Wine, Terroir and Climate Change John Gladstones, Wakefield Press, Adelaide, 2011 $59.95 John Gladstones wrote this mesmerising book for the world’s grape growers and winemakers. But it’ll appeal to a wider audience – including those interested in the concept of wine and “terroir”, or readers looking for a concise but painstaking discussion on natural and … Continue reading John Gladstones on wine, terroir and climate change
The Gate by Shingleback Shiraz 2006 $30–$35 McLaren Vale, South Australia The bling-laden label raises expectations – four gold and five silver medals from wine shows around the world. Pull the cork, thankfully no cork taint, pour the wine and instant joy. This is beautiful McLaren Vale shiraz, grown on the Davey family’s Shingleback vineyard, … Continue reading Wine review — Shingleback, Geoff Merrill, Peppertree, Tyrrell’s and Pio Cesare
Last week Chris Coffman’s Eden Road Wines took over Doonkuna Estate, one of Canberra’s oldest vineyards. The purchase lands Eden Road plum in Murrumbateman’s reputation-making shiraz and riesling belt – giving the vineyard perhaps its best hope in nearly forty years. Doonkuna’s history of hope, death and almost making it, began in 1972 when Wing … Continue reading Canberra’s Eden Road buys Doonkuna Estate
Eden Road The Long Road Shiraz 2009 $21 Canberra and Hilltops districts, New South Wales There’s a distinct winemaking style at Eden Road under Nick Spencer. The intense, pure restrained wines tend towards austerity in youth – a character notable in the Canberra Riesling 2010, Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2008 and Canberra Shiraz 2009. But the underlying … Continue reading Wine review — Eden Road, Ross Hill, Cullens, Brancott Estate and Innocent Bystander
It started with a tweet by Clonakilla’s Tim Kirk, “It may not look like much but this is exciting I tell ya. Our first Tumbarumba chardonnay… 1.4 tonnes of it”. Playfully, Capital Wines’ Jennie Mooney tweets back, “Are you guys bored or something?” – drawing Kirk’s response, “This is the year to be adventurous Jen, … Continue reading “The year to be adventurous”, Tim Kirk
Kirrihill Single Vineyard series $15.25–$16.95 Clare Valley Slate Creek Riesling 2010 Adelaide Hills Serendipity Pinot Grigio 2010 Adelaide Hills Barton Springs Sauvignon Blanc 2010 There’s great value in these single-vineyard whites made by Donna Stephens. The riesling, sourced from 30-year-old vines in Watervale, southern Clare Valley, offers full, rich lemony flavours with lively, delicate, refreshing … Continue reading Wine reviews — Kirrihill, d’Arenberg and Henschke
Overproduction, slash-and-burn retailing and our strong dollar should keep a lid firmly on mainstream wine prices throughout 2011. Adding to that chaotic mix are rising volumes of clean skins and labels owned or controlled by retailers, a dollop of parallel importing and the less-obvious but increasingly important activities of online retailers, auctioneers and direct marketers. … Continue reading Wine — slash and burn, burrow and build in 2011
In 2009 Western Australia accounted for just eight per cent of Australia’s grapevine plantings and four per cent of our grape crush. But its wines, especially those from Margaret River, win a disproportionate share of accolades. In this year’s Langton’s Classification of Australian Wines, for example, Margaret River won three of the 17 spots in … Continue reading Mighty west punches above its weight
Wine’s not a living thing but it can have personality. Clearly the more idiosyncratic a wine is, the more likely it is to stand out and be recognisable, even in a masked tasting. At times highly distinctive wines challenge our senses, or simply need time, sometimes decades, to reveal their best. As drinkers it might … Continue reading Wines with individuality
What can we learn from the honours list from the local wine show? Perhaps that wine shows tend to capture the big picture well but falter, at times, on the detail; that shiraz, riesling and chardonnay perform best; that pinot noir, cabernet and sauvignon blanc, with occasional exceptions, fare less well, or even poorly; that … Continue reading Canberra regional wine show gets the big picture but falters on detail