Austrian Dinner and Masterclass 26th March 2013

I will cheerfully admit I am a huge fan of Austrian wines. When a winemaking teacher tipped me off to the existence of Gruner Veltliner it opened up a whole world of textural, aromatic white wines that are almost more fun to smell than to drink (almost but not quite!). After years of enjoying Austria's Riesling and Gruner the importer decided to challenge us with reds. Yep, reds from Austria. Made from native grapes that suit the climate. And they are very darn good too. I even heard a whisper of some Austrian sparkling eventually coming into the country at some stage too.

So when the importer asked if I would like to showcase some of the Austrian wines I was dead keen.

Austria can be just as confusing as Germany when it comes to decoding what the labels mean. At least they almost always list the variety used on the label. From experience the best thing you can do is get to know the producer and their style after that it is just a matter of working out which is vineyard name, what is marketing speak and what is quality level. The notes from the night can be view here and as always the best way to learn is by doing, so you can purchase the wines here. Feel free to email to chat about an introduction pack for similar.


Champagne Jacquesson Cuvee 735 At the time of the dinner we had no access to Austrian sparkling wine. Champagne would "have to do". I loved the crisp and refreshing nature of the 735. Very zesty, a hint leesy but perfect for a warm night to lead into the aromatics. Jacquesson make some great Champagne that have flavour and interest as a drink but often get forgotten sadly.

Bracket One. Gruner Veltliner - textural wines with power and complexity. Great transmitter of terroir.
Stift Goettweig Grüner Veltliner Gottweiger Berg DAC 2011 Soft, floral, spice (pepper), musk, savoury and dough. The palate was zesty and clean. This wine shows the mid-weight Gruner style, it was so well balanced I found myself emptying the glass sooner than I meant to.

Prager Grüner Veltliner Hinter Der Burg Federspiel 2011 Using 100% stainless steel the Prager team want the purity of variety and terroir to shine. This was noticeably lighter than the other three in the bracket. I enjoyed the pure, fresh, grapey, floral, Clean and doughy notes. The acid was more noticeable in this wine as were the phenolic structure and there was even a hint of the Gruner bitterness too. This made it a very refreshing drink.

Franz Hirtzberger Grüner Veltliner Axpoint Smaragd 2011 Riper, peach, melon, zesty fruits, mineral/chalk, hint of funk and grapefruit. Great mouthfeel and balance makes this wine a joy to drink. This wine was a bit of a talking point. A lot of people loved the power in the this wine but a few people found it a bit challanging. It really showed the progression from light through to full Gruner.

Bründlmayer Grüner Veltliner Loiser Berg 2000 Being able to try an older bottle really puts the wines into context. It is said that old Gruner takes on similar characters to aged White Burgundy. There was plenty of toasty, honey, zesty and tuna characters. The wine still had the purity of floral and grape/grapefruit perfume and the texture was amazing. Just a great example of how well the wines age.

Bracket 2. Riesling - dry wines with drive and purirty.
Domaine Wachau Riesling Terrassen Federspiel 2011 This is "just" the entry level. Wow! Sweet fruits, waxy, grapey, green apple. Very crisp, long and satisfying. The wine was just everything that great Riesling should be. Such an enjoyable drink.

FX Pichler Riesling Loibenberg Smaragd 2011 I must confess a love of Pichler wines. This wine did not disappoint. Pure, spicey, grape and powerful. There was hints of exotic fruits as there was probably a touch of botrytis in here but that only made the wine more complex. Lots of mid palate stuffing in this wine. A hint of saline but just dripping with ripe stone fruits. This is a keeper for sure.

Emmerich Knoll Riesling Vinothekfuellung Smaragd 2011 A mouthful to say and to drink. A blend made for wine bars (Vinothek) in a slightly fuller and more forward style. Lots of spice, red apple and a mixture of overt fruits best summed up as "like a hippy commune". The palate was full and satisfyingly harmonious. Great for drinking now. Will probably improve with time but I'd never find out.

Bründlmayer Riesling Heiligenstein Lyra 2001 A great producer and vineyard from a hotter year and this wine certainly provoked discussion. I loved the silky mouthfeel and fresh toast and cured limes. It was however at the end of its life and definitely needs to be drunk. Some people loved it, some thought it was too old. I think I'd like to restaste to be sure ;)

Bracket 3. Native reds - What are they like? Closest I can come is a divine blend of Nebbiolo, Syrah, Tempranillo and Pinot Noir. You just need to try them.
Pittnauer St. Laurent Dorflagen Villages 2011 St Laurent is thought to have descended from Pinot Noir a long time ago. This is an entry point to the variety and was full of smokey, blood oranges, dirt, mineral and meaty. The palate was tart, with red fruits, soft and tasted of the earth. Fine tannins and a hint silky. I think this variety suits the foods we eat in Australia.

Pittnauer St. Laurent Altenberg 2007 The next step up, a single vineyard example. Darker, fuller and with more pronounced mineral and earth. The palate showed lots of cherry cola and had such a great feel and balance. A very impressive wine that would hold its own next to a lot of more famous Old world wines.

Moric Blaufrankisch Burgenland 2011 Blaufrankisch offers a step up in weight and intensity compared to St Laurent. This village level wine was full of sweet fruits, plums, hint of prune and currants. Although very primary there is a lot of depth and glimpses of savoury notes. The palate is full but not heavy and there is a nice perfume that carries through the wine.

Moric Blaufrankisch Neckenmarkter Alte Reben 2007 Single vineyard from high altitudes. This was a serious wine. Rhone like earthy/limestone and dried meats, red and blue fruits and a fair weight on the mouth backed up with great tannins. I'd love to see this wine with more time in the bottle as it was quite compact at the tasting.

Emmerich Knoll Grüner Veltliner Beerenauslese 2007 500ml To finish we had the pleasure of this sweet wine. Luscious, balanced and seamless. There was a plethora of tropical fruits and floral characters. The perfect way to draw a close to a lovely evening that showed off how good Austrian wines are.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Austrian wines or if you are curious to know more please get in touch.

Spanish Master Class @ Mezzo

Spanish Masterclass

Next Stop World Domination?

Check out the Order form here
About Spain
According to figures from the OIV (International Organization of Wine and Vine), in 2011 Spain had 1,032,000 hectare of vineyards planted. 225,000 hectare more than second most prolific France. 97.4% was used for wine making. In 2011 they produced 34,300,000 hectolitres of wine compared to France 49,633,000 and Italy 41,580,000. Australia had 174,000ha making 11,010,000hl of wine.

The best regions have laws similar to France’s AOC or Italy’s DOC laws under the banner of Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO).

Denomination of Origin (DO) – For ‘prestigious Spanish wines’ with five years of recognised quality production. The Consejo Regulador  governs the parametres of production. 
Qualified Denomination of Origin. (DOCa) – Regions that have 10 years of DO quality wines. The wines must be bottled in wineries within the region where they are produced and follow the laws of the regulating body.
Estate Wine (Vino de Pago) – Recognising distinctive sites. They must comply with DOCa requirements while being vinified and  bottled at the vineyard.
Qualified Estate Wine (Vino de Pago Calificado) – If the Vino de Pago is wholly within a DOCa and fulfils the Vino de Pago laws it can be granted this classification.

Important Varieties For Quality

Tempranillo – Top quality grape grown all over the Peninsula (with many pseudonyms). Can be used for Rosado or Joven all the way up to Gran Reserva. Ages well – said to compare to Burgundy. Cherry, cola typical descriptors.
Garnacha – AKA Grenache. Most famous in Priorat and Montsant. Blends well with Tempranillo.
Mencia – Similar to Cabernet Franc makes stunning wines from Bierzo, Valdeorras and surrounding regions.
Albarino – Native of Galicia and the main grape of Rias Baixas. Great perfume and texture.
Palomino – The main variety of Sherry production. Used for Fino/Manzanilla, Amontillado and Oloroso production.
Sparkling Varieties – Macabeo, Xarel.lo and Parellada combine to make the stunning Methode Traditionelle wines of Cava with some Chardonnay on occasion. Generally all three are quite ordinary for table wine production.

Important Regions For Quality

Rioja – A large and varied region and Spain’s quality flagship. Alta and Alavesa are the high altitude cooler parts and Baja the low hot lands. Producer is the most important determiner of quality. The Spanish equivalent of the Barossa.
Ribera del Duero – Rivalling Rioja for quality. This valley that follows the Duero (Duoro in Portugal) is high altitude with sandy soils. The best are extremely elegant wines. Tempranillo dominates production.
Jerez – The southern town that is responsible for Sherry. Need I say more?
Priorat – Robust wines made of Garnacha and Cariñena (aka Carignan)  grown on schisty slopes perched high in the mountains near Barcelona.
Biezro – Continental climate and high altitude vineyards combined with schist laden soils means these wines are elegant, fine and perfumed. Easily some of the best wines in Spain.    
Rias Baixas – Translates to ‘low rivers’, the best producers in this white only DO make perfumed, elegant and textured wines that really sing with seafood.

Give it a rest The aging categories in Spain can be confusing but they are summarised below as:
Joven Generally unoaked and released early for immediate consumption.
Vino de crianza (crianza wine) Reds minimum of 24 months, of which 6 months are spent in oak. White and rosé wines aged for at least 18 months.
Reserva Red wines that are aged for a minimum of 36 months. At least 12 months in oak and the rest in the bottle. White and rosé aged for 18 months, to include 6 months on wood.
Gran Reserva Red wines aged for a minimum of 60 months, to include at least 18 months in oak. White and rosé wines aged for 48 months, to include 6 months on wood.

Quality sparkling wines may use the “Premium” and “Reserva” indications; the “Gran Reserva” indication may be used by those sparkling wines that have been given the Cava designation and which have undergone ageing for at least 30 months from tirage to disgorging.

The Wines

2006 Juvé y Camps ‘Reserva de la Familia’ Brut Nature Gran Reserva
33% Macabeo, 33% Xarel.lo, 34% Parellada. Dense, leesy, zesty, floral, clean and very long. The best Cava (and this is one of them) is made in the Champagne method but tend to be a lot lighter and crisper due to the native varieties used. Very nice drinking for starting a meal.

2010 Valmiñor Albariño  D.O. Rías Baixas
Albarino is Spain's best white grape. This wine has great balance, its very textural and floral with candied citrus and hints of savoury, doughy notes. Very long. Rias Baixas is a white only region on the West coast of Spain. These wines are made for seafood and this would be awesome with scallops.

2010 Telmo Rodriguez ‘El Transistor’ Verdejo D.O Rueda
Also known as Verdehlo this grape is a bit of a work horse making lots of easy going wine for immediate consumption. This wine is the next level up. Crystaline, pure and clean, hints of oak complement the dense white and yellow fruits. There is plenty of fat on the mid-palate and a floral almost aloe vera like finish.

2008 Dominio Do Bibei Lacima D.O Ribeira Sacra
100% Mencia - a variety close to my heart. Mencia is thought to be related to Cabernet Franc if not genetically definitely flavour wise. Crushed raspberries, dried and fresh herbs, floral clean and tight. There is a stony core to this wine and a spine of acid and tannin that make it compelling drinking. Try having just one glass!

2008 Alvaro Palacios ‘Finca Dofi’D.O Priorat (DOCa) Grenache dominant blend from one of Spain's best regions. The Palacios family is almost royalty in Spain This wine was dark fruited, smokey/schisty. tea leaf and chocolatey. There is plenty of presence and power in the mouth. As is typical of the region this wine really needs a few more years to soften out and develop some secondary characters. Impressive drinking none-the-less.

2008 Remondo ‘Propiedad’ D.O Rioja (DOCa) Grenache dominant with Tempranillo making up the balance from Rioja Baja. Dry, savoury, pure, dark fruits, with a hint of prunes. The palate on this wine is all silk and seduction. Really shows the potential of the Rioja low lands.

2005 Alion D.O Ribera del Duero
100% Tempranillo from the famous Vega Sicilia stable of wines. Easily the wine of the night as the extra age has given a beautiful depth. Meaty, red, blue and black fruits, fresh, spicy, silky and ever evolving in the glass. A great experience and captures the essence of Tempranillo. A must try for wine lovers.

28 Navazos La Bota de Oloroso Bota Punta D.O Jerez de la Frontera (375ml)        
Walnut, spice, pepper, incredibly floral, hazelnuts, the palate is clean with wonderful mouthfilling hints of dried fruits. Such an amazing experince to drink pure concentrated Oloroso.

The Entry level Wines
NV Segura Viudas Aria Brut
Charming, light, fresh, citrusy Cava that is all too easy to drink. Great drinking no matter what the occasion is.

2011 Viña Olabarri Viura Blanco D.O. La Rioja AltaMainly made from Viura it is a light fresh, apple and pear with a hint of floral. The palate has some good texture and waxy notes. Very pleasant to sip.

2011 Telmo Rodriguez ‘Basa’ Verdejo D.O Rueda
Classic easy goingh Verdejo that can be served cold to be refreshing or served at cellar temperature to appreciate the subtle flavours and textures.

2010 Descendientes de J. Palacios ‘Pétalos’ Mencia D.O. Bierzo
A stunning producer who makes Mencia that rivals the best wines of Burgundy. I cannot recommend this wine highly enough. So fresh and vibrant with the mineral core.

2011 Agnès de Cervera ‘La Petite Agnès’ Garnacha Samsó D.O Priorat (DOCa)
Amazingly good wine showing the typical Priorat dark fruit power, schisty drive and overall muscle.

2011 Palacios Remondo ‘La Vendimia’ D.O Rioja (DOCa)
The unoaked younger brother of the Propiedad, it is unoaked and made to be drunk young and fresh. There is less fruit power but the extra vibrancy and tart fruit makes up for that easily.

2011 Cillar di Silos Joven de Silos D.O Ribera del Duero
Very classy Tempranillo from a fabulous producer. Full of crunchy red fruits and floral notes. A very refreshing wine that shows the Tempranillos other personality (compared to the Alion above).

Romate Oloroso ‘Don Jose’ D.O. Jeréz
A true gem of a drink. Oloroso is often overlooked as people either head for the bone dry or the sweet styles. This wine shows the joy of texture and subtle flavours you get with Oloroso. Such a great and versitile food wine too.

 

Dinner of the Century Burgundy 2009 at The Point 09/10/12

One of the greatest parts of running your own business (apart from setting your own hours) is you can follow what you love and what interests you. So when wine importer Euan McKay suggested we do a dinner showcasing Burgundy 2009 I said yes before he had finished his sentence. For me the only thing better than drinking Burgundy from a great vintage is drinking old Burgundy from a great vintage.

So the DINNER OF THE CENTURY was born (you have to imagine Pete Smith saying it!). The Point at Albert Park was selected as the venue and from the moment they sent through a sample menu I was salivating.



As you can see it is a rather visually appealing venue too!

You can read my basic overview on the appellations, producers and vintage and see the pricing once you are thoroughly tempted.


Champagne J. Lassalle Brut Preference N.V. A stunning Champagne made from five vintages and a blend of one third of each of the three varieties (Chard and Pinots Noir and Meunier). Brilliantly floral, nice crispness and excellent length and great body. I think I am smitten! Certainly this is one of the best Champagnes I have tasted in a long time.

Tete de cochon, pickled chanterelles and black pudding  2008 Pierre Morey Meursault ‘Les Tessons’ These two wines were quite different in outlook. The 08 showed a lot more funky, dirt and earthy notes over the floral, peach, creamy and hint lactic notes. The palate was all silk, purity, clean and clear white Burgundy. Just so lovely. Especially when the food arrived.
2009 Pierre Morey Meursault ‘Les Tessons’ By contrast the 2009 was more pure, clean and restrained with a fuller, richer and riper edge as you would expect from the vintage differences. There was a lot of charm in the powerful and full palate which made it great drinking on its own.
Both Tessons did share an elegance and finesse with so fine boned phenolic and acidic grip. They were a very impressive start.


The kind of wines you'd like to meet in a dark alley. Or a restaurant.

Murray cod, creamed leeks, parsnip and Avruga  2008 Michelot Meursault Premier Cru ‘Genevrieres’ The step up to premier cru was evident here. There is an extra level of denseness and concentration. Again the 08 showed a hint of funk to balance the pristine stone fruits. Great purity, clean with nice mid-palate fat. Such an enjoyable wine.
2009 Michelot Meursault Premier Cru ‘Genevrieres’ This wine showed a line of stony/minerality, with red apples and a hint of doughy/lees. Powerful and pure this wine was just a baby and really needs to hide in the cellar for a while yet.
This pair certainly showed more typical Meursault power and muscle while being finely balanced and very drinkable (as shown by numerous empty glasses before the plates were cleared!).

Yarra Valley duck, roasted breast and confit leg, leek and truffle pithivier, Griottine cherries  2009 Tollot-Beaut Savigny-Champ-Chevrey Premier Cru ‘Monopole’ If I could only drink one wine for the rest of my life this would be it. It has the charm and vibrancy that makes Pinot Noir great with some gritty, earthy tones and succulence on the palate. Great drinking now but it certainly has a lot more to offer if you can stay away.
2009 Violot-Guillemard Pommard Premier Cru ‘La Platiere’ This wine was very raw and youthful. Sour cherries, pepper and mineral. The palate had nice flesh and silk, hints of ironstone and dark chocolate. Powerful Pommard at its very best. Leave for at least seven years for best effect. Might I comment that the duck dish was a stand out of an exceptionally great menu. The wines played a happy foil to it with the different textures of duck marrying with the different expressions of Pinot.


An impressive line up. Same line up in ten years time? I'll make a time capsule!

Cheese – Epoisses, Cote-d’Or France, Jean Perrin Le Secret de Scey, Franche-Comté France  2009 Christian Serafin Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru ‘Les Corbeaux’ Wow! Dense, rich, dark and with a fair hint of oak. There was plenty of red fruits and mid palate silk with this wine that is a tightly wound coil at the moment. This needs time to relax and unwind to show its very best, but let me say again 'wow!'
2009 Hubert Lignier Morey-St-Denis Premier Cru ‘Les Chaffots’ Smoke, earth and minerals, red blue and black fruits, silk and flesh, firm tannins and lots of muscle! A wine with something to prove. I think this wine will always be slightly tannic but with the right dish that will be swept away and the complexity and perfume will really shine. Also, not being shown next to the Serafin could help the cause haha!
I'm a sucker for Epoisses, I think of all the dishes the cheese didn't marry as well with the wines but separately the food and wine of this course were awesome.

The final verdict? Who wants to do it again next week? Seriously though, impressive wines through out. 2009 is a vintage you will regret not buying more no matter how much you have. And if you haven't eaten at The Point you should add it to your to do list!

Greek Wine Masterclass @ The Press Club 12/09/12

Greek wine has a very poor reputation, mostly because for a long time they have been churning out some pretty ordinary wine! We in Australia are just seeing the good quality producers being brought into Australia. So when importer Pete Johns suggested we show some open minded wine drinkers some great wines from Greece I jumped at the chance.
For the first time in a long time I walked into a wine event knowing almost nothing about the wines we were about to taste. It was a great feeling be free of preconceived notions and be able to learn from start. When you add a trip to the Press Club into the mix it becomes quite an exciting night!

I have attached my brief notes and orderform from the night. You will have to excuse any typos relating to Greek names, I tried my very best.



The major regions of Greece.

On arrival we were treated to Tselepos 'Amalia' Brut NV made in the methode traditionelle from native Greek variety Moschofilero. This wine was bright, fresh, grapey and floral with citrus, chalk and a clean and long palate. It was very much like a Prosecco in outlook and could easily be interchanged if you wanted to try something a bit different.
Note: 'Tselepos' is the producers name. 'Amalia' is the name of the a family member of the wine maker and has no meaning beyond that.

Artichoke - Jerusalem, celeriac, parsnip, smoked walnut, toursi onion, kalamata olive paired with Tselepos Mantinia Moschofilero 2011. This was great to compare a still Moschofilero to a sparkling one. This table wine was spicey, floral/handsoap like, lychees and musk. It had a great mid palate weight, with a fresh and clean mouthfeel and just a hint of bitterness. A very sweetly perfumed wine but still quite dry. It is like a devine cross between Gewurztraminer and Muscat.
Note: Andrew from the Press Club is quite knowledgeable on Greek wines and explained that 'Moscho' means grey, which refers to the grey almost pink colour of the ripe grapes (much like Pinot Gris). 'Mantinia' is the region the wine comes from.



The Press Club

Swordfish - "Poiseidon god of the sea", sea weed & vegetables, ouzo mayoneza, nicola. This was a pretty amazing bracket and an equally amazing dish. We had Sigalas Assrytiko Athiri 2009 a  blend of 75% Assrytiko with 25% Athiri which showed brine, citrus, stones and a hint of seaweed with a sweet core of tropical fruits and a long, lean, floral and dry palate. Very refreshing and a bit gluggable before the food turned up. Compared with the Sigalas Santorini Assrytiko 2011 100% Assrytiko which had a strong tone of seaweed, brine, minerals, stones, white flowers and green olives. It was focussed, textured with an oystershell note. It was a bit off putting at first because it was so dry but when the swordfish arrived it became so glorious to drink. The change was amazing. Santorini is a volcanic island in the Aegean Islands. The tourists and locals mainly live inside the top of the volcanos crater. The outside is a windswept sandy place that gets little to no rainfall, all the moisture is blown up off the sea. If you can picture that you can imagine that the wine tastes like where it is grown.
Note: 'Santorini' is the region/island. 'Assrytiko' and 'Athiri' are grape varieties.

Interlude Driopi Rose 2011 a stunningly perfumed wine of bright, red, crunchy, marachino cherry, floral and grapey notes. Quite spicy, sweet fruited and clean on the palate. Despite how sweet it smelt it was in fact as dry as a dry rose can be. A great cleanser and perfect for drinking in more informal occasions too. It is made from Agiorgitiko and we got to drink a red table wine example next up.
Note: 'Agiorgitiko' is a variety that has been used to make, red, rose, sweet and sparkling wine in Greece. To pronounce it remember the 'g's are silent.

Veal - Loin, sweetbread, kefalograviera consomme, anchovy, almond, kounipidi A wonderful dish that was easily as good as the swordfish and matched beautifully with the Driopo Nemea Agiorgitiko 2009. In contrast to the rose this was dense, red fruited, smokey, dark chocolatey, soot with a clean, schisty/mineral core. This reminded me of a great Hunter Shiraz with its fruit power but structural balance. Lovely wine, great match with the food.
Note: 'Nemea' is the region on the Peloponnese.



The menu - stunning!

Wagyu - 24 hr oyster blade, horta, heirloom carrots, smoke almonds & oats This was a seriously sticky and flavoursome dish that required something special to wrestle the attention away. As it happened we had Sigalas Mavrotragano 2009 which was a brute! Dense, deeply coloured, dark fruits, dry herbs, olives, hint terracotta, dry earth, smoke and firm tannins (despite being decanted for a few hours). This was a musclar wine that demands food at this stage but so very delicious. Very much like an Aglianico for those that have tried the variety.
Note: 'Mavrotragano' is the variety, 'mavro' means dark/black.

Sokolata - Zeus & his 8 mistresses with Michael Cluizel single origin chocolate Wow! What a dish. So chocolately, nine tastes in all. It certainly makes quite an impact and a great way to finish off. The wine match was Sigalas Vinsanto 2004. Until recently I thought Vinsanto was a traditional Italian drink, as it turns out it is something they adopted from the Greeks. It involves a very long process of sun drying and barrel aging grapes to make a sweet wine of power and finesse. There was plenty of stuffing, with floral notes, raisins, white choclate and a silky and charming mouthfeel.
Note: Vinsanto could easily translate to hedonism!



Zeus and the ladies. They got on surprisingly well.

This was such a fun evening and Pete Johns did such a great job explaining what makes the best wines of Greek so special.

All The Pinots Tasting @ Mezzo 25/08/12

Some of All The Pinots.

Given there has been some glimpses of Spring Silvio and I thought we'd celebrate with a tasting of All The Pinots. Well, we got most of them. Blanc, Gris, Noir, Meunier in various wine guises including sparkling, white, red and sweet.

With somewhat Spring like weather, Mezzo's wonderful canapes and a room full of eager Pinot lovers we commenced the tasting. You can see my notes on the Pinot family and order form here.

Pinot Blanc from North Eastern Italy.

Overall it was a great tasting with some lovely wines. The general theme that linked all the wines together was the textural complexity that all the wines had and the elegance - everything in moderation and harmony. This made these wines almost too drinkable especially when paired with the food. Lucky the tasting only went for 1.5 hours!

First Pinot of the bunch was Chanter's Ridge Sparkling Pinot Noir from Macedon. A beautiful expression of Pinot's cherry, rose petal and red berry fruits. Plenty of depth and nice structure and quite dry. A great fizzy and refreshing way to kick off the tasting. A great wine for starting a meal.

The next Pinot we picked was Cantina Valle Isarco Pinot Bianco DOC 2011. Flying the flag for Pinot Blanc or Weissburgunder as it is labelled. The most shy and reserved of all the wines, it showed floral notes, pears and a hint of spice and mineral. It did have a wonderful mouthfeel and really sang when I could flag down some of Mezzo's canapes. A brilliant wine for matching with shellfish, white meats and creamier pasta and risotto dishes.



Trimbach was amazing!

To complete the whites we had two Pinot Gris/Grigio wines. Both being the same grape variety but showing the stylistic differences it can achieve. Celestial Avenue 2010 was light, fresh and simple with pears, and a hint of stonefruit, citrus and a doughy note. Celestial is perfect for chilling down and drinking in the warm weather with or without food. Trimbach Reserve 2007 was another story altogether. A lot of depth, concentration and complexity. Trimbach showed a lot more fruit complexity, perfume and minerality at the core. The mouthfeel was divine and despite its concentration it was very clean and savoury on the finish. Yum! Suited to many styles of food I do have fond memories of a fun night eating chilli crab and Trimbach Pinot Gris.


Star of the show?

The reds started with the wonderful Pegeric Pinot Noir 2008. A celebration of Pinot's lovely savoury side, plenty of wet earth and undergrowth to balance the primary red fruits and floral characters. It has great texture and silk on the palate, it was by far my favourite of the wines. Not sure if it will get better in the bottle but there is no need to find out when it drinks so well now. This would match well with gamey dishes like Mezzo's wild boar ravioli, lighter red and white meat dishes or nothing at all. Clearly I wasn't the only fan as it sold well and Paul from Pinot Post couldn't wait to feature it on his blog.

The second red was an Australian classic, Best's Pinot Meunier 2011. This wine was from their young vines and was lovely for its simple, red fruits, floral notes and crisp, crunchy palate. I am not an expert on varietal still red wines made from Meunier but this is guaranteed to charm any Pinot lover! Easy drinking on its own or with light meals, could even be served a bit chilled in the warmer months.
The final wine of the tasting was Pegeric's Late Picked Pinot Noir 2008. It was interesting watching people reaction when the wine wasn't golden in colour or cloying in taste. It was late picked in the   proper sense meaning that it was before botrytis set in so the wine is still delicate, perfumed and refreshing with only a hint of sweetness that is well balanced by the other characters in the wine. This was delicious drink that would pair well with fresh fruits and lighter style deserts.

Next month there will be no tasting as there is some sort of pagan celebration on the last Saturday of September. However October will see us showing the very best of Sparkling wines from around the world to celebrate Spring. Email me to be kept up-to-date.

Also keep an eye out for Mezzo's Northern Italy Dinner. Silvio and his team will take you on a journey through the food and wines of this beautiful part of the world.With four courses and 10 wines you guaranteed to have a good time. Email Silvio for more information.

Italian Varieties in Australia Tasting @ Mezzo Restaurant 28/07/12



The place to be on this cold afternoon.

Having done quite a focus on Italian wines over the last few months, I thought it was time to bring it closer to home and show some Australian interpretations of Italian varieties. Teaming up with Silvio at Mezzo Restaurant we selected seven wines from interesting Australian producers making excellent examples of Italian varietals. The team at Mezzo put on a spectacular spread of food and so all we needed is some willing participants! On a cold and rainy Melbourne afternoon we were warm inside Mezzo munching on amazing wild boar ragu, mussells, arancini and salmon tartare and sipping on some Australian wine gems.
You can see the notes I made for the tasting and if you are keen the order form is here.

The challenge for those who attended.

Three whites and four reds was the assignment. We started off with a new wine from the Chalmers Heathcote Vineyard Montevecchio Bianco 2011. A field blend of Vermentino, Fiano and Moscato Giallo this wine was crisp, clean and dry with nice amount of yellow fruits, floral notes, grapiness and citrus. Perfect for uncomplicated but satisfying drinking. Next up was Mac Forbes Arneis 2010. From the Yarra Valley, this Arneis showed all the hallmarks of great examples of the style; lovely aromatics, textural mouthfeel and clean finishing. It was very hard to have just one glass of this wine (luckily I got to take home the 'dregs'). The final white was the Freeman Fortuna Pinot Gris Plus 2010 a wine that manages to straddle the rich and textural side of Gris while avoiding oily/cloying characters. Melons, grapes, fleshy stone fruits and a nice hint of spice. The addition of small amounts of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Aleatico seem to be a masterstroke!


Me (Phil) setting up. So much romantic screwcap crackle!

While the whites were well received the red bracket was definitely the favourite of those who attended. We tasted Montevecchio Rosso 2011, also from Chalmers' Heathcote vineyard this was a field blend, containing Shiraz (yes there is some Shiraz in Italy), Lagrein, Nero d'Avola and Sagrantino. It was spicy, red fruited, mid weight and a hint savoury. Nice easy drinking and really showed well for the price. Staying  in Heathcote we tasted Greenstone Rosso di Colbo Sangiovese 2011. The Greenstone story is fascinating to hear but the wines are just delicious! This is their entry level Sangio and it had all of the cherry, earthy and hint of meat and oak characters with the clean and dry elements celebrated in Chianti. This is an excellent wine! Building up in weight we went to Freeman Secco 2008, made in the style of Valpolicella and Amarone this uses Rondinella and Corvina grapes that are run through a prune dehydrator to concentrate the flavours (Amarone use an air drying process to achieve a similar result). There was plenty of red and blue fruits, a full weight in the mouth but a nice freshness and great balance with the acid and tannin elements and a dry finish. Finally we had a variety that I think has a lot of potential for Australia Beach Road Aglianico 2010. Beach Rd make a great range of Italian varieties from Langhorne Creek and McLaren Vale, This is one of their best (in my opinion). I've recently been getting excited by Aglianico and this offers a lot of their big red and black fruit, leather notes, spice and a herbal edge. Nice palate length and very drinkable.

This is one of the most interesting tasting I've hosted as all these wines were so different from what we normally taste in Australia. There was almost a dead heat between the last three reds for most popular wine with Mac Forbes Arneis following close behind. Thanks to those that came out and hopefully we can top this tasting next month.

A Tale of Two Regions: Piedmont at Chianti Tasting 30/06/12

Mezzo in all its glory

Yep, it has been a busy week and very much focussed on Italian wines, it has been fun and informative.

On Saturday TWD teamed up with Mezzo Restaurant to host a tasting that featured wines from two of Italy's premier red wine producing regions. Piedmont – the foggy, hilly region in the North West and the centrally located Chianti which has captivated wine lovers for many years. It was a free event that saw us taste six wines that represented the regions.

Farnetella - My favourite of the Chianti wines.

From Chianti we had a lovely progression that featured an entry level IGT wine Il Corzanello 10 - a blend of Sangiovese with Cabernet and a hint of Merlot. This wine showed some nice juicy red berry fruit, mid-weight palate and generous flavours. It really highlighted the fantastic savoury and clean nature of Sangio with the plump and vibrant Cabernet. Next we had a fantastic wine from just South West of Chianti Classico being Farnetella 2009 from Chianti Colli Senesi. This is my sort of wine. 95% Sangiovese with a little bit of Merlot this is dry, savoury, clean, refreshing, elegant and with just a hint of dry tannins on the finish. This wine is really drinkable and the sort of wine that sees you finishing the bottle and looking for a second before you realise. The third wine from the line up was Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico 09. This was quite well received at TWDs recent Chianti dinner and showed the Chianti Classic style really well. A bit more flesh and vibrancy than the Farnetella but still having that savoury, cleansing charm that is the hallmark of great Sangio. The journey from entry to Chianti Classico was great fun. Check out the dinner notes to see where the next stops on the journey take you. Mmmmm Brunello!

My wine of the day. I do love Barbaresco.

Next we switched to wines from Piedmont. Some of these we had already featured at TWD's Piedmont Dinner. First up we had the delicious Brezza Dolcetto d'Alba 2008. There is a lot to love about Dolcetto, it is fruity and aromatic with a savoury and structured palate. It goes great with slow cooked meals in winter! Brezza is a seriously good producer of Piedmont wines and this was a highlight. After Dolcetto we tasted the seriously amazing Produttori del Barbaresco DOCG 2007. I've recently tasted a range of their single cru wines. This was my favourite wine of the day but it was also the youngest and most ungiving. I had more than a few people almost choke on their wine when I suggested it needed another 15-20 years. Even after they confirmed I said 15-20 I think they still thought I was pulling their legs. I think Barbaresco (and its close cousin Barolo) are some of the best wines in the world and should be part of everyone's cellar. And of course, if you are tasting Piedmont wines you have to have Moscato. Patrizi Moscato d'Asti is one of the best because it is so clean and fresh with nice light bubbles that dance on your tongue. This is a wine of balance and charm not overt sweetness.

Of course all of these wines are available for sale if you are keen to taste them. And if this sounded like fun, TWD and Mezzo should be teaming up regularly for tastings of this style. Email me for more information

Chianti Dinner and Masterclass at Scopri 26/06/12

This was only the second dinner I hosted for the The Wine Depository so there was a lot of fussing to make sure I was on top of everything. I wonder if Led Zeppelin felt this much tension for their second outing?
Luckily I had a team of seasoned veterans around me who made everything run smoothly. They being Alison and Anthony at Scopri and Michael Trembath of Trembath and Taylor, wine importer and Italian wine encyclopedia.

This event was flagged at the end of my first dinner featuring Piedmont and Michael and I nutted it out over a glass or two of Chianti. The centre piece of the tasting would be three Chianti Classico producers with three different philosophies. We would show a 'normale' and Riserva from each producer which would cover four recent vintages. As a contrast we would show a Brunello and a Super Tuscan type wine.

I created some notes for the night and you can take a peek at the order form.
Michael really nailed Chianti and the Sangiovese grape by describing it as a really "winey" grape and a style of wine that you could drink every day of the week. This showed through in the Chianti wines, so savoury, refreshing and subtle.

Once again Scopri came to the party with a brilliant menu and some of the best wine service I have experienced in Melbourne. I cannot recommend them highly enough.


Yummy Prosecco leading the charge.

On Arrival Mozzarella In Carozza - Mozzarella skewers

Canella Prosecco NV Not from Chianti, Tuscany or Sangiovese. But the perfect way to start a meal. Canella is crisp, clean and vibrant, nice amount of fizz. Great balance and very enjoyable to drink. There were no complaints (maybe because we opened a second bottle?)

Entree Pappardelle al cacao con ragu di cervo - Our handmade chocolate pappardelle with slow cooked venison ragú, fresh parmesan

2009 was an excellent year in Chianti (and large parts of Europe too). It has made Chianti of great balance and depth.


All Class(ico)

Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico 09 These guys were flying the flag for high altitude, stoney soil, traditional production and low oak style of Chianti.
It had lovely red and blue berry fruits, savoury/earthy notes with tea leaf and liquorice. The palate was dry, clean and bright. Showing the typical Sangio red cherry fruit and sour acidity. So much harmony.

Poggerino Chianti Classico 09 From right smack in the middle of the region on Volcanico soils and using biodynamic principles. This wine showed more savoury/minerally on first look but opened up with some dense blue fruits and pepper to support it. For me this wine had the most silk and flesh with a great mouthfeel. There was a hint of plums and prunes on the palate and the flavours showed incredible persistence. This was a wine of finesse and elegance.

Felsina Chianti Classico 09 Felsina is situated about as far South as you can get in Chianti Classico and has the warmest vineyards of the three we tasted. It is also probably my favourite Chianti producer. It showed dense and deep characters of red fruits, rose petal, fruit cake and aniseed.
The palate was long, clean with a hint of oak. It is a focussed and structured wine. The one I would most likely age of the trio.

Main Agnello brasato su polenta al pecorino e funghi - Lamb neck braised in red wine with grilled polenta and Mt Macedon pine mushrooms


The Riservas

Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico San Marcellino 06 This is made as per Riserva laws but does not use the term on their labels. The fruit here comes from their oldest vineyard. 06 offered classic growing conditions in Chianti.
This wine offered spice, aniseed, pip/stalky notes, chocolate and oxy fruits. In the mouth it was rich and silky with a plummy, dense mid palate, good length and pretty, floral finish. A clear step up and a wine that needs a bit more time in bottle to show its very best.

Poggerino Chianti Classico Riserva Bugialla 07 Poggerino try to make a softer style that will improve over 8-15 years. 2007 was a warmer and riper year in Chianti, which explains the extra silk and power here. Chocolate, rich, fruitcake a hint new worldly fruit, caramel/oaky notes. There is so much flesh and silk here. Great mouthfeel, vibrant flavours and good tannic stucture. It is easy to see the family resemblence! So drinkable but so much promise to be even better it time.

Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia 08 Another vineyard oriented selection with the aim to make a tannic wine that will improve in the bottle and be amazing in 20 years. 2008 was similar to 2006 in offering classic conditions for growing. Rich, ripe, oxy fruits, minerally, red berry, spice. The palate was dark, tart, tea leafy with a good balance of bright fruits, savoury elements, clean acid and fine tannic structure. Beautiful.

Cheese and Coffee Formaggi Misti - Selection of Italian cheeses with Mallee honey from Kangaroo Island, plum jam, potato bread & Happy fruit

If you want to contrast, why not start with the best?

Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino 07 There is an aura around Brunello wines and I swear there was a little halo above my glass. This wine did not disappoint. Again 07 was a warmer year in Brunello but it did not detract from the wine. The intensity was certainly increased but not at the expense of subtly and freshness. Very savoury, almost gruyere cheese like, meaty, spice nose. Lots of silky fruit, caramel oak, clean acid with hints of cola. This wine is finely structured, boney and youthful. It needs time.

Brancaia Il Blu 08 A look at the Super Tuscan style. This is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 45% Merlot and 5% Cabernet. It was clearly different with the Sangio definitely taking a back seat to the Cab family. Very vibrant and dense nose of blue and black fruits, floral hints, caramel oak, spice, tart, fruit cake, and terracotta like notes.
The palate is rich, silky with a fair whack of young cabernet like tannins. The core of the wine had a great intensity and the wine lingered for a long time. Again, this is just a baby.

After some discussion we moved on to traditions and what you would traditionally finish a meal with in Tuscany. So Michael generously shouted us some Vin Santo - A sugar rich, high intensity wine that was as fascinating to drink as hear about how it was made. Then some unusual wine/grappa macerated with herbs from Piedmont which seemed to divide the table. It was compelling but hard to imagine when you would drink it.

And because more is more up came a two litre bottle of Nonino Grappa for those who were brave (or fool hardy?).  As it turns out it was a lovely, cleansing and fitting end to a great night.

Piedmont Dinner and Masterclass at Scopri 15/05/12

It is with a lot of pride I can write about the inaugural Wine Depository dinner which took place on Tuesday 15th May 2012.

The private room at Scopri. An ideal setting.

The goal was to have a casual and informative night on one of the worlds great regions: Piedmont. In many ways it is the Italian equivalent of Burgundy, but has a style and charm of its own.

The wines are imported by Peter Johns from Deja Vu and he kindly donated his time and came along to discuss the wines we had selected.

Scopri put together a magnificent menu to match the wines and came to the party by supplying a lot of glassware. Their wine service was second to none and I highly recommend a visit for any wine lover (yes they allow BYO).

You can see the brief notes I prepared for the evening and the order form if you are seriously tempted by what you've read. Orders can be emailed to philip@thewinedepository.com.au

Pira - One of the modern masters of Piedmont.

On Arrival Zeppole al Formaggio - Parmesan Fritters

Paitin Roero Arneis 2009 Lovely drinking. Appley, floral, mealy, nice mid weight palate, zesty acidity and clean finishing. This matched brilliantly with parmesan fritters and showed the strength of the whites in the area.

Entree Fettuccine al Ragu Lucano - Handmade fettuccine with traditional three meat ragu

Brezza Fossati Dolcetto d’Alba 2008 Choosen to represent the Northern style of Dolcetto. Dry, compost, spice and cloves. Very earthy. The palate was dark, earthy with a stoney minerality. Nice structure too.

Luigi Pira Dolcetto d’Alba 2008 Representing Southern Cru Dolcetto. Red fruits, rose petals, meaty with a hint of 'funky' sulphides and terracotta notes.
The palate was dry, spicy and clean. Despite being light of weight it packed a fair punch of tannins which the fettuccine soaked up brilliantly.

The first bracket of reds certainly set a high standard.

Brezza Barbera d’Alba Santa Rosalia 2009 Showing unoaked Barbera, this wine had the classic cherry & red berry with a hint of roses. The palate was plush, soft and easy drinking. It was a hint simple, but incredibly drinkable and enjoyable. |

Paitin Campolive Barbera d’Alba Superiore 2008 The superiore refers to a wine that has an extra level of ripeness - something that is celebrated in cold climates. This was definitely a step up in quality. It showed more density, earthy, graphite and tea leaf characters to balance out the red berry fruits. The palate made a nice tart element along with a pretty bergamot note. A really great example of Barbera.  

There seemed to be an even split between love for Barbera and Dolcetto at the table.

Mains Spezzatino Rustico di Capretto al Forno - Kid Goat baked 'rustico' with fresh grated pecorino.

The big show. Nebbiolo is definitely the pinnicle of Piedmont.

Bruno Giacosa Casa Vinicola Nebbiolo d’Alba 2009 A lovely entry point to Nebbiolo, but don't let that fool you. This is a seriously good wine! Cherry, roses, tar, spice, waxy apple, earth and tea leaf. The palate showed silky red fruits, tart acidity and spices. It was long, lean and elegant. This is an excellent wine for the price!

Bruno Giacosa Casa Vinicola Barbaresco 2005 Despite its age this was just a baby. Dense, tea leaf, apple skin/waxy, tart red fruits. The palate was savoury, dry, mineral laden, and structured! Young and aggressive now, it was well balanced and has a great future ahead of it. It showed a great core of fruit and a lingering floral note on the finish. This was the most expensive wine on the table and it showed its pedigree really well.

Luigi Pira ‘Marenca’ Barolo 2005 Pira is a modern producer who uses new oak barriques in production of their top wines. This was a fair shift from the much more traditional Giacosa style that uses large format old oak. This really polarised the table, some loved it, some didn't. The wine did really open up and change with air though.
Initially it showed a lot of oaky, coconut and vanilla notes. It really dominated the nose. With air some plums and cherry came through. The palate was tannic, dry and very youthful. This was just a baby and I believe it will age wonderfully. As was proved with the next wine.

So elegant and refined.

Cheese & CoffeeFormaggi Misti - Selection of Italian Cheeses

Luigi Pira ‘Marenca’ Barolo 1998 This really shows how the Pira wines change with a bit of time. It was really tart, zesty, savoury, truffle, aniseed, earth and clay. The palate was silky with a tart mouthfeel. It was still quite young, but the balance was far better. This wine is approachable now but would benefit from about 5-10 (possibly more) years to really come together.

Patrizi Moscato d’Asti 2011 The traditional way to cleanse the palate after a meal before getting stuck into the Grappa. I was a hint sceptical at first, but after tasting it I have seen the light. This is a really lovely, fresh, vibrant slightly fizzy drink that is so refreshing. There was great balance between the grapey, floral notes, the light sweetness and the soft fizz. Contextually it was perfect and really easy drinking.

Brezza Grappa di Barolo NV There were more than a few turned up noses at the poor Grappa. It showed some obvious spirit character. But once you got beyond that you could see hints of the Nebbiolo that had been used to make it. The palate was really clean and I found my self reaching for one of the rejected glasses before too long.

Sadly, that was the end of the night. Apart from our quite old Taxi driver 'educating' us on the 'brilliance' of Justin Timberlake. But that is a story for another night...