This was an event held at Customs House in Circular Quay. I think the last time I was here was two years ago and while I remember there being significantly more wineries present, on the plus side they weren't limited to the number of wines they could present so that was a nice plus.
I've always been a big fan of Margaret River wine...They have a fantastic climate for growing wine, they have a large range of different things they grow there (Counting the greater WA area) where they basically grow all of the major grapes in Australia...Shiraz, Cab Sav, Merlot, Riesling, Sav Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay...even some Pinot Noir and Petit Verdot....
One of the things I've been less than impressed with as far as MR goes is, they love to make Semillon Sauvignon Blanc...I'm not sure why but they do but they do...but one trend I've seen happen is more and more places are starting to use oak barrels to give SSB a bit more depth and complexity and a much better texture than the watery mess I'm used to seeing from there.
Cowaraump Wines
Cowaramup Wines Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Reserve 2011
Really nice mouthfeel to this, good depth and complexity...a bit of passion fruit, lemon, grass, herbs...Really good use of oak..it really does at a lot to this wine and for 25 AUD, it is a really good buy. There is a significant difference between this and their Clownfish line of Sav Blanc Semillon and for only 5 dollars more, it is just a far superior wine.
Cowaramup Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2010
I huge step up from their normal Clownfish Cab, great mouthfeel, good acidity..really nice structure to this wine. Dark fruits, herbs, a bit of a leather a bit of earth....At 30 AUD RRP, this is one of the better deals out there.
Fraser Gallop
Fraser Gallop Parterre Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2011.
58% Semillon, 42% Sauvignon Blanc, this wine really has great mouthfeel and texture. The oak really pulls the right flavors out of the Semillon while the Sauvignon Blanc seems to add a bit of lift to it. Some toasty notes, lemon, herbs...For a SSB this is really quite nice. RRP is 36 which is definitely a bit much for a SSB but this IS a good one. I'm also told they only make like 200 cases so this sells out quite quickly.
Fraser Gallop Parterre Chardonnay 2012
Really nice nose, a bit of citrus and nuts...Palate splashes grapefruit, cashews, a bit of honey and lemon. Really nice minerality in this wine...nice restrained use of oak...has a little bit of creaminess but not from any Malo (unless some happened naturally)..Really nice acidity...This is a nice wine and at 32RRP, it is probably underpriced by a bit...Great value...Great Chardonnay from a consistent performer.
Fraser Gallop Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Another really nice wine from their Parterre line...wonderful dark fruit on the nose..some herbs, mint and a bit of earth. Palate has nice acidity, good tannin structure, nice dark fruits coming through and maybe even a tad of eucalyptus and mint...At 42RRP, this is also a really good value.
Honorable mentions:
Xanadu Chardonnay 2010- Wish the Reserve was here but their normal Estate was still pretty good...
Howard Park Leston Cabernet 2010. Really solid, tannins are big (I think every Leston I've tried has been like this) but good acidity, good fruit. Solid wine.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Quinault L'Enclos 2004
Yes, not an Australian wine...but thought I'd talk about it anyways..
Quinault L'Enclos 2004. St. Emilion. Mostly Merlot, some Cab Franc and a bit of Cab Sav and Merlot.
2004 wasn't a great year in Bordeaux but I've always been relatively happy with the quality and they always seemed to be pretty good buys because most people wanted 2005....
Popped and Poured...this definitely needed more air but it was still showing fairly well...started off tight but opened up a tad...
A bit of chocolate and pencil lead on the noise...dark fruits...some herbs...Really fine tannins that stayed with your mouth to remind you it still had good structure....Reasonably good acid...Nice dark dark fruits...mocha...Picking up a bit of crushed rock as well. Nice balance...a certain elegance that you don't really find too often in Australia...With a bit more air it starts to open up a bit more...fruit starts to brighten a bit...finish seems a bit longer...I really do wish I had more time w/ this...
Quinault L'Enclos 2004. St. Emilion. Mostly Merlot, some Cab Franc and a bit of Cab Sav and Merlot.
2004 wasn't a great year in Bordeaux but I've always been relatively happy with the quality and they always seemed to be pretty good buys because most people wanted 2005....
Popped and Poured...this definitely needed more air but it was still showing fairly well...started off tight but opened up a tad...
A bit of chocolate and pencil lead on the noise...dark fruits...some herbs...Really fine tannins that stayed with your mouth to remind you it still had good structure....Reasonably good acid...Nice dark dark fruits...mocha...Picking up a bit of crushed rock as well. Nice balance...a certain elegance that you don't really find too often in Australia...With a bit more air it starts to open up a bit more...fruit starts to brighten a bit...finish seems a bit longer...I really do wish I had more time w/ this...
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Vintage Cellars International Wine Fair 2013
One of the biggest complaints I have about the Australian wine market is there is a severe lack of imports and when they do import, the stupid pricing associated with it.
On the plus side, in the last couple of years there has been a good number of things brought in at much better price points...
The main thing I noticed was there were probably 2-3 times as many sparkling wines as previous years...with a lot of that coming from Champagne...
Most of the Champagne was very competent..Most of them missed some of the yeasty biscuit I really enjoy from Champagne..or maybe it was just my palate...
A couple of impressions..
Moutard Brut Grand Cuvee NV. A growers Champagne..VERY solid. Nice acidity, good balance, some citrus and fruity notes.. a bit of yeast and scones....I wouldn't call it mind blowing..but for 30 some odd AUD, I don't know if there is anything better in this category...Better than Veuve NV (Which embarrassingly costs nearly twice as much) or most of the Moet line up (which is pronounced Moe - Eht...not Moe Aye or Moe ee). Really solid, priced right...really good buy. I know this is an Aussie wine site but for those that are interested in Grower's Champagne..look for RM on the label. It stands for recoltant-manipulant...which basically means it was made by the same producer of the grape..
Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz 2008. I was a bit shocked by this. Big fruit but very medium bodied compared to most Australian shiraz. Tannins were silky but providing structure..and the most shocking thing? It had very good acidity. It wasn't Hunter Valley nice..but still, really good acidity...so that combined with the clean Barossa fruit and supple tannins... made for a very good wine. I've had several of these I thought were fruit bombs or borderline fruit bombs....I've always thought this wine was good but not my style..but the 2008 is really good..really really good.
Georg Breuer Estate Riesling 2010
Really good acidity...and dry for a German Riesling..this was very much borderline Aussie in style but still had good elements of fruit..whereas I generally feel really dry Aussie rieslings tend to strip out most of the fruit...Good complexity and balance..I was really surprised by this. There were a couple of other Rieslings I thought had better complexity..but not sure I enjoyed them quite as much...and when GG Rieslings are 100+ in Australia..the choice is really easy....This was nearly on par but for 1/3rd the price...
Chalkboard Hunter Semillon 2012. Made by Tyrrells for Vintage Cellars...this one really shocked me. I was expecting something really mediocre (the price point is 12 dollars) but what I got was something with excellent acidity and really good development. I'm not sure this is going to go the long haul...but it is already starting to show some toasty notes which gives is good complexity and helps balance out the strong acidity...I'm sure this will stay excellent for at least a few years and for a daily quaffer, this might be one of the best buys in Australia. I'm not sure what happened here and if it was just pure luck combined with great winemaking..but this is a steal...
Glorioso Reserva Rioja 2007. Well made Rioja made entirely of Tempranillo....spent a good time in oak and in bottle before being released...at for 20some odd dollars, this is a very good buy. Dark fruits, good acidity, nice balance...has the structure to go quite a few more years...a better structured and made wine than this price would suggest..
Some honorable mentions...Saint Cosme Cote Rotie..which was 100% Syrah...it was just priced a bit too high for what you get...really nice wine. Howard Park Cabernet and Shiraz..all made with big tannins...I thought it was a bit odd that the guy said their mid range (like the Leston) was made to go about 5 years...I don't know if these significantly soften and quickly..but certainly I didn't get the impression these would be peaking in 5...
On the plus side, in the last couple of years there has been a good number of things brought in at much better price points...
The main thing I noticed was there were probably 2-3 times as many sparkling wines as previous years...with a lot of that coming from Champagne...
Most of the Champagne was very competent..Most of them missed some of the yeasty biscuit I really enjoy from Champagne..or maybe it was just my palate...
A couple of impressions..
Moutard Brut Grand Cuvee NV. A growers Champagne..VERY solid. Nice acidity, good balance, some citrus and fruity notes.. a bit of yeast and scones....I wouldn't call it mind blowing..but for 30 some odd AUD, I don't know if there is anything better in this category...Better than Veuve NV (Which embarrassingly costs nearly twice as much) or most of the Moet line up (which is pronounced Moe - Eht...not Moe Aye or Moe ee). Really solid, priced right...really good buy. I know this is an Aussie wine site but for those that are interested in Grower's Champagne..look for RM on the label. It stands for recoltant-manipulant...which basically means it was made by the same producer of the grape..
Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz 2008. I was a bit shocked by this. Big fruit but very medium bodied compared to most Australian shiraz. Tannins were silky but providing structure..and the most shocking thing? It had very good acidity. It wasn't Hunter Valley nice..but still, really good acidity...so that combined with the clean Barossa fruit and supple tannins... made for a very good wine. I've had several of these I thought were fruit bombs or borderline fruit bombs....I've always thought this wine was good but not my style..but the 2008 is really good..really really good.
Georg Breuer Estate Riesling 2010
Really good acidity...and dry for a German Riesling..this was very much borderline Aussie in style but still had good elements of fruit..whereas I generally feel really dry Aussie rieslings tend to strip out most of the fruit...Good complexity and balance..I was really surprised by this. There were a couple of other Rieslings I thought had better complexity..but not sure I enjoyed them quite as much...and when GG Rieslings are 100+ in Australia..the choice is really easy....This was nearly on par but for 1/3rd the price...
Chalkboard Hunter Semillon 2012. Made by Tyrrells for Vintage Cellars...this one really shocked me. I was expecting something really mediocre (the price point is 12 dollars) but what I got was something with excellent acidity and really good development. I'm not sure this is going to go the long haul...but it is already starting to show some toasty notes which gives is good complexity and helps balance out the strong acidity...I'm sure this will stay excellent for at least a few years and for a daily quaffer, this might be one of the best buys in Australia. I'm not sure what happened here and if it was just pure luck combined with great winemaking..but this is a steal...
Glorioso Reserva Rioja 2007. Well made Rioja made entirely of Tempranillo....spent a good time in oak and in bottle before being released...at for 20some odd dollars, this is a very good buy. Dark fruits, good acidity, nice balance...has the structure to go quite a few more years...a better structured and made wine than this price would suggest..
Some honorable mentions...Saint Cosme Cote Rotie..which was 100% Syrah...it was just priced a bit too high for what you get...really nice wine. Howard Park Cabernet and Shiraz..all made with big tannins...I thought it was a bit odd that the guy said their mid range (like the Leston) was made to go about 5 years...I don't know if these significantly soften and quickly..but certainly I didn't get the impression these would be peaking in 5...
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Etiquette at Tasting Events
So I go to a good number of tasting events each year..public, private and industry...and by far, I enjoy private/industry tastings a lot more...
Why? Because the place isn't filled with people who are there trying to get drunk and don't know how to behave..
I actually don't mind that people are trying to get pissed drunk..it is that along with wanting to get drunk, they just have no idea how to behave.
IT IS NOT A BAR/PUB OR A CLUB.
You don't go up to a table with your friends, get some wine, and proceed to stand there, in front of the table, gabbing with your friends...
You get your pour of wine and you move away from the table so that other people can get through...or in the least, if you see people around you and you've had your pour, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY.
There are plenty of people that are well behaved and do this..in fact, a majority of people at these events don't stand in front of the table and talk away....they move when they notice people are around you....Granted, sometimes you are waiting behind others which means it is perfectly acceptable to be standing there..but once you have your pour...MOVE.
THIS ALSO APPLIES TO THE SPITTOON..Don't stand there in front of it and block people...I don't know if people really realize what it is for...and plenty of people give you funny looks when you actually spit in the spittoon...as if the person spitting is ignorant..funny how that works..
It seems rather intuitive you should do this...I don't think anyone ever told me or the other 80% of the people to do that...I really don't understand it at all. I've heard this same complaint over and over from other people both industry and wine geeks alike...as well as some non wine geek people....Am I being a snob? I don't think so...
Why? Because the place isn't filled with people who are there trying to get drunk and don't know how to behave..
I actually don't mind that people are trying to get pissed drunk..it is that along with wanting to get drunk, they just have no idea how to behave.
IT IS NOT A BAR/PUB OR A CLUB.
You don't go up to a table with your friends, get some wine, and proceed to stand there, in front of the table, gabbing with your friends...
You get your pour of wine and you move away from the table so that other people can get through...or in the least, if you see people around you and you've had your pour, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY.
There are plenty of people that are well behaved and do this..in fact, a majority of people at these events don't stand in front of the table and talk away....they move when they notice people are around you....Granted, sometimes you are waiting behind others which means it is perfectly acceptable to be standing there..but once you have your pour...MOVE.
THIS ALSO APPLIES TO THE SPITTOON..Don't stand there in front of it and block people...I don't know if people really realize what it is for...and plenty of people give you funny looks when you actually spit in the spittoon...as if the person spitting is ignorant..funny how that works..
It seems rather intuitive you should do this...I don't think anyone ever told me or the other 80% of the people to do that...I really don't understand it at all. I've heard this same complaint over and over from other people both industry and wine geeks alike...as well as some non wine geek people....Am I being a snob? I don't think so...
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Turkish Wine?
While on my trip to Turkey, I've had the chance to try some Turkish wine...
My thoughts....
It is difficult to find a spittoon. I think the thought of spitting wine doesn't sit right with them...or no one really does it there..I'm not sure.
They serve you tastings in these tiny glasses which is probably not the best way to show your wine. Basically, you can't swirl, you don't get much on the nose..it just isn't a good way to show off your wine...
I did find a grape, Emir, which was quite interesting. Good acidity, good texture...quite an interesting wine...Apparently it doesn't age well but this is the first time I've tried so..
There were some other really random grapes that I hadn't heard of and they were not all that pleasing....Like a bad Chambourcin or funny Gamay...
Overall, most of the wine I've tried in Turkey was not very good...I suppose there is a reason why you don't see it outside of Turkey..
My thoughts....
It is difficult to find a spittoon. I think the thought of spitting wine doesn't sit right with them...or no one really does it there..I'm not sure.
They serve you tastings in these tiny glasses which is probably not the best way to show your wine. Basically, you can't swirl, you don't get much on the nose..it just isn't a good way to show off your wine...
I did find a grape, Emir, which was quite interesting. Good acidity, good texture...quite an interesting wine...Apparently it doesn't age well but this is the first time I've tried so..
There were some other really random grapes that I hadn't heard of and they were not all that pleasing....Like a bad Chambourcin or funny Gamay...
Overall, most of the wine I've tried in Turkey was not very good...I suppose there is a reason why you don't see it outside of Turkey..
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
New Zealand in a Glass 2013 part 4
I had no idea I'd have 4 parts to this and still have this much left :). I think the approach of trying to talk about each wine is a bit much but let me know what you think. I'm thinking of just sticking with highlights and adding bits more...
Matua
I don't remember being overly impressed with them last but this year they had a couple of interesting wines..
Matua Estate Paretai Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Very NZ SB but a different texture to it. Quite enjoyable and priced right at 25RRP
Matua Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2011
Very nice acid, nice citrus peach, really good balance. A bit pricey at 50RRP but a very good drop. Will be looking out for them..
www.northburn.co.nz
Northburn Station Bill's Blend Pinot Noir 2009.
Good acid, nice bright fruit, good balance...Not terribly complex but at 30RRP, a good buy.
Tarras Vineyards
www.tarrasvineyards.com
Tarras Vineyards The Steppes Pinot Noir 2008
Good acid, great balance, darker fruit, good complexity. Quite a nice Pinot...Maybe a bit of a stretch at 50RRP but a pretty reasonable buy.
Wooing Tree
www.wooingtree.co.nz
Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2009
Usually pretty impressed by this but I just thought it was decent. Same good acid, good complexity..but just overall not that impressed when RRP is 60.
Wooing Tree Sandstorm Reserve Pinot Noir 2009
Good acid, BIG tannins, you can get hints of the different layers of fruit but still relatively tight. Not as tight as the last one I tried but still, VERY young. Looks like it'll be fantastic in 10+ years but hard to say. At 120RRP there are a lot of good Pinots...
One of the more interesting winemakers here. I hadn't heard of them but they make handcrafted organic wines that are made to age. All of the wines were quite tannic,
Their Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon/France had big tannins...good complexity, nice fruit...and price nicely at sub 30RRP....
William Murdoch The Guardsman Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2010
BIG TANNINS. Good acidy, deep dark fruit. Layers of complexity on this wine and it is definitely made to age 20+ years. I would love to see this with age. 53RRP
Monday, March 25, 2013
New Zealand in a Glass 2013 part 3
Invivo Wines New Zealand
Invivo Wines Sauvignon Blanc 2012 - Marlborough
Pretty typical NZ SB but with a bit more complexity. Decent buy at 20 RRP
Invivo Wines Pinot Gris 2012
Good Acid, good fruit, a bit more to this than most Pinot Gris...for people looking for a more interesting Pinot Gris, this one isn't too bad.
bella by Invivo - Rose SB
Well made Rose, some fruit, some acid, quite interesting. Quite a few decent Roses coming out of NZ...it doesn't seem to be an afterthought like it is in Australia.
Invivo Pinot Noir 2011 - Central Otago
Good Acid, bright fruit...but not terribly interesting..competent .
Jackson Estate
Quite a few interesting SB's from here. Both of their SBs are good examples of trying to differentiate themselves from the rest of NZ SB. I'm not sure how successful that is money wise but wine geek wise, it makes the wines infinitely more interesting..
Jackson Estate Stich Sauvignon Blanc 2012 - Marlborough
Good acid..really nice complexity..it is NZ SB but a lot more depth and unfolding layers. Good buy at 20RRP
Jackon Estate Grey Ghost Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - Marlborough
Really interesting nose where you're picking up the grass and some passionfruit from NZ SB but you can definitely tell this has had oak...Palate has really good complexity..still really nice acid but greater depth in mouthfeel...fruit still there but the oak adds so much to this wine. I'm sure there is more to it than that but really nice SB. At 35RRP it is probably more than what most people would pay for NZ SB..but if you're going to get SB, this one is so much more interesting...I'd rather have this than 10 bottles of typical NZ SB....
Jackson Estate Shelter Belt Chardonnay 2011
OAK OAK. Really great use of oak in the Grey Ghost SB, really poor use of oak in this wine. I'm not sure what happened here or what they were trying to do but this was not right.
Jackson Estate Vintage Widow Pinot Noir 2011 - Marlborough
Good acidity, nice bright fruit...not terribly complex but a pretty good drop at 35RRP.
Konrad Wines
Very typical NZ style in all of these. Acres of blah really. Nothing bad, everything just ok.
Lawson's Dry Hills Wines
I've had a number of good things from here but this year most of it was just very ordinary.
Lawsons Dry Hills Gewurztraminer 2010
Quite an interesting Gewurz. Still getting that Lychee but really nice depth to this. They've really cleaned up the finish and got a lot out of this. One of the better Gewurztraminers I've seen out of NZ. A bit much but not too bad of a buy at 26RRP.
Man O'War Vinyards
Tulia Methode Traditionnelle 2009
A very well made Sparkling wines. Fresh, good acidity, good balance..I'm not sure it has the depth I really want out of a sparkling...and I really miss not having that biscuity yeasty flavor to this. Definitely well made but at 55RRP, while probably not bad compared to the ridiculous prices Champagne sells for in Australia, it is still quite high for this. There are miles of better sparkling wines in a competitive market place for almost half of what this goes for...
Gravestone Sauvignon Semillon 2012
Good depth on the palate, refreshing but a letdown at 32RRP.
Warspite Bordeaux Blend 2010
This is more in a St. Emilion type blend with Cab Franc, Merlot and Malbec. Good acidity for a red (yay), really good depth, deep dark fruits on the palate, some spice, tannins are smooth but adding structure to the wine...Really quite good. A bit on the expensive side at 55RRP but not a bad buy at that price.
Ironclad Bordeaux Blend 2010.
Similar to the Warspite...a bit less acid and the tannins are a bit bigger and more apparent. I suspect the Cabernet Sauvignon in this is what is doing that. Good complexity, good structure, good fruit. I'd rather drink the Warpite now, but this might be better in 10+ years. 55RRP.
Martinborough Vineyard
www.martinborough-vineyard.co.nz
Martinborough Vineyard Savugnon Blanc 2012
Pretty typical NZ SB. Good acidity but just very ok.
Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010.
Good acidity, bright fruit, good complexity. Really nice Pinot...a real stretch though at 75RRP.
Mt. Difficulty
www.mtdifficulty.no.nz
There used to be some pretty good stuff out of here..but the last few years I've not been impressed with their stuff at all. Not sure if they have sat on their previous successes or just thought too much of themselves and raised prices to unrealistic levels..not sure..
Mt. Difficulty Target Riesling 2012
Good acid. Nice complexity, pretty decent buy at 30RRP
Mt. Difficulty Pinos Gris 2012.
Good acidity but just very ok. No way I'd buy this at 30RRP
Mt Dfficulty Pinor Noir 2011 - Bannockburn
Good acid, bright fruit but not enough depth and complexity here. Pretty simple and way overpriced at 50RRP
Mt. Difficulty Single Vineyard Long Gully Pinot Noir 2010 - Bannockburn
Good acidity, really nice depth to this. Good structure. A really nice Pinot but 100RRP, just way too overpriced.
Trinity Hill
www.trinityhill.com
I've liked some of the stuff from here in the past but this year it I just was not feeling it.
Most of their line was very ordinary...
Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2011.
Nice medium bodied shiraz. Good acidity, dark fruit. A very nice foil to what you see in Australia. Priced well at 39RRP
I also got to try their Homage but I don't remember which vintage. I believe it was the same one I tried last year as it was a lot softer than it was last year. Tannins have really softened a bit and you can start seeing some of the fruit and depth in the wine.
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