YarraLoch Stephanie’s Dream Pinot Noir 2010 $50
Coldstream, Yarra Valley, Victoria
Stephen Wood owns the YarraLoch brand and vineyards and wine is made under contract by David Bicknell. In 2010 the pinot’s an absolute stunner with its brilliant, medium hue, delicious perfume and thrilling, deeply layered palate. It’s produced from two clones of low-yielding pinot, converted to wine through three different fermentation techniques – including labour-intensive foot stomping and hand plunging for two components. The fermentations use a combination of wild and inoculated yeast and maturation is in range of French oak vessels of varying age and size. The result is pristine, highly concentrated, elegant pinot with deep underlying savouriness. Should evolve well for many years.

De Bortoli Windy Peak Pinot Noir 2010 $11.40–$1410
Yarra Valley, Victoria
The profound finessing of Australian wine now underway means we can marvel at a glorious pinot, like the Yarraloch Stephanie’ reviewed here today – or simply enjoy the exuberant varietality of a Windy Peak. The former flourished for days on the tasting bench – a wine with a future as well as a present. The latter provided a slurpy, pure-pinot juiciness, complete with tannin structure and rich texture – at its best the day we opened it.

Church Road Chardonnay 2010 $21–$26
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Church Road, founded in the 1890s, now sits with Australia’s Jacob’s Creek and New Zealand compatriot wine brands, Brancott Estates and Stoneleigh, under the ownership of France’s Pernod Ricard. Church Road seems to be a style in transition from old-fashioned, turbo-charged oak-fruit-malo-leesy gob-filler, to a more refined modern style. I hear the 2011’s finer again than the 2010, which still sits in the big, ripe, juicy, richly textured style – clearly revealing the winemaking influences on the lovely fruit flavour. It’s a very appealing drink, but may be a little over the top for some palates.

Tim Adams Riesling 2011 $19–$22
Clare Valley, South Australia
Tim Adams’ searingly bone-dry riesling attacks with the intensity of unsweetened, fresh squeezed lime juice – exquisitely delicate and mouth puckering at the same time. It’s a little too mouth puckering to enjoy on its own. But the high acidity works well with fish, cutting through the oiliness; and it enhances the briny bite of oysters. The combination of intense flavour, delicacy and high acidity also suggest outstanding long-term cellaring potential. Over time, the varietal flavour and texture of wines like this build in very pleasing ways.

Punt Road Merlot 2010 $24–$27
Napoleone Vineyard, Coldstream, Yarra Valley, Victoria
Winemaker Kate Goodman made just 500 dozen of this wine from two older blocks of the Napoleone vineyard (established 1983). Goodman writes, “the fruit was crushed and soaked for three days to aid colour and flavour extraction. After fermentation, it was pressed and matured in a combination of new and seasoned oak for 12 months”. The result is vividly coloured wine of medium hue and body. The vibrant, fruity flavour comes coated in soft tannins. But these seem to tighten up a after the first glass – showing us that we should never take merlot too lightly.

Chalmers Fiano 2010 $20–$27
Euston, Murray Darling region, New South Wales
Fiano, an ancient Italian white variety widely planted in southern Italy and Sicily, seems at home in the Chalmers family vineyard at Euston, New South Wales. Kim Chalmers says they ferment two thirds of the blend in stainless steel, but complete the other third in old French oak barrels. They blend the barrel-aged portion with the stainless steel component, then age the blend in bottle for a year “to accentuate fiano’s unctuous texture and allow the highly acidic and delicately stone-fruity variety to develop some roundness and weight”. The leesy barrel component dominates the aroma. Nevertheless a unique, pleasantly tart, savouriness pushes through.

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

Peter Lehmann Barossa Portrait Semillon 2011 $18
Peter Lehmann Barossa Margaret Semillon 2006 $25.65–$32
In the late 1990s Peter Lehmann winemaker, Andrew Wigan, moved away from ripe, oak-fermented semillon styles to an earlier-picked, fresher unwooded style. The lighter, fresher, lower alcohol wines appealed to wine drinkers. Lehmann recently released two versions of the style. Portrait Semillon 2011, appeals for its zesty, citrusy, bone-dry lightness (10.5 per cent alcohol). And Margaret Semillon 2006, sourced largely from 80–90 year old vineyards, weaves the magic of nutty and honeyed flavours of bottle age to the delicate, zesty theme.  Wigan rates 2006 as “one of the greatest white vintages the Barossa has ever seen”.

Squitchy Lane Vineyard Yarra Valley Fume Blanc 2011 $26
Squitchy Lane Vineyard Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2010 $32
Californian winemaker Robert Mondavi coined the term fume blanc in the 1960s. The term saluted the Loire Valley sauvignon blanc, Pouilly Fume, and differentiated Mondavi’s dry wine from its sweet competitors. The term took off in Australia in the eighties but is rarely used now. It usually indicates a sauvignon blanc that’s been oak fermented. In this case, winemaker Robert Paul made 420 cases from fruit grown on Mike Fitzpatrick’s vineyard at Gruyere, Yarra Valley. The barrel influence mutes sauvignon’s fruity exuberance, but adds texture and delicious layers of flavour derived from contact with spent yeast cells.

Zema Estate Coonawarra Shiraz 2008 $23.75–$26
Zema winemaker, Greg Clayfield (formerly of Lindemans), offers a few comments on what makes Zema shiraz special, “There is a good diversity of vineyards, from the subtly cooler Cluny block at the southern end of the renowned terra rossa strip, to the comparatively riper and drier Glenroy block at the northern end of Coonawarra… complemented by the home block which sits right in the heart of the original John Riddoch Fruit colony”. The 2008 vintage weaves together juicy, delicious, ripe-berry and spicy shiraz flavours with sweet but subtle oak and persistent, very fine tannins – a wine that should evolve well over the next decade.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 22 April 2012 in The Canberra Times

Swinging Bridge Orange Sauvignon Blanc 2011 $18.95
Marlborough, New Zealand, dominates Australia’s sauvignon blanc market. But our cooler Australian regions like the Adelaide Hills and Orange often give the Kiwis a run for their money, albeit in different styles. This one, from the Ward family vineyard at Orange, captures an exuberant, passionfruit-like, pure and fruity face of the variety. The striking passionfruit aroma, flows through to a delicious, riotously fruity palate that sings with fresh acidity and finishes crisp and dry. Vignerons Tom and Georgie Ward attribute the wine’s flesh and texture to lees stirring and partial barrel fermentation.

Kilikanoon Blocks Road Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $30–$35
We placed Blocks Road in a recent line up of cabernet from seven different Australian regions. The widely varied climates represented in the tasting delivered a range of styles, consistent with their origins – like the chalk and cheese represented today by the warm Clare Valley and cool Tasmania. Our Clare wine, from very low yielding vineyards, showed rich, ripe, intense, chocolate-like varietal flavour of the warm region. Layers of firm, ripe tannin supported the rich fruit flavours, creating a big but not heavy wine that looked better and better with increasing aeration.

Domaine A Stoney Vineyard Tasmania Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $30
From the heart of pinot noir country, in Tasmania’s Coal River Valley, comes this beautiful cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot blend. Owner Peter Althaus writes that it’s grown on a warm, north-facing vineyard. And, no doubt, intense vine management and restricted yields allow cabernet to ripen at this latitude. Despite 33 months in oak barrels, the lovely, elegant varietal aroma dominates the aroma and flavour – showing both ripe berries and an attractive leafy edge. There’s an interplay between the fruit and tannins, the overall impression being of finesse and elegance.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 15 April 2012 in The Canberra Times

Vasse Felix Cabernet Merlot 2010 – wine of the week $20.89–$26
Northern Margaret River, Western Australia
At a recent cabernet tasting Virginia Willcock’s shimmering blend attracted drinkers to it like gold diggers to a new lode. Fragrance, purity, deliciousness and finesse drew many of us back for second and third helpings. Willcock says cabernet sauvignon provides the structural tannin and blackcurrant fruit flavour and merlot adds a soft, luscious mouth feel. A splash of malbec contributes another layer of fruit, fragrance and tannin. It’s a seductive example of Margaret River’s specialty, made to enjoy young – quite a contrast to Vasse Felix’s more powerful Heytesbury reviewed here today.

Vasse Felix Heytesbury 2009$85.49–$90
Northern Margaret River, Western Australia
Vasse Felix’s flagship cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, malbec blend presents the powerful but elegant, potentially very long lived side of the Bordeaux style. We use descriptors like fragrant, pretty and delicate for the drink-now blend reviewed alongside. But for Heytesbury we move to deep, brooding, ripe, leafy, intense, firm, grippy and multi-layered. It’s a potent, well-proportioned blend of cabernet sauvignon (69 per cent), petit verdot (16 per cent) and malbec (15 per cent) needing many years in the cellar. Winemaker Virginia Willcock says the cabernet’s from their oldest vines, dating from the late 1960s.

De Bortoli Windy Peak Chardonnay 2011 $11.25–$14
Yarra Valley, Victoria
The trickle-down effect almost invariably means that bigger companies making the very finest wines also make the best cheaper wines. In this instance, for a modest price, we enjoy a scrumptious, fine-boned, silky-textured Yarra chardonnay that’s a spin-off from decades of vineyard and winery work on De Bortoli’s top end products. Leanne de Bortoli and winemaker husband, Steve Webber, write, “where something is grown dictates the aroma and flavour”, hence the decision, arrived at over many years, to source Windy Peak chardonnay exclusively from the Yarra Valley.

PHI Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2010 $38–$45
Shelmerdine Lusatia Park Vineyard, Woori Yallock, Yarra Valley, Victoria
The Phi brand combines the winemaking and viticultural skills of the De Bortoli and Shelmerdine families respectively. Hand-picked, hand-sorted bunches from the Shelmerdine’s Lusatia Park vineyard were whole-bunch pressed and the juice, after overnight settling, went to oak barrels for spontaneous fermentation (followed by malo-lactic fermentation). It’s all a very natural affair, resulting in a really beautiful drink – deeply, smoothly textured; intensely flavoured (grape fruit and melon-rind varietal, integrated with the leesy background of barrel maturation); with brisk acidity holding the flavour and structural elements together.

Oxford Landing Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2010 $7–$9.50
Riverland Region, Murray River, South Australia
Yalumba’s Wyndham Hill-Smith established Oxford Landing vineyard on the Murray River, South Australia, in 1958. In the 1980s Hill-Smith’s son, Robert, launched the Oxford Landing Estate range as a fighting brand to take on the big companies. The meticulously managed estate still contributes grapes to a brand that sits with the best in its price range. But the company also sources grapes from other growers in the region – hence the subtle rebranding from ‘estate’ to ‘estates’. This is all you could ask for at the price – clean, fresh, deliciously fruity and clearly made from cabernet, fleshed out with a touch of shiraz.

Dopff au Moulin Riesling 2010 $13.29–$14
Alsace, France
Alsace riesling provides a tasty contrast to Australian style. Sourced from Dopf’s vineyards in the vicinity of the lovely old town of Riquewihr. It’s a highly aromatic wine with a distinct musk note, reminiscent of gewürztraminer, if not as rampant. The deeply fruity, fresh palate reflects the aromatics and has a viscosity unique to Alsace wines. It finishes dry, though not bone dry. Woolworths imports the Dopff au Moulin range for sale through its Woolworths Liquor, BWS and Dan Murphy outlets.

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

Ravensworth Murrumbateman Sangiovese 2010 $21
In the hot, then wet, then cool 2010 season, grape ripening “rushed ahead, then stopped”, says winemaker Bryan Martin. As a result, shiraz struggled to ripen. But Martin’s very small crop of sangiovese (10 barrels) ripened easily. “It was the best fruit in the winery in 2010”, he says. But it came in it a lower than normal pH – meaning a more purple colour and softer tannins than usual. Behind the deep but limpid purple colour lurks a delicious, fairly fleshy red – quite a contrast to the generally bonier wines of the vintage – with sangiovese’s distinctive, savoury and still reasonably firm tannins.

Juniper Crossing Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2009 $17–$21
Juniper Estate, located at Wilyabrup in the historical heart of Margaret River, makes two ranges of wines – the Estate range, sourced only from the estate, and showcasing the best of the vineyard; and the Crossing range, purpose-built for early drinking. The Crossing wines all provide excellent drinking, though the semillon sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon merlot hold the strongest appeal to my palate. Winemaker Mark Messenger sourced fruit for the 2009 cabernet merlot from estate vineyards and one long-term grower. It’s a delicious, ripe and full-flavoured expression of this regional specialty, with vibrant fruit flavours to the fore.

Oxford Landing Estate Chardonnay 2011 $6.65–$9.50
Yalumba’s Wyndham Hill-Smith established Oxford Landing vineyard on the Murray River, South Australia, in 1958. In the 1980s Hill-Smith’s son, Robert, launched the Oxford Landing Estate range as a fighting brand to take on the big companies. The meticulously managed estate still contributes chardonnay grapes to a brand that sits with the best in its price range. But the company also sources grapes from other grower sin the region – hence the subtle rebranding from ‘estate’ to ‘estates’. The full-bodied winner delivers pure, ripe, peachy varietal flavour with crisp acidity and a firm, tangy finish.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 8 April 2012 in The Canberra Times

Ravensworth Marsanne 2010 $21
Ravensworth Vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, New South Wales
Riesling’s our local white specialty. But vignerons seeking an alternative, might look beyond the usual suspects, like chardonnay or sauvignon blanc, to the Rhone Valley varieties, marsanne, roussanne and viognier – whether blended or solo. Bryan Martin grows all three and enjoys quite a following for marsanne in particular. In 2010 a light crop ripened to a higher sugar level than usual, says Martin, producing a full-bodied expression of the style. Wild-yeast fermented in older oak barrels, it delivers the rich, verging on viscous, texture of the variety, with underlying delicious, honey-like and stone-fruit flavours – and a savoury, bone-dry finish.

Crittenden Estate Pinocchio Sangiovese 2010 $20–25
Heathcote, Victoria
Garry Crittenden made his first wine from an Italian grape variety (dolcetto) in 1992 – and went on to become one of Australia’s leading producers of Italian varietals. He now works with his son Rollo, who writes that the Pinocchio story – “of a wayward son and his ever tolerant creator Geppetto” – symbolises their working relationship. The Crittenden’s wild-yeast fermented sangiovese captures the bitter-sweet character of sangiovese and its dominating, savoury, mouth-drying tannins.

Innocent Bystander Mule Sangiovese 2010 $30
Paxton’s Gateway vineyard, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Well-known McLaren Vale grape grower, David Paxton, established the Gateway vineyard (now certified biodynamic) early last decade. He sells fruit to Yarra-based Innocent Bystander for their new single-vineyard range comprising viognier, shiraz and this very good sangiovese blend. Presumably it’s the seven per cent cabernet franc in the blend giving the initial un-sangiovese-like perfume. But on the palate, sangiovese takes over, weaving its dry, savoury tannins through the bright fruit flavours.

Hungerford Hill Fishcage Chardonnay 2010 $18
Tumbarumba, New South Wales
Grow the right grapes in the right regions and you get beautiful results. In this instance, chardonnay from high, cool Tumbarumba reveals its tasty white peach and grapefruit varietal flavours and zingy, fresh acidity. The winemaker fermented a small portion of the blend in oak barrels. Together with maturation on yeast least lees, this added a rich texture and subtle “leesy” notes that season the pristine fruit character.

De Bortoli La Boheme Act Two Dry Pinot Noir Rose 2011 $20
Yarra Valley, Victoria
Leanne De Bortoli and winemaking husband Steve Webber share a love of southern France’s pale, soft, dry roses. The couple are also leaders of the rose revolution, a social-media-led annual campaign to promote this style of rose. De Bortoli offers two Yarra pinot-based versions of the style – a slightly more tart and tangy estate-grown version ($22) and La Boheme, named for Puccini’s opera. It’s pale coloured and offers light, strawberry-like pinot flavour on a richly textured and fresh but very soft palate.

Ravensworth Shiraz Viognier 2010 $30
Ravensworth Vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, New South Wales
After the succulent and fleshy 2009 vintage, Ravensworth 2010 presents a more sinewy side of cool-climate shiraz. Winemaker Bryan Martin says the shiraz grapes raced ahead early, then stopped, then struggled to ripeness, while retaining good acidity. This resulted in a fairly bony, just-ripe red, emphasising the peppery and spicy varietal flavours of the cool season. A high proportion of whole-bunches in the ferment injected a subtle stalky note that boosted those cool-climate flavours and added silkiness to the sinewy structure. It’s an edgy, irresistible wine and grows more interesting with every glass.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 4 April 2012 in The Canberra Times

Massale by Kooyong Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2010 $25.95–$30
Haven and Ballewindi Vineyards, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
I tried and like this wine on its release in mid 2011. Months later it appealed to me more than two more expensive companions in a three-cornered taste off – Mac Forbes Woori Yallock Yarra Valley 2010 and Vosne-Romanee (Mugneret-Gibourg) 2009. The colour’s vibrant and crimson rimmed. The aroma suggests ripe, black cherry with savoury and earthy notes. The vibrant, juicy palate reflects a spectrum of pinot flavours, including savouriness. Fine fruit and oak tannins permeate the fruit, providing structure under the signature slippery pinot texture. Fruit was sourced from the Kooyong’s Haven and Ballewindi vineyards.

Kingston Estate Barossa and Clare Valleys Shiraz 2010 $10.45–$15
Bill Moularadellis’s Kingston Estate, though based on the Murray River, sources fruit from other top wine-growing regions – in this instance shiraz from the Clare and Barossa Valleys. These warm regions give the wine its pure, ripe, cherry-like varietal aroma and fleshy, juicy fruit flavours. Ten years ago we would’ve expected a blend at this price to be beefed up with vanilla-like oak flavours and huge tannins. But in the modern style, this one let’s the fruit do the talking, with sufficient tannin to give structure and a dry, satisfying finish. There’s lots of flavour for your money here.

Crittenden Estate Los Hermanos Saludo al Txakoli 2011 $25
This is brother and sister Rollo and Zoe Crittenden’s take on an idiosyncratic white from Spain’s Basque region. They write, “Traditionally, three varieties have been used for Txakoli – hondarrabi zubi, hondarrabi beltza and petit manseng, chosen for their natural acid retention and vibrant flavour at low alcohol. With the first two varieties unavailable in Australia, we have used petit manseng, grown in the King Valley”. It’s built to enjoy with savoury food – pale coloured and low in alcohol with tart, vibrant acidity and the further tingle and teasing bite of light, spritzy carbon dioxide.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 1 April 2012 in The Canberra Times

Tulloch Pokolbin Dry Red 2010 $22–$25
The label dates from1952 and the company goes back 1895. Its modern history includes sale of J.Y. Tulloch and Sons to Reed Consolidated Publishing in 1969, followed by 32 years in corporate hands before Jay Tulloch and business associates bought the farm back in 2001. Since then we’ve tasted nothing but impeccable regional wines, like this enduring specialty – a medium bodied, fragrant, silky smooth red with bright, ripe fruit and what can only be described as “Hunteriness”. It’s a beautiful wine, can be cellared successfully and never fails to impress – and surprise – lovers of cool climate shiraz. That’s the warm Hunter’s great paradox.

Best’s Great Western Bin O Shiraz 2010 $75
Whether you’re after an outstanding drink or want a special memento to enjoy years, even decades, down the track, Best’s Bin O’s worth looking it. Its pedigree stretches back more than 100 years, although the exact date of the original label isn’t known. Sourced from four low-yielding sections of the Thomson family’s vineyards  – planted in the 19^th and mid 20^th centuries – Bin O presents a unique power and elegance. Despite the intense peppery, savoury varietal flavours, the wine’s silky, supple and a joy to drink now. But the harmonious layering of sweet fruit and fine tannin should see it flourish in the decades to come.

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $13.30–$18
The Jacob’s Creek reserve range, once multi-regional blends, recently moved to single-region sourcing ­and labelling. Always outstanding at their price points, and always containing material from our better regions, their move to regional labelling gives better marketing support to the quality of the wine in the bottle. In this instance, for a modest price, we enjoy an outstanding expression of Coonawarra cabernet. It’s pure varietal in its berry, black olive and leaf aroma and flavour, its rich, firm palate and elegant structure. We enjoyed a few bottles of this around Christmas and noting it’s still around town, sometimes on special, give it strong endorsement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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