Monthly Archives: March 2012

Swinging Bridge Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

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Now we’re talking. Although a youngster — somewhat gangly and awkward for now — this wine is stylistically resolved in a way the companion Shiraz isn’t.

The aroma is distinctly Cabernet but in a way I’ve not smelled before. The signature aromas of the varietal are there — clean dark fruits, heady crushed leaf — in addition to some pretty sexy cedar oak. But there’s a richness to the fruit that smells distinctive, and a hint of black pepper that seems to have wandered in, happily, from an adjoining Shiraz ferment. As I mentioned, it’s a bit disjointed at the moment, but I suspect it will converge on something more poised with a few months in bottle.

The palate is appropriately powerful, and what stands out most is a satisfyingly tannic structure. Three cheers for Cabernet that is not afraid to be both medium bodied and astringently bold through the finish. Flavours are very much per the nose, squeaky clean and vivid. There is perhaps a slight lack of subtlety to the flavour profile, though one might equally praise its vivacity and punch. Fabulously fine, abundant tannins descend through the after palate and become the centrepiece of the wine as it winds its way to a lengthy finish.

A distinctive and delicious wine. An ounce of extra refinement wouldn’t go astray, but I like the direction this is taking.

Swinging Bridge
Price: $A45
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Swinging Bridge Reserve Shiraz 2010

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I’m a bit conflicted about this wine. I previously enjoyed this producer’s Sauvignon Blanc and felt it could have been pushed harder into less compromising stylistic territory. I feel very much the same about this wine, which pitches at quite a different level but which is similarly torn between distinctiveness and a desire to be crowd pleasing.

The nose shows a mix of peppery spice, slick oak and ripe, sweet red fruit. The spice is wonderfully adult and the oak sharp, which makes the character of the fruit stand out a little, as if an everyday quaffer had wandered into something altogether more elevated by mistake. It’s not that the fruit is of poor quality; indeed, I feel the reverse is true. But the expression that has been coaxed of it is bouncy and sweet, a little too much so, such that the aroma profile never quite coheres.

The palate tells a similar story, though its structure provides some added delights. Acid, in particular, is fine and sharp, adding real zing to the fruit’s bright flavour profile and helping it to stay within more adult parameters. I like the way this flows over the tongue, and the clean, firm articulation of its flavours is truly delicious. I just wish, though, the fruit weren’t quite so eager to please. A more savoury expression would allow the brown and black spice to shine, and the delicious oak to be a more integrated part of the wine’s overall flavour profile.

As with the Sauvignon Blanc, this shows genuine potential and is in many ways a delicious and interesting wine. Some finessing of the fruit’s character would bring out the potential I see here.

Swinging Bridge
Price: $A45
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Chapel Hill Chardonnay 2011

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To be cruel for a moment, this is most unpromising on paper. Mixing Chardonnay, affordability and more than one region doesn’t usually get the wine lover’s heart racing, with some justification, at least historically. And before you get excited, this isn’t Giaconda Chardonnay hiding out in the McLaren Vale. However, it’s a good example of the sensitivity with which this sort of mainstream wine ought to be made, and makes a case for the relevance of cheap Australian Chardonnay in a world where such wines are the very definition of undesirable.

Its trick is to combine relative restraint with a certain flow and softness. This is a watercolour wine, one whose definition is hazy but whose colours are quite charming in a lazy, easy way. On the nose, some fresh citrus alongside soft peach and rockmelon. There’s a bit of nougat oak too, and perhaps some caramel. Complexity isn’t a word that springs to mind; there are several flavours but to see the wine on these terms is to miss its point.

The palate has such a relaxed flow over the tongue. It’s quite voluptuous and mouthfilling in a breast implant sort of way: fleshy but also a tad hollow. The fruit lacks sufficient intensity to fill out the wine’s ambitious dimensions, and one is left tasting flavour at the edges and a slight absence of such in the middle. The flavours that are here, though, are balanced and easy, with more white peach and nougat, and just a hint of butterscotch. It’s far from the perfect wine and undoubtedly made to a price point. There’s a sophistication of approach underlying this wine, though, which is easy to miss. How many cheap Chardonnays show vulgar dimensions, a lack of freshness, easy oak, or a reliance on malolactic fermentation? This wine avoids all these pitfalls and, in so doing, manages to be a very pleasant, pretty wine.

Not bad at all.

Chapel Hill
Price: $A16
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Dowie Doole Cali Road Shiraz 2010

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When a wine is identified as coming from a single vineyard, it creates an expectation of distinctiveness, of an identifiable character that goes beyond simple varietal or regional correctness. In a way, the question of what a single vineyard bottling brings (if anything) over and above a well executed blend goes to the heart of what we value in wine. It’s a big topic that I won’t try to do justice to with this note, but I will say that the last bottling of this wine, the 2008, was by far my favourite Dowie Doole Shiraz from that vintage precisely because it tasted different, perhaps less glossy than the Reserve, but to me more attractive for its kinks.

I’ve not yet tasted the 2010 Reserve, but the single vineyard bottling, rechristened Cali Road, recalls the most pleasing aspects of the previous release. Immediately, the aroma is unvarnished, showing lovely regional earth and cocoa alongside typically plump McLaren Vale plum fruit. Oak plays a prominent role too, and I might object to its volume if it weren’t so typical of old school red wine from this region, and hence almost an expected element of the style. Its character is also well matched to the fruit aromas.

The palate is superbly drinkable. It enters with grace and subtlety, building to a middle palate that maxes out at medium bodied and is awash with down home red and black fruits, regional earth and salty texture. Structure begins with firm, well integrated acid and transitions to grainy, loose knit tannins through the after palate; its almost 15% alcohol is nowhere to be seen. Oak is, again, a feature of the wine, albeit one that is integrated and quite delicious. What I like most about this wine is its understatement. It’s just so unforced and, at the same time, shows real personality. This is the quiet guest at a dinner party who, half way through the evening, becomes the centre of attention without once calling attention to himself.

I feel like this is McLaren Vale Shiraz stripped of modernity, where the winemaking is traditional and the resulting wine intimate and real. Absolutely my sort of wine, and very much worth the price premium over the standard Shiraz in the range.

Dowie Doole
Price: $A35
Closure: Diam
Source: Sample

Cumulus Shiraz 2009

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Lovely aroma, quite composed and balanced. The fruit is mostly red and shows an attractively lithe profile, quite unlike the denser aromas our warmer climate Shiraz wines can show. There’s some brown spice too, which blends well with oak that is somewhat nougat-like in character. I’m not sure I like the oak; its level is well judged but its character is just a bit too sweet and obvious for my liking. A matter of taste, though.

The palate is medium bodied and strikingly intense; there’s some great fruit in here. On entry, slick red fruit and prickly spice ride atop an immensely slick mouthfeel. The middle palate sees this silicon texture expand over the tongue, and some may love the sense of luxe here. Personally, I feel the texture is one-dimensional and somewhat at odds with the angular flavour profile. The flavours become sweeter as the line progresses, due in part to oak I think. The finish is rather delicious, echoing the wine’s flavours softly and for some time.

Sometimes I wish a wine were less perfect, and this is one of those times. There’s some seriously characterful fruit underneath the gloss, and I kept wishing I could get a less intermediated view of it, something rougher hewn, less intrusively sweet and slick. Still, a wine of quality and interest.

Cumulus Wines
Price: $A30
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Eloquesta by Stuart Olsen Shiraz Petit Verdot 2009

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Wine labels tend to look somewhat samey after a while, so it’s always a nice surprise to open a box and find something distinctive staring back at you. The label is really quite pretty in an almost handmade way, and the chosen bottle has a nice, subtle curve to its side. All in all, lovely packaging. I’m particularly interested (even before tasting) in how this wine is being marketed. This is, in all apparent respects, a labour of love. Complex, quasi-natural wine techniques are used throughout; there’s carbonic maceration, whole bunch fermentation, minimal sufur, and so on. That’s a lot of quirk to pack into a $28 bottle of wine, and it all very much taps into the zeitgeist as far as wine appreciation is concerned.

To the wine itself. An immediate fruit lift signals the carbonic maceration. It’s a technique that can yield cheap-smelling wines, but I like the playfulness of the sprightly fruit in the aroma profile here. This otherwise smells as one might expect: characterful, dark fruited, anything but slick. The oak character stands out as too nougat-like. I would have preferred less of it, and something spicier.

The palate’s structure is appropriately rustic. There’s some raspy acid and the tannins are loose and drying; it all fits well with the artisanal vibe. Flavours are bright and fruit-driven, and for someone reared on dense Australian red wines, this may come across as too acidic as well as too thinly flavoured, and certainly there’s a hint of alcohol on the palate that I find intrusive. That’s a matter of taste; what interests me more is an impression that this wine is risky, walking a tightrope between characterful and home made. It’s certainly clean, and in all respects feels attentively crafted on a very small scale. Heaven to some, no doubt, even as it perhaps mystifies others.

Eloquesta by Stuart Olsen
Price: $A28
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2007

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Somewhat of a showstopper. To be sure, this is in some respects a no holds barred wine, with what appears to be plenty of winemaking contributing to its flavour profile. The nose shows an enthusiastic cascade of aromas, ranging from popcorn and butter through stonefruit, more tropical fruit notes, lemon, minerals, and plenty of toasty oak. I list this number of descriptors to give a feel for the amount of stuff going on here; there’s genuine complexity in both fruit and winemaking inputs, and as I smell this I’m reminded of why Chardonnay is often considered the greatest of all white grapes. Few varietals could take this treatment and come out looking good.

The palate is an absolute powerhouse, but what I like most here is that all its flavours are so cleanly, precisely expressed within an frame that is as contained as it is impactful. There’s something beautiful about power so tightly focused, and the way this wine unfolds in the mouth is its primary pleasure. As much sophistication as there is by way of individual flavours, there’s also a surprisingly louche side to the fruit here, pushing against a tropical, pineapple note that I found amusing in this context.

This will surely polarise drinkers, and that’s okay, because there’s great value in an unapologetic style made with skill and integrity.

Cullen
Price: $A110 (restaurant wine list)
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Retail

Chapel Hill Shiraz 2009

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Seems it’s McLaren Vale Shiraz time lately at Full Pour, which is just fine by me. Like the recently reviewed Dowie Doole, this shows fruit character that is deliciously true to the region.

The nose is dark and quite serious, throwing dense aromas that alternate between dark plums, earth and chocolate. I like the suggestion of liqueur here, which avoids any sense of over concentration and instead seems to mesh well with the earthy, almost mineral notes that sit alongside. I’d call it rustic but that would paint a misleadingly coarse picture of what is quite a resolved aroma profile. The palate is full and flavoursome. Entry is clean and driven by straightforward plum fruit. Some detail and texture creeps in through the middle palate, and I like the way the edges of my tongue pick up raspy tannin while the middle remains focused on fruit. Acid seems laid back, although the after palate shows some brightness and zing. Intensity is moderate. Overall, it lacks a degree of refinement in its articulation of flavours, but what’s here is clean and tastefully balanced. Oak is, in particular, subtly handled, even as it remains an important component.

A solid wine indeed, and one I’d be happy to drink with a nice lamb casserole.

Chapel Hill
Price: $A30
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Dowie Doole Shiraz 2010

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Though the Merlot occupies a special place in my heart, there’s no doubt the core of Dowie Doole’s red wine portfolio centres on Shiraz. This wine is the standard label.

The nose is liqueurous, dark and seamless. There’s a big hit of coconut oak, which is regionally typical, and the whole vibe is very much old school McLaren Vale Shiraz in the best possible way. What I like about this region’s wines above those of the nearby Barossa is a less spiced, more fluid flavour profile, which for me ramps up drinkability. Plus, that hint of earth and dark chocolate that so characterises this region’s Shiraz, and which are very much present in this wine, are like catnip to me. Indeed, I’m a fan of the McLaren Vale. This stuff is dangerously drinkable.

On entry, charmingly self-effacing, moving through to the middle palate with a decent blast of fruit and a correspondingly firm dose of oak. Acid seems subdued, creating a relaxed, thick vibe on the middle palate. Plenty of berries, dusty cocoa, oak and earth. A clean after palate and finish follow, showing as much oak as fruit. It’s difficult to use American oak and get a subtle result and, for some tastes, the level and character of the oak here might be overwhelming, especially considering the appeal of the fruit’s flavour profile.

This is the kind of wine that will slay guests at a barbeque, being the kind of robust and drinkable red that can cut through the haze of casual drinking. I’m very much looking forward to tasting the California Road and Reserve wines.

Dowie Doole
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Dowie Doole Merlot 2010

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It was an exciting day recently when Dowie Doole’s new releases arrived at my door. As the producer of utterly unpretentious, highly drinkable McLaren Vale reds (in addition to be being somewhat of a Chenin Blanc specialist), I feel Dowie Doole’s wines engage the most appealing sides of the region’s character. The PR material that came with these samples informs me that a new winemaker, Chris Thomas, has been appointed, so I’m curious to see if any stylistic changes are the result.

I’ve a soft spot in particular for the regular Merlot, not because it’s a $60 wine in disguise, but for its extreme deliciousness of the pure plum variety. This 2010 version certainly has plenty of tasty fruit, but also shows an extra dimension of varietal character that I’ve not noticed before. Where previous releases have been all about luscious berries, this wine’s aroma has a distinctly herbal, green olive side that certainly adds complexity. It grants the wine an altogether more serious vibe, not angular or difficult so much as savoury and adult.

In the mouth, an elegant experience that, again, takes things up a notch from previous releases. It’s still utterly fruit-driven, to be sure, but with its moderate weight and cleanly articulated flavours, there’s a sophistication here that is most pleasing. A nice gravel note sits alongside poised red fruit and subtle oak, all supported by plentiful acid and raspy tannins. The line has a nice rise and fall, trailing off through the after palate and surprisingly long finish.

I’m really impressed with this wine. It shows a slightly different direction from earlier years, and part of me misses the simple fruitiness of those wines. There’s no denying, however, the appeal of what’s in my glass now.

Dowie Doole
Price: $A22
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample