Yearly Archives: 2012

Eileen Hardy goes south for quality

21 March 2012People, WineChris Shanahan

Paul Lapsley high res — Paul Lapsley, chief winemaker of Accolade Wines, owner of Hardy's

Eileen Hardy shiraz and Eileen Hardy chardonnay date from 1970 and 1986 respectively. The wines released under the labels since then mirror Australia’s winemaking history. And, like time capsules, each vintage reveals something of the winemaking and viticulture of its time. Collectively they carry a rich history.

Eileen Hardy Shiraz 1970 reflected the red wine boom of the time, the dominance of warm South Australian regions in this phenomenon and the unquestioned status of shiraz in McLaren Vale – home of the then family-owned Thomas Hardy and Sons. Eileen Hardy shiraz later wandered from its origins, parallel to similar moves across the industry, only to return to its McLaren Vale roots years later.

Sixteen years after the first Eileen shiraz, as white wine boomed, Eileen Hardy chardonnay arrived – based on grapes from Padthaway, South Australia. Over time grape sourcing followed quality southwards – settling principally in the Yarra Valley and Tasmania by the turn of the century.

During the journey, the style changed dramatically – from the big, fat, oaky, buttery style of the eighties (based on warm-climate fruit) to the more fine-boned, intense, Burgundy-like versions we enjoy today.

While Australians embraced chardonnay en masse in the eighties, popular discovery of pinot noir remained decades away. But in recent times it’s become the fastest growing red variety (driven largely by New Zealand wines) – and even now that’s off a very small base.

Once a footnote in Australian red-wine sales figures, pinot accounted for six per cent by value of retail red wine sales in the year to September 2011, according to Nielsen data.

Vintage Cellars liquor executive, Grant Ramage, says the figures also reveal pinot as “the fastest growing of the major varieties” at 21 per cent for the year, compared to nine per cent for shiraz (which accounts for 26 per cent of red wine sales) and five per cent for cabernet sauvignon.

The figures also reveal that we pay more, on average, for pinot than for shiraz or red in general – $17.50 retail a bottle for pinot, $12.50 for shiraz and $8.49 for red wine overall.

Where interest in chardonnay grew on a wide popular front, driven by cheaper wines from high-yielding, warm-climate vineyards, pinot started at the top, made in tiny quantities by dedicated producers in cool regions.

Hardy’s move into serious pinot noir began with its acquisition of Yarra Burn winery and vineyards, in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, a couple of decades back.

Then in the nineties, the search for high quality pinot and chardonnay for sparkling wine led Hardys to Tasmania. But they quickly embraced table wine, too. By the turn of the century, grape sourcing for Eileen Hardy chardonnay had shifted mainly to Tasmania and the Yarra Valley.

From 2002 their Bay of Fires winery at Pipers River processed all of the company’s Tasmanian fruit – for both table and sparkling wines. By 2009, under Fran Austin, Bay of Fires Pinot Noir had emerged as one of the state’s finest.

By this time, Hardy’s also held two held two vintages of its new Eileen Hardy Pinot Noir in its cellars. They’ve since been released quietly into the market – wines of exceptional quality, yet little known outside the wine industry.

The first release, from the hot 2008 vintage, comes from two mature vineyards in Tasmania’s Coal River Valley and the Yarra Burn vineyard in the upper Yarra Valley. It’s a full-bodied pinot noir, reflecting the hot season.

The currently available 2009 vintage ($85 at cellar door), and the not-yet-released 2010, are both 100 per cent Tasmanian, says chief winemaker Paul Lapsley.

“But it’s not always a lay down misere for Tasmania”, he says. It can be a blend or a single vineyard”. He explains that in 2009 the blend appeared likely to included fruit from Yarra Burn. But February bushfires, and subsequent smoke taint ruled out this possibility.

Fortunately a single parcel for fruit from the Tollpuddle vineyard, in Tasmania’s Coal River Valley, rose to the occasion. Lapsley says they made the 2009 from a half-hectare section on the middle slopes of the 2.5-hectare vineyard. It’s a finer, more elegant style than the 2009, reflecting benign growing conditions.

The 2010 also appeared set to be a Tasmania-Yarra blend. But untimely heavy rain in the upper Yarra led to flavour dilution – ruling the fruit out of contention for the flagship blend.

In the end, says Lapsley, the wine includes material from on Coal River vineyard and Derwent Estate, at Granton, on the Derwent River.

Lapsley says the greatest sites in Tasmania at present tend to in the Coal River Valley and at Derwent Estate, but may expand to the East Coast as vineyards there mature as “the textural component is lacking at present.

There’ll be no 2011 Eileen Hardy Pinot Noir and the 2012 remains in the future – although Tasmania appears particularly attractive several weeks out from vintage, says Lapsley.

Looking further ahead Lapsley sees continuing “synergies between Tasmania and the upper Yarra. But we won’t stop looking in Mornington, Gippsland and Beechworth. If it fits the bill, we’ll use it”.

Beer review — Schneider Weiss

21 March 2012Beer reviewChris Shanahan

Schneider Weiss Mein Grunes 500ml $7.85
This is a strong (6.2 per cent alcohol), bottle-conditioned summer wheat beer from the Schneider brewery, Bavaria. The abundant head and intense, spicey-clovey aroma are classic wheat beer. Alcohol boosts the body and lends a gentle sweetness to the refreshingly tart palate with its appealing clove-like flavour.

Beechworth-Nogne brewing collaboration

21 March 2012Beer, Beer review, PeopleChris Shanahan

Before heading off to Europe last year, Australian brewer Ben Kraus contacted Nogne Brewery, Norway, and organised a joint brewing session.

Kraus airfreighted fresh Australian galaxy and stella hops to Nogne, and with brewer Kjetil Jikiun made 5,000 litres of India Saison. Nogne marketed the co-branded beer in Europe and shipped some in 500ml bottles to Australia.

Returning to Australia, Kraus made a batch to the same recipe at Bridge Road Brewers, Beechworth. So successful was it that he brewed a second batch and has a third in the making.

His Norwegian mate enjoyed similar same success, and is now into his seventh batch, says Kraus.

Kraus says Jikian’s visiting Melbourne for good beer week in May and will visit Beechworth to collaborate on another brew. Kraus also plans to work with a visiting Danish brewer.

Nogne and Bridge Road Brewery India Saison 330ml $5.50
Hops, hops, hops and more hops – glorious, fresh, pungent and resiny – drive this collaboration between Norway’s Nogne brewery and Bridge Road Brewers, Beechworth. They’re Australian galaxy and stella varieties, says brewer Ben Kraus. They dominate the aroma, push through the full, malty palate and linger, bitter and tart on the palate.

Wine review — Xanadu, Richmond Grove, d’Arenberg, House of Arras, Stefano Lubiana and Heartland

21 March 2012Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $29.45–$35
Xanadu Vineyard, Boodjidup Valley, Margaret River, Western Australia
The Lagan family planted Xanadu in 1977 and under Rathbone family ownership since 2005 makes beautiful cabernet sauvignons. Winemaker Glenn Goodall attributes the 2009’s near-perfect varietal flavour, ripe tannins and elegant structure to “amazing Indian summer conditions”. A blend of 88 per cent cabernet sauvignon, eight per cent petit verdot, two per cent each of merlot and cabernet franc ¬– the 2009 delivers pure varietal aromas (black olive and blackcurrant) subtle supported by cedary oak. The same flavours come through on a delicious, juicy fine-boned palate, meshed with fine, soft tannins.

Richmond Grove Riesling 2011 $18.05–$21
Watervale, Clare Valley, South Australia
Richmond Grove is a descendent of the great Leo Buring rieslings of the 60s and 70s. In the early 90a, Orlando relocated the brand from the Hunter to Buring’s old Chateau Leonay winery in the Barossa Valley. Orlando’s recently-recruited Phil Laffer, a Lindemans-Buring veteran, engaged former Leo Buring riesling master, John Vickery. The collaboration produced Richmond Grove Watervale riesling, sourced for the first decade from the Barry family’s Florita vineyard, formerly owned by Leo Buring. The style is lime-like, dry and delicate, with a particularly fine acid backbone in the cool 2011 vintage. It has tremendous cellaring potential. Indeed we’re still savouring the 1998, 1999 and 2002 vintages at Chateau Shanahan.

d’Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz 2008 $61.75–$68
McLaren Vale, South Australia
No other beverage enjoys the mystique of wine – in this d’Arenberg red based on a disease – eutypa lata – that kills off one side, or arm, of a vine. Hence the name, dead arm. And as soon as we see, smell and drink Dead Arm, we love what winemaker Chester Osborne calls, “these truncated, gap-toothed old vines”, for the drinking satisfaction they deliver. The flavour intensity is truly remarkable. But it’s not overwhelming. It’s a sturdy, friendly bear hug of a shiraz, with a deep, tannic savoury undercurrent.

House of Arras Brut Elite Method Traditionelle NV $42.75–$48
Upper Derwent and Huon Valley, Tasmania
Arras is part of Accolade Wines (formerly Constellation Wines Australia, and before that BRL Hardy). Hardy’s created the brand for the superb Tasmanian sparkling wines created by Ed Carr – bubblies that I rate, alongside those of fellow Tasmanian Stefano Lubiana, as Australia’s best. Brut Elite NV comes 98 per cent from the 2004 vintage – a blend of 58 per cent pinot noir and 42 per cent chardonnay, aged six years on yeast lees. A pale, golden colour it delivers the power and structure of pinot noir, the zest and buoyancy of chardonnay and the deep but subtle flavour and texture of prolonged ageing on lees – a remarkable, delicate, complex sparkler to savour.

Stefano Lubiana Brut Reserve NV $34–$38
Lubiana Vineyard, Granton, Derwent Valley, Tasmania
A few weeks I reviewed Steve Lubiana’s spectacular 2004 vintage. His non-vintage product – from the 2008 vintage, with small components of reserve wines, vintages 2003 to 2007 – shows similar delicate fruit flavours, but with less bottle-aged character. The 60:40 chardonnay-pinot noir blend shows a light and spritely acidic freshness on the palate, underpinned by superb, delicate fruit flavours – a product of the cool climate. But there’s structure and texture here, too, making it a better buy, I believe, than many real non-vintage Champagnes.

Heartland Wines Dolcetto Lagrein 2010 $19–$22
Langhorne Creek, South Australia
Good fruit and very clever winemaking here from Ben Glaetzer, produces unique flavours and enjoyable drinking. It’s a blend of the northern Italian varieties dolcetto and lagrein – the former noted for its aromatics and brilliant colour, the latter for its sometimes-intimidating tannins. The blend is highly perfumed and mulberry-like on the nose with a peppery note; the vibrant fruit and pepperiness continue on the generous palate before the savoury, persistent tannins roll back in. Heartland is the creation of Ben Glaetzer, Grant Tilbrook, Scott Collet, Geoff Hardy, Vicki Arnold, Gino Melino and John Pargeter.

Wine review — Stonier, d’Arenberg and De Bortoli

18 March 2012Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Stonier Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2010 $16.50–$25
Stonier chardonnay walks the tasty line between the fat chardonnays of old and the sometimes ultra-austere versions now in vogue in some quarters. It’s based on the outstanding fruit flavour produced the cool, maritime environment of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula – flanked on either side by Port Phillip and Westernport Bays, and Bass Straight to the south. It combines generosity of varietal flavour, vibrant fresh acidity and a smooth texture derived from partial barrel fermentation and maturation (and, judging by the flavour, a little malolactic fermentation – a secondary, acid-reducing process that inserts a subtle butterscotch note).

D’Arenberg McLaren Vale The Stick and Stones Tempranillo Shiraz Tinta Cao and Souzao 2008 $30
This is a triumph for the monumentally hot 2008 vintage. We might expect a port-like red, but instead winemaker Chester Osborne presents an impressively robust drop that slips down easily – and maintained our interest all the way to the bottom of the bottle. It’s deep and tannic and firm and savoury, chewy even, but the core of sweet, delicious fruit holds all that grunt comfortably. Tempranillo leads the blend and shiraz probably provides the fruit sweetness. God knows what the Portuguese tinta cao and souzo contribute. But they’re no strangers to hot weather and the combination works. It’s unique and satisfying.

De Bortoli Bella Riva King Valley Pinot Grigio Vermentino 2010 $15–$17I
In the nineties vine planting took off in Victoria’s King Valley as the area’s Italian-descended families turned their backs on tobacco growing – changing vices, so to speak. And two Italian winemaking families from Griffith (neither associated with tobacco), New South Wales, joined the expansion – Miranda and De Bortoli. De Bortoli’s includes among its vines pinot grigio, a grey/white mutant of pinot noir, and the Italian white variety, vermentino. De Bortoli’s low alcohol (12.5 per cent) blend of the two provides richly textured, pleasantly tart, savoury drinking, very much in the Italian style.

Mad brewer’s mood swing

14 March 2012Beer, Beer reviewChris Shanahan

How can a quirky beer like Hoppy Hefe come from the same brewery as the bland and boring James Squire 150 Lashes – the one thrilling and edgy; the other, well, it’s wet and alcoholic. But Maybe that’s just a mad brewer’s mood swing.

The latest offering from Mad Brewers – Malt Shovel’s Chuck Hahn, Tony Jones, Rob Freshwater and Dayton Coffey – puts a novel spin on bottle-conditioned wheat ale.

Wheat beers generally rely on high acidity, not hops, for their freshness and bite. But Hoppy Hefe takes several cues from the American Pale Ale style – full, malty body, high alcohol and really pungent, assertive hops, added late in the brewing process.

Brewer Tony Jones calls it a “mongrel of a wheat beer with no claim to nationality” – a fair description for a brew that occupies no known niche.

Malt Shovel Mad Brewers Hoppy Hefe Ale 640ml $9.99
The colour’s medium amber with a light yeast haze (hefe); the aroma combines ale fruitiness with rich, sweet maltiness, cut by fresh, citrus-like hops; and the opulent, malty, alcoholic palate benefits from fresh acid, courtesy of the wheat, and the challenging but delicious dollop of lingering, bitter hops.

Canberra 2012 – vintage of a lifetime, or a washout?

14 March 2012People, Vineyard, WineChris Shanahan

As I write in the opening days of autumn, a potentially great Canberra vintage hangs in the balance – threatened by a massive band of rain moving across southeastern Australia. If it hangs around too long, mildew and botrytis could threaten the crop; if too much rain falls, berries might split, increasing disease risks and reducing yields. Should mild, clear weather follow the big wet, however, the district may yet produce some of its best wines ever, say several producers. By the time you read this, we’ll have some idea of the outcome.

Never short of enthusiasm, Murrumbateman’s Ken Helm sees beyond the steady rain and drenched vineyards. “It’s a once in a lifetime season”, he declares, “and we still have a chance. I’ve seen nothing like in 40 years. We’ve had only four days over 30 degrees”.

Mild conditions leading up to the rain favoured flavour development at low sugar levels, report growers across the district. Helm says, “riesling in particular is outstanding. Even at nine Baume [a measure of sugar content] it tasted ripe. Normally your face would be like a chook’s bum. There’s a green tinge about riesling berries, like they have in Germany, and no sign of sunburn.”

Helm’s other specialty, cabernet sauvignon, still appears disease free and set for a normal crop. Helm says because it buds late, cabernet missed the poor weather that disrupted flowering in many shiraz vineyards around Murrumbateman.

Fellow Murrumbateman vigneron, Greg Gallagher, said rain and windstorms around flowering time resulted in “loose” shiraz benches – meaning less grapes to the bunch and lower yields overall. Perversely, laughs Gallagher, those loose bunches make the weather-hardy shiraz even more disease resistant.

A couple of days before the rain, Gallagher’s chardonnay, destined for sparkling wine, looked in beautiful condition. But he now waits anxiously for the rain to end. He says pinot noir for bubbly, harvested from Pankhurst vineyard, Hall, before the rain was spectacular.

At Long Rail Gully, Murrumbateman, Garry Parker, described a wait-and-see, edgy situation. Until the rain, everything appeared perfect, with good yields expected for all varieties – except shiraz, because of its small bunches. “Richard [Garry’s son and winemaker] said pinot gris and riesling will be the first we pick. He looked at them in fear and trepidation, but so far they’re unaffected by the rain”, says Garry.

With both white varieties close to ripening, a seven-day withholding period means no more spraying, even if disease appears, says Parker

At Jeir Creek, Murrumbateman, Rob Howell reports a savage hailstorm two weeks before the rain arrived ripping through several vineyards. It wiped out a quarter of Jeir Creek’s grapes and damaged the neighbouring Ravensworth (Bryan and Jocelyn Martin), Dark Horse (Carpenter family, Lark Hill) and Nanima (Wayne and Jennie Fischer) vineyards.

After the hail, Howell “went into drying-out damaged berry mode. But the rain’s not helping now”, says Howell. He expects to harvest chardonnay and pinot noir for sparkling wine immediately after the rain and says overall fruit quality appears very high. “Viogner looks superb, shiraz is down and cabernet’s looking good, because of its thick skin”, Howell says.

Winemaker Alex McKay (Collector and Bourke Street brands), owns no vineyards but sources grapes from growers across the district. He’s distinctly upbeat about the vintage, despite some similarities with last year’s cool, wet conditions.

He recalls lots of nervousness about the outcome this time last year. But despite some disease-related crop losses, Canberra enjoyed a fantastic vintage. McKay reports, “better disease control this year, with very little botrytis [botrytis cinerea, a destructive fungus] and vineyards still looking very clean”. He attributes lower expected yields across the district in 2012 to the lasting effect of last year’s wet conditions.

To date he sees, “Excellent vine health and berry size, very good flavour building, still natural acids and attractive tannins developing in the reds”. He expects to harvest Rhone Valley white varieties (the viognier looking very good) late in the first week of March and shiraz from mid March. He says Nick O’Leary’s began picking very good riesling in mid to late February.

McKay believes the healthy vines should resist disease pressures from the present rain. He believes mildew presents a greater risk earlier in the season as new foliage emerges and that botrytis outbreaks are more likely.

Heavy rain followed by warm weather also presents a risk of berry split as vines suck up water and grapes swell. But McKay believes the risk to be lower this year thanks to previously well-watered vines.

Jennie Mooney, an owner of Capital Wines and its Kyeema Vineyard, Murrumbateman also sees berry split as less likely this year. She says, “In 2010 we came out of drought into a massive downpour, followed by hot sun. The vines transpired heavily, took up water and the berries split”.

But as insurance this year, says Mooney, husband Mark encouraged weed growth under the vines. When the rain stops they expect the weeds to compete with the vines, limiting water uptake and risk of berry split.

Mooney says, “The fruit’s a bit like 2011 – flavours arriving at low Baumes [sugar content] with high acidity. Merlot’s the best Mark’s ever tasted. Merlot likes having its feet wet”.

Despite the rain and risk it poses, Mooney remains, “Nervously hopeful”. She says it’s a difficult year and in the end success will get down to good vineyard management. At Kyeema, she says, “we’ve done lots of canopy work, with disease management ongoing, all season”.

At Brindabella Hills, Hall (Canberra’s lowest vineyards), winemaker Brian Sinclair reports normal crops, even of shiraz, and “incredibly good” quality across the varieties. He says, “I haven’t seen sauvignon blanc or riesling looking as good as it is. It’s ideal. The riesling has no disease, a terrific canopy and no sunburn”. Sinclair believes, “things should progress well” despite the rain.

Up on the northern slopes of Mount Majura, Frank van de Loo reports 9.5 tonnes of a projected 52-tonne harvest safely in tanks. Mainly chardonnay and pinot noir for sparkling, van de Loo describes it as, “the best yet after five years’ experience [with sparkling material]”.

He says the cool season is producing light crops with exciting flavours and aromatics, arriving at low sugar levels. He rated one batch of chardonnay, pickable at a low 10.5–11 Baume – very rare in Canberra’s climate – and ripe-tasting riesling at 10 Baume. The red varieties, however, remain some weeks off.

Van de Loo rates berry split as the main risk, saying, “I’m worried about the duration rather the quantity [of rain]. If the vines are too wet for too long the berries could split”.

Jim Lumbers of Lerida Estate, Lake George, said “It was picture perfect until today”, “and now it looks like a re-run of 2011 – a ground hog day vintage”. Nevertheless, expects the early varieties to be fine – pinot noir for rose, pinot gris and chardonnay, despite “massive acids”.

He still sees the possibility of the vintage turning out really well. But even if disease takes it toll, Lerida has sorting tables. This allows us to take the hit of lower quantity while keeping our quality”.

Vineyard high up on the Lake George escarpment, opposite Bungendore, live in a different climate than most of Canberra’s other vineyards – some 300 metres higher than Hall, 200 metres higher than Murrumbateman, and more than 100 metres above Mount Majura and Lake George.

At Lark Hill vintage is still six weeks away, with the whites just through veraison [where the berries begin to soften] and the only red, pinot noir, just half way through.

Winemaker Chris Carpenter says 2012 may end up as the coolest on record at Lark Hill, having dipped below 1989, the previous coldest – though unlikely to match 1989’s 1000mm rainfall for the growing season.

He foresees a late vintage with intense fruit flavours and high acidity across the district. He wonders aloud what makers will do with high levels of malic acid in chardonnay – as fashion, in recent years, moved away from the secondary fermentation (malo-lactic) that reduced it, to more austere, high-acid styles.

At present, he says, Lark Hill remains disease free with good crop levels. The Carpenter’s recently acquire Dark Horse vineyard at Murrumbateman, however, lost half its crop to the recent hailstorm.

“It smashed fruit on the vine and defoliated one side, impairing their ability to ripen the remaining fruit”, says Carpenter. To encourage new leaves, the Carpenters have added nutrition and intend to bunch-thin if necessary. Bunch thinning matches the fruit load to the ripening ability of the foliage.

Carpenter says Lark Hill began trialling biological control of botrytis this year – spraying vines with bacteria that compete with the fungus. In theory, supported by producer trials, says Carpenter, the bacteria become established, providing long-term protection.

While that offers hope for the future, Canberra vignerons keep an anxious eye on the weather and remain hopeful of healthy crops in the weeks ahead.

It seemed like forty days and nights, but after almost a week the deluge finally ceased on Sunday 4 March. On Monday 5 March, Canberra vignerons woke to a mild, mainly sunny day.

At Four Winds Vineyard, Murrumbateman, John Collingwood harvested riesling, anxious to beat an outbreak of botrytis. “It was just starting”, he said. But in the end he cut out only about five per cent, delivering 18 healthy tonnes (a normal-sized harvest) to winemaking brother-in-law, Bill Crowe.

Crowe says the riesling’s looking pretty good, with high acidity and even lower sugar than last year’s fruit.

While the rain slowed grape development down, Collingwood remains hopeful of a good red harvest in three to four weeks. He says there’s a little botrytis in the denser bunches, so success depends on the weather. Warm, dry weather should contain the fungus; but it could get running if it rains.

Sangiovese shows a little more fruit split than shiraz, says Collingwood. But the loose, open shiraz bunches are proving resilient. Tough-skinned cabernet looks in good condition, he says, and merlot’s travelling well.

Wine review — Best’s, Stonier, Stefano Lubiana, Pizzini, Battle of Bosworth and Grant Burge

14 March 2012Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Best’s Thomson Family Shiraz 2010 – wine of the week $180
Concongella Vineyard, Great Western, Grampians, Victoria
In 1867 Henry Best planted the Concongella vineyard, Great Western. The Thomson family bought the vineyard in 1920 – and today those same shiraz vines, tended by Viv Thomson and family, supply the grapes for this extraordinary red. Much has been written of vine age and wine quality. In this instance we drink the glory of venerable old vines – completely at home in their environment – delivering an elegant wine of enormous, sweet-fruited flavour concentration. Thomson makes only about 300 dozen and only in exceptional years. It’s a great and unique shiraz, capable of long-term cellaring.

Stonier Pinot Noir 2010 $21.80–$28
Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
After a long, difficult struggle from 1978, Brian Stonier eventually made outstanding pinot noir from the early 1990s. Petaluma later took over the business but was itself acquired by brewer, Lion Nathan – now part of Japan’s Kirin Brewery. However, the style and quality of the wines powered through the ownership changes. The latest pinot, sourced from 15 vineyards – all the fruit hand harvested ¬– displays the delicate, refined Stonier style: pale to medium colour; aroma and flavour show red-berry fruit with a savoury pinot seam, backed by fine, silky tannins.

Stefano Lubiana Vintage Brut 2004 $53–$58
Lubiana Vineyard, Granton, Derwent Valley, Tasmania
Lubiana, along with Arras (made by Ed Carr), demonstrate why cool Tasmania became Australia’s bubbly hot spot. It starts with the intense but delicate flavours of the purpose-grown fruit. After that Steve Lubiana’s winemaking and blending skills come into play – capturing the fruit flavour then, through clever blending (55 per cent chardonnay, 45 per cent pinot noir) and almost six years’ maturation in bottle on yeast lees. Like France’s great Champagnes, it’s rich and textured beyond the fruit – because of the winemaking and maturation. But delicate fruit remains at the centre. Indeed, without these the winemaking inputs would add up to nothing.

Pizzini Prosecco 2011 $19
King Valley, Victoria
What an enormous contrast between Pizzini Prosecco and Lubiana 2004, the two sparkling wines reviewed today – the latter a wine of gravitas, to savour and wonder at; the former for happy quaffing. Winemaking simply captures the prosecco grape’s freshness and light, spicy, green-apple tartness. The lightness and tartness make it enjoyable on its own or with pretty well any food – a pleasant backdrop that refreshes the mouth, allowing the food to star.

Battle of Bosworth Shiraz 2010 $19.50–$25
Edgehill Vineyard, McLaren Vale, South Australia
The Bosworth family planted grapes in McLaren Vale in the 1840s. Today Joch Bosworth, with partner Louise Hemsley-Smith, operates the organically certified Edgehill Vineyard, established by Peter and Anthea Bosworth in the 1970s. The vineyard supplies the grapes for their Battle of Bosworth label. Their 2010 shows a savoury, medium bodied side of the regional shiraz style. The colour’s deep, but not opaque; and the aroma presents fruit, spice and savouriness – reflected in the flavours of a rich, savoury, well-structured palate.

Grant Burge Daly Road Shiraz Mourvedre 201o $15.90–$20
Burge Daly Road vineyard, Lyndoch, Barossa Valley, South Australia
If you like full, juicy Barossa wines, you’ll fall in love with Grant Burge’s vibrant, purple-rimmed shiraz mourvedre blend. This is big and ripe but gentle Barossa – capturing the tender, slurpy fruitiness of shiraz, tempered by the savour, spice and firm tannins of mourvedre. The blend is 60 per cent shiraz; 40 per cent mourvedre, all from Burge’s Daly Road vineyard, located near Lyndoch, at the southern end of the Barossa Valley.

Wine review — Mount Trio, Smith & Hooper and Cumulus

11 March 2012Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Mount Trio Great Southern Riesling 2010 $19
Gavin and Gill Graham own vineyards at Porongurup, a small, elevated sub-region of Western Australia’s large Great Southern area. The area excels with riesling and shiraz, but you’ll find all the usual Australian varieties as you drive around. Mount Trio offers a pretty good example of the local riesling style – at two years, the acidity’s softening off but still gives a brisk tingle and backbone to the lemony varietal flavour. At a recent office tasting it attracted more “likes” than a Wrattonbully semillon sauvignon blanc and a Hunter Valley unwooded chardonnay.

Smith and Hooper Wrattonbully Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2011 $16–$22
If we have to drink sauvignon blanc, let’s bolster it with semillon, in the dry Bordeaux style. In this example from Robert Hill-Smith’s Yalumba group, the winemakers fermented one fifth of the blend in old oak, leaving this component on the spent yeast cells (lees), and stirring the lees every two weeks. The process builds a rich texture and subtle flavours that, together with the semillon, contribute so much to the drinking pleasure. But sauvignon blanc still exerts its pungent, herbal flavour and zesty acidity.

Cumulus Wines Climbing Orange Pinot Gris 2011 $18–$22
In the difficult, wet and cool 2011 vintage some white varieties, including pinot gris, seem to have fared particularly well – for example, in last year’s local wine show, Mount Majura Vineyard won a gold medal for its 2011; and at the recent Tasmanian show, the extraordinary Bay of Fires 2011 won the special chairman’s trophy. And over in even cooler Orange, Cumulus wines harvested this scrumptious, bronze-tinted drop. Winemaker Debbie Lauritz really captures the character of this often-lacklustre variety – fresh and intense, with pear-like flavour and rich, slightly viscous texture.

Wine review — Greywacke, Cumulus, Helm, Shaw Vineyard Estate, Kirrihill and Chapel Hill

9 March 2012Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2011 $23–$28
Brancott Valley and Wairau Plains, Marlborough, New Zealand
Greywacke’s Kevin Judd and sauvignon blanc go back to 1983. As winemaker at Selaks, Auckland, Judd made some of the first New Zealand sauvignon blancs to be promoted in Australia, starting here in Canberra under the Selaks and 1984 Farmer Brothers labels. Judd then joined David Hohnen at Cloudy Bay, the brand that sold the sizzle of Marlborough sauvignon blanc to the world. After 25 vintages at Cloudy Bay, Judd left and launched his own wines – including this brilliant example of the variety. It offers pure, in-your-face varietal aroma, a fleshy, juicy mid palate and mouth-watering vitality.

Cumulus Chardonnay 2010 $30
Blocks 14B and 15, Cumulus Vineyard, Orange, New South Wales
Orange covers an even wider range of altitudes than Canberra. To be included in the region, vineyards need to be at least 600 metres above sea level – and some sit above the 1,000-metre mark. Because of its extent (508-hectares) and variations in altitude, Cumulus vineyard rolls in and out of Orange. The higher sections contributed to this delicious chardonnay, made by Debbie Lauritz. Oak-fermentation and maturation added texture and spicy oak character to the intense grapefruit and white peach varietal flavour. Looks very young and fresh now and should age well for five or so years.

Helm Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $35
Murrumbateman, Canberra District, New South Wales
In the shadow of shiraz, Ken Helm maintains a faith in Canberra cabernet, working tirelessly with neighbouring grape grower Al Lustenburger to bring out the best in the variety. In the outstanding 2009 vintage, Helm’s is an elegantly structured wine, built on pure, just-ripe, delicate, cabernet flavours. Helm’s inclusion of French oak, along with his previously favoured American oak, sits more sympathetically with the elegant fruit – lending a pleasant cedary note. However, the oak slightly outweighs the fruit at this stage (though the two may integrate with time).

Shaw Vineyard Estate Premium Riesling 2011 $22
Shaw Vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, New South Wales
In the tough 2011 vintage, Graeme Shaw produced just 300 cases of Premium riesling – a bronze medal winner at the 2011 Canberra Regional Wine Show. The wine displays the marginal ripeness and high acidity of the cold vintage. This pleasant tartness, and a low alcohol content (11.5 per cent), make it a good aperitif, especially with cold, savoury food.

Kirrihill Single Vineyard Tullymore Vineyard Shiraz 2009 $16.15–$19
Tullymore Vineyard, Clare Valley, South Australia
Kirrihill is a large operation, sourcing grapes from over 1,300 hectares of vineyards, located 350–550 metres above sea level in the Clare Valley. Winemaker Donna Stephens sourced grapes for this wine from the Tullymore Vineyard, to the east of Clare township. It’s a generous, ripe, plummy, juicy red with a touch of Clare’s distinctive mint character. A load of soft tannins adds richness and structure to this attractive, drink-now, traditional Australian shiraz.

Chapel Hill Shiraz 2009 $28.49–$30
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Chapel Hill delivers an especially vibrant, satisfying drinking experience, capturing the earthy richness of McLaren Vale shiraz without going over the top on tannin or oak. The lovely, perfumed varietal aroma and lively, fruity palate suggests winemakers Michael Fragros and Bryn Richards harvested at the peak of ripeness. A long post-ferment maceration on skins, gentle basket pressing and 20-months maturation in a combination of new and old oak integrated the firm but smooth tannins completely with the fruit. The result is a generous, savoury regional shiraz of a very high order.