Domaine de Longue Toque 2006

This wine is not shy, weighing in at 15% abv, a blend of grenache, shiraz and mourvedre. Or should I say syrah?  Somewhere between purple and ruby in colour, the wine's aroma is all about sweet spices, meats and just generally sweet fruit - albeit not candied in that way that grenache can be.  On the palate, spices, medium plus length, herbes de provence, lowish acidity and some expected heat.  Good rustic drinking.  87 points.

Abv: 15%
Price: around $20
Website: http://www.gabriel-meffre.fr/domaine-de-longue-toque-1

Heat damaged wines

I was reading on an American wine blog (Dr Vino) recently a fairly active discussion on the extent of the problem with heat damaged wines.  You can read the posts here and here.  Which seems a sensible and highly relevant topic for me to raise when the ice warning flashed up on the car this morning.  So sorry about that, albeit I say sorry here taking advantage of its lesser known inverse meaning.  The result of excess heat of wine is well documented - prematurely aged characters, flat and cooked flavours and oxidation are among them.  It seems possible sometimes to spot these possibilities on inspection of the bottle - a lower than expected fill level, discolouration and for wines sealed under cork, a capsule that doesn't turn freely or is sticky, or a cork that is protruding.  Other times, tasting the wine foreshadows the unbridled joy of the debate to follow.  First me v me: do I really care enough to return it?  Really?  Second, me v retailer: will the 3/4 full bottle by my side gladden his or her heart?

The issue stems fairly evidently from failing to transport and store wine at low temperatures.  And most Australian cities and regions are disastrously hot (or variable) or both at some point or other during the year.  Which therefore means that much wine will be cooked without intervention.  Which intervention is a problem if the vast majority of people who might benefit from said intervention wouldn't appear to give a stuff about the reason for intervening.   So, it is probably the case that it is the wine trade that will need to do its best - and my anecdotal observations reveal a mixed bag.  Retailers that don't adequately climate control their displays - not that I've seen much different overseas.  Warehouse stocks that could be climate controlled, but their status is not known.  Cases of wine stacked high at wineries sitting in tin sheds in summer in South Australia.  Leaky corks and sticky capsules for wines on retail shelves.  Wines freighted in the height of summer.  Tired tasting imported wine begging the polite to question the climate control of its shipping (or the bits before and after shipping).

I personally think a lot more can be done to avoid the problem, and it does surprise me a little that more don't take it seriously as offering a potential competitive advantage.  Any thoughts on who to watch and watch out for much appreciated.

Chateau du Cedre 2007

Well they say "the black wine of Cahors", and in a somewhat surprising turn of events, this wine is black.  A blend of 90% malbec, 5% merlot and 5% tannat, the aroma is a complex, with notes of herbs, spices, dark fruits and twigs.  The palate shows its oak ageing (20 to 22 months in a mixture of new and old oak) but this is offset by quite pronounced persistence of dark fruit flavours and spices.  This is a good wine, particularly for its modest price.  87 points.

Abv: 13.5%
Price: $22
Website: http://www.chateauducedre.com/

Bodegas Palacio Glorioso Reserva 2005

This is a lovely Rioja wine, made from old vine tempranillo and aged for 36 months, with a further 12 months in French oak barrels.  Ruby in colour, and not particularly saturated, this 2005 Rioja opened to reveal an aroma of quite pungent cherries and spice.  On the palate, some initial flatness was replaced after 10 minutes or so, with good length, medium tannins, medium acidity and good savoury red fruit flavours.   This wine will benefit from a decent decant, as it got better and better in the glass.  A good, classic example of Rioja.  87-88 points.

Abv: 13.5%
Price: $30
Website: http://www.bodegaspalacio.com

Chateau Haut-Bages Monpelou 2007

Though from Pauillac, this wine is not the grandest label, nor the grandest year.  And unfortunately that about sums it up.  Young looking, with a ruby colour, expect a pungent aroma of cherries, spice and cedar.  The palate is disappointing.  Short length, a touch dilute, low tannins, medium acidity and slightly tart plums are evident.  This wine bears more than a passing resemblance to a simple AOC Bordeaux, and is another reason to approach the 2007s with caution.  79 points.

Abv: 13%
Price: $37
Website: http://www.borie-manoux.com/en/our-wines/our-chateaux/chateau-haut-bages-monpelou.html

Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron 1997

1997 was largely a problematic year in Bordeaux.  According to "The Wine Doctor" it is described thus:

"The 1997 vintage started well, with an exceptionally warm Spring, and very early, although somewhat irregular and prolonged, flowering. Unfortunately this resulted in vines bearing grapes of differing maturity, and this was exacerbated by erratic Summer weather - a hot June, a cool July, and a hot and humid August. Early September saw heavy rain, but by the middle of the month the sun was shining once more. Those who picked early harvested wet, swollen, diluted grapes of variable ripeness, whereas those who delayed at least stood a chance. Nevertheless, despite the long period between flowering and harvest, there was not great concentration in any of the grapes, thanks simply to the poor weather throughout August.  These were never going to be wines for long ageing. At worst, dilute and unripe. At best, attractive, approachable, for early drinking."


The Baron, one of my favourite wineries because it is always good, navigated these challenging vintage conditions with aplomb.  Ruby in colour, there were herbs, menthol, dried twigs, cedar/pencil box and spices there by way of aroma.  On the palate, the Baron's usual length came to the fore even though you could tell the vintage was not an amazing one: 20 seconds plus of persistence, and typical blackcurranty flavours.  The Baron 1997 proves the sage advice to buy good producers in bad vintages.  95 points.

Abv: 13%
Website: http://www.pichonlongueville.com/

Chateau Montrose 1998

I usually find it harder to write a bad wine review than a good one, though I write plenty of the former.  Questions swirl around in my head.  Did I miss something?  Am I being over-critical?  Were there any redeeming features?  Is my nose a bit blocked?  This review on the other hand writes itself.  A deep looking wine, somewhere between purple to ruby in colour.  Spices, blackcurrant, ripe fruit and a touch of twigs are there by way of aroma.  But it's the palate that both distinguishes and is distinguished.  Long, long length, defined blackcurrants and spices on the palate.  You can almost taste the clay subsoil in this dense wine.  This wine has many, many years to go, but is brilliant drinking now.  97 points.

Abv: 12.5%

Website: http://www.chateau-montrose.com/

Pikes Eastside Shiraz 2008

Pikes, a reliable source of Clare Valley riesling, also produce a well priced shiraz from the same region.  Their 2008 Eastside Shiraz is deep purple in colour, with evident tears around the glass.  It appears particularly youthful in the glass.  Aromas of pepper, spices, black fruits, good quality cedary oak (if a little separate), a touch of herbs and tea leaves.  On the palate, medium to high acidity, medium length, lowish tannins and bursting blackberries.  This is enjoyable, teeth staining, drinking at a reasonable price.  86 points.

Abv: 14.5%
Price: $20-$30
Website: http://www.pikeswines.com.au

Semillon Blanc and other odd things

I was led by a friend to a rather interesting article by Huon Hooke in "Business Day" (a Fairfax website) , entitled "Hunter Valley winemaker launches "semillon blanc"".  You can read it here.  Huon Hooke is one of Australia's most senior wine writers.  Largely, the story is this: Marlborough sauvignon blanc has sold devastatingly well in Australia and "home grown" semillon not so well.  Solution:  big Australian producer McGuigan brings out a new wine made from semillon and calls it "The Semillon Blanc".  Apparent result: sales go up.  The wine's label is shown in the linked article and here on McGuigan's website.

I had some thoughts on aspects of this.  First, I will let you ponder two quotes:

"If the taste of Marlborough sauvignon blanc is so popular, why is traditional Australian semillon so unpopular?"

"But Australian semillon is also a light, fresh, fruit-driven style of dry white, which has a lightly herbal fruit character, not a hell of a lot different to sauvignon, really. So why is it in the doldrums?"

These comments would appear to assume that there is quite some similarity between sauvignon blanc and semillon.  Indeed, I have recently read elsewhere that "Some New World semillons are so vegetal they could be mistaken for Sauvignon Blanc".  But, to be honest, while I guess it's possible, they seem so darn different to my palate!  Semillon can be neutral, acidic and unapproachable in its youth, but can age gloriously in its Hunter Valley robes, and usually features low alcohol.  Sauvignon blanc from Marlborough conversely is instantly recognisable, perhaps even more so in blind tastings - highly aromatic, often predictable and immediately easy to drink, with aged examples more likely to be a case of "woops, I forgot to drink that" than intent.  Their similarities to me would seem to end at white and fruit driven, which also can describe many other grape varieties.

And then there are the meaty bits of the article:

"They've had no choice but to look in helpless horror as their market is progressively eaten away by Kiwi producers. Now, an Australian winery has decided to do something about it; McGuigan has launched a wine labelled The Semillon Blanc.  The packaging is clever and the target buyer is influenced by this. It looks good and has a simple message on its label. The name is The Semillon Blanc 2011 ($12.99) with the words ''Refreshing, crisp and aromatic''.

Some buyers will probably assume it's a semillon sauvignon blanc blend but that's not the intention, according to chief winemaker Neil McGuigan. ''It could happen but it's not a concern,'' he says ... 

The wine is already doing exceptionally well in Britain. ''This wine has single-handedly lifted McGuigan's semillon sales in the UK by 52 per cent,'' he says ... The 2011 is quite fragrant, in a citrus, passionfruit, gooseberry sort of way, with a hint of semillon varietal straw. It's delicate and finely textured but also soft and round, with gentle acidity and immediate drinkability."

So, it seems here that the semillon grapes perhaps have been crafted to produce a more sauvignon blanc like result, if Huon's tasting note is anything to go by.  Even so, it appears to be a case of somewhat cheeky labelling.  While I understand why a producer might want to do this, if I saw this front label without the benefit of this context, I would think, without more, that the wine was an example of the classic blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc.  And putting to one side the merits of making one grape taste like another, I am also a little troubled by an approach which seeks to make a wine label look similar to another more commercially successful grape variety.  Perhaps others would not see these concerns and take the wine at face value - after all, it does not say it is sauvignon blanc.  And perhaps a third group would say "who cares?"

Nonetheless, I am left thinking something perhaps too obvious: why don't they just plant more sauvignon blanc and say sauvignon blanc on the label?

Victory Point Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Victory Point from the Margaret River is a family producer I've not tried before.  If this wine is representative, they are very much worth giving a go.  Ruby in colour, their 2007 cabernet sauvignon had an aroma of pepper, plums, herbs, cedar, and evident influence from its 10% malbec (the remaining blend being 86% cabernet sauvignon and 4% petit verdot).  On the palate, expect some pepper, medium length, oak influence and medium acidity.  A very enjoyable wine.  87 points (7.2/10)

Abv: 14%
Price: $34
Website: http://www.victorypointwines.com

Tim Adams Botrytis Riesling 2006

Local botrytis rieslings seem often to be non-cloying, true to the riesling grape and sold at a fair price.  In other words, "good".  Tim Adams' 2006 botrytis riesling is no exception.  At 85g/litre residual sugar, their 2006 vintage had an aroma and taste of lemon and lime skins - not the pithy bits, but the rind itself.  It was perhaps somewhat challengingly sour for this reason upon tasting it initially, but it opened out to reveal a well made and enjoyable wine.  85 points.

Abv: 12%
Price: $25 (current vintage, 375ml)
Website: http://www.timadamswines.com.au

Chateau Haut Madrac 2003

I bought this wine a few years ago now.  It presented like a classic left-bank Bordeaux.  A blend of 70% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot, it showed crushed and juicy bramble fruits and cedar (with a touch of anise) on the nose.  On the palate, the wine had medium acidity, white pepper, shortish length and fairly dry tannins, but all in balance.  "Balanced" is probably the adjective that best sums up this wine.  A well priced Bordeaux that is pleasant drinking.  85 points.

Abv: 12.5%
Price: mid $20s
Website: http://www.borie-manoux.com/en/our-wines/our-chateaux/chateau-haut-madrac.html

Rymill Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Rymill is a reliable producer from the Coonawarra region, with one of those lovely tree lined entrances that I always fall for.  Their 2006 cabernet sauvignon has an aroma of licorice and chocolate.  On the palate, expect medium acidity, medium length and acidity, gentle tannins and blackcurrant flavours.  But most of all expect balance, a wine to enjoy with food and the prospect that this wine will age gracefully.  Enjoyable drinking.  86 points.

Abv: 13.5%
Price: $28 (current release)
Website: http://www.rymill.com.au/

Chateau Ferran 2005

Yes, as you may have guessed, I like Bordeaux from 2005, and buy as much of it as I can afford.  This wine, consumed over the course of a dinner was very good, only in fairness it probably declined rather than improved with time in the glass.  It has a classic aroma of blackcurrants, with a slightly less classic touch of anise.  Cigar box, pepper and medium length feature on the palate.  This wine's main feature is its immense drinkability, and it does what many Pessac-Leognan wines do, which is to deliver a good wine at a good price.  87 to 88 points.

Abv: 12.5%

Price: $55

Website: http://www.chateau-ferran.fr/

Clonakilla Riesling 2007

Clonakilla's 2007 riesling is good, rather than very good.  An aroma of lemon, stones and minerals.  A palate with pronounced acidity, citrus flavours and a stoney character.  Length was shortish.  This is a refreshing wine, enjoyable even, but Australia is blessed with quality riesling at cheaper prices than this.  84 points.

Abv: 12.5%
Price: around $25
Website: http://www.clonakilla.com.au/

Brumfield Shiraz 2006

The Yarra Valley and shiraz sit somewhat uncomfortably together.  Mostly it seems a style in between styles.  Not Sunbury, not Heathcote, not the Grampians, all of which hit higher notes, and certainly not anything from warm or even cool climate South Australia.  But it can sometimes work, very well even.  Yet, mostly I am disappointed by it, if I am to be frank.  This wine was an exception.  2006 appears to have been a very good year in the Yarra Valley, and the generous alcohol of 14.5% on this shiraz would seem to back that up.  Pepper, plums and dark cherries were there by way of aroma.  The palate had almost outstanding length, accompanied with a vanilla oak flavour, which did get a little stronger with time in the glass, but was still not heavy handed.  This is a really good wine.  89 points.

Abv: 14.5%

Price: $24 (current vintage)

Website: http://www.brumfield.com.au/

Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

The 2000 vintage in Margaret River appears to have been solid rather than excellent, with Langtons describing it thus:

"An early vintage marked by heavy rains and severe anti-cyclonic weather. This was very much a vineyard management year with the best wines made off low cropping well-sited vineyards.  Downy mildew – newly discovered in Margaret River – caused little damage. Some relatively good wines were made despite the difficult conditions. Cabernet was often picked earlier than Shiraz.  7/10"

But Moss Wood is not just any producer.  Their 2000 cabernet opened to some challenging aromas - vanilla, herbs and what I will call "fly spray".  With time in the glass it settled down, shedding all of these aromas, replacing them with more classic black fruits and a leafy character.  Decanting is a must on this tasting.  The palate though was settled from the beginning, initially rebutting the aroma, then merging with it.  Excellent length, with great blackcurrant flavours.  This is an outstanding wine.  90 points.

Abv: 14.5%
Price: $90+
Website: http://www.mosswood.com.au

Best's Pinot Meunier Young Vine 2004

Meunier, tu dors

Ton moulin, ton moulin va trop vite

Meunier, tu dors

Ton moulin, ton moulin va trop fort

Ton moulin, ton moulin va trop vite

Ton moulin, ton moulin va trop fort

Best's pinot meunier is unique, in that, as well as unexpectedly bringing me to song, not many Australian producers I know of (I know of none in fact) produce a single varietal pinot meunier as a still table wine.  If you are wondering, it is rather pinot noir like - a cherry like aroma, with supple length and a candied cherry note on the palate.  Don't expect fireworks, but it's something different, and I liked drinking it.  85 points.

Abv: 12.5%

Price: $22 (current vintage)

Website: http://www.bestswines.com

Nepenthe Sauvignon Blanc 2008

I don't drink a lot of sauvignon blanc.  Not because I don't like it - I don't mind it actually.  It just, well, "sav blanc" from Marlborough in particular, can be scarily similar.  It reminds me a little of that "Duff Beer" production plant episode, where the Duff premium and regular brews are all poured out of the same giant vat.   Sorry, unfair, I know - there are many exceptions, and there is certainly no misleading going on.  My point is there is a sameness.  In a random aside, perhaps a more random aside you might say, I also purchased gooseberries a few months back to see whether I could use that descriptor.  My blackcurrant plant did not survive the torrid summer of 09 in the unlikely event that you were aware of this or wondering about it.

Which brings me to this wine, which I really enjoyed.  Nepenthe's Adelaide Hills sauvignon blanc from the 2008 vintage has a riesling like aroma of lime, and gooseberries on the palate is perhaps more correct than the  grassy/passionfruit character I often detect.  This is a really good sauvignon blanc, and something a little different.  Drink now.  86 points.

Abv: 13.5%
Price: $19 (current vintage)
Website: http://www.nepenthe.com.au

Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron 2003 and some short thoughts on the taste divide

Ah, Pichon Baron.  If I had to choose a desert island wine, from any year, this would be it.  In fact, to hell with the desert island, if I had to choose a wine generally, and money was no object, then this would be it.

The Bordeaux 2003 vintage has been variously lauded and criticised as a heat-wave vintage, depending it seems on whether or not you have a (usually self declared) "European palate".  I have even seen 2003 referred to as an "American vintage".  I've tasted a few 2003s now, some just ok, but more than a couple have been brilliant.

Anyway, I don't care much for these sort of generalisations about taste and the  unobscured hint as to which is the better view to hold.  Must our tasting preferences be imposed on us by reference to faux intellectual or cultural status considerations?  Er, no actually.  That's the sort of thinking that led to old vines being ripped up in South Australia 1980s.  My philosophy: drink it, see if I like it.  Oog.

And I do care for the Baron.  And the 2003 vintage of it in particular.  Warning: the usual Bordeaux left bank descriptors follow.   Blackcurrants and cigar box are there by way of aroma.  Endless length, depth, tannins and blackcurrants are evident on the palate.  Length, length and more length.  Mouthfilling.  This wine will age for many years, but is a joy to drink now.  Did I say length?  This is a truly superb wine.  99 points.

Abv: 13.5%
Price: $150+
Website: http://www.pichonlongueville.com/

Bowen Estate Shiraz 2008

My first post on Bowen Estate.  How did that happen, I ask, since I buy the stuff year in, year out?  Bowen Estate almost always punches above its weight, and Coonawarra is capable of producing some very good shiraz.  So, this wine is a happy combination.  The one thing I will say as a note of potential caution is that their 2008 shiraz is not shy in terms of its alcohol level, coming in at a surprising 15%abv.  A say surprising, because the wine was balanced and tailored rather than ill-fitted with ragged seams.  A classic Coonawarra shiraz aroma of pepper and plums, and good length and weight on the palate.  Very easy to drink, and at a decent rate too.  More please.  87 to 88 points.

Abv: 15%
Price: $24
Website: http://www.bowenestate.com.au

De Bortoli BellaRiva Pinot Grigio Vermentino 2010

This was the second wine I tried as part of De Bortoli's recent BellaRiva releases.  I've not previously tried a vermentino or vermentino blend, which having tasted this wine, is apparently an omission on my part.  I really quite enjoyed this offering at $18.  Pears and lemon citrus came together on the nose.  The charm here was that the typical pinot grigio fatness on the palate was balanced by good acidity and a saltiness presumably from the vermentino.  I really felt like drinking this refreshing wine.  Good stuff.  86 points.

Abv: 12.5%
Price: $18
Source: sample
Website: http://www.debortoli.com.au

De Bortoli BellaRiva Sangiovese Merlot 2009

De Bortoli appear to get new media.  This BellaRiva wine, together with a white (my next review to be posted), were released accompanied by a live internet stream from De Bortoli on Ustream and allowed tasters to participate via a captive version of Twitter, including obviously on Twitter itself.  The bottle also has one of those QR codes on the back that you can scan with your smart phone and take you to a website with some further information about the wine.  It was all quite fun and novel.  With the possible exception that Ustream turned out to be incompatible with my iPhone and so the video stream didn't happen for me.

So, what then of the wine?  The BellaRiva vineyard was planted in the King Valley in 1994 - a most scenic and very European looking part of Victoria.  If only the region weren't so darn far away ... At $18, their 2009 sangiovese merlot is frankly very enjoyable.  Expect a bright, cherry, vibrant, fresh fruit and jubey aroma.  And tannins, some length, pepper and rusticity on the palate.  There is a lot to like about this well made wine.  It reminded me a little of the more lightly styled Toscana IGTs, and while it is more a wine to glug than to pontificate about, it's certainly enjoyable.  Drink over the next few years.  86 points.

Abv: 13.5%

Price: $18

Source: sample

Website: http://www.debortoli.com.au