Shelmerdine Lusatia Park Pinot Noir 2010 $60
Lusatia Park vineyard, Woori Yallock, Upper Yarra Valley, Victoria
In 2010 Stephen Shelmerdine selected a small amount of fruit from a couple of rows of the oldest pinot noir vines (planted 1985) on the Lusatia Park vineyard. The grapes were hand harvested, de-stemmed and then cold-soaked before undergoing a natural fermentation as whole berries, then gently hand plunged towards the end of fermentation and later pressed to old and new French oak barrels for maturation and a natural secondary fermentation. The process captures pure, bright, delicate fruit flavours and very fine, silky tannins. The exceptional quality of the fruit translated to an extraordinary pinot noir – probably capable of long-term cellaring, and unquestionably a delight to savour right now.

Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2012 $12.90–$20
Wairau and Awatere Valleys, Marlborough, New Zealand
George Fistonich established Villa Maria in Auckland 50 years ago. Now Sir George, Fistonich spread his operation southward over the years, first to the Hawke’s Bay area on the North Island, and later to Marlborough at the northern tip of the South Island. His broad acre vineyards there produce outstanding wines, including this great value-for-money sauvignon blanc. It leaps out of the glass into your face, the variety’s raucous bonhomie in overdrive. Fruit, fruit and more fruit is the theme – a combination of gooseberry and passionfruit, with a fleshy mid palate and brisk acidity zesting up the dry finish.

De Bortoli Sauvignon 2011 $24–$26
De Bortoli Dixon Creek vineyard, Yarra Valley, Victoria
De Bortoli’s sauvignon offers more of an intense conversation than the backslapping style of the Villa Maria reviewed today. Winemaker Steve Webber calls it a “funky style. The antithesis of new world sauvignon. Textural, creamy, sauvage”. Webber intentionally muted the varietal character and added texture (and funky character) by fermenting and maturing the wine on yeast lees in old oak barrels. The wine remains clearly varietal – but the barrel work adds a literally mouth-watering dimension.

Serafino Shiraz 2010 $23.75–$26
Maglieri family vineyard, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Steve Maglieri planted vines in McLaren Vale in 1968, two years after emigrating from Italy. He later sold Maglieri Wines to direct marketer, Cellarmaster Wines (now part of Woolworths). But Maglieri retains 120-hectares of vines and with his daughter, Maria, now operates Serafino, with Charles Whish as winemaker. The supple and charming 2010 shiraz offers bright, ripe, plummy fruit flavours, woven in with soft, smooth, fine tannins. And McLaren Vale provides its own thumbprint in an underlying savouriness.

Peter Lehmann H and V Shiraz 2010 $22
Barossa Valley, South Australia
Peter Lehmann’s new Barossa shiraz and Serafino from McLaren Vale demonstrate the great finessing of Australia’s warm-region wines. Both wines retain warm-climate generosity and ripeness. But both do this without over-ripeness, over-extraction of tannins or over-oaking. If you like, we could call them relaxed wines – reds that unleash sweet, ripe supple fruit, subtly enhanced by appropriate oak maturation. Lehmann H and V does this deliciously and in the Barossa mould – ripe, round and full flavoured with tender, mouth-caressing tannins. French oak adds a little spice and tannic bite to the finish.

Pierrepoint Chardonnay 2011  $35.50
Tarrington, Henty, Victoria
Andrew and Jennifer Lacey established vineyards at Tarrington, 10 kilometres southeast of Hamilton, Victoria, in 1998. This is part of the Henty region, which also embraces Seppelt’s distinguished Drumborg vineyard. Pierrepoint vineyard, at 200 metres above sea level, clearly suits chardonnay and pinots noir, even in the particularly wet, cool 2011 vintage. The fine-boned, smoothly textured chardonnay combines the variety’s generosity, cut by a refreshing grapefruit-like zestiness, courtesy of the cool site and season. Similarly, the impressively tight but silky, lighter-bodied 2011 pinot noir ($39.50) presents bell clear varietal flavour that holds your attention glass after glass. (Available at mountpierrepoint.com.au).

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 12 December 2012 in The Canberra Times and goodfood.com.au

Peter Lehmann Barossa Valley Hill and Valley Semillon 2012 $22
Peter Lehmann’s new Barossa semillon offers light, fresh lemony varietal flavours on a delicate, soft, delicious, dry palate. It’s a unique dry white, softer and more approachable now, say, than a Hunter semillon of the same age. At just 11.5 per cent alcohol it’s less heady than most Australian whites. Lehmann was the first to popularise this light, unoaked Barossa style. Hill and Valley sits in price between Lehmann’s two existing semillons and was sourced “from some of Barossa’s oldest semillon vineyard, owned by two family growers in the Barossa sub-regions of Light Pass and Vine Vale”, writes winemaker Andrew Wigan.

Peter Lehmann Eden Valley Hill and Valley Chardonnay 2011 $22
Lehmann’s new white triumphed at the recent National Wine Show of Australia outscoring a field of 56 upmarket chardonnays and winning the best-premium-chardonnay trophy. Chairman of judges, Steve Pannell, said the wine sparked a debate about “artefact” in chardonnay – in this instance (and in many modern chardonnays) yeast-derived sulphur compounds resulting from fermentation and maturation in oak barrels. To my taste the sulphur compounds outweigh the fruit in an otherwise very pleasant wine – a wine that could be even better with less artefact in future vintages. No gold medal or trophy from me, I’m afraid, but a silver medal in my scoresheet.

Mitchell McNicol Clare Valley Riesling 2006 $35
Thirty-five dollars seems a modest price for a well-cellared riesling from a great Clare Valley vintage. The wine honours Peter McNicol Mitchell, father of winemaker Andrew Mitchell. Mitchell senior arrived in the Clare Valley in 1949, laying the foundation for the vineyards and winery, operated by Andrew and wife Jane since the late 1970s. The riesling, from a cool, elevated site, delivers bright, fresh, citrusy varietal flavours, overlaid with the delicious honey-like character of bottle age. It sits lightly, delicately and softly on the palate – an absolute joy to drink. (Available from mitchellwines.com).

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 9 December 2012 in The Canberra Times

Pikes The Merle Riesling 2012 $38–$42
Thickett Block, Polish Hill River, Clare Valley, South Australia
Neil Pike’s shimmering, green-tinted riesling delivers all the beauty of this exceptional Clare vintage. Characteristic of the season, it offers pure floral and lime varietal aromas, backed by a juicy, intense palate combining power with delicacy and a taut, racy acidity. The acidity etches the gorgeous flavour into the palate, leaving a tangy, fresh, lingering aftertaste. Its racy, fruity character puts it on the Christmas drinking list – well suited to delicate seafood, asparagus, salad and lightly spicy food. It’s also a terrific gift for a wine lover as it should evolve for a decade or more in a good cellar. Pike ranks 2012 with “recent great vintages of 2002, 2005 and 2009”.

Giesen The Brothers Chardonnay 2011 $24.69–$27
Upper Brancott Valley and lower Dashwood, Marlborough, New Zealand
Marlborough carved itself into Australia’s wine consciousness with its distinctive, pure sauvignon blancs. But the region’s southerly latitude and cool, sunny climate suits other varieties, notably chardonnay and pinot noir, both of which it now produces in large volumes. The Giesen brothers, for example, send stacks of good wine our way from their 280-hectares of vineyards – the type of broad acre planting that sets Marlborough apart from many cool-climate grape regions. The dazzling freshness, full, ripe flavour and rich texture of Giesen chardonnay make it a luxurious but affordable match for Christmas lobster or salmon.

Hewitson Miss Harry 2010 $21.95–$23
Barossa Valley, South Australia
The Barossa often makes big, burly wines. But Dean Hewitson’s blend of Rhone Valley varieties reveals a generous but gentle, medium-bodied side of the valley. Lighter, fragrant grenache comprises 44 per cent of a blend, filled out and softened by shiraz (39 per cent), tightened by mourvedre (eight per cent) and seasoned with small amounts of carignan and cinsault. The sum of the parts is a fragrant, fruity, spicy, soft and seductive wine to suit a wide range of foods – particularly the Christmas ham.

Oakridge 864 Single Block Release Chardonnay 2011 $77
Drive Block, Funder and Diamond Vineyard, Wandin East, Yarra Valley, Victoria
David Bicknell explores the vineyard blocks available to him in great detail – in this instance a north-facing block at 230 metres above sea level, planted to the P58 chardonnay clone in 1990. Bicknell whole-bunch pressed the handpicked, hand-sorted fruit direct to French oak barrels for fermentation and maturation – blocking the secondary malolactic fermentation to preserve the cold season’s high acidity. The high acidity, in tandem with intense grapefruit and barely-ripe nectarine-like varietal character, creates an exquisite flavour sensation. The barrel-derived complexities, including sulphur compounds, add exotic complexities to the fruit flavour. The fruit flavour built in intensity for several days after we opened the bottle. The wine has huge potential. I’d be buying now for Christmas 2014drinking.

Chapel Hill The Chosen Shiraz 2010 $65
House Block, Chapel Hill Vineyard, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Michael Fragros and Bryn Richard make this potentially very long lived red from an 0.8-hectare block of shiraz planted in 1977 at an altitude of 164 metres – a fairly high elevation for McLaren Vale. It’s a powerful, well-balanced red, leading with ripe-cherry varietal aromas, overlaid with a deep savoury character that flows through to the robust palate. Powerful fruit and layers of firm, fine tannins make a big impact on a nevertheless harmonious palate. The power, complexity and solidity of the wine suggest long-term cellaring and, ultimately, an elegant structure 10 or 15 years from now. In the meantime, all that power and richness works well with protein-rich food. Good for Christmas if you have lamb or beef on the menu; even better as a Christmas gift for a patient wine lover.

Mount Horrocks Cordon Cut Riesling 2012 375ml $36–$42
Clare Valley, South Australia
After the atypical botrytis-affected 2011 vintage, Stephanie Toole’s famous sticky returns to its delicate, pristine fruitiness in 2012. The pure floral and lime-like varietal character sets this luscious, refined crisply acidic riesling apart from most other Australian dessert wines. O’Toole suggests serving it with “foie gras or similar savoury-toned appetisers or citrus and stone-fruit desserts”. On a hot Christmas day, moving it up front of the menu with savoury appetisers provides a refreshing and luscious start.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
Firsts published 5 December 2012 in The Canberra Times

Hunting on Sundays Canberra District Shiraz Cabernet 2011 $22
Sommeliers Travis Cutler  (Thirst Wine Bar) and James Duffell (formerly of Lanterne Rooms) turned to winemaking and came up with this lovely luncheon red from the cold, wet 2011 vintage. Combining shiraz and cabernet, the wine displays the bright berry fruit and spice of shiraz with the leafiness of cabernet. It’s a pleasant and easy-drinking lighter bodied red with soft tannins and devil-may-care drinkability. The quirky label had us smiling as much as the wine did. Perhaps everything tastes good when you’re in the right mood. It’s available at Campbell Liquor Discounts.

Grant Burge Moscato Frizzante and Moscato Rosa 2012 $16–18
Formally the grape name is muscat-blanc-a-petite-grains, but in the Barossa they call it white frontignac, or fronti. But there’s also a red variant plus muscat of Alexandria. In Italy it’s moscato, a name increasingly adopted by Aussie winemakers as they emulate the light, zesty, intensely aromatic, grapey, sweet, low-alcohol ‘frizzante’ style made in Asti, Piedmont. Grant Burge’s stunning package captures the light, fresh, grapey mood of the wine – an appealing drop that threatens to bring sweetness (balanced by crisp, clean acidity) back into fashion. The white version, introduced in 2008, now has a pink companion, Rosa.

Plantagenet Mount Barker Riesling 2012 $19.95–$25
Whatever the Plantagenet winemakers did in 2012, they should keep on doing. This is the most exciting riesling in years. Sales Manager Andrew Charleson describes 2012 as a fantastic vintage but one marked by change. Winemaker John Durham left at the beginning of the vintage; a caretaker winemaker stepped in; and then Kath Oates, formerly of Mud House, New Zealand, arrived to finish the job. Out of all that change, though, came a delicious riesling of intense, lime-like varietal aroma and flavour, with a fresh, powerful-but-fine, delicate palate.

Mitchell Riesling 2012 $19–$22
Mitchell vineyard, Watervale, Clare Valley 2012
At 13 per cent alcohol, Jane and Andrew Mitchell’s wine sits towards the bigger end of the Clare riesling scale. However, it’s intensely flavoured, bone dry, refreshingly acidic and has a rich, fine texture that, from experience of past vintages, builds with bottle age. There’s a complexity to Mitchell riesling that Andrew Mitchell attributes to indigenous yeast fermentation. The Mitchell’s established their winery in 1975, have a capacity to crush about 600 tonnes of grapes (about 42 thousand dozen bottles), and produce consistently outstanding reds and whites from mature vines in their now biodynamically managed vineyards. Their dry-grown riesling vines at Watervale, they say, are now 50 years old, a factor in the intense flavour of the wines they produce.

Shottesbrooke Shiraz 2010 $19–$21
Shottesbrooke vineyard, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Nick Holmes established Shottesbrooke in 1984 and today makes wine from vineyards he either owns or manages. His 2010 shiraz impresses for quality and price. It’s a generous red reflecting the ripe, plummy, savouriness of McLaren Vale shiraz, cut through by quite firm persistent tannins, with a slight bitterness to the finish. The combination of sweet fruit and tight tannins suggests some cellaring potential – and certainly warrants a good splash in a decanter before serving.

Andrew Thomas Six Degrees Semillon 2012 $22
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 eight per cent alcohol and a residual sugar of 36 grams per litre. 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.

Oakridge Local Vineyard Series Oakridge Vineyard Pinot Noir 2011 $38 Diamond Creek, Seville and Coldstream, Yarra Valley, Victoria
David Bicknell makes a range of pinot noirs for Oakridge featuring various terroirs of the Yarra Valley – in this instance a blend of material from Seville, Diamond Creek and Coldstream. The handpicked fruit was de-stemmed and the whole berries allowed to ferment naturally, disturbed by only one early pump over early in the fermentation. This method captures the very pure, strawberry-like varietal flavours – although the wine, though young, already shows spicy, earthy and savoury characters. The medium bodied palate reflects the aroma and fine but assertive tannins give the wine serious pinot structure and texture.

Greywacke Late Harvest Riesling 2011 $35 375ml
Ashmore vineyard, Fairhall, Wairau Plains, Marlborough, New Zealand
Former Cloudy Bay winemaker Kevin Judd struck out on his own some years back, exploiting his intimate knowledge of Marlborough’s vineyards. Judd aptly describes this sticky as “an exotic, honeysuckle infused liquid marmalade. And indeed a luscious orange-marmalade-like flavour floods the palate, which remains, nevertheless, delicate and refreshing, thanks to the spritely acidity. The 12 per cent alcohol wine retains 120 grams per litre of residual grape sugar.

d’Arenberg The Money Spider Roussanne 2011 $18–$22
McLaren Vale, South Australia
In the mid nineties, the Osborn family, owners of d’Arenberg, planted the Rhone Valley white varieties viognier, marsanne and roussanne. The latter, generally blended with one or both of the other varieties, can stand on its own, as d’Arenberg has demonstrated since 2001, the first vintage. It’s subtler than either of its Rhone siblings, and even in the cold, wet 2011 produced an appealing wine with lemon and honeysuckle flavours and a slightly viscous, smooth, savoury palate.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 28 November 2012 in The Canberra Times

De Bortoli Yarra Valley La Boheme Syrah Gamay 2011 $18–$20
Research commissioned by Woolworths reveals that two thirds of Australians intend hosting Christmas meals in the backyard, enjoying an ever more adventurous range of fresh foods. This calls for light and refreshing wines of the styles reviewed today. The cool Yarra Valley vintage and use of gamay – the grape of grape of France’s Beaujolais region – deliver a vibrant, light-bodied red. A pleasantly tart, stalky character cuts through the fresh summer-berry flavours. And a combination of crisp acidity and smooth, fine tannins finish off a delightful backyard, summer red. Serve lightly chilled.

De Bortoli Rococo Yarra Valley Blanc de Blancs $19.70–$22
Slightly fuller bodied and more complex than the Prosecco reviewed below, though still delicate, Rococo combines barrel-fermented Yarra Valley chardonnay from several vintages. The barrel fermentation and maturation on spent yeast cells in the barrels adds a subtly rich texture to this dazzlingly fresh, spritely, light bodied, dry bubbly. The elegant, rococo-style, enamel-on-glass label contributes an emotional dimension to the wine – a visual cue adding greatly to its enjoyment and sense of occasion it brings.

Brown Brothers Prosecco NV $12.90–$17.90
Banksdale Vineyard, King Valley, Victoria
Italy’s prosecco sparkling wines offer a pleasing light, savoury tartness. They’re usually low in alcohol with a simple, freshness and purity. Like a number of Australian winemakers Brown Brothers embraced the style, planting prosecco vines on its elevated, cool Banksdale Vineyard in Victoria’s King Valley. With many Italian descended families, the region has become a hot spot for Italian varieties. Brown’s tank-fermented non-vintage style offers crisp, light, pear-like flavours with a little kiss of sweetness in the background. It’s an appealing, unobtrusive appetiser and could sit comfortably with just about any food, or on its own as an aperitif.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 25 November 2012 in The Canberra Times

Henschke Mount Edelstone 2009 $95–$125
Mount Edelstone vineyard, Eden Valley, South Australia
Ronald Angas planted the Mount Edelstone vineyard in 1912 using cuttings from shiraz vines imported from France by James Busby in the early 1830s. The Henschke family made the first Mount Edelstone in 1952 – a line winemaker Stephen Henschke continues while wife Prue tends the venerable old vines. It’s a real jaw dropper – buoyant, elegant shiraz showing the Eden Valley’s distinctive spicy fruit flavour, with a hint of liquorice, and silk-smooth tannins. The wine has been released under both screw cap and Vino Lok, the glass stopper with a silicon o-ring providing the airtight seal.

Centennial Vineyards Blanc de Blancs NV Brut $29.69–$34.99
Centennial vineyards, Bowral, Southern Highland, NSW
Most bubblies emulating France’s Champagne style combine chardonnay with the red variety pinot noir and sometimes pinot meunier. The pinots add backbone and, in the case of meunier, flesh to the blend. Exceptional chardonnay, however, can stand on its own as it does in Centennial’s beautiful blanc de blancs – the trophy winner at this year’s Canberra regional show. The very cool climate delivers high-acid grapes with intense grapefruit-like varietal flavour – a lean, austere combination that transforms to a delicious, rich elegance after three and a half years’ bottle age.

Veritas Winery Bulls Blood Shiraz Mataro Pressings 2008 $45
Marananga and Dorrien, Barossa Valley, South Australia
The late Rolf Heinrich Binder created Veritas Bull’s Blood in the 1960s, but discovered the magic of old-vine mataro (aka mourvedre) only in the 1980s, says his son Rolf. Thereafter it became the key to this 65 per cent shiraz, 35 per cent mataro blend. Binder says he inherited his father’s love of mataro in Bull’s Blood and makes it “with his voice in my ears”. Binder’s potent blend combines generous, ripe shiraz with mataro’s intense, earthy, spicy character and sturdy tannins – and a sympathetic lick of oak. It’s a unique, big but balanced and satisfying wine style.

Rolf Binder Heinrich Shiraz Mataro Grenache 2009 $32
Barossa Valley, South Australia
Brother and sister Rolf Binder and Christa Deans created Heinrich, named for their father, Rolf Heinrich Binder, in 2001. It provides a soft and aromatic contrast to the sturdy Bull’s Blood shiraz-mataro reviewed today. Binder and Deans say they source about 150 per cent of the fruit they need for Bull’s Blood, but allocate the more aromatic fruit to Heinrich – then add about 20 per cent grenache to boost its perfume. Alongside Bull’s Blood, Heinrich shows its grenache aroma and bright, juicy, soft and spicy palate.

Riposte by Tim Knappstein The Sabre Pinot Noir 2010 $30
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Tim Knappstein’s 2010 Sabre pinot seems more tightly coiled than the more voluptuous 2009. But the delicious fruit flavour’s there, meshed in with layers of smooth tannins that give structure to the elegant palate. Knappstein sources fruit from Lenswood and the Piccadilly Valley, two of the cooler parts of the Adelaide Hills – part of the Mount Lofty Ranges that rise near McLaren Valley, to the south, and form the Eden and Clare Valleys to the north.

Kirrihill Single Vineyard Series Riesling 2012 $16.15–$19
Slate Creek vineyard, Watervale, Clare Valley, South Australia
The run of delicious Clare Valley 2012 rieslings continues with this single-vineyard wine, made by Donna Stephens.  It comes from the Slate Creek vineyard at Watervale, towards the southern end of the Clare Valley. Consistent with other Watervale rieslings from the vintage, the wine shows generous, upfront floral and lime character. Such generosity in young rieslings sometimes indicates rapid flavour development – and equally rapid decline. But the 2012s balance the rich flavours with lively acid, indicating the best may develop for some years.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 21 November 2012 in The Canberra Times

Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 2011 $35.15–$40
Sexton Vineyard, Yarra Valley, Victoria
Proprietor Phil Sexton offers three single-vineyard Yarra Valley chardonnays – the vineyards managed by Stuart Marshall and wines made by Steve Flamsteed. The wines reflect the fruit flavours of the different sites, some clonal variation and subtle variations in winemaking, including the use of various types of oak. These are beautiful modern chardonnays. Of the three, Sexton Vineyard, near Yarra Yering and Coldstream Hills, appealed most of all. It’s a multi-dimensional wine, based on vivid, luscious nectarine- and grapefruit-like varietal flavour. These thread through a sensuous, slick textured but exceptionally fine, dry palate.

Tertini Reserve Arneis 2010 $35
Tertini Yaraandoo vineyard, Southern Highlands, NSW
The northern Italian white variety, Arneis, is one of few varieties to succeed to date in Julian Tertini’s Southern Highlands vineyard. Low grape yields – about half that of arneis – and low rate of juice extraction, means tiny production. But the quality is excellent. It’s a full-bodied wine with unique varietal flavours – hard to describe, but in my tasting at the winery the words “sappy”, “melon rind”, “pear” and “lemon” – all in a positive vein – came to mind. However we describe it though, it’s thoroughly delicious, the bright fruit flavours backed by the textural richness of partial barrel fermentation.

David Hook Reserve Barbera 2011 $30
Central Ranges, NSW
Italy’s barbera grape tends to make brilliantly coloured reds with bright summer berry flavours, brisk acidity and soft tannins. David Hook’s version ticks all those boxes. But there’s another dimension, too, making this easily the best Australian expression of the style that I’ve tasted. The fleshy but not plump palate, and smooth, silky tannins make this a more complete, satisfying red without abandoning the varietal character. Hook says that it won the trophy at the 2012 NSW Small Winemakers Show for best dry red table wine made from Spanish or Italian varieties.

Andrew Thomas Braemore Semillon 2012 $28
Braemore vineyard, Pokolbin, Lower Hunter Valley, NSW
Andrew Thomas says in 26 Hunter vintages he can’t recall a cooler spring and summer. Despite the cool season, grapes on the Braemore vineyard ripened, albeit a few weeks later than normal, to produce this lean and lively 10.5 per cent semillon. It’s lemony, fresh and taut now, though smoothly textured. But bottle age, perhaps a decade or two, should fatten it with a rich, toasty, honeyed character, in the classic Hunter semillon mould.

Tulloch Vineyard Selection Verdelho 2012 $20
Denman, Upper Hunter Valley, and Pokolbin, Lower Hunter Valley, NSW
Verdelho’s a key variety of Madeira and in Australia easily made the transition from fortified wine production – for which it was originally imported in the nineteenth century – to table wine in our warmer grape growing regions. It provides pleasant, medium to full bodied drinking with a sappy, tropical edge to the fruit flavour. Tulloch’s version slips down easily –unobtrusive, but tasty, zesty and fresh and with typical Hunter roundness and softness.

John Duval Entity Shiraz 2010 $45–$48
Krondorf, Tanunda, Light Pass and Eden Valley, Barossa, South Australia
Entity is former Penfolds winemaker John Duval’s shot at an elegant, potentially long-lived Barossa shiraz. He writes, “The 2010 Entity again includes some Eden Valley [part of the Barossa zone] shiraz to help maintain the elegance and style”. At two years, the wine’s a baby – densely coloured with vivid purple rim; vibrant, youthful aroma of ripe dark berries; and a palate rippling with ripe, juicy berry flavours with a touch of spice and underlying savouriness and layered with very fine, soft tannins. Very approachable now, but there’s substance to this wine and it should age well for a decade or more if properly cellared.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 14 November 2012 in The Canberra Times

Tim Knappstein Riposte The Stiletto Adelaide Hills Pinot Gris 2012 $20
Tim Knappstein’s pinot gris sits subtly on the pinot gris side of the pinot gris-pinot grigio divide. The Italian “grigio” generally indicates a leaner, tighter style; and the French “gris” something more richly textured. Both words mean grey, referring to the pink-grey grape colour of this pinot noir mutant – though grey could easily describe the often non-descript wine it makes. In this instance vineyards at Lenswood and Charleston in the Adelaide Hills contribute vivid pear-like varietal flavour. And partial barrel fermentation and malolactic fermentation add smooth, slippery texture to a very good pinot gris.

Mr Mick Clare Valley Tempranillo 2009 $15
Clare Valley winemaker Tim Adams served his winemaking apprenticeship, from 1975, under Mick Knappstein in Clare’s landmark Leasingham Winery. Adams later established his own brand. Then in 2011 as Constellation Wines Australia imploded, Adams, with partner Pam Goldsack, purchased the Leasingham winery, but not the brand. The inexpensive Mr Mick range, dedicated to his old master, are the first wines released from the new venture. It’s a satisfying, medium bodied, savoury style, sourced from Adams’ and Goldsack’s Ladera vineyard, in the Clare Valley, and made a couple of years before the Leasingham acquisition (presumably for the Tim Adams label).

Mr Mick Clare Valley Shiraz 2010 $15
When Tim Adams made this wine in 2010 he would never have imagined a year down the track owning the historic Leasingham Winery. He sourced shiraz from the Rogers, Sheeoak and Vine vineyards, made the wine and moved it to oak barrels for maturation. The wine emerged from barrel 18 months later and Adams allocated it to the brand new Mr Mick label – a budget brand created for the old Leasingham operation. It’s a lovely wine at this price, showing attractive cherry-like and spicy shiraz varietal aroma and flavours. The palate’s rich but not heavy, and the tannins soft and easy.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 11 November 2012 in The Canberra Times

Tertini Reserve Pinot Noir 20009 $58
Tertini Yaraandoo vineyard, Southern Highlands, NSW
Tertini’s 2009 reserve pinot noir won gold medals in the 2012 Boutique Wine Awards and 2012 NSW Wine Awards. In the latter it won the trophy for best pinot, beating the gold-medal-winning Tertini Pinot Noir 2010 in the taste. I tasted the reserve at Bowral’s Biota restaurant and again at the winery a couple of days before the trophy announcement. This is classy stuff from such a young vineyard, and no fluke judging by the quality of the 2008 and 2009 standard pinots also tasted at the winery. The reserve’s a buoyant and lively wine featuring ripe, juicy cherry-like varietal flavour layered with fine tannin and hints of stalkiness, spicy oak and savouriness. The whole pinot range shows a distinctive finesse, delicacy and elegance.  Available at cellar door and tertiniwines.com.au

Tertini Cross Roads Berrima Valley Riesling 2006 $33
Tertini Yaraandoo vineyard, Southern Highlands, NSW
Tertini’s museum release riesling, currently offered online and at cellar door, won gold medals in this year’s NSW Small Winemakers Show and Winewise Small Vignerons Awards. It also picked up trophies as best riesling and best boutique white at the former event. I recently tasted Cross Roads at the winery alongside the 2009 and 2009 reserve rieslings, both lovely wines, but upstaged by this, only the second riesling made from the Yaraandoo vineyard (planted 2001). A touch of honeyed, bottle-aged character adds to its pure, intense, delicate lime-like varietal flavour. The racy freshness and the lingering, pure limey aftertaste provide exciting drinking.

Centennial Pinot Chardonnay $22.09–$27.09
Centennial vineyard, Bowral, Southern Highlands, NSW
Nothing better illustrates the Southern Highlands’ peculiar climate than Centennial’s superb sparkling wines – quality more expected of Tasmania or southern Victoria. Their Blanc de Blancs ($28.04–$36.99) and Extreme Brut ($26.59–$29.99) are impressive. But on a recent cellar door visit, I favoured this blend of pinot noir and chardonnay. It shows power and elegance – that unique combination of pinot strength and chardonnay finesse, with the subtle background flavour and texture derived from prolonged ageing on yeast cells following secondary fermentation.

Centennial Raspberry Nectar 375ml $28.04–$34.99
At 17 per cent alcohol, it’s an adult cordial or syrup, made from fruit Centennial buys from neighbouring Cuttaway Creek Raspberry Farm. Winemaker Tony Cosgriff ferments the berries with sugar then adds a white grape spirit. Clearly it’s a very clean spirit as it doesn’t intrude on the heady, pure raspberry aroma and flavour. The alcohol kicks in on the palate, giving a lightly astringent bite to offset the delicious, sweet, berry flavour – a truly nectary sensation. Serve it Kir royale fashion – a teaspoon in a glass of dry bubbly – pour onto desserts or salads.

Vionta Albarino 2010 $22
Rias Baixas, Spain
Since reviewing the 2009 vintage two years ago the price has fallen from around $30 to a more realistic $22. The white wine, made entirely from albarino, comes from the Rias Baixas region, part of Galicia in Spain’s cool, wet and humid northwest. Temperature controlled winemaking aims at preserving grape aromatics and flavours – though a small portion macerates on yeast lees to build texture. The colour’s a medium lemon-gold and the aroma and flavour are both reminiscent of melon rind with a twist of lemon. The smoothly textured, succulent palate finishes fresh and dry.

Devil’s Lair The Hidden Cave Cabernet Shiraz 2011 $19–$23
Margaret River, Western Australia
In this delicious, drink-now red, winemaker Oliver Crawford captured the floral aromatics sometimes seen in cabernet sauvignon. Those seductive floral notes flow through to a supple palate, dripping with juicy summer-berry flavours, cut with very fine tannins and seasoned with cedar-like, barely perceptible oak. While cabernet dominates the aroma and flavour, shiraz gives flesh to the mid palate.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 7 November 2012 in The Canberra Times