Lark Hill Gruner Veltliner 2014 $45
Lark Hill Vineyard, Lake George Escarpment, Canberra District, NSW
Even in the difficult 2014 season, Austrian variety gruner veltliner made an outstanding wine at Canberra’s highest vineyard. The Carpenter family call 2014 “one of the most challenging vintages to date”. Frost and unsettled spring weather disrupted flowering, reducing the crop. But what remained of the gruner veltliner, say the Carpenters, successfully weathered the hottest, driest summer and wettest autumn on record. Spontaneously fermented in older oak barrels, the wine offers aromas of spice and melon and a richly textured palate with unique flavours reminiscent of spice, herbs and melon rind. Steely acidity accentuates the flavours, gives a long finish and suggests a medium to long cellaring life.

Serafino Sorrento Shiraz 2013$18–$20
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Steve Maglieri’s mid-priced shiraz looked good at a recent tasting alongside several more expensive wines, including the remarkable d’Arenberg Dead Arm McLaren Vale Shiraz 2010 ($65). Not surprisingly, tasters preferred the powerful d’Arenberg wine. But for less than a third of the price, Serafino gives the more-ish, ripe and earthy flavours and soft, savoury tannins of McLaren Vale shiraz.

Madfish Premium White 2013$13.30–$18
Great Southern and Margaret River, Western Australia
Behind the vague “premium white” name lurks a decent dry white, made mainly from chardonnay grown in very good Western Australia’s vineyard regions. The wine shows the bright, fresh, citrus-like flavours of chardonnay fermented in stainless steel, rather than oak barrels. Although semillon comprises just four per cent of the blend, its presence shows in the aroma and, to a lesser extent, in the zesty, smooth-textured palate. Madfish is the budget brand of the Burch family’s Howard Park Wines.

Freeman Nebbiolo 2012 $35
Freeman Altura vineyard, Hilltops, NSW
In 2012, Brian Freeman coaxed something wonderful out of Piedmont’s noble and notoriously difficult red variety, nebbiolo. He writes, “Five years ago we decided to graft nebbiolo onto dry-grown 40-year-old pinot noir vines, effectively tapping into amazing vine maturity. Subsequently, the ideal 2012 season produced low yields of fully ripe nebbiolo grapes with exceptional flavour and balance”. The wine shows nebbiolo’s typically pale colour, floral- and -savoury aroma and taut, firmly tannic, medium bodied palate. Delicious, ripe fruit flavours push teasingly through those tannins ahead of the firm, savoury, lingering finish. This is an elegant, distinctive red well removed in style from Australia’s generally fleshy styles.

Mount Majura Vineyard Shiraz 2013 $32
Mount Majura vineyard, Canberra District, ACT
In a recent masked tasting of 2013-vintage Canberra shirazes, Mount Majura was one of the deepest coloured, fullest bodied and, at 15 per cent, probably one of the most alcoholic of 21 wines. In that fairly rushed tasting I ranked it about bronze medal standard, with the caveat that wines of this dimension require bottle age. A week later judges at the local show perhaps felt the same when they awarded it a bronze medal. However, a more leisurely tasting, with the bottle open for a few days, revealed a big but harmonious wine with great depth of bright, spicy fruit flavour and silky tannins. Based on that tasting, I’m shifting up to a silver medal score and suspect the wine will distinguish itself after more bottle age.

Hardys The Chronicles Butcher’s Gold Shiraz 2012 $15.99
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Hardys is now part of Accolade Wines, controlled by Champ Private Equity, and headquartered at Reynella, South Australia, home of the former Hardy Wine Company. Reynella is next door to McLaren, where Thomas Hardy founded Hardys in 1853. That the winemakers know a little about McLaren Vale shiraz shows in this delicious new Butcher’s Gold release. It’s a rich, full red wine, built on ripe, earthy shiraz flavours with the savouriness and soft but pervasive tannins we expect of the region.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2014
First published 7 October 2014 in goodfood.com.au and 8 October 2014 in the Canberra Times

Hardys Chronicles “The Gamble” Limestone Coast Chardonnay 2014 $15.99
The press release sketches a tenuous connection between Hardys “The Chronicles” range and the company’s nineteenth-century founder Thomas Hardy. In fact, this is a thoroughly modern, realistically priced wine, made by people who also make one of Australia’s finest chardonnays, Eileen Hardy. Grapes are sourced from South Australia’s vast Limestone Coast (all of the state south of the Murray and immediately west of the Victorian border). The result is a bright and fresh wine of rich but fine texture, built on the region’s melon-like varietal flavours. Presumably Padthaway fruit contributes much to the flavour. This area was also source of fruit for the early Eileen Hardy chardonnays.

Hardys Chronicles “Seventh Green” Langhorne Creek–Coonawarra
Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 2014 $15.99
Hardys new Seventh Green neatly combines the characteristics of cabernet sauvignon from Langhorne Creek (near Lake Alexandrina) and Coonawarra, a couple of hours’ drive to the south on the Limestone Coast. Both regions produce cabernet of outstanding varietal definition: Langhorne Creek in a slightly fuller, fleshier style; Coonawarra in a more concentrated, firm and elegant style. The combination produces a modestly priced cabernet of striking varietal definition, both in its blackcurrant and slightly leafy character and fine, firm backbone of tannin. With wider distribution the price may be subject to discounting.

Soumah Single Vineyard Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2013 $29–$31
Soumah, from Gruyere, Yarra Valley, makes its pinot noir from three different clones of the variety. Soumah’s Brett Butcher writes, “the traditional MV6 clone gives minerality and a broad fruit profile while the Pommard adds good structure and elegance. The 777 then brings a dollop of well-rounded, juicy raspberry and cherry flavours with a bright dose of fine acid”. What the drinker beholds is an elegant pinot, built on vibrant red-berry varietal flavours, fresh acidity, smooth texture and fine tannins, derived both from the fruit and oak casks.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2014
First published 4 October 2014 in canberratimes.com.au
and 5 October 2014 in the Sunday Canberra Times

John Duval Wines Entity Shiraz 2012 $40.85–$50
Krondorf, Greenock and Eden Valley, Barossa, South Australia
Former Grange makers John Duval sources fruit for Entity from the Krondorf and Greenock sub-regions of the Barossa Valley and a portion from the elevated, cooler Eden Valley to the east. The combination yields a vibrant shiraz in the generous, sweet-fruited Barossa style, but with an elegant structure and drink-now appeal. The supple, juicy fruit flavours incorporate the spice, savouriness and fine structural tannins of high quality fine-grained French oak. Entity provides extraordinarily satisfying drinking now. But the sheer freshness of the fruit and solid underlying tannin structure suggest a long and lovely evolution with bottle age.

Red Knot by Shingleback Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 $11.39–$15
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Red Knot Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Davey family’s Shingleback vineyard, McLaren Vale, evokes words like ripe, juicy, fruity, varietal and soft – a bright, fresh, flavoursome, lovable, red made to enjoy now. But it’s a bit more than that, too – a great example of the sophistication of modern Australian winemaking. Why? Despite the low price it’s not propped up by over-extraction, over oaking or over-ripeness as we used to see. It’s a graceful, lovely, modestly priced wine, based on fruit quality not winemaking tricks.

Andrew Thomas Six Degrees Semillon 2014 $23
Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Hunter Valley semillon’s a logical candidate for low-alcohol winemaking. The dry versions deliver ripe flavours but often register at around 10–11 per cent alcohol, considerably below the 12–14 per cent we normally see in Australian whites. Arresting the fermentation before the yeasts gobble up all the grape sugar produces wines of even lower alcohol content. In Six Degrees, Andrew Thomas achieves just 8.7 per cent alcohol while leaving a fairly high level of unfermented grape sugar. However, the high acidity of the early-picked grapes offsets the sweetness by injecting young semillon’s typical lemony tartness. It’s a delicious combination.

Ulithorne Corsus Vermentinu 2013 $34
Corsica, France
McLaren Vale based Ulithorne makes and imports this wine from the French Island of Corsica. Vermentinu, known in Australia as vermentino, has grown in the vicinity, notably in Sardinia and Liguria, for many centuries. Winemaker Rose Kentish’s version presents a more herbal, spicy and savoury version of the variety than Australian efforts to date. It offers a fine but chewy texture, exotic herbal flavours and bone-dry, refreshing finish.

Mount Majura Riesling 2014 $27
Mount Majura vineyard, Canberra District, ACT
Mount Majura 2014 riesling follows broadly in the style of other Canberra 2014s tasted to date. The first impression of aromatic and delicious, full-throttle varietal flavour changes a little as the wine’s high acidity becomes apparent. The acidity makes the palate refreshing and works very well with food. But unaccompanied by food, the wine’s acidity tends to be a little austere, even though winemaker Frank van de Loo left a little residual grape sugar behind to temper the acidity. A few more months in bottle should amplify the fruit flavour, further offsetting the acidity.

Lark Hill Biodynamic Shiraz Viognier 2013 $30
Lark Hill Dark Horse vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, NSW
In mid September, the Canberra District Vignerons Association held a tasting of Canberra shirazes, split into four groupings: 2013 vintage, 2009 vintage, 2005 vintage, and a mixed class from 2000, 1998, 1996, 1994 1992 and 1990. With only a few exceptions, 21 wines from 2013 confirmed the exceptional quality of this vintage. Many wines, including Lark Hill, showed the superior fruit quality and ripe, velvety tannins of the benign season. Lark Hill combines bright red-berry fruit with typical Canberra spice and a touch of pepper. A small portion of viognier in the blend adds to the richness and texture of the palate. The wine is young and unevolved at present but we can expect it to blossom with a little bottle age.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2014
First published:
30 September 2014 at goodfood.com.au
1 October 2014 in the Canberra Times

Yellow Tail Chardonnay 2014 $8.55–$10
The Casella family doesn’t reveal the source of grapes for its popular chardonnay, but we can safely guess it comes from many vineyards across south-eastern Australia, with a large component from the warm, high-yielding irrigation areas. It’s a smart wine, produced to the best quality possible for the volume produced and sub-$10 pricing. Made in the fresh, modern style, it offers tropical-, citrus- and stone-fruit-like varietal flavour on a full but lively and fresh palate. The winemaking techniques also give the wine a richer texture, say, than riesling or sauvignon blanc, as you’d expect in chardonnay.

Nick O’Leary Bolaro Canberra District Shiraz 2013 $55
Nick O’Leary’s makes Bolaro from Great Western clone shiraz, grown on Wayne and Jennie Fischer’s Nanima vineyard, to the east of Murrumbateman. His 2013 vintage, due for release in October, reveals the great flavour intensity and solid tannin structure produced by these outstanding vines. A quick encounter with the wine hints at the delicious, spicy fruit held by those firm tannins. Tasted over a couple of days, however, the fruit’s alluring sweetness reveals itself fully, albeit integrated with the wine’s spicy, savoury character and beautiful tight but silky tannins.

Wilson Watervale Riesling 2014 $19
John Wilson originally established vines in the Clare Valley’s Polish Hill sub-region. Today, his son Daniel makes several Clare Valley riesling, including this one from the valley’s southernmost sub-region, Watervale. Daniel Wilson writes, “To the east of Watervale lies a narrow band of vineyards rooted in a base of pure white limestone. After tasting the wines of Watervale for more than a decade, we formed the opinion that the most powerful, aromatic wines from this Clare sub-region originate from this band of limestone”. Wilson 2014 delivers Watervale’s floral and lime-like aromas and flavours on a full but finely structured, delicate, dry palate.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2014
First published:
27 September 2014, canberratimes.com.au
28 September 2014, Canberra Times Relax

Mount Majura Graciano 2013 $27
Mt Majura vineyard, Canberra District, ACT
“Graciano has a huge number of synonyms in Spain and all around the Mediterranean, suggesting it is an old and widespread variety”, write Jancis Robinson and Jose Vouillamoz. They also note it, “is valued for its acidity and perfume”. Mount Majura’s Frank van de Loo refers to it as “a minor variety in Rioja [Spain], considered to be very high quality and used in blends for its good acidity”. Thankfully, van de Loo spares a small amount from the blending vat as it unquestionably makes a fine, distinctive wine in its own right: crimson coloured, impressively perfumed and with a rich, supple, slightly peppery palate. The excellent 2013 vintage won a gold medal at this year’s Winewise Small Vignerons Awards.

Tahbilk Roussanne Marsanne Viognier 2013 $25
Tahbilk vineyard, Nagambie Lakes, Victoria
In recent years Tahbilk planted the Rhone Valley white varieties, roussanne and viognier, alongside their extensive marsanne holdings. The latter had been cultivated on the property continuously since 1927 to become a notable Tahbilk specialty. A recently released blend of the three varieties could appeal widely. It’s based on the comparatively understated roussanne (40 per cent of the blend) with the more assertive marsanne (34 per cent) and powerful viognier (26 per cent) contributing to, but not overwhelming the blend. The result is a richly textured, fairly full-bodied dry white with distinct notes of citrus and honey.

Four Winds Shiraz 2013 $25
Four Winds vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, NSW
Graeme and Suzanne Lunney planted their 13-hectare vineyard during the Hardy period in the late nineties. Today it’s a broader family business involving two daughters and their husbands: Sarah and John Collingwood and Jaime and Bill Crowe. Four Winds fruit is highly valued by other growers in the district. And in the Four Winds winery, Bill and Jaime Crowe make very good wine, including this very tasting shiraz from the excellent 2013 vintage. It’s a highly aromatic red, built on cherry-like varietal flavours, seasoned with spice and a touch of pepper. The palate is medium bodied and soft, for current drinking.

Ravensworth Pinot Gris 2014 $25
Murrumbateman, Canberra District, NSW
Many a person’s been changed by a trip to Byron Bay. For Canberra vigneron Bryan Martin it meant a newfound running career and a 700-litre, egg-shaped ceramic fermentation vessel. Ever the experimenter, Martin sourced pinot gris grapes from neighbouring Long Rail Gully vineyard and let the ferment rip in the new calcium-rich egg. The result: a rich, smooth-textured white with the pear-like flavour of the variety and a fresh, citrusy tang to the finish.

Ravensworth Riesling 2014$ 25
Canberra District, NSW
Ravensworth tastes so very young now, its youth underscored by a high acidity that accentuates the lemon-and-lime varietal flavour. A very small amount of residual grape sugar adds a little flesh to what might otherwise have been an austere palate. Winemaker Bryan Martin attributes the wine’s texture partially to barrel fermentation of a small component. Even at this early stage of the wine’s development, I’m scoring it at silver-medal level, but suspect we’ll see it winning gold medals at wine shows in the months ahead as the fruit flavours build.

Domenica Shiraz 2012 $40–$44
Domenica vineyards, Beechworth, Victoria
Peter Graham’s Domenica provides yet another expression of Australia’s great red specialty. Medium body and fine tannins can be assumed in well-made shiraz from Beechworth’s comparatively cool climate. But Domenica separates itself from other cool-grown shiraz by its secondary flavours – reminiscent of leather, earth and bacon rind. These flavours season the underlying fruity and spicy varietal flavours, adding real interest to an harmonious, soft and thoroughly enjoyable wine.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2014
First published 23 September 2014 in goodfood.com.au and 24 September 2014 in the Canberra Times