Yearly Archives: 2008

Wine review — Jacob’s Creek, Oxford Landing & Climbing

17 August 2008Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Jacob’s Creek Shiraz 2006, Grenache Shiraz 2007, Shiraz Cabernet 2007, Merlot 2007, Cabernet Merlot 2005 $9–$11
My pick of these always-reliable reds is the shiraz, described in a breathless and silly press release as ‘a great example of a big hearty red’ but more aptly, on the back label, as ‘a medium bodied wine’. That’s Jacob’s Creek to a tee – tasty but medium bodied, true to varietal flavour and with sufficient structure to be real reds. They’re tremendously good value and as easy to drink on their own as they are with food – a key to their international success, says winemaker Philip Laffer. These are benchmark multi-regional blends delivering flavour at an affordable price.

Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Merlot 2007, Shiraz 2007 $7–$9
Jacob’s Creek uses cross-regional blending to achieve the right price and flavour. But the Hill-Smith family’s budget range, Oxford Landing, comes from a large, single estate on the Murray. It’s big enough to provide considerable flavour and structure variation amongst the popular grape varieties. And it’s fifty years since Wyndham Hill-Smith established the vineyard – sufficient time to learn its peculiarities intimately. The zesty, sauvignon blanc, with its clear, varietal passionfruit-like flavours is, to me, consistently the best budget version of this style in Australia. The fragrant, silky shiraz reveals its touch of viognier. And the lean, savoury merlot makes an excellent pizza wine.

Climbing Wines Orange Shiraz 2006 $19–$21
Climbing, from nearby Orange, comes from the comparatively new (for Australia) school of fine-boned, peppery, spicy, cool-grown shiraz. If our big, generous, warm-grown versions still hold the widest appeal, there’s plenty going, too, for those from Canberra and the cool regions surrounding it, and other high-altitude or southerly locations in Australia. Made by Philip Shaw (former chief winemaker at Rosemount) and Debbie Lauritz, 2006 Climbing is an aromatic, spicy/savoury red with a lively palate and a fine and silky texture. The bling count on the label is an impressive three gold, two trophies, one silver and two bronze medals. Someone likes it.

Canberra wine district — pre-spring stirrings

16 August 2008People, Vineyard, WineChris Shanahan

There’s plenty happening on the Canberra district wine scene at present. It’s the depth of winter, but the first of the 2008 whites are being released, along with the last of the 2006 vintage reds and what little there is of the 2007s.

New-release samples to date look good. And a tasting of the latest offerings from Ravensworth, Clonakilla and Brindabella Hills (reviewed in coming Sunday columns) inspired us to begin the season’s cellar door visits. It’s a big district, of course, so the reports can only trickle in from week to week. But there’s a bit of excitement out there.

For pure quality, the most exciting wine remains Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier – a beautifully fragrant and plush, world-class example of a style that originated in Côte Rôtie at the northern end of France’s Rhône Valley. The about-to-be-released 2007 vintage is sensational. But, sadly, frost wiped out ninety per cent of the 2007 crop, leaving just 150 dozen bottles for the world. It’ll sell out rapidly at $75 – a modest price for a wine of this provenance.

It’s worth asking for a bottle or two at cellar door. But if you don’t get lucky, Clonakilla’s Hilltops Shiraz 2007 ($25) and O’Riada Canberra District Shiraz 2007 ($35) provide tremendously satisfying drinking. And the 2008 riesling ($25) offers taut, brisk lovely drinking and good cellaring prospects.

Writer of The Canberra Times ‘Male order’ column, Bryan Martin, can’t spruik for his own Ravensworth wines (he makes them at Clonakilla) but they sit with the best in the district. Ravensworth Riesling 2008 ($18) is pure and fresh and a little plumper than the Clonakilla. And his Shiraz Viognier 2007 ($30) is savoury, spicy – in the fine-boned Canberra mould – but a little chunkier and earthier than the silky, ethereal Clonakilla version. There’s no cellar door, however, but you can google ‘Ravensworth’ and order online.

We’ve not yet visited Roger and Faye Harris at Brindabella Hills, at Hall, on the rim of the Murrumbidgee Valley. But we’ve tasted Roger’s idiosyncratic and delicious ‘Aureus’ 2007, a blend of chardonnay and viognier. It’s unconventional but it works and is good value at $22.50, cellar door. The 2006 shiraz is in a different style again from any of the Clonakilla wines or Ravensworth’s. It’s round and plump and very soft in it’s own fragrant, elegant way.

Roger generally makes one of the better rieslings in the district and arguably the best sauvignon blanc – good reason in their own right to visit cellar door.

Out at Murrumbateman, Graeme Shaw’s Shaw Vineyard Estate adds another dimension to the cellar door offering with a range of ceramics imported from Italy and a restaurant overlooking the vines.

In a former career, Graeme built the Kamberra wine tourism complex for Hardys – a relationship that brought him to grape growing and ultimately to winemaking. At cellar door, the early, rustic wines from the 2003 and 2004 vintage are giving way to the far more polished products from 2006 and on (there were no 2005s as Graeme sold the crop).

The reds, in particular, offer huge value at $22 a bottle. Graeme currently offers, from the 2006 vintage, a shiraz, a shiraz-cabernet blend and a cabernet merlot, with a straight cabernet sauvignon due for release shortly.

I favour the shiraz cabernet blend, but these reds are all true to the elegant Canberra style. They punch above their weight and can only add to the district’s reputation. In fact, Graeme recently completed an export deal with a major French wine club. They purchased his remaining stock of 2004 cabernet merlot, half of the production of the 2006 cabernet merlot and signed a ten-year supply deal.

Graeme grows his own fruit on the 32-hectare Murrumbateman estate, but has the wine made by Brian Currie in Bill Calabria’s West End Estate, Griffith. During vintage Graeme and his daughter Tanya travel to Griffith to help.

And in the next few years we’ll see two new Shaw labels: a budget-priced ‘winemaker selection’ range targeted at pubs, clubs and function venues, mainly in country New South Wales; and two ‘reserve’ wines – a shiraz viognier blend and a cabernet blend that he expects will ‘knock the socks off the wine writers’.

And that’s exactly what the Canberra district needs. To date we have only one wine that blows the right socks away – Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier. But there’s room for more. And the more we have, the better the whole district’s reputation. Go for it Graeme.

Beer review — Schneider Weisse & James Squire Pepperberry

16 August 2008Beer reviewChris Shanahan

Schneider Weisse Hefe-Weizen 500ml $6.69
Despite the dark colour and 5.4 per cent alcohol, this Bavarian classic is a fine and subtle example of wheat ale. It has the distinctive banana-like fruity esters of the style and a spicy, pleasantly tart palate that’s rich (but not heavy) and finishes with a gentle, bitter bite.

James Squire Limited Release Pepperberry Winter Ale 345ml $3.39
This is Chuck Hahn’s latest, delightfully wacky invention – a full-bore winter ale that’s been seasoned with native Australian pepperberries. Hovering over the opulent malt base is an exotic herbal/spiciness. It drives the aroma and gives the palate a bitter, warm tweak. It’s a love-it or hate-it, idiosyncratic brew.

Prost to this book on German beer

13 August 2008BeerChris Shanahan

In Prost! The Story of German Beer, Horst D. Dornbusch argues that just as France, Italy and China gave the world its three great cuisines, no one, not even the Belgians, have ‘produced such a variety, complexity, and quality of brews as have the Germans and the English’.

Whether you accept that proposition or not – it won’t be a best seller in Brussels – it’s probably one of the most comprehensive short beer books around.

It sprints across Germany’s beer history, from the Bronze Age to the present, in about 150 pages. At full gallop it covers the emergence of European beer, the standardisation of beer making by 500 BC, Rome’s initial rejection of the barbaric beer culture, and how the empire later embraced it, monastic brewing in the dark ages and the later emergence of brewing feudal lords, themselves usurped as brewers by city burghers.

We learn how deeply meshed beer was in the economics and politics of regional Germany – and how local politics influenced regional specialties, for example, Bavaria’s Rheinheitsgebot (beer purity law) of 1516 set the scene for a lager brewing south.

Dornbusch describes Germany’s major beer styles, providing technical detail in plain English. It’s available through www.amazon.com at about $11 plus postage.

Wine review — Rochford, Shaw Vineyard Estate & Heredos de Argueso

10 August 2008Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Rochford Macedon Ranges Chardonnay 2006 $27, Pinot Noir 2005 $33, Pinot Noir 2006 $33
Rochford is one of the better signposted vineyards in the cool Macedon region. That’s a pity, because its cellar door is in the Yarra Valley. The wines show the region’s general suitability for chardonnay and pinot noir. The chardonnay is taut, subtle and intense with the grapefruit-like varietal flavour of a cool area. It’s the value pick of the bunch. The 2005 pinot, too, is taut and subtle, with fine but firm tannins. It’s thoroughly enjoyable from first sip to last – if not quite up to the best from the region. The 2006 shows pure varietal character but, to me, lacks mid-palate sweetness.

Shaw Vineyard Estate Canberra District Semillon 2006 $20, Cabernet Merlot 2006 $22, Shiraz Cabernet 2006 $22 and Shiraz 2006 $22
Shaw’s is one of Canberra’s larger vineyards, planted initially to supply Hardys. It’s come a long way since then and the cellar door is now a must-visit, offering outstanding wines at modest prices. And there’s even better to come. The current offerings include a lovely, delicate semillon; a supple, elegant cabernet merlot 2006; a fine, peppery, stylish shiraz cabernet (my favourite); and a lean but lovely shiraz 2006 with distinctive, cool-climate white pepper flavours. There’ll soon be an intense, elegant cabernet sauvignon 2006 joining the list; and in the future there’ll be two ‘reserve’ wines – a cabernet blend and shiraz viognier blend. Take a drive to Murrumbateman or see www.shawvineyard.com.au

Heredos de Argueso Manzanilla 375ml $14
Heredos de Argueso Las Medallas Manzanilla 375ml $15
Heredos de Argueso San Leon Classica 375ml Manzanilla $19
Manzanilla, from Sanlucar de Barameda, Spain, is the most delicate member of the sherry family. It’s very pale in colour, with sherry’s distinctive tang, but comparatively low in alcohol (about 15 per cent) and beautifully delicate. This trio reveals the spectrum of aromas and flavours that come with increasing age in barrel under the fine film of ‘flor’, or yeast. They’re all made from the palomino grape. The spectrum ranges from definitely sherry-like but with youthful, fresh fruit to even more sherry-like plus greater finesse (about 5 years’ age), to very fine with a lovely nutty finish in the ‘Classica’, age 9–12 years. Imported by Bibendum Wine Co phone 03 8415 0070.

Wine drinker with a beer problem visits England and Germany

6 August 2008BeerChris Shanahan

As a wine drinker with a beer problem, I find that Germany and England make ideal destinations. Especially in the countryside — where wine selections tend to be appalling (and, in England, expensive at two Aussie dollars to the pound) — beer becomes the default option in most restaurants, cafés and pubs.

And there’s as big a difference in the choice of brew as there is between the languages. In England the superb three-decade legacy of CAMRA (campaign for real ale) manifests itself in every inn and village.

The signs scream ‘great food real ale’. And there doesn’t seem to be an outlet that doesn’t have, if not real ‘real ale’ a pretty good commercial facsimile of one. Often real, pumped-from-the-keg ales sit side by side with nitrogen-sparged versions – prompting a comparison, of course, and consumption of a few more pints than planned.

In Germany, beautifully crisp, dry, bitter golden lagers dominate the scene, and you can buy them anywhere – even in the local florist if you happen to be in Lychen. They’re absolutely delicious with warm weather and great platters of tender pig knuckles.

But there are dark lagers and a good sprinkling, in both country and city, of dark and light wheat ales, two examples reviewed below. And if you’re within one hundred kilometres of Berlin you’ll find heaps of sweet and sour Berliner weisse, too.

Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier 500ml $5.49
This beautiful example of the Southern German wheat beer style comes from the Weihenstephen brewery, dating to 1040. It’s bottle conditioned and therefore has a yeast (hefe) haze and spectacular head. It has the lightness and crispness of a wheat ale with a delicious, soft, smooth mid-palate and invitingly fruity aroma.

Erdinger Dunkler Weizenbock (Bavaria) 500ml $6.99
Erdinger’s distinctive dark bock combines the sharpness and freshness of wheat beer with the strong flavours of roasted grains. And a high alcohol content of 7.3 per cent gives a mid-palate warmth and richness not normally seen in wheat ales. As a traditional winter drink it’s in it element at the moment.

Wine review — Williams Crossing, Curly Flat, Brindabella Hills & Redman

3 August 2008Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Williams Crossing Macedon Pinot Noir 2006 $22–$25
Curly Flat Macedon Pinot Noir 2005 $46–$52
After a long search for a location suited to pinot noir and chardonnay growing, Phillip and Jenifer Moraghan established Curly Flat in Victoria’s elevated, cool Macedon region in 1992. They hit pay dirt pretty quickly and their wines now sit comfortably with the best in Australia. The fragrant, silky pinots are particularly impressive – and after recently paying thirty-five pounds or more for mediocre Burgundy in England – in my view they’d knock the socks off competitors anywhere. Williams Crossing (from barrels that didn’t make the cut for the Curly Flat label) is phenomenal at the price, while the flagship offers a profound depth of savoury pinot flavour. See www.curlyflat.com

Brindabella Hills Canberra District Aureus (Chardonnay Viognier) 2007 $22.50–$25
Brindabella Hills Canberra District Shiraz 2006 $22.50–$25
In a case of Rhône meets Burgundy, Roger Harris blends tank-fermented viognier with barrel-fermented chardonnay to produce a delicious, fresh, richly textured dry white. While chardonnay tempers viognier’s opulence, the plush, apricot-like flavour of viognier remains unmistakable in the wine. It’s juicy and ready to drink now but I suspect that it’ll fatten up with age. So drink up. Roger’s 2006 shiraz seems richer and deeper than his fragrant, elegant 2005. Although it’s from one of Canberra’s warmest sites (on the edge of the Murrumbidgee Valley), it’s still cast in the fine, supple, district mould – a style that’s rich but subtle and all to easy to drink.

Redman Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 $30–$35
Bill Redman arrived in Coonawarra in 1901 and bought land there in 1908. One hundred years late his grandsons, Bruce and Malcolm Redman, make a distinctive, elegant style of Coonawarra cabernet from their vines at the northern end of the famous terra rossa strip. It’s a style that closely maps the seasons. And if it’s a little lighter and less ripe than the wines made by some of the neighbours, it’s never been unripe either – just consistently limpid in colour with fragrant, varietal, berry aroma and elegant palate. With most wineries releasing 2006 vintage wines, Redmans is notable for holding back for a year or two, giving us something that’s ready to enjoy – even if it has the legs to cellar.

Beer review — Moo Brew & Matilda Bay

30 July 2008Beer, Beer reviewChris Shanahan

Moo Brew Pale Ale 330ml $5.50
Today’s two beers, both purchased from the same retail outlet, show different faces of the American Pale Ale style – and critical importance of freshness. Moo Brew has this in spades. It’s an exciting, full-bodied ale cut with the brisk, resiny aroma and lingering bitterness of fresh hops. It’s a stunner.
*****

Matilda Bay Alpha Pale Ale 345ml $5.20
Even a month past its ‘best before’ date, Alpha was a more than respectable ale. But age had taken the edge off its hops character – a critical element of this robust beer style – leaving a rich, malty, bitter ale of some character but not the keen edge seen in fresh samples.
***

Changi airport brews it up for weary travellers

30 July 2008BeerChris Shanahan

Why do airport transit lounges offer few diversions other than gotcha-priced shopping? Changi’s new terminal three shows that it doesn’t have to be that way.

To this traveller, a microbrewery tops Changi’s impressive list of comforts. Its gleaming copper brew kettles on the mezzanine level provide a siren call to bored, thirsty travellers below. Who could resist?

As I tasted through the range, service manager, Charles Soh, said that the airport brewery was one of three Brewerkz facilities in Singapore. While the beers on offer in early July came from one of the other breweries, Soh expected the Changi facility to be operating before the end of the month.

There’s food available, too. And if you don’t feel like downing a half litre of a single beer ($S13.63/$A10.39) for $S12.99/$A9.91 you can sample four of the eight brews in elegant little tasting glasses

Brewerkz currently offers a diversity of styles — Golden Ale, Pilsner, Singapore Pale Ale (a favourite after two visits), Irish Red Ale, India Pale Ale, Fruitbrewz (strawberry), Oatmeal Stout and Olde Ale — all brewed by Canadian Scott Robertson.

The standard’s high across the range — despite a cloying note to the Fruitbrewz — and a sip or two provides a splash of colour in a dreary, half-way-around-the-world journey.

Wine review — Ravensworth & Clonakilla

28 July 2008Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Ravensworth Murrumbateman Riesling 2008 about $18
Clonakilla Canberra District Riesling 2008 $25–$30
After the frost-ravaged 2007 vintage, the prolific and good 2008 vintage brought smiles of pleasure (and relief) to our local vignerons. These are two very good examples of what’s in store from our district. While they have similarities in purity of varietal expression, they have significant differences as well. The Ravensworth wine is slightly rounder and softer than the Clonakilla, making it more suited to current drinking (though it will age well for a few years). The Clonakilla appears to be more taut, with a brisk acid backbone that carries the lovely fruit flavour across the palate – and should age very well. See www.ravensworthwines.com.au and www.clonakilla.com.au

Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2007 $25–$30
Clonakilla Murrumbateman Syrah 2006 $75–$85
Clonakilla Ballinderry Canberra District 2006 $35–$40
Clonakilla’s shiraz from Hilltops (Young, NSW) has the juicy richness of pulped, ripe black cherries – a generous, chewy wine that’s certainly the big-value pick of winemaker Tim Kirk’s current line up. Ballinderry, a cabernet sauvignon–cabernet franc–merlot blend, with its core of ripe berry fruit and taut-but-soft tannins, is elegant and lovely and deserves to be quietly reconsidered away from the shirazes one day. Syrah 2006 is Tim’s shot at the Hermitage (Rhône Valley) style. From the Clonakilla vineyard and made much like the shiraz viognier flagship (but without viognier), it’s an extraordinary drop indeed, a very pure, intense, peppery/savoury expression of shiraz.

Ravensworth Murrumbateman Shiraz Viognier 2007 about $30
Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2007 $75
Clonakilla O’Riada Canberra District Shiraz 2007 $35–$40
These are all shiraz–viognier blends from the frost ravaged 2007 harvest. Tim Kirk says that he lost over ninety per cent of his crop, reducing production of the flagship Shiraz Viognier to just 150 dozen – and prompting the production of the ‘O’Riada’ a blend from the Long Rail Gully, Barton Estate, Dean Terrell and Fischer vineyards at Murrumbateman and Sue Williams’ vineyard at Hall. It’s a fragrant, fine, soft and elegant style. Bryan and Jocelyn Martin’s Ravensworth is terrifically savoury, spicy and rich – in the fine Canberra mould – and gives great value. Clonakilla, however, keeps its mantle as the model of its style. This is pure class. Pity there’s so little of it.