Pipers Brook Riesling 2014 $34
Pipers Brook vineyard, Tasmania
Tasmania may well become Australia’s premier riesling-growing region, upstaging the variety’s traditional heartland of the Clare and Eden Valleys, South Australia. OK, let’s include comparative newcomers, Canberra District and Great Southern, Western Australia, too. For Tasmania, the question remains whether the whole island gets in on the act, or if the stars emerge from north, south or the east coast. Tasmanian veteran, Pipers Brook stakes its claim with this full-flavoured but delicate, high-acid riesling. Ironically, it weighs in with higher alcohol (13 per cent) than many of its warm-climate peers on the mainland. The alcohol contributes to the full flavour, but can’t push its head through the racy, citrusy flavours and comparatively austere acidity. Should age well for many years.

Bremerton Special Release Malbec 2013 $24
Bremerton vineyard, Langhorne Creek, South Australia
Langhorne Creek’s broad-acre vineyards contrast with the scattered, smaller plots seen in regions like the Canberra district. The Willson family’s 117-hectare Bremerton vineyard, while sizeable for a private holding, looks small compared to other holdings in the district, including Pernod-Ricard’s 300-plus hectare site, a major source for Jacob’s Creek wines. Sisters Lucy and Rebecca Willson make and market Bremerton wine from the family property but also sell fruit to other winemakers. The sisters’ special release malbec 2013, a blend from favoured barrels, offers the fragrant, plummy richness of the variety, complete with firm but rounded tannins and the spicy effect of maturation in Hungarian oak. It’s available at bremerton.com.au.

Golden Ball Shiraz 2012 $50–$55
Golden Ball Vineyard, Beechworth, Victoria
James and Janine McLaurin’s elegant, intensely savoury, highly distinctive shiraz sits comfortably within our preconceptions of Beechworth wine. Since Rick Kinzbrunner (Giaconda Wines) set the standard decades ago, the region proved an irresistible magnet for others with near fanatic perfectionism. And perfectionism has its price – based on low volumes and high production costs. The market generally supports Beechworth’s high prices. And in silky, savoury, more-ish wines like Golden Ball Shiraz 2013 you’ll find no argument from me. Limited distribution and sales, including at goldenball.com.au.

Mount Horrocks Shiraz 2013  $34–$40
Mount Horrocks vineyard, Watervale, South Australia
Stephanie Toole’s 2013 shiraz tastes slightly fuller and juicier than the lovely 2012 reviewed last year. It provides an interesting contrast to the Golden Ball 2012 reviewed today – and demonstrates the great diversity of styles now being made in Australia. Toole’s wine shimmers with bright, ripe fruit character, but there’s much more to it. The fruit comes deeply layered with soft tannins and a slick, chewy mid-palate, enriched by maturation in good quality oak barrels. It’s a generous warm-climate shiraz without that sits joyously on the palate.

Cross Stitch Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 $15
McLaren Vale and Coonawarra, South Australia
Some of Australia’s greatest reds have been blends of the Bordeaux variety, cabernet sauvignon, and Rhone Valley variety, shiraz. No one did it better than Grange creator, Max Schubert, with his fabulous, long-lived combinations of Barossa shiraz with Coonawarra cabernet. The practice continues today. In Cross Stitch, Angove’s winemakers effectively combine shiraz from McLaren Vale with cabernet from Coonawarra. The medium bodied wine shimmers with fresh fruit flavours, cut with the cabernet’s fine, firm tannins. While shiraz gives generosity, cabernet makes the wine leaner and tighter. It’s a pleasing style at a good price

Mad Fish Premium White 2014 $13.30–$18
Margaret River, Great Southern and Geographe, Western Australia
Behind the vague “premium white” name lurks a decent dry white, made entirely from chardonnay grown in the south west of Western Australia. The wine shows the bright, fresh, citrus-like flavours of chardonnay fermented in stainless steel, rather than oak barrels. An exotic note of passionfruit adds even more appeal to this rich, vibrant, all-purpose dry white. Affordable unoaked chardonnay has come along under the winemakers at Burch Family Wines, owners of Mad Fish, Howard Park, and Marchand and Burch.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2015
First published 10 June 2015 in the Canberra Times and goodfood.com.au

Evans and Tate Metricup Road Margaret River Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2013 $17.10–$24
Evans and Tate – founded in 1974 at Metricup Road, Margaret River – now belongs to Griffith-based McWilliams Wines, giving the brand much-needed stability and distribution. The wine’s prime focus is on the dazzling fresh fruit flavours of semillon and sauvignon blanc. In Margaret River, that takes on a, herbaceous, pungent dimension, reminiscent of cut grass, canned peas, lemongrass and lemon. However, winemaker Matt Byrne allowed a portion of the blend to ferment spontaneously in oak barrels and mature there on yeast lees. This added a textural richness which fattens the mid palate and adds to the overall interest of the wine.

Heartland Langhorne Creek Spice Trader Red 2013 $14–$16
In Heartland Spice Trader, the Langhorne Creek region (located near Lake Alexandrina) demonstrates why Australia’s winemakers fall over each other for its grapes. The area’s broad-acre vineyards produce large volumes of high-quality grapes that convert to rich, juicy, inexpensive wine. In Spice Trader, winemaker Ben Glaetzer captures the bright, varietal character of both varieties and beautifully balances the earthy, ripe flavours and softness of shiraz with the backbone and elegant structure of cabernet. This is very, very good wine at a bargain price.

Voyager Estate Margaret River Girt by Sea Cabernet Merlot 2012 $21.90–$28
Girt by Sea delivers an affordable and delightful, drink-now expression of the region’s great red specialty. Blended principally from cabernet and merlot (sometimes with a splash each of shiraz and malbec), it’s a rich but elegant, fine-boned red, based on sweet, ripe, red-berry flavours, with an attractive overly of cedar and tobacco-like character that seems to come partly from the oak and partly from the varietal blend. The very good 2012 vintage seems up to the very high quality of the 2011 vintage reviewed last year.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2015
First published 6 and 7 June 2015 in goodfood.com.au and the Canberra Times

Blue Pyrenees Shiraz 2012
$14.95–$18
Blue Pyrenees vineyard, Pyrenees, Victoria
Every so often a wine comes along that runs off the value-for-money scale. The latest, Blue Pyrenees Shiraz 2012, provided camp-fired comfort during a wintery outdoor party. The bottle sat unloved on the bar, ignored as other reds came and went. What turned people off; perhaps the blue capsule or the unprepossessing label? Ah, but the wine inside couldn’t have been better for the occasion: medium bodied, fruity, spicy and savoury all at once – and oh, so soft, gentle and more-ish. It’s a triumph for the bargain hunter, and a salutary lesson not to judge wine by its label. A string of gold medals and trophies (awarded out of sight of the label) confirm the wine’s drink-now appeal.

Jacob’s Creek Riesling 2014 $9–$12
Barossa Valley, Langhorne Creek, Clare and Eden Valleys, South Australia
From Blue Pyrenees, a label many may never have seen, we come to Jacob’s Creek, a brand as familiar as Vegemite, but also delivering amazing quality for the price. And little wonder. The grapes come from the best South Australian addresses for the variety (Barossa, Clare and Eden Valleys) and, increasingly, from Langhorne Creek, to the south near Lake Alexandrina. Jacob’s Creek 2014 shows the floral and citrus aroma and flavours of riesling on a brilliantly fresh, dry palate. A very good riesling, but modestly priced, Jacob’s Creek often outscores pricier products in wine shows.

Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2014 $11.90–$20
Hunter Valley, NSW
In another time and labelled as riesling, not semillon, Elizabeth rated among the biggest selling white wines in Australia. Sometime during the switch from generic to varietal labelling (but not because of it) Elizabeth’s popularity waned. Yet it remains much the same, if a little brighter, fresher and younger at release. The aroma suggests lemongrass, and the light, bone-dry, lemony palate appeals in its tart, zesty, savoury and idiosyncratic way. Some will love this style; others may hate it. Watch for the retail specials and confidently cellar it to enjoy the extra richness age brings.

Red Knot by Shingleback Shiraz 2014 $12.40–$15
McLaren Vale, South Australia
The Davey family of Shingleback Wines, McLaren Vale, makes Red Knot for export markets, cellar door sales and for retail in Australia exclusively by Woolworths (Dan Murphy, BWS and Woolworths Liquor). They make an equivalent and interchangeable wine, Vin Vale by Shingleback, for Woolies’ archrival, Coles (Vintage Cellars, 1^st Choice and Liquorland). Shingleback’s winemakers reliably capture the ripe, earthy flavours of McLaren Vale shiraz, with its savoury undertones and soft, drink-now tannins.

Wolf Blass Yellow Label Chardonnay 2014 $9.40–$16
Padthaway and Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Wolf Blass made his first Yellow Label wines in 1966 and over time built one of Australia’s enduring wine brands, loved for their fruitiness and soft, easy drinkability. Blass sold the business decades ago, but the brand lives on under the ownership of Treasury Wine Estates. A recent note from winemaker Chris Hatcher says the wines now all bear regional labels. The delicious 2014 chardonnay, for example, combines from Padthaway (an hour’s drive north of Coonawarra) and Adelaide Hills, on the Mount Lofty Ranges, abutting Adelaide’s eastern suburbs. It’s an amazingly good, bright, loveable chardonnay, often discounted to around $10 a bottle.

Moppity Vineyards Lock and Key Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 $14–$18
Moppity vineyard, Hilltops, NSW
In 2004 Jason and Alecia Brown bought the 78-hectare Moppity Vineyard from the receivers. Established in 1973, and the second oldest in Hilltops, the vineyard was mature but run down. After much TLC in the vineyard, and several changes of contract winemaker, we’re seeing a period of stability – and the best wines yet from what is clearly an outstanding vineyard. This is perhaps best seen when a great vintage like 2013 comes along. For a modest sum, Lock and Key provides a pure, fruity expression of cabernet, with cassis-like flavour, subtle, complementary oak and an elegant structure. You get a lot of wine for the price.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2015
First published 2 and 3 June 2015 in goodfood.com.au and the Canberra Times

Heartland Langhorne Creek Dolcetto and Lagrein 2013 $20–$22
Heartland produces a unique blend of dolcetto – an inky deep, low-acid, aromatic Piedmontese red variety – and lagrein, a sometimes rustic, grippy variety from the Alto Adige region, in Italy’s north-east. Winemaker Ben Glaetzer says he captures dolcetto’s fresh, floral notes by fermenting and maturing it in stainless steel. On the other hand, he tames the lagrein component by maturing it in French oak barrels following fermentation. The result is a deeply coloured red, rippling with bright, juicy fruit flavours and cut through with assertive though soft tannins. This is Glaetzer’s tenth vintage of the blend – a 50:50 combination in 2013.

Clonakilla Canberra District Viognier 2014 $45
Although best known for its benchmark shiraz–viognier blend, Clonakilla also sits in the top ranks of Australia’s viognier makers. In warmer climes Rhone Valley white variety tends to make rich, oily whites that age prematurely and taste distinctly of apricots. These can be impressive on the first sip, but, like gewurtztraminer, can be just too much before the bottom of the bottle approaches. Clonakilla’s barrel-fermented version is another beast indeed: rich, plush and velvety but in a restrained, loveable way, featuring subtle, delicious ginger-like flavours. Thanks to a severe frost in late 2013, Tim Kirk produced very little viognier in 2014.

Chalmers Heathcote Nero d’Avola 2013 $29
The Chalmers family cultivates a range of so-called alternative varieties in their vineyards at Merbein (near Mildura) and Heathcote, Victoria. Bruce Chalmers was one of the founders of the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show, which grew from 28 entries in 1999 to the current 600. Their vineyard at Heathcote includes the Sicilian variety nero d’Avola, noted for its deep colour, full body, ageing potential and ability to withstand hot, dry conditions. The medium- to deep-coloured 2013 shows a combination of funky and vibrant fruit characters and a taut, tannic palate, very much in the Italian mould.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2015
First published 30 and 31 May 2015 in goodfood.com.au and the Canberra Times

Hahndorf Hill Winery Blueblood Blaufrankisch 2013
Hahndorf Hill vineyard, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
$40
Today’s selection of lesser-known wine varieties begins with the Austro-Hungarian red, blaufrankisch. It’s a significant variety around Wurttemberg, Germany; the second most widely planted red variety in Austria; and even more widely cultivated in Hungary. It arrived at Hahndorf Hill in the early 1990s. And from 2008, under new owners Larry Jacobs and Marc Dobson, graduated from the blending vat to star on its own. The 2013 offers delicious drinking – akin to pinot noir in its medium body and gamey dimension (albeit without the finesse) – but its own beast altogether in its blueberry- and cassis-like flavours and grippy, fine tannins.

Fox Gordon Dark Prince Nero d’Avola 2013
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
$24.95
Sicily’s most widely planted red variety makes a range of styles in its adopted Australian homes: from the elegant and savoury Chalmers, grown in Heathcote, Victoria, to this tremendously fruity Adelaide Hills style. Fruit pulses from the glass with intense, cassis- and jube-like sweetness. On the palate, the succulent fruit combines with the variety’s substantial but friendly tannins to give a memorable sensory experience. You will either love or hate this distinctive red, made by Natasha Mooney.

Di Giorgio Montepulciano 2014
Mundulla, Limestone Coast, South Australia
$23
Montepulciano is widely grown in Italy, but perhaps best known for the wholesome, rustic reds it makes in Abruzzi under the appellation Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Several Australian vignerons cultivate the variety in warmer regions. And now we have the di Giorgio family’s appealing version from milder Mundulla on the Limestone Coast, near Bordertown. Winemaker Bryan Tonkin let’s the fresh, bright summer-berry flavours shine through – before the variety’s tannins descend, drying out the palate with a fierce but friendly tweak.

Hesketh Negroamaro 2013
Kalleske vineyard, Koonunga Hill, Barossa Valley, South Australia
$25
Jonathon Hesketh and Phil Lehmann make a range of wines from traditional and alternative varieties, including Portugal’s touriga, Spain’s tempranillo and Italy’s negroamaro. From Puglia, southern Italy, negroamaro tends to make full, fruity wines to drink young. Hesketh 2013 fits that general description in a vigorous, fresh, clean Australian way. Fruit flavour, reminiscent of ripe, dark cherries, gives the palate a dense, deep sweetness, which is offset by mildly astringent, drying tannins.

Chalmers Fiano
Chalmers vineyard, Heathcote, Victoria
$33
“Fiano is an old [white] variety from Campania in southern Italy whose presence was first mentioned as early as 1240”, write Jancis Robinson and Jose Vouillamoz in Wine grapes, a complete guide to 1,368 varieties, including their origins and flavours. Though susceptible to mildew, fiano copes well with heat and is now well established in several Australian vineyards, where it makes characterful, full-flavoured wines. The Chalmers’ family, partly barrel-fermented version, from Heathcote, looks young and fresh at three years. It packs a big, fresh load of melon-rind and citrus-like flavours on a full, richly textured, dry palate.

Picpoul de Pinet (Domaine de la Majone) 2014
Languedoc, France
$24–$26
France’s picpoul de pinet appellation stretches from Pezenas, in the Languedoc hinterland, southeast to Sete on the Mediterranean. The region’s white grape variety, officially piquepoul blanc, produces acidic, lemony, dry whites, well suited to the local oysters. Indeed, producers market their wines under the slogan son terroir, c’est la mer (its territory is the sea). Melbourne’s heartandsoil.com.au imports this outstanding expression of the style: aromatic, citrusy and tangy with the acidic thrust and pleasantly tart bite to handle briny bivalves.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2015
First published 26 and 27 May 2015 in goodfood.com.au and the Canberra Times

Bowen Estate Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 $28.49–$35
Doug Bowen tends the vines and daughter Emma makes the wines. The much-loved, distinctive reds sit at the burly end of Coonawarra’s generally elegant style. In the warm 2013 vintage, that means an inky deep, ripe expression of cabernet. Remarkably, despite the wine’s power and richness, it retains pure cabernet varietal flavours, reminiscent of cassis, with no sign of porty, over-ripe character. It’s saturated with deep, luscious fruit flavour and, despite its 15.5-per-cent alcohol content, retains Coonawarra’s distinguishing elegant structure. Provided the cork seal holds, it should evolve for many years in a cool cellar. Dear Doug and Emma, please switch to screw cap.

Following publication of this review, I received this note about corks and screw caps from Joy Bowen, wife of Doug, mother of Emma:

Dear Chris,
 
Thank you for the write up in the Sunday Canberra Times.
 
We are perhaps remiss in not letting you know that we have been
bottling our red wines with cork or screw cap closures for
at least the last ten years.  Members of our mailing list and cellar door
tasters can purchase there preference – and to date cork closure sales are winning.
We also have found that the cork closure has stood above the screw cap in all of our tastings,
that is not just our preference but with trade and consumers tasters.
 
The once seemingly inherent and prolific problems with cork is being
addressed in earnest by cork producers and as the quality of cork improves we
feel that the prevalence of ‘cork taint’ is decreasing.  Cork producers are
very conscious of their market share loss and are actively pursuing a ‘clean
green and best’ closure.  
 
Hope this helps and in future we will send you our wine with screw cap closures only
 
Yours in wine
 
Joy Bowen

Zeppelin Eden Valley Riesling 2014 $17–$21
Typical of the 2014 vintage, Zeppelin riesling offers loads of upfront fruit flavour. The floral and citrus aroma suggests a wine of great richness, and the palate obliges. Here the citrus element of riesling’s varietal character takes over, both in its lemon–lime flavour and a sharp, thrilling cut and bite, like fresh-squeezed lemon juice. The lemony twist, however, never descends into sourness. Rather, it creates a delicious tension with the sweet, juicy, grape flavours. Like most Eden Valley rieslings of this caliber, Zeppelin should evolve in bottle for four or five years in the right conditions.

Heartland Langhorne Creek Shiraz 2013 $18–$20
Heartland’s owners, Ben Glaetzer, Grant Tilbrook and Scott Collett acknowledge the influence of Glaetzer’s uncle, John Glaetzer, in drawing most of their fruit from Langhorne. As long-time Wolf Blass winemaker, John Glaetzer exploited the clear varietal character and plush mid-palate of the region’s red varieties. John now assesses and buys grapes for Heartland and nephew Ben makes the wines. In the warm 2013 vintage, Heartland shiraz shows rich, ripe and soft side of shiraz, with sufficient tannin to give structure and drinking satisfaction.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2015
First published 23 and 24 May 2015 in goodfood.com.au and the Canberra Times

Ross Hill Pinnacle Series Shiraz 2013
Ross Hill Griffin Road vineyard, Orange, NSW
$40
A year ago, as the 2014 bubbled along in its small, open fermenter, winemaker Phil Kerney drew samples of the 2013 from the French oak barriques they were resting in. A year on, and in bottle, the wine blended from all those barrels impresses even more than any of the individual samples did. Dazzling, aromatic fruit and a buoyant, youthful palate headline a much deeper wine. Gamey notes and a hint of stalkiness (from the inclusion of whole bunches in the ferment) build on the vibrant fruit. Finally, silky tannins, derived from the skins, stalks and oak give the wine texture and a solid backbone. This is an exceptional, medium bodied, cool-climate shiraz, requiring another year or two in bottle to blossom. I suspect it’ll continue to evolve in lovely ways for many years.

Peter Lehmann Portrait Riesling 2014
Eden Valley, South Australia
$12.95–$18
The last few years have been a tumultuous time for Peter Lehmann wines. Founder Peter Lehmann died in June 2013. A year later his son Doug, a former managing director and current non-executive chairman, died. Then in November 2014, Casella Wines, owners of Yellow Tail, bought Lehmann from the Hess Group Australia and minority shareholders, including Peter Lehmann’s widow, Margaret. However, under the new ownership, we’ll continue to enjoy Peter Lehmann wines, including this zesty, dry riesling from the Eden Valley. It’s full flavoured, light bodied (at only 11 per-cent alcohol) and should drink well over the next four or five years.

El Toro Macho Tempranillo 2013
Utiel Requena, Valencia, Spain
$4.99
Aldi’s el cheapo red comes from Spain, home of tempranillo. It’s a clean, fresh version of the variety, with all the focus on fruit flavour, and no sign of oak or other winemaking add-ons. Grape tannins give a gentle bite to the finish of this medium-bodied, easy drinking red. Aldi shows its understanding of the Australian market by importing stock sealed with screw caps – a quality standard rival retailer Costco might emulate for its Australian customers.

Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Great Southern and Margaret River, Western Australia
$90.25–$113
Owner Jeff Burch notes a connection between Howard Park’s first cabernet, made from Great Southern fruit in 1986, and his company’s flagship Abercrombie. The early wines, made by John Wade (maker, too, of the legendary Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 1982), came from Great Southern vines planted in the mid seventies. Burch now owns those old vines, which join Margaret River material in Abercrombie. It’s a class act from the first sniff: seductively floral cabernet marries seamlessly with sweet oak in the aroma and on the extraordinarily concentrated but harmonious and elegant palate.

Lark Hill Riesling 2014
Lark Hill vineyard, Lake George escarpment, Canberra District, NSW
$35
Lark Hill’s riesling vines, planted in 1978, sit a couple of hundred metres higher than most of their Canberra district peers. The higher altitude means cooler, later ripening and, for the resultant wine, subtle flavour and structural differences to those grown on lower, warmer sites. This shows, to my taste, as an apple-like tartness and flavour mingling with the otherwise lemon- and –lime-like varietal characters. A year after vintage, the fruit really sings and, combined, with the racy acidity, gives a thrilling drink.

Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Limestone Coast, McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek, South Australia
$71.30–$80
Penfolds introduced Bin 407 as a cheaper cellar mate to its $350 flagship Bin 707 cabernet. Bin 707, like its shiraz counterpart, Grange, offers enormous depth, power and very long term cellaring potential. Bin 407, on the other hand, shows a more approachable and purely varietal face of cabernet – albeit in the sturdy Penfolds mould. The 2012 vintage combines the variety’s ripe, cassis-like flavours with subtle herbaceous notes, reminiscent of tomato leaf. Deep, strong tannins intersect with the fruit, giving layered, multi-dimensional flavours and textures and firm finish.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2015
First published 19 and 20 May in goodfood.com.au and the Canberra Times

Coriole McLaren Vale Sangiovese 2013 $22–$25
What to drink with Tuesday night pizza? Tongue and Groove’s short wine list offered several tempting drops. But we settled for Coriole sangiovese, the Italian variety grown and made in McLaren Vale by the Lloyd family. They planted sangiovese in 1985 and over the years, they’ve polished it to a high standard. In the excellent 2013 vintage, the wine offers delicious plush, juicy fruit flavours, with an underlying savouriness, but softer tannins than we expect from the variety. The fruity softness made it appealing even before the food arrived. And the savouriness sat well with the rich pizza flavours.

Kirrihill Vineyard Selection Watervale Riesling 2014 $20
Kirribilli offers a range of wines sourced from vineyards in the Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills. Their riesling comes from two vineyards at Watervale, at the southern end of the Clare Valley. For a fair price it delivers the region’s floral and citrus-like aromas, intense, lime-like flavour and racy, dry finish. Despite its flavour intensity, the wine remains light-bodied, at 11 per-cent alcohol, and pleasingly delicate. The fruit purity, aromatics and delicacy come down to gentle grape handling and protective winemaking techniques.

Gallagher Canberra District Riesling 2014 $22
Good on the Hellenic Club for offering a local wine of this calibre by the glass. Like other Canberra 2014 vintage rieslings, Gallagher offers highly perfumed, floral aromas, with generous, juicy, citrus-like varietal flavours. However, there’s a gentle delicacy to the palate and a zingy acidity that makes it impressively vibrant and fresh. A modest alcohol content of 11.4 per cent adds to its drinking appeal. Based on many earlier vintages, you can enjoy this wine for its youthful fruitiness now, or follow its flavour evolution over the next four or five years – perhaps longer in a cool, dark cellar.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2015
First published 16 and 17 May in goodfood.com.au and the Canberra Times

Clonakilla Pinot Noir 2014 $55
Clonakilla vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, NSW
“Pinot’s the holy grail”, says Clonakilla’s Tim Kirk, “and the general wisdom is you can’t make great pinot noir in Canberra”. But after producing pinot for decades, only to blend it into the flagship shiraz-viognier, Kirk made small, separate batches from 2011. He used fruit from vines planted in 1978 by his father, John Kirk, and two plots he planted in 2007 and 2008. “They were always good and interesting wines but not great”, says Kirk, though they improved a little with each vintage. However, the 2014 stands convincingly on its own – an exciting, irresistible wine, displaying the many dimensions of good pinot: sweet fragrance, layers of fruit, deep savoury characters (reminiscent of olive tapenade), silky texture and elegant structure. Kirk produced just two barrels, or around 80 dozen bottles.

Clonakilla Ballinderry 2013 $55
Clonakilla vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, NSW
In 1971, John Kirk planted cabernet sauvignon at Clonakilla. In 1985 and 1987 he added the related varieties cabernet franc and merlot. But in the mid nineties shiraz emerged as Clonakilla’s (and later the district’s) red specialty, forcing the cabernet blend into the background. Then along came the outstanding 2013 vintage and, to me, the best cabernet blend yet made at Clonakilla, or in Canberra. It comprises cabernet franc (42 per cent), merlot (35 per cent) and cabernet sauvignon (23 per cent) in a taut, elegant, tannic style. Only after hours of air exposure does the absolutely beautiful fruit reveal itself. And when it does, it’s irresistible, though tightly bound up in those fine tannins. It’ll probably evolve for decades. Tim Kirk believes a serendipitous extra 10 months in oak contributed to its great dimension. Disease ruled out harvesting of cabernet varieties in 2014, meaning there was no call on the barrels containing the 2013 wine.

Quarry Hill Shiraz 2013 $21
Quarry Hill vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, NSW
Hardys are long gone from Canberra, but the company left a rich legacy of high quality small vineyards inspired by their presence. Dean Terrell’s Quarry Hill vineyard, planted during the Hardy era in 1999, now sells fruit to other winemakers and makes small quantities of wine under its own label. This shiraz, made by former Hardy winemaker, Alex McKay, captures the delicious berry-and-spice character of Canberra shiraz. It’s medium bodied, in the district style, and shows a teasing, stalky twist, probably a result of including whole bunches in the ferment.

Four Winds Tom’s Block Shiraz 2013 $45
Four Winds vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, NSW
Four Winds vineyard made two very good shirazes in the outstanding 2013 vintage. Their standard shiraz, reviewed last year, offers a particularly aromatic expression of Canberra’s shiraz style. Tom’s Block, on the other hand, heads in a deeper, sturdier direction. As a selection of Four Winds’ best shiraz, it shows richer, deeper fruit flavour than the standard version. Maturation for a year in French oak barrels also built extra weight into the mid-palate, while adding its own sympathetic spicy, charry aromas and flavours.

Freeman Rondinella Corvina Secco 2010 $35
Freeman vineyard, Hilltops, NSW
Brian Freeman’s blend emulates the Amarone reds made in Valpolicella, near Verona, Italy. There, vignerons co-ferment fresh-picked and dehydrated grapes to produce distinctive reds of intense sour-cherry, prune- and port-like flavours. The best are remarkable. Freeman planted the Veronese varieties rondinella and corvina for this purpose. He sends part of the crop to a neighbour’s prune dehydrator, then ferments the dried fruit with fresh-picked material. Freeman’s 2010 presents very strong, sour-cherry- and port-like flavours, meshed with the distinct aromas and flavours of oak, on a potent and tannic palate that some will love and others will hate.

Ross Hill Pinnacle Series Chardonnay 2014 $35
Ross Hill Griffin Road vineyard, Orange, NSW
The Robson Family’s Ross Hill has emerged as the one of the hot producers of the cool Orange district. The varied altitudes (and climates) of the family’s vineyard (750 to 1000 metres) gives winemakers Phil and Rochelle Kerney an extraordinary palate of varieties to work with. Chardonnay, for example, comes from the family’s Griffin Road vineyard at 750 metres. Handpicked, whole-bunch pressed and fermented spontaneously in French oak barrels, it’s about as natural as wine gets. It showed great promise tasted from barrel about a year ago and now delivers on that promise: a seamless, plush, vibrant chardonnay, combining cool-climate, grapefruit-and-nectarine varietal flavour with the textural richness and flavour nuances derived from fermentation and maturation in barrel.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2015
First published 12 and 13 May 2015 in goodfood.com.au and the canberratimes.com.au