Elephant Hill Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010. Another one of those different Sav Blancs...fermented in barrels and on lees, definitely a nice change to your typical NZ Sav Blanc. NZ nose with added complexity and not so in your face. The palate has a great deal more complexity than a normal NZ Sav Blanc...Still getting a little bit of passion fruit, lemon, grass, good acidity..good length. It is really too bad most Sav Blancs aren't like this...quite good. Not too bad at 37 RRP.
Fancrest Estate "Di" Pinot Noir 2007. Small producer in New Zealand, and I believe 2007 was their first vintage. Located in Waipara...Definitely a nice little pinot here. Very nice nose of cherry and herbs...Good acidity and starting to pick up some secondary characteristics. Not sure this will go the long haul but it is drinking very well right now. At $30 RRP, it is a really good buy, possibly one of the best at the show. Their 2009 and 2010 were also good but both need more time. They're currently seeking distribution in Australia. I will say they need to do something with their website, it is quite a chore to hack around it.
Northburn Station Pinot Noir 2008. Like all Central Otago Pinot Noirs...good acidity. Cherry and rocks on the nose....Good structure on this wine. Firm tannins, very nice fruit...good complexity...I think 2008 was challenging for many in Central Otago but Northburn seems to have done quite well. To me this was significantly better than their Bill's Blend Pinot although it is priced accordingly (34 vs. 49 RRP).
Pasquale "16" Riesling Waitaki 2010. Maybe it was because I didn't find enough Rieslings with a bit of Residual Sugar but this one came in at 16g/L and it was quite nice. 16g/L is really not a lot....Maybe by Australian standards it is but to me, a little bit of RS helps soften the acidity. Or you can look at it as, with sufficient acidity, it balances out the RS...as well as I think it helps brighten the fruit. This one was well made and a good change of pace. To be honest, I'd really like to taste this again before making any further judgements but from what I had there, it was one of the better Rieslings...RRP 22.
Saint Clare Pioneer Block 5 Bull Block Pinot Noir 2009. Another Pinot Noir from Marlborough...Maybe it is the day or what I ate..I'm not sure. Good acidity, clean fruit, a good amount of complexity. Not too much oak, balance is good. I wasn't a fan of either the Premium or the Block 14 but this one was showing very well. RRP is 31.50, I'm keeping an eye out for them as I'd like to try this again to confirm my initial gut.
State Landt Syrah, Marlborough 2009. Deep dark fruit on the nose. Palate is clean, dark fruit, some oak coming through but the wine has good balance, reasonable acidity and fine tannins. I was a little bit surprised by this one, I'm not sure why, maybe because I'm not looking for a Syrah out of Marlborough...at 45 RRP, this is a good buy. Another one I'd like to re-try.
Wooing Tree 2009 Pinot Noir. VERY nice pinot here. Has a little bit of that Cherry Cola thing going on with the nose but really nice overall. Wine has tons of complexity. Red Fruit, herbs, a bit of crushed rock..Tannins are nice but firm enough to give you the impression this will last awhile. Acidity is good like all Central Otagos...Great pinot, a bit dear at 55 RRP but if I compare that to what is available in Australia, it is better than nearly everything....
Wooing Tree Sandstorm Reserve Pinot Noir 2009. Way too young. Big tannins, the fruit is clean and very nice but I'm really not getting too much here. From what I get, I'm sure this will end up being a really great wine once it has some time to age. At this stage I prefer the normal Pinot to the Reserve...and at 120 RRP, I strongly prefer the normal Pinot over the reserve. If I'm lucky enough to try one of these with 10 years+ on it, maybe I'll be able to give it a better assessment.
Surveyor Thomson Estate Pinot Noir 2007. I really like the stuff coming out of this estate. Part of it is because it is different but really, they do make a really nice Pinot Noir. Really nice nose, some herbs, maybe a bit of stink (not in a bad way). Good acidity. Fruit is not too big..and the oak comes through nicely (although not too much). Balance on this wine is really nice. For people that think Central Otago Pinot Noir is too fruit forward, this is a good one to try. Very burg like to me. It is one of those wines that shows its terroir quite nicely.
Surveyor Thomson Estate Pinor Noir 2010. I don't know if they changed styles or they just start off like this but the 2010 is big, but big as in, acidity is really big, big tannins, really big fruit, big oak...To be honest, I couldn't pick these as coming from the same vineyard or the same maker. I asked the guy if they all start off like this he said yes..but I don't know if I believe him or not. Granted, I've only had the 2006 and 2007 so everything I had tried from them so far had some age on it....It'll be interesting to see how these develop...
Trinity Hill "The Gimblett" 2009. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Really nice wine. Dark fruits and black pepper on the nose...DEEP big fruit on the palate. Maybe this is a bit too big or maybe it is just when I tried it. Really nice though and balance is good. Tannins are firm but not too firm. Has some acidity which is nice. A really well made, crowd pleasing Bordeaux Blend...A wine that both the wine geek and regular punter would like... A really good buy at 38 RRP.
Trinity Hill Tempranillo 2009. I was curious as to why the winemaker wanted me to try this after the Gimblett but I can see why...This is a BIG Tempranillo. I think it actually has some Touriga Nacional and Malbec and a bit of Viognier...which is probably to try to soften the thing because it is really too big for a Tempranillo. As a wine, it is pretty good. Nice BIG fruit, big tannins, I'd probably prefer a bit more acidity but overall the wine tastes great. I definitely don't associate Tempranillo with being like this, but it is nice to try different styles of this grape. Australia is starting to do Tempranillo better (most of it was dreadful before) and I'm sure NZ is doing the same. One to watch. 38 RRP.
Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2009. HUGE Dreadnought bottle. Massive. The winemaker said these bottles cost about $3 each..and I can believe it. HUGE wine. A bit too big. Really big tannins suggest it is made for the long haul. The fruit is pure and clean with a lot of dark dark fruit, chocolate. Hard to say where this will be in a few years but it is just too harsh at this stage. At 120RRP, the price is a bit much. It is a big contrast to their other offerings which I think are good value...
Overall this was a very well done show. The number of different wineries and wines was impressive. It was very well organized and the staff were very professional. I would have to say, it is probably one of the best overall shows I've been to. +1 for the NZ wine in a Glass folks...really great work!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
New Zealand in a Glass 2012 Part 1
I had the pleasure of attending New Zealand in a Glass this year. Held at Dockside in Darling Harbour, I was fortunate enough to attend the trade tasting which was held from 12-5pm. There are goods things about trade tastings and bad. The good is, they generally give you more time, it tends to be less crowded and most people there are a bit more serious about trying the wine rather than showing up after work to get a little drunk. The downside is the slight marketing and questions you get from some of the distributors but it is not too bad and it's a very minor thing. Overall they're much better.
I have been looking forward to attending this event for over a month, more so than the Royal Sydney Wine Show....I've mentioned several times that I think New Zealand is making a lot of exciting stuff and, for the most part, have surpassed Australia wine wise. I don't think they yet get the attention they deserve internationally...but a lot of good stuff coming out of here.
General impressions: A few too many typical NZ Sauvignon Blancs...I don't dislike NZ Sav Blanc...I think they have a nice nose, good acidity and go well with food. They are generally an easy pleaser...I think some wine geeks tend to rip on them unfairly...but the fact is, they tend to be a bit simple and not that interesting once you've had a few...but do I think they're bad? No..Do I think they deserve to get looked down on? Certainly not....As with many Pinot Gris/Grigio...they're just hard to get excited about but I have no issues with drinking them..
HOWEVER, there were quite a few places that were trying different things with their Sav Blanc...A bit of oak...time on lees...It was noticeable that these places were trying to distinguish themselves from the typical NZ Sav Blanc...Trying to make it more refined....Some places would say it was more like a Sancerre...I don't really think it was but that isn't a bad thing. I do think a lot of the extra things they were doing to the Sav Blanc was making them quite a bit more interesting and gave them a lot more depth. The downside to all of this is they were on the expensive side and I'm not sure they compete well at that price point but they are definitely worth giving a shot...
Rieslings. Someone said that NZ doesn't know what style they want to do their Rieslings in so they don't have an identity..I don't really think they need to do that...but I will say, from a Dry Riesling perspective, they do fall a bit short of Australia...on the flipside, they have quite a few interesting Rieslings that have a little bit of residual sugar...there are actually quite a few and they do them well...I'm not sure they have the minerality of many German Rieslings but tend of have really nice fruit.
Chards. A lot of good Chardonnay coming out of NZ and there were a couple of really good ones here at the tasting....but then again, in the last few years Australia has come out with a lot of good Chards too...
Reds. Pinot, Syrah, Bordeaux Blends, etc. They've been great in NZ for awhile. Central Otago is picking up steam internationally....I've been seeing some in Australia for fairly cheap too...which is fantastic. Syrah, Cab Sav, Cab Franc and Merlot are all also picking up some steam but definitely not getting the coverage they should. Part of it is they don't make enough, part of it is they just don't have the reputation. There were quite a few really great reds at the show. A number of ok ones but most of them were pretty good.
By my count, I tried over 150 wines while at the show and while I will attempt to cover a wider range of wines at the show in a bit of detail, I think for now I'm going to stick to covering the highlights and slowly work towards that.
Here is a list of the Wineries that were at the show:
Akarua
ARA Wines
Archangel
Auntsfield Estate
Babich
Bespoke (Which represents Ceres, Charcoal Gully and Folding Hill)
Borthwick
Bouldevines
Bridge Pa
Brightwater Gravels
Catalina Sounds
Totara Wines
Chard Farm Winery
Domain Road Winery
Elephant Hill
Map Maker
Fancrest Estate
Gibbston Valley Wines
Giesen Wines
Grasshopper Rock
Greystone Wines
Huia Vinyards
Hunter's Wines
Invivo
Konrad
Lawson's Dry Hills Wines
Man O'War
Martinborough Estate
Mt. Difficulty
Matahiwi Estate
Matua Valley
Maude Wines
Mission Estate
Moana Park
Mount Riley
Northburn
Ostler
Oyster Bay
Pasquale
Pernod Ricard
Saint Clair
Seifriend Estates
Sileni Estates
Spring Creek Estate
Spy Valley Wines
Staete Landt Vineyard
Wooing Tree
Steve Bird Winery
Surveyor Thomson
te Pa
Terrance Edge
Trinity Hill
Trout Valley
Tupari Wines
Two Paddocks
Villa Maria Estate
Vinoptima
West Brook
Whitehaven
Wither Hills
Lindauer
Yealands
I tried to hit as many of these as possible. In some cases I wasn't able to cover both reds and whites and in some cases, I wasn't able to cover anything from them. It really is a matter of where they were in the showroom plus time constraints..
Highlights:
Auntsfield Estate.
Auntsfield 2009 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. Fermented in French Oaks and put on Lees for 10 months, this was a wine that had much more finesse than what you'll normally see from a NZ Sav Blanc...Still had great acidity but far more complex and a LOT more depth. Tropical Fruit, spice, a bit of nuttiness. Some minerality. Good finish. At $39, it is a bit of a stretch but a very good wine nonetheless.
Auntsfield 2009 Estate Chardonnay. The winemaker told me only a single barrel had gone through Malo and was mixed in with the rest of the barrels...The result was a wine with good acidity, fruit and freshness that has become popular lately..but you're still getting a little bit of creaminess.. Great depth..very nice finish. Not sure how long this will go but it tastes great now. A really excellent buy at 29 AUD (If that is what it sells at). I've even seen this in the US for $19 which makes it a STEAL.
Auntsfield 2009 Estate Pinot Noir. Another great wine from here. Really nice nose of cherry, some florals, a bit of minerality as well. Good acidity on the palate, nice bright red fruit, cherries...nice fine tannins. Another one I'm not sure how long it'll go but it tastes great now. It is also a great buy at the price. I know this goes for $25 USD which is a total steal.
Auntsfields 2007 Heritage Pinot Noir. Apparently these are barrel selections but it is a completely different wine from the normal Estate Pinot. This one is still very tight. Good acidity, brutal tannins. Still a good amount of oak showing. Great fruit, great length, tremendous complexity. This one is obviously built to be cellared. At $80+ this might prove to be a fantastic wine way down the line but hard to say..
Babich Wines
Babich Winemakers Reserve 2010 Pinot Noir. A well made, crowd pleasing Pinot. Good Acidity to balance out the cherry and raspberry flavors. Maybe a bit of Cherry Cola as well. Definitely a more drink it now type of Pinot Noir and a reasonable buy at 30-35.
Babich The Patriarch 2009. A Bordeaux Blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet France and 25% Malbec. Deep brooding nose of dark fruit, spice and chocolate. You immediately know this wine will probably best at its best after at least 5+ years. Decent Acidity, to balance out the Blackberries, pepper and chocolate. Tannins are pretty big yet tasty and not so harsh where they're ripping your teeth out. Drinkable now but I'd imagine it would be pretty tiring...Goes for about 50-60 AUD which keeps it out of the great value category but it is fairly priced and probably a good buy compared to many Australian Cab blends at the same level.
Bridge Pa. This is the first I've heard of them but they were probably one of the big surprises of the show for me...
Bridge Pa Zillah Merlot 2006. A very nice merlot. Very nice nose of dark fruits, a bit of spice, some florals...Good deep palate, it makes me think blend but apparently it isn't which makes it even more impressive. Nice finish..a good start. RRP 42 AUD.
Bridge Pa 2008 Reserve Syrah. I'm not really sure why this call these their reserve because they have another line called Louis that is their premium line...They do have a regular Syrah line but it doesn't look like one has been made for awhile...Not sure.. In any case, starts off with a very nice nose, blueberries, chocolate...Good Acidity which I like from my reds. Relatively big fruit but not a fruit bomb and the acidity really balances it out...Nice tasty tannins...Very nice length..Very nice. Not sure how this one will age but it is drinking very nicely now. Still relatively primary but that doesn't mean it doesn't have good complexity...really nice. RRP 44AUD
Bridge Pa 2006 Louis Syrah. This is their premium line. This one was actually a bit of a letdown after the 2008 Reserve. It is a very good wine. Nice nose, nice dark fruits on the palate, but for some reason it isn't hitting everything just right. Let me make it clear, it is still a very good wine..enough for me to mention it....but maybe my expectations were too high. RRP62 AUD
Bridge Pa 2007 Louis Syrah. Whatever expectations the 2006 didn't hit, the 2007 did. Really fantastic nose, getting a lot of dark fruits, a bit of pepper, spices, a little mocha...really nice nose...Good acidity, really balanced dark fruits..blackberries, plum, spice, pepper...Definitely not in your face...Has a bit of Old World in this New World wine...Really liking this one a lot. At $62 RRP, not a tremendous value but I'd easily put this against anything in Australia at that price point...Looking forward to trying this again at some point to see if it was me or the wine.
They are currently looking for a new distributor in Australia since their current one is going through some financial troubles..and I believe they're looking for distribution in the US as well.
I have been looking forward to attending this event for over a month, more so than the Royal Sydney Wine Show....I've mentioned several times that I think New Zealand is making a lot of exciting stuff and, for the most part, have surpassed Australia wine wise. I don't think they yet get the attention they deserve internationally...but a lot of good stuff coming out of here.
General impressions: A few too many typical NZ Sauvignon Blancs...I don't dislike NZ Sav Blanc...I think they have a nice nose, good acidity and go well with food. They are generally an easy pleaser...I think some wine geeks tend to rip on them unfairly...but the fact is, they tend to be a bit simple and not that interesting once you've had a few...but do I think they're bad? No..Do I think they deserve to get looked down on? Certainly not....As with many Pinot Gris/Grigio...they're just hard to get excited about but I have no issues with drinking them..
HOWEVER, there were quite a few places that were trying different things with their Sav Blanc...A bit of oak...time on lees...It was noticeable that these places were trying to distinguish themselves from the typical NZ Sav Blanc...Trying to make it more refined....Some places would say it was more like a Sancerre...I don't really think it was but that isn't a bad thing. I do think a lot of the extra things they were doing to the Sav Blanc was making them quite a bit more interesting and gave them a lot more depth. The downside to all of this is they were on the expensive side and I'm not sure they compete well at that price point but they are definitely worth giving a shot...
Rieslings. Someone said that NZ doesn't know what style they want to do their Rieslings in so they don't have an identity..I don't really think they need to do that...but I will say, from a Dry Riesling perspective, they do fall a bit short of Australia...on the flipside, they have quite a few interesting Rieslings that have a little bit of residual sugar...there are actually quite a few and they do them well...I'm not sure they have the minerality of many German Rieslings but tend of have really nice fruit.
Chards. A lot of good Chardonnay coming out of NZ and there were a couple of really good ones here at the tasting....but then again, in the last few years Australia has come out with a lot of good Chards too...
Reds. Pinot, Syrah, Bordeaux Blends, etc. They've been great in NZ for awhile. Central Otago is picking up steam internationally....I've been seeing some in Australia for fairly cheap too...which is fantastic. Syrah, Cab Sav, Cab Franc and Merlot are all also picking up some steam but definitely not getting the coverage they should. Part of it is they don't make enough, part of it is they just don't have the reputation. There were quite a few really great reds at the show. A number of ok ones but most of them were pretty good.
By my count, I tried over 150 wines while at the show and while I will attempt to cover a wider range of wines at the show in a bit of detail, I think for now I'm going to stick to covering the highlights and slowly work towards that.
Here is a list of the Wineries that were at the show:
Akarua
ARA Wines
Archangel
Auntsfield Estate
Babich
Bespoke (Which represents Ceres, Charcoal Gully and Folding Hill)
Borthwick
Bouldevines
Bridge Pa
Brightwater Gravels
Catalina Sounds
Totara Wines
Chard Farm Winery
Domain Road Winery
Elephant Hill
Map Maker
Fancrest Estate
Gibbston Valley Wines
Giesen Wines
Grasshopper Rock
Greystone Wines
Huia Vinyards
Hunter's Wines
Invivo
Konrad
Lawson's Dry Hills Wines
Man O'War
Martinborough Estate
Mt. Difficulty
Matahiwi Estate
Matua Valley
Maude Wines
Mission Estate
Moana Park
Mount Riley
Northburn
Ostler
Oyster Bay
Pasquale
Pernod Ricard
Saint Clair
Seifriend Estates
Sileni Estates
Spring Creek Estate
Spy Valley Wines
Staete Landt Vineyard
Wooing Tree
Steve Bird Winery
Surveyor Thomson
te Pa
Terrance Edge
Trinity Hill
Trout Valley
Tupari Wines
Two Paddocks
Villa Maria Estate
Vinoptima
West Brook
Whitehaven
Wither Hills
Lindauer
Yealands
I tried to hit as many of these as possible. In some cases I wasn't able to cover both reds and whites and in some cases, I wasn't able to cover anything from them. It really is a matter of where they were in the showroom plus time constraints..
Highlights:
Auntsfield Estate.
Auntsfield 2009 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. Fermented in French Oaks and put on Lees for 10 months, this was a wine that had much more finesse than what you'll normally see from a NZ Sav Blanc...Still had great acidity but far more complex and a LOT more depth. Tropical Fruit, spice, a bit of nuttiness. Some minerality. Good finish. At $39, it is a bit of a stretch but a very good wine nonetheless.
Auntsfield 2009 Estate Chardonnay. The winemaker told me only a single barrel had gone through Malo and was mixed in with the rest of the barrels...The result was a wine with good acidity, fruit and freshness that has become popular lately..but you're still getting a little bit of creaminess.. Great depth..very nice finish. Not sure how long this will go but it tastes great now. A really excellent buy at 29 AUD (If that is what it sells at). I've even seen this in the US for $19 which makes it a STEAL.
Auntsfield 2009 Estate Pinot Noir. Another great wine from here. Really nice nose of cherry, some florals, a bit of minerality as well. Good acidity on the palate, nice bright red fruit, cherries...nice fine tannins. Another one I'm not sure how long it'll go but it tastes great now. It is also a great buy at the price. I know this goes for $25 USD which is a total steal.
Auntsfields 2007 Heritage Pinot Noir. Apparently these are barrel selections but it is a completely different wine from the normal Estate Pinot. This one is still very tight. Good acidity, brutal tannins. Still a good amount of oak showing. Great fruit, great length, tremendous complexity. This one is obviously built to be cellared. At $80+ this might prove to be a fantastic wine way down the line but hard to say..
Babich Wines
Babich Winemakers Reserve 2010 Pinot Noir. A well made, crowd pleasing Pinot. Good Acidity to balance out the cherry and raspberry flavors. Maybe a bit of Cherry Cola as well. Definitely a more drink it now type of Pinot Noir and a reasonable buy at 30-35.
Babich The Patriarch 2009. A Bordeaux Blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet France and 25% Malbec. Deep brooding nose of dark fruit, spice and chocolate. You immediately know this wine will probably best at its best after at least 5+ years. Decent Acidity, to balance out the Blackberries, pepper and chocolate. Tannins are pretty big yet tasty and not so harsh where they're ripping your teeth out. Drinkable now but I'd imagine it would be pretty tiring...Goes for about 50-60 AUD which keeps it out of the great value category but it is fairly priced and probably a good buy compared to many Australian Cab blends at the same level.
Bridge Pa. This is the first I've heard of them but they were probably one of the big surprises of the show for me...
Bridge Pa Zillah Merlot 2006. A very nice merlot. Very nice nose of dark fruits, a bit of spice, some florals...Good deep palate, it makes me think blend but apparently it isn't which makes it even more impressive. Nice finish..a good start. RRP 42 AUD.
Bridge Pa 2008 Reserve Syrah. I'm not really sure why this call these their reserve because they have another line called Louis that is their premium line...They do have a regular Syrah line but it doesn't look like one has been made for awhile...Not sure.. In any case, starts off with a very nice nose, blueberries, chocolate...Good Acidity which I like from my reds. Relatively big fruit but not a fruit bomb and the acidity really balances it out...Nice tasty tannins...Very nice length..Very nice. Not sure how this one will age but it is drinking very nicely now. Still relatively primary but that doesn't mean it doesn't have good complexity...really nice. RRP 44AUD
Bridge Pa 2006 Louis Syrah. This is their premium line. This one was actually a bit of a letdown after the 2008 Reserve. It is a very good wine. Nice nose, nice dark fruits on the palate, but for some reason it isn't hitting everything just right. Let me make it clear, it is still a very good wine..enough for me to mention it....but maybe my expectations were too high. RRP62 AUD
Bridge Pa 2007 Louis Syrah. Whatever expectations the 2006 didn't hit, the 2007 did. Really fantastic nose, getting a lot of dark fruits, a bit of pepper, spices, a little mocha...really nice nose...Good acidity, really balanced dark fruits..blackberries, plum, spice, pepper...Definitely not in your face...Has a bit of Old World in this New World wine...Really liking this one a lot. At $62 RRP, not a tremendous value but I'd easily put this against anything in Australia at that price point...Looking forward to trying this again at some point to see if it was me or the wine.
They are currently looking for a new distributor in Australia since their current one is going through some financial troubles..and I believe they're looking for distribution in the US as well.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Sydney Royal Wine Show 2012
I look forward to this show each year as it is a great opportunity to try many many many different kinds of wine from all over Australia...in fact, you're basically not given enough time to try them all..
Overall, this year the show was far better organized than last year. Wine was organized by varietal rather than numerical classes. This meant all of the Chardonnays were together, from the cheaper higher production to the named single vineyard premium class...The same for Shiraz, etc.
Another big plus was the tutorials were actually on time and ready to go. Last year, the tutorials were running late, weren't even set up...and of course ended late. This meant everyone wasted extra time just waiting around and in fact, the whole tutorial just ended up being a waste of time. This year, everything was setup, they had multiple rooms to handle all of the traffic and, for the most part, they were on time. I definitely think feedback from last year (not necessarily mine but a lot of people complained I'm sure) was taken in and the organizers should be congratulated.
Overall impressions of the wine this year....Not as good as last years...the whites, overall, were pretty good....The reds...a bit disappointing. I wasn't sure if this was because I had whites first or because I went to that Riesling tasting and my palate was still funny...or if it was just the reds were not that impressive. My wine buddy had a similar opinion so I figure it just must be the entries in this year's show...
Highlights White:
Peter Lehmann Wigan Riesling basically all of the vintages they had there...were good. This is definitely one of the best Rieslings in Australia...Consistently good, always a great nose, great acidity, great complexity...ages fantastic...nice long finish...Fantastic stuff...
Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillon 2006. Another great Vat 1. Not as developed as I'd like but you can see that it'll get there.
Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay 2010. Their normal Chardonnay is a good buy...their Reserve is pretty fantastic with really good acidity, good use of oak...nice pure fruit...very Burg like.....the only issue I have with this wine is the price....
Highlights Reds: None. This isn't to say there weren't good reds...but for whatever reason, I was just really disappointed with most of them. Maybe my expectations were not right? I'm not sure...A good showing for the Hunter...I thought Briar Ridge and Meerea Park were still pretty good (although I was disappointed by the MP Howard 2007 Shiraz...not good at all compared to the 2006). I confirmed that the Xanadu Cab 2008 that I had in the US with the metallic smell must have just been that bottle or batch because I tried it again at the show and it was good and like I had remembered previously...no metallic smell to it...
Paringa's Pinot Noir was fairly good....Coldstream Pinot Noir was also pretty good considering it was an Aussie Pinot...It isn't that I don't like Aussie Pinots...I just don't think they're that good compared to so many other places....Bass Phillip seems great...and I'm sure there are others....
Stickies: I normally don't get this far but with the number of disappointing reds...
Penfolds Great Grandfather. I didn't even know about this but it was probably one of the main highlights of the entire show for me...Fantastic Tawny....Layers and layers of complexity...Finish was tremendous...They also had the Penfolds Grandfather which was very similar. The Great Grandfather just seemed like it had a bit more complexity and depth...but that said, I think the difference in price is something like 300 vs. 80...is the Great Grandfather that much better? Probably not...still really good though.
Oddly enough the Penfolds Bluestone 10 year old did better show wise than the Great Grandfather...It had better acidity and a cleaner taste...but far more simple...I can only guess the acidity helped it here? I dunno...
Overall...Great event. Hoping next year we'll see some highlight reds...
Overall, this year the show was far better organized than last year. Wine was organized by varietal rather than numerical classes. This meant all of the Chardonnays were together, from the cheaper higher production to the named single vineyard premium class...The same for Shiraz, etc.
Another big plus was the tutorials were actually on time and ready to go. Last year, the tutorials were running late, weren't even set up...and of course ended late. This meant everyone wasted extra time just waiting around and in fact, the whole tutorial just ended up being a waste of time. This year, everything was setup, they had multiple rooms to handle all of the traffic and, for the most part, they were on time. I definitely think feedback from last year (not necessarily mine but a lot of people complained I'm sure) was taken in and the organizers should be congratulated.
Overall impressions of the wine this year....Not as good as last years...the whites, overall, were pretty good....The reds...a bit disappointing. I wasn't sure if this was because I had whites first or because I went to that Riesling tasting and my palate was still funny...or if it was just the reds were not that impressive. My wine buddy had a similar opinion so I figure it just must be the entries in this year's show...
Highlights White:
Peter Lehmann Wigan Riesling basically all of the vintages they had there...were good. This is definitely one of the best Rieslings in Australia...Consistently good, always a great nose, great acidity, great complexity...ages fantastic...nice long finish...Fantastic stuff...
Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillon 2006. Another great Vat 1. Not as developed as I'd like but you can see that it'll get there.
Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay 2010. Their normal Chardonnay is a good buy...their Reserve is pretty fantastic with really good acidity, good use of oak...nice pure fruit...very Burg like.....the only issue I have with this wine is the price....
Highlights Reds: None. This isn't to say there weren't good reds...but for whatever reason, I was just really disappointed with most of them. Maybe my expectations were not right? I'm not sure...A good showing for the Hunter...I thought Briar Ridge and Meerea Park were still pretty good (although I was disappointed by the MP Howard 2007 Shiraz...not good at all compared to the 2006). I confirmed that the Xanadu Cab 2008 that I had in the US with the metallic smell must have just been that bottle or batch because I tried it again at the show and it was good and like I had remembered previously...no metallic smell to it...
Paringa's Pinot Noir was fairly good....Coldstream Pinot Noir was also pretty good considering it was an Aussie Pinot...It isn't that I don't like Aussie Pinots...I just don't think they're that good compared to so many other places....Bass Phillip seems great...and I'm sure there are others....
Stickies: I normally don't get this far but with the number of disappointing reds...
Penfolds Great Grandfather. I didn't even know about this but it was probably one of the main highlights of the entire show for me...Fantastic Tawny....Layers and layers of complexity...Finish was tremendous...They also had the Penfolds Grandfather which was very similar. The Great Grandfather just seemed like it had a bit more complexity and depth...but that said, I think the difference in price is something like 300 vs. 80...is the Great Grandfather that much better? Probably not...still really good though.
Oddly enough the Penfolds Bluestone 10 year old did better show wise than the Great Grandfather...It had better acidity and a cleaner taste...but far more simple...I can only guess the acidity helped it here? I dunno...
Overall...Great event. Hoping next year we'll see some highlight reds...
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Frankland Estate International Riesling Tasting 2012
Held at Dolton House in Pyrmont, this was a fantastic opportunity to try not only some of the best Rieslings in Australia, but some really great dry Rieslings from Europe. A majority of the Riesling exported from Germany has some residual sugar and generally the dry Riesling they tend to either keep for themselves or they don't seem to have a market for....Australia is another country that loves their dry Riesling so it is a perfect market for them to export to. Not to mention the margins they must get in Australia are huge but more on that later.
Most of the major players in the Australian Riesling market were there..such as Grosset and Petaluma....but I was mainly interested in the stuff from Germany...
I'm a big fan of German Rieslings...Unlike many Australians (I'm a Yank so I guess that is where it is from), I don't mind some residual sugar....With good fruit and enough acidity, the RS does not feel sticky and thick in your mouth. Riesling with RS is still a very serious wine but a good example of what many Australians think was highlighted to me when a lady, who had just tried a Kabinett had asked the maker if it was a dessert wine. The answer back to her was no but she looked at him like he didn't know what he was talking about.
Highlights of the German Rieslings:
Clemens Busch.
Clemens Busch Marienburg Rothenpfad Grosses Gewachs 2010. For those that aren't familiar with GG, it is basically Germany's "1st Growth" classification when it comes to their dry Rieslings... This wine starts with good acid, and really nice fruit paired with a good amount a minerality. What made this wine so fantastic was the complexity as I was consistently picking up different flavors while I had it in my mouth...It had a long fantastic finish... The difference between this Riesling and a really great Australian Riesling was it had slightly less acid (but definitely a good amount), it showed better fruit and far better complexity. Really good Australian Rieslings tend to show their secondary characters (which are fantastic) but are far more upfront and definitely do not show the 20 different colors this one did....My biggest complaint about this wine in Australia? TOO EXPENSIVE. Many good GG's go anywhere from 35-60 internationally....Why does Australia have them for 100+ no idea...
Donnhoff. I think anyone that has tried German Rieslings has heard of Donnhoff...A huge variety of wines out of Nahe, Donnhoff makes some of my favorites Rieslings and certainly they didn't disappoint.
With their regular 2010 Donnhoff Tonschiefer Dry being very ordinary (I prefer most Australian Dry Rieslings to low end dry German Rieslings)..
2010 Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Kabinett was significantly better and a nice change from so many dry Rieslings. Good Acidity to balance the RS, nice fruit, good minerality..nice slatey taste...
2010 Donnhoff Neiderhauser Hermannshohle Spatlese. A bit out of place since a vast majority of the Riesling here were dry but still, really fantastic wine. Laser like Acidity really balanced out the RS...I love Rieslings like this. Australians don't seem to like any RS but I think like this, its great. Great with food, great on its own...Bright fruit and brilliant finish. Why is RRP on this over 100? I'll wait and buy more overseas.
2010 Donnhoff Neiderhauser Hermannshohle Grosses Gewachs. I place this and the Clemens Busch above as the two best Rieslings at the show...Wonderful nose...Great Acidity that brings out the purity of the fruit....I love how this changes and evolves in my mouth. Picking up some really fantastic minerality....Finish is long...clean...fantastic...
Australian Riesling... I really enjoy good Aussie Rieslings...Really good acidity (sometimes too much), good toasty honey characters come into play as they age a bit...To be honest, I wish there was a bit more Residual Sugar in some of them...Dry doesn't mean it needs to be bone dry. And something with RS doesn't mean it is not a serious wine.
I think there were more disappointments than anything else Australian wise...but highlights for me were:
Tertini 2008 Riesling. Out of the Southern Highlands, a really great Aussie Riesling. Very good acidity which makes the sub 9g/l RS balance out perfectly. It softens it a bit but definitely not perceived sweetness, if anything it helps bring out the fruit...Wonderful bright fruit and the wine is already picking up secondary characteristics which is great. The winemaker thinks it'll last quite awhile longer and I'd have to agree. Thoroughly impressed, I think this might've been the best Australian at the show...beating out Grosset, Petaluma, Pewsey Vale and a few other better known Rieslings.
Heggies 2011 Riesling. I'm not sure if it was because I was so disappointed with Grosset and Mesh...but this one, which I don't even think had representation at the tasting, definitely showed them up. Very good Acidity, very good fruit...it seemed to have fantastic balance.
I definitely think Aussie stuff needs to have a little more Residual Sugar...I definitely think Acid is good..too much acid is not....low acid is really bad...and while there were some rather flat Aussie Rieslings, I think overall they do a dry/bone dry Riesling quite well. Especially at the low end, they beat their German counterparts. At the same time, on the the high end, while they gain a good amount of complexity, definitely they're falling behind those from Germany. Acid is good, too much acid probably isn't. The fruit needs to show better..it's possible they need to allow for some RS to add complexity...Brilliant tasting overall....One of the best events I've been to.
Most of the major players in the Australian Riesling market were there..such as Grosset and Petaluma....but I was mainly interested in the stuff from Germany...
I'm a big fan of German Rieslings...Unlike many Australians (I'm a Yank so I guess that is where it is from), I don't mind some residual sugar....With good fruit and enough acidity, the RS does not feel sticky and thick in your mouth. Riesling with RS is still a very serious wine but a good example of what many Australians think was highlighted to me when a lady, who had just tried a Kabinett had asked the maker if it was a dessert wine. The answer back to her was no but she looked at him like he didn't know what he was talking about.
Highlights of the German Rieslings:
Clemens Busch.
Clemens Busch Marienburg Rothenpfad Grosses Gewachs 2010. For those that aren't familiar with GG, it is basically Germany's "1st Growth" classification when it comes to their dry Rieslings... This wine starts with good acid, and really nice fruit paired with a good amount a minerality. What made this wine so fantastic was the complexity as I was consistently picking up different flavors while I had it in my mouth...It had a long fantastic finish... The difference between this Riesling and a really great Australian Riesling was it had slightly less acid (but definitely a good amount), it showed better fruit and far better complexity. Really good Australian Rieslings tend to show their secondary characters (which are fantastic) but are far more upfront and definitely do not show the 20 different colors this one did....My biggest complaint about this wine in Australia? TOO EXPENSIVE. Many good GG's go anywhere from 35-60 internationally....Why does Australia have them for 100+ no idea...
Donnhoff. I think anyone that has tried German Rieslings has heard of Donnhoff...A huge variety of wines out of Nahe, Donnhoff makes some of my favorites Rieslings and certainly they didn't disappoint.
With their regular 2010 Donnhoff Tonschiefer Dry being very ordinary (I prefer most Australian Dry Rieslings to low end dry German Rieslings)..
2010 Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Kabinett was significantly better and a nice change from so many dry Rieslings. Good Acidity to balance the RS, nice fruit, good minerality..nice slatey taste...
2010 Donnhoff Neiderhauser Hermannshohle Spatlese. A bit out of place since a vast majority of the Riesling here were dry but still, really fantastic wine. Laser like Acidity really balanced out the RS...I love Rieslings like this. Australians don't seem to like any RS but I think like this, its great. Great with food, great on its own...Bright fruit and brilliant finish. Why is RRP on this over 100? I'll wait and buy more overseas.
2010 Donnhoff Neiderhauser Hermannshohle Grosses Gewachs. I place this and the Clemens Busch above as the two best Rieslings at the show...Wonderful nose...Great Acidity that brings out the purity of the fruit....I love how this changes and evolves in my mouth. Picking up some really fantastic minerality....Finish is long...clean...fantastic...
Australian Riesling... I really enjoy good Aussie Rieslings...Really good acidity (sometimes too much), good toasty honey characters come into play as they age a bit...To be honest, I wish there was a bit more Residual Sugar in some of them...Dry doesn't mean it needs to be bone dry. And something with RS doesn't mean it is not a serious wine.
I think there were more disappointments than anything else Australian wise...but highlights for me were:
Tertini 2008 Riesling. Out of the Southern Highlands, a really great Aussie Riesling. Very good acidity which makes the sub 9g/l RS balance out perfectly. It softens it a bit but definitely not perceived sweetness, if anything it helps bring out the fruit...Wonderful bright fruit and the wine is already picking up secondary characteristics which is great. The winemaker thinks it'll last quite awhile longer and I'd have to agree. Thoroughly impressed, I think this might've been the best Australian at the show...beating out Grosset, Petaluma, Pewsey Vale and a few other better known Rieslings.
Heggies 2011 Riesling. I'm not sure if it was because I was so disappointed with Grosset and Mesh...but this one, which I don't even think had representation at the tasting, definitely showed them up. Very good Acidity, very good fruit...it seemed to have fantastic balance.
I definitely think Aussie stuff needs to have a little more Residual Sugar...I definitely think Acid is good..too much acid is not....low acid is really bad...and while there were some rather flat Aussie Rieslings, I think overall they do a dry/bone dry Riesling quite well. Especially at the low end, they beat their German counterparts. At the same time, on the the high end, while they gain a good amount of complexity, definitely they're falling behind those from Germany. Acid is good, too much acid probably isn't. The fruit needs to show better..it's possible they need to allow for some RS to add complexity...Brilliant tasting overall....One of the best events I've been to.
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