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

VINTAGE 2006 was very late in Western Australia and people aren’t expecting the traditional red powerhouses (cabernet, shiraz and associated blends) from the season to be stand-outs: clever winemaking will no doubt be the year’s saviour. However, some of the ’06 pinot noirs that have trickled on to the market place and in to my glass have been tasty efforts, though many such as the Cullen offering are (or were) cellar-door only jobbies. While I doubt Western Australia will ever compete with Victoria’s Yarra Valley in the top value pinot stakes – some “experts” even (wrongly) suggest WA has no place being involved with any kind of pinot production – this MadFish release is all about accessible, food-friendly pinot for those after quality and value. Very varietal and complex Aussie pinot aromas of earth, herbs, blackberries, that unmistakable pinot stink and a flash of mintiness. A string of juicy fine tannins create a velvet, seamless mouthfeel tying together baskets of cherry and red berry fruit that linger on the palate and finish. Perfect summer style of red that was perfectly suited to Friday night pizza after a whirlwind week (and a couple of slices of post-Saturday morning gym pizza too). 17. www.madfishwines.com.au

After shooting to global prominence on the back of its Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough has slowly been building up its wine repertoire with pinot noir starting to show much promise. Produced by Marlborough’s Seresin Estate, this is one of the region’s most impressive pinots I’ve tasted in recent times. A blend of hand-picked and hand-sorted fruit from three different Marlborough vineyards, this smells funky and feral like the Mucky Duck Bush Band doing a set of James Brown, Meters and Sly and the Family Stone covers. Couple with more than just a smattering of raspberry and black cherry aromas, this is unmistakably pinot. The palate sees the aforementioned band members red-level the intensity as waves of sour cherry and red fruit latch on to palate with the assistance of fine, astringent tannins: the reverb-soaked finish is long-lasting and cause for rapturous applause. It’s all there and it makes you want to drink more and more - and that’s before you factor the nigh-on laughable asking price. Coupled with an excellent sauvignon blanc, MoMo is a relatively new Marlborough brand value-hunting wine drinkers should keep an eye on, possibly two if you can spare them… 18.5 www.seresin.co.nz

In a tasting last night where too many wines were overpriced and quite frankly overdone to the point of looking like caricatures of the big, bold, predominantly South Australian blockbuster style of red, this came up smelling like proverbial roses: though in reality, it was more like a hedonistic, heady flurry of white pepper and grilled meats. The effects of this wine (a blend of shiraz, grenache, mourvèdre and viognier) in the mouth were almost instantaneous - I sat up a little straighter and my chicken-scrawl handwriting jolted to life, trying desperately to keep up with the stream of superlatives being relayed synapse-to-synapse from my brain. Incredibly balanced and poised and defined by shades of pepper, meat and ripe plums whose purity, clarity and restraint shone like a beacon. Finishes clean and dry with a lingering trail of succulence. Fine, elegant and lengthy - one of the best Henry’s Sevens I’ve quaffed in recent memory. And finally, does anyone else think the name sounds like a championship winning rugby side? 18 www.henschke.com.au

Things have been a’changing at Capel Vale. There’s been a uniform lift in the quality of wine across the board, the introduction of the exceptional “Debut” range and the winery’s logo has been given a modern, fresh new look that mirrors the brand’s own tale: moving forwards whilst still respecting its history. A story also embodied by this wine, drawing on the Pratten family’s old-vine holdings in the state’s cool Mt Barker region. While masochists might enjoy the brute force of high-powered riesling and its cutlasses of lively acidity, I’m enjoying tasting riesling later rather than sooner as it lets the wine settle down a tad and give those subtle palate nuances more of a chance to shine. In this case, it’s a gently acidic mouthful of clear-cut lemon and lime flavours delivered with elegance, poise and softness. Everything is looking remarkably balanced and the wine finishes dry and clean with a burst of lime and citrus succulence. Refreshingly cleansing and seemingly tailor-made for this God-awful hot spell being suffered by us good West Australians - I wish I had more bottles of this in the fridge over the past eight weeks. 17. www.capelvale.com

This has been out for a while and while I’ve bought bottles of this more than once over the past 15 months (I don’t usually write tasting notes on wines when drinking socially or out and about), this weekend was my first chance to sit down with the sample bottle I received in 2007 and look at it with a “clean slate” - that is, no other drinks in me. In four words: one very classy drink. The maiden ‘05 Bin 311 was a revelation and right up my alley and this release has ensured my continued interest throughout 2007 and beyond. Gone is the understated minerality that I noticed in the ‘05 and previous bottles of the ‘06 and its place is a sleek and finely tuned chardonnay machine with a powerful yet elegantantly multi-dimensional grapefruit and citrus-powered engine tucked beneath the hood. A chassis of fine acid and toasty complexity helps the vehicle glide along the palate, leaving in its wake a lingering smoke trail of almonds and lemon. With fantastic releases like this to be had, there’s no better time to be exploring the exciting new world of Aussie chardonnay. 18. www.penfolds.com.au

Made from fruit sourced from Central Victorian vineyards and overseen by French and American winemakers, this is an intriguing drop that takes Old World winemaking and puts a New World slant on it. Hints of mango on the bouquet betray the presence of viognier corsing through the shiraz’s veins, as does the gorgeously soft and approachable palate padded out with pockets of peppery, earthy plum. Beautifully succulent from A to B: a most interesting dinner guest. 17. www.terlatochapoutier.com