August Wine Focus: A trip to Australia with some Kiwis

[Robin Garr]

Why, yes, we are staying in the Southern Hemisphere for this month's Wine Focus. We'll explore all of Australia and New Zealand, no holds barred, hoping to find what's new in the land Down Under that we haven't featured for quite a while. Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc and Oz Shiraz might be the obvious options, but I'm planning to look for the roads less traveled. So g'day, mates ... let's unscrew some caps and see what's in there.

Great suggestion for this month after the non-starter in July. Have a fair selection of OZ, especially some fine aged rieslings. I do not think Shiraz is the high-flyer anymore so will be of interest to read about what is out there.

I should have added that I have a couple of Tahbilk Marsannes ready to open.
Over on the UK wine forum, there was a big Oz Chardonnay shoot out. Doubt many will be found in the US but think Jenise might find some good examples in her area?

[Jenise]

Bob, rarely see Aus wines here at all. Just mass production supermarket stuff and the occasional (egads) Mollydooker. Much better is access to New Zealand wines. In fact, I have these in the cellar at the moment:

2013 Astrolabe Wines Chenin Blanc Wrekin Vineyard Marlborough
2015 Craggy Range Chardonnay Single Vineyard Kidnappers Vineyard Hawkes Bay
2006 Craggy Range Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Te Muna Road Vineyard Martinborough
2007 Craggy Range Pinot Noir Zebra Vineyard Central Otago Bendigo
2016 Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard Te Muna Road Vineyard Martinborough
2008 Craggy Range Te Kahu Gimblett Gravels Vineyard Red Blend
2016 Dog Point Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
2014 Felton Road Chardonnay Block 2 Central Otago
2016 Felton Road Pinot Noir Calvert Central Otago
2014 Greywacke Pinot Noir Marlborough
2015 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
2015 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc Wild Marlborough
2014 Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir Central Otago
2014 Kumeu River Chardonnay Hunting Hill
2014 Peter Yealands Pinot Noir Marlborough
2005 Stonyridge Vineyard Larose Waiheke Island Red Bordeaux Blend
1999 Stonyridge Vineyard Larose Waiheke Island Red Bordeaux Blend
2015 Two Paddocks Pinot Noir

Dug around in the cellar and found 2 shiraz from 03 and 04. Think the 04 Grant Burge Filsell Barossa Shiraz might turn out better than the 03 Lehmann Futures Shiraz. Stay tuned forumites.

[Jenise]

Bob, I was rooting around on wine.com yesterday looking for some interesting stuff for a tasting I'm doing in a few weeks, and discovered that they have a LOT of good Aussie wines, so I ordered a few. Even got a Tahbilk marsanne!

I have a Tahbilk Marsanne Museum release from 07 that should be good to go.

Look! 10000 posts.

This entry level Penfolds Chardonnay below is all I have found locally and at c.€11 I am not about to repurchase. Wines from the Mâconnais can be had for less and they are more mineral and more to my taste.

I was about to add my ritual complaint about poor availability of more interesting wineries when I found in my inbox a quite good offer of Kiwi, Oz and S.African boutique wineries from a web seller called Vente à la Propriété. It included wines from Dog Point, Felton Road, Grosset and Chapoutier Oz, which tempt me. The fly in the ointment is minimum quantities of six of a kind in most cases, which combined with quite high prices and the risks of shipping in a heat wave, make me pass this time.

2015 Penfolds Chardonnay Koonunga Hill - Australia, South Australia (8/6/2018)
I feared a caricatural buttery international "Chardonnay" and so was reassured when I found a quite agreeable and fresh medium bodied white with decently fresh acidity and backbone. However I had taken the precaution of cooling more than I would a white Burgundy and I felt that buttery, jammy notes started to emerge as the wine warmed up. Quite good.

Posted from CellarTracker

Bob walks into winestore downtown with bottle of red in a brown bag!

Ed (owner).."what we have here Bob?'
Me.."nice bottle of aged red"
Ed..."well a beautiful brick red...earthy dusty nose with a woodsy aroma"
Me..."a 2004 Ed"
Ed..'could be a Cab based Super Tuscan"
Me.."I opened last night, very crumbly cork, 14.5% alc. I see you sell the 2104 for $28 Cdn over there".
I pull bottle out of the brown bag...2004 Grant Burge Filsell Barossa Shiraz.
Ed with look of surprise..."well you fooled me with that one!"

[Jenise]

Bob, amusing story. Btw, I've actually been to Grant Burge winery. I don't remember what we tasted, however I do remember another customer, a flashy long-haired rock star type with the 'babe' girlfriend--tons of makeup, big jiggly boobs in a low-cut top, and doused in floral perfume that took over the tasting room the minute she entered.

Here's a TN on a $12 Sauvignon Blanc we had the other night:

2016 Tohu Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard Awatere Valley
I have no prior experience with this winery, and know nothing about them. But call me suspicious, there's something gimmicky about using the words 'Single Vineyard' as a proprietary name without actually referencing a vineyard. And that suspicion looms even larger in the glass: grapefruit and white melon are in the nose, but it's kind of hollow on the palate where other things should be and with about 15% less acidity and 15% more sweetness in the finish than normal even at this low price point. It tastes less winemaker-made than industrially designed for the mass market, and I'm not it's target customer.

[Jenise]

Okay guys, beat this one:

1997 Penfolds Bin 707. Brought to Bill's lunch yesterday by David N (who often reads here). Best wine of the day: garnet color with a gold hue on the rim. Evolved plummy flavors with black currant, tobacco, woodsy spice and leather . Perfect acidity and tannins. Served blind, it had none of the typical Aussie-ness that gives away origins even in a blind tasting. Nothing about it OTT, just restrained elegance at an absolute ideal time of its life. [mic drop]

As I am unlikely to come across an Oz or Kiwi bottle worth drinking during the rest of this month, let me post a couple of outstanding experiences from the past.

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

“Springvale” Watervale Riesling – Clare Valley – 2007 – Grosset – Alc.13.5%. The nose was very mineral with marked dry petrol notes and touches of citrus and spice. The medium bodied and bone dry palate was linear and crystalline with again a marked bright mineral content, citrus fruit leaning towards lemon and lime, crisp acidity and a firm and long finish. The overall effect was exhilarating, elegant and moreish without a lot of complexity at this point but I think the backbone is there to assure the ageing which will allow complexity to emerge; 16/20 + with ++ potential. (October 10, 2010)

Nice notes Tim. They were screwcapping in the early 2000s and I started putting aside a few Marsannes. Will be puling from the cellar, expect some variation on past experience..vintage issues?
All my Springvale are gone.. .

[Jenise]

On Sunday we officially kicked off my birth fortnight. Since I had both parties at the dinner table with whom I'd promised to share my one and only 1998 Clarendon Hills Astralis, a notorious wine I'd kind of dreaded opening thinking it would be a gobby mess, that went on the menu. And since we were opening Aussie, why not serve a 2014 Leeuwin Artist Series Chardonnay (Margaret River) with the crab cakes and pair a 1995 Rosemount Balmoral with the Astralis? One of the couples, visiting from Los Angeles, were there in Alaska with us back in the 90's--we all discovered Australian wines and the Balmoral together. In fact we travelled with the male half of that couple in the years since, and the other couple are wine geeks planning a trip to Australia next year.

Mind you, all this and I have a very bad cold. My taste buds had returned Sunday morning so I felt safe.

The Leeuwin: I've had other vintages but long long ago. Still, I remember them enough to have been surprised by this one. I don't keep up with Aussie vintages but if there is such a thing as a cool vintage in Margaret River then this wine was from a cool vintage. It was paler and more minerally than any Leeuwin I remember having. Remarkably balanced, bright acidity, with some exotic (not tropical) notes I don't normally encounter in Chardonnay. Stunning wine.

The Astralis and the Balmoral, which had been decanted three hours earlier: By the time these two rolled around, my nose had got all stuffed up again and I could hardly smell anything. Which might have been a blessing. Annabelle and Margot both reported a veggie nose on the Astralis and neither cared for it. They admitted nose only, not on the palate, but still they couldn't overlook it. I, however, had no choice, and found what was on the palate entirely delightful. It wasn't the gobby mess I feared, it was beautifully balanced with bright, youthful fruit and tannins to carry it for another decade or two. The Balmoral was in a great place and easily identifiable as McClaren Vale with that malty, sour milk flavor up front that most MV's seem to have (and which I'm not a fan of). Good balance and fruit on the palate, long finish, fairly resolved tannins though should hold here for years. It's clearly nowhere close to death.

Hi Everyone,
Long time reader and sometime poster here. Greetings from Australia.
What strikes me about this months Wine Focus – there are so few replies, and it appears that what represents Australia in your market is vastly different to what represents it here at home.
In particular, the artisan makers who are doing really exciting things don’t have the volumes to push into export markets, and at the moment it seems like there is no “pull” to get these Australian makers overseas.
Observations of a local punter:
Australian Pinot Noir and Chardonnay have never been so good. Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula are running hot right now. 2017 is a smoking hot vintage in both regions, I have bought from Hoddles Creek, MacForbes, Giant Steps, and am waiting on releases from Ten Minutes by Tractor and Yabby Lake. The 2015 Giant Steps Primavera Vineyard Pinot Noir is one of the best wines I've tried from anywhere this year - think Littorai Cerise for a comparison.
Tasmania and its regions are infuriating. They should be better but there is a lot of averageness there. Holyman, Chatto and in particular Pooley stand out for me (Pinot and Chardonnay in all three cases)
The Parkerised Oak monsters are still here – but the new wave in the Barossa and McLaren Vale is dialling back ripeness and oak and making really nice, more friendly approachable wines. Think: Spinifex, Teusner, Kalleske, S C Pannell to start.
Grenache is on the rise for the same reasons – more finesse, less ripeness, and more refined wines. Yangarra, Cirillo are winners.
The Australian Megabrands remain. Penfolds seems squarely focused on China.
There are a lot of locally planted Italian varietals making inroads here. Nero D’Avola, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese all making a mark.
The Natural Wine thing is as strong here as it is anywhere, and the robust discussions that go with it mirror the rest of the world as well.
Cabernet Sauvignon is in the doldrums, but Cabernet Franc is hot with Sommeliers.
There are great wines being made in out of the way places. Kangaroo Island floored me when we visited a few years ago – Islander Estate is all class.

regards

Andrew

[Jenise]

Andrew, so good to hear from you. Having visited Australia myself, I understand everything you're telling us about the difference between American availability and what's really going on there. Parker and his importing partner Dan Philips, if I remember the name correctly, basically killed the market for Australian wines here. They concentrated on gobby blockbusters from the Barossa and MV, and now most Americans think Mollydooker, or gosh even Yellowtail, is typical. Refined producers like Best's didn't stand a chance and have disappeared.

We had a really different Tassie the other night, a 2015 Holm Oak Pinot Gris that's made in a barely dry Alsatian style with a lot of spice and friskiness from a partial wild ferment. But it wasn't available locally--I ordered it through the internet. Are you familiar with this producer? I believe I have a Dalrymple pinot noir on hand, how about them?

[Jenise]

So still seizing the opportunity to look at my few remaining Aussies, I pulled this to drink last night with an enchilada pie:

2006 Poonawatta Estate Shiraz The Cuttings Eden Valley
Immediately on opening, shows black currant with tobacco, bacon, fennel and black olive. Nicely developed and perfectly middle aged in flavor with soft, relaxed tannins--likely at peak, but could hold here for years.

[Robin Garr]

Barossa Valley Estate 2015 Barossa Valley "GSM" ($11.99)

This "GSM" blend of Grenache (35%), Shiraz (34%), Mourvèdre (31%) shows dark reddish-purple in the glass, not quite crystal-clear, with a pale edge. Plums and red berry aromas, with a touch of dried fruit to back it up. A burst of good red-fruit flavor fills the palate, cherries and berries framed by fresh-fruit acidity and soft tannins. Red fruit and brisk acidity linger in a tart, clean finish, and 14 percent alcohol is not intrusive, although it's just warm enough to heighten the heat against lightly spicy food. U.S. importer: Delegat USA Inc., San Francisco. (Aug. 21, 2018)

FOOD MATCH: It should be a fine match with just about any flavor of beef, from burgers to quality steaks. It went well with spaghetti with a fresh, garlicky tomato sauce with Italian sausages, although the spicy sausages and sauce did heighten the wine's alcoholic heat.

WHEN TO DRINK: No rush, especially with the metal screwcap to keep it fresh, but I wouldn't count on it to evolve with long cellar time. Drink up over the next few years, but don't feel pressed to rush.

VALUE:
I got an exceptional value against Wine-Searcher.com's $14 average retail, but check the Wine-Searcher link, as several vendors around the U.S. offer it in the $10 to $12 range. It's definitely a good value into the upper teens.

WEB LINK
Here's a detailed fact sheet on the GSM from Barossa Valley Estate.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and compare prices for Barossa Valley Estate Barossa Valley "GSM" on Wine-Searcher.com.

[Robin Garr]

Cape Mentelle 2017 Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon ($13.99)

Clear, pale straw color with a distinct greenish hue. Attractive fresh-fruit aromas rise from the glass, focused on pears and apples at first, shifting to bright lime and lemon citrus scents as the wine warms from refrigerator temperature. Snappy citrus moves to the fore in the flavor, with a prickly touch that suggests light carbonation. It's bone-dry and crisply acidic, medium weight and body likely contributed by the Semillon, with just a hint of stony minerality joining citrus notes in a long finish. Light 12 percent alcohol makes it an easy sipper. U.S. importer: Moët Hennessy USA Inc, NYC. (Aug. 8, 2018)

FOOD MATCH: The producer suggests oysters or fatty fish like salmon or snapper. It should go well with any richer fish or green vegetables; it was fine with an asparagus-cilantro pesto.

WHEN TO DRINK: I don't see it as a long-term ager, but its metal screwcap should protect freshness for another two or three years.

VALUE:
It's a fine value at my local price or even at Wine-Searcher.com's $15 average retail, but store prices range all the way from $11 to $21, so check Wine-Searcher and look for the values if you can.

WEB LINK
Here's a link to a detailed winery fact sheet.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and compare prices for Cape Mentelle Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon on Wine-Searcher.com.

I remember GSM from ions ago but have not seen here in AB for a long time. But then I do not seek out Oz reds, just the whites.

We had a really different Tassie the other night, a 2015 Holm Oak Pinot Gris that's made in a barely dry Alsatian style with a lot of spice and friskiness from a partial wild ferment. But it wasn't available locally--I ordered it through the internet. Are you familiar with this producer? I believe I have a Dalrymple pinot noir on hand, how about them?

Hi Jenise, yes I know both of these. Both in Northern Tasmania, and The Holm Oak vineyards are on the banks f the Tamar River, really good site. I've not tried the Pinot Gris but thats good to hear they are doing something interesting with it. I recall a conversation with a winemaker in my New Zealand adventures who said to me "My Pinot Gris doesn't have to be good, it just has to be popular". And theres a lot of that - bistro wine for those who have drunk too much Sauvignon Blanc.

Dalrymple is on the up - their 2017 singe vineyard pinot noir range which come from all over Tasmania is being sold here now and spoken of very well - I would taste them today if I didn't have a cold! Well done getting your hands on that, good find.

[Jenise]

I recall a conversation with a winemaker in my New Zealand adventures who said to me "My Pinot Gris doesn't have to be good, it just has to be popular".

Ugh, but I get it--I tasted an Italian wine recently whose name translated to 'the bill payer' because the grape was so durable and the wine so pleasing it was guaranteed to keep up the cash flow. However, the Holm Oak is definitely not a populist pinot gris--it's serious wine. Something we rarely see here with that grape.

Understood re the cold--same problem here and I'm down for the count today. Hope you heal soon!

2015 Giant Steps Primavera Vineyard Pinot Noir

Holey Moley this is good. Riotously complex and still bright fresh and lively as a three year old. Bright red berries with an undertow smoky meatiness and a sprinkle of dried herbs. There’s a density to this that builds onto the finish that brings in darker forest berries and verges on menthol at the close. Lovely to see such balance in a wine which has more to show with another 5 years in bottle. Screwcap.

2016 Tobin Wines Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

I'm posting this not so much because of what it is but where it comes from, a little vignette about the diversity available in Australia.

This is Adrian Tobin's entry level white. Its taking on its time in bottle well too. Cut grass & lemongrass from the semillon component, and then touched with the tropicals that ripe sauvignon can bring. But most notable is the sweaty gooseberry twang that carries this through to a crisp, bright fruit sweet finish. Taut and thirst quenching at 11.9% ABV, and at $A22.50 its reasonably priced compared to peers of the same quality.

And its origins? Not Margaret River where good Sem / Savs often come from, not even adelaide hills - but the Grante Belt southwest of Brisbane. As a region this is barely known outside of Queensland let alone outside of Australia. A shame as it is unique - 800 to 1000m elevation, and a long way north for a southern hemisphere region. Adrian Tobin has retired there and done some stellar vineyard work and produced some very classy wines.