Wine review — Lark Hill, Maipenrai Amungula Creek, Balnaves, Majella and Peter Lehmann

17 August 2011Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Lark Hill Gruner Veltliner 2011 $40
Lake George Escarpment, Canberra District, New South Wales
Following a suggestion from Jancis Robinson, a visit to Austria tasting its signature variety – and the fortuitous discovery of two vines in Tasmania – the Carpenters of Lark Hill propagated gruner veltliner from cuttings, then planted 1,000 vines in 2006. The Carpenters say the wine sits in style somewhere between the delicacy of riesling and opulence of chardonnay. The third vintage, from the cool, wet 2011 vintage, says they’re on a winner. It’s a pale lemon-green colour, with an appealing aroma like melon rind and spice and a full, richly textured palate, with a refreshing line of acidity.

Maipenrai Vineyards Amungula Creek Pinot Noir 2009 $13.33–$18
Sutton, Canberra District, New South Wales
Maipenrai’s Brian Schmidt describes this unfined and unfiltered (but limpid) red as “not your typical inexpensive pinot”, and adds it “will be best in five years”. In the warm 2009 vintage Schmidt produced just 10 barrels of pinot noir – four destined for the flagship Maipenrai label (released in December) and six to the second label, Amungula. And he’s right that it’s not your fluffy, strawberry-like cheapie. It’s a solid pinot, the aroma showing earthy, stalky pinot aromas laced with oak – and the palate revealing similar flavours, plus a rich texture. Firm tannins permeate the wine, giving it a rustic charm.
Footnote, 5 October 2011: Congratulation Brian on your Nobel Prize for physics.

Lark Hill Viognier Dark Horse Viognier 2011 $25
Dark Horse Vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, New South Wales
Today’s wine story discusses the Carpenter family’s recent purchase of the Dark Horse Vineyard, Murrumbateman. The acquisition gives them a stake in the main game in town – shiraz – and its sometimes fermentation companion, viognier. But viognier has a life of its own, too. In this case it’s a comparatively low-alcohol version (12.5 per cent), fermented with wild yeast. At this level of ripeness, viognier doesn’t present its full-bore, apricot-like flavour or viscosity. It’s a far more subtle wine, richly textured but not over the top, with an echo of apricot and ginger.

Balnaves Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $35
Dead Morris and Walker Vineyards, Coonawarra, South Australia
What a close call it was between Balnaves and Majella in this week’s tasting – two outstanding Coonawarra cabernets, both definitively regional, but different nevertheless. Balnaves appealed for the power of its tannin coated varietal flavours – reminiscent of blackcurrant and black olives. Despite its power, the wine’s elegantly structured and capable of ageing well. Its cellar companion, The Tally 2009 ($90), seems even more tight-knit and concentrated, requiring years in the cellar – a big, elegant, multi-dimensional red, firmly in five-star territory. Both wines are sealed with ‘Pro Cork’ – a natural cork protected by a thin polymer membrane.

Majella Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $31–$33
Majella Vineyard, Coonawarra, South Australia
In the tasting-bench arm wrestle with Balnaves, Majella gained the advantage on several fronts, starting with its slightly more vivid, crimson colour. But it was the aroma that drew us in. It really sang, thanks, in part to a perfect matching of oak and fruit. The combination lifted the fruit aroma, adding sweet floral notes to a wonderful cedar-like character that combined oak with Coonawarra’s beautiful, vibrant blackberry-like varietal flavour. The very friendly, juicy palate closely reflected the aromas. But for all its harmonious, drink-now appeal, it’s a wine of substance and complexity needing time to reveal its best.

Peter Lehmann Semillon 2010 $9.50–$11.90
Barossa, South Australia
Semillon grows well in Australia’s warm regions although its identity varies from era to era. In the eighties as the chardonnay boom took off, it found a marriage of convenience in blends, principally filling in for the chardonnay shortfall. For a time it found favour in oak-matured Clare and Barossa “white burgundy”. And today, it’s more likely to be seen in company with sauvignon blanc – a far more compatible union than its old one with chardonnay. Then there’s straight semillon, like this lovely, light, lemon, lemon-grassy, low alcohol (11 per cent) dry style developed by Lehmann as an affordable white with distinctive regional, varietal flavour.

Wine review — Clonakilla, Jim Barry, William Fevre, Louis Latour and Derwent Estate

10 August 2011Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Clonakilla O’Riada Shiraz 2010 – wine of the week $35–$45
Murrumbateman, Canberra District, New South Wales
In a recent tasting we paired each of Clonakilla’s three Canberra District wines with another fine shiraz, either from Australia or France – stepping through the wines in pairs. O’Riada, a blend from four vineyards, and containing five per cent viognier, thrilled with its high-toned floral, spice and musk aroma. A stalky note, presumably from including whole bunches in the ferment, threaded through the aroma and beautifully silky, smooth palate. It’s the most upfront and charming now of the three wines – a marked style contrast to its companion wine, the earthy but magnificent Meerea Park Hunter Valley Hell Hole Shiraz 2007 ($37).

Clonakilla Syrah 2009 and Shiraz Viognier 2010 $85–$100
Murrumbateman, Canberra District, New South Wales
Forced to pick between Clonakilla’s flagship reds, Syrah from the great 2009 vintage edges slightly ahead of the Shiraz Viognier blend – but it’s a tight call and in any group there’ll be preferences either way. The Syrah’s highly fragrant but also savoury, brooding and tannic, in a seamless, perfectly balanced way. Shiraz Viognier 2010 leads with a distinctive violet-like aroma. This comes through, too, on the vibrant, red-berry-laden, richly textured, smooth palate. These are extraordinary wines requiring cellaring – or a good splash if you’re drinking them now. (Companion wines were Mount Langi Ghiran Grampians Langi Shiraz 2007 and Cote-Rotie 2007 (Les Vins de Vienne).

Jim Barry Lodge Hill Shiraz 2009 $18–$20
Lodge Hill Vineyard, Clare Valley, South Australia
The Barry family’s Lodge Hill Vineyard sits high up in the Clare Valley’s eastern ranges and consistently produces very high quality, good value riesling and shiraz. We loved the 2009 at a shiraz and curry night – its pure, plump, fruity softness carrying deliciously through a range of spice and chilli flavours and heat. Lovely fruitiness seems to be a hallmark of the vintage in South Australia’s warmer regions. Peter Barry writes, “vintage 2009 was one of the finest, most rewarding and classic in recent memory”.

Chablis Champs Royaux (William Fevre) 2009 $18.99
Chablis, Burgundy, France
The back label suggests Costco imported this wine direct, bypassing the distributor, Negociants Australia – hence the wonderfully low price. Chablis, the northernmost point of Burgundy, makes distinctive, pebble-dry chardonnay. In this version, clever barrel maturation added a little flesh and texture to the mid palate without inserting any woody flavours, or interfering with the distinctive minerally flavours and dryness. In the world of Chablis we’d rate this three stars; but in the wider chardonnay market, and taking account of the price, we give it four stars.

Puligny-Montrachet 2008 (Louis Latour) $42.99
Puligny-Montrachet, Burgundy, France
The commune of Puligny-Montrachet abuts the legendary Montrachet vineyards, source of Burgundy’s greatest chardonnays. This wine, another Costco direct import, captures a little of white Burgundy’s magic, albeit discounted by a moist and slightly leaky cork. Despite the slightly darker than appropriate colour (presumably oxidation caused by the poor cork), the wine still shows Puligny’s unique combination of power with finesse. On a Puligny-Montrachet scale it’s a three-star wines, but earns four stars in the general chardonnay market. Dear French winemaker, please switch to screw caps.

Derwent Estate Chardonnay 2008 $29.99
Derwent Estate Vineyard, Derwent Valley, Tasmania
Highly regarded Tasmanian viticulturist Fred Peacock rates Derwent Estate among the best vineyard sites in the state – with part of its fruit going to the production of Penfolds flagship chardonnay, Yattarna. However, the Hanigan family engages Winemaking Tasmania’s Julian Alcorso to turn part of the crop into wine for their own label. We notice the 2009’s available at cellar door, but we picked this bottle up at Dan Murphy, Phillip. We tasted it alongside the two French wines reviewed here today and rated it best by a comfortable margin. It’s amazingly intense, pure and unevolved – showing cool climate grapefruit-like varietal flavour and matching brisk acidity.

Winewise Small Vignerons Awards 2011

10 August 2011WineChris Shanahan

For a report card on small Australian winemakers, check out the Winewise website, www.winewise.net.au

The competition, judged here in Canberra in July, opens its door to wineries crushing 250 tonnes or less for their own labels. The independent event began as an outlet for small makers off the radar of the big, prestigious capital wine shows, including Canberra’s National.

From last year, however, Winewise offered a potential route into the National Show for these small makers. The national’s organisers, attempting to attract small makers, declared that wines winning gold or silver medals qualified for the national event – and some winemakers seized the opportunity.

While many of our most recognised small makers don’t enter wines in shows, the Winewise event nevertheless attracts a great diversity of wines from across Australia.

The awards list therefore covers a lot of territory, and invariably includes surprises from little known wineries and emerging varieties.

The list of trophy winners gives a hint of the diversity. But it’s rewarding to scroll through the entire list, noting the gold, silver and bronze medallists – as well as highly regarded wines that missed the boat. That always happens in wine shows.

The trophy results can take us away from well-trodden paths. The best riesling, for example, comes not from the Clare or Eden Valleys, but from the Coal River Valley Tasmania – Pooley Wine Margaret Pooley Tribute Riesling 2010. It’s no secret that Tasmania makes good riesling, but in the bigger shows the bigger company wines tend to dominate – and that generally means Clare or Eden Valley.

For the most part, though, Winewise trophy winners reflect well-known regional specialties – cabernet and bends and semillon-sauvignon blanc blends from Margaret River, semillon from the Hunter Valley, sticky from Riverina, liqueur muscat from Rutherglen, pinot noir from Tasmania and sparkling wine from the Adelaide Hills.

But by the nature of the show they’re not household names – in some cases they’re names not familiar even to wine enthusiasts. Heard of Hutton Margaret River, Warner Glen Estate Margaret River, Barringwood Park Tasmania or Sandhurst Ridge Bendigo? They’re all among the trophy winners.

And how often would a saperavi (Russian red variety) win a trophy – or a blend of tempranillo, shiraz and sangiovese. Hugh Hamilton won the “best other red variety” trophy for The Oddball McLaren Vale Saperavi 2009; and Canberra’s Mount Majura won the “best other red blend” trophy for its delicious Tempranillo Shiraz Graciano 2010.

If a Bendigo wine won the shiraz trophy (Harcourt Valley Vineyards Barbara’s Shiraz 2009), the warmer Barossa valley retained its honour, too. Sons of Eden winery won the trophy as most successful exhibitor, winning gold medals for its Kennedy Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2009, Zephyrus Shiraz 2009, Remus Shiraz 2008 and Romulus Shiraz 2008. Now that’s a powerful performance – no trophy for any individual wine but a powerhouse performance.

As we scroll to the individual wine classes, we see just 13 rieslings from the 2011 vintage made it to the show. Ken Helm topped the class with a silver medal for his Classic Dry. It’s young and acidic now, but I’ll predict gold medals ahead as the fruit sticks its head through the acidity over the next few months. Mount Majura won bronze. But in the way of show judging, in the 2010 vintage class, Helm Premium Riesling, a darling of last year’s shows, missed out altogether.

Among the chardonnays, Bourke Street 2010 (a budget brand, made by Canberra’s Nick O’Leary and Alex McKay) won a silver medal. But a couple of other beautiful Canberra wines missed the medal cut – Mount Majura 2010 and Lark Hill 2009.

However, neighbouring cooler growing regions, Orange and Tumbarumba, won gold medals for Philip Shaw No 11 2009 and Hungerford Hill 2009 respectively.

Pinot gris and verdelho failed to excite the judges. The best either of those varieties could muster was silver. However, two viogniers earned gold – Baillieu Mornington Peninsula 2010 and Topper’s Mountain New England Wild Ferment 2010.

In the “other single white varieties” class, Tscharke Girl Talk Savagnin 2011 (thought to be albarino when planted) earned the top gold medal with Alex McKay’s Collector Lamp Lit Marsanne 2010 just half a point behind winning the other gold medal in the class.

Several pinot noirs won gold medals – Seville Estate Yarra Valley 2010, Paringa Estate The Paringa Mornington Peninsula 2010, Cannibal Creek Gippsland 2010, Paringa Estate Mornington Peninsula 2009, Freycinet Tasmania 2009, Laurel Bank Tasmania 2009 and Barringwood Park Mill Block Tasmania 2008 (the trophy winner).

Many regions, warm and cool, won gold for shiraz – Barossa, Langhorne Creek, the Adelaide Hills, the Hunter Valley, Hilltops, Canberra District, Bathurst, Orange, Geelong, Mornington Peninsula, Heathcote, Bendigo, Pyrenees, Margaret River and Geographe.

Included in shiraz’s show-stopping performance were three Canberra District wines, Ravensworth Shiraz Viognier 2009 (the district’s top scorer), Bourke Street 2009 and Lerida Lake George Shiraz Viognier 2009. The district’s gold medal parade may have been long had some of our other makers entered the shiraz classes – Clonakilla, Collector, Nick O’Leary and Capital Wines. Next year, maybe?

Cabernet sauvignon, Australia’s next biggest red variety after shiraz, also fared well but not so universally as shiraz. The gold medal winning districts were: Coonawarra, Mudgee, Strathbogie Ranges, Pyrenees, Margaret River (the star, with five golds), and the Swan Valley (perhaps – the region of Heafod Glen 2009 isn’t given, but the winery address is Swan Valley).

It was disappointing to see Mount Majura Tempranillo 2010 miss out on a medal. But having tasted this wine very carefully over several days I predict better ratings in future. It’s a very, very good wine.

Wig & Pen’s great new brews, business still on the market

10 August 2011Beer, Beer reviewChris Shanahan

In May Lachie McOmish put Canberra’s unique Wig and Pen brewpub on the market. There’s been no sale yet, though we understand there’s at least on suitor in the wings.

So it’s business as usual, as we learned one busy Friday lunch time as patrons picked through the impressive range of brews, all made on site.

Behind the bar McOmish dispensed brimming glasses and lengthy opinions, while Richard Watkins took time out from the brewery to show the ales reviewed below.

We didn’t have time to taste the delicate Knocker’s Perry, made from Packham pears, nor the spiced ale, infused with fresh local truffles.

Watkins said his cherry-chocolate stout was due for release in the last week of July. And he’ll soon be releasing his 2000th brew – a hoppy, Belgian golden strong ale style, now ageing in barrel in the cellar.

Wig and Pen Dubbel Trubble 355ml $9
The brilliant mahogany colour and luxuriant head on the Wig’s Belgian ‘double’ style point to the amazingly good beer that follows. How can ale of this calibre come from such an unassuming place. It’s sheer brilliance. And at five months’ really delivers on this unique, opulent, velvet-textured style.

Wig and Pen Russian Imperial Stout 355ml $9
There’s a rasp of Rasputin’s beard in the Wig’s black and brooding Russian Imperial — a massive, 10 per-cent alcohol brew, pitting malt sweetness and syrupy, smooth texture against bitterness derived from hops and strongly roasted grains. It’s an impressive brew to sniff and savour — wisely served in 355ml brandy balloons.

Wine review — Ten Minutes by Tractor, Jim Barry and Shaw Vineyard Estate

7 August 2011Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Ten Minutes by Tractor Mornington Peninsula Pinot Gris 2010 $28
Ten Minutes by Tractor offers a range of individual vineyard wines and “estate” blends, like this one, sourced from several Mornington sites – in this instance from the Northway Downs, Spedding and Wallis vineyards. It’s a well-made wine, capturing all of the essential features of good pinot gris – including a bit of grip and slippery texture, courtesy of the grape itself plus fermentation and maturation on yeast lees in older oak barrels. This textural side of the variety’s very important to its overall impact, as the flavour’s subtle – pear-like, with lemony freshness and a pleasant spicy note.

Jim Barry The Cover Drive Coonawarra and Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $18–$20
Cover Drive joins a growing list of beautifully made, inexpensive Coonawarra cabernet sauvignons that really show the unique flavours of this great cabernet district. Jim Barry’s wine adds a little Clare cabernet to the mix, but the aroma, flavour and structure really all say “Coonawarra” – perhaps plumped out a little by the Clare material. Sourced mainly from the Barry family’s southern Coonawarra vineyard it’s a lovely, juicy fruit festival – starring subtly mint-tinted, cassis-like varietal flavour. Flavour input from oak maturation is minimal, serving rather to build the palate and mellow the tannins. It’s ready to drink right now.

Shaw Vineyard Estate Canberra District Winemaker Selection Shiraz 2008 $16 and Cabernet Merlot 2008 $16
Graeme Shaw’s Murrumbatemen vineyard is one of Canberra’s largest with the capacity, says Shaw, of producing 25,000 cases of wine a year. Shaw segments the wines into three price ranges, including the entry-level Winemaker Selection range. The shiraz, a triple silver medallist, seems pretty big for a Canberra wine, showing the heat of the 2008 vintage, the flavours now leaning towards savouriness, with quite a firm tannin structure. The cabernet merlot (one gold, two silver medals) shows both the leafiness of cabernet and chocolate richness of merlot on a soft and easy, drink-now palate.

The Costco Canberra wine offer

4 August 2011WineChris Shanahan

The liquor section occupies just one aisle of the vast Costco warehouse. You weave your way to it past pre-fab gazebos, kayaks, pallets of flat screen televisions, groceries, small goods, dairy products and more, dodging truck-sized trolleys loaded with everything – including the kitchen sink (double tub).

Yes, the kitchen sink distracts us as we arrive at the long gondola of waist-to-chest-high open wooden boxes crammed with wines. The gondola-end screams for attention with tissue-wrapped Penfolds reds, including Grange 2006 ($479.99) and Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 ($149.99).

Fittingly, they’re in company with blue chips from France’s Bordeaux region – first growth, Chateau Margaux 2008, cheaper than Grange at $399.99 (and probably not as good in this vintage) and second growth, Chateau Pichon-Lalande 2008 at $124.99.

We wander around the two-sided gondola discovering an eclectic mix of Australian and imported wines, with perhaps a greater weight to imports than we’d see in the average local liquor store. This probably reflects Costco’s American origins – Americans tend to drink a greater proportion of imports than Australians do – and formidable international buying power.

There’s a strong focus on Champagne at very keen prices, starting with the house brand, Kirkland Signature Brut NV at $33.99. It’s sourced from an address in Verzenay (a village in the Champagne region) and shipped via Louisiana, USA. I’ve not tried it yet, but the price is good for the real thing, so it’s worth a try.

If you’re not willing to chance your money on the house brand, a big stack of the delicious Bollinger Brut NV at $58.99 may prove tempting – though it’s close to Dan Murphy’s $59.85 and 1^st Choice’s $62-odd. Competition may bring them all back to the same level. We note Cosco’s stock doesn’t bear the import sticker of the Australian agent, Fine Wine Partners. So it’s probably a direct import.

A big floor stack of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut NV at 51.99 offers great value, too, though not dramatically below Dan Murphy’s $52.85 each (in six-packs). But Moet et Chandon Brut Imperial NV at $48.99 trims a bit over $10 off the Dan Murphy price. Likewise Moet’s deluxe blend, Dom Perignon 2002 at $187.99 makes Dan Murphy look expensive at $214.95 each in six-packs.

A couple of potential bargains catch our eye among these wooden crates – 2009 vintage Chablis from Domaine William Fevre ($18.99), one of the region’s most highly regarded producers, and Michel Bouchard ($14.99). We can’t resist, so watch for the reviews in a few weeks. While we’re in chardonnay mode we grab a bottle, too, of Puligny-Montrachet 2008 ($42.99) from negociant Louis Latour. We’ll throw that in the same tasting.

Nearby we spot the beautiful De Bortoli Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2010 (reviewed today) at $21.10 – towards the bottom end of its price range.

We notice a mix of Australian wines from big and small makers, including Grant Burge, Penfolds, Wolf Blass, Tyrrell’s, McWilliams, Evans and Tate, Brokenwood (especially Beechworth Pinot Gris at $11.99), Seville Estate, Freycinet, Meerea, Tarrawarra, Yarra Yering, Ross Hill, Tamar Ridge, De Bortoli, Knappstein, Fonty’s Pool and Petaluma.

The Australian selection continues on pallet racks near the wooden-case displays, dominated by cut cases of Yellow Tail 1.5 litre bottles at $11.99. On an adjacent rack we find the only two wine casks on offer – four-litre De Bortoli Colombard Chardonnay and Cabernet Merlot.

Back at the wooden cases we poke around among the imports, including Chateau Tour St Bonnet 2006, a cru bourgeois from the Medoc, Bordeaux at $19.99 – worth a chance, for sure at that price. Nearby we see a small selection from Spain’s Rioja region, ranging from $14.99 to $29.99 for Campo Viejo Gran Reserva 2003. We have no idea how good these might be, but we’ll taste and review them over time. Likewise we’ll try Flori Barolo 2006 at $16.99 and Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 2005 at $35.99.

From Beaujolais in France we see Fleurie 2009 (Chateau du Chenas) at $14.99 and from Burgundy, Savigny-Les-Beaune 2008 (Michel Bouchard) at $15.99 and Nuits-St-George 2008 (Bouchard Pere et Fils) at $38.98. We don’t expect any excitement here, but these are good prices for Burgundy and the wines just might be OK. We’ll let the wines do the talking.

Our pulses race when we see a couple of wines from Taylors, one of Portugal’s great Port houses – and the prices seem sharp: $37.99 for Taylors Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port 2001 and $16.98 for Late Bottled Vintage Port 2004. These are unique, undervalued fortified wines, far removed the styles we produce in Australia. We notice Morris of Rutherglen muscat and tokay among the tiny range of fortifieds.

Nearby we see a couple of whites from Alsace and a potentially good German wine, Urziger Wurztgarten Riesling Spaetlese 2008 (Christoffel) at $14.99.

From New Zealand we see wines from Cloudy Bay and Villa Maria – but not like the acres of sauvignon blanc lined up in most liquor stores. Oh, yes, we spot a French sauvignon blanc, too, from Sancerre in the Loire Valley.

Clearly Costco are not attempting to be all things to all people. It’s a small selection and while the prices seem good, there’s nothing here that the big retailers won’t be able to match. Indeed their focus on known Australian brands will certainly increase competition in the region. Smaller retailers, however, may feel the pinch as they lack the buying power of these big groups.

Whether or not Costco can hold our interest is another matter. If the range on offer changes over time then there’ll be reason to return. But if it’s a static offering, then it won’t take long to work through the range – which is so much smaller than offered by the big retailers and independent operators in our region.

On the other hand, a narrower choice may appeal to many wine drinkers confused by the colossal range on offer in some outlets. And by including so many affordable imports in the mix, Costco may tempt drinkers outside their comfort zones.

Beer review — North Coast Brewing and Heather Ale

4 August 2011Beer reviewChris Shanahan

North Coast Brewing Pranqster Belgian Style Golden Ale 355ml $8.90
This delicious, deep-golden Californian ale, weighing in at a solid 7.6 per cent alcohol, comes from Fort Bragg, California. The makers say it’s brewed using “a mixed culture of antique yeast strains”. The aroma’s fruity, with a caramel-like malt background ¬ – these come through, too, on a round, well balanced, fresh, clean palate.

Heather Ale Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale 330ml $6.90
The label says Welsh druids introduced this beer style to Scotland in the ninth century. It’s a potent (6.5 per cent alcohol) brew, including malted barley, elderberry and roasted oaks among the ingredients. Black as tar, still lively a month from its use-by date, with generous roasted-grain flavours, it’s a unique winter warmer.

Costco beer offering — limited but very keen prices

3 August 2011BeerChris Shanahan

There’s little excitement in store at Costco for adventurous beer drinkers. But the limited offer seems keenly priced and pitched mainly at drinkers of mainstream premium imported beers.

Just four of the eleven beers on display (all in case lots only) are Australian brands – XXXX Summer Bright Lager 330ml ($36.69, Dan Murphy $36.95), Hahn Premium Light 375ml ($28.79, Dan Murphy’s $31.99), Bighead No Carb Beer 330ml ($43.99), and Tooheys Extra Dry 345ml ($35.99, Dan Murphy’s $39.99).

Prices on six of the seven imported brands undercut Dan Murphy by varying amounts: Heineken 5-litre keg ($28.99, Dan Murphy $29.95), Asahi Super Dry 330ml ($48.99, Dan Murphy 54.99), Stella Artois 330ml ($38.49, Dan Murphy $39.45), Budweiser 355ml ($41.49, Dan Murphy $45.95), Calrsberg Green 330ml ($38.98, Dan Murphy 442.99), And Beck’s 330ml ($38.98, Dan Murphy $39.85)). However, Costco needs to sharpen its pencil to beat Dan Murphy on Guinness Draft Cans 440ml, priced at $55.99 versus Dan Murphy’s $49.90.

Wine review — Helm, Clonakilla, De Bortoli and Brokenwood

3 August 2011Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Helm Classic Dry Riesling 2011 $30 – wine of the week
Murrumbateman, Canberra District, New South Wales
The two Canberra District 2011 rieslings reviewed here today probably share more similarities than differences – although there are distinctions. Both show the high acidity of the cool, wet growing season. But the high acidity seems to intensify the delicious fruit flavour. In Ken Helm’s wine this shows as a lemon-like varietal character in the aroma and flavour. It’s bone dry and definitely, at this early stage of its life, in the aperitif style. Ken says there’ll be no premium riesling this year because of crop losses on Al Lustenburger’s vineyard. The small production from the vineyard went to this outstanding classic dry.

Clonakilla Riesling 2011 $25–$30
Murrumbateman, Canberra District, New South Wales
Tim Kirk’s 2011 riesling is slightly more alcoholic than Helm’s wine (12 per cent, versus 11.2 per cent), suggesting marginally more ripeness. This reveals itself in the delicate floral notes in the aroma and flavour. The wine seems, overall, a little more delicate than Helm’s, perhaps because of the floral character and the absolutely delicious integration of the acidity and fruit flavour. Both wines should be candidates for gold medals at the regional wine show later this year. That’s how good they are. Either could have been wine of the week. 2011 looks exciting for Canberra whites.

De Bortoli Chardonnay 2010 $21.85–$28
Dixons Creek Vineyard, Yarra Valley, Victoria
The concept of wine being too fruity may seem far-fetched for a product made from grapes – especially given Australia’s export success with fruity, “sunshine in a bottle” wines. But Australia’s best chardonnay makers, including De Bortoli’s Steve Webber, headed down this less fruity path a decade or more ago. Webber writes, “ whilst it is important to have nuance of variety and oak, the characters of site, season, texture and minerality are equally important to us”. Webber’s subtle, richly textured 2010 chardonnay is an affordable and excellent example of the style.

De Bortoli Pinot Noir 2010 $25.95–$33
Yarra Valley, Victoria
Leanne De Bortoli and winemaker husband, Steve Webber, drink lots of Burgundy, notably those from Domaine Armand Rousseau, one of the region’s greatest pinot noir makers. Benchmarking of this calibre sets a winemaker’s sights very high indeed – and it shows in the beautiful pinot noirs made by Webber. His latest estate-grown release captures so much of the variety’s magic – limpid colour, heaps of perfume, deep, juicy, plump fruit flavour, savouriness and an abundance of fine, soft, velvety tannins giving structure. Our bottle revealed a little more each day for four days, suggesting it’ll evolve well with several years’ cellaring.

Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2010 $25–$30
Hilltops, New South Wales
Tim Kirk’s new Hilltops shiraz shows the comparative elegance of a cool, post-drought vintage – following the plumper juicier wines of the warm 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons. Appropriately for a wine from Young, the flavour resembles fresh, ripe cherries – with a noted buoyancy and liveliness. Kirk says he picked a little earlier than usual, just beating the rain. This, along with a portion of whole-bunch fermentation (where the fermentation occurs in inside the berries), and a touch of viognier, added to the bright, berry-like flavours.

Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz 2009 $150
Graveyard Vineyard, Pokolbin, Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Brokenwood’s Graveyard shiraz sits at the top of Australia’s collectible wines –alongside Penfolds Grange and 15 other wines comprising Langton’s “Exceptional” classification. It’s the only Hunter wine on the list and beautifully expresses the unique long-lived style of the region’s shiraz. It’s a generous wine, but medium bodied – rather than the full-blooded style we might expect of a region as far north as the Hunter is. It’s earthy and savoury and easily absorbs a sweet, spicy dose of new French oak. The palate’s an essence of Hunter shiraz – like a reduced stock in its flavour concentration and silk smooth texture.

Wine review — Helm and Jacob’s Creek

31 July 2011Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Helm Canberra District Half Dry Riesling 2011 $25
Bang! Hear the firing gun? It’s the opening of unwooded white season, as our winemakers launch the first of their 2011 vintages. In Canberra the main game is crisp, mainly dry rieslings — with some exceptions, like Ken Helm’s mouth-watering semi-dry style. The cool season delivered high natural acidity, a great virtue for this style. As the best of the German off-dry styles demonstrate, there’s magic in the combination of intense fruit flavour, delicacy, low alcohol and a strong line of acid offsetting the sweetness. Australian rieslings generally can’t emulate the delicacy of the German wines, but Helm’s ticks all the other boxes in 2011.

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2009 $10.90–$17.99
Here’s to Jacob’s Creek for moving to regional naming on its Reserve range – matching varieties to region. But why not go the whole hog and supply rich technical detail to reviewers, as most other winemakers do? Alas, the labels might have changed, but the fast moving consumer goods marketing mentality still prevails in the company’s dumbed-down press material. That quibble aside, the wines are remarkably good – even the pinot, a difficult variety to produce well at this price. It looks, smells and tastes like pinot and avoids the sometimes confection-like character found in some cheaper version. It’s made to drink now.

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Barossa Shiraz 2008 $10.90–$17.99
It’s so good after almost forty years of the Jacob’s Creek brand to see the Barossa name on one of the cheaper wines in the range – not just as an address for the brand, but as the single origin of the wine in the bottle. And it’s a bloody good Barossa shiraz – deeply coloured but not opaque, still youthfully crimson at the rim, ripe, but not over-ripe, and full flavoured but not heavy. There’s a nice core of plump, vibrant, juicy, cherry-like fruit, but it’s mingled with soft tannins and even a touch of oak – the real thing at a fair price. Watch for the discounts.