AceHighWine

Christmas is a time of being busy, hence a lack of updates.

What’s been sitting on my “to-blog” list for a while is a recap of the highlights from a chardonnay line up a few weeks back: kind of appropriate because as the calendar makes its way into the business end of the festive season, chardonnay - along with beer and G&Ts - becomes one of my drinks of choice. Lightly chilled, the current stream of more refined, elegant and not-as-oaked chardies on the market are just as enjoyable on their own or with the lighter style of food we Australians enjoy over the summer.

I’ve also had a chance to taste most of the marquee Margaret River producers’ ‘06 chardonnays and its fair to say that while the late vintage could prove challenging for reds, it could turn out to be one of the great chardonnay vintages in recent memory.

Devil’s Lair Chardonnay 2006: Fragrant coconut on nose. A nicely medium-bodied wine with great texture. Juicy apple and stonefruit flavours with a shade of the coconut promised on the nose that finish long and juicy. An impressive follow-up to the awesome ‘05 and very much in the same stripped-back, minimalist style. 17. 2005 review

Tyrell’s Vat 47 2005: Dry and intense with a squeeze of lively acidity to give it real grunt. The palate is powered by peaches and tropical fruit that work their magic to create a tasty and succulent mouthful of flavour that finishes long with a burst of nut rounding things off. 17

Tyrells Vat 47 1996: The black sheep of the tasting, especially when you’re not expecting an older example of chardonnay to be snuck into the line up, but enjoyable never the less. Slightly polarising and perhaps offputting aromas of dry, salted fish but as a drink, an agreeable rounded ball of texture, nut, earthiness and salt with a little more nut thrown in the mix with all things nutty dominating the lengthy finish. I liked, though some weren’t as impressed. 17.5

Picardy Chardonnay 2006: Judging by the number of times I’m alone in my praise for it, I think I’m just going to have to come to grips that some people aren’t going to like Picardy chardonnay, especially when tasted blind in a line-up. This had all the same things going for it: gentle vanillin oak teases the nose, gorgeous “mealy” texture, attractice medium-weight cool-climate flavours of nectarine, pink grapefruit and stonefruit arranged neatly on a persisitent and juicy palate. Impressive length too. 17

Tappanappa Tiers Chardonnay 2006: Aromas of orange zest play the role of curtain-raiser to a mouthful of chardonnay bliss that has quickly established itself as one of the nation’s best. While the palate is a glorious combination of citrus and nut, these components are woven in such a manner to create a softly-textured and juicy flavour profile that last and last. 17.5+ 2005 review

The weekend gone was spent in Margaret River at Howard Park’s second International Riesling Tasting. After enjoying ourselves thoroughly at last year’s, we were both looking forward to the 2007 edition of the event with much anticipation. And judging by the number of new and younger faces who showed up early’ish Saturday morning at Howard Park’s picturesque Cowaramup cellar door, It looked like word had got around the station about how good the maiden riesling tasting was.

Howard Park owners Jeff and Amy Burch had amassed a collection of 21 exceptional rieslings from across the world with the South Australian contingent - particularly from the Clare Valley - accounting for more than a third of the entries. Wines were tasted double-blind in three brackets of seven with identities unmasked at the end of the final group. Like last year’s tasting, I encountered some challenging wines in the bracket, but as riesling does an excellent and honest job of reflecting its terroir, my (at times hard to decipher) notes are being laid bare for all.

There’s been plenty of talk about how riesling is starting to go through a global revival. If you’re not getting stuck in to the tremendous value and safe-each-way-bet-goodness being offered by the riesling fraternity, now’s the time to be doing so! www.howardparkwines.com.au

Leo Buring DW117 Leonay Riesling 2005 (Eden Valley, South Australia)
Fresh, vibrant with a tangible sense of richness. Nice texture with ripe tropical fruit flavours that shine brightly throughout the finish. Good drinking wine but not showing much complexity. 16.5.

Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Riesling 2005 (Great Southern, Western Australia)
Perfumed with an appealing fragrance of spiced apples and pears. Attractive lime and citrus driven palate with lots of acidity gentle simmering around it. Good, succulent finish. Another beauty from this consistent Frankland River producer and a wine still at the start of its career. 17+

Shaw and Smith Riesling 2005 (Adelaide Hills, South Australia)
Already showing some signs of age. Textured and round with rich and intense riesling flavours. Streak of oiliness across the mid palate. Good length. Cellar door only. 16.5+

Franz Kunstler - Hockheimer Kirchenstuck Kabinett Trocken Riesling 2005 (Rheingau, Germany)
Fresh wine with a dab of sweetness on the palate. The lively acidity still fizzles with purpose and creates a sensation of dryness in the mouth. Great length and finish and a very welcome first shot fired by the German contingent in the tasting. 17.5

Knappstein Ackland Riesling 2005 (Clare Valley, South Australia)
Showing signs of development on the nose and in the mouth with wooly, green bean characters and a rounded texture. Still, the fruit hits hard and straight and doesn’t leave the mouth without a fight as the long, succulent finish seemingly tugs at tastebuds as it drains from the mouth. The first contender from Watervale and unfortunately for all that followed in its wake, a wine that set the bar very high. Would have been a shoe-in for wine of the bracket if not for the German chap wearing the number seven jersey. 18

Fromm La Strada Dry Riesling 2005 (Central Otago, New Zealand)
Looked a bit awkward on the day - there was a pronounced greeness on the palate one mouthful and hints of residual the next. Full of apricot flavour with citrus revealing itselt on the back palate. Good finish. A very different style of riesling to the rest of the pack which was predominantly dry. Thinking about it, Central Otago’s brutal, cold climate (Fromm is based in Marlborough so I suspect they sourced the fruit from the middle of the South Island somewhere)should make it an ideal candidate for riesling, but we only seem to hear about pinot from the region. Perhaps something for me to pursue. 16

Wittman - Morstein Riesling Grosse Gewachs Riesling 2005 (Rheinhessen, Germany)
The product of a big vintage in Germany. Honey on the nose. Juicy, lively wine packed with fresh, forward fruit flavours helped along with gentle acidity. The flavour profiles evolve in the mouth and the wine was the first in the tasting to show real complexity of flavours while retaining its subtlety at the same time. Succulent finish rounds the wine off perfectly. 18.5

F X Pichler - Durnsteiner Hollerin Smaragd Riesling 2005 (Wachau, Austria)
One of two wines that looked bad on the day. Stunk of sulphur. Very intense phenolics - even for a variety like riesling that makes allowance for big acidity - made it very difficult to get into. Linear, tight palate. Shame considering what was on offer when the wine’s identity was revealed. 15.

Wilson Polish Hill Riesling 2005 (Clare Valley, South Australia)
Gentle, textural acidity. Intriguing tropical fruit flavours of mango, nectarine and peach. Good length, subsiding finish. 16.5+

Castle Rock Riesling 2005 (Great Southern, Western Australia)
Another excellent riesling release from this consistent producer from the Porogorups. Tasting softer and more approachable than it did on release, there’s a suggestion of “greeness” to the palate of tropical fruit and lime. Soft, undulating acidity leads to a succulent, long and juicy finish. 17

Leasingham Limited Release Watervale Riesling 2005 (Clare Valley, South Australia)
Closed, tight wine. Perhaps some oxidative aged characters? An almost cheesy edge to the palate detracts. Shame, as the finish was long and succulent. 15

Howard Park Riesling 2005 (Great Southern, Western Australia)
Fresh and vibrant and packed with tropical fruit. The presence of subtle acidity made me think of this as very sophisticated fruit juice for adults (in the nicest possible way). Excellent balance of tartness versus flavour. Typically great, mouthwatering finish. 17.5

Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt - Josephshofer Spatlese Trocken Riesling 2005 (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany)
Lovely fragrant nose of mango and spice. Soft, classy wine structured around beads of gentle acidity framing a dry palate of tropical fruit flavours. Pineapples and mango shine on the long, juicy finish. Impressive as. 18.5

Seppelt Drumborg Riesling 2005 (Henty, Victoria)
Showing signs of development on the nose. That typical Drumborg power has softened considerably, leaving in its wake a mouthful of tart lemon characters that finish dry. Intense citrus-driven wine and a polarising style at this stage of its life. 17.5+

Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling 2005 (Clare Valley, South Australia)
Juicy, powerful, intense, almost tangy, fruit qualities, but the palate finishes with soft, subsiding finish rather than the singe the palate might suggest. Initial impression was “a wine of two extremes”, but with time the palate softened and looked a lot more attractive. 16.5+

Grosset Watervale Riesling 2005 (Clare Valley, South Australia)
Developed, almost toasty aromas. Intense explosion of citrus and attractive floral notes in the mouth. Pristine white peach and nectarine flavours sparkle across the long, juicy finish. 17.5

Robert Weil - Rheingau Riesling Kabinett Trocken Riesling 2005 (Rheingau, Germany)
Gentle fizz on the palate of lemon peel, grapefruit and tangerine - an assortment of intriguing ripe citrus flavours. Excellent balance in the mouth. Good, subsiding length. 17

Forest Hill Block 1 Riesling 2005 (Great Southern, Western Australia)
Some pongy notes on the nose. Very intense, dry, tart palate of equal parts lemon and lime. Very powerful and tangy flavours - almost like sucking on a lemon. Fantastic finish, one of the best if not the best on the lot - shame about the bouquet as this could have been an absolute belter. A very strong advocate for the Great Southern’s potential for producing stunning riesling. 17.5+

Pewsey Vale Contours Riesling 2005 (Eden Valley, South Australia)
Juicy acidity, bright fruit and floral flavours. Didn’t mind this wine but didn’t have much written either. 16.5

Josmeyer Grand Cru Brand Riesling 2005 (Alsace, France)
Juicy, “sweet” characters led by the flavours of pineapple and the rest of the motley tropical fruit gang. Gentle acidity, succulent and long. Great, succulent finish. Another European riesling pearler. 17.5

Pirie Estate Riesling 2005 (Tamar Valley, Tasmania)
Gentle, soft, balanced. Appealing developed citrus flavours. Good length and succulence. Comparable to good riesling from most Australian winemaking regions. Looking forward to seeing more Tasmanian riesling when over there next year. 16.5+

The sum total of one parcel shiraz, one small parcel viognier, the excellent 2005 vintage and the benefit of Petaluma experience, this is further proof why shiraz loves the kiss of cool climate goodness. Seductively fragrant, a core of vanilla-daubed blackberry sings out to the senses. First the nose, and then the mouth meekly follows… An elegant and finely-textured wine, powdery tannins form the perfect canvas for those glorious yet soft plum flavours to shine, ably assisted by some musky viognier notes. Everything about this is great: the tannins, the length, the flavours on the finish, the flavours in the mouth, the way this medium-weight beauty captivates the drinker with each sip… This is a very easy wine to get lost in during the course of an evening. 17.5 www.bridgewatermill.com.au

Courtesy of the hospitality of Red and White, an invite to the launch of the ‘07 Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc at Yu wound up in my grubby little mitts and with a bit of shuffling, I managed to free up a few hours on Tuesday to attend the soiree at Burswood’s swanky Chinese restaurant.

The event was great and I could see why the Red and White team all looked forward to this annual shindig: the food was great, the atmosphere informal, the day’s a chance to unwind with customers (and perhaps one or two unsavoury media types) and the wine good… www.shawandsmith.com

Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc 2007: Very grassy aromas. Grainy texture in the mouth combined with blasts of intensely tart lemon and lime flavours make for a very powerful style of sauvignon blanc. Finishes very dry with another explosion of sour citrus. There’s character here all right. Recently released and perhaps looking a little young to drink by itself. Give it three to six months or enjoy with food. Matched with a basket of steamed dim sum it looked much better. 16

Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay 2006: Shy nose. If you’re familar with the M3 style, you’ll know that all the wine’s elements play together like a team with none of the components likely to cop any Brownlow votes, but certain to put in a Top Four finish at the end of the season. The oak is understated nut and vanillin characters, tight stonefruit flavours lap against the palate, ably assisted by some well-judged acidity. Brilliant texture and Ben Hur-esque length round off a very classy package. Similar in style to previous vintages, the M3 is getting closer to the “one of the top couple of Australian chardonnays” target that Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith set for the M3 chardy when they released the first vintage in 2000. 17.5

Shaw + Smith Shiraz 2005: Attractive nose of spice, blackberries and milk chocolate. Blackberry and plum make themselves right at home in the mouth, but without getting in the way or overstaying their welcome - probably due to the streamers of fine tannin that run throughout the wine’s body. Well-integrated woody notes. Nice length and finish. Very much made in the house shiraz style which offers a tasty alternative to the overt South Australian shiraz styles of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Looking handy now but would love to taste this with three to six years on it. 17