The Canberra International Riesling Challenge, held in October, fielded a record 364 Australian entries, up from 352 in 2009. But the solid support from local makers wasn’t matched by international vignerons. Organiser Ken Helm says the number of overseas entries declined slightly. France (Alsace), the Czech Republic, South Africa, Argentina and Chile each submitted a … Continue reading Canberra international riesling challenge 2010
In 1987 Peter Lehmann, with winemaker Andrew Wigan, produced the first Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz (current release 2005 vintage about $90), a magnificent but comparative newcomer to the blue-chip wine ranks. Behind it lies an extraordinary winemaking and viticultural heritage, reaching across generations. Fortunately the heritage survived traumatic changes of company ownership over the years, … Continue reading Long history behind Lehmann’s brilliant Barossa wines
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
Angullong Fossil Hill Pinot Gris 2010 $22 Orange, New South Wales Because the Orange region is defined partly by altitude, the 220-hectare Angullung vineyard wanders in and out of the regional boundary – walk up a row of vines until you’re 600 metres or more above sea level and you’re in Orange; stand below 600 … Continue reading Wine review — Angullong, Peter Lehmann, Four Winds, Cape Mentelle, Chapel Hill and Tim Adams
Willow Creek Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2009 $40 Willow Creek is one of many beautiful Mornington Peninsula vineyards to make stunning chardonnay and pinot noir. Winemaker Geraldine McFaul writes that the wine is estate-grown, whole-bunch pressed, fermented in oak barrels (25 per cent new) and matured on yeast lees in the barrels, with regular lees … Continue reading Wine review — Willow Creek, Clonakilla and Coriole
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
Holm Oak Riesling 2009 $25 Rowella, Tasmania Before unscrewing the cap, prepare for a giant step away from our traditional Clare Valley, Eden Valley or even Canberra riesling styles. Rowella’s very cool climate means more acidic grapes. The resulting wines tend therefore to be lean and minerally with high natural acidity. We see this in … Continue reading Wine review — Holm Oak, Seppelt Drumborg, Stefano Lubiana, Heartland, Coriole and Penfolds
Every five years, Langton’s, a wine auction specialist belonging to Woolworths, updates its classification of Australian wines. Unlike all the other wine-rating systems, based on the judgement of individual palates, Langton’s derives its classification from the volume and value of wine it sells at auction. The rankings are therefore based on perceptions of value and … Continue reading Langton’s classification of Australian wine — the market’s scorecard
Freeman Hilltops Fortuna 2009 $22–$25 Fortuna is a very smart, unusual and lovely blend sourced from five varieties grown on Dr Brian Freeman’s old vines in the Hilltops region. Freeman writes, “It is inspired by the aromatic white wines of two regions of northern Italy – Friuli and Alto Adige, a textural wine crafted from … Continue reading Wine review — Freeman, Henschke and Morambro Creek
Henschke Louis Semillon 2009 $28 Eden Valley, South Australia Named for the late Louis Edmund Henschke, this light-bodied, bone-dry semillon comes from 50-year-old vines on a Henschke vineyard. Like the Hunter style, it’s tank fermented, never goes near oak and is bottled early to preserve the fruit flavour. However, it’s slightly fuller than the Hunter … Continue reading Wine review — Henschke, Innocent Bystander, Picardy, Mount Majura and Mount Horrocks