AceHighWine

Now this is some good gear - really good gear. A soft and approachable beauty that shows varietal correctness and a sense of regionality for a tad more than what you pay for a main at most neighbourhood BYO Italian eateries. If you’re going out with a group for a meal, better bring a couple of bottles of this as the first will be empty before you’ve had time to go back for your second. Alluringly spicy to smell with clove and bay leaf pushing their way to the front of the bouquet garni pack. Fine tannins glide slowly through the mouth, leaving trails of blackcurrant, vanilla, earth and spice in their wake. The oak manifest itself on the back palate with glimpses of toasty, vanillin lovability and the finish is soft and lingering. The product of fruit sourced from a band of 12 Margaret River vineyards, this is a good wine by all accounts, but factor in the price and we’ve got a true blue Margaret River bargain on our hands. Drink now, now, now. 17.5+ www.ringbolt.com

By the letter of my word, this post should wait until I’ve finished writing up the weekend’s Howard Park Riesling tasting, but as it’s more like a short series of thoughts, I decided to take advantage of my editorial supremacy and just get my thoughts out there.

Normally while down in Margaret River, we end up making one too many appointments and the trip can at times feel like a working day in the office and we don’t get to really enjoy ourselves, so this trip, we decided to just make one appointment (excluding plans to catch up with a buddy for a beer) and accept the Mugfords’ long-standing invitation to visit them at Moss Wood but as fate would have it, they were in Perth for the weekend so instead, we ended up being shown around by the vineyard manager and a cellar hand who ended up going to school with my brother. That’s Perth’s three degrees of separation for you!

The Moss Wood vineyards are indeed sacred ground - both because of their relevance to Margaret River’s history and the quality of fruit that comes off their vines. A combination of new and old, the plantings range from the original Pannell-planted blocks and some of the region’s thickest vines to pockets of experimental plantings where trials of different clones and vineyard practices are closely monitored in pursuit of that elusive perfect bottle of wine.

Speaking of which: while time will tell whether it was indeed a perfect growing season, the signs are looking promising for vintage 2007’s entry in to Margaret River’s Hall of Fame, joining such company as the recent esteemed 2001. From Moss Wood’s perspective, both proprietor Keith Mugford and the vineyard manager reckon ‘07 was a crackerjack season and are excited about the wine. After having a taste out of the barrel, I can see why: beautifully concentrated and pure blackcurrant flavours that glide across the palate. I could have siphoned off a bottle of that deep, dark purple liquid and taken it to dinner that night and enjoyed myself no end. The ‘07 pinot also looked very smart out of barrel, exhibiting much attractive bright red berry character.

Like most Moss Wood cabernet releases, drinkers will need to wait three years before having the opportunity to nab bottles of the ‘07. Impatient connoisseurs might be interested to know that auction house Langton’s will be offering the ‘07 Moss Wood cabernet - together with cabernet from other Margaret River marquee producers such as Cullen, Devil’s Lair and Voyager - as part of this November’s “The Great Wine Estates of Western Australia” en primeur (the pay-now, get-later system used for yonks by French vignerons, particularly with much-sought after Burgundy and Bordeaux wines) campaign. Although the campaign has been given a month to run its course, considering the current “resources boom” and hype surround this year’s vintage after a challenging ‘06 season, I daresay the bottles will sell very quickly (as long as Langton’s prices aren’t on the take).

A bit of frantic diary-reshuffling resulted in a Thursday lunch together last week with Wynns winemaker Sarah Pidgeon who was in town as part of the Coonawarra roadshow. Six glasses were procured from the friendly (though at the time, perhaps a little confused) staff from local lunchtime haunt Saigon to zip through the range over a lunch of seven meat rice and grilled pork and spring roll vermicelli.

Wynns Riesling 2006: Citrus, floral and sherbert nose and palate diven by jets of soft acidity with a decent finish. In the past I’ve looked at Wynns rieslings on release and been put off by their minerality and approached this tasting with this prejudice. I was pleasantly surprised at the softness and approachbility a year in bottle makes and have made a mental note to give the Wynns a little more time before getting stuck in (My preference for riesling is for rich and powerful with lots of zing and zip, as long as the fruit flavour is there to support it). The 2007 should be out soon. 16

Wynns Chardonnay 2006: Nice tight palate with chewy cashew and nectarine and white peach flavours. Very subtle, understated wine that finished with a good subsiding burst of flavour. A drink that’s driven by fruit rather than oak and indicative of the change in Australian chardonnay style. 16.5

Wynns Shiraz 2006: Very peppery wine with a spiciness that is accentuated by a mouthful of chewy tannins - but it works with the style. Tastes of licorice, plum, with lots of berry characters and a nice burst of pepper. Great finish that’s underpinned by good acidity, spice and florals. I’ve got some older vintages of this that I’m still cellaring away that I’ll be interesting to look at in a few years time. Often butchered at retail, this can be picked up for a song if you keep an eye out on V*ntage C*llars’ catalogues. 17

Wynns Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2005: Wynn’s biggest volume wine. But on the day, this just tasted lackluster to me. Not that that’s a black mark against it, but when tasting a swath of Coonawarra produce, the “safeness” of this wine didn’t grab my attention the way some of the others did. But as a predominantly cabernet-blend, it’s all there. Good cabernet structure and the merlot and shiraz do a good job of filling out that middle palate. A bit of length too. 15.5

Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon 2005: Oh wow. This stunning red from a good vintage reduced me to a sycophantic mess of superlatives and expletives in front of Wynns winemaker Sarah Pidgeon. Whether you call it eucalyptus, menthol or squashed ants, this is distinctly Coonawarra cabernet on the nose and in the mouth. Strokes of earthy and at-times meaty shades of blackcurrant add to this juicy, medium-bodied beauty’s appeal, but top billing undoubtedly belongs to those gorgeous, firm, ripe tannins that populate “Black Label” Avenue in 2005 anno domini. These beautifully-judged tannins are responsible for this wine’s velveteen mouthfeel and longevity, both on the palette and in the cellar. This should go at least 12-15 years but is already drinking beautifully. While the number of candles on my last birthday cake prevent me from making comments about this wine in relation to its 50+ generation lineage (for what it’s worth, Sarah claimed it was “The best [Black Label] in a while,”), I’ll offer this: For new generation wine drinkers who are yet to sink (and stain) their teeth into the wondrous world of Coonawarra cabernet, few tickets are more accessible and affordable (RRP $29′ish but inexplicably often massacred to a shade above $20 at all the big chains) than the 2005 Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon. 18

Wynns Johnson’s Block Shiraz Cabernet 2004: Every year, the Wynns winemakers like to have a bit of a play and add something new to their range without the introduction of a’whole’nother drop to the Wynns portfolio - hence the production of these limited drops with the current offering having been sourced from the 1920s planted Johnson’s Block (surprise, surprise). Medium bodied, mouth filling cocktail of dark red berry fruit, laced with defined tannins and punctuated with a pleasing floral exclamation mark. Not a bad drop that certainly ticks all the boxes, but perhaps looking a bit one-dimensional for now: it’d be interesting to chart this wine’s development over the next eight years. Available in tiny quantities (RRP $35) with very limited distribution. 16.5+

Wynns Michael Shiraz 2004: Courtesy of the forces of nature, the ‘03 was the first Michael Shiraz released in four years. During the wine’s marketplace hiatus, winemakers took the opportunity to change the style a little and made the change from new American oak to the French stuff while simultaneously putting less and less of the wine into new barrels. This change in winemaking direction combined with Mother Nature’s favour has created a deliciously approachable and softer style of shiraz that is closer to, say, Adelaide Hills than Barossa or McLaren Vale. It smells of raspberries sprinkled with finely-grounded white pepper and tastes the same with touches of leather and spice rounding it out in the mouth. Stylish tannins and juicy acidity help carry the flavours from A to B and should also C the wine travel to alphabetical destinations far beyond with time in the cellar. Delightfully approachable, yet complex and medium bodied and a good each-way bet. 17.5

Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon: Bullshit names and a deluge of new “premium” brands with similarly questionable “flagship” wines has definitely taking some of the sheen off of the idea of flagship wines. However, it’s safe to say that this year’s John Riddoch would make a worthy craft to lead any winery’s vinous armarda. While Sarah says plenty of work has been put into the quality of French Oak being used, this was perhaps the woodiest of the line-up on the nose with a distinct chocolate (milk, dark, Lindt, Nestle… take your pick) character to smell. Lovely tannins and a real richness of flavour make for a wine that sits beautifully in the mouth, powered by chocolate, florals, spice, bright blackcurrant (verging on plum) and a hint of nougat - I wish my bank balance was as attractive as the balance on the ‘04 John Riddoch’s, however, my debtors list isn’t too far off the length of this wine..! Exceptional cabernet. 18.5

Obviously I liked almost all the reds - but while based solely on points, the John Riddoch just pips the 05 Black Label - the latter’s amazing value makes it my pick of the lot. Most with established cellars should already have a corner dedicated to the wine that after a bit of grumbling, has hit some great form courtesy of excellent ‘04 and ‘05 releases. But on the other hand, those in the process of establishing their own wine collection would do well to grab a case or two of this. www.wynns.com.au

Tasting notes on the tasting notes: All wines rated out of 20 and were tasted with the winemaker. I was also aware of each wine’s identity. While all had been open prior to the restaurant, I am unsure of how long some of the wines had been airing for - I suspect that based on logistics, quantities available and their approachability, the ultra-premiums (ie John Riddoch, Michael etc) may have been open for a while.

A smaller aside, I brought along a bottle of ‘03 Margaret River cabernet (review to follow soon) from one of the region’s best “new” producers to lunch for us to look at and it was interesting to compare the stylistic differences (though admittedly the Margaret River cabernet had only a limited amount of air time and we were not tasting out of great stemware) between the two, particularly those minty Coonawarran characters versus Margaret River’s telltale bay leaf and earthiness. While the tasting wasn’t controlled enough to come to any worthwhile conclusions, I will say that at the time of tasting, I enjoyed the approachability of the South Australian contingent but suspected the Margaret River drop would look better in five to eight years time.

A new blip on my sub-$20 value radar, this multi-vineyard McLaren Vale red (60 per cent shiraz, 30 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 10 per cent grenache) embodies the region’s drinkability: attractive ripe plum flavours, nicely handled vanilla oak that coexists peacefully with the wine’s silky tannins and a persistent, succulent finish that’s not all that common at this price point. Not sure what distribution’s like for this, but it’d be a pretty handy drop to be able to whip out for impromptu occassions that call for a decent splash of red. 16.5/20 www.chalkhill.com.au

After a less-than-inspiring tasting of sub-$20 red wine blends, it became obvious that there’s a lot of unremarkable (at best, faulty at worst) new cheap reds doing the rounds. Regardless of what “connoisseurs” might think of perenial shelf-fillers like Queen Adelaide, Matthew Lang, Sacred Hill et al, the reason I think they continually sell so well year in and out is brand familiarity: generations of “social” wine drinkers recognise these brands as dependable drops for their drinking dollar, have done so for many years and are likely to do so for many more.

I suspect that many up-and-coming names in the industry would kill for this sort of recognition and steady earner for their bottom line.

I also think this could be part of the aforementioned problem to do with the swell of ho-hum red - and similarly, white - wine trickling on to the market.

On more than one occasion, it’s discovered that these new names are second labels from established and reputable wineries who have decided to dip their toes into the waters of the lower - and more competitive - price point market. In these instances, I think already established reputations serve as a hindrance as savvy consumers make comparisons that inevitably result in disappointment when the new doesn’t live up to the expectations set by its predecessor.

Of course, decisions made in the marketing department and sheer necessity are often catalysts for the introduction of wines to a brand’s portfolio and with the industry getting more competitive by the vintage, producers can’t be blamed for such decisions - but I think signs are starting to emerge that the wine glut that Australian consumers were once showering freely in may not be as perpetual as once thought…

Now Peter Lehmann is a man I can respect. Not only has the Barossan produced some of Australia’s most memorable shiraz wines, he is also a poker aficionado and has interwoven his two passions with much success: just look at the appointment of the Queen of Clubs as the unofficial “face” of his Barossa winery!

While the warm-climate Barossa Valley is regarded as a sureshot for shiraz, the region’s winemakers have admitted that Barossan cabernet is not quite as reliable a prospect. But in 2002, Mother Nature blessed South Australia with growing conditions reminiscent of the now-legendary 1998 vintage and the results have been pleasing for both drinkers and winemakers. In fact, Peter Lehmann chief winemaker Andrew Wiggan has proclaimed the 2002 vintage as the greatest Barossa cabernet vintage in his 30-year career.

The 2002 Peter Lehmann Mentor (69 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 13 per cent merlot, 10 per cent shiraz and eight per cent malbec) is blessed with lifted notes of black cherry mashed with chocolate biscuits infused with subtle aromas of leather, meat and cigar. Flavours of chocolate-licked cherries and blackcurrants flow freely through the wine, aided by fine, you-won’t-know-they’re-there tannins. Elegant and confidently medium-bodied, this is a refreshing contrast to the powerhouse style of shiraz the region is renowned for. Immensely satisfying straight out the bottle: there’s no need to decant this or to let it breathe – simply yank the cork, pour and enjoy. And if you do so in the company of good friends and an even better poker game, more’s the pleasure. www.peterlehmannwines.com

Dark, intense, a huge, almost intimidatingly deep purple hue. It’s only at the start of its vinous life. Aromas of blackcurrant, blueberries and cedary oak that’s still sticking out a tad. Fine, powdery tannins that are beautifully rounded and integrated into the fabric and flavour of the wine, but while it’s thick like some kind of cabernet syrup, it still finishes juicy in the mouth. The aftertaste hangs like an old 386 trying to run a copy of Windows Vista and the finish is long and silky on the back palate though at present, those coffee-derived oak characters are dominating them earthy blackcurrant notes, but I’m confident they’ll gel if given time. A great wine that slides down the mouth and soothes the throat like a divine vinous butter-menthol. www.wolfblass.com.au

A couple of great drops I’ve had the pleasure of imbibing over the Christmas break. Both well worth hunting down at your local bottle shop. Fingers crossed, this review should also buy me some time as I get the second half of my Christmas chardonnay reviews up. They weren’t kidding when they dubbed this time of year the silly season!

Yarra Burn Pinot Noir Chardonnay Rose 2003 ($17)
Attractive light salmon in colour injected with a very fine, barely-there mousse: you almost have to squint to see those tiny pockets of air bubbling away like express elevators. Subtle hints of strawberry and nougat on the nose. A deliciously creamy mouth feel acts as the perfect gift wrapping to the wine’s refreshing, clean palate. There’s some berry characteristics from the pinot plus some nice chardonnay crispness and appley-ness with a succulent burst of lemon on the juicy finish. Very elegant, fine, refined, classy. This is the kind of drink you could wollop by the magnum on a summer’s day before you even realised you were drunk. Picked up from Liquor Barons at the bargain price of $17 and will highly likely be the Australian sparkling that summer 2006/2007 will be remembered for.

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cabernet Merlot 2004 ($TBC)
Given time to breathe, that typical dense blackcurrant and chocolate aroma associated with young Margaret River cabernet blossoms into a heady mix of liqueured cherries, cedar oak, forrest floor, marzipan and a dozen different scents that my nose is nowhere near good enough to isolate and identify. Suffice to say, it’s the kind of nose you could spend a good half hour smelling and second-guessing yourself over. Juicy, medium-bodied and very approachable. The tannins are fine with just a hint of grip to add some bite to the wine. Succulent red berry flavours, a hint of “rustic” characters including savoury tomato leaf characters and a handful of earthiness. The perfect Moss Wood release that sits between the drink-now Amy’s range and the patience-testing wonders of the “regular” top-shelf Moss Wood cab sav.