After a recent trip to the cellar door I was quite excited to hear that TarraWarra was hosting a ten year vertical tasting showing off their flagship Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with some of their other releases.
First up was the Marsanne Roussanne Viognier blends. As a rule these blends have never excited me even in the Rhone Valley where this classic blend calls home. The 2010 was excellent, a great vintage that made a floral, peachy, nutty drink with spice and dough notes. The palate was creamy and silky quite clean with a hint of savouriness and a lanolin finish. 2009 was from a hot vintage and looked a bit cooked and bitter but the 2008 from a cooler and more elegant year showed great oystershell, spice and peach. It has a great mouthfeel with candied red fruits a hint of white pepper and good length.
Next table along provided 12 Chardonnays to taste. The entry level Estate from 2010 - youthful, minerally/flinty, nice bit of stonefruit with great mouthfeel and hint of oak and 2008 showing a lot of vibrant, rich fruits and a creamy, vanilla bean palate. The Reserve spanned vintages from 10, 08, 06, 05, 04, 02, 01, 00. It was an amazing exercise. 2010-2004 all showed amazing depth and purity, while really celebrating the vintage variation. Moving to 2002 was the first hint of real development in the wines and 2001 and 2000 looking like good old fashioned Chardonnay with some age. Finally we had MDB Chardonnay which is a selection from the best vineyards made in only the very best years. I tasted the elegant, restrained, zesty and vibrant 2010 and the Flinty/mineral, lean and clean 2006. It was seriously good Chardonnay on this table.
Pinot Noir the third table and I have to say I lost my nerve a bit. That and I was running out of time. I tried two vintages of the Estate the fabulous 2010 - so vibrant but savoury and lovely. The 2008 was deeper and dark with just a hint of bitterness. Quite enjoyable but at the other end of the spectrum. I tasted four vintages of the dark fruited, undergrowthy Estates 10, 08, 06, 04 or which 06 was the most impressive with its extra level of blood orange and meaty/olive notes. And the 2006 MDB Pinot offered the same style but with more red fruits, silky, balance and loveliness.
To wrap up the tasting was the Merlot and Shiraz. Short of time or not I intended on tasting all of these wines as I knew how good they are! Their 2009 got me excited about Australian Merlot and the 2010 takes it to the next level. These are seriously impressive wines. The J-Block Shiraz was brilliant and vibrant with depth and elegance. Great mineral notes and compelling drinking.
All in all a great tasting, surprising that the Chardonnay stood out so tall but my stars were the Merlot and Shiraz.
Showing posts with label yarra valley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yarra valley. Show all posts
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Italian Varieties in Australia Tasting @ Mezzo Restaurant 28/07/12
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| The place to be on this cold afternoon. |
You can see the notes I made for the tasting and if you are keen the order form is here.
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| The challenge for those who attended. |
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| 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.
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Dinner With William Downie 10/07/12 at Scopri
It was 5.59pm on Tuesday and I took a call from Matthew Hanson who I have chatted to regularly for well over 5 years now and who runs Fine Wine Appreciation Melbourne http://www.finewineappreciation.com.au/ . He said he had a last minute withdrawal from his William Downie dinner so would I like to come along? "It starts at 7pm" he added. I had been keen to go as I've loved Bill's wines since day two (there is an amusing story about day one but I shall save that for another time!) but the dinner filled up before I responded. Given I had just opened a bottle of wine to cook dinner with and it was corked, it was obviously a sign that I should go. So I did.
Bill Downie has been on a wine making odyssey that has seen him work at tiny producers and large wine factories most notably in Australia and Burgundy. Since 2003 he has also been making Pinot Noir under his own name from the Yarra Valley and subsequently added Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland to the range complemented by a one off wine (or two).
I made it to Scopri - fast becoming my second home with plenty of time to spare and a thirst! The dinner was to be four courses, each matched with a pair of wines Bill had made. Once again I have to say that Scopri's ability to match food to wine is outstanding.
Roasted quail with puy lentils and pancetta
William Downie Mornington Pinot Noir 2011 Red berries, bright fruits, floral, vibrant, pure Mornington Pinot. The palate was tart, clean with a hint of oak and spice, clean and crunchy.
William Downie Mornington Pinot Noir 2008 Much darker in colour and flavour than the 2011. 2008 was much warmer compared to the wet and cold 2011 vintage and it showed in all the wines. Curranty, aniseed, hint savoury.
Richly fruited in the mouth with more muscle and tannin. Great length with red fruits coming up on the finish.
Potato ravioli with veal ragu
William Downie Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2011 Red fruits, spice, earth, jubey, lavender, pepper, dense. Silky, great flesh, vibrant, spice, fine and lean with a flinty note. Very long, fine and even tannins, savoury finish. Much more dense and savoury compared with the Mornington.
William Downie Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2008 Dark, plums, currants, spice, rose petal/floral, lifted.
Rich mouthfeel, ripe fruits, vibrant, sour cherry, muscular tannins and a hint bitter (in the positive refreshing mould), good length.
Braised beef cheeks
William Downie Gippsland Pinot Noir 2011 Tart, tea leaf, smoke, roses, red fruits, blood orange, pretty nose with an earthy edge. The palate showed red fruits that were vibrant and juicy with some dark fruit almost fruit cake like notes. The finish was fine, taut and structured. Great finesse. Possibly my favourite of the 2011s but it really is just splitting hairs and a little bit unfair to compare such young wines.
William Downie Gippsland Pinot Noir 2008 Dark and meaty. Some of the spiced hung meats, oaky, dense and intense. In the mouth it offered lifted lavender, creamy big oxy berries. Sweet fruits, silk, vibrancy, fine fruit tannins, good length and a hint of bitterness.
Italian cheeses
Thousand Candles 2011 This is the first release of this wine. I won't try and replicate Bill's story about this wine because I couldn't fake his passion and belief. But this wine came about when he was asked to make a wine that speaks of the best of what Australia can do. He has full control of the process from the vineyard to the final packaging.
The wine is from one vineyard in the Yarra Valley and is a blend of Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The blend came about because Bill and the team felt that on their own they had three OK wines, but together they had a wine that offered "Truth in the Glass". The wine spoke of where it came from. The wine making process was simply "Whole bunches in a vessel." No destemming, no yeast additions, no crushing, no punched downs or pump overs. Even the Sauv Blanc was made with full stems and skins. In fact it spent almost a year on skins which would be considered almost heresy in most peoples winemaking manuals.
The wine itself was stunning. Dusty, gravel, earth, stemmy, tight, tart red berry fruits, hint sappy with spice. The palate was juicy, vibrant, silky, meaty, with great fruit tannins, smoke/flint. It evolved a lot in the glass. I felt like I could picture the vineyard in my head as I drank it. I'd love to visit the place in the near future. It sounds amazing.
There is quite a lovely story about how the name and the label came about. But that takes a bit of time and if far better to hear from Bill himself.
William Downie Petit Manseng 2009 Hailing from the King Valley, this wine came about because Bill had no Pinot in 09. So rather than compromise he thought he'd find something completely different. Petit Manseng makes brilliant high acid sweet wines in the Southern French region of Jurancon. This wine was a fair facsimilie. Tropical, floral, pure and clean. With a waxy bitterness and piercing acid to balance out the sweetness. It had great intensity and was a lovely way to finish the evening. Only topped by a second glass of the Thousand Candles!
Overall it was a great experience. It's not often I get to taste so many classy Australian wines in one sitting. So I have to say thanks to Matt for the invite and Bill for the wines!
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| Bill's three Pinots.(LtoR) Gippsland, Mornington, Yarra. |
Bill Downie has been on a wine making odyssey that has seen him work at tiny producers and large wine factories most notably in Australia and Burgundy. Since 2003 he has also been making Pinot Noir under his own name from the Yarra Valley and subsequently added Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland to the range complemented by a one off wine (or two).
I made it to Scopri - fast becoming my second home with plenty of time to spare and a thirst! The dinner was to be four courses, each matched with a pair of wines Bill had made. Once again I have to say that Scopri's ability to match food to wine is outstanding.
 |
| The back labels are a bit more informative.... A bit. |
Roasted quail with puy lentils and pancetta
William Downie Mornington Pinot Noir 2011 Red berries, bright fruits, floral, vibrant, pure Mornington Pinot. The palate was tart, clean with a hint of oak and spice, clean and crunchy.
William Downie Mornington Pinot Noir 2008 Much darker in colour and flavour than the 2011. 2008 was much warmer compared to the wet and cold 2011 vintage and it showed in all the wines. Curranty, aniseed, hint savoury.
Richly fruited in the mouth with more muscle and tannin. Great length with red fruits coming up on the finish.
Potato ravioli with veal ragu
William Downie Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2011 Red fruits, spice, earth, jubey, lavender, pepper, dense. Silky, great flesh, vibrant, spice, fine and lean with a flinty note. Very long, fine and even tannins, savoury finish. Much more dense and savoury compared with the Mornington.
William Downie Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2008 Dark, plums, currants, spice, rose petal/floral, lifted.
Rich mouthfeel, ripe fruits, vibrant, sour cherry, muscular tannins and a hint bitter (in the positive refreshing mould), good length.
 |
| Yep, I defaced my menu with all the vital notes you are currently reading. |
William Downie Gippsland Pinot Noir 2011 Tart, tea leaf, smoke, roses, red fruits, blood orange, pretty nose with an earthy edge. The palate showed red fruits that were vibrant and juicy with some dark fruit almost fruit cake like notes. The finish was fine, taut and structured. Great finesse. Possibly my favourite of the 2011s but it really is just splitting hairs and a little bit unfair to compare such young wines.
William Downie Gippsland Pinot Noir 2008 Dark and meaty. Some of the spiced hung meats, oaky, dense and intense. In the mouth it offered lifted lavender, creamy big oxy berries. Sweet fruits, silk, vibrancy, fine fruit tannins, good length and a hint of bitterness.
Italian cheeses
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| Thousand Candles - you just have to taste it. |
The wine is from one vineyard in the Yarra Valley and is a blend of Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The blend came about because Bill and the team felt that on their own they had three OK wines, but together they had a wine that offered "Truth in the Glass". The wine spoke of where it came from. The wine making process was simply "Whole bunches in a vessel." No destemming, no yeast additions, no crushing, no punched downs or pump overs. Even the Sauv Blanc was made with full stems and skins. In fact it spent almost a year on skins which would be considered almost heresy in most peoples winemaking manuals.
The wine itself was stunning. Dusty, gravel, earth, stemmy, tight, tart red berry fruits, hint sappy with spice. The palate was juicy, vibrant, silky, meaty, with great fruit tannins, smoke/flint. It evolved a lot in the glass. I felt like I could picture the vineyard in my head as I drank it. I'd love to visit the place in the near future. It sounds amazing.
There is quite a lovely story about how the name and the label came about. But that takes a bit of time and if far better to hear from Bill himself.
William Downie Petit Manseng 2009 Hailing from the King Valley, this wine came about because Bill had no Pinot in 09. So rather than compromise he thought he'd find something completely different. Petit Manseng makes brilliant high acid sweet wines in the Southern French region of Jurancon. This wine was a fair facsimilie. Tropical, floral, pure and clean. With a waxy bitterness and piercing acid to balance out the sweetness. It had great intensity and was a lovely way to finish the evening. Only topped by a second glass of the Thousand Candles!
Overall it was a great experience. It's not often I get to taste so many classy Australian wines in one sitting. So I have to say thanks to Matt for the invite and Bill for the wines!
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Pinot Noir Tasting 05/05/12
Over the past few months I've been asked to host numerous private tastings for customers. The most recently run event was about a month ago near Heathcote and it involved educating a group of 14 people about Pinot Noir.
Grasping a chance to drink a handful of my most favourite Pinots from around the world, I looked forward to this event and the attended to the notes and wine selection with particular vigour. Of course having a willing and eager bunch of participants makes it all the more entertaining. Thankfully the attendees had that in spades.
The event was structured into four brackets, which built from entry level wines and graduated up to tasting the pinnacle of Pinot Noir - Burgundy.
Bracket One. Flavours of Pinot Noir.
Bress Vineyards Silver Chook Yarra Valley & Macedon 2010 $22 Showing the easy, cherry/red berry and rose petal notes. Excellent value and highly recommended.
Hungerford Hill Tumbarumba 2009 $25 Darker, plums and a hint undergrowth. Riper fruit and more generous mouthfeel.
Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge 2008 $32 Great entry point to Burgundy, showing the minerally, structured and more savoury styles they tend to make. If drinking water was impossible, this is what I would turn to.
Bracket Two. Regionality and the wide world of wine.
Pegasus Bay Canterbury 2008 $63 From the South Island of New Zealand. Showing the typical style of great NZ Pinot. Bold with perfume, subtlety and restraint.
Apsley Gorge Tasmania 2008 $69 East Coast of Tassie based producer. A bit stinky when first opened, but possessing great texture, balance and silkiness. Beautiful wine.
Bernard Huber Baden 2009 $43 A Spatburgunder (aka Pinot Noir) from Germany. Showing perfume, oak, balance and nice refreshing acidity.
Britten Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir The host added this wine so the USA got a jersey. It has great pedigree with the owner being a former member of the Stags Leap team. This tasted slightly oxidised on the day sadly.
Bracket Three: Terroir and aging.
We used two wines made in almost the same way to highlight how much a region or vineyard (ie Terroir) can affect the taste of a wine.
William Downie Mornington Peninsula 2010 $71 The more floral, red berry and vibrant style. Showed really well upfront. Beautiful balance and lovely to drink.
William Downie Gippsland 2010 $71 Darker, more brooding and darker fruits. Needed a bit more time in the glass to show its best. But definitely had that hallmark Downie balance and texture (and drinkability).
Then we used two wines from the same producer and different vintage to show how a wine can change with time in the bottle.
Curly Flat Macedon 2008 $56 Dark, powerful, generous with a lot of depth and great mouthfeel.
Curly Flat Macedon 2001 En Magnum The host once again donated this wine to the tasting. It showed more savoury/undergrowth/truffle and was a lot more silky and supple. I would say at its peak now in the best possible way.
Bracket Four: Burgundy.
Nicholas Potel Vosne Romanee Les Petit Monts 1er Cru 2000 $105 The budget didn't quite stretch to Grand Cru but this high quality Premier Cru certainly showed the best of the region and why it is the pinnacle. Supple, savoury, minerally, perfumed, vibrant, spices, depth, layered, intense and thrilling. Great balance, depth of fruit and plush but with fine tannins and great length.
Dom Laurant Nuits-St-Georges Les Pruliers 1995 Because more is more, yet another bottle was taken from the cellar to be shared. This wine really showed up the difference between communes and vineyards in Burgundy. This wine reflexed the denser, more chunky style of Nuits compared to the refined, elegance of Vosne.
Additional Wine.
Roda I Rioja Riserva 2004 This wine was pulled out just as we took our leave of the group but I stuck around long enough to have a glass. I have included it because Tempranillo is often described as tasting like Pinot with a bit of age. It does share the red fruits, floral notes and spicy notes. Along with the silk and purity you would expect.
All in all a great tasting. If you are interested in hosting a tasting like this, we can work together to find a theme, budget and venue that suits. Email philip@thewinedepository.com.au
Grasping a chance to drink a handful of my most favourite Pinots from around the world, I looked forward to this event and the attended to the notes and wine selection with particular vigour. Of course having a willing and eager bunch of participants makes it all the more entertaining. Thankfully the attendees had that in spades.
.JPG "Entry level Pinot Noir. Burgundy. Yarra Valley. Tumbarumba") |
| The warm up act. Seriously good for the price. |
Bracket One. Flavours of Pinot Noir.
Bress Vineyards Silver Chook Yarra Valley & Macedon 2010 $22 Showing the easy, cherry/red berry and rose petal notes. Excellent value and highly recommended.
Hungerford Hill Tumbarumba 2009 $25 Darker, plums and a hint undergrowth. Riper fruit and more generous mouthfeel.
Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge 2008 $32 Great entry point to Burgundy, showing the minerally, structured and more savoury styles they tend to make. If drinking water was impossible, this is what I would turn to.
.JPG "Pinot Noir Tasting") |
| Bracket One under way. |
Bracket Two. Regionality and the wide world of wine.
Pegasus Bay Canterbury 2008 $63 From the South Island of New Zealand. Showing the typical style of great NZ Pinot. Bold with perfume, subtlety and restraint.
Apsley Gorge Tasmania 2008 $69 East Coast of Tassie based producer. A bit stinky when first opened, but possessing great texture, balance and silkiness. Beautiful wine.
Bernard Huber Baden 2009 $43 A Spatburgunder (aka Pinot Noir) from Germany. Showing perfume, oak, balance and nice refreshing acidity.
Britten Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir The host added this wine so the USA got a jersey. It has great pedigree with the owner being a former member of the Stags Leap team. This tasted slightly oxidised on the day sadly.
.png "Curly Flat Pinot Noir Macedon - in all its glory") |
| You can always tell a Curly Flat family. |
Bracket Three: Terroir and aging.
We used two wines made in almost the same way to highlight how much a region or vineyard (ie Terroir) can affect the taste of a wine.
William Downie Mornington Peninsula 2010 $71 The more floral, red berry and vibrant style. Showed really well upfront. Beautiful balance and lovely to drink.
William Downie Gippsland 2010 $71 Darker, more brooding and darker fruits. Needed a bit more time in the glass to show its best. But definitely had that hallmark Downie balance and texture (and drinkability).
Then we used two wines from the same producer and different vintage to show how a wine can change with time in the bottle.
Curly Flat Macedon 2008 $56 Dark, powerful, generous with a lot of depth and great mouthfeel.
Curly Flat Macedon 2001 En Magnum The host once again donated this wine to the tasting. It showed more savoury/undergrowth/truffle and was a lot more silky and supple. I would say at its peak now in the best possible way.
.png "Secretly trying to steal the valueable cargo inside.") |
| Pouring the 95 Pruliers. |
Nicholas Potel Vosne Romanee Les Petit Monts 1er Cru 2000 $105 The budget didn't quite stretch to Grand Cru but this high quality Premier Cru certainly showed the best of the region and why it is the pinnacle. Supple, savoury, minerally, perfumed, vibrant, spices, depth, layered, intense and thrilling. Great balance, depth of fruit and plush but with fine tannins and great length.
Dom Laurant Nuits-St-Georges Les Pruliers 1995 Because more is more, yet another bottle was taken from the cellar to be shared. This wine really showed up the difference between communes and vineyards in Burgundy. This wine reflexed the denser, more chunky style of Nuits compared to the refined, elegance of Vosne.
.png "Pouring the Pinot Noir.") |
| Expert host and wine waiter... me. |
Additional Wine.
Roda I Rioja Riserva 2004 This wine was pulled out just as we took our leave of the group but I stuck around long enough to have a glass. I have included it because Tempranillo is often described as tasting like Pinot with a bit of age. It does share the red fruits, floral notes and spicy notes. Along with the silk and purity you would expect.
All in all a great tasting. If you are interested in hosting a tasting like this, we can work together to find a theme, budget and venue that suits. Email philip@thewinedepository.com.au
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Dinner at Sosta Cucina 11/05/12
After a few false starts Dave's group finally managed to convene to taste some awesome wines at one of the best restaurants I've eaten at in Melbourne Sosta Cucina.
A late withdrawal meant that we had to sacrifice a bottle of Cignale from Tuscany (one of my favourite Italian wines). But just as well, because an unannounced no show meant we were flush with wine anyway. It wasn't all that bad; never before has a waiter said to me "Would you like a top up of the Rousseau?... OK, which vintage?"
The menu was fantastic but crab and rabbit are almost always going to get my vote - and it was well chosen on my part too! Beautiful food and great service on the night.
Larmandier Bernier Brut Tradition NV - I never get sick of this wine. It was up to its beautiful standard! If you havent tasted it email me philip@thewinedepository.com.au because it is a must for any lover of wine.
Giaconda Chardonnay 2010 - A lot of people talk about Grange being Australia's greatest wine, I don't have much experience with Grange, but I would vote for this wine. In fact the 94 is the best Australian wine I've ever drunk.
The 2010 is already so complex, layered and lovely. Toasty, flint, pure, mineral - white stones, peach and apricot, zesty, white chocolate/creamy.
The palate is creamy, intense but balanced, great texture and seamless. It is a joy to drink and altogether too drinkable.
Phi Pinot Noir 2010 Coming off the back of some great accolades I was keen to try this wine. It needed a bit of time to open up. Initially it was dirty, ash, tart/herbal with a hint of VA. With time it developed some spicy oaky notes with cherry, red and blue fruits and plums.
Quite a tart palate with red fruits, clean finish and a tight core of fruit supported by fine tannins.
Bindi Composition Pinot Noir 2010 Bindi is an awesome producer, this is their entry level wine and I think it showed a bit that way on the night. Full, mint, round and meaty, dense eucalypt and smoke. It was dark fruited and round on the palate but just a hint simple.
Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er 2009 Such a priviledge to taste this wine. 2009 was such an amazing vintage in Burgundy. I was surprised there was a bottle left for us to drink. Initially it was quite ripe, lifted tropical and sweet red fruits. With air more savoury spice, rocket, pepper and clay notes came through.
It had great silk on the palate, with great length. Showed its extreme youth by being a hint bitter, disjointed and oaky. Very enjoyable none-the-less.
Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er 2008 On the night I felt compelled to write "Awesome Wine" with an arrow pointing to this wine. It was pretty good. Spice, rocket, ripe herbs, blood orange. Good silk, hint tart, smokey, long, hint of chocolate, great mouthfeel, very long and beautiful drinking.
Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er 2006 Savoury, truffles, tart red fruits and rose petal/floral cologne like notes and dark stone minerality.
Silky, structured, clean and balanced. Probably a bit in between youth and maturity. Lovely drinking though.
Mount Mary Quintets 2006 Pretty, delicate, currants, cherries, earth and a hint of undergrowth. The palate was dense but fine and balanced. The tannins were smooth and refined. This wine is just a baby.
Mastroberandino Radici Taurasi DOCG 2006 Aglianico could well be the next big thing in Australia - as I have said recently . I think it needs a nickname before it is properly accepted though.
I've had this wine a few times in the recent past and I love it more each time. The toasty, clay, burnt earth, meat and game notes really shone through with a beautiful rabbit dish. You just have to give it a go.
Kopke Reserve Tawny Port A well regarded but rarely seen producer. This was well put together, more savoury styled tawny. Mid-bodied and quite refreshing.
The night ended with the 3,2,1 voting (each person gives three votes to their favourite wine of the night, two to the next and one to the their third best). Giaconda Chard came first with 13 votes (and an enthusiastic "my Mother would love this"), Rousseau Cazetiers 08 second place with 10 votes and Cazetiers 09 third on 7 votes.
A late withdrawal meant that we had to sacrifice a bottle of Cignale from Tuscany (one of my favourite Italian wines). But just as well, because an unannounced no show meant we were flush with wine anyway. It wasn't all that bad; never before has a waiter said to me "Would you like a top up of the Rousseau?... OK, which vintage?"
The menu was fantastic but crab and rabbit are almost always going to get my vote - and it was well chosen on my part too! Beautiful food and great service on the night.
Larmandier Bernier Brut Tradition NV - I never get sick of this wine. It was up to its beautiful standard! If you havent tasted it email me philip@thewinedepository.com.au because it is a must for any lover of wine.
Giaconda Chardonnay 2010 - A lot of people talk about Grange being Australia's greatest wine, I don't have much experience with Grange, but I would vote for this wine. In fact the 94 is the best Australian wine I've ever drunk.
The 2010 is already so complex, layered and lovely. Toasty, flint, pure, mineral - white stones, peach and apricot, zesty, white chocolate/creamy.
The palate is creamy, intense but balanced, great texture and seamless. It is a joy to drink and altogether too drinkable.
Phi Pinot Noir 2010 Coming off the back of some great accolades I was keen to try this wine. It needed a bit of time to open up. Initially it was dirty, ash, tart/herbal with a hint of VA. With time it developed some spicy oaky notes with cherry, red and blue fruits and plums.
Quite a tart palate with red fruits, clean finish and a tight core of fruit supported by fine tannins.
Bindi Composition Pinot Noir 2010 Bindi is an awesome producer, this is their entry level wine and I think it showed a bit that way on the night. Full, mint, round and meaty, dense eucalypt and smoke. It was dark fruited and round on the palate but just a hint simple.
Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er 2009 Such a priviledge to taste this wine. 2009 was such an amazing vintage in Burgundy. I was surprised there was a bottle left for us to drink. Initially it was quite ripe, lifted tropical and sweet red fruits. With air more savoury spice, rocket, pepper and clay notes came through.
It had great silk on the palate, with great length. Showed its extreme youth by being a hint bitter, disjointed and oaky. Very enjoyable none-the-less.
Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er 2008 On the night I felt compelled to write "Awesome Wine" with an arrow pointing to this wine. It was pretty good. Spice, rocket, ripe herbs, blood orange. Good silk, hint tart, smokey, long, hint of chocolate, great mouthfeel, very long and beautiful drinking.
Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er 2006 Savoury, truffles, tart red fruits and rose petal/floral cologne like notes and dark stone minerality.
Silky, structured, clean and balanced. Probably a bit in between youth and maturity. Lovely drinking though.
Mount Mary Quintets 2006 Pretty, delicate, currants, cherries, earth and a hint of undergrowth. The palate was dense but fine and balanced. The tannins were smooth and refined. This wine is just a baby.
Mastroberandino Radici Taurasi DOCG 2006 Aglianico could well be the next big thing in Australia - as I have said recently . I think it needs a nickname before it is properly accepted though.
I've had this wine a few times in the recent past and I love it more each time. The toasty, clay, burnt earth, meat and game notes really shone through with a beautiful rabbit dish. You just have to give it a go.
Kopke Reserve Tawny Port A well regarded but rarely seen producer. This was well put together, more savoury styled tawny. Mid-bodied and quite refreshing.
The night ended with the 3,2,1 voting (each person gives three votes to their favourite wine of the night, two to the next and one to the their third best). Giaconda Chard came first with 13 votes (and an enthusiastic "my Mother would love this"), Rousseau Cazetiers 08 second place with 10 votes and Cazetiers 09 third on 7 votes.
Monday, 23 April 2012
Awesome Australian Wine
Today is my 30th Birthday. What better way to celebrate then tasting some of my favourite Australian wines?
That's right, on my birthday I was willing to brave inclement weather and bad Melbourne traffic to taste wines - so they would have be special. And I wasn't disappointed.
These wines are for sale and wines I recommend, I have included the price which is correct at the time of publishing. They are subject to change in price and availability.
If you want to order please email me philip@thewinedepository.com.au or call 0418 230482
The first table I visited was occupied by my friend Erinn from Ngeringa based in the Adelaide Hills. Erinn and the team make really thoughtful, elegant and expressive wines from their biodynamic vineyards. We tasted through some of his range which included the stunning Ngeringa Chardonnay 2009 ($42ea), a lovely and lean chard with purity, clean stone fruits and a floral lift. The Chard is one of the best wines they make in my opinion. The Viognier 2010 ($48ea) and Viognier dominant blend JE Assemblage White 2010 ($27ea) both had excellent textural qualities with aromatic complexity and great subtlety - quite rare for Australian Viognier.
The reds kicked off with his elegant, savoury and silky Pinot Noir 2009 ($42ea). This is a wine of great perfume and certainly opened up with air. Then we tasted two Syrah - the flagship variety at the winery. JE Syrah 2009 ($27ea) showed delicate aromas of cola, pepper and cardomon with hints of blood orange and plums. The palate was balanced, savoury and with lovely fine drying tannins. The big show Syrah 2008 ($53ea) was showing its typical refined lean, smokey, spicy and savoury nose. The palate was very fine and a hint on the tannic side. The palate was not as impressively balanced and vibrant as previous years; Erinn explained that as it is from a difficult year (extremely hot conditions plagued the country), and picked early to retain the freshness and acidity. They took a lot of care to make it the best possible wine they could and he was proud of the result given how many producers picked later and produced jammy, alcoholic wines.
I tend to agree, with a bit of time in the bottle (or the right food match) and this wine would be stunning.
Still one of my favourite wineries in Australia.
Next stop was the Jamsheed table. Gary Mills has been making some of the best wines in Victoria for a while now, in the April TWD Magazine I featured some of his entry level wines in the drink now list. I would encourage you to taste these wines as they are extremely drinkable and amazingly good value. I also got to try his Gewurztraminer, Riesling (and friends) blend Le Blank Plonk 2010 ($21ea), the Gewurz definitely sticks out on the nose with its lychee and rose water notes. The Riesling adds a citrusy spine and length to the palate. This is refreshing and very drinkable. I also tried some of his Roussanne which I did not catch the vintage or price of but throughly enjoyed for its faint stone fruits and white flower notes and mineral purity and textural bliss.
After that was a chat with James Lance and his wines from Punch in the Yarra. James' offerings were a bit unique and special because they had lost all of their fruit in 2009 due to the fires that came through the vineyards. With the support of vineyards in Victoria and New Zealand there was the birth of the label 'Friends Of Punch'. And there was a lot to like about the wines. Gippsland based Mallani Vineyard Chardonnay 2009 ($36ea) had everything I want in good Chard. Silky, vibrant and elegant. Plenty of stone fruits, floral notes and citrus. Great balance and lots of length of flavour. It was so good for the price. The best of the friends wine (to my palate) was the Quartz Reef Vineyards Pinot Noir 2009 ($65ea). Quartz Reef is a producer in Central Otago (Kristina and I spent some time with Rudi on our trip in 2007 and loved every second). They made some batches with the Punch style in mind and let them pick how they wanted them blended. The wine was then sent to Punch for finishing. The result is a smokey, dense, full, spicy and tasty Pinot. There is lovely structure and good length of flavour. Very drinkable. By contrast there was also the Bannockburn Vineyards Pinot Noir 2009 ($65ea) which was more savoury, herbal, undergrowth like Pinot. It was very tight and tannic at the moment. The final Friends of Punch wine I tasted was the very Rhone like juby, smokey, slightly herbal and fine boned Bannockburn Vineyards Syrah 2009 ($65ea), one for the cellar!
James was also offering advanced tastings of his 2010 wines. Chardonnay, Pinot and Close Planted Pinot all looked amazing. You will hear more about them when they are released. They are knock outs.
I did taste a few other wines before I headed home to celebrate my birthday without having to spit the pretty wines. But I'll save those stories for another day.
That's right, on my birthday I was willing to brave inclement weather and bad Melbourne traffic to taste wines - so they would have be special. And I wasn't disappointed.
These wines are for sale and wines I recommend, I have included the price which is correct at the time of publishing. They are subject to change in price and availability.
If you want to order please email me philip@thewinedepository.com.au or call 0418 230482
 |
| Lovely, lovely Ngeringa Chardy. |
The first table I visited was occupied by my friend Erinn from Ngeringa based in the Adelaide Hills. Erinn and the team make really thoughtful, elegant and expressive wines from their biodynamic vineyards. We tasted through some of his range which included the stunning Ngeringa Chardonnay 2009 ($42ea), a lovely and lean chard with purity, clean stone fruits and a floral lift. The Chard is one of the best wines they make in my opinion. The Viognier 2010 ($48ea) and Viognier dominant blend JE Assemblage White 2010 ($27ea) both had excellent textural qualities with aromatic complexity and great subtlety - quite rare for Australian Viognier.
The reds kicked off with his elegant, savoury and silky Pinot Noir 2009 ($42ea). This is a wine of great perfume and certainly opened up with air. Then we tasted two Syrah - the flagship variety at the winery. JE Syrah 2009 ($27ea) showed delicate aromas of cola, pepper and cardomon with hints of blood orange and plums. The palate was balanced, savoury and with lovely fine drying tannins. The big show Syrah 2008 ($53ea) was showing its typical refined lean, smokey, spicy and savoury nose. The palate was very fine and a hint on the tannic side. The palate was not as impressively balanced and vibrant as previous years; Erinn explained that as it is from a difficult year (extremely hot conditions plagued the country), and picked early to retain the freshness and acidity. They took a lot of care to make it the best possible wine they could and he was proud of the result given how many producers picked later and produced jammy, alcoholic wines.
I tend to agree, with a bit of time in the bottle (or the right food match) and this wine would be stunning.
Still one of my favourite wineries in Australia.
 |
Next stop was the Jamsheed table. Gary Mills has been making some of the best wines in Victoria for a while now, in the April TWD Magazine I featured some of his entry level wines in the drink now list. I would encourage you to taste these wines as they are extremely drinkable and amazingly good value. I also got to try his Gewurztraminer, Riesling (and friends) blend Le Blank Plonk 2010 ($21ea), the Gewurz definitely sticks out on the nose with its lychee and rose water notes. The Riesling adds a citrusy spine and length to the palate. This is refreshing and very drinkable. I also tried some of his Roussanne which I did not catch the vintage or price of but throughly enjoyed for its faint stone fruits and white flower notes and mineral purity and textural bliss.
After that was a chat with James Lance and his wines from Punch in the Yarra. James' offerings were a bit unique and special because they had lost all of their fruit in 2009 due to the fires that came through the vineyards. With the support of vineyards in Victoria and New Zealand there was the birth of the label 'Friends Of Punch'. And there was a lot to like about the wines. Gippsland based Mallani Vineyard Chardonnay 2009 ($36ea) had everything I want in good Chard. Silky, vibrant and elegant. Plenty of stone fruits, floral notes and citrus. Great balance and lots of length of flavour. It was so good for the price. The best of the friends wine (to my palate) was the Quartz Reef Vineyards Pinot Noir 2009 ($65ea). Quartz Reef is a producer in Central Otago (Kristina and I spent some time with Rudi on our trip in 2007 and loved every second). They made some batches with the Punch style in mind and let them pick how they wanted them blended. The wine was then sent to Punch for finishing. The result is a smokey, dense, full, spicy and tasty Pinot. There is lovely structure and good length of flavour. Very drinkable. By contrast there was also the Bannockburn Vineyards Pinot Noir 2009 ($65ea) which was more savoury, herbal, undergrowth like Pinot. It was very tight and tannic at the moment. The final Friends of Punch wine I tasted was the very Rhone like juby, smokey, slightly herbal and fine boned Bannockburn Vineyards Syrah 2009 ($65ea), one for the cellar!
James was also offering advanced tastings of his 2010 wines. Chardonnay, Pinot and Close Planted Pinot all looked amazing. You will hear more about them when they are released. They are knock outs.
I did taste a few other wines before I headed home to celebrate my birthday without having to spit the pretty wines. But I'll save those stories for another day.
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Return To The Yarra Valley
Last week a friend from paintball, Rob, decided to take me wine touring as an early birthday present. Well, that's what he claims, but it was school holidays.... Maybe he just wanted to leave the house? Either way, it was good fun.
He chose two wineries, I chose two and away we went.
Redbox - As it turns out they aren't officially open on Wednesdays, but they were quite welcoming and despite the wines being open since the weekend they look remarkably good. I really liked the Riesling and Chardonnay. I have a feeling you may seem them recommended in the near future.
Panton Hill - Rob was really keen to try these guys out. When we went into the tasting room, no one was around. We couldn't find anyone at the winery. We even tried calling the telephone to no response. We have to go back at another time. Maybe try calling in advance.
Tarrawarra - I've been to Tarrawarra a few times in the past and it seems to get better each time. We were shown wines by Richard, who was great. He opened a few extra goodies because we showed some interest and ultimately there were some absolute winners there. The Pinots and Chards have always impressed (the Estate Pinot is a stunner). But the single vineyard Merlot and single vineyard Shiraz are sensational; hence their inclusion in the Cellar Dozen and Special Bottle Club lists respectively if you wanted to try them for yourself.
Dominique Portet - An old favourite of mine. Making possibly the best Rose in Australia and some really excellent Sauvignon Blanc. The Estate SB was so impressive it has also made it for sale into the Cellar Dozen this month. I have never tried an Australian SB so concentrated and full of loveliness (although Sorrenberg SSB has come mighty close as do some Leeuwin Art Series SB). We got to taste a cellar release of the 2005 Yarra Shiraz - direct from the cellar that morning in fact; it was so lovely and savoury, but still had plenty of youthful exuberance. I thought it was a pleasant way to finish the tasting, until the Vendanges Tardives Sauvignon Blanc was brought out; this is what sweet wine is all about. Delicious and compelling drinking. Thankfully Rob was driver for the day.
A great day in all and I tried some wines that left me seriously impressed.
He chose two wineries, I chose two and away we went.
Redbox - As it turns out they aren't officially open on Wednesdays, but they were quite welcoming and despite the wines being open since the weekend they look remarkably good. I really liked the Riesling and Chardonnay. I have a feeling you may seem them recommended in the near future.
Panton Hill - Rob was really keen to try these guys out. When we went into the tasting room, no one was around. We couldn't find anyone at the winery. We even tried calling the telephone to no response. We have to go back at another time. Maybe try calling in advance.
Tarrawarra - I've been to Tarrawarra a few times in the past and it seems to get better each time. We were shown wines by Richard, who was great. He opened a few extra goodies because we showed some interest and ultimately there were some absolute winners there. The Pinots and Chards have always impressed (the Estate Pinot is a stunner). But the single vineyard Merlot and single vineyard Shiraz are sensational; hence their inclusion in the Cellar Dozen and Special Bottle Club lists respectively if you wanted to try them for yourself.
Dominique Portet - An old favourite of mine. Making possibly the best Rose in Australia and some really excellent Sauvignon Blanc. The Estate SB was so impressive it has also made it for sale into the Cellar Dozen this month. I have never tried an Australian SB so concentrated and full of loveliness (although Sorrenberg SSB has come mighty close as do some Leeuwin Art Series SB). We got to taste a cellar release of the 2005 Yarra Shiraz - direct from the cellar that morning in fact; it was so lovely and savoury, but still had plenty of youthful exuberance. I thought it was a pleasant way to finish the tasting, until the Vendanges Tardives Sauvignon Blanc was brought out; this is what sweet wine is all about. Delicious and compelling drinking. Thankfully Rob was driver for the day.
A great day in all and I tried some wines that left me seriously impressed.
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Escaping To The Yarra Valley Pt2
The exciting conclusion to one of the great stories of 2011... (or something). Read part one here
Lunch was at Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander and included my first introduction to pork rillette - this could be a life long love affair. Great venue, great food and well worth a visit. The staff were great even the guy who foolishly assumed the guy would be drinking beer and the girl wine. Ohh how we laughed!
The weather had been hot all day and was starting to get oppressive, as was my need to spit everything so I could continue to drive. The heat seemed to be bothering the people at our next stop too. Rochford was strange. At first we couldn't attract anyones attention and then they seemed to be giving us an angry tasting. The wines were a mixed bag. Some where good, some were uninspiring.
They also tried to sell us a segway (pictured below) tour of the winery. An interesting idea, could certainly get hairy dealing with people at the end of a long day touring. But it was not for us on a day like that. Plus, we had more wine to taste.
Oakridge was next, an air-conditioned cellar door was just the trick! As were the stunning the Chardonnays that they made. From entry level to the single sites they were all great. A great source of amusement was had when my companion went off on a tangent of how Australian's should make Australian wine and not compare it to French wine. And just after this our friendly host came up to pour the Syrah for us, called so "because it is more French in style than the Barossa style Shiraz." In the face of such a challange I feel I did exceptionally well to maintain my composure. The reds were nice, but I left with a bottle of the Estate Chardonnay. Seriously, Try the chardonnays!
Did I mention it was increadibly hot?
The last stop was Chandon. A chance to taste some Aussie 'Champagne' (ha!), the wines are always quite well put together and enjoyable. But, it would have been more enjoyable to have been sitting down and relaxing with a glass I could drink.
It was really hot by now and so home time was called. Overall it was an interesting trip, we tasted some of the best in the Valley and some of the indifferent. It certainly will have to be repeated in the near future. There were quite a few great places on the wishlist that we didn't get a chance to see. Plus, cellar door people are some of the most amusing and sometimes alarming people you could hope to interact with.
Lunch was at Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander and included my first introduction to pork rillette - this could be a life long love affair. Great venue, great food and well worth a visit. The staff were great even the guy who foolishly assumed the guy would be drinking beer and the girl wine. Ohh how we laughed!
The weather had been hot all day and was starting to get oppressive, as was my need to spit everything so I could continue to drive. The heat seemed to be bothering the people at our next stop too. Rochford was strange. At first we couldn't attract anyones attention and then they seemed to be giving us an angry tasting. The wines were a mixed bag. Some where good, some were uninspiring.
They also tried to sell us a segway (pictured below) tour of the winery. An interesting idea, could certainly get hairy dealing with people at the end of a long day touring. But it was not for us on a day like that. Plus, we had more wine to taste.
Oakridge was next, an air-conditioned cellar door was just the trick! As were the stunning the Chardonnays that they made. From entry level to the single sites they were all great. A great source of amusement was had when my companion went off on a tangent of how Australian's should make Australian wine and not compare it to French wine. And just after this our friendly host came up to pour the Syrah for us, called so "because it is more French in style than the Barossa style Shiraz." In the face of such a challange I feel I did exceptionally well to maintain my composure. The reds were nice, but I left with a bottle of the Estate Chardonnay. Seriously, Try the chardonnays!
Did I mention it was increadibly hot?
The last stop was Chandon. A chance to taste some Aussie 'Champagne' (ha!), the wines are always quite well put together and enjoyable. But, it would have been more enjoyable to have been sitting down and relaxing with a glass I could drink.
It was really hot by now and so home time was called. Overall it was an interesting trip, we tasted some of the best in the Valley and some of the indifferent. It certainly will have to be repeated in the near future. There were quite a few great places on the wishlist that we didn't get a chance to see. Plus, cellar door people are some of the most amusing and sometimes alarming people you could hope to interact with.
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
Wine Tastings
I've tasted some interesting wines of late and thought I would share.
First off there is the wines from my Yarra tour. Part two to follow.
Then there was:
Pierre Gaillard St Joseph Clos de Cuminaille 2009 - Brilliant wine! I tasted their standard (horrible term but it is said with love) St Joseph and thought it was a bit tight and mean at the time. But this wine is sensational. It was lush and compact, spicy and savoury with plenty of vibrant fruit. It was a pleasure to drink and I would only wish that they put it in a 1lt bottle. Plenty of dry spices, a certain meaty character with the stoney undertone and red and blue fruits that are the hallmark of great St-Joseph. Seriously good wine!
Krinklewood Chardonnay 2009 - I have a lot of respect for this winery and a quite fond memories too. A biodynamic outfit in the Hunter Valley's subregion of Broke-Fordwich. You might have seen this mentioned in our November drinking wines A beautiful set up really great wines. The 09 Chard is a particular stand out. Very lean and tight. Shows a lot of citrus, peach and nectarine with hints of white flowers. The palate is dry, with a spine of zesty acid. The fruit weight balance this out well and there is great harmony. The wine changes a lot with air too.
Domaine de la Mordoree Tavel Rose 2010 - Also written up in our wines to drink for November. There was a bottle in the fridge that paired nicely with the little heatwave we had. Even though it was nice and cold it still had the lovely rose petal and floral characters with some attractive red fruits. The cold knocked out a bit of the body, but I know from experience that when it is a bit warmer the texture is a highlight of this wine.
First off there is the wines from my Yarra tour. Part two to follow.
Then there was:
Pierre Gaillard St Joseph Clos de Cuminaille 2009 - Brilliant wine! I tasted their standard (horrible term but it is said with love) St Joseph and thought it was a bit tight and mean at the time. But this wine is sensational. It was lush and compact, spicy and savoury with plenty of vibrant fruit. It was a pleasure to drink and I would only wish that they put it in a 1lt bottle. Plenty of dry spices, a certain meaty character with the stoney undertone and red and blue fruits that are the hallmark of great St-Joseph. Seriously good wine!
Krinklewood Chardonnay 2009 - I have a lot of respect for this winery and a quite fond memories too. A biodynamic outfit in the Hunter Valley's subregion of Broke-Fordwich. You might have seen this mentioned in our November drinking wines A beautiful set up really great wines. The 09 Chard is a particular stand out. Very lean and tight. Shows a lot of citrus, peach and nectarine with hints of white flowers. The palate is dry, with a spine of zesty acid. The fruit weight balance this out well and there is great harmony. The wine changes a lot with air too.
Domaine de la Mordoree Tavel Rose 2010 - Also written up in our wines to drink for November. There was a bottle in the fridge that paired nicely with the little heatwave we had. Even though it was nice and cold it still had the lovely rose petal and floral characters with some attractive red fruits. The cold knocked out a bit of the body, but I know from experience that when it is a bit warmer the texture is a highlight of this wine.
Sunday, 1 January 2012
Escaping To The Yarra Valley Pt1
A few weeks ago, in a vein attempt to educate a Burgundian friend on the merits of Australian wine, we set out to see the delights of the Yarra Valley. Unfortunately our designated driver was extremely hung over and went back to bed, which meant that I had to shoulder the driving responsibility.
Despite our early set back it turned out to be a fruitful (pun attempted) day and quite interesting. I've always liked the Yarra but found that it is very two speed. There are some of Australia's best wines in it's boundaries, and also some shocking wines. We tried to avoid the latter. Speaking if it's boundaries, the Yarra is too big, the diversity and footprint make any generalisations about the region almost impossible and rather silly to attempt. Thankfully however, there is now a push to define subregions and even highlight particularly good individual plots. Hopefully this will help improve regional understanding and quality.
We started at the Coldstream Hills winery as they were opening the doors. This earned us the tag of "early internationals". True to form and expectations there was a range of wine from commercial to interesting to amazing. Pinot and Chard were the best varieties. The Reserve wines stood out as did some of the single vineyard wines. A good yardstick for measuring further visits.
A little further down the road we stopped at the wonderful Yarra Yering. The wines are consistently amazing as they were this day. I grumbled to myself as my French friend and the guys pouring us the wine discussed their favourite Grand Cru's of Burgundy and giggled inwardly as they scorned peoples love of screw caps and I got to point out that one of the wines was in fact corked.
Great wines, highly recommended.
Warramate was the next stop and proved fascinating tasting wines from the top of the hill Coldstream Hills, midslope Warramate and the lower down Yarra Yering. It also gave us our most informal host, freely poking fun at customers and their peculiarities (once they had left of course). The wines here were not bad, just not exciting. They seemed to be missing something.
That took us to lunch. This topic and more tasting will be tackled in a later entry.
Read the stunning conclusion here
Despite our early set back it turned out to be a fruitful (pun attempted) day and quite interesting. I've always liked the Yarra but found that it is very two speed. There are some of Australia's best wines in it's boundaries, and also some shocking wines. We tried to avoid the latter. Speaking if it's boundaries, the Yarra is too big, the diversity and footprint make any generalisations about the region almost impossible and rather silly to attempt. Thankfully however, there is now a push to define subregions and even highlight particularly good individual plots. Hopefully this will help improve regional understanding and quality.
We started at the Coldstream Hills winery as they were opening the doors. This earned us the tag of "early internationals". True to form and expectations there was a range of wine from commercial to interesting to amazing. Pinot and Chard were the best varieties. The Reserve wines stood out as did some of the single vineyard wines. A good yardstick for measuring further visits.
A little further down the road we stopped at the wonderful Yarra Yering. The wines are consistently amazing as they were this day. I grumbled to myself as my French friend and the guys pouring us the wine discussed their favourite Grand Cru's of Burgundy and giggled inwardly as they scorned peoples love of screw caps and I got to point out that one of the wines was in fact corked.
Great wines, highly recommended.
 |
| Great View from Warramate. |
Warramate was the next stop and proved fascinating tasting wines from the top of the hill Coldstream Hills, midslope Warramate and the lower down Yarra Yering. It also gave us our most informal host, freely poking fun at customers and their peculiarities (once they had left of course). The wines here were not bad, just not exciting. They seemed to be missing something.
That took us to lunch. This topic and more tasting will be tackled in a later entry.
Read the stunning conclusion here
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