I've had the chance to try quite a few California wines so I'll do some quick impressions....
Porter Creek - Sonoma
Well made wines...a pretty good estate Chardonnay...a good range of CA Pinot with some being just a bit too ripe and others fitting quite nicely between a big pinot and a more medium bodied, high acid Pinot. They also had a pretty good Carignane and a very peppery Syrah. Overall - Worth a visit...Their wines are pretty reasonably priced and they're very well made.
Unti Wines - Sonoma
Specializing in Italian varieties...The guy at Porter creek actually suggested I come here because their wines tend to be high acid..
Very good Barbera...one of the better non Piedmont ones I've tried...and the rest of their line was all good and exhibited very good value as well. One thing that really threw me off though was their stated acidity and what I picked up on the palate were NOT consistent. At some point I thought maybe they were doing the EU type of acidity calculation but if so, these would have been impossibly high for the grapes that were there..so that couldn't be it....This place is definitely worth a visit if you like Italian varieties or you want higher acid wines...very good overall value.
Macphail wines.
Pretty good but very typical CA Pinot...Not sure what to say here but they did have a number of different pinots and they were all interesting to try...but a bit of a stretch price wise and it doesn't help that their tasting fee is 20 dollars and you need to buy 3 bottles to offset it....Is it worth trying? I'd probably say NO...they were very nice, very helpful and the overall experience was pretty good...but their pricing structure is terrible and how they approach their tasting fee is not good at all.
Pride Mountain
Wonderful estate on top of the mountain that straddles both Napa and Sonoma county. We were able to take their wine tour and check out their wine cave as well as get to try barrel samples and do our own little blending of sorts....I've had their wines before and they've all been very good. Their reds are a great balance between very fruit forward but still maintaining really good structure...especially when it comes to acidity. Their Chardonnay was also quite nicely done...CA Chardonnay bright fruit, some new oak, partial malo and really nice acidity. I'd highly recommend coming here.
Heitz
Old school Napa Cabs...one of the few places where the tasting fee is still free as well...Compared to most of the modern Napa Cabs, these are quite light...some might even call them thin. To me they were very nice, nice texture and mouthfeel..proper acidity..but yes, by modern standards they do not have the body of oomph of a lot of CA Cabs....I actually really enjoyed the wines though...
Friday, November 28, 2014
Saturday, November 1, 2014
CRFT
CRFT Wines
CRFT wines is the brainchild of two winemakers, Candice Helbig and Frewin Ries. They currently only produce single vineyard wines from several different sources around South Australia.
I've read a few things about them but they only started in 2012 so a very new up and comer and their wine is very difficult to source. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to try their wines and I'm really glad I did..
CRFT Gruner Vetliner K1 2014
CRFT Gewurztraminer K1 2013
Both of these wines are fantastic atypical representations of each of these grape varieties and I was especially impressed with the Gewurztraminer which had very nice acidity which I think showed a bit better because the RS was so low (under 2g). Both of these are great food wines and I wouldn't hesitate to drink either one of these...
CRFT Pinot Noir Arranmore 2013
CRFT Pinot Noir Budenberg 2013
CRFT Pinot Noir Chapel Valley 2013
Fruit was sourced from single vineyards across Adelaide Hills. All of the them used French oak varying between 35-40% new.
Each of their Pinots were different from each other but one thing was fairly consistent...Great acidity, great texture, a very medium bodied Pinot that I think a lot of locals will scoff at..but honestly, a really great example of what CAN be done in Australia and I'm looking forward to seeing how this goes. If you like a lighter Pinot that is more like a village level or 1er level burg in color/viscosity, you will probably like all three of these...
CRFT Little Hill Shiraz 2013
CRFT Cemetery Shiraz 2013
CRFT Fechner Shiraz 2013
All Barossa sourced single vineyard Shiraz. All had great acidity. Out of the three, the Cemetery was probably the biggest of the three and the most full body but all of them were great. The Little Hill was a very good everyday wine with food..and the Fechner, which was from the Eden Valley, had fantastic acidity to go with very nice fruit..I was actually really impressed by these wines....
One thing I noticed with all of their reds was that even though they did use a good amount of new oak, none of the wines felt overly oaky....which I thought was great considering how young the wines were....They all had great texture and mouthfeel....Actually that applies across every single one of their wines...Not a dud in the bunch...
I see them having great success and I see them(along with others) filling a great gap in the Australian wine scene... there are a good number of new winemakers now that are moving away from the old Australian wine scene...they're doing what they want, how they want and what they think rather than trying to follow some trend....
CRFT wines is the brainchild of two winemakers, Candice Helbig and Frewin Ries. They currently only produce single vineyard wines from several different sources around South Australia.
I've read a few things about them but they only started in 2012 so a very new up and comer and their wine is very difficult to source. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to try their wines and I'm really glad I did..
CRFT Gruner Vetliner K1 2014
CRFT Gewurztraminer K1 2013
Both of these wines are fantastic atypical representations of each of these grape varieties and I was especially impressed with the Gewurztraminer which had very nice acidity which I think showed a bit better because the RS was so low (under 2g). Both of these are great food wines and I wouldn't hesitate to drink either one of these...
CRFT Pinot Noir Arranmore 2013
CRFT Pinot Noir Budenberg 2013
CRFT Pinot Noir Chapel Valley 2013
Fruit was sourced from single vineyards across Adelaide Hills. All of the them used French oak varying between 35-40% new.
Each of their Pinots were different from each other but one thing was fairly consistent...Great acidity, great texture, a very medium bodied Pinot that I think a lot of locals will scoff at..but honestly, a really great example of what CAN be done in Australia and I'm looking forward to seeing how this goes. If you like a lighter Pinot that is more like a village level or 1er level burg in color/viscosity, you will probably like all three of these...
CRFT Little Hill Shiraz 2013
CRFT Cemetery Shiraz 2013
CRFT Fechner Shiraz 2013
All Barossa sourced single vineyard Shiraz. All had great acidity. Out of the three, the Cemetery was probably the biggest of the three and the most full body but all of them were great. The Little Hill was a very good everyday wine with food..and the Fechner, which was from the Eden Valley, had fantastic acidity to go with very nice fruit..I was actually really impressed by these wines....
One thing I noticed with all of their reds was that even though they did use a good amount of new oak, none of the wines felt overly oaky....which I thought was great considering how young the wines were....They all had great texture and mouthfeel....Actually that applies across every single one of their wines...Not a dud in the bunch...
I see them having great success and I see them(along with others) filling a great gap in the Australian wine scene... there are a good number of new winemakers now that are moving away from the old Australian wine scene...they're doing what they want, how they want and what they think rather than trying to follow some trend....
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Byrne and Ruggabellus
Byrne Chardonnay 2013
Alex Byrne is the assistant winemaker at Lethbridge and also has his own label out of Ballarat. From what I've seen, he has some very interesting wines at a great price. I had a chance to re-try his 2013 Chardonnay...
A bit of oak on the nose, a tad bit of salinity seems like..peach..a bit of lemon....Palate has nice fruit, but the oak is quite obvious....I believe these go through malo as well but the acidity is really quite nice and it keeps this nice line within the wine and balances out the oak and malo quite nice....I will say, this is very Burg like in structure and mouthfeel. I think the only thing I wish was the oak was a little less up front although it looks like this only uses 15% new oak and the rest 1-3 years old...Still very enjoyable and great value...I'd like to see this with a bit more time to integrate the oak better but the wine is still very enjoyable, very well made and utterly fantastic value. 92 points.
Ruggabellus Archaeus 2012
Sort of the new wave of Barossa wine...there is a significant movement to change how people think of Barossa wine and Ruggabellus is one of those making that charge.
The Archaeus is their Shiraz dominated Southern Rhone blend...Mostly Shiraz with some Mataro and Grenache as well...
The first thing I notice is, the wine has very good acidity for a Barossa....I am really liking the earlier picking and I think what was considered underripe in the past is looking like the right time to pick. You still have the beautiful clean fruit but you're retaining better acidity and any slightly green notes are coming across as savory rather than fruit that wasn't suitable. The weight of the wine is relatively full bodied but definitely lighter than what you would have seen out of the Barossa 10 years ago..and for a blend with some Grenache, I think that is a real accomplishment. Texture on the wine is very nice..tannins are quite soft for such a young wine...brighter red fruits, great acid....Something is not quite blowing my hair back and I'm not sure what it is but it is still a very good wine and was even better after some time in the glass. 90 points
Alex Byrne is the assistant winemaker at Lethbridge and also has his own label out of Ballarat. From what I've seen, he has some very interesting wines at a great price. I had a chance to re-try his 2013 Chardonnay...
A bit of oak on the nose, a tad bit of salinity seems like..peach..a bit of lemon....Palate has nice fruit, but the oak is quite obvious....I believe these go through malo as well but the acidity is really quite nice and it keeps this nice line within the wine and balances out the oak and malo quite nice....I will say, this is very Burg like in structure and mouthfeel. I think the only thing I wish was the oak was a little less up front although it looks like this only uses 15% new oak and the rest 1-3 years old...Still very enjoyable and great value...I'd like to see this with a bit more time to integrate the oak better but the wine is still very enjoyable, very well made and utterly fantastic value. 92 points.
Ruggabellus Archaeus 2012
Sort of the new wave of Barossa wine...there is a significant movement to change how people think of Barossa wine and Ruggabellus is one of those making that charge.
The Archaeus is their Shiraz dominated Southern Rhone blend...Mostly Shiraz with some Mataro and Grenache as well...
The first thing I notice is, the wine has very good acidity for a Barossa....I am really liking the earlier picking and I think what was considered underripe in the past is looking like the right time to pick. You still have the beautiful clean fruit but you're retaining better acidity and any slightly green notes are coming across as savory rather than fruit that wasn't suitable. The weight of the wine is relatively full bodied but definitely lighter than what you would have seen out of the Barossa 10 years ago..and for a blend with some Grenache, I think that is a real accomplishment. Texture on the wine is very nice..tannins are quite soft for such a young wine...brighter red fruits, great acid....Something is not quite blowing my hair back and I'm not sure what it is but it is still a very good wine and was even better after some time in the glass. 90 points
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Fesq
I had the opportunity to try a good chunk of Fesq and Co's ANZ Portfolio...
It is always nice to have a surprise here or there..something you remember..but it is even nicer when you have multiple surprises across a pretty good range of wine...
Longhop
I only got to try their normal range but the quality overall was very good..
The Pinot Gris and Rose were both very good for their category. Texture, complexity, clean fruit, good acidity...two very solid wines. RRP is around 18 dollars which is probably about right for these two wines given the category.
Longhop Old Vine Grenache 2012
Unlike most SA Grenache, this feels a bit more medium bodied, good acidity, decent tannin structure as well..a lot more red fruits vs. dark fruits...This doesn't taste like raisins + alcohol, it tastes like a well thought out Grenache. Very impressive but atypical of what people might want out of Grenache...To me, that is a good thing. RRP is 18 dollars which I think is great value. 90 points.
Longhop Shiraz 2012
Great acidity, red fruits, firm tannins...This wine needs a bit more time but the package is great. RRP is also 18 dollars which makes this a total steal. Probably one of the best values out there right now...really well made, really good structure..It might not have the brooding depth people think of when they look at cellaring but I think this will do very well..and again, under 20 dollars...WTFBBQ. 91 Points.
Longhop Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Another surprising wine...Not a light Cabernet you might see from the Barossa or the surrounding area..but a true Cabernet Sauvignon...Chalky tannins, good acidity....red fruits...this has the structure to go a long time and is great value at 18 RRP...I think the main issue I have with this (and probably the Shiraz) is, at sub 20, people aren't really looking for heavy structure..they're not expecting to have to cellar the wines so to that point, I think they're missing what their target market is at this price point...but really really good value here.. 90 points
Mandala Wines
A few interesting wines here...The Chardonnay was very solid...good acidity, a tad bit of malo, good use of oak...The shiraz had a very floral note to it..almost viognier like but I was told this was 100% shiraz...good acidity....Overall a good wine. They had a pretty good Cabernet called Butterfly as well...Good structure, texture was very nice..
Mandala Prophet Pinot Noir 2010
Good acid, mouthfeel and texture are right..every medium bodied, some truffle, red fruits, tannins there but not aggressive...really quite a nice Yarra Pinot..and I don't say that very often..90 points
Lethbridge
I've said this several times already...great stuff from here...
Their recent Allegra Chardonnay and Mietta Pinot are even better than earlier versions..a bit more refined....Their Indra Shiraz is looking really good...Just a lot of great stuff from here..all very well thought out...great texture...One of my favorites in Australia...
Byrne Wines
Alex Byrne is the assistant at Lethbridge....easy to see why I liked the wines here. The Chardonnay and Pinots here were both great, cool labels, priced very well. I don't think they have the depth of Lethbridge but the texture is fantastic and still very very good wines...They also provide better value than Lethbridge which says a lot....
Between Five Bells
A joint venture by David Fesq, Josh Dunne, Ray Nadeson and help from Alex Byrne.
Basically, they're turning everything on their head with some really funky blends. Their Red and white seems to change as far as what they have in them..but have you had a Negroamaro, Nero D'Avola, Riesling, Shiraz Blend? How about a Sangiovese, Grenache, Shiraz and Graciano? Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc? Definitely all drink soon blends but great texture, acidity, mouthfeel..interesting flavor and complexity. Tiny production...It won't be loved by all but very interesting...
Bream Creek
I've had a few things from here in the past that I thought were pretty decent...In general I thought the wines were pretty good. Both their Dry and off-Dry rielsings were good. Good fruit, good acidity...Their Pinot was actually pretty good for a Tassie Pinot as well...good texture, mouthfeel was "right"...Looking forward to seeing more from them.
It is always nice to have a surprise here or there..something you remember..but it is even nicer when you have multiple surprises across a pretty good range of wine...
Longhop
I only got to try their normal range but the quality overall was very good..
The Pinot Gris and Rose were both very good for their category. Texture, complexity, clean fruit, good acidity...two very solid wines. RRP is around 18 dollars which is probably about right for these two wines given the category.
Longhop Old Vine Grenache 2012
Unlike most SA Grenache, this feels a bit more medium bodied, good acidity, decent tannin structure as well..a lot more red fruits vs. dark fruits...This doesn't taste like raisins + alcohol, it tastes like a well thought out Grenache. Very impressive but atypical of what people might want out of Grenache...To me, that is a good thing. RRP is 18 dollars which I think is great value. 90 points.
Longhop Shiraz 2012
Great acidity, red fruits, firm tannins...This wine needs a bit more time but the package is great. RRP is also 18 dollars which makes this a total steal. Probably one of the best values out there right now...really well made, really good structure..It might not have the brooding depth people think of when they look at cellaring but I think this will do very well..and again, under 20 dollars...WTFBBQ. 91 Points.
Longhop Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Another surprising wine...Not a light Cabernet you might see from the Barossa or the surrounding area..but a true Cabernet Sauvignon...Chalky tannins, good acidity....red fruits...this has the structure to go a long time and is great value at 18 RRP...I think the main issue I have with this (and probably the Shiraz) is, at sub 20, people aren't really looking for heavy structure..they're not expecting to have to cellar the wines so to that point, I think they're missing what their target market is at this price point...but really really good value here.. 90 points
Mandala Wines
A few interesting wines here...The Chardonnay was very solid...good acidity, a tad bit of malo, good use of oak...The shiraz had a very floral note to it..almost viognier like but I was told this was 100% shiraz...good acidity....Overall a good wine. They had a pretty good Cabernet called Butterfly as well...Good structure, texture was very nice..
Mandala Prophet Pinot Noir 2010
Good acid, mouthfeel and texture are right..every medium bodied, some truffle, red fruits, tannins there but not aggressive...really quite a nice Yarra Pinot..and I don't say that very often..90 points
Lethbridge
I've said this several times already...great stuff from here...
Their recent Allegra Chardonnay and Mietta Pinot are even better than earlier versions..a bit more refined....Their Indra Shiraz is looking really good...Just a lot of great stuff from here..all very well thought out...great texture...One of my favorites in Australia...
Byrne Wines
Alex Byrne is the assistant at Lethbridge....easy to see why I liked the wines here. The Chardonnay and Pinots here were both great, cool labels, priced very well. I don't think they have the depth of Lethbridge but the texture is fantastic and still very very good wines...They also provide better value than Lethbridge which says a lot....
Between Five Bells
A joint venture by David Fesq, Josh Dunne, Ray Nadeson and help from Alex Byrne.
Basically, they're turning everything on their head with some really funky blends. Their Red and white seems to change as far as what they have in them..but have you had a Negroamaro, Nero D'Avola, Riesling, Shiraz Blend? How about a Sangiovese, Grenache, Shiraz and Graciano? Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc? Definitely all drink soon blends but great texture, acidity, mouthfeel..interesting flavor and complexity. Tiny production...It won't be loved by all but very interesting...
Bream Creek
I've had a few things from here in the past that I thought were pretty decent...In general I thought the wines were pretty good. Both their Dry and off-Dry rielsings were good. Good fruit, good acidity...Their Pinot was actually pretty good for a Tassie Pinot as well...good texture, mouthfeel was "right"...Looking forward to seeing more from them.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Chateau Tanunda
Chateau Tanunda "The Chateau" Shiraz 2007.
This is an odd combination of slightly hot and slightly green and not sure where that is coming from. Could be some funny oak flavors I'm picking up. Not very ripe, a bit more medium bodied, dark and red fruits but the quality doesn't seem there. This really weird heat on the back of the palate and I'm not sure where that is coming from. Acid is just ok...I'm not sure what is going on with this wine...It isn't terrible, it just isn't that good.. 85 points.
This is an odd combination of slightly hot and slightly green and not sure where that is coming from. Could be some funny oak flavors I'm picking up. Not very ripe, a bit more medium bodied, dark and red fruits but the quality doesn't seem there. This really weird heat on the back of the palate and I'm not sure where that is coming from. Acid is just ok...I'm not sure what is going on with this wine...It isn't terrible, it just isn't that good.. 85 points.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
10+ years and you still don't like it?
The topic of Wendouree is always a really divisive one....A lot of people really dislike the style and a lot of people like it...
What I think is odd though is that is one of the few producers where people have been on the mailing list for 10-15+ years only to find they don't really like the wine and never have.....Are you kidding me?
If you, at some point, liked the wine..that's just bad luck..Palates change, it happens.
If you never liked the wine, never had one that you thought was good (even if it was from vintages you didn't have), why would you buy for that long? I have no idea.
I think one reason people are ok with it is the wines retain their value which means the risk to just hold them are minimal. They also age for a long time, which means you don't have to drink or get rid of them soon...
But at the same time, what possesses people to buy like that?
I do know that there are plenty of people buying Wendouree right now that will also be in those same shoes...You just know by the style of wine they like to drink that yeah, these probably aren't for you unless your palate is going to change..
I admit, I do buy some wine that isn't in my preferred style at this point in time...but part of that is because I want variety, part of that is because I know some friends that will enjoy that particular style of wine..but either way I know I will still like the wine. I might not love the style or want to drink that all the time but I won't buy a wine that sucks or I think sucks...ever.
What I think is odd though is that is one of the few producers where people have been on the mailing list for 10-15+ years only to find they don't really like the wine and never have.....Are you kidding me?
If you, at some point, liked the wine..that's just bad luck..Palates change, it happens.
If you never liked the wine, never had one that you thought was good (even if it was from vintages you didn't have), why would you buy for that long? I have no idea.
I think one reason people are ok with it is the wines retain their value which means the risk to just hold them are minimal. They also age for a long time, which means you don't have to drink or get rid of them soon...
But at the same time, what possesses people to buy like that?
I do know that there are plenty of people buying Wendouree right now that will also be in those same shoes...You just know by the style of wine they like to drink that yeah, these probably aren't for you unless your palate is going to change..
I admit, I do buy some wine that isn't in my preferred style at this point in time...but part of that is because I want variety, part of that is because I know some friends that will enjoy that particular style of wine..but either way I know I will still like the wine. I might not love the style or want to drink that all the time but I won't buy a wine that sucks or I think sucks...ever.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Wendouree 2014
I'm a big fan of Wendouree...I know they're divisive, I know they can sometimes be as hard as nails..but to me they're unique in Australia. Big acid, big tannins, lowish oak and just ripe fruit makes for a wine that ages, a wine with complexity, but a wine that a lot of people are just not going to enjoy or that some people think they should enjoy but few that truly appreciate.
But either way..On with the wine.
Someone said that the problem with a Wendouree tasting is that the wines don't really get to show how different they are, and I agree. I tend to think they show best in contrast rather than getting a similar texture over and over. I also think there are some blends that don't show well in this type of format.
But either way..On with the wine.
Wendouree Cabernet Malbec 1993
Great mouthfeel and complexity. Acidity is in just the right spot. The tannins have softened significantly but still lending itself to the structure of the wine. Red Cherrys, a bit of nail polish, leather and earth...This is really quite a nice wine. It hasn't made that complete evolution but it is drinking great now. The Cabernet Malbecs are my favorite and this one shows why...92 points
Wendouree Cabernet Malbec 1996
Different than the previous ones I've had..had that familiar sugar smell but it also had a lot of soy...it also had a hole in the texture that was apparent in the last one I had. The difference though is, this one was dying..Not sure why but the others I've had were young and needed 5-10 more years...this wine was going going gone...I don't know...Oxidized? Low level TCA? I don't know...not scored
Wendouree Shiraz 1991
A great year for Wendouree and it showed. Wonderful complexity, red fruits, spices, earth, mocha, mint, nail polish, leather, great acid, great tannin structure that was still very obvious but soft enough to drink very well....A wine that will last 10+ years EASILY and drink fantastically well the whole time. I wouldn't be surprised to see this go further and completely evolve, brick up and be an even better wine...93 points
We also had several Shiraz Mataros and Shiraz Malbecs but I won't go into detail. One thing is obvious though...The Shiraz Mataros are generally better than the Shiraz Malbecs..I know some others don't agree but I see that at all turns. The Shiraz Malbecs tend to be less Wendouree like and just overall less impressive and less structured. Maybe I just haven't seen some really good ones. That isn't to say they're not good wines, they are...I just put them near the bottom of the tree Wendouree wise.
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