Chris Shanahan: Wine review — Domain Day, Angoves & Tim Adams

Domain Day Mount Crawford – One Serious Riesling 2007 $20; Garganega 2007 $20; Viognier 2007 $20; One Serious Merlot 2005 $27
These are new releases from Robin Day’s vineyard at Mount Crawford, at the elevated, cool southeastern edge of the Barossa. The riesling is bone dry and strongly varietal in the ripe citrus end of the ripeness spectrum; viognier is pure, apricot-like and viscous varietal – fresh and not too heavy; garganega (the main variety in Verona’s Soave) is exotic, sappy, dust dry and pleasantly tart – a must-try and truly different from our usual fare; the merlot is elegant, delicious and deeply fruity with seductive aroma and ripe soft tannins to match the lovely fruit. See www.domaindaywines.com.au
Angoves South Australia Tempranillo Shiraz 2007 $14

Tim Adams Clare Valley Reserve Tempranillo 2006 $35
Not surprisingly Spain’s tempranillo adapts well to Australia’s hot, dry conditions, as these two very different versions of it demonstrate. The Angoves blend has aromas, flavours and even a little tartness reminiscent of red berries, especially raspberries. But it’s savoury, too, with fine, drying tannins – a medium bodied casual dining drink. The Tim Adams wine has greater depth and complexity, as you’d hope at $35. There’s an underlying bright red-berry flavour. But there’s a deep, sweet savoury depth to it and a lovely, taut, elegant structure. Unusual for a Clare red it’s a modest 13 per cent alcohol, attributable to the variety’s ripening at low sugar levels.

Tim Adams Clare Valley Reserve Riesling 2007 $35
Tim Adams Clare Valley The Fergus Grenache 2006 $25
This is an unusual riesling, made from very early picked grapes, judged by Tim Adams to be ripe, despite a very low sugar level. The resulting 11 per cent alcohol wine is light, delicate, dry as a plank and alive with mouth puckering, grapefruit-like flavours and acidity. It just makes it over the ripeness line and ought to suit foods that you’d ordinarily enjoy with similarly rapier-sharp wines like Chablis or Sancerre. In contrast, Tim’s ripe, plush, soft and velvety grenache comes drenched in the variety’s floral, musk and spicy aromas and flavours. See www.timadamswines.com.au