In The Picture

The Last Front Bench Dinner at Pyrmont March 2013 - the wines

Here they are, with the full list at the end

Click on any image to see a larger file

A great beginning, with the CH the standout

The Leeuwin was great as always, the Yattarna overoaked as always, the suprise here was that the Pipers Brook wasn't corked

I found the Condrieu disappointing, the Rothbury way past its best, and the Vat 47 full of serious promise

The Wendouree was in stunning condition, minty and elegant. The VegaSicilia was one of the best reds I've ever tasted - wonderful goodies wrapped in an elegant package. The ANAPERENNA was a sledge hammer by comparison (a well-made one).

The Hermitage was way past its best in my view, sadly, and the 76 Grange showed ridiculously young and vibrant. What a wine! I'm sure the 96 Grange was good too but it paled against its older sibling

The old one still showed signs of life! The young one was robust for a Burgundy.

What can I say? Gorgeous stuff, the Lafite still full of life

Going a bit vague at this point. Can't remember hearing any complaints

The Graham was great but the Para was a knock-out! What a way to finish!

And here's the full list

Kim

The last Front bench Dinner at Pyrmont - March 2013

It was a special occasion, and all of us took advantage of it I think. We drank less and talked more, we enjoyed each other's company - that's clear from the photos. I took a lot of those last Wednesday night, as I love these nights and the venue and the company and the wines and the food. The friends I've made here were my main focus this time, and I've collected the best shots on this page. Simply click on any photo to see the full-size version.

Peter looks happy

Even happier here, but Doug and Ray are clearly stumped

So is Alan

Ah, Reg is in his element

So is John

Yes!

Jeffrey wrapping up his options wines

Neil and Andrew smiling at one of Reg's jokes

Jeffrey thinking: I really stumped them with those wines!

Peter and Ray doing the Foxtrot?

Paul looking remarkably composed

These boys still look sober! That's Front bench stamina for you.

Doug got a shot of me romancing some great reds.

Peter Mouser having a break from pulling teeth, or corks or ...

It all looks far too civilised but the camera doesn't lie.

Sorry Peter, couldn't fit you in for the group photo.

That big smile just about sums up a great evening.

Thank you, Peter Bourne, for so much joy.

Kim

BEST WINES UNDER $20 IS NOW A WEBSITE

The Best Wines Under $20 website will have a clearer focus on finding the best wines in 4 categories – under 10, 15, 20 and 25 dollars. A website gives me more flexibility to present the information I want to present. The name is the same as the url, and very simple: http://bestwinesunder20.com.au/

What’s new?

The plan is to go for a bigger following and a broader market. This is the promise:

• We show you where to buy great wines at bargain prices
• We run up-to-date lists of BEST WINES UNDER $10, 15, 20 and 25
• We don’t sell wine, we run no ads, subscription is free

There is also a focus on weekly bargains: Under the Current Bargains tab, you’ll find major retailers listed along with their current promotions. This way, if you find yourself in a Vintage Cellars store, for example, you can get on your mobile and check the bargains. In time, this information will be in a weekly email to subscribers as well.

What won’t change

The new focus will have no impact on my straight-talking wine reviews and acerbic observations about the curious state of our wine industry. I don’t go to the fancy lunches, dinners and launch events the industry puts on, because it’s much easier to shoot straight when you’re not partying on the gravy train with the people who feed you.

Most wine writers review the samples sent to them by wineries or distributors. They pay little attention to price or availability because they never have to buy their own wine – they get free samples delivered to their front doors every day. We couldn’t be more different:

• We buy our wines in the same places you do
• We recommend easy-to-find wines stocked by major retailers
• Our main criteria are quality and price

The Best Wines Under $20 website still needs some finishing touches but the main things work fine. Please have a look and make suggestions – where we can, we’ll take them on board.

Best Regards

Kim

Summer of Riesling 2013 - it doesn't get better than this!

2012 was the best Riesling vintage for a decade

2013 was the hottest summer on record

There were many days when I preferred cold beer to chilled white wine, but there were late evening picnics at the beach where Riesling improved the flavour of cold chicken. This is one of the best-kept secrets in matching food and wine: roast chicken and Aussie Riesling. Wine and food scribes always talk about eating oysters and shellfish with young Rieslings, because of their lime juice and mineral flavours.

They’re wrong in my view: there’s too much fruit even in our young Rieslings, which perfectly complements the sweet meat of chicken and even light cuts of pork. So does the citrus character of the fruit. Older Rieslings develop more flavour so the match works even with richer chicken dishes. If people only knew that Riesling and roast chicken are a match made in heaven, the price would go through the roof. As it is, Rieslings resolutely remain super bargains.

BUY

I had a chance to taste two members of the same family: The Pewsey Vale and the Heggies Rieslings, both from 2012, both from Eden Valley. The family is Yalumba, which decided long ago to market these wines under their individual vineyard labels. An interesting branding strategy, but it worked. As you can see, both wines are even made by different winemakers.

I prefer the Pewsey Vale because it has a bit more zip and fresh fruit and fine acid to carry it. The Heggies is a bit rounder and a touch more forward. There’s not that much in it - as you can see, residual sugar is the only real difference. That explains why the Heggies is more forward, but I can’t see it lasting 15 years. The Pewsey Vale will last that long. It’s the better wine, even though it’s a couple of dollars cheaper. I’ve bought some of this wine for less than $14 a bottle, which is ridiculous. At present, they’re $15 and $17 respectively at Kemenys.

Jim Barry Watervale Riesling 2007 - $15 at Dan M’s

Found this by accident, really, available online only. This wine is in between two stages, and a bit unsettled. It’s no longer young but retains some fresh acid on the finish, and it’s also developing aged characters – that whiff of kero and hair oil old Rieslings get. I think it’ll be a good one when it settles down in a couple of years or three. Again, the price is ridiculous. Not sure how much is left at Dan M’s.

I also confirmed in my own mind what a lovely wine and great bargain the 2012 is. At present it’s going for less than $13 at Kemenys and Dan M’s.

Nugan Estate King Valley Frasca’s Lane Vineyard Chardonnay 2010 - $17 at Dan M’s

I like the 2009, and I like the 2010 for the same reasons: it’s a well-made, it’s three years old and on the way to settling down and filling out. Good chardonnays need 5 years or more to show their true colours, great white Burgundies need 10. This one avoids the current affection of wine judges for grapefruit and lemon curd and leans instead toward stone fruit like white peaches and nectarines, touched up with some spicy oak. Give it a couple of years to settle down, and it will do you proud.

dA Chardonnay Limoux Reserve 2011 - $15 at Dan M’s

This is another good Chardonnay, a bit more forward and ready to enjoy. Cashews and toasty oak, all well put together and quite enjoyable. From the Languedoc, the Riverina of France, claims an Appelation Origine Controllee. It’s well-made and decent value too.

Wither Hills Chardonnay 2011 – $14 at Kemenys

It’s unusual for me to strike a group of three Chardonnays that are all good buys. Yes, it’s the 2011 W Hills I’m reviewing but I lost the bottle so the photo is of the 2010. It was $12 at Dan M’s the day I bought it, but has since jumped back to $15. This is a really fresh, juicy, vibrant kind of Chardy. There’s just a hint of grapefruit here before we savour white peach and a touch of French oak and a hint of cashews. There’s a nice, clean line of acidity running through the wine, and I found it very appealing. Not a huge amount of complexity here but just lovely, lively drinking. 

Tahbilk 2007 Marsanne - $16 at Dan M’s (2007 Cellar release)

Another bargain white that Tahbilk has been making forever from vines planted in1927. Marsanne is a variety grown mostly in the southern Rhone Valley where it is blended with Roussanne and other varieties. When it’s young, this wine is a fresh and clean summer white that does go with shellfish. After a few years it develops lovely toasty, honeysuckle characters, but this one isn’t quite there yet. Give it another year or five.

Paul Jaboulet Cotes du Rhone Parallele 45 Rouge 2009 - $17 Cracka 

My mate Reg threw this one into the ring, saying it was a good drop, and I enjoyed it with a small  lamb roast. Easily recognisable as a Cote-du-Rhone from its dusty, slaty characters, it shows elegance, balance and length. Again not a complex wine but I’d be happy to drink it often. It’s a bit hard to track down, this one. Never bought anything from this stupid Cracka outfit that clutters up the search engine results – anybody bought wine from them?

Paulette Polish Hill River Clare Valley Cabernet Merlot 2007 – $20 at Dan M’s

The Polish Hill River thing gets me every time – is it a hill or a river? I guess it’s both. This sub region of the Clare (Watervale and Sevenhill are others) has been made famous by Jeffrey Grosset and his fabulous Rieslings, which are way beyond our $25 threshold. Paulette is well-known but makes lovely, delicate Rieslings here as well, and reds like this elegant number which is Australian in flavour and French in its elegance. Nice change if you like your reds with a bit of finesse. 

Fraser Gallop Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2011 – $20 at 1^st Choice

At one stage last year, they sold this for less than $15.This SSB from a boutique Margaret River maker got rave reviews (96 from Halliday among others) and I like it too, I just don’t think it’s developed the way I expected. Lots of flavour, for sure, but not showing as much finesse or restraint as the West Cape Howe below. Great food wine, though. Dan M has the 2012 for $19.

Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2011 - $12 at Kemenys

This wine didn’t convince a year ago or more so it was surprise how it’s flourished. Can happen with SB in a good vintage, and 2011 was one of those (2012 is much more forward). The Oyster Bay 2011 did the same thing. More herbaceous than I recall, quite full-flavoured now but all held in balance. Great with fried salmon.

West Cape Howe Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2010 – $15 at 1^st Choice

Bought this a year ago before 1^st Choice still offered sharp prices on lots of good wines. As I’ve written elsewhere, Coles tossed in the towel last year in its battle with Woolworth’s, at least on the wine front. That 1^st Choice still has the 2010 on the shelf just goes to show how few people know this medium-sized winery in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.

This wine is fine and restrained and developing slowly, because of the Semillon component. Grass, herbs and minerals, perfect with delicate seafood. The current 2012 that’s around for the same money might be a bit more forward from what I’ve seen of the vintage over there. They also make a good straight Sauvignon Blanc and some great reds as well. Winery is top-rated by James Halliday (5 red stars).

NOT CONVINCED

Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc 2011 –$12 at Dan M’s (for the 2012)

I’ve yet to be convinced by one of these. 2011 was a great year for SB in New Zealand but this one is a flabby, non-descript white with some tropical fruit. A slouch with no class or posture. Maybe a bit harsh, that. I’m not tempted to buy the 2012 but it’s cheap at Dan M’s this week.

Printhie Mountain Range Pinot Gris 2011 – $18 at Dan M’s

I liked the Printhie Pinot Gris 2010 from Orange, and the label, but the 2011 is not in the same class. The ripeness surprises, given the wet year, and it lacks the acid to hold it together. She’s a bit like a woman who’s put on some weight and hasn’t yet had her dresses altered. Might’ve been better 12 months ago – Pinot Gris can develop at breakneck speed, so don’t keep it too long. As an aside, Kemenys sell these whines for less than $14, but only have the 2011 Chardonnay in stock (not tasted, the 2010 was OK).

Reserve Martinborough Pinot Noir 2010 - $20 at the Pott’s Point Deli next to Woolworths on McLeay

This is a lovely deli with some interesting wines, and thjis one caught my eye. The enthusiastic boys there said it was a bargain but I have to disagree. It’s pleasant enough with soft, ripe fruit nodding vaguely in the direction of Pinot Noir, but it lacks flavour and conviction and the depth and backbone to keep it in shape, really. It’s drinkable but there are better reds out there for the money.

Madfish Bay Margaret River Golden Turtle Shiraz 2010 – Dan M’s $14

Another disappointment in this new range from Howard park Wines. The Cabernet Merlot is a steal but this is a clumsy red devoid of charm and appeal. Barely recognisable as Shiraz, certainly not from Margaret River – I would’ve picked it as a Hunter from an ordinary year or maker.

XANADU Next of Kin Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – $15 at Bonds Corner Fine Wines

Much the same comments as for the Golden Turtle Shiraz, strange as it is. Not readily recognisable as Cabernet or Margaret River, clumsy and unappealing. No major faults really, just not much chop. The 2010 is in the shops now and gets a decent review and 91 points from the boys at Winefront. The 2010 Shiraz under the same label is a winner, btw. 

AVOID

Goundrey Homestead 2012 - $10 at Dan Murphys

The 2011 was a winner, a fresh, uncomplicated mouthful of grapes, but this is rubbish, sweet lolly water, unrecognisable as Chardonnay, unstructured, unconvincing at half the price. There’s no justification for putting out wine this bad, and BRL-Hardies ought to hang its corporate head in shame. This goes down with the awful, undrinkable OOMOO GSM 2010 on my shortlist of worst wines ever tasted.

M.Chapoutier Luberon 2011 - $13 at Dan M’s

These minor Rhone reds can be nice drinking but not this one. It starts in a promising way but soon reveals unpleasant, sweaty and swampy characters you don’t want to associate with. A low blow from the usually reliable Chapoutier.

Turners Crossing Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - $20 at 1^st Choice

Turners Crossing is a highly rated winery in the Bendigo region, and the wines are made by well-regarded Sergio Carlei who also has a winery in the Yarra Valley. The Shiraz Viognier is the more well-known of the two reds under this label, and I like the 2008. This Cabernet is a mess, however, with a green vegetative character (I thought it might be mint on the nose initially) spoiling the show. It got worse over a couple of days - not really drinkable. Maybe this was a bad bottle?

KIM

Penfolds Bin Reds and Icon release 2013 – breathtaking stuff

The gravy train rides again, with wine writers on board

I don’t go to lavish industry functions, free wine dinners and meet-the-maker PR tours through wineries and fine restaurants. I go to a few simple wine tastings, but mostly I buy my own samples for review. That way, I’m more than an arm’s length away from the people I write about and their products. Miles away, in fact, and I say exactly what I want to.

Here’s what can happen when a wine writer gets too close to a wine company: he begins to sound like its PR agency. Tyson Stelzer is a tireless wine enthusiast and ambassador, but his piece Penfolds Bin and Icon Release 2013 disturbs me deeply. Read on, and you’ll see why. I’ve quoted liberally from his post (in italics) to illustrate the point I’m making here.

It is difficult to overstate the significance of the 2010 vintage in the flow of the grand history of Penfolds,’ is how Tyson begins his post. Late last year I was privileged to a very rare sneak preview of this vintage at Penfolds’ Rewards of Patience tastings. In assessing almost every vintage of its top red wines spanning seven decades, one season drew unanimous superlatives from the eight wine critics in the room. You guessed it: it’s 2010, the vintage at the centre of this release.

 

Please indulge me the longest introduction in more than 100 editions of Wine Taste 

An ominous beginning. First up, Tyson tells us that Penfolds Bin wines will be released on Thursday March 7 2013, and Icon Wines – Grange, 707 et al - on Thursday May 2, yet he has previewed both lots on his website now. I’m surprised the folks at Penfolds agreed to this since they normally keep the two events quite separate.

More on this release: “Watch out 1990, 1986, 1976 and maybe even 1971!” Penfolds’ Chief Winemaker Peter Gago waxed [lyrical?] at the end of the Rewards of Patience tasting. “When 2010 Penfolds Grange arrives, I think it will blow all before it for a decade or two out of the water!” Strong endorsement, and this is no hyped marketing pitch – two other vintages will land before 2010 Grange sees the light of day in 2015.

Some of the finest red wines across the vast sweep of Australian wine history

No hyped marketing pitch? Tyson rates the 2008 Grange at 99 points - looks like he’ll have to go well above 100 for the 2010. And what about: Blow all before it out of the water? Are we talking war games or wine here? Is Admiral Gago high on sniffing too much Grange? There’s still more lyrical wax to cut through. This is what Tyson says about the Special Bin 2010 releases: In years to come, they will rightfully be released at monumental prices. These wines will define the reputation of 2010 in the coming decades …’

Such a high point in the arc of Penfolds’ winemaking history

Am I alone in thinking that this reads like a press release? Penfolds’ 2010 reds are wines of astonishing depth and potent concentration, rippling with voluptuous, succulent black fruits … The second factor at play in the 2010 vintage … lies in the fortune of this vintage in falling at such a high point in the arc of Penfolds’ winemaking history. A diligent regime of attention to detail in both vineyards and winery in recent decades has elevated virtually every cuvée in the line …’

Just when you thought we'd reached the top of the hyperbole curve, Tyson makes a final lunge for the Holy Grail: There has not been a time of such daring experimentation at Penfolds since those fabled early days of Max Schubert himself

Max giving Ray Beckwith his retirement watch in 1973 - Ray’s pioneering work in the lab gave Max the tools for making great wine. Ray died last year, not long after his 100^th birthday.

Penfolds’ Cellar Reserve program is the source of new and exciting wines every year,' Tyson adds and quotes Peter Gago who says: “A boutique winery within Penfolds!”

Yes, that's what the man said. The audacity of it all leaves me speechless. I think it means Penfolds will produce more fancy special bins at even fancier prices like the 250 dollar Bin 169, or the 1000 dollar Special Bin 620 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz. These wines are nice little earners for Penfolds, and are sought after by investors and collectors. The former will lose serious money on their investments, as we’ll see further down.

2010 is the absolute pinnacle of vintages at Penfolds

First, a few more words from our sponsor about the fabulous 2010 vintage: Flight after flight, wine after wine, the very first sneak preview of Penfolds’ 2010 flagships in the Rewards of Patience tastings last year made a monumental statement of the calibre of this vintage: 2010 looks set to rank high among the finest vintages of all time. When I quizzed Penfolds’ Senior Red Winemaker Steve Lienert on the vintage at the conclusion of the tastings he declared, “2010 is the absolute pinnacle of vintages at Penfolds, one of the strongest years across the board for all Penfolds red wines across all varieties and all regions.” From everything I’ve tasted, I can only agree.

And we can only wonder. Enough of that, let's get down to the wines - and here I've included a counterpoint from the grand gadfly of the wine business Philip White. It's quite a contrast, and crafted in Philip's inimitable style.

Most prices haven’t moved this year 

That’s what Tyson tells us in one breath. In another, he talks about substantial [price] hikes. So which is it? He means the basic Bin Red prices remain unchanged, except that Bin 407 is up to $75 from $65. Among the icons, Bin 707 and Bin 169 are up to $350 from $250 last year. That’s a 40% hike in one foul swoop as our Prime Minister would say. Bin 707 has almost doubled in price from $190 two years ago. Grange is has gone up a mere 10% to $685.

Tyson concedes that these are substantial hikes but adds that they don’t look so absurd in the context of global demand for top cabernet and spiralling Bordeaux pricing. Then he adds that these prices make other flagship wines in Coonawarra and Margaret River look like real bargains.

I can feel Tyson's pain as he’s squirming on the fence here – how can you take Penfolds to task for price gouging after they’ve wined and dined you for 3 days last year on every vintage ever made, and given you previews of every special wine yet to be released. TWE/ Penfolds knows how to embed wine writers but some wine writers don’t seem to know when they’ve become part of Penfolds PR corps.

Spiralling Bordeaux prices?

This is a curious claim, because it’s nonsense. Reuters reports that ‘Bordeaux prices headed lower all through the year [2012]. The top Premier Crus - Chateaux Lafite Rothschild, Margaux, Latour, Haut-Brion and Mouton Rothschild - were all down … as much as 40 percent from the previous highs.’

Same in Hong Kong, closer to home: ‘At Spectrum Wines' auction … cases of 1982 Chateau Lafite went for between $33,860 and $38,115 … A year ago, such cases of Lafite were selling for about $45,000. Spectrum wine specialist Dan Rhodes blamed part of the slide in Bordeaux prices on the glut of inventory - there is quite a lot of Bordeaux in Asia …’

This article in Bloomberg says that the trade has also marked down prices for the 2008 Bordeaux reds, and for 2011 futures. So where are these spiralling Bordeaux prices?

Filling in the middle ground

Tyson tells us that the 3000-6000 cases of Bin 707 are the first Penfolds icon reds to sell out in every market every year. That explains the 80%+ price hike in the last two years. Parent company TWE is struggling to produce decent profits despite sitting on the greatest wine brands in all of Australia: earnings before interest and tax of $73.4 million were down 20% on the same period the year before, so TWE is hell-bent on milking the hallowed Penfolds brand for all it’s worth.

What Penfolds has done in the last 2 years is to fill the yawning price gap that existed between the Bin 707 and Grange. My guess is they’ll settle around $750 for Grange next year, $400 for the 707 and 169, $200-250 for RWT and Magill, hoist the old Henri up over the $100 barrier and fill any remaining gaps with a few special bins.

Penfolds launch event for the Bin 169 2008 last year. Billed The Luxury Experience, it was held at the Fullerton Bay Hotel’s Clifford restaurant, overlooking the stunning Marina Bay Waterfront in Singapore.

The glut of inventory

The reason Penfolds left most of the standard Bin Red prices alone this year is that last year’s wines are still in the shops. Penfolds yanked their prices up sharply in 2012 - see Penfolds Bin Release 2012 - and struck serious resistance from merchants and consumers alike. These wines are Penfolds’ bread and butter, so TWE needs to be more careful.

At the ‘lower’ end of the range, Penfolds now has two levels of bin reds: the Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, the Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon and the newer Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz, all priced at $75. They’ll come down to under $60 discounted. The second tier is priced at $38, which will come down to under $30. These last wines will be hard to shift. Why? Because 4 out of 5 are 2011 reds, not 2010 like the $75 group.

2011 was a horror vintage for reds in South Australia which even Penfolds’ winemaking magic couldn’t make silk purses out of. Tyson rates these wines in the low nineties:

Penfolds Bin 138 Barossa Valley Shiraz Grenache Mataro 2011, $38 – 91

Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2011, $38 – 92

Penfolds Bin 8 Cabernet Shiraz 2011, $38 – 92

Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz Mourvèdre 2011, $38 – 91

The Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz is the 2010, and it rates 96 with Tyson. He writes: Its colour is monumentally deep, jet black with a narrow, vibrant purple rim. The palate slowly uncoils to reveal tremendous depth of succulent black plum, blackberry and liquorice, with a crunchy vibrancy and an air of violet perfume that hovers from start to finish, framed in delightfully poised tannins of commanding structure yet ultra-fine restraint “This wine would do any Bin 28 back to 1959 proud,” Gago declared. It certainly did that day.

Sheer poetry! Philip White's take on the Bin 28 is far more down to earth: ‘Kalimna is a very important vineyard in the north Barossa ... Using this sacred name on a blend of grapes from McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, Wrattonbully and Robe, as well as the Barossa in general, is surely equal to Pernod Ricard’s blending of almost anything in the Steingarten brand, just as it stretched Jacob’s Creek to include most of South-eastern Australia, from Rockhampton to Ceduna, and perhaps now to its vineyards in China.'

And what does Philip think of the wine? He calls it a 'jolly wine, oozing somewhere between fresh conserve, with its intact macerated berries, and jam, which is more sugary, cooked, homogenized and gloopy.' There's a fair bit of wood as well by the sound of it, His final take? 'It’s pleasant, inoffensive, and industrial.' Read the rest of Philip's reviews on the new Penfolds reds here. 

I suspect the Bin 28 will sell fast, but the others here will not. In our competitive market, even Penfolds can’t sell 91/92 point wines for $30 when you can buy lots of 95 point wines for $15 -25. Others like Andrew Caillard rate the 2011 Penfolds reds between 87 and 90 points. Not worth $30, clearly, and Penfolds isn’t the only game in town.

Tyson Stelzer scores the 2010 Bin 389 at 97 points, just one point behind his score for the Grange 2008. Philip White's take on the 389 is this: 'it’s as if the crew are so determined to make a junior Grange in style that they’ve exaggerated the worst aspects of the most awkward, woody Granges and the most rigidly over-oaked Bin 707s of yore …' Philip gives the wine 'a private score of about 75,' and adds: 'trust me in saying that this wood will never ever subside.’

An interesting aside: For many years, Bin 389 was called ‘the poor man’s Grange.’ At $75 a bottle, that doesn’t work anymore so Penfolds quietly introduced Bin 8 Cabernet Shiraz. I guess Bin 8 will now become known as ‘the poor man’s Bin 389.’ So it goes.

Investors, you’ll never get your money back and here’s why

Last year, the Brisbane Times wrote that Grange had ‘enjoyed such success that it became an investors' darling and, among international connoisseurs, Australia's most famous wine ... Unveiling the latest vintage on Thursday, Peter Jago (sic), Penfolds chief winemaker, said: ''Isn't it nice to know that should you not drink it [Grange], that it's sitting somewhere in a cellar or in a friend's cellar and it's gaining value. And that's a wonderful thing.'' '

These are curious times when wine writers behave like PR flacks, and winemakers become investment advisors. The notion that Grange appreciates in value over time is complete nonsense. Here’s the advice I gave in a blog post on Costco selling Grange at deep discounts: Never buy Grange at the time of its release.

That’s right, no matter how deep the discounts. Why? Because you’ll soon be able to pick up the current 2007 Grange for less than $400 at auction. Better still, you can buy the superior and much older 1996 Grange for $450 – $600 today. In fact, you’d have to go back to the early seventies before the price for Grange gets near the current RRP. The simple fact is that TWE has pushed the price of Grange so high that the brand can’t sustain it any longer. Check the current auction prices for Grange here.

Even the fast-selling Bin 707 isn’t doing that well on the auction scene, selling mostly for $150 – 200 a bottle at Langtons. If you paid $190 for yours 2 years ago, you won’t be impressed with the ROI. If you paid $250 for yours last year, you’ve lost money. If you’re buying the next 707 at $350, you’ll lose more money. Of course, if you bought Grange and 707 decades ago at the old prices, you’ll get more than your money back. That was then, this is now. You can hype up your precious wares all you like, but these are the bare facts.

Kim

Bonds Corner Fine Wines – from Gippsland to the Jura

Around the world on a rainy Saturday

This is one of the surviving (and thriving) independent bottle shops in Sydney. John the owner says he will match any of the big boys on price, but you soon realise that this causes him few problems since there is hardly a wine here that you’d find at Dan M’s or 1^st Choice. This is exotic territory, pure and simple, but some of the wines are affordable.

It didn’t look bright and sunny last Saturday which broke records for rain, but the wet stuff eased off a bit late in the afternoon. Gary Walsh from the Winefront was present as promised but Mike Bennie was apparently stuck at an airport somewhere.

Dandelion Wonderland of the Eden Valley 2012 - $18

It was good to get another look at this curio that so many people said so many wonderland things about. My review said it was a fine Riesling that leans to the chalky/mineral side of the spectrum, and that I preferred the Pewsey Vale from the same region ‘for the extra fruit and and zest it has in abundance. The Dandelion is a bit more restrained at this stage but has the structure to develop for some years. A classy dame, but a bit aloof and hard to talk to at present.’ I’m sticking with that for now.

Wickhams Road Chardonnay and Pinot Noir 2012 - $14.50 by the dozen

These wines are made by Franco d’Anna at Hoddles Creek, from fruit grown elsewhere in the Yarra Valley and in Gippsland. This is Franco’s second label if you like, or his third since he already has two in his Hoddles Creek range. The wines are well made, with the Chardonnays showing soft, ripe fruit and plenty of youthful appeal. None of that wretched lemon curd and sour grapefruit here.

These wines are good value for money, easy on the gums, better than most commercial wines at that price. Even the Pinot Noir is drinkable, and his some Pinot character, and that’s a miracle at this price.

Blue Poles Reserve Merlot 2010 - $36

A serious Merlot from Margaret River, with real meat on its bones and a real future. No ripe plum compote here. More muscles than the Pomerol in the line-up, if a little less refined. Interesting.

Ruggabellus Efferus 2010 - $38

Some recent news from The Young Gun of Wine Awards:  ‘… never before have both awards been won by the same winemaker. In 2012Abel Gibson of Ruggabellus has proven most popular on all accounts, with the judges choosing him for the Young Gun of Wine and consumers picking him for the People’s Choice.

Max Allen, author of The History of Australian Wine, said, “Past finalists of theYoung Gun of Wine Awards have gone on to become legends of the industry, so it is remarkable that one winemaker has taken both awards – particularly so in a year that has arguably the strongest lineup of finalists thus far.”

Abel Gibson grew up in the Barossa and started Ruggabellus in 2009 after the encouragement of Pete Schell of Spinifex (the 2008 Young Gun of Wine), whom he was then working for.

This is hand-made Barossa red – 50% Mataro, 40% Shiraz with a dash of Grenache and Cinsault. Enough pepper and herbs and spices here for a meal but not big and heavy, all very civilised and not a hint of oak. Interesting flavours, great balance, lots of depth and length.

Sami-Odi Wac Gonero - $76

It looks like it comes from Portugal or Madeira but that wacky label that gives us no information hides another hand-made Barossa red, this one made by Fraser McKinley. The Winefront has some background on him and his operation here. The short version is that Fraser has access to a part of the Hoffman’s vineyard near Ebenezer, where he uses organic practices and attention to pH in his vines and winemaking.

Maybe I was put off by the label or the foul weather, but this 2011/2012 red didn’t ring my bells or sing to me. It smelled a bit like a jungle, and tasted like a bit like a swamp. Quite developed, could be great with the right food – I’m thinking Creole.

Domaine de la Tournelle Savagnin de Voile 2009 - $48

These wines from the Jura on the French side of the Swiss Alps are not short of character. The area’s most famous wine is the Vin Jaune made from the Savagnin grape. As Gary Walsh reminded me, the wine is made like Sherry and spends some time aging under a layer of flor yeast which explains why it smells like dry Sherry. Tastes a bit like Sherry too. An acquired taste as they say. Since I’m not really familiar with these wines, I’ve provided some tasting notes from a helpful US importer.

‘Aged for approximately 3 years in 5 year old Burgundy barrels under a veil of yeast which forms on the surface of the slowly evaporating wine, this wine shares many of the aromatic qualities as the Vin Jaune: a slightly nutty, marzipan perfume along with green apple, and of course the trademark notes of a wine just beginning to oxidize.’ JoliVin Imports .

Domaine de la Tournelle Fleur de Savagnin 2008 - $48

This is a less exotic style, cleaner, fresher and easier to appreciate. ‘This wine lies at one end of the spectrum marking the range of style that Savagnin, the region’s most celebrated white varietal, can produce. Pascal Clairet is passionate about promoting this, the style that the Jura is least known for, that being youthful, fresh, clean, that is to say, non-oxidative, expression of the varietal.’ JoliVin Imports

Domaine de la Tournelle Trousseau des Corvées 2010

A clue here is that the red is the youngest of the trio, and it’s not a big red - delicate yet full of interesting flavours. ‘Another of the Jura’s unique red varietals, the Trousseau grape makes a slightly darker and more structured wine than does Ploussard while still maintaining a bright personality, intriguing aromas of freshly crushed wild berries and more subtle but no less intriguing nuances of a walk in the autumn forest, peony flowers and the suggestion of damp earth. It all adds up to something which is delicate, unique, and once one sits with it and surrenders, rather captivating. JoliVin Imports

Below is a picture of Tournelle’s owner/winemaker Pascal de Clairet (yes) and his cellar. On the right is a flor yeats demonstration cask with the typical glass front.

It’s not easy tasting wines for which you really have no reference points, but I’d have to say that none of these wines made me want to rush in and buy a dozen. A couple of the other guys did - as I said, an acquired taste. 

The next lot takes us to other parts of Europe, and better known labels except for the Mandoleto Nero d’Avola from Sicily. Nero d'Avola is the major red wine variety in Siciliy and well-suited to warmer climates. At $11, it’s clearly worth checking out. It didn’t grab me but it’s probably a red you need to have with oily, tasty Sicilian food.

Guiseppe Cortses Rabaja Barbaresco 2001 - $35

Barbaresco and Barolo are the prized reds from northern Italy (around Piedmont), and are both made from the Nebbiolo grape. They’re characterised by savoury, dusty, earthy flavours wrapped in tea-leaf tannins that often have an iron grip. The wines need time to give their best and eventually develop wonderful flavours in the tar and leather spectrum, but be warned: the tannin grip may never soften.

This one was a bit like that, deceiving the eye with its advanced, rusty colour, sweet fruit nose and soft mid palate. Toward the end, the tannins kicked in and made you sit up and pay attention. Gary liked it more than I did, and said the price was half of what you’d pay elsewhere (he’s right). If you’re interested, Peter Bourne the wineman is putting on an educational tasting, Nebbiolo Elusive and Exclusive, at his stylish Pyrmont premises on March 26 at 6.30.

Château Mazeyres Pomerol 2008 - $64

This is a small Pomerol chateau owned by Alain Moueix who also owns Fonroque, a Grand cru classé in neighbouring St. Emillion. The vineyard is planted to Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Franc (20%), and the vines are on average 30 years old. This is pretty classic Pomerol with toasty oak dominating the nose right now, and soft, savoury fruits dancing on the palate. Strong but fine-grained tannins hold it all together and ensure that the wine will improve for years. Refined and lovely.

William Downie Gippsland Pinot Noir 2011 – $62

Colour of rusty water, a nose that makes you think of Burgundy, and a palate that backs it up. Much more body and flavour than the colour suggests, and all that from a pretty difficult vintage. Great Pinot character in a nice package but not exactly cheap.

I didn’t get a shot of the champagne on offer, the Egly-OurietLes Vignes De Vrigny 1er Cru – Nov 11 disgorgement, which you can buy from John for $71. I suspect that’s a good price, given a couple of endorsements from a couple of serious wine people:

‘Egly-Ouriet's Champagnes are so good that I have begun buying them to drink at home.’ Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

‘Egly-Ouriet manages for Pinot Noir: wines of riveting concentration and purity.” Andrew Jefford, The New France

I'd love to drink this at home too, for sure

Thanks for the interesting trip, John

Kim

Dandelion Vineyards Wonderland of the Eden Valley Riesling 2012

This wonderland seems to exert a powerful effect on all those who go near it. This is more than wine, clearly: what we have here is poetry and magic and fairy dust.

‘This is a highly impressive partnership,’ James Halliday tells us in his Wine Companion, ‘between Peggy and Carl Lindner (40%), Elena and Zar Brooks (40%), and Fiona and Brad Rey (20%). It brings together vineyards spread across the Adelaide Hills, Eden Valley, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Fleurieu Peninsula. Elena is not only the beautiful wife of industry dilettante Zar, but also an exceptionally gifted winemaker.’

We're off to a good start. This Riesling gets 96 points from Gary Walsh at the Winefront, who reports ‘remarkable depth and concentration. Lime, almost a lemon curd flavour and perhaps a suggestion of apple–the flavour is there–almost feels soft when you first taste it, then turns crunchy, spicy and runs very very long. Yes, we have plenty of stony mineral stuff too. Fabulous. A real ‘wow’ wine.’

Tyson Stelzer matches Gary every step of the way, and then makes a lunge for the trophy of wine poetry: ‘The bouquet sets out with a fragrance of pure lime blossom and spicy kaffir lime zest, which continue with delicate poise through a palate of seamless line, pristine energy and exceedingly persistent aftertaste. Soft, fine, mineral, chalky texture lingers amid perfectly poised acidity.’

Chris Shanahan just isn’t in the race here: 'God knows where Colin Kroehn’s riesling grapes went before Dandelion’s bright young people came along. But since their arrival we’ve tasted some of the finest, most delicate Eden Valley Riesling on offer – a particularly juicy, taut and delicate wine in the 2012 vintage. The Dandelion team includes Carl Lindner, Brad Rey, Zar Brooks and Elena Brooks, winemaker. Octogenarian Colin Kroehn tends his venerable old vines, planted in 1912.'

Carl Lindner, Colin Kroehn and Elena Brooks

(Sadly, Colin is no longer with us – he died in 2010. He had real style, old style).

 Patrick Haddock, the Wining Pom writes:
'No need to mention the superlative 2012 vintage in the Clare and Eden as it’s going to be a year to secure some bank loans if you’re a Riesling lover. There’s an Edenesque stature and signature of wet flagstones, lifted florals, kaffir lime and hints of candied ginger. It’s as much about citrus as it is about chalky minerals, it finds its trajectory immediately, delivering bursts of lemon, lime and scintillating spice leaving fresh acids to provide a lively, long finish. This is as good as Riesling gets – brilliant stuff. 95+'

Bert Werden at Winestar gets right in there with the best of them: 'There is just so much going on with this wine, so much complexity. Still pale enough to appear as though it were bottled yesterday, the nose shows a full spectrum of citrus blossom from lime to lemon and mandarin with a hint of spice which I love and believe adds a dimension to the better examples of this variety.

'In the mouth it is all Eden and reminds me of the great vintages of Steingarten of yesteryear with its chalky minerality that controls the fresh, somewhat restrained fruit and balances it with balanced with racy, slate-like, textural, crunchy acidity. Is it terroir, is it winemaking genius, is it 100 year old vines? What it is, is exceptional quality never mind the exceptional value at sub twenty dollars! Drink: Now-2023+; Quality: Exceptional.'

There’s stiff competition for all our poets from Dandelion's website, which describes the wine this way:

'Lights on in this Wonderland, an intense late vintage of powerful jasmine, mandarin leaf and even lychee juice bursting fruit freshness, with invigorating, intense smells of lime skin, citrus blossom, green apple, ripe guavas and cinnamon spice.

'An extraordinary precise and clean fruit spectrum of crunch lime and other citrus fruit flavours, stone-fruit, including apricot as well as classic mandarin citrus on the mid palate, developing into rich lemon meringue tart-like flavour but still with a refreshing steely minerality, balanced with racy, slate-like acidity.'

I'll let you make of this what you will, but I hope you enjoyed the poetry. My Tasting notes are much briefer, and I have to confess that I didn't find half the things other reviewers listed in their desrciptions. No ripe guavas, no mandarins, no candied ginger, no kaffir lime zest, no wet flagstones. Must enroll in some of Peter Bourne's wine appreciation classes.

Kroehn Vineyard, Eden Valley Township, Eden Valley

Here is an excerpt from an article on old vines written by Max Allen for US magazine Wine and Spirits http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com/ , which provides some insight into this remarkable vineyard:

'Colin Kroehn is just a little younger than the modest, hillside vineyard his grandfather established in 1912. "I remember it was 1912," he says, "because Dad told us he needed to get some wire for training the vines a couple of years after they were planted, but he couldn’t get any because the war had started."

Like many other old growers across the Barossa, Colin calls his eleven acres of riesling and shiraz his ‘garden’. This harks back to the very foundations of European settlement in the Barossa in the 1840s, when whole communities of Prussian Lutherans, escaping religious persecution, landed in the new colony of South Australia, seeking a new life.

These first settlers transposed traditions essentially unchanged since the Middle Ages - traditions of worship, of art, of mixed farming - from a cold central European setting to an often harsh, hot Australian environment. No wonder so many of those old vineyards have survived, passed down from father to son for generations.

Colin ... can pinpoint the moment when he saw his own vines move into maturity. "They came good in about 1942," he says. "When they were 30 years old. I know because I used to prune them and pick them as a kid, when they were young, and they were wild, then. But I remember thinking, around ’42, that they were better, and the grapes were better, now they’d settled down." '

Max Allen writes interesting stories about wine in many books and magazines - here's a link to his blog http://realaustralianwines.blogspot.com.au/

Kim

Dopff Grand Cru, Dandelion, Dog Point, Norfolk Rise, Shaw & Smith, Woodlands, Amelia Park, Castle Rock

The bigger they are, the harder they fall

A short preamble before we get stuck into the wines: I've had too much work on, and more tastings than usual this month, and I’m building a website to support this endeavour – the logical next phase.

Bargains have been far and few in between out there. Coles seems happy to play distant second fiddle to Woolworths so the heat has gone out of the battle. Worse, they’re up to their old tricks: bumping up the Rec retail price and then putting the wines on special. One example: Dogpoint Savvy at 1^st Choice on special for $25; you can buy it for $20 at Kemenys every day of every week.

Kemenys prices are always sharp but the latest cattledog didn’t really really tempt me with anything. Villa Maria Savvy 2012 for $11.50? Na. The Vavasour Avatere at $13.25 is most likely a better option – it’s waiting in the wings, I’ll let you know next time. Jim Barry Watervale Riesling 2012 for $13.50 is a bargain if you haven't bought cases of this already. The Mount Langi Ghiran Billi Billi Shiraz 2010 is still on offer for $12.50, and you’d be hard-pushed to get a better BBQ red for the money my friends tell me.

PLEASE NOTE:
Because of the mixed bag of tastings in the last few weeks, and the mixed up photos, I’ve haven’t grouped them as usual. Instead, I’m going through the wines more or less as they came.

Cloudy Bay Pelorus Brut - $27 at Vintage direct (Nicks)

I’ve raved about this wine before, when it was $25 at Winestar. It’s still a bargain at $27, and a better wine than the cheap frogs at $35-40.  Better than most of our bubblies in that range as well. Made mostly from Chardonnay. 2 years ageing on yeast lees shows with hints of yeast and warm bread on the nose. Strong mousse and very fine bead. Creamy texture with flavours of cashew and biscuits, yeast lees and a hint of citrus. Lovely mouthful with depth and length and a soft mouth feel. Perfect balance between power and elegance. BUY

 Saint Clair Gruener Veltliner 2011 - $19 at East End Cellar

Gruener Veltliner is a hardy white variety popular in Austria where it occupies about one third of the vineyard area. It has fans in Australia, where it is being planted here and there. Somewhere between Pinot Gris and ripe Riesling in flavour, with fruit ranging from apple to white peach. Big wine, good with food most likely, but short (lacking acid to clean it all up). Worth buying if you’re longing for something different.

New Zealand Grüner is like “Austrian Grüner Veltliner with hormones – it is much more aromatic”, according to John Forrest from Marlborough’s Forrest Wines. He told Drinks Business back in late 2010, ‘Marlborough may have done to Grüner Veltliner what it did to Sauvignon Blanc as much as 30 years ago.’

Our winewise Bill S bought the Laurenz V. 2005 on the right for $8 at auction. The nose suggested old Riesling but the palate was more like Chardonnay. Again it was short but what a bargain.

Dopff Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg 2009 - $28 at Dan M’s

Over the $25 limit again, and worth it once more. This is a stunning Alsace Riesling, big and ripe but classy, like a bowl of ripe fruit without the citrus that is the hallmark of our Rieslings. More minerals here, and more complexity, a towering example of what Riesling can do. Big enough to stand up to the pork and goose dishes of the region, I’m sure.There's a touch of sweetness, be warned. BUY

The Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling 2012 behind it has won 7 trophies, but this is the third time I’ve tasted it and wondered why it had won all those gongs. It’s a nice, soft ripe Riesling but the standard JB Watervale holds more promise in my view. Still NOT CONVINCED, not for $20 at Winestar.

The Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc 2011 didn’t impress Reg, Andy or me. This is often described as Australia’s best Savvy, and we were wondering why. Simple, almost flabby, no zest, no real depth of flavour – it’s a $22-23 touch and makes no sense. AVOID

We all thought the $13 Norfolk Rise Sauvignon Blanc 2012 (Winestar) was a better drink by far (Andrew’s find). Fresh, crisp and herbaceous, lovely with the oysters and prawns we had. Great summer drinking at the price. Won a gold at the Melbourne Show (96 points) but we’d give it 91 or 92 (pretty good). BUY

Dandelion Vineyards Wonderland of the Eden Valley Riesling 2012 - $18 at Winestar

I had read a lot of raves about this little wine with a very big name, which has a fascinating history to boot. From the website: ‘Dandelion Vineyards is a unique fusion of vine and vigneron … Our wish is to nurture the unique character of these vineyards and express their terrior (sic) in our wines. Capturing variety, vintage and vineyard requires an enlightened approach and although our growers see the Devil in every weed, we encourage the humble Dandelion amongst the vines as they supress winter weeds, provide mulch in summer, and proffer their Wishing Clocks in spring top blow off to make our wish come true.’

The fruit for this wine comes from Colin Kroehn’s 100 year-old vineyard, which he tended from 1950 to his death in 2010. This Wonderland of the Eden Valley Riesling 2012 was ‘bottled directly without fining or filtration to capture the essence of the vineyard … whole bunches were hand-picked on the 16th of March then destemmed in small batches without crushing the fruit to fill our press exactly. The free run juice was then fermented in small tanks between 11 and 14 degrees Celcius, the wine has a high level of natural acidity, 7.5 grams per litre, a pH of 3.01 and although bone dry, only 12.5% alcohol.’

 

So much has been written about this Riesling that I dedicated a whole blog post to it. I’m almost loath to venture my opinion on it, which is that it’s a fine Riesling that leans to the chalky/mineral side of the spectrum. I prefer the Pewsey Vale from the same region, for the extra fruit and and zest it has in abundance. The Dandelion is a bit more restrained at this stage but has the structure to develop for some years. A classy dame, but a bit aloof and hard to talk to at present. 

Elizabeth Siddal Marsanne Roussane Viognier 2010 - $13 at Bond’s Corner Fine Wine

Tiny vineyard, one of John C’s finds at Bonds Corner at Northbridge. Very restrained and refined for a McLaren Vale white, will take a few more years to open up. Minerals and wet pebbles at the moment; not exactly Chablis but it’s sure different. Not Sure

Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2012 - $20 at Kemenys

This is classy Savvy with fruit in the herbaceous spectrum, plus minerals, lots of flavour, some depth and length. A fine wine but like all the 2012 Savvies I’ve tried it’s pretty forward – pretty much ready to go. Not quite convinced it’s worth the money.

Barwang Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2012 - $13 at Winestar

This gets regular good reviews as a modern, cool climate style of Chardonnay. If it is, I don’t want modern or cool climate. The fruit is in the lemon curd/acid jazz spectrum, almost sour – or is it the oak they use? No, not likely. The 2011 was much the same. This wine actually got worse the longer we left it in the open bottle. Ghastly stuff - AVOID.

D’Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne 2010 - $13 at Kemenys

The last bottle of this struck me as fairly developed but this one was pretty fresh. A great food wine with plenty of flavour, nice change from Savvy and Chardy, try it with Italian food like pesto/creamy pasta. Much better than the 2011 that is turning up in the shops. BUY

Sadly, the Olive Grove Chardonnay 2011 from the same stable is not enjoyable. Not a lot of Chardonnay character, plenty of generic flavour that is a bit hot and clumsy, and all squashed up on mid palate. Just 88 points from Halliday. Probably reflects the awful vintage year in SA. AVOID

The Spy Valley Chardy is not readily available. It’s no great loss since it's not that exciting for over $20. I was more impressed with the Riesling and Gewuerz from this maker. Haven’t been able to track down the 2011 Chardonnay which was declared NZ’s best white by Michael Cooper. We can only wonder if the Oz distributor is fast asleep or if the Kiwis kept it all for themselves.

Catching Thieves Margaret River Chardonnay 2011 - $11 at Dan M’s

One of the many horses in the McWilliams stable, I gave this the thumbs up a while back: simple, fresh, mouth-filling and enjoyable. Not much oak, more like an unwooded Chardy. Surprise packet for the money. BUY

Domaine de la Baume la Jeunesse Syrah 2011 – $13 at Dan M’s   

The boys at Dan Murphy’s Balgowlah recommended this big soft, cuddly red from the Languedoc in the south of France. Not going anywhere but easy on the gums and packed with velvety flavour. A bit short and a bit unstructured but I’m being picky. BUY

Woodlands Margaret River Chardonnay 2012 - $22 AT Dan M

Woodlands is one of my favourite labels so this was a disappointment. The wine is too simple and nowhere near as tight as a quality young Chardy should be. Light on flavour and oak, and depth. Can’t see it going very far but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt. NOT CONVINCED

Amelia Park Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2011 - $17 at Dan M’s

I wasn’t convinced by the Amelia Park Cabernet Merlot from this highly rated winery a while back, and this one is about the same: well enough made but unexciting and lacking essential flavour, depth and length. It’s cheaper than the Cab Merlot but that doesn’t really help. Margaret River blends like this should be shining beacons. NOT CONVINCED

Holm Oak Vineyards Pinot Noir 2011 - $17 at Mosman Cellars

I wasn’t expecting much from this – given the price and the wet year and the few drinkable Pinots under $25 - but Maz at Mosman Cellars said it was good so I grabbed a bottle. Sadly, he’s wrong. As luck would have it, I think he sold it to me at the Holm Oak Ilex price, which is a cheaper range. This wine is $30 at Dan Murphy’s. It’s not a great Pinot, in fact it’s barely drinkable. There are some dried herbs here but not a lot of fruit. It really doesn’t taste that great, and sure isn’t worth the money. I feel for the producers trying to make a living in such a vintage, but … AVOID

Maison de Grand Esprit Cote de Nuits-Village La Belle Voisine 2009 – was $22 at United Cellars but sold out

I only mention this because John L brought it along for lunch, and I said: if our winemakers could produce wine like this for under $25, they’d be ecstatic. It’s a perfect budget Burgundy, an object lesson in bourgeois French winemaking but sadly several shipments of it sold out in hours once word got around. Our young Turk winemakers used to ridicule the French for their méthodes anciennes, but I suspect they’d keep very quiet if they tasted this. BUY if you can find it

Castle Rock Great Southern Riesling 2012 - $18 at Kemenys

This is from down south in Western Auastralia and generally well reviewed. To me, it lacks the zing and zippy acid of the best young Aussie Rieslings, a bit one-dimensional and subdued, maybe going through a stage, but not really exciting right now. There are more convincing Rieslings out there for less money. NOT CONVINCED

Swings & Roundabouts Margaret River Cabernet Merlot 2011 – $17 at Dan M’s

A pretty ordinary effort, this. Lacks charm and appeal, and the fruit and oak are a bit clumsy. No real class, pretty ordinary for Margaret River Cabernet Merlot. The Madfish Bay Gold Turtle Cabernet Merlot 2010 is both cheaper and better. NOT CONVINCED 

Woodlands Cabernet Merlot 2011 - $22 AT Dan M’

Another disappointment. Plenty of soft plummy fruit and good mouth feel but quite forward, pretty well ready to drink and nowhere to go. Not good enough for this money or this label. NOT CONVINCED

Te Mata Merlot/Cabernets Woodthorpe Vineyard 2009 – $20 at Dan M’s

This is the little brother of the widely admired $70 Coleraine Cabernet Merlot. The colour isn’t that strong and shows some development, and the nose supports that impression. The flavour is developed too, with some leather and herbs and spices. Seemed a little light on body at first but opened up, filled out and came good after a while, better still the next day. Good food wine, great with chicken cacciatore. Not too heavy.

Ferngrove Frankland River Symbols Cabernet Merlot 2009 - $13 at Dan M’s

This is a highly rated winery in Great Southern WA, but this wine will do it no credit. It’s the winery’s cheapest label but it offers us nothing to enjoy. The palate is a jungle. The wine is big and clumsy and devoid of charm. AVOID

The next lot of wines were provided by Bill S at Andrew’s book club evening, along with the Gruener Veltliners reviewed above

Arthur Metz Alsace collection 2011 - $15/16 at Ultimo Wine Centre

These wines are pretty decent for the money if you want the taste of Alsace without lashing out for the grand crus. This is a commercial label as we can see from the simple descriptors at the top. They’re fairly decent wines for the money but won’t worry Aussie winemakers too much. They’re all quite ripe and forward and flavoursome, but they didn’t make me want to rush out and buy some. Am I being hard on these? Tell me if I am. NOT CONVINCED

Bill said all of the reds that follow had won gold medals at national shows, but I didn't much care for most of them. The Wicks Estate Shiraz 2010 ($16 at Dan M's) was unremarkable, the Long Road Shiraz 2010 ($20 at Dan M's) was all arms and legs and remarkable only for the fact that it was made from grapes grown at Gundagai.

The Robert Oatley McLaren Vale Shiraz 2010 was the only red with some polish here, but even it wasn’t that exciting. Mind you, Huon Hooke called it a ripper of a McLaren Vale Shiraz and gave it 93 ($16 at My Cellars). The Ingoldby Shiraz 2010 ($12 at Vintage Cellars) was the same old inky, blunt edged McLaren Vale Shiraz I’ve always loathed – consistent is about the only positive I can think of. AVOID this one. NOT CONVINCED by any of the others.

The Wolf Blass Gold Label Barossa Shiraz 2010 is usually a $20 touch, and it tastes like Wolf Has handed down his secrets of oak maturation to the current winemaker (WB has been part of the Treasure Wines/Fosters/Southcorp stable for some years). This is a slick number for sure, with lots of ripe, plush dark berries and soft tannins - slips down the hatch like a little Jesus in velvet pants as they say in Burgundy. Polished, and showing a lot of front - just like the old Wolfie. 14.5%. BUY if you like the style. I found it for $90 a sixpack on the maker’s website. 

I think that’s enough for now

Kim

Penultimate Front Bench Dinner at Peter Bourne’s

At Pyrmont, that is. Sadly, Peter is leaving these lovely rooms soon

After all the debates about reducing the number of wines at these events, I didn’t notice any difference. Makes it hard for the pourer (Peter M), the scribe (Chris A) and the photographer, later on when cheeks get flushed. Paul F missed out, and we missed out on his Delphic utterances. Still, we had enough fun as you can see (please click on any image to see a large version):

The tucker was tops as usual 

And the wines bloody lovely

How lucky are we to have friends who share ancient treasure like this so generously?

And this lovely lot of Murray's best - interesting to see the transition from Hunter River Riesling to Semillon. 

John L brought a whole bracket of Turkey Flat Shiraz, one of my favourite Barossa reds, 1992 – 96.

Remarkable were two things: utterly consistent modern Shiraz style, and the wines’ steadfast refusal to show signs of age. Will they outlast us? Sadly, I didn’t get a shot of these lovely, John.

Someone kept moving the bottles off the table

Just warming up with this lot

And this lovely bunch

Serious stuff on the table now.

Someone took a photo of me – don’t remember that – offering one of the strong opinions I have so many of, with Reg looking non-plussed and Peter smiling politely.

Would you believe a 1939 Dolcetto from Johnny Walker’s Rhinecastle? Still with us as well? In good company here.

Thank you all for a wonderful evening

Kim

Summer of Riesling, winter of Discontent

Tasting wonderful wines in a grotty city laneway

This is what the promoters promised:

A fabulous street fair focussed on wine tasting and meeting winemakers from around the country. Around 300 punters are anticipated this year. They’ll sip their way through all the Riesling they can handle, feast on street food, and generally enjoy the awesomeness that is summer in Sydney. This is wine tasting the way it was meant to be.

And this is what they delivered:

A grotty, overcrowded laneway behind the Oak Barrel where winemakers and punters stood in the gutter much of the time - Nithsdale lane. The covered area was about the length of a semi trailer, and full of people. 400, it turned out. You couldn’t move in there, you couldn’t see or find the wines you wanted to taste, you got pushed and jostled by others trying to squeeze past – it was about as comfortable as standing on a Sydney bus during peak hour. Even taking photo in there took the flexibility of a Houdini.

Got lucky with this one. Met young winemaker Jonathan Holgate, raved about his Pinot Noir 2009,  told him Reg reckons he made the best Riesling he ever had, and enjoyed these Rieslings going back to 2006. Southern Highlands! Tasted lovely Riesling from Orange as well – Cargo Road – and some from New Zealand and Alsace.

This wasn’t the place for serious wine tasting, but a chance to taste a few appetisers from new sources. It was also a chance to confirm what a great vintage 2012 was for Riesling in South Australia.

There was a food bar at one end of the lane, and a band at the other. The guys calmed down after they realised that the narrow laneway enclosed by concrete walls acted like a giant amp.

The good part of this summerofriesling event was the quality of the wines and the no-limit $25 tickets. When I sent out a tweet on Monday morning summing up my feelings in 140 characters, I got a smart response from the summerofriesling organisers saying the other 399 punters loved the venue. They weren’t the ones we talked to, clearly. A winemaker we chatted with said the cost for him was much more reasonable at this event than at the upcoming NSW Wine and Food Fair in Hyde Park. There you go.

Kim

Aussie Reds – so much alcohol, so little finesse

Is it global warming, tough Aussie men or smart marketing?

‘To force Syrah up to an alcoholic content of 14 per cent or more,’ Roger Scruton wrote in a New Statesman column headed Grapes of Wrath, ‘tricking it into early maturation, so as to put the result on the market with all its liquorice flavours unsubdued, puffing out its dragon breath like an old lecher leaning sideways to put a hairy hand on your knee, is to slander a grape that, properly treated, is the most slow and civilised of seducers.’

Once upon a time, Shiraz was indeed the most civilized of red wines. The most seductive were the reds from the upper Rhone – Hermitage, Cote Rotie etc. - fragrant, medium-bodied reds with peppery, spicy and earthy overtones. We made reds in a similar style: I remember Best’s Great Western Shiraz reds from the seventies that were delicate but long-lived because of their superb balance. And Hunter reds from Murray Tyrrell and Coonawarra reds from Owen Redman in that style.

These reds were typically around 12.5% in alcohol, but they had plenty of tannin and acid to ensure a long life. In fact, they needed many years in the cellar before they became drinkable. It was much the same with the Cabernets of the time.

Bigger is Better

This became the motto for Aussie winemakers in the 90s. In 2005, the Australian Wine Research Institute published a report by Peter Godden and Mark Gishen, which showed mean increases in alcohol across all grape varieties and wine regions. They found the biggest increases in red varieties: Between 1984 and 2004, average alcohol levels in red wines rose from approximately 12.3% by volume to 13.9%. This matches my own observations,  charting the rising alcohol levels of three well-known Aussie reds:

Penfolds Grange 1981 - 12.7%

Penfolds Grange 1996 - 14%

Penfolds Grange 2004 - 14.5%

Penfolds St Henri 1986 - 13.4%

Penfolds st Henri 1998 - 14%

Penfolds St Henri 2004 - 14.5%

Leconfield Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 - 13%

Leconfield Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - 14%

Leconfield Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 - 14.5%

Bigger again still is better still

Today it’s hard to find Cabernets or Cabernet blends even from cool Coonawarra, even in a coolish year like 2010, that aren’t 14.5% alcohol. Bottles of Barossa and McLaren Vale Shiraz from the same year often notch up 15% or more. Overripe, jammy, extracted fruit bombs that assault your senses like bulldozers, wines so big that you're tempted to reach for a spoon, wines that can hardly be called ‘fine’ wines.

Some blame Robert Parker for this trend. The American who makes and breaks reputations at will developed a great fondness for the big ripe reds made in South Australia and Victoria. In the late nineties, he gave a 1996 Chris Ringland Shiraz 100/100 points and called it 'arguably the greatest Shiraz made in Australia ... this viscous, black/purple-colored wine represents the essence of both wine and Shiraz ... it is akin to a dry vintage port.' 

It's hard to see how a wine resembling vintage port - and Ringland's wines frequently reach close to vintage port alcohol levels of 16-17% - can be the essence of wine. Duck Muck Shiraz 1997 from Wild Duck Creek at Heathcote was another Parker favourite rated at 99 points out of 100, which instantly made a 16% red no one had ever heard of unprocurable. Single bottles soon sold for $1,000 or more at auction.

Other winemakers took their cue from this story and found that Parker was kind to all those who went right over the top on the octane scale. He found Sarah and Sparky Marquis, called their McLaren Vale reds ‘the greatest red wine values in existence’ and urged his followers to back up the ute. Sarah and Sparky launched a new brand in 2006, ‘Mollydooker’, for reds that packed a 16% punch.

Parker promptly declared The Boxer the Best Value Red Wine in the World, Two Left Feet the second best, and the Maitre D the fourth. Sparky proudly tells us that he leaves the grapes on the vines several weeks longer than anyone else in McLaren Vale. You didn’t think there was a market for Spaetlese Shiraz? The North Americans can’t get enough of it

Whaddayaknow: It’s not global warming

British wine authority Jancis Robinson cites a working paper published in May 2011 by the American Association of Wine Economists, which found that the increase in average alcohol levels in wines across the world was much greater than could be explained by global warming. The researchers concluded that ‘the rise in alcohol content of wine is primarily man-made'. http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a201201133.html

Yes, it’s simple: winemakers make these rich, ripe, forward reds because they’re easier to sell. They also win more medals since judges reliably fall for wines with obvious charms like voluptuous curves, succulent fruit and velvety tannins. Reds like these also have instant appeal to some consumers since riper fruit and more alcohol (glycerol) make for a richer, smoother wine with a velvety mouth feel.

Others are getting really tired of these big reds. Robinson says: ‘It seems as though producers are aware of a general wariness of high alcohol levels yet wish to deliver a velvety texture that they reckon can be achieved only by prolonged 'hang time' of grapes on the vine.’

Isn’t it curious how our white wines have gone the other way, in the same climate, in the same vineyards? The trend has been to make them fresher and crisper to go with our outdoorsy summer style of living, and picking the fruit earlier to retain higher acid levels is a simple way of doing that. White wines are drunk chilled, too cold in most cases which kills the flavour and hides a lot of sins.

Misleading labels

Robinson also points out that the guys who wrote that working paper found winemakers reluctant to admit quite how high alcohol levels have to be ‘to achieve the imagined goal of gustatory fullness and roundness.’ This leads us to the next issue: the latitude authorities allow winemakers when it comes to printing the alcohol level on wine labels. In Australia, a wine labeled 14.5% can quite legally be anything from 13 to 16%.

This explains why some wines show the same alcohol level, year in, year out, and some winemakers claim the same alcohol level across a range of different wines. I tend to check the alcohol level on labels of wines before buying them in order to avoid monster reds and the Twiggy whites that have become so fashionable in recent years. What do you do when you can’t even rely on a simple number on a product label? 

Mechanisation – a drug of addiction

By the nineties, mechanical pruning and harvesting had became the norm in our bigger vineyards. The savings were irresistable, and the gains considerable. As James Halliday recalls: ‘... the major wineries were hellbent on producing the maximum yield per hectare at the lowest possible price. Pruning was mechanised and reduced to a minimum, and the grapes were mechanically harvested … low-cost viticulture had become a drug of addiction, facilitating discounting of already low-priced wines, yet providing a return on the annual running cost.’

What’s this got to do with rising alcohol levels in our reds? Let’s step back for a moment: sugar level determines the alcohol and natural acidity of a wine. Phenolics determine a wine’s colour and flavour compounds, and its grape tannins. These compounds advance along different maturing curves - in hot climates like ours, phenolic ripeness tends to lag behind sugar ripeness. In cold climates like Germany’s, it’s the other way round. In perfect climates, the two curves intersect.

With mechanical pruning and harvesting, the abundant vine canopies tend to slow phenolic ripenening of grapes and that means later picking at higher sugar levels. Picking later also reduces the number of unripe berries that end up in the crusher, the ones that caused those strange green pea and capsicum flavours in the eighties in Coonawarra reds. Coonawarra’s vast expanse of dead-flat vineyards was the perfect place for mechanization.

Back to nature

Those who hold global warming responsible for the rise in alcohol levels say that drought-stressed vines need to reach higher sugar levels to produce fruit of physiological ripeness. If that were so, why did the alcohol levels not go down after the drought ended? And how come the alcohol levels of white wines have come down in response to preferences by wine judges for fresher, lighter whites?

It really comes back to the winemaker and the vineyard. Physiological maturity is more easily achieved at sensible sugar levels in vineyards that are optimised for row spacing, vine density, trellising, pruning, canopy height and density, fruit shading and water use. This can't easily be done in vineyards set up for mechanical pruning and harvesting, since they impose their own rules on vineyard management.

One way to achieve phenolic ripeness at lower sugar levels is to use biodynamic or organic farming techniques. Early adopters include Henschke, Kalleske, Mitchell, Bass Philip, Bindi, Jasper Hill, Savaterre, Cullens and Howard Park. More wineries in the Margaret River region are adopting biodynamic practices, and it’s interesting to ponder how it’s forged ahead in the last decade while Coonawarra has underperformed.

Back to sanity

It’s great to have variety and choice, of course, and I have no issue with that. The problem with our reds is that the rise in alcohol has been pretty much across the board. The other problem is that high alcohol reds tend to lose their terroir and varietal characteristics – 15% reds taste pretty much the same, no matter where they come from.

A good example of this are reds from the Rhone from the warm years of 2007 and 2009. With alcohol levels of 14 – 14.5%, their fragrant, spicy, peppery, dusty characters were pushed aside by the sheer weight and ripe warmth of the wines. A Chateauneuf I had was no longer recognizable.

That’s not what fine wine is about, and that’s not where we ought to be heading. I will end with this plea to our wine judges who hand out the gongs at all those shows we run across the country: use the system to reward red wines of finesse, of elegance, of balance, wines that speak of their origins. Reward Shiraz wines of sweet breath and delicate touch instead of the puffed-up old lechers.

Kim

Southern Highland Wines, Tempus Two & Bergerac

Treasures from local wine merchants

I read that Michael Cooper, NZ’s James Halliday, had pronounced the Spy Valley Chardonnnay 2011 the best NZ Chardy released in 2012. You can get all kinds of Spy Valley wines in Sydney but the Chardonnay isn’t one of them. After an exhaustive trawl of the internet, the only place that popped up as a source was Mosman Cellars.

Mosman Cellars? I didn’t even know that we had an independent wine merchant left around here. There’s Cremorne Cellars down in Spofforth St, holding out against the Vintage Cellars monopoly in this area. Coles bought the Theos chain some years ago, and Theo had bought just about all the grog shops from Neutral Bay to Mosman. It was time to do what I've been preaching and show support my local wine merchant some support.

Mosman Cellars is a hole in the wall on Spit Road, among a gaggle of forlorn-looking shops, between Stanton and Parriwi Roads on the opposite side. The owner is a helpful young fellow called Maz. He doesn’t have any Spy Valley Chardonnay but he says he’ll find me a bottle. Service is the name of the game here, and wine labels you don’t see too often.

Sadly, only one of these is a BUY but the fun is in getting to know these wineries.

BUY

Southern Highlands Wines Estate Riesling 2012 - $15 at Mosman Cellars

Big, rich wine with enormous concentration of fruit, almost too much of a good thing, ripe citrus and orange set off against a fine acid backbone. Talk about flavour! Not one to keep, but one to have with full-flavoured foods over the next 12 months. It’s dry but it might’ve been even better late picked. 14%.

Castle Rock Great Southern Riesling 2012 – $20 at Bonds Corner Fine Wines

A fine Riesling from Porongurup near Mount Barker, with more restrained fruit than the 2012s from South Australia. It’s more delicate too but not soft in the German manner, in fact the acid is bordering on sour. The lime juice fruit is a little more subdued here, and the flavour has more herbaceous notes. With a bit of luck, that sharp backbone of fine acid will ensure years of improvement. Halliday gives it 96, Ray Jordan 95. I would’ve like a little more mid-palate intensity and a touch softer finish so I’m a couple of points behind. 12%.

Spy Valley Gewuerztraminer 2011 - $20 at Kemenys

I’ve been reading good things about Spy Valley, and their Gewuerztraminer has been a favourite for a while now. Had a chance to try it again, and it’s a big, rich Gewuerz and just great if you’re looking for the ripe lychees and spices. Not one to put away, but one to drink soon with rich foods like pork dishes.14%.

Spy Valley Riesling 2012 - $20 at Mosman Cellars

A much more refined wine, from a different year as well, really elegant citrus fruit and delicate but persistent acid. Long and lean but ripe enough, the fruit is softening already but the wine should improve for a couple of years or three.12.5%.

Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2012 - $17 at Mosman Cellars

2012 looks like a soft, ripe year from early indications. This wine has terrific fruit with hints of gooseberry and cut grass, and some citrus nuances but it’s all wrapped in a soft, ripe envelope that’s pretty easy on the gums. There's not a huge of amount of acid here for a young Sauvignon Blanc. Enjoy now rather than later. 13%

McWillams Hanwood Estate 2010 - $8 at 1^st Choice

The good value 2009 is gone now, but this is very similar. Recognisable as Chardonnay, a touch more elegant and balanced, a trifle less oaky, decent drinking for the money. 13.5%

Catching Thieves Margaret River Chardonnay - $11 at Dan M’s

I used to struggle to find a McWilliams wine I could recommend, but this is the second one this week. The cute label that bears no resemblance to any other in the company’s stable. I suspect the fruit for it comes from McWilliams’ recent acquisition of Evans & Tate. This is pretty good drinking for the money – and I’ve seen this label on special at under $10 – with good Chardonnay fruit and enough depth and length and acid to keep it interesting. Not unlike unwooded Chardy but a bit more disciplined. 13.5%

Not Convinced

Knee Deep in Margaret River Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2011 - $16 at Mosman Cellars

What I like most about this wine is the label. It made me smile. The wine was a bit flat and unexciting for an SSB from Margaret River. Needs a bit more fruit and more zest to convince us that it’s a serious wine. Not that bad, but not really good enough. Gets 91 from James H. I’m a couple points behind once more.

Knappstein Hand Picked Riesling 2012 - $15 at Winestar

This looked like a terrific bargain, with all the gongs and rave reviews: South Australian Wine of the Year (Trophy), 96 Points (Gold) at the Melbourne Show 2012, Gold Medal at the Hobart Show 2012, Best Value White Wine - The Age/Sydney Morning Herald Good Wine Guide 2013, and more.

Reg, Andy and I grabbed a bottle to have with lunch. Our disappointment was unanimous: this was a pleasant, soft Riesling with instant appeal, nothing wrong with it, but we all agreed we’d had better Rieslings from this terrific year. Pewsey Vale, Jim Barry Watervale, O’Leary Walker Watervale and Mitchell’s Clare Valley Rieslings are our top 4 for $15 -$20.

About the Knappstein, Nick Stock writes: ‘… lovely, dense acidity, crunchy and even. Terrific flow and balance, great flavour depth here.’ We didn’t see that. Tyson Stelzer says ‘Precise lime juice, granny smith apple and lemon blossom carry seamlessly from refined bouquet through a palate of brilliant intensity, unreserved focus and incredible persistence. Layers of chalky mineral structure ...’ we didn’t see that either. Max Allen talks about a great value Riesling you can ‘comfortably cellar for a decade or more.’ We didn’t think the wine would last that long.

Are we blind? Were we smoking something weird over lunch? No. The 2012 Jim Barry Lodge Hill served as a reference, and it was the better wine (and the dearer at $20) yet this winner of 7 trophies is not our top 2012 Riesling either. It comes down to the way we taste wines, I suspect: with food, over a period, not on a bench with a dozen others. Try it yourself, it's not a bad wine for $15.

Chateau de la Mallevieille Bergerac 2011 – $22 at Bonds Corner Fine Wine

Bergerac is an area that lies to the south-east of Bordeaux, very much overshadowed by its famous neighbour. Bergerac is a large and diverse area with a mixed reputation, so this is the kind of wine you should only buy from a wine merchant who knows his way around the producers. John at Bonds Corner in Northbridge was a sommelier before he bought this bottleshop, and he has an interesting selection lot of wines here.

This one is an aromatic wine with a fresh fruit flavour profile – there’s some Sauvignon Blanc detectable here, and other flavours suggesting a fruit salad mix of grapes. Checking on the appellation reveals that Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle, Viognier and Carignan are all used in these wines. It’s fresh and well-made, and good summer drinking when chilled. It’s a bit short on the finish but the reason it’s not a BUY is the price: $22 after the 15% discount for a 6-pack. There’s just not enough to it for this kind of money. More info on the wines of Bergerac here http://www.helensavage.com/tastings/bergerac.html

Brokenwood Chardonnay 2012 – $16 at Chambers Cellars (30% off sale)

Once this was the original boutique winery with a tiny output, but these days Brokenwood makes a staggering array of wines. Few of them use Hunter Valley fruit, it seems. This Chardy is sourced from Beechworth, McLaren Vale and Cowra, and it’s a very attractive, well-made wine – fruit driven and not relying on oak to any extent. The downside is that it’s not recognisable as a Chardonnay, it tastes more like a fruit salad blend. Nice enough, don’t get me wrong, but not really good enough compared with Chardys from Hoddles Creek and Tarrawarra for the same money. (this is a $20 wine most places, most of the time).

Brokenwood Pinot Noir 2010 - $19 at Chambers Cellars (30% off)

This Pinot Noir from Beechworth is a notch higher in the price range than the Chardy, and the first thing that stands out is the good red colour and the depth of it. Sadly, the rest of the wine is less impressive. Again it’s well-made, and again it’s not recognisable as a Pinot Noir. It’s a light to medium bodied red that lacks both the sweet and savoury nuances we expect in a good Pinot. Checking my bearings, I find that scores range from 87 (Parker) to 90 points from the ever-generous James Halliday. I'm somewher in between.

Ruggabellus FLUUS 2011 - $23 at Bonds Corner Fine Wine

I love the name, and the label, and the story told by Abel Gibson on his website: ‘... my life has been filled with privileged experience working with and observing some great winemakers each with their own unique way of crafting wine. ‘Respect and history’ was learnt at Penfolds, ‘art and tradition’ at Rockford, ‘intellect and detail’ from Chris Ringland, ‘bunch and mystery’ from Charlie Melton, ‘provenance and balance’ from my father at Gibson and most recently and quite importantly ‘belief’ from Pete and Magali at Spinifex – without their encouragement ‘Ruggabellus’ would in all likelihood have remained an idea to this day.’

Last year, Abel Gibson won both Young Gun of Wine Awards – he was both the judges' and the consumers’ choice. Max Allen said, ‘Past finalists of the Young Gun of Wine Awards have gone on to become legends of the industry, so it is remarkable that one winemaker has taken both awards – particularly so in a year that has arguably the strongest line-up of finalists thus far.’ Enough said?

The other wines Abel Gibson makes are

• TIMAEUS – inspired by Grenache
• EFFERUS – inspired by Mataro
• ARCHAEUS – inspired by Syrah

I couldn't find an explanation for the inspired names, try as I might. FLUUS, Abel tells us, contains those wines that remain after blending the three above. Gary Walsh at the Winefront tells us that the 2011 Fluus was the only wine Abel made from that rain-soaked vintage. I wanted to like the wine, a hand-made, medium-bodied (13.6%) Barossa GSM, but I have to admit I liked the wine less than Gary. I think it reflects the awful vintage, and in hindsight I may have been a bit harsh on Kym Teusner’s 2011 reds which have a bit more meat on their bones. The Fluus has all the right ingredients for a wine made to go with food but they don’t work any magic, and the wine feels a bit edgy and thin in the mouth, rather than silky and smooth. Not a keeper either.

More info here: http://www.ruggabellus.com.au/information/

AVOID

Tempus Two Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2012 - $13 at MyCellars and other places

This blend of Hunter Semillon and Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc has won tree trophies and several gold medals, and here am I saying ‘stay clear of it.’ This is one of those tricked-up wines where unripe (11.3%) fruit is masked by a sweet fruit overlay that reminds me of artificially sweetened soft drink. I’ve no idea how this concoction fooled the judges.My partner is in full agreement.

Harewood Estate Riesling 2012, Vendange Tardive - $20 at Mosman Cellars

This is a Riesling from the Great Southern region of Western Australia. Vendange Tardive, like Spaetlese, means late picked. This wine has some residual sweetness on offer but little else – no crisp acidity to carry it, no real intensity of mid-palate flavour, no perfume on the nose ... it’s a mystery wine from a serious new winery. Three of us could find no redeeming features over here, and I still can’t a week later.  

Bad bottle? No idea. On that subject, the heavy designer bottle is a real turn-off. I really wish wineries would stop using these since they must take a lot more energy to make and to move around than ordinary bottles.

Kim

How Southcorp and Fosters trashed the Rosemount brand

Would you pay $1.5 billion dollars for a brand, and let it go down the drain?

By the turn of the millennium, Rosemount was one of the most recognisable wine brands in Australia. It was the country’s fifth biggest wine company, and it was profitable. It made large volumes of cheap and cheerful Chardonnay under its diamond label, along with premium wines such as Roxburgh Chardonnay and Balmoral Syrah.

Southcorp bought Rosemount for $1.5 million in 2001. Southcorp already had an enviable portfolio that included great Aussie brands like Penfolds, Lindemans and Wynns, so I can't imagine why they wanted Rosemount so badly. The merger was painful, and some talked of a reverse take-over as some of Rosemount’s team had taken up key roles at Southcorp HQ. The cultures just didn’t mesh, there was lots of infighting, and soon good people on both sides left for calmer waters.

It’s alright to sit up there in your flash suits

In 2003, Southcorp had to write down the value of its investment by $240 million yet CEO John Ballard told ABC radio: ‘As someone who has spent most of his life in the world of global brands marketing, let me say that the Rosemount brand is a wonderful brand. And its potential for this company is simply immense.’

A year later, Ballard faced a virtual shareholder revolt. ‘It’s all right to sit up there in your flash suits and get your big money,’ one shareholder told the board. ‘None of you fellas are suffering like we are. I’m an investor. I rely on the income [from dividends].’ A hasty restructuring exercise followed but did little to ease the flow of red ink.

Rosemount was just one of many leaks on the sinking ship Southcorp. The story goes that the Oatley family, who sold Rosemount and had become big shareholders in Southcorp, approached Fosters to rescue the company (and what was left of the Rosemount brand). In 2005, the big brewer came to the party and bought Southcorp for $3.2 billion.

Diamonds and more diamonds

The marketing boys at Fosters wasted no time refloating the Rosemount. They knew they had to think big, and come up with a marketing master stroke. Taking their cue from the diamond-shaped label, they created a new bottle with a diamond base. No kidding. They also created a new ‘brand architecture’ to go with the new bottle: six distinct tiers of Rosemount wines, each with its ‘own philosophy and consumer proposition.’

Predictably, retailers disliked the hard-to-handle diamond-bottomed bottles, consumers thought they were gimmicky, and serious drinkers shook their heads and looked for other brands. The new brand architecture remained a mystery to all. Fosters also sold the Rosemount winery in the Upper Hunter Valley and moved the cellar door to McLaren Vale. No kidding.

Five years later, Rosemount’s local market share had slipped to about 1% from a high of 5% in 2000. Late in 2010, Fosters announced that its newly demerged wine subsidiary Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) would carry out a high-level global review of the Rosemount brand, to be overseen by Foster’s global brand council and its most senior managers.

Delightfully Unpretentious

TWE presented the results to the trade in late November 2011. Industry veteran David Farmer confessed to some confusion about the ‘New Positioning’, which was supported by great lines like Rosemount Estate is everything you love about wine without all the pretense (sic). The new tagline for the Diamond label range is Delightfully Unpretentious, and the message on the bottle says: The bright fresh flavours of Diamond Label are the perfect expression of Rosemount Estate.

Despite Foster’s and TWE’s efforts over the last seven years, the Rosemount brand hasn’t recovered any of its former glory. It shows that you need to care for a brand no matter how big it is, and maintain a consistent, logical positioning that you can build on. Simple really, isn’t? As for Bob Oatley, he probably thinks more about the next yacht race these days than his former diamond.

Additional Reading

Does Rosemount Have a Future? David Farmer, December 13, 2010 http://www.glug.com.au/index_industry.php?sec=industry&art=10014

Rethinking the Shape of a Diamond, David Farmer, February 22, 2012 http://www.glug.com.au/index_industry.php?sec=industry&art=12001