Wine Focus for June: The Southern Hemisphere

[David M. Bueker]

Hey folks,

Book your flights, grab your mosquito repellent (Beware! Zika!) and let's head for the Southern Hemisphere this month. Got a Pinotage you have been dying to open? Chilean Carmenere? Have an orphan bottle of Penfolds Grange staring at you from the cellar? Well drink up!

[Robin Garr]

Whoa! Is it June already? Thanks for jumping on this, David.

That's an excuse to open up my one remaining bottle of Moss Wood 1995. I remember finding that my previous bottle by no means lived up to the hype.

The supermarkets here offer the occasional Chilean and Argentinian, usually one with a French connection like Rolland or Lurton. Otherwise it means mail ordering which I like to avoid in the summer, but the weather here is so unseasonably cool and wet that I might just risk it.

Wait, does this mean I need to swirl counterclockwise?

[David M. Bueker]

We won't judge.

Enjoyed a nice Opawa Pinot Gris from NZ whilst doing my bird count in S AB. Crisp, refreshing after a long day out in the field. Lacked a bit of drive I thought but overall pleasant enough.

http://www.nzwine.com/wine-styles/pinot-gris/

It's interesting to see that well designed link page recommends a service temperature of 7°C. IMO that is far too cold for any wine unless one is trying to cover up exaggerated or badly focussed flavours, e.g. I can see the point with a very blowsy warm climate Chard.

1995 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River (6/9/2016)
This bottle of Moss Wood rates as my best bottle ever from Australia alongside a Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier in a very different style. My first bottle about 10 years ago (I can't find the TN) was disappointing with a sombre brooding complexion and very firm tannins but this bottle was really singing. Very deep colour with some bricking visible while pouring. Expressive nose of mature red fruit with pencil, balsamic and mineral hints. Quite full bodied palate and harmonious showing bright but mature red fruit with a lively plum note, smooth texture, more balsamic and minerals, fresh juicy acidity and ripe tannins on the finish. Very Bordelais in fact but perhaps a bit fuller and more up-front than most of those but by no means short. Excellent.

Posted from CellarTracker

[David M. Bueker]

2014 Casas del Bosque Syrah Rosé - Chile, San Antonio Valley, Leyda Valley (6/10/2016)
Bright, almost neon pink in color, the flamboyance continues to the aromatics, with ripe cherry and a tinge of citrus zest. On the palate it has a shocking depth, it's not a gulping rosé by any means. There's some tannin and a lot of flavor to go around. Worked very well with my roasted quail main course.

I visited this winery in 2013 and was quite critical of their wines due to absurd levels of oak. This wine avoided all of those issues.

2015 PROTEA DRY ROSE, SOUTH AFRICA. 12.5% abv. Mourvedre (59%), Cinsault (22%), and Shiraz (19%) Pale salmon color. In its flavor components it reminds me of Provencal rose' wines. Slightly underripe strawberry, citrus (lemon), and melon figure in the profile of the wine. It is crisp and clean-tasting.

I also opened a Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon from Padthaway, Australia but will have to hunt for my note on it.

[Robin Garr]

Alamos 2014 Mendoza Malbec ($10.99)

Primarily Mendoza Malbec with a bit of Syrah and Bonarda, this is a dark, reddish-purple wine shading to a clear garnet edge. Ripe cherry-berry fruit on the nose carries over intact on the palate with a juicy, zippy flavor of black cherries, blackberries and plums plus a distinct grind of black pepper. A hint of warm spice suggests a touch of oak, but it's not overpowering. Mouth-watering acidity and light but perceptible tannins build a good, food-friendly structure with a bit of warmth, not out of line at 13.5% alcohol. U.S. importer: Alamos USA, Hayward, Calif. (June 9, 2016)

FOOD MATCH: Argentina is famous for its beef grilled on the parilla, and it would be hard to imagine a better match for the country's trademark Malbec. That said, this one worked nicely with a gently spicy Korean style bulgogi made with Beyond Meat beefless crumbles.

WHEN TO DRINK: Perfectly drinkable now, but this bright, well-balanced red should drink well for a year or several. I wouldn't count on significant improvement with extended cellar time, though.

VALUE: With a $10 average U.S. retail price reported by Wine-Searcher.com, it's a good buy for a simple, rustic table wine.

WEB LINK
Here's a short fact sheet on the producer's web page in English. Oddly, the winery's internet folks haven't caught up with the 2014 vintage, but I expect the details are similar.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Compare prices and locate vendors for Alamos Mendoza Malbec on Wine-Searcher.com.

[Robin Garr]

(From this week's 30 Second Wine Advisor)

Does it bug you as much as it does me when a wine label puts a tasting report right up front and center?

Consider if you will La Posta Tinto, an Argentine red blend that I picked up the other day for a penny under 13 bucks. There's not a lot of information on the label. "Crafted" in Argentina, it says, without the legal language that guarantees where the grapes were grown. There's no vintage on the label, although the all-knowing Internet suggests it's 2013.

But right up there in front, in gold letters on red, the label tells me what I'm tasting! "Raspberry and red cherry aromas with hints of mocha & spice," in block letters on the front of the bottle.

Frankly, even though I have reasonable trust in my analytical skills, I try to avoid reading winemakers' suggestions, because once I've seen them, I can't un-see them. Even after years of wine tasting and periodic wine judging gigs, I can easily get tangled up in the tricks that your mind plays on you. "You say there's fennel pollen and elephant sweat in there? Oh, yeah, I'm picking up a little of that, now that you mention it."

But these tasting notes didn't work for me. I didn't find any raspberries, but maybe some kind of tart cherries instead. Mocha? I'm not feeling that, although there's some warm spice in there. It's a pretty good, rustic table wine, tart acidity and wisps of tannin surrounding full but rather undifferentiated red fruit and spice. It went pretty well with spaghetti with "meat"-and-mushroom sauce.

So, please, Mr. Winemaker. You make the wine. I'll take my own notes, thanks.

If you'd like to try this wine anyway, it's imported in the U.S. by Vine Connections, of Sausalito, Calif. You can check prices and find online vendors via this link on Wine-Searcher.com.

2010 d`Arenberg The High Trellis Cab Sauv, Mclaren Vale Aus.

Last bottle of 3, $18 Cdn, always enjoy any red or white from d`Arenberg.

The color still had nice blackberry tones mixed in with some purple on the rim. Nose had it all, just like my previous bottle..oak, black cherry, violets, plum.
Initial entry was medium-bodied, lush, soft tannins, easy to drink and great with a steak sandwich. Raspberry as it opened, some earth, "potpourri of various ripe fruits" from across the table. Newer vintages are in the cellar alongside some Taltarni and Tahbilk . Now if I could find the Viognier from these guys .

TN: 2008 d`Arenberg Riesling The Dry Dam, McLaren Vale.

One local store last year brought in one 6-pack, $33 Cdn which I consider a reasonable price. Since then I have come across the `11 and the recent `15 vintage for around $22 more or less. Always a fan of this outfit so after a couple of emails decided to open as was told "at its peak Bob".

SC, 11.5% alc, Lot # L08142, opened one hour and served not too chilled.
Has an excellent color still, medium yellow but no green or gold. Lime, floral nose, fresh, apple, whiff of kerosene. Has really evolved nicely and thinking yup it`s ready!
Initial entry thought is off-dry, flinty perhaps. Good acid backbone which does not deter from the overall pleasure. Apple as it airs along with "some sweetness" from across the table. Have to say would be of interest to see if there is some further development in the bottle.

A comparison of two Sauvignon Blanc wines--one qualifies as Southern Hemisphere, the other one doesn't.

2014 Domaine Etienne Daulny Le Clos de Chaudenay, Sancerre, Loire Valley, France. Labeled as 12.5% abv. This appeared almost identical in color to the 2015 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, both medium-gold color. Lemon and grapefruit on the nose. Sharply acidic but within my tolerance level--I find it pleasantly crisp. It displays some restraint and elegance. Nice with goat cheese (Chevre) and Gouda. One night I had it with breaded fish and penne with spinach, Feta cheese and garlic seasoning. I purchased three more bottles which I haven't picked up yet.

2015 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand. Labeled as 13% abv. Screwcap. The nose on the wine is more pungent than that of the Daulny Sancerre. The scent is very much a grapefruit scent. The grapefruit dominates the flavor as well. This is brassy and bold in comparison to the elegance of the Daulny but I find it attractive in a different way. If you enjoy eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice, you may really like this.

I have two Australian reds to post notes on by the start of next week.

Southern Hemisphere is the major source of the wines we drink at home, and indeed when dining out, especially South Africa and New Zealand

Last night I presented a tasting for the Central London Wine Society of the following South African wines.

CLWS members are invited to give opinions after each wine, then at the very end they disclose their points by show of hands. Only then are prices revealed. Group average points – out of 7 – are shown afterwards.

Painted Wolf ‘Peleton Blanc’ 2014, blend of Viognier, Chenin blanc, Roussanne, Chardonnay & Marsanne. - Pleasant wine, fairly neutral (4)

de Morgenzon ‘Chenin Blanc Reserve’ 2014 – From a leading Chenin maker, wild fermented in barrel, aged on lees. Wow, a knockout complex wine full of flavour and oak not dominant. Most felt it needed more time to develop. (4.4)

Southern Right ‘Ocean Aged Sauvignon Blanc’ 2004 – a real oddity, one of 425 bottles aged for 2 years under the sea 9 metres deep in the Hermanus’s harbour. Further aged for 4 years in bottle and released in 2010. No label and bottle covered in tiny crustaceans. Surprised tasters who assumed 2004 was a misprint of 2014. Smooth linear Sauvignon, lost any green appley gooseberry edge. (4.3)

Adoro ‘Naude Old Vines Cinsaut’ 2014 – this young winemaker as getting rave reviews when I was in the Cape earlier this year and his wines were mostly sold out, I was lucky to find this. Good colour for a Cinsaut, fresh raspberry flavours. Split the tasters with some giving really high marks and others so-so. (4.2)

Bouchard Finlayson Estate ‘Galpin Peak Pinot Noir 2012’ – a joint project between winemaker Peter Finlayson and the Bouchards of Burgundy from the Capes premier Pinot country in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Dark colour, deep wine, lovely velvety flavours of ripe berry fruit. A revelation. (5.1)

Kaapzicht Estate ‘Pinotage 2012’ – from the Steytler’s family farm in the Bottelary Hills, I’m a fan of their wines but this seemed restrained and lacking interest. (4.2)

Spice Route ‘Chakalaka 2013’ (50% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre , 13% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignan , 8% Grenache, 6%Tannat) – Chakalaka is a South African spice mix thus the name refers to the blend of wines and the winery name. Winery owned by Charles Back who also owns Fairview and he’s introduced new varieties, including Petite Sirah and Tannat, to the Cape. Interestingly I had a glass of sweet Fairview Durif (aka Petite Sirah) as a dessert wine in a restaurant this week. Chakalaka was a jolly nice drinking red with enough interest to intrigue. (4.4)

Ernie Els ‘Big Easy Red 2014’ (61% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Grenache, 4% Cinsaut, 4% Mourvèdre, 4% Viognier) – When in the Cape I was impressed with the sheer drinking pleasure this wine gave, and on visiting the winery and tasting through their range was further impressed. This is in the same ball-park as Chakalake but offers more, very sleek, sophisticated and yummy. (4.7)

Klein Constantia Estate ‘Vin de Constance 2011’ (100% Muscat de Frontignan) – This is South Africa’s iconic wine, a recreation of the once world famous Constantia dessert wine, presented in a black misshapen 50cl bottle moulded from an 1800s original. Made from late-picked and partially raisined grapes, sweet with honey, apricot and orange peel notes yet enough acidity to make really refreshing – and not sticky. Lovely stuff, and as CLWS always do, they gave the sweetie the most points. (6.5)

In Order of scores with retail cost in brackets, * denotes wine sourced in Cape. Higher the cost, the more points !
1 - Klein Constantia Estate ‘Vin de Constance 2011’ (40.50)
2 - Bouchard Finlayson ‘Galpin Peak Estate Pinot Noir 2012’ (22.00)
3 - Ernie Els ‘Big Easy Red 2014’ (16.59)
4 - Spice Route ‘Chakalaka 2013’ (12.95) & de Morgenzon ‘Chenin Blanc Reserve’ 2014 (16.00)
6 - Southern Right ‘Ocean Aged Sauvignon Blanc’ 2004 (*)
7 - Adoro ‘Naude Old Vines Cinsaut’ (*) & Kaapzicht Estate ‘Pinotage 2012’ (13.50)
9 - Painted Wolf ‘Peleton Blanc’ 2014 (8.95)

Way to go Peter, v interesting line-up and lotsa new names for me!

Just enjoyed my 3rd and last bottle of The Doctors Gruner Veltiner from NZ. Previous TN still holds up.

2011 Forrest Estate The Doctors Gruner Veltiner Marlborough NZ.

Went very well with baked chicken thighs and quinoa salad. Lovely lifted aromatic nose of lemon zest, chamomile, white pepper and nutmeg. Crisp lemon, apple and some grapefruit on entry and a lengthy finish. Will be looking to buy again! $26 Cdn.

[Jenise]

Sure wish this topic were next month or so! We're just back from France and trying to dry out a bit. But I have all those LOVELY New Zealand whites Sue Courtney sent me, and this would be the perfect way to report on my indulgence.

Jenise, you could revive the thread and tag on your tastings in July. I have done that before.

[Jenise]

Jenise, you could revive the thread and tag on your tastings in July. I have done that before.

True enough. But it's usually like singing to an empty house at that point unless it's a follow-up to an earlier post by someone else. Better to make a new post/fresh content.

[Robin Garr]

Domingo Molina 2014 "Hermanos" Valle de Cafayate Salta Torrontes ($14.99)

Clear, light straw color, with a faint greenish hue. Good, aromatic fresh-fruit aromas, peaches in the foreground, with a faint touch of a green herb like basil or tarragon behind. Ripe peaches are even more apparent on the palate, leading to the expectation of sweetness, but it's not all fruit; bone dry and appropriately acidic, it offers a good medium-bodied texture, with touches of subtle stony minerality and snappy tangerines joining with the juicy fruit to balance the flavors in a very long finish. U.S. importer: Vine Connections LLC, Sausalito, Calif. (June 10, 2016)

FOOD MATCH: A natural with mild fish and shellfish, poultry or pork, it went well on our table with a simple Northern Italian pasta, spaghetti with butter and fresh sage.

WHEN TO DRINK: This fresh white is best drunk up while it's young and fresh. It won't go over the hill in a year or two, but the synthetic plastic-foam stopper adds urgency: it won't last long. I'd buy this wine to drink, not to cellar.

VALUE: My local price is a dollar or two above Wine-Searcher.com's reported $13. I'd call it a fair price anywhere below the middle teens.

WEB LINK
Here's the winery's fact sheet on the Torrontes (in Spanish).

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and check prices for Domingo Molina "Hermanos" Valle de Cafayate Torrontes on Wine-Searcher.com.

[Jenise]

Torrontes is one white grape that just hasn't won me over. I like the herbaceous quality when it's there, but there's usually a sweet gingeriness to these wines that doesn't appeal, especially in those models that don't end up as bone dry as yours was. Isn't Torrontes the same grape, or almost the same, as malvasia?

[Robin Garr]

Torrontes is one white grape that just hasn't won me over. I like the herbaceous quality, but there's usually a gingeriness to it that doesn't appeal, especially in those models that don't end up as bone dry as yours was. Isn't Torrontes the same grape, or almost the same, as malvasia?

Yeah, I've found it variable too. It's sad that after their national economy crash a while back, the industry seemed to recover by embracing the American low-end market and made an awful lot of wines to compete in the Woodbridge niche. And a few high-end wines went the other way with Rolland/spoofulated pricey wines. It's harder to find old-school Argentine wines any more.

Anyway, there are about three sub-varieties of Torrontes, their history isn't fully known (Carole Meredith hasn't got there yet), but it's widely assumed that Malvasia Blanca was one ancestor and that the other might have been some indigenous Italian import. All this maybe 200 years ago or more.

Two reds from Down Under.
2004 Elderton Shiraz, Barossa, South Australia. The Ashmead Family. Labeled 14.5% abv. "Another dream vintage in the Barossa...low-yielding old vines...rich alluvial soil and red brown earth...maturing in American and French oak puncheons for 12-18 months." Can cellar for another five to ten years (from bottling) The color is a deep purple-red and it is opaque. This has a nice savory aspect and tastes mature but not tired or faded. I pick up the flavor of dark berries, a bit of pepper, maybe some umami. I didn't detect heat from the alcohol. It drinks easily and was good with broiled lamb chop and both baked potato and home fries.

2004 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia. 13.5% abv. Cork broke during extraction and left some detritus so I poured the wine back and forth from one wine glass to another through a tea sieve. I opened this June 22nd and then was out-of-town for three nights so resumed drinking it June 26th and never got around to taking notes on it while drinking it. It was a pleasant wine with integrated tannins but I liked the Elderton Shiraz better.