AceHighWine

WTF I hear you cry - a wine review? Better late than never I say (probably a little too often to be honest) but now that AHW is back online, expect more regular updates and content.

One of the first 2007 Margaret River cabs off the rank, this has set a cracking pace for the others to follow. Compared to the longer, cooler ‘06 vintage, the shorter and warmer ‘07 vintage should produce more fruit-driven chardies that I suspect will look better on release, but not live as long as those from the previous vintage.

Enticing and youthful aromas of cashew, nectarine and panacotta on the nose. The tightly structured and elegantly textured palate combines nectarine, stonefruit, apple and creme brulee flavours that finishes in a length, subsiding finish with plenty of nutty complexity. Not quite as poweful and broodingly acidic as the ‘06, but a serious wine of excellent focus and texture. 18. www.mosswood.com.au

Ask most West Australians to name a good West Australian chardonnay and Leeuwin Art Series (LEAS - such is the wine’s reputation that the ‘Estate’ in its name has become superfluous) is likely to be at the front of most people’s tongues. Perhaps a better sign of its reputation, it’s one of the few local chardies that West Australians will drink and lend their support to: that’s high praise coming from a collective renowned for constantly looking overseas or over east for drinking inspiration. But you can understand why the unpatriotic would make prodigal sons: if there are any (not many, if any…) producers overseas or east who can consistently produce a wine of LEAS chardonnay’s intensity, power, length and focus, vintage in vintage out - I haven’t heard of them. Maybe I need to taste (or read) more.

Before my visit to Leeuwin, I was under the impression that LEAS was the sum of just one part: the verging-on-mythical Block 20. Last week I learned of the existence of a lower-profiled family that played just as important a role in the construction of LEAS: the good grapes of Block 22 - more-or-less across the oft-traversed driveway and up and under a few fences. The chardonnay that comes off the vines residing on blocks 20 and 22 all fit the description of “full of flavour”, it’s just the way they deliver this flavour that differs. On one hand you have the elegance of Block 20 - blessed with fine acidity and tremendous length. Meanwhile, the grapes off Block 22 (harder, hungrier soil that really make the vines work) reflect their tough neighbourhood and upbringing: focussed, serious, intense and ready to let fly with powerful yet controlled uppercuts of musky banana and tropical fruit. The 2007 (an exo vintage in Margaret River) barrel samples we tasted of each of these two blocks reflected the two differing terroirs while my hasty blending job (ie tip out all but a splash of each wine and then pour one glass into another) made for a crude but effective demonstration of the duo’s synergistic relationship. Guess I can add mixing LEAS chardonnay to my CV as well as dirty, dry martinis.

Although not on the market yet, bottles of the 2005 and 2006 LEAS chardies were on hand to taste. Although a little whiles from release, both wines exhibited that Art Series texture and length - but only time will reveal their true potential and position in the Leeuwin Estate scheme of things. Unlike plenty of other Margaret River chardonnays from the vintage, the LEAS ‘06 still looks a little closed with the acidity sticking out a tad from the nashi pear palate. Swirls of cashew start to reveal themselves on the finish and the oak will likely find its rhythm as the rest of the middle palate comes out of hiding. Not even the greatest wineries are able to escape the vagaries of vintage (16.5+ and expected to improve with time). On the other hand, the ‘05 - a child of an excellent growing season - is looking far more varietal and chardonnay-like. Intense and powerful with excellent balance between creamy nutty oak characters and tightly focussed tropical fruit flavours. A very controlled wine, in the driver’s seat, no need for a map, completely certain of where it’s going. (17.5+ with room to improve and dazzle. A wine which will wow when it’s released.)

Comparing these two in-the-wings releases to the bottles of ‘01, ‘95 and ‘87 dug out of the Leeuwin cellars, the shift from the toasty and charry shorter Burgundian barrels to longer Bordeaux barrels is telling. And that’s not an underhanded swipe at the earlier works (far from it, I loved the complexity of the oak on the ever-changing and long finish of the ‘95), just an observation on the wine’s change in tack. Another tidbit winos may not be aware of: sick of opening bottles to find a seductive aroma of wet cardboard, the team at Leeuwin have toiled through the museum stock of LEAS chardonnay and converted every good bottle over from cork to screwcap. All at the tedious rate of 72 bottles per day. Sadly, much of the wine didn’t make the grade (which begs the question - what happens to this not-up-to-scratch Art Series chardonnay?) but barring a massive screwcap failure or some heavy-handed sulphur treatment, all can look forward to all future museum stock of LEAS at Leeuwin pouring well. www.leeuwinestate.com.au

Finally, my impressions on how previous vintages of LEAS chardonnay are drinking right now.

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2001:
Intriguing bouquet of pear and spiced custard. Initially, the taste is predominantly lemon, but spread richly across the palate and helped along by the gentle fizz of acidity. Further citrus complexity in the way of oranges and spice flesh out the succulent palate before nutty oak flavours take over on the finish. For many, this wine’s appeal will be a question of style. 17.

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 1995:
Still surprisingly fresh on the nose with aromas of orange and other citrus fruit abounding. Similarly, also remarkably fresh in the mouth: rounded, seamless, great almondy oak characters and stylish and integrated fruit. It’s on the finish where this wine really shines where a magnificently complex and dazzling array of nut, toast and cashew weave in and out of one another. A finish best measured in half-lifes. 18.5

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 1987:
Kind of like a I-haven’t-been-to-the-toilet-since-yesterday shade of urine. The faint fizz of acidity hints at a tiny stretch of life left in the wine, but not much, you’d want to drink this now. Developed citrus chardonnay flavours reminiscent of cooked lemon. Similar to the ‘95 in terms of nutty oak and texture. Complex finish and good length round off the wine. 17.5

While most will be familiar with the shiraz and cabernet siblings in Howard Park’s acclaimed single vineyard wines, there is a lesser-known member of the family who spends most of her time in ol’ London-town, the UK-exclusive Leston chardy. Or at least it was lesser-known to me. I only learned of this wine’s existence after spying it on a Howard Park mailer. After making a few inquiries, a bottle of the wine in question made its way to the office and after many false starts, I finally had a chance to look at it.

Initially, the wine’s broad aromas of stone fruit, citrus and bread had me mildly concerned, but just as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, you shouldn’t taste a wine (solely) on its bouquet, once in the mouth, all that Howard Park class was there: fleshy nectarine with a dab of pink grapefruit and lemon, complemented by oak-influence in the shape of creaminess rather than blatant vanilla (though there was a bit of that and cashew too), allowing the juicy citrus flavours to shine. The finish is mouthwateringly juicy and as persistent and hard to shake as a summer cold. Medium-bodied style of chardonnay that one could happily drink the entire evening from pre-dinner right through to just before dessert. A very good ambassador for West Australian chardonnay - those lucky Poms. 17.5 www.howardparkwines.com.au

Winemaker Michael Kerrigan’s decision to end a 13-year affiliation with Howard Park to take up the position of winemaker and part-owner at Hay Shed Hill was one of last year’s biggest news stories. Wondering when I’d get the chance to taste his handiwork, I was pleasantly surprised to bump into a couple of his latest releases at yesterday’s tasting. The first - a newly created Block 1 Hay Shed Hill Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - wasn’t my thing as I found the barrel-ferment semillon characters intriguing, but ultimately not in a good way as my mind said awkward rather than awesome. Time may change my opinion of this wine, but right now, just not my cup of proverbial tea.

However, the ‘07 SBS was right up my alley and closer to my preferred style of Margaret River SSB. Featuring a new look label (perhaps the association of pitchfork with devilish is a reflection on the new winemaker’s personality?), this year’s offering is full of ripe tropical fruit with pineapple making its way to the fore: but not only is this bursting with flavour, but there’s a rip of gentle acidity tugging beneath the surface that gives the wine some added oomph in the mouth. A burst of passionfruit on the succulent, long finish adds to the appeal and rounds the package off in delicious form. 17 www.hayshedhill.com.au

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

Under the guidance of new senior winemaker Robb Mann, the Cape Mentelle SBS style is changing from a semillon-dominant blend to a more 50-50 mix with sauvignon blanc just outweighing the semillon in this year’s blend (53 per cent versus 47 per cent for the number crunchers).

Attractive fresh, lifted citrus notes on the nose pave the way for a palate of nicely textured, long, lemon-tinged and floral-kissed tropical fruit. A squeeze of soft acidity helps the wine along but lacks the crunch of some of its fellow Margaret River SSBs - however, while it might not be the most attention-grabbing of wines on its own, it partners magically with food. When looked at as part of a six wine line-up one night, I liked it, but when enjoyed the following day in the sunshine with finger-lickingly-good canapes and a glorious view of the Indian Ocean, the wine looked sensational. An awesome, food-friendly drink for the warmer weather. 17+ www.capementelle.com.au

Vintage reports can be a wine drinker’s Catch 22. On one hand, they can help put each year’s version of a particular wine into context with those that have before and after it: but on the other, there’s always that real threat of blanket statements unfairly damning or praising growing seasons and adding confusion and controversy to an industry already familiar with such concepts.

For instance, 2006 was a very late vintage for most of Western Australia so won’t be remembered as being particularly memorable… for reds at least, because as far as I’m concerned, the quality of some of the ‘06 Margaret River chardies that have been slowly dribbling onto the market this year is phenomenal to say the least.

I loved Cape Mentelle’s ‘05 chardy and while this is fashioned in a similar style to its predecessor, current senior winemaker Rob Mann played a bigger role in the creation of the current release and is doing little to harm the pioneering Margaret River winery’s reputation for quality.

Graceful aromas of citrus and nut on the nose. Mouthwatering acidity forms the perfect vessel to ferry flavours of white peach, lemon, grapefruit and nectarine together with the citrus fruit’s carry-on luggage of vanilla and nut on their long and leisurely voyage through the mouth. As the citrus flavours disembark, they leave in their trail a delightful cloud of limey-goodness that lingers like a bad smell. But in more conventional wine-speak: great fruit weight in the mouth, perfectly judged oak, subsiding and persistent length. In a word: Glorious! 18.5+ www.capementelle.com.au