Monthly Archives: November 2009

Ridge Zinfandel Paso Robles 2005

Posted on by
Reply

Look, I know you’re not really supposed to age Zinfandel, but I have a slight problem: Ridge keeps sending it, I keep not getting around to it, and years later I find myself opening a bottle that’s two or three years past its release date. Is that so wrong? Me, I’m not so sure it’s a good idea to wait so long, at least not with this particular wine.The nose smells simple to me: warm, jammy red fruits and not much else save for a very faint dill pickle note. Spice? Yeah, that too, but one of the lighter ones; bay leaf and allspice. In the mouth, it seems unexceptional: a little bit warm, slightly sweet in the alcoholic sense, with a straightforward finish of warm mulberry jam.Thankfully, however, I set the glass down, walked away, and came back to it an hour later – and that has made all the difference. With some time, the smells have coalesced into a very warm, Christmas pudding with overtones of hazelnut and allspice. Although the mid-palate is still frankly odd, with a spritziness that might be due to some VA here, it’s fairly good wine, certainly characterful, with a slow finish of warm red spicy fruit and surprising acidity. On the whole, this is far from my favorite Ridge wine, though, and I’m disappointed; I’ve had this one before, only younger, and was more impressed to then.Note to self: In the future, drink up, don’t hold.Ridge
Price: $28
Closure: Cork
Source: Retail

Yelland & Papps Greenock Shiraz 2007

Posted on by
4

Some producers, often the more interesting ones, evolve a consistent house style that, presumably, speaks to a certain idea of wine. In the case of Yelland & Papps, there’s an easygoing lack of pretentiousness to its wines that is, frankly, a relief after tasting more ambitious, overwrought styles. On the minus side, it can come across as excessively dilute and unstructured, as I felt was the case with the 2007 Cabernet I tasted (but did not write up) the other day. But when it works, as with this Shiraz, it’s very pleasing indeed.

Once past an initial bit of stink, lots of expressive, soft aromas, with a mixture of milk coffee, sweet juicy berries, crushed leaf and warm brown spice. It just smells good really, the same way coming home to an almost-ready roast dinner smells good, and it’s not hard to forgive a hint of overripe fruit that is also in the mix.
The palate is attractively structured, with the same prominent acidity I noted in this producer’s 2007 Grenache propping up each flavour and tempering the sweeter tendencies of the fruit. The entry is straightforward and quite lively, introducing a core of clean blackberry fruit surrounded by supporting spice and coffee oak. The middle palate is just so easy and clean, it’s hard not to enjoy. Nice movement through the after palate, with lighter red berry flavours coming to the fore. Decent, balanced finish with subtly textured tannins lightly brushing the tongue.
A very down-to-earth wine. Provided you don’t have any issues with acid-driven, relatively fruit sweet red wines, it should go down a treat.

Yelland & Papps
Price: $A30
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Grampians Estate Rutherford Sparkling Shiraz 2005

Posted on by
Reply

I shared this with colleagues over dinner on Monday evening, so my recollections of the moment are as much social as vinous. Still, this wine went down easily and accompanied our Indian meal rather well. 

An extremely vigorous mousse, almost as aggressive as Diet Coke when poured into a fresh glass. As an aside, are there any more wonderful sights in wine than sparkling Shiraz as it fizzes and foams on pouring? There’s something gloriously vulgar about the purple mousse, profoundly unnatural yet appealing. It reminds me of Christmas, somehow. But back to the wine; a nose that seems even-tempered, recalling a still wine more than a sparkling one. It’s blackberried and plummed in equal measure, all sprinkled with dark spice.
The palate shows me why some of the best sparkling Shiraz wines come from the Grampians, home of the style and long renowned for its elegant, medium bodied Shiraz-based table wines. Sparkling red wines, especially at the low end, can tend towards too much sweetness, with a rough structure and obvious fruit. This, by contrast, showcases its moderate body and relatively subtle effervescence, creating an impression of elegance and style rather than skirt-raising good times. A nice, lively spritz on entry, followed by a middle palate that shows great balance between savoury spice and fruit sweetness, between spritz and linearity. It’s all quite restrained, really, almost quiet, which only serves to highlight the tasty, if simple, flavour profile. The whisper of a middle palate surges again through the after palate and finish.
I wouldn’t call it a great wine, but the elegance of its palate weight and structure really impresses, and turns what can be a neon style into something subtle and alluring.

Grampians Estate
Price: $A45
Closure: Crown seal
Source: Retail

Curly Flat Chardonnay 2005

Posted on by
Reply

There’s a lot of chatter about how out of favour Chardonnay has become, and I’m reminded in all this of the difference between fashion and style. Good wines will always find an audience, even if the size of that audience fluctuates based on what’s hot at any given time. The focus must remain on wines that draw out the best of their underlying fruit, and which retain an authenticity of style that transcends the fashionable buzz of the day. I can only speak for myself, of course, but the truth underlying each wine is what I crave most each time I open a bottle, and what disappoints me the most when it is absent.

I mention all this because the wine in front of me defies a few trends. As a fairly worked Chardonnay, it goes contrary to the trend towards “Chablis style” Chardonnay wines that, marketing material would have one believe, are the true antidote to a decade of flabby, butterscotch monsters. To the wine itself: the nose is pleasingly complex, with curious crushed leaf notes alongside white and yellow stonefruit, almond meal, Weet-Bix and vanilla. It all comes together really well, and seems to smell of itself rather than as a collection of components.
The palate is powerful and shapely, with especially notable intensity of flavour. On entry, immediate peaches and cream flavour, along with slightly rough acidity and a savoury almond note that runs the length of the palate. The middle plate evolves some further fruit sweetness and a bit of caramel delight, too. Mouthfeel is rounded and generous. It’s here that things threaten to become slightly simple, because of the dominance of the fruit character (verging on pineapple) and the influence of some winemaking choices. The after palate, though, draws in a whole bunch of baked goods to add to the flavour profile, and this tempers the still-sweet fruit to a satisfactory extent. The finish is beautifully nutty and long.
Exceptional Chardonnay drinking well right now. You can keep your faux Chablis. 

Curly Flat
Price: $NA
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Gift

Balnaves The Tally Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Posted on by
2

Somes wines deliver an initial slap – excitement, intensity, distaste, and so on – as soon as you begin tasting. Despite what they might become over time, there’s a frisson associated with this first impression that tends to stay with you. 

In the case of this wine, it’s a slap that says “don’t even try to understand me.” It’s not a seduction, or a challenge. It’s a blunt refusal to yield. Feshly poured, it shows an impossible level of concentration on the nose. There’s a lot there, to be sure, yet it’s bound up in its own depth and richness, and takes a hell of a lot of swirling (or a good decant) to let go of some secrets. Coffee grounds, freshly polished antique furniture, deeply steeped black tea, greenhouses full of ferns, the most essence-like dark fruit. It’s a remarkable aroma profile that communicates seriousness of intent and absolute confidence. 
The palate carries through on this concentrated seriousness. To begin, the entry sings with dark berry essence, and it’s well before the middle palate that tannins emerge. It’s worth lingering for a moment on the tannins, as they are a feature of this wine, not only in terms of abundance but character, too. Textured, even and quite sweet, they present the most prominent face of the palate and, if nothing else, promise a long future for the wine. For now, if they (inevitably) prevent the line from flowing as freely as it might, this can hardly be considered a fault, and as a tannin enthusiast I must admit I’m kind of getting off on it. The middle palate shows impressive, powerful fruit beneath all the tannin, such that the whole achieves a curiously correct sense of proportion. Perhaps even giants can be elegant. The after palate is more of the same, and the level of tannin here shows good control through to a finish that is dry and fruit-sweet at the same time. 
It’s hard not to be impressed by this muscular wine. Haul a bottle out in ten years’ time to retaste. 

Balnaves
Price: $A90
Closure: Procork
Source: Sample

Dusted Valley Stained Tooth Syrah 2009

Posted on by
Reply

Damn it, some wines just smell good. I came home from work, cracked a bottle of the 2002 Clonakilla Hilltops syrah, and wound up with a huge snootful of Brett and mousy band-aid aromas. Yuck. Poured that one down the sink, grabbed the other bottle sitting next to the coffeemaker, twisted off the cap, and boom: vinuous Nirvana.If you like your shiraz, er, syrah cofermented wtih some viognier for that patented Côte-Rôtie effect, this stuff will do you just fine. Wonderful notes of roasted nuts, bacon fat slide on up out of the glass and say hello; gentle floral aromas of iris root suffus it all in a gauzy Brian de Palma glow; the effect is of a beautiful young woman drinking Russian tea in the springtime.OK, that was ridiculously over-the-top, even for me. All I can really say is this: Damn, that’s beautiful, and a tough act to follow: somewhat disappointingly, the wine doesn’t taste anywhere as good as it smells. The entry onto the palate is clumsy, the body doesn’t seem quite as rich and filling as the nose would promise, it could use a little bit more acidity perhaps, and yet the finish is just fine, flavors fanning out into a truly lovely array of mostly fresh, grape-y flavors.The difference between a good wine and a great wine? Try a bottle of this, then a bottle of the Clonakilla shiraz viognier, the Columbia Crest reserve syrah, or something properly French and see for yourself. Full marks to the winemakers here for producing such a wonderful nose, but the rest of it just doesn’t live up to the promises that the glass offers up. Shame.Dusted Valley
Price: $25
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Retail

Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2009

Posted on by
Reply

Sometimes I have trouble getting into this wine but no such problems tonight. It’s a cracker.

Intense, racy bath salt-like aromas overlay a good deal of floral, mineral notes and some fine citrus rind. It’s incredibly complex for a young Riesling which, like other simply made white styles, can seem simple in youth. Not this one, though; it exudes sophistication and confidence, not through volume or excess, but simply by being classically well-built from tip to toe. I’m sniffing this wine again and again and there’s more to extract each time.
The palate is, if anything, even more impressive, as it adds great thrust and length to the nose’s proportioned, complex aroma profile. It’s a curious thing — intensity that sings with minerality rather than fruit flavour — I love it. The entry is immediate thanks mostly to some pretty assertive acidity, and it all builds from here to a middle palate of great shape and flinty texture. There’s an edge of sweetness that softens the relatively austere flavour profile, and this smidge of soft focus makes this Polish Hill more approachable than some others I have tried. Swift movement through the after palate to a reverberant finish of snazzy length. 
Many critics tend to rate the Polish Hill above the Watervale, and in this instance I’d have to agree. What a great Riesling.

Grosset
Price: $A39
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Retail

Agent for Change Zinfandel 2006

Posted on by
2

Lovely, sweet, fruit-cake rich, with warm cocoa notes and candied fruit peel on the nose, this smells very much like a good, standard quality Paso zin; somehow, however, the alcohol has gone missing alone the way, resulting in a hole in the nose where the painful alcohol hit should’ve been, replaced instead by a label declaring this is only 13.5% abv, making me wonder if someone’s hiding a spinning cone around here or what…Still, what a love nose. Very soft and plush, it reminds me of  cru Beaujolais mixed with Angostura bitters, with slight hard earthy edges pushed up against the sweet red fruits. The palate doesn’t disappoint either, with simple, cheery red fruits ‘n berries served up on a nicely toasty background. Still, though, it seems to lack some of the weight I’d normally associate with zinfandel – or, rather, with higher alcohol levels. It all finishes relatively simply, and it seems like there’s something missing there too – either acidity or alcohol – but still: it’s a minor complaint. On the whole, this is good stuff – especially if you’re not a fan of one-glass-and-you’re-blotto California monster zinfandel. Most of what makes them good is still here, but you could actually consider finishing the bottle with your partner on a school night without worrying about the morning after.Bonus marketing spin: a portion of the sales price of every bottle goes to non-profit organizations of some kind. I’m cynical enough not to particularly care about that – I mean, if I honestly cared, I’d just write a check to the Avon Foundation and go buy a cheap bottle of wine – but honestly, why not? You’re probably not going to find a better Zin for this money, so you might as well go for it.Full disclosure: I received this wine as a press sample.Agent for Change
Price: $14
Closure: Cork
Source: Sample

Grosset Springvale Riesling 2009

Posted on by
4

Née Watervale. 

Amongst the many things for which I enjoy Riesling, one of the recurring highlights of a particularly good one is the directness with which it communicates its quality. Personally, I find quality one of the less tangible aspects of wine, intersecting (and at times contradicting) other considerations like drinkability and style. Somehow, though, I find with Riesling that an increase in quality tends to align with an increase in my enjoyment, and I think part of it is the somewhat facile satisfaction I obtain from being able to clearly grasp what makes a good Riesling so good. At least, I flatter myself this ability. 
Take this Grosset wine, which is bloody good. It’s complex, and as I sniff the wine and take in this complexity, I remind myself that’s all there is. No oak, apparently straightforward winemaking; it’s just fruit character shining forth. This is a case, surely, of minimalist winemaking enhancing terroir (not, I believe, something to be regarded as a truism, but that’s another post for another time). Though less exhuberant than the 2008 vintage, there’s an obvious family resemblance, with a range of high toned notes overlaying deeper, almost tropical fruits and detailed citrus aromas. Great balance, interest and style. 
The palate shows the youthful impact for which this label is known, placing relatively full, rich fruit in a framework of textured, slatey acidity and etched complexity. The entry is like a wedge; it starts from nothing and works its way confidently to a bright middle palate filled with flavour, beautiful texture and the kind of drape normally reserved for high end couture. It’s the facted angularity of its architecture as much as any other, more prosaic dimension that satisfies me here. And, to be hyper-critical, the intellectualism associated with this style might get in the way of purely sensual appreciation. I tend to think, though, that bottle age might cure any such faults, if one were to find them distracting. Personally, I love that it drags me to a higher level of appreciation as a taster. If only more wines held drinkers in such high regard.

Grosset
Price: $A31
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Retail

Balnaves Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Posted on by
Reply

I struggle to articulate more abstract, aesthetic dimensions of wine. It’s one thing to list flavours and try to describe structure, all of which are quite tangible with a little experience of tasting and writing. But what of crucial notions such as coherence, style, philosophy? Much harder to crystalise intellectually, let alone write about. And so I grapple with this note, because it’s a good wine, indeed well achieved given the vintage, yet there’s something that separates it from the best years, and it’s that intangible quality that I’d like to pin down, and repeatedly fail to do.

It’s oaky for sure – arguably too much so, depending on one’s tastes. The nose is flagrantly vanillan alongside varietal cassis and sweet dusty leaf. It has the dark, clean fruit for which I adore Coonawarra Cabernet and, in a sea of increasingly full, plush wines, I’m glad for the rustic simplicity of the style. Despite the modern slickness of the oak, this strikes me as a gleefully old-fashioned wine, perhaps less concerned with appearing seamless than it is providing a decent hit of flavour. At the very least, it seems totally unpretentious. 
The palate is similarly rustic, perhaps lacking in fruit intensity (similarly to the recently tasted 07 Cabernet Merlot), but somehow managing to emerge with a good degree of satisfaction. Sort of like a diver who straightens up just moments before hitting the water. A nice clean entry, dark berry fruit and prominent vanilla oak creating a dessert-like flavour profile without, however, any overwhelming sweetness. It’s home cooking to a glossier wine’s night out. The middle palate remains lean, with little evolution in flavour profile, save for some attractively ferny herbaciousness. Straight through to the after palate and finish, then, with relatively abundant tannins that are chalky and somewhat lumpy in character. It certainly dries the mouth in a pleasant way, suggesting food, rather than another sip, is the right answer.
I’ve definitely tasted better Cabernets from this region, with greater complexity and less rusticity. But what value enjoyment? Drink with outrageously flavoured Italian food.

Balnaves of Coonawarra
Price: $A35
Closure: Cork
Source: Sample