWT and a tad more crimson than Grange – precisely reflecting their ages. St Henri fruit is chosen for its elegance and, as well, it’s aged in old 1,460-litre vats – meaning maturation without picking up woody flavour. St Henri seems gentle and soft compared to RWT and Grange. And its supple, sweet, plummy fruit comes layered earthy and savoury notes and fine, silky tannin. This is a big, warm St Henri but still elegant and built for long cellaring under good conditions.

Penfolds RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz 2010 $175
In 2005 I judged the Barossa Valley wine show with Huon Hooke and Lester Jesberg. Over dinner one night, we concluded Penfolds RWT 1998 was perhaps the best Barossa shiraz any of us had tasted. It now has a rival in the 2010. Tasting it alongside Grange accentuates RWT’s heady, floral aroma and opulent, chewy, juicy palate. It’s a dense and concentrated wine, saturated with aromatic shiraz character that’s beautifully complemented by sweet and spicy French oak. While it’s harmonious and easy enough to drink now, the sheer concentration and youth of the fruit flavour suggest a beautiful flavour evolution ahead.

Penfolds Grange 2008 $785
Max Schubert’s encounter with magnificent 50 year-old Bordeaux reds in 1950 inspired Grange. And tasting the inky deep, tannic wines of the new vintage, he realised Grange would have to be similarly powerful to last the half century he had in mind. He realised great wine requires more than just good fruit. And so, the 2008 Grange, like those before it combines the inky deep colour, flavour and tannins of fully ripened shiraz. And the fruit’s layered with the flavour and tannin of American oak and a distinctive hint of volatile acidity, deliberately encouraged during winemaking to give extra lift to such a huge, powerful wine. A description of the parts, though, can’t adequately convey the sense of a remarkable and unique wine. From tasting every vintage back to 1951, some of them many times, I conclude that age is perhaps the best fining agent of all. Over time Grange becomes finer – in the words of Max Schubert, “it has a similar elegance [to those ancient Bordeaux reds tasted in 1950], even after starting from a big, rough Australian red”. 2008 is a particularly powerful expression of the style, destined to evolve for decades.

Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2010 $130
With Yattarna, Penfolds aim for finesse, harmony and longevity – a style inspired by the elegant chardonnays of Puligny-Montrachet, Burgundy. Suitable fruit comes from the coolest growing regions – in 2010 from Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills. Fermentation and maturation in French oak barrels, 57 per cent of them new, produced a fine, complex wine, its rich but delicate fruit meshed through with barrel-derived character. It seems very young and fresh at three years and should evolve well for another five or six years.

Wine review — Andrew Thomas, Tyrrell’s, Hewitson, Half Moon, Scarborough and Vasse Felix

22 May 2013Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Andrew Thomas Kiss Shiraz 2011 $60
Pokolbin Estate vineyard, Hunter Valley, NSW
Andrew Thomas released four Hunter shirazes this month, each outstanding in its own way. But none matches the dimension of Kiss, Thomas’s flagship from a vineyard planted in 1969. The wine presents another unique, and idiosyncratic, face of Australian shiraz, far removed, say, from the sheer power of Grange or savoury twang of Mount Langi Ghiran “The Langi”. Kiss is medium bodied, and its intense, underlying bright fruit flavour is cut through with earthy, savoury notes and fine, soft tannins. The wine grew more interesting and better to drink over four days on the tasting bench – a pretty good guide to future complexity and longevity.

Tyrrell’s Vat 47 Chardonnay 2009 $69
HVD, NVC and Short Flat vineyards, Hunter Valley, NSW
While the quest for fine chardonnay drew Australian winemakers ever further south, ultimately to Tasmania, Tyrrell’s stuck to the Hunter. Forty years after first producing the variety, the family makes a range of beautiful Hunter chardonnays, including the $13 Old Winery, $20 Moon Mountain, a couple of individual vineyard wines (Belford $35 and HVD $45) and the flagship, Vat 47. The 2009 is probably about as good as Hunter chardonnay can get – a rich, fine, slow-evolving, barrel-fermented style that looks very young at four years.

Hewitson Miss Harry 2011 $22–$24
Barossa Valley, South Australia
Fungal diseases caused by a cold, wet vintage destroyed much of the Barossa Valley’s grape crop. Winemakers salvaged good grapes here and there, but from what I’ve tasted the pickings appear pretty lean – the wines sometimes marred by a lack of fruit flavour and hard tannins. While Dean Hewitson’s 2011 blend of grenache, shiraz, mourvedre, cinsault and carignan lacks the opulence of the 2010 vintage, it nevertheless captures the attractive floral aroma of grenache, followed by a leaner, spicy, peppery palate. The tannins stand out against the light fruit, ruling it out as a standalone wine. But food of any kind masks the tannins, shifting the fruit flavour back to the fore.

Half Moon Eclipse Riesling Pinot Gris 2012 $19.50
Half Moon vineyard, Braidwood, NSW
Canberra winemaker Alex McKay (owner of Collector Wines) makes wine for Braidwood’s 1.6-hectare Half Moon vineyard. This unique white appears to be inspired by the unctuous whites of Alsace, France, where pinot gris and riesling live happily side by side (though not usually blended together). Riesling adds an appealing floral boost to the slippery, round palate. Vibrant acidity balances the wine’s delicate sweetness. This combination probably makes the wine a good match to pork sausages and pate or to the spiciness of Asian dishes.

Scarborough Green Label Semillon 2012 $22
Hunter Valley, NSW
Hunter semillon’s an excellent choice when you’d prefer a light bodied but tasty dry white. Grown in the lower Hunter Valley, semillon develops ripe flavours before grape sugar levels (and hence alcohol levels) climb too high. The warm Hunter region excels at the style but sometimes requires cellaring to soften the austere acids. But Scarborough’s version offers a soft, easy-drinking expression of the variety, with bright, lemongrass-like flavour and snappy, bone-dry finish.

Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 $30–$40
Margaret River, Western Australia
Virginia Wilcock’s outstanding red combines cabernet sauvignon (88 per cent) with 10 per cent malbec and a splash each of petit verdot and cabernet franc. There’s a violet-like floral lift to an aroma that includes varietal blackcurrant and a sweet, cedary character from the French oak. All these flavours flow through to the elegant palate, which, despite its supple smoothness and fleshy, fruity, core, finishes with the fine, lingering bite of the variety – perhaps a shade more solid than the 2009. It’s easy to drink now but has the intensity and structure to cellar well.

Beer review — Cooper’s and James Squire

22 May 2013Beer reviewChris Shanahan

Cooper’s Pale Ale 375ml 6-pack $16
The wholemeal appeal of Cooper’s cloudy, bottle-conditioned ales spread from mung-bean-eating hippies into the mainstream some years back. So much so that the company now sells more beer in NSW than at home in South Australia, says Glen Cooper. Little wonder, we say, savouring a cold one in the Mount Kembla village pub near Wollongong.

James Squire Stow Away IPA 345ml 6-pack $19
The original India pale ales packed a power of alcohol, malt and hops to survive the pre-refrigeration-era journey from England to India. James Squire’s burly-but-balanced version of the brew uses rampant apricot-like hops aromas and flavours — and attendant intense bitterness — to shackle opulent malt and warm, sweet alcohol flavours.

US craft brews excite German drinkers

22 May 2013BeerChris Shanahan

The Guardian Weekly, UK, reported 7 May on growing fascination in Germany for American beers – not the bland, thin mainstream brews, but the rich diversity now flowing from America’s very large craft brewing sector.

Non-German beers doubled to 8.1 per cent of the German market between 2004 and 2012, says the report. It also says many of the small breweries opening up in German cities “emulate American craft beer styles”.

With per capita consumption of beer declining in Germany, some brewers, claims the report, “say their only salvation lies in fostering a drinking culture less constrained by a 1516 purity law that they say crimps innovation”.

Thorsten Heiser of Bavaria’s ancient Weihenstephan brewery sees the phenomenon as a generational thing – the oldies drink beer for daily nutrition; young people seek flavour variety.

As a sometimes shopper in German supermarkets, I welcome the variety. But I’ll never say no to a traditional weiss beer or lager either.

Wine review — Saltram, Tyrrell’s and Rosemount Estate

19 May 2013Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Saltram 1859 Barossa Shiraz 2012 $17–$21
The first 2012 reds coming into the market suggest a high quality vintage, much as we’ve seen of the exceptional whites. Saltram 1859 Barossa Shiraz 2012 shows what’s at the heart of a good vintage – vibrant, juicy fruit flavours. Winemakers will add other layers of flavour to the very best wines and release them over the next five years. But for this Barossa shiraz delivers lovely drinking right now. The makers used more stainless steel than oak in its production, thus capturing the vibrant, fleshy fruit flavours of the vintage. Soft tannins add to the fleshy texture and drink-now appeal.

Tyrrell’s Hunter Valley Moon Mountain Chardonnay 2012 $16–$20
A Chateau Shanahan favourite for a couple of decades, Moon Mountain provides sophisticated chardonnay drinking (and medium-term cellarability) at a fair price. Good Hunter fruit’s at the heart of the wine. But over the last 40 years, the Tyrrell family and winemaker Andrew Spinaze perfected the art of chardonnay making. Thus that delicious fruit comes in a matrix of aromas, flavours and textures derived from winemaking techniques. Grape solids in the fermentation, maturation on yeast lees (and lees stirring) in new and older French oak barrels all add to the drinking pleasure.

Rosemount Estate South Australia Chardonnay 2012 $10–$15
The union of Rosemount Estate and Southcorp Wines early last decade almost destroyed the Rosemount brand globally. A new iteration of the once-ubiquitous diamond-label chardonnay offers fair drinking at its on-special price – a fresh, medium bodied style with a light touch of leesy complexity. But if you find fully priced Rosemount alongside Tyrrell’s Moon Mountain (reviewed above) on special, pay the extra dollar and enjoy the substantially better, more satisfying Tyrrell wine.