Hartz Barn Eden Valley Reserve General Store Riesling 2012 $25
Sydney-based Estate Wines distributes Penny Hart’s and David Barnett’s wines in NSW, including Canberra’s south-coast holiday patch. We discovered the excellent 2011 vintage riesling at Quarterdeck Restaurant, Narooma, which prompted a request to taste the even better 2012. Typical of the vintage it reveals loads of floral, round and juicy fruit flavours. But behind the fruit lies the crisp, taut acidity of the Eden Valley region – suggesting drink pleasure in the future as well as right now. It’s available online for $25 (hartzbarnwines.com.au_ and in selected restaurants along the coast for a little over $30.

Sibling Rivalry Geelong Pinot Noir 2010 $26
Sibling Rivalry, an addition to the Four Sisters brand, created by the late Trevor Mast, debuted on Chateau Shanahan’s tasting bench over the Christmas break. It’s a lovely, medium bodied pinot made to drink now and rated highly by English visitors more attuned to these lighter styles than traditional big Aussie reds. It comes from high-quality, maritime pinot country at Geelong. The winemakers applied traditional hands-on pinot techniques (like small-batch ferments and gentle hand plunging) to produce a fragrant, juicy, silky red for current drinking. It has flavour and character without heaviness.

Capital Wine Ministry Series The Swinger Sauvignon Blanc 2012 $19
Reflecting the sauvignon-blanc fatigue of so many in the wine industry (not seen in the market), Capital’s Jennie Mooney writes, “Yes, I know its just sauvignon blanc, but I want you to give this wine a little more attention please”. Well, we do. And what we find is sauvignon blanc – yelling at us with ripe, passionfruit-like aromas and flavours, plush and pleasantly tart at the same time. We think: cold salad, icy, briny oysters, as cold as the wine itself, and shade out of the 36 degree heat. Even partial barrel fermentation can’t blunt the overt sauvignon blanciness of this back slapper.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2013
First published 3 February 2013 in The Canberra Times

Dandelion Wonderland of the Eden Valley Riesling 2012 $22–$27.50
Colin Kroehn Vineyard, Eden Valley, South Australia
God knows where Colin Kroehn’s riesling grapes went before Dandelion’s bright young people came along. But since their arrival we’ve tasted some of the finest, most delicate Eden Valley riesling on offer – a particularly juicy, taut and delicate wine in the 2012 vintage. The Dandelion team includes Carl Lindner, Brad Rey, Zar Brooks and Elena Brooks, winemaker. Octogenarian Colin Kroehn tends his venerable old vines, planted in 1912.

Maipenrai Pinot Noir 2010 $34
Maipenrai vineyard, Sutton, Canberra District, New South Wales
Heavy rain before vintage split 80 per cent of the pinot grapes on Brian Schmidt’s Maipenrai vineyard. “We were spared botrytis”, writes Schmidt, “and the remaining fruit ripened under near perfect conditions. To ensure high quality, our fruit was picked by 100 people who went through the vineyard, grape by grape, and cut out all the split fruit. We were only able to produce two barrels”. It’s a successful wine and a pleasure to drink. We enjoyed it beside the Moss Wood Mornington wine, also reviewed today. They’re contrasting styles – Maipenrai offering bright, deep fruit flavours cocooned by the assertive tannins that seem to characterise the vineyard’s wines. There’s also a juicy texture, a touch of oak pushing through and a teasing, biting savoury element adding to the excitement. Available at $100 for 3 bottles at maipenrai.com.au

Moss Wood Pinot Noir 2010 $45
Dromana, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Moss Wood makes two pinots – one from estate vineyards in Margaret River, the other from Mornington Peninsula. I served the estate wine masked to a couple of experienced wine people and neither identified the variety – though we all enjoyed it as a lovely, medium-bodied dry red. The Mornington wine, on the other hand, could’ve been nothing but pinot, and a very good example of it. It’s fragrant, silky, smooth and seamless, with “pinosity”, an elusive element setting pinot apart from other red varieties.

Punt Road Chemin Chardonnay 2011 $40
Napoleone vineyard, Yarra Valley, Victoria
Punt Road’s new wine, made by Kate Goodman, comes from the oldest vines on the Napoleone family’s vineyard. The cool season naturally pushes the wine towards the lighter, finer end of the chardonnay spectrum – characteristics enhanced by hand harvesting and gentle handling. Two thirds of the wine was fermented in barrel; the remaining third on skins in tanks. As a result the wine shows the finesse and rich but soft texture resulting from barrel fermentation, with a little tweak of soft tannins from the skin contact – all held together by bright, zingy acidity.

Penny’s Hill Skeleton Key Shiraz 2010 $35
Penny’s Hill Vineyard, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Could McLaren Vale be getting the drop on its South Australian, warm-climate shiraz rival, the Barossa Valley? I’ve seen no research to support this, but over the past few years I’ve heard many casual wine drinkers talking up the Vale’s shiraz – far more than’ve spontaneously spruiked for the Barossa. The latest praise flowed over this beautiful Penny’s Hill wine, made by Ben Riggs. It shows the Vale’s generous, bright, sweet fruit flavours, backed by velvety tannins and complex earthy and savoury notes – a full-bodied, satisfying wine without the hotness or heaviness sometimes seen from warmer regions.

Hartz Barn Reserve General Store Riesling 2011 $25–$31
Eden Valley, South Australia
Chris and Robyn Scroggy’s Quarterdeck restaurant, in a converted boatshed on Wagonga Inlet, Narooma, offers fresh seafood in a beautiful, casual, quirky setting. The wine list reflects the tastes of Quarterdeck patrons, meaning we skip over a long list of sauvignon blancs (“they love Marlborough”, says Chris Scroggy) to the solitary riesling – a wine seemingly made for fish and chips. From the cold 2011 vintage, its brisk acidity cuts through the fat and salt like lemon juice, while the more delicate floral notes and fruity flavours simply add to the drinking pleasure. It’s available online and in selected restaurants on the south coast.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2013
First published 30 January 2013 in The Canberra Times

Centenary of Canberra Chardonnay Pinot Noir Cuvee Centenary $30
In 2008 a group of local winemakers produced a shiraz and a riesling for release in Canberra’s centenary year, 2013. But, writes vigneron Allan Pankhurst, “Only about 300 cases of each were produced of which half is already earmarked for use by the ACT government and key organisations for the centenary celebrations. So I thought there was both more wine needed and a more celebratory style would be complementary to the other wines. Hence the sparkling came after – from the 2011 vintage”. Canberra’s sparkling specialist, Greg Gallagher, made and blended the wine with Jeir Creek’s Rob Howell. It’s available at canberrawines.com.au/centenary.

Centenary of Canberra Riesling 2008 $30
Several of Canberra’s top riesling makers collaborated on this blend back in 2008. A panel tasted samples from the vintage, selected suitable parcels and recommended the final blending ratios. Roger Harris (Brindabella Hills Winery) finished and bottled the wine with assistance from Mr Riesling, Ken Helm. The result is very pleasing indeed. The delicate wine combines lime-like varietal character with the mellow, honeyed notes of five years’ bottle age. Age also takes the edge off the acidity that makes Canberra riesling a little too austere in youth. It’s at its drinking peak right now – a delicious example of Canberra’s white specialty. (Available at canberrawines.com.au/centenary).

Centenary of Canberra Shiraz 2008 $35Canberra’s centennial red blend comprises parcels of shiraz selected by a panel of winemakers, then blended and bottled by local red royalty: Eden Road’s Nick Spencer, Collector’s Alex McKay and Clonakilla’s Tim Kirk. It’s moving into its peak drinking period – with the strength and freshness to hang in for a few more years. The colour’s remains red and youthful. And the aroma and flavour retain underlying bright berry fruit character, now meshed with delicious spicy and savoury notes. It’s medium bodied and tightly structured with an assertive grip of fine tannins in harmony with the savoury flavours. (Available at canberrawines.com.au/centenary).

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2013
First published 27 January 2013 in The Canberra Times

Henschke Johann’s Garden 2010 $36.09–$45
Barossa Valley, South Australia
Stephen and Prue Henschke’s sensational Johann’s Garden 2010 combines grenache (66 per cent), mourvedre (26 per cent) and shiraz from old, dry-grown Barossa vines. In a recent afternoon’s tasting with Barossa wine merchant David Farmer, it equalled JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 2007 as wines of the day. The Mosel riesling’s, taut, acid-edged, delicate sweetness contrasted with the voluptuous silkiness of the ripe, spicy, juicy, elegant Barossa red. Most of the world doesn’t know Australia makes wine this good. It’s a gem, delivering amazing drinking pleasure at a fair price – a bargain, in fact, viewed against international competitors.

Red Knot by Shingleback Shiraz 2011 $9.90–$15
McLaren Vale, South Australia
The Davey family’s Red Knot range developed a big following because it offers such value for money – the ultimate accolade being its regular discounting by the big retailers, recognition of its quality-driven pulling power. Like earlier vintages, the 2011 is deeply coloured. However, in this very cool vintage, the flavours lean towards the savoury, rather than fruity, with notably less flesh than normal on the mid palate. It’s a triumph for the vintage and a decent drink, though lacking the flesh and depth of the 2010 vintage.

Hungerford Hill Classic Chardonnay 2010 $30
Tumbarumba, NSW
High, cool, Tumbarumba’s vineyards were established originally for sparkling wine production. However, chardonnay in particular proved suitable for high quality table wine as well and played a part in Penfolds “white Grange” project and the evolution of Hardy’s flagship white, Eileen Hardy. While the big companies’ quest for the best chardonnay moved further south, ultimately to Tasmania, Tumbarumba remains one of the best NSW sites for the variety. Hungerford Hill Classic, newly dressed in the original 1970’s label, shows delicious grapefruit and white-peach varietal flavour, with the spicy, funky edge of good oak and maturation on yeast lees.

St Hallett Blackwell Shiraz 2010 $34–$40
Ebenezer and Greenock, Barossa Valley, South Australia
There’s room for shiraz across the whole climate-induced flavour spectrum – from the edgy, white-pepper tinged New Zealand styles at the cool-climate extreme to the ripe and opulent warm-climate Barossa styles. What some cool-climate ideologists ignore, however, is the large number of drinkers wed to the richer, warmer styles and the extraordinary finessing of these styles over the last 20 years. Stuart Blackwell’s shiraz is a fine example. It’s ripe, full bodied and Barossa to the core. But it’s also vibrant and spritely on the palate, with deep, sweet fruit flavour and lovely, soft tannins.

Jacob’s Creek Riesling 2012 $6.90–$10
Barossa, Eden and Clare Valleys and Langhorne Creek, South Australia
The latest Jacob’s Creek shows the superior flavour qualities of a great riesling vintage. It won silver medals in the Melbourne and Hobart wine shows, then golds in Adelaide and Canberra’s National Wine Show of Australia. Winemaker Bernard Hickin says the fruit comes from the Barossa, Eden and Clare Valleys and Langhorne Creek. The combination gives the wine well-defined lime and lemon varietal flavours and a delicious fruit sweetness ¬– though the wine remains crisp and dry with only about three grams a litre of residual sugar (below our taste threshold). This is an extraordinarily good wine at the price.

Hardy’s HRB D651 Chardonnay 2010 $25–$30
Pemberton, Western Australia, and Yarra Valley, Victoria
Like the Jacob’s Creek reviewed today, Hardy’s HRB chardonnay won a gold medal at the 2012 National Wine Show of Australia. Where Jacob’s Creek combines riesling from three South Australian regions, Hardy’s crosses the continent, blending richer, fuller chardonnay from Pemberton, Western Australia, with finer, more citrusy material from the cooler Yarra Valley. It’s a pleasing result, showing Hardy’s mastery of chardonnay making and a nice bit of opportunistic blending. But I wonder about the future of cross-regional blends at this price in an age of regional marketing.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2013
First published 23 January 2013 in The Canberra Times

Jim Barry Lodge Hill Clare Valley Riesling 2012 $21–$23
Jim Barry’s Lodge Hill riesling won gold and an armful of trophies in Canberra’s 2012 National Wine Show of Australia. So, should we fall down in awe, worship at its feet? We picnicked with a bottle and pretty ordinary seafood behind the Yarralumla yacht club. The wine beat the seafood hands down. But it’s for those who like really full, fruity flavours. While, that’s a character of the 2012 Clare riesling vintage, Lodge Hill exaggerates fruitiness to the point it overwhelmed several palates, mine included. Others, including the show judges a month earlier, loved it – demonstrating how much individual taste varies.

Freeman Vineyard Hilltops Rondo Rose 2012 $20
Brian Freeman makes his dry, savoury rose from the Italian red variety, rondinella – a component, with corvina Veronese and molinara, in the wines of Valpolicella. Freeman makes a full-bodied red, adapted from Valpolicella’s Amarone style, as well as this rose. He runs juice off the skins after it picks up a rinse of pink colouring, then ferments and matures it in barrel. This produces a richly textured, pale pink wine that’s more savoury than fruity. The fresh, dry palate, rich texture and savouriness put it ahead of the many too-sweet roses on the market.

Stella Bella Margaret River Scuttlebutt Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2012 $18
Stella Bella Margaret River Scuttlebutt Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $18
Stella Bella’s latest sauvignon blanc-semillon blend includes a splash of the sometimes fat and oily viognier variety – but just enough to add a little richness to the palate. What you get is the herbal, passionfruit-like, zesty Margaret River style with a tad more weight than normal – a delicious drink-now style. Stuart Pym’s elegant, medium-bodied red blend combines shiraz with cabernet sauvignon – a bright, drink-now red with the focus on pure fruit flavours and smooth, fine tannins.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2013
First published 20 January 2013 in The Canberra Times

Bay of Fires Pinot Noir 2011 $32.30–$37
Tasmania
In November, Bay of Fires 2011 won the National Wine Show pinot noir trophy, repeating the success of the 2009 vintage at the 2010 show. We tried it over dinner recently alongside Giaconda Yarra Valley Beechworth 2008 ($85.49) and Eileen Hardy Tasmania Yarra Valley 2008 ($61.75). Eileen Hardy, Bay of Fires cellar mate, won the day. But runner up, Bay of Fires, ticked all the pinot boxes, except that of maturity. It’s a baby now, but a beautiful one, and only needs time for the intense, fine, fruit to take on secondary savoury, earthy notes. Some stores still carry the 2009 vintage, an equally beautiful wine revealing where the 2011 might go with bottle age. These are remarkable wines for the price.

Houghton Red Classic Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2011 $8.55–$10
Western Australia
Houghton’s popular, keenly priced red earned its National Wine Show gold medal in the classes for commercial, large-volume wines. Wines in these classes do not need awards from other shows to enter. The wine’s floral and musky fragrance give it instant appeal – an appeal backed by the bright, fruity palate. Fresh acidity and fine tannins give life and structure to the medium-bodied palate. It’ll never be better to drink than it is right now.

Penfolds Thomas Hyland Cool Climate Chardonnay 2011 $15.25–$24
Predominantly Adelaide Hills, South Australia
We could call Thomas Hyland the forgotten Penfolds range – sitting quietly in the shade of the much-hyped bin and icon wines. The chardonnay debuted in 2001, an offshoot of the “white Grange” project that delivered the flagship Yattarna and Adelaide Hills Reserve Bin chardonnays. The style evolved with the times, and in the 2011 vintage we enjoy a trim, taut wine that looks a steal when the big retailers discount it below $20. At a modest 12 per cent alcohol, it delivers the acid backbone and lemon and grapefruit varietal flavour of the cool vintage. Fermentation and maturation in French oak barrels added nutty and spicy flavours and a smooth, rich texture to support the fruit. Gold medallist at the National Wine Show.

Wicks Estate Shiraz 2010 $16.15–$20
Wicks Estate vineyard, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
This gold medal winner from the Royal Adelaide and National wine shows offers absolutely delicious drinking right now. Estate-grown and made, it shows the ripe-berry, spice and medium body of cool-grown shiraz – the fresh, juicy, berry flavours, in particular, light up a gentle, completely seductive palate. The winemaker says, “the elegant fruit and tannin structure will reward careful cellaring”. This may be true. But it’s hard to imaging the wine every being more charming than it is now, just bristling with fruit. Originally reviewed in May 2012, and retasted in November, Wicks offers quite a thrill for the price.

Jim Barry Watervale Riesling 2012 $13.85–$19
Florita vineyard, Watervale, Clare Valley, South Australia
Jim Barry’s Watervale tasted good on its release last June and even better now as the beautiful fruit flavours unfold – evidenced by its National Wine Show gold medal. From the former Leo Buring Florita vineyard (purchased from Lindemans by the Barry family in 1986) the 2012 hits the palate with impressive lime-like briskness. Dry as a plank, but intensely fruity, it teases and satisfies the palate at the same time. The high acid and fine, intense, lime-like fruit flavour make it an excellent oyster wine. But it’ll mellow and flesh out with cellaring, providing drinking pleasure in various guises for a decade or more.

Bay of Fires Riesling 2012 $25.65–$30
Derwent and Coal River Valleys, Tasmania
The Bay of Fires winery at Pipers River is the Tasmanian arm of Accolade Wines (formerly Constellation Wines and Australia and before that, BRL Hardy). The winery makes table wines and base wines for the wonderful bubblies Ed Carr produces in Adelaide for the Sir James, Bay of Fires and House of Arras labels. This delightful gold medal winner at the National Show, shows a cool-grown face of riesling. It shares some of the apple-like character of German riesling in its own Tasmanian way – with a lean, tight, mineraliness and dry, citrusy, riesling finish.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2013
First published 16 January 2013 in The Canberra Times and goodfood.com.au

Annie’s Lane Clare Valley Riesling 2012 $13.30–$21
Annie’s Lane, part of Treasury Wine Estates (spun out of Foster’s), provides a comparatively full, soft style of riesling (made by Alex McKenzie). I tasted, liked and reviewed the wine on its release in June. However, since then the fruit aromas and flavours have really blossomed, revealing a juicy spectrum of floral and citrus-like characters. This is common with riesling, especially in tighter, more acidic styles – some of which may take years to open up. And in great riesling vintages like 2012 the drinking rewards are greater. Annie’s Lane will probably be at its best over the next three or four years.

Amberley Western Australia Estate Shiraz 2011 $18.99
Amberley, part of Accolade Wines (previously Constellation Wines Australia, and before that BRL Hardy) won gold medals at the National Wine Show of Australia for both reds reviewed today. In 2011 as vineyards in the eastern states suffered from rain, fungal disease and cold weather, the west enjoyed balmy, dry conditions. These are expressed in the vibrant, berry aromas of the wine and a lively, plummy, juicy palate. It’s medium bodied, simple, fruity and ready to drink now. The region is given as “Western Australia”, suggesting a blend of regions, most likely the cooler areas to the south.

Amberley Estate Secret Lane Margaret River Cabernet Merlot 2011 $19.99
This gold medal winner from the National Wine Show of Australia comes from Margaret River, a mild maritime climate well suited to production of the Bordeaux varieties cabernet sauvignon and merlot. The wine’s attractive aroma reveals the ripe berries, with underlying leafy notes, typical of good cabernet. Oak contributes, too, adding a pleasant dusty, cedar-like overlay that works well with the fruit. The elegant, medium bodied palate reflects the aroma. Fine tannins give the wine structure, but gently and softly – which makes for pleasant current drinking. It’s a style to drink young fresh – no cellaring future here.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2013
First published 13 January 2013 in The Canberra Times

Jacob’s Creek Riesling 2012 $6.90–$10
The latest Jacob’s Creek shows the superior flavour qualities of a great riesling vintage. It won silver medals in the Melbourne and Hobart wine shows, then golds in Adelaide and Canberra’s National Wine Show of Australia. Winemaker Bernard Hickin says the fruit comes from the Barossa, Eden and Clare Valleys and Langhorne Creek. The combination gives the wine well-defined lime and lemon varietal flavours and a delicious fruit sweetness ¬– though the wine remains crisp and dry with only about three grams a litre of residual sugar (below our taste threshold). This is an extraordinarily good wine at the price.

Chablis (Simmonnet-Febvre) 2010 $23.75–$25
At a chilly 47 degrees north, Chablis, the northernmost outlier of France’s Burgundy region, makes distinctive, lean and succulent, bone-dry chardonnays. The wines stand out in any tasting and make their own strong argument for the French concept of terroir – that a given location produces unique wine flavours. Simonnet-Febvre, imported by Woolworths-owned Dan Murphys, gives the succulent, rich-but-not-heavy, dust-dry Chablis experience at a modest price. It’s bright, fresh and clean – and presumably it’s the Australian influence that sees it sealed with a screw cap. This cold-grown white makes perfect drinking for a hot Australian Christmas.

Bay of Fires Tasmania Pinot Noir 2009 $32.99–$35
This beautiful, silk-smooth, trophy-winning pinot can still be found in Canberra, two years after its release. It’s a steal at the price and a wonderful wine to enjoy with Christmas ham, duck, chicken, turkey or pork. The brand belongs to Accolade Wines portfolio and made at their Bay of Fires Winery, Pipers River. Winemaker Fran Austin sourced fruit from a variety of clones and vineyards on Tasmania’s East Coast, Coal River Valley and Derwent Valley. Peter Dredge took over following Austin’s departure. But we notice his superb 2011 vintage, like the 2009, won a gold medal and trophy at the National Wine Show.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 23 December 2012 in The Canberra Times

House of Arras Methode Traditionelle Rosé $80
Derwent and Huon Valleys, Tasmania
House of Arras is the brand created by BRL Hardy (later Constellation Wines Australia, now Accolade Wines) for its Tasmanian sparkling wines. The rosé provides more proof, were any needed, that Tasmanian bubblies, led by those made for Arras by Ed Carr, sit on top of the pile. Carr combined pinot noir and chardonnay in this delicate wine, aged seven years on yeast lees in bottle. The pale, onionskin colour, delicate red-berry fruit flavour and strong backbone signal the wine’s high pinot content. And the superb fruit and prolonged ageing accounts for its unique combination of lightness, freshness, power and delicacy.

Mitchell Peppertree Vineyard Shiraz 2009 $22.80–$25
Peppertree vineyard, Clare Valley, South Australia
Andrew and Jane Mitchell offer two shirazes from their dry-grown, handpicked vineyards in the Clare Valley. The 2009 vintage provides rich, smooth drinking in the ripe, spicy, sweet-fruited, solidly structured, though soft, Clare style. It’s a year or two older than most reds in the market, and the extra age adds to its mellow, satisfying character – a beautiful drink at a fair price. McNicol Shiraz 2003, named for Andrew Mitchell’s father, gives a rare opportunity to enjoy perfectly cellared, maturing red at a realistic $40 a bottle – an excellent gift, or something to savour with Christmas dinner.

Oakridge Local Vineyard Series Pinot Noir 2011 $38
Various vineyards, Yarra Valley, Victoria
Oakridge winemaker David Bicknell made four pinots for this series in 2011 – from the Syme, Oakridge (reviewed 28 November), Guerin and Denton vineyards, at different Yarra Valley locations. The wines share the pale colour and lean structure of the cold vintage. But the subtle differences from one wine to another demonstrate the influence each site exerts upon grape (and hence wine) flavour – probably driven largely by tiny climatic variations. All are highly aromatic, all are delicate and all show a flavour depth and structure belying the light colour. The flavour spectrum ranges from bright, strawberry/raspberry-like to quite exotic, earthy, mushroom and savoury elements.

Cherubino Laissez Faire Riesling 2012 $29
Porongurup, Great Southern, Western Australia
Larry Cherubino’s Laissez Faire takes riesling where it seldom goes in Australia. He sources grapes from dry-grown bush vines at Porongurup (little more than a rocky knob in Western Australia’s Great Southern wine region) and allows the wine to ferment naturally. The process mutes riesling’s aromatic high notes, leaving the more citrus-like varietal characters intact. This citrus character provides a mouth-watering sensation on a richly textured, savoury, delicate and soft, dry palate.

De Bortoli Windy Peak Shiraz 2012 $11.40–$14
Heathcote, Victoria
It’s a sign of maturity in a top wine-growing region when it offers cheaper, high quality wines as well as more expensive reputation-building products. De Bortoli keeps the cost of Windy Peak down by releasing it young and maturing only a portion of the blend in oak (old oak at that). The tank-matured portion retains a bright, spicy fruitiness that lifts the more mellow, savoury oak-aged component, giving a generously flavoured, soft and spicy shiraz to enjoy now.

Yarraloch Chardonnay 2011 $28.49–$30
Yarra Valley, Victoria
Yarraloch reveals facets of the winemaker’s art as well as the natural richness of chardonnay and the racy acidity of the cold vintage. The winemaker thumbprint shows in a funky aroma and flavour (a result of natural fermentation and maturation on yeast lees in oak) cutting through the grapefruit and just-ripe nectarine varietal character. Together, the funky and varietal flavours and racy acidity create a literally mouth-watering sensation in a silky-textured dry white.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 19 December 2012 in The Canberra Times and goodfood.com.au

Houghton Wisdom Pemberton Sauvignon Blanc 2012 $22–$25
The strength of the 2012 vintage revealed itself in the National Wine Show’s sauvignon blanc class. The judges awarded medals to 15 of the 17 wines. However, their verdict reflected good rather then exciting quality as they handed out mostly bronze medals – with only two silvers and a lone gold to Houghton Wisdom. The wine, from Pemberton, Western Australia, went on to win the trophy as the best sauvignon blanc in the show. It’s a racy style with herbaceous and passionfruit-like varietal flavour and mid palate richness, derived from maturation on yeast lees.

Hardys Oomoo McLaren Vale Shiraz 2011 $14–$17
The reintroduction of Oomoo shiraz in 2003, following almost a century’s absence, helped reestablish Hardy’s links with McLaren Vale. Consistently high quality and low price (as little as $10.85 on special) makes it one of the best red buys in Australia – evidenced by its recent top-scoring gold medal in the 2012 National Wine Show of Australia. It’s a medium-bodied style, featuring bright, fresh, ripe berry flavours with a touch of varietal spice and regional savouriness. This is a very good effort in the disease-ravaged 2011 vintage.

Sir James Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2007 $19–$23
Modestly priced Sir James 2007 topped its class in the National Wine Show of Australia, winning a gold medal and outscoring several of its far more expensive cellar mates, House of Arras Brut Elite Cuvee Elite 401 2004 and Grand Vintage 2004. The judges got the pecking order wrong, I reckon. But there’s no doubting the exceptional quality of Sir James – a fine, delicate dry, bottle-fermented bubbly. It combines the right fruit flavours with a subtle patina of flavours derived from prolonged ageing on spent yeast cells. It’s made by Ed Carr and Paul Lapsley, using fruit from the Yarra Valley and Tumbarumba.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 16 December 2012 in The Canberra Times