Stonier Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2010 $16.50–$25
Stonier chardonnay walks the tasty line between the fat chardonnays of old and the sometimes ultra-austere versions now in vogue in some quarters. It’s based on the outstanding fruit flavour produced the cool, maritime environment of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula – flanked on either side by Port Phillip and Westernport Bays, and Bass Straight to the south. It combines generosity of varietal flavour, vibrant fresh acidity and a smooth texture derived from partial barrel fermentation and maturation (and, judging by the flavour, a little malolactic fermentation – a secondary, acid-reducing process that inserts a subtle butterscotch note).

D’Arenberg McLaren Vale The Stick and Stones Tempranillo Shiraz Tinta Cao and Souzao 2008 $30
This is a triumph for the monumentally hot 2008 vintage. We might expect a port-like red, but instead winemaker Chester Osborne presents an impressively robust drop that slips down easily – and maintained our interest all the way to the bottom of the bottle. It’s deep and tannic and firm and savoury, chewy even, but the core of sweet, delicious fruit holds all that grunt comfortably. Tempranillo leads the blend and shiraz probably provides the fruit sweetness. God knows what the Portuguese tinta cao and souzo contribute. But they’re no strangers to hot weather and the combination works. It’s unique and satisfying.

De Bortoli Bella Riva King Valley Pinot Grigio Vermentino 2010 $15–$17I
In the nineties vine planting took off in Victoria’s King Valley as the area’s Italian-descended families turned their backs on tobacco growing – changing vices, so to speak. And two Italian winemaking families from Griffith (neither associated with tobacco), New South Wales, joined the expansion – Miranda and De Bortoli. De Bortoli’s includes among its vines pinot grigio, a grey/white mutant of pinot noir, and the Italian white variety, vermentino. De Bortoli’s low alcohol (12.5 per cent) blend of the two provides richly textured, pleasantly tart, savoury drinking, very much in the Italian style.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 18 March 2012 in The Canberra Times

Best’s Thomson Family Shiraz 2010 – wine of the week $180
Concongella Vineyard, Great Western, Grampians, Victoria
In 1867 Henry Best planted the Concongella vineyard, Great Western. The Thomson family bought the vineyard in 1920 – and today those same shiraz vines, tended by Viv Thomson and family, supply the grapes for this extraordinary red. Much has been written of vine age and wine quality. In this instance we drink the glory of venerable old vines – completely at home in their environment – delivering an elegant wine of enormous, sweet-fruited flavour concentration. Thomson makes only about 300 dozen and only in exceptional years. It’s a great and unique shiraz, capable of long-term cellaring.

Stonier Pinot Noir 2010 $21.80–$28
Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
After a long, difficult struggle from 1978, Brian Stonier eventually made outstanding pinot noir from the early 1990s. Petaluma later took over the business but was itself acquired by brewer, Lion Nathan – now part of Japan’s Kirin Brewery. However, the style and quality of the wines powered through the ownership changes. The latest pinot, sourced from 15 vineyards – all the fruit hand harvested ¬– displays the delicate, refined Stonier style: pale to medium colour; aroma and flavour show red-berry fruit with a savoury pinot seam, backed by fine, silky tannins.

Stefano Lubiana Vintage Brut 2004 $53–$58
Lubiana Vineyard, Granton, Derwent Valley, Tasmania
Lubiana, along with Arras (made by Ed Carr), demonstrate why cool Tasmania became Australia’s bubbly hot spot. It starts with the intense but delicate flavours of the purpose-grown fruit. After that Steve Lubiana’s winemaking and blending skills come into play – capturing the fruit flavour then, through clever blending (55 per cent chardonnay, 45 per cent pinot noir) and almost six years’ maturation in bottle on yeast lees. Like France’s great Champagnes, it’s rich and textured beyond the fruit – because of the winemaking and maturation. But delicate fruit remains at the centre. Indeed, without these the winemaking inputs would add up to nothing.

Pizzini Prosecco 2011 $19
King Valley, Victoria
What an enormous contrast between Pizzini Prosecco and Lubiana 2004, the two sparkling wines reviewed today – the latter a wine of gravitas, to savour and wonder at; the former for happy quaffing. Winemaking simply captures the prosecco grape’s freshness and light, spicy, green-apple tartness. The lightness and tartness make it enjoyable on its own or with pretty well any food – a pleasant backdrop that refreshes the mouth, allowing the food to star.

Battle of Bosworth Shiraz 2010 $19.50–$25
Edgehill Vineyard, McLaren Vale, South Australia
The Bosworth family planted grapes in McLaren Vale in the 1840s. Today Joch Bosworth, with partner Louise Hemsley-Smith, operates the organically certified Edgehill Vineyard, established by Peter and Anthea Bosworth in the 1970s. The vineyard supplies the grapes for their Battle of Bosworth label. Their 2010 shows a savoury, medium bodied side of the regional shiraz style. The colour’s deep, but not opaque; and the aroma presents fruit, spice and savouriness – reflected in the flavours of a rich, savoury, well-structured palate.

Grant Burge Daly Road Shiraz Mourvedre 201o $15.90–$20
Burge Daly Road vineyard, Lyndoch, Barossa Valley, South Australia
If you like full, juicy Barossa wines, you’ll fall in love with Grant Burge’s vibrant, purple-rimmed shiraz mourvedre blend. This is big and ripe but gentle Barossa – capturing the tender, slurpy fruitiness of shiraz, tempered by the savour, spice and firm tannins of mourvedre. The blend is 60 per cent shiraz; 40 per cent mourvedre, all from Burge’s Daly Road vineyard, located near Lyndoch, at the southern end of the Barossa Valley.

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

Mount Trio Great Southern Riesling 2010 $19
Gavin and Gill Graham own vineyards at Porongurup, a small, elevated sub-region of Western Australia’s large Great Southern area. The area excels with riesling and shiraz, but you’ll find all the usual Australian varieties as you drive around. Mount Trio offers a pretty good example of the local riesling style – at two years, the acidity’s softening off but still gives a brisk tingle and backbone to the lemony varietal flavour. At a recent office tasting it attracted more “likes” than a Wrattonbully semillon sauvignon blanc and a Hunter Valley unwooded chardonnay.

Smith and Hooper Wrattonbully Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2011 $16–$22
If we have to drink sauvignon blanc, let’s bolster it with semillon, in the dry Bordeaux style. In this example from Robert Hill-Smith’s Yalumba group, the winemakers fermented one fifth of the blend in old oak, leaving this component on the spent yeast cells (lees), and stirring the lees every two weeks. The process builds a rich texture and subtle flavours that, together with the semillon, contribute so much to the drinking pleasure. But sauvignon blanc still exerts its pungent, herbal flavour and zesty acidity.

Cumulus Wines Climbing Orange Pinot Gris 2011 $18–$22
In the difficult, wet and cool 2011 vintage some white varieties, including pinot gris, seem to have fared particularly well – for example, in last year’s local wine show, Mount Majura Vineyard won a gold medal for its 2011; and at the recent Tasmanian show, the extraordinary Bay of Fires 2011 won the special chairman’s trophy. And over in even cooler Orange, Cumulus wines harvested this scrumptious, bronze-tinted drop. Winemaker Debbie Lauritz really captures the character of this often-lacklustre variety – fresh and intense, with pear-like flavour and rich, slightly viscous texture.

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

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2011 $23–$28
Brancott Valley and Wairau Plains, Marlborough, New Zealand
Greywacke’s Kevin Judd and sauvignon blanc go back to 1983. As winemaker at Selaks, Auckland, Judd made some of the first New Zealand sauvignon blancs to be promoted in Australia, starting here in Canberra under the Selaks and 1984 Farmer Brothers labels. Judd then joined David Hohnen at Cloudy Bay, the brand that sold the sizzle of Marlborough sauvignon blanc to the world. After 25 vintages at Cloudy Bay, Judd left and launched his own wines – including this brilliant example of the variety. It offers pure, in-your-face varietal aroma, a fleshy, juicy mid palate and mouth-watering vitality.

Cumulus Chardonnay 2010 $30
Blocks 14B and 15, Cumulus Vineyard, Orange, New South Wales
Orange covers an even wider range of altitudes than Canberra. To be included in the region, vineyards need to be at least 600 metres above sea level – and some sit above the 1,000-metre mark. Because of its extent (508-hectares) and variations in altitude, Cumulus vineyard rolls in and out of Orange. The higher sections contributed to this delicious chardonnay, made by Debbie Lauritz. Oak-fermentation and maturation added texture and spicy oak character to the intense grapefruit and white peach varietal flavour. Looks very young and fresh now and should age well for five or so years.

Helm Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $35
Murrumbateman, Canberra District, New South Wales
In the shadow of shiraz, Ken Helm maintains a faith in Canberra cabernet, working tirelessly with neighbouring grape grower Al Lustenburger to bring out the best in the variety. In the outstanding 2009 vintage, Helm’s is an elegantly structured wine, built on pure, just-ripe, delicate, cabernet flavours. Helm’s inclusion of French oak, along with his previously favoured American oak, sits more sympathetically with the elegant fruit – lending a pleasant cedary note. However, the oak slightly outweighs the fruit at this stage (though the two may integrate with time).

Shaw Vineyard Estate Premium Riesling 2011 $22
Shaw Vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, New South Wales
In the tough 2011 vintage, Graeme Shaw produced just 300 cases of Premium riesling – a bronze medal winner at the 2011 Canberra Regional Wine Show. The wine displays the marginal ripeness and high acidity of the cold vintage. This pleasant tartness, and a low alcohol content (11.5 per cent), make it a good aperitif, especially with cold, savoury food.

Kirrihill Single Vineyard Tullymore Vineyard Shiraz 2009 $16.15–$19
Tullymore Vineyard, Clare Valley, South Australia
Kirrihill is a large operation, sourcing grapes from over 1,300 hectares of vineyards, located 350–550 metres above sea level in the Clare Valley. Winemaker Donna Stephens sourced grapes for this wine from the Tullymore Vineyard, to the east of Clare township. It’s a generous, ripe, plummy, juicy red with a touch of Clare’s distinctive mint character. A load of soft tannins adds richness and structure to this attractive, drink-now, traditional Australian shiraz.

Chapel Hill Shiraz 2009 $28.49–$30
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Chapel Hill delivers an especially vibrant, satisfying drinking experience, capturing the earthy richness of McLaren Vale shiraz without going over the top on tannin or oak. The lovely, perfumed varietal aroma and lively, fruity palate suggests winemakers Michael Fragros and Bryn Richards harvested at the peak of ripeness. A long post-ferment maceration on skins, gentle basket pressing and 20-months maturation in a combination of new and old oak integrated the firm but smooth tannins completely with the fruit. The result is a generous, savoury regional shiraz of a very high order.

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

Cumulus Orange Shiraz 2009 $30
Unlike Canberra where shiraz and riesling have become our signature varieties, the even higher, cooler Orange district seems to make a bit of everything, with no clear regional hero emerging – though chardonnay is, perhaps, the strongest contender to date. I’ve seen some decent shirazes, too, including Cumulus, sourced from two blocks on the company’s 508-hectare estate. It’s a medium-bodied, fine-boned, savoury style, built on ripe, black cherry and black pepper varietal flavours. A seam of fine but firm tannins emphasises the wine’s savoury character. Made by Debbie Lauritz.

Lerida Estate Lake George Pinot Rose 2011 $18
Lerida distinguishes itself from most other dry roses by its high acidity – a blessing of the exceptionally wet, cool 2011 season. Where others opt for the mouth-filling roundness that accompanies low acidity, Lerida harnesses the brisk acidity to accentuate the delicate, bright, strawberry-like pinot varietal flavour. The acidity also provides a clean, fresh finish, much as it does in a white wine. But despite the wine’s very light colour, the pleasant bite of tannin ensures we’ll see it more as a pale red than a tinted white. It’s made to enjoy right now.

Anderson Rutherglen Basket Press Durif 2007 $24
Rutherglen’s idiosyncratic red specialty, once impenetrably black and thunder-in-the-brain tannic, now comes in a toned down version. Several wineries, including Anderson, make an approachable, early-drinking style durif, without losing the variety’s ink-deep colour and rich tannins. In this version father and daughter Howard and Christobelle Anderson keep the alcohol comparatively low at 12.3 per cent yet retain attractive, ripe aromas and flavours. On the supple palate, smooth, round tannins mesh pleasantly with those ripe, juicy fruit flavours. It’s a generous, soft, fruity wine and ready to put a smile on your face now.

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

Gallagher Riesling 2011 $18
Four Winds Vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, New South Wales
If wine show results are any guide, then Four Winds vineyards grows some of Canberra’s best riesling. At last year’s regional show, both gold medallists in the 2011 vintage class came from Four Winds – one under their own label (reviewed here 8 February) and this beautiful wine made by Greg Gallagher. It’s certainly one of our standout rieslings of the cool vintage, delivering huge volumes of pure, floral riesling aroma, with a slight German accent. The bone-dry palate delivers on this promise, with the scintillating acidity of the season intensifying the pure fruit flavour.

Rochford Chardonnay 2010 $28–$33
Briarty Hill Vineyard, Yarra Valley, Victoria
This is full-bore chardonnay, in all the right ways – full-bodied but not heavy; showing oak influence but not dominated by it; packed with vibrant melon-like varietal flavour; showing the buttery influence of malolactic fermentation, but not overwhelmed by it; and delivering the slippery, silky texture of a wild-yeast ferment, without becoming cloying. Winemaker Mark Lunt writes, “[this is] the first Rochford chardonnay from the Briarty Hill vineyard purchased in December 2009. Wild yeast, spontaneous partial MLF [malolactic ferment], Sirugue oak. 781 dozen, bottled February 2011”.

Rochford Cabernet Franc 2011 $28–$33
Coldstream, Yarra Valley, Victoria
Cabernet franc, a Bordeaux variety related to cabernet sauvignon, usually contributes to blends, both in Australia and Bordeaux. We see the occasional straight cabernet franc in Australia, and in France’s Loire Valley it flies solo in the delicious, medium bodied reds of Chinon and Bourgueil. Rochford’s 2011, the first to escape the blending vat, offers an enticing, raspberry-spicy-earthy aromas and flavours on a medium-bodied palate, cut with fine, savoury tannins.

d’Arenberg Stephanie the Gnome Rose 2011 $18
Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale, South Australia
What can we expect of a wine called “Stephanie the Gnome with Rose Tinted Glasses”, blended from pinot noir, cinsault and mourvedre? Fortunately, all the right things for rose – a pale, but not too lurid colour; a pleasant varietal note from the lead variety, pinot noir; and a tasty, richly textured dry palate with a satisfying tweak of tannin in the finish. Winemaker Chester Osborne says the pinot comes from a high, cool vineyard in the Adelaide Hills and the cinsault and mourvedre from warmer McLaren Vale.

Terra Felix Prosecco $20
Gentle Annie vineyard, Dookie, Central Victoria
Prosecco is the grape name, though in its home, Italy, authorities renamed it “glera” for producers outside the official high quality production zones in Friuli and Veneto. It’s a light bodied, fairly low alcohol style and usually gets its bubbles through a secondary fermentation in tank, before going to market as young and fresh as possible. Terra Felix captures some of the subtle, apple-like flavours of the variety and the pleasant tartness that distinguish it from other bubblies. It’s a happy quaffer and goes with pretty well any food.

Smith and Hopper Cabernet Merlot 2009 $15.10–$22
Wrattonbully, South Australia
Wrattonbully begins at the northeastern end of Coonawarra and runs north to Naracoorte on South Australia’s Limestone Coast. With cheaper land than Coonawarra, the area expanded rapidly in the nineties as wineries sought high quality grapes to feed the export boom. As the vineyards mature, we’re now seeing what wonderful fruit Wrattonbully produces – in this instance an elegant, pure blend of cabernet and merlot, revealing red berry and plum varietal flavours, overlaid with cabernet’s leafiness. This is very classy drinking at the price.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 29 February 2012 in The Canberra Times

Gallagher Duet Pinot Noir Chardonnay Brut $25
It takes years, perhaps decades of experience to make bubbly as good as this – exactly what Greg Gallagher acquired at Taltarni before setting up on his own in Canberra. He sources the chardonnay from his own vineyard at Dog Trap Road, Murrumbateman, and the pinot noir from Mount Majura Vineyard, at the north-eastern end of Mount Majura.  The pale lemon-gold colour, small bubble and persistent mousse all point to the delicate, fine, aperitif-style bubbly that follows. Gallagher makes the base wine at the Jeir Creek winery, then completes the bottle-fermentation, remuage, disgorging, liqueuring and packaging in the purpose built cellar next to his cellar door.

Pizzini Sangiovese Shiraz 2010 $17–$18
I suspect that in the fairly lean 2010 vintage Joel Pizzini fattened up the sangiovese with a splash of shiraz. It adds meat to the bone, without detracting from its savoury style. In a line up of fruity, traditional Australian reds, first impression is of a lean and sinewy wine – quite a contrast to all the round fruitiness. But it has bright fruit, tightly bound up with firm tannins and with a persistent, savoury, earthy flavour. The savouriness and firm structure make it a good match with roasted red meats and game or with savoury food, such as cooked tomato and olives.

Rymill Coonawarra The Yearling Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 $11.39–$15
The Yearling is one of a number of inexpensive, elegant Coonawarra reds being made for current drinking. Fruit comes from Peter Rymill’s vineyards and the wine is made by Sandrine Gimon and Amelia Anderson at the striking winery cellar-door complex – located towards the northern extremity of Coonawarra’s famous terrra rossa soils. It captures Coonawarra’s bright berry aromas and flavours ­– in distinctive style that says, “I’m not going to suck the water from your eyes”, as some do. The soft, round tannins contribute texture to the fruity suppleness of the mid palate.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 26 February 2012 in The Canberra Times

Bay of Fires Pinot Gris 2011 $24.69–$36.50
Lower and upper Derwent and Coal River Valley, Tasmania
Yeah, right, we thought as we read the press release. James Halliday must be losing the plot – giving the chairman’s trophy at the Tasmanian Wine Show to a pinot gris. How could a second-tier variety knock off the state’s superb pinot noirs, chardonnays and rieslings? We called for a sample. It came. Halliday nailed it – in the sense that Bay of Fires 2011 expresses the flavours and texture of pinot gris about as well any winery could. It won’t knock pinot noir and chardonnay off the top shelf. But it shows Tasmania is the right place for this occasionally brilliant variety.

Madfish Shiraz 2009 $14.95–$17
Great Southern and Margaret River, Western Australia
Madfish is a second label of Amy and Jeff Burch’s Howard Park, with wineries in Margaret River and Denmark and extensive vineyard resources across south-western Western Australia. Like so many Australian wineries that make more expensive, cutting edge wines, quality trickles down the line to entry-level products. In Madfish shiraz we enjoy ripe-berry and shiraz varietal character, with the lovely spicy, savoury accent and firm, tight tannins typical of the Great Southern region.

Angullong “The Pretender” Savagnin 2011 $25
Angullong vineyard, Central Ranges, New South Wales
Angullong, on Orange’s southern border, has been trialling several lesser-known varieties, including savagnin (thought to be albarino when planted), tempranillo, vermentino, sagrantino and sangiovese. Theirs is a surprising full-bodied expression of savagnin, leaning to citrusy and savoury flavours, with a rich texture and just a touch of alcoholic heat in the dry finish. The style is well removed from the more overt fruit flavours we see in most Australian whites, but retains the familiar cleanness and freshness.

Bloodwood Chardonnay 2010 $27
Bloodwood vineyard, Orange, New South Wales
Peter Doyle writes, “This chardonnay is made from grapes grown on the region’s oldest chardonnay vineyard, planted in 1984 with much bemusement from neighbouring farmers”. Coming on to two years’ age, Doyle’s new release looks fresh and young – its vibrant acidity and restrained but delicious melon-rind varietal flavour revealing its cool-climate origins. The varietal flavour easily keeps its head above the barrel-derived characters. Indeed, these simply make a scrumptious wine even more interesting. The wine will probably drink well for another decade.

Main Ridge Estate Chardonnay 2010 $55
Main Ridge Estate vineyard, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
What separates a so-so chardonnay from one costing $55? It starts with the quality of the grapes – meaning an appropriate climate, site and vine age, backed by diligent vineyard work to achieve perfect grape ripeness. Then comes the winemaking – a tricky affair with chardonnay as the techniques (barrel fermentation, secondary malo-lactic fermentation and prolonged ageing on yeast lees) all have the potential to overwhelm the grape flavour. In Main Ridge, the winemaking inputs support the glorious grapefruit and nectarine varietal flavours on a plush but very fine, buoyant and ethereal palate. It’s an exceptional wine capable of extended bottle ageing.

Main Ridge Estate Half Acre Pinot Noir 2010 $70
Half Acre vineyard, Main Ridge Estate, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Nat and Rosalie White’s flagship red reveals a subtle, sensuous, ever-changing face of pinot. The style evolved over many decades (vineyard planted in 1975) as the White’s constantly fine-tuned vineyard management and winemaking techniques. From 2007 on, the pinots were not only wild-yeast fermented, but bottled without fining or filtering – as Nat learned to produce bright, clear wines in barrel. Some of the insights to achieve this came from visits to Burgundy, pinot’s heartland. On opening, the 2010 appears tight and tannic; then, over time, the beautiful layers of pinot fruit characters come through on a supple, deeply layered, sensuous palate, framed by those fine, firm tannins.

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

Madfish Western Australia Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2011 $14–$17
Semillon adds considerably extra depth and dimension to sauvignon blanc – a blend developed originally in the sometimes profound dry whites of Bordeaux. This blend of 60 per cent sauvignon blanc and 40 per cent semillon (from Great Southern, Margaret River and Pemberton) reveals some of that magic at a modest price. Both varieties contribute to the capsicum/mown grass/passionfruit fruit character and zesty freshness. And semillon adds the backbone and texture that give a satisfaction seldom encountered in straight sauvignon blanc. Madfish is a second label of Amy and Jeff Burch’s Howard Park Wines, with operations in Margaret River and Denmark.

Cape Mentelle Marmaduke Margaret River Shiraz 2010 $14–$19
Cape Mentelle – founded by David Hohnen but now part of Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton – produces Marmaduke from estate vineyards in Margaret River’s Wallcliffe and Karridale sub-regions. It’s made for current drinking – meaning the plummy, spicy varietal fruit flavours are to the fore in a medium-bodied palate. The tannins are soft and easy, and a savoury undertone adds greatly to the wine’s appeal. While it’s ready to drink now, there’s sufficient flavour intensity and tannin to see Marmaduke through three or four years in the cellar.

Curly Flat Macedon Range Pinot Noir 2009 $48–$54
Curly Flat Macedon Ranges Chardonnay 2009 $42–$47
I recall in February 2009 Philip Moraghan rushing from a Mornington Peninsula pinot conference back to the Macedon bushfires. Fortunately, Curly Flat escaped damage and produced sensational wines despite the seasonal heat. Either of these could stand against the best in Australia – the chardonnay for its delicate yet intense flavours, tight acidity and beautiful use of oak to add flavour and textural complexity. The pinot, slightly more alcoholic and fleshy than the 2008, offers layers of delicious flavours with a very fine, firm backbone of tannin to see it evolve over many years.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 19 February 2012 in The Canberra Times

Capital Wines Reserve Shiraz 2010 $52
Kyeema vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, New South Wales
Capital Wines is about to release its Frontbencher Shiraz 2010 ($25) – with today’s wine of the week to follow in March. The former is simply delicious – a fine-boned, spicy shiraz to enjoy now, and, to me, the best yet under the label. The Reserve wine, from the Kyeema Vineyard (established 1982), goes to another level – although it needs more bottle age or a good splash in the decanter. This is elegant, spicy, cool-climate shiraz of a very high order.

De Bortoli Yarra Valley Syrah 2010 $33
Dixon Creek, Yarra Valley, Victoria
There’s a unique cut and thrust to this wine, setting it apart from any other Australian shiraz. The cool growing climate (four east-facing blocks of De Bortoli’s Yarra vineyard) drives the style. But harvesting time, gentle fruit handling, winemaking and maturation techniques all contribute to the layers of flavour and texture. The intense flavour combines vibrant, fresh berries, cool-climate white pepper and a note of stalkiness, probably a result of including whole bunches in the ferment. The structure is lean and tight, even sinewy, but with a lovely suppleness.

Hungerford Hill Shiraz 2010 $35
Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Hunter reds like this were once called “Hunter Burgundy” – a salute to their medium body and silky texture, which bore some style resemblance to Burgundian pinot noir. Michael Hatcher’s latest vintage captures that classic old style in a clean, bright modern way. It’s a gentle, juicy red, focussing on delicious, vibrant fruit flavours, supported by the district’s distinctive tender, silky tannins. This provides great drinking pleasure now and I suspect that a few years’ bottle age will add regional earthy and savoury characters.

Riposte The Dagger Pinot Noir 2011 $20
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Winemaker Tim Knappstein describes the 2011 vintage as, “one of the most difficult in my 50 years of winemaking. The grapes for our ‘Sabre’ pinot noir did not meet my criteria so the wine was not produced. Fortunately, despite the challenges, ‘The Dagger’ pinot noir came through with good results. It will be an interesting year for the wine media as the 2011 red wines come up for review”. Indeed, The Dagger measures up. It’s a lighter style of pinot, featuring strawberry-like varietal character, a rich texture and a pleasing thrust of acidity and fine tannins.

Mud House Pinot Noir 2010 $21.85–$29
Golden Terraces Vineyard, Bendigo, Central Otago, New Zealand
The two Mud House pinots reviewed here reveal a comparatively burly side of pinot – quite a contrast to Tim Knappstein’s elegant Riposte style. Led initially by Felton Road, the very dry Central Otago region (45 degrees south and around 350 metres above sea level), offers a unique environment for pinot noir. Mud House’s entry-level blend provides a good-value introduction to the regional style – full, plummy and ripe and backed by firm, savoury tannins.

Mud House Estate Golden Terraces Pinot Noir 2010 $32–$36
Home Block, Golden Terraces Vineyard, Bendigo, Central Otago, New Zealand
This is slightly deeper coloured than Mud House’s cheaper pinot and may challenge the palates of those accustomed to Australia’s generally softer styles – but that’s what regionality is all about. The fruit flavours are ripe, like dark plums and black cherries, and very concentrated. Mingled with very firm tannins and an underlying savouriness, this creates a bold, assertive style of pinot – all of which may sweeten up and become more silky and supple with bottle age. However, not having tried a bottle-aged version, we’ll have to wait and see.

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