Author Archives: Julian Coldrey

Mulyan Block 9 Shiraz Viognier 2007

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Some wines tread a fine line between angular and offputting. This wine (or this bottle) is certainly a good example; at least at first, where the overriding impression is one of tacky New Zealand geothermal theme parks (“Craters of the Moon!”) and mud. But just as I was about to reach for the term “European” to describe what felt like a borderline faulty wine, it has zapped into focus, becoming a peppery, meaty expression of Shiraz Viognier that is decidedly improving with air.

Full-on pepper steak aromas smother core of dense berry fruit, quite dark in character and brambly in expression. The aroma is actually quite fascinating in its cacophony; I can’t decide whether it’s disjointed or a radically different interpretation of coherence. I suppose that it prompts such aesthetic flights of fancy is a point in its favour, irrespective of taste.
The palate is also curiously styled, with a plump apricot presence alongside red berries and more cooked steak. It’s flavoursome for sure; the entry has good immediacy and zips along in the mouth, thanks mostly to some fairly prominent acidity. The middle palate relaxes a little, though it’s still bright. Medium bodied, this wine’s mouthfeel is slippery despite the acid, and reminds me a little of the way apricots feel when you bite into a ripe one. Fruit character is quite sweet, which is a provocative counterpart to the funky, meaty notes and makes for a flavour profile that is full of contradictions. Good continuity through the after palate, and a nice flourish on the finish helps berry flavour to linger on for a good while.
Despite its oddity, I’m fascinated by this wine. Its profile is far from conventional, and tends towards exaggeration. But it’s also more beautiful than many conventionally styled wines. 

Mulyan Wines
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Flaxman Riesling 2009

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The small Flaxman estate vineyard is located in the Barossa ranges, in the same area as various renowned vineyards like Heggies, Karra Yerta and Pewsey Vale. In amongst mature Semillon and Shiraz are the forty five year old Riesling vines from which this wine is made. You’d expect, with this pedigree, definitive Eden Riesling. And so it is.

Intense mineral, gravel notes establish the aroma profile, which goes on to express floral and lime rind characters as well. There’s a clear articulation of top, middle and base notes here, each working in concert with, eventually blurring the lines between, each other. Its character, while complex and clear, is also soft, preferring to communicate in soothing tones. I associate a certain coherence with superior wines; they express singularly as opposed to as a collection of discrete smells. This wine possesses such coherence, and is quite thrilling in its clarity. 
The palate shows great balance between fine, fresh acidity and fruit weight. Indeed, the citrus notes are surprisingly generous compared to a nose heavier on the minerality. On entry, flavour skates briskly over the tongue, supported by beautiful acidity and a mouthfeel that seems ultra-refined, indeed almost slippery. The middle palate is all about ripe, fresh limes, cleanly expressed. There are also some flowers and slate that travel along the edges, and which grab centre stage through the after palate. A high toned, pithy finish goes on for quite a while. 
It’s just so effortlessly stylish, this wine, like a natural beauty who looks great in just about anything. I don’t mind saying I’ll be putting in my order for a few bottles.

Flaxman Wines
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

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There are lots of nice things about this wine, but I just can’t get over the tannins. They are awesome. 

I’ve been tasting this over three nights and only now, on the third evening, is it beginning to tire. The nose shows as much sweet earth as it does Cabernet cassis and leaf, so one might describe this expression of the grape as “regional.” As an aside, I find certain regions quite fascinating for the overriding effect they seem to have on some varieties. Hunter does it to reds, and so does Canberra. They taste more of their geographic provenance than anything else, and so it is too with this wine. There’s ample volume and expressiveness here, which conspire to deliver a wine one doesn’t easily tire of smelling.
In the mouth, a velvet ride of sweet tannin plushness. There’s more than just tannin, of course, but I keep coming back to them as the foundation, both structural and aesthetic, of this wine. On entry, immediate red fruited goodness pushed along by fine, balanced acidity and a twang of orange juice-like sourness. Everything comes together on the middle palate, clean fruit colliding with rich soil and a hint of unexpected minerality. Texturally, an abundance of ripe tannins provides both firmness and a sense of luxury. The whole is medium bodied, with good balance and an overarching sense of down home drinkability. The after palate and finish are admirably focused, with both fruit and structure moving seamlessly through the mouth and lingering on in the form of Angostura Bitters flavour and a dry, more-ish mouthfeel.
Really nice wine, and exceptional value considering its pedigree and character. The regional style may not be to everyone’s taste, but it appeals to me greatly. 

Tahbilk
Price: $A20
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Kirrihill Slate Creek Vineyard Riesling 2009

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A single vineyard wine from the Watervale sub-region of the Clare Valley. And a really true example of this style of Riesling too, very much in a drink now idiom but recognisably regional all the same. 

The nose shows swirly, shabby chic aromas of old lace, freshly squeezed lemon juice and ripe white flowers. There’s also a hint of talcum powder verging on minerality, which adds a nice lilt to the aroma profile. Taken as a whole, the nose is both relatively complex and totally accessible, signalling a wine made for easy, but not braindead, enjoyment.
On entry, acid is restrained in volume yet robust in texture, overlaid with lemon juice notes that are less intrusively sour than some. This combination carries linearly through to a mid-palate that widens only marginally, holding its tight, clear line. Intensity of fruit is moderate, which suits the style, and it’s here that a range of flavour complexities emerge. Pebbles and crusher dust sit in the minerality camp, while the fruit turns towards a lemon rind-like astringency. Texture is even and a little gravelly through the after palate, and the finish is long, tapering elegantly away to nothing.
A solid wine, then, with plenty of character and made in a style that’s very approachable right now. Not a bad Friday night choice.

Kirrihill
Price: $A19.95
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Kalari Chardonnay 2008

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My second Cowra Chardonnay for this evening; always fun to do some comparative tasting. Against to the just-tasted Cowra Estate, the balance of this Kalari is notably different, tending more towards a generous, peachier style, though still far from the sort of peaches and cream buxomness of old school, now-maligned Chardonnays. 

The nose shows some vanilla ice cream oak along with a tiny bit of sulphur and not a lot of fruit. This doesn’t sound great, but in fact it’s attractive to smell, and the fruit is there, it’s just bound up in the oak character at present. The palate is quite a different story. Here, the fruit flows more freely, an even mixture of white and yellow peach. On entry, sizzlier acidity than the Cowra Estate and a bigger presence in the mouth; this seems to present a bit more of everything across the board. The middle palate smoothes out with ripe peaches and cheap ice cream (you know, the ones that are more ice than cream), all underlined by lively, somewhat rough acidity that contributes level of sourness to the profile. The after palate thins out compared to what has come before, but the finish more than makes up for it with good continuity of fruit flavour and surprising length.
Another solid, straightforward Cowra Chardonnay, and one I might give a few months’ further in bottle before drinking. These don’t scale great heights but nor do I believe they set out (or need) to, as they present attractive fruit in a food-friendly package. Good value drinking.

Kalari
Price: $A17
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Cowra Estate Chardonnay 2008

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Australia’s oldest Chardonnay vineyard – so proclaims the label, even though an establishment date of 1973 reveals the relative youth of this variety’s presence on the local wine scene. I’ve got a couple of Cowra Chardonnays on the table this evening, both reasonably priced (as a lot of Cowra wines appear to be).

On the nose, some smokey, burnt match overlays tight, white stonefruit notes and a bit of minerality. It was a bit yeasty at first but those funky notes blew off fairly quickly, leaving behind this lean, quite stylish aroma profile. No overt complexity, just balance and a bit of tension between notes that don’t quite go together — I mean this in a good way.
The palate follows a similarly lean route, emphasising the nose’s attractive minerality and elaborating a little on the fruit character. A cool, clean entry that shows firm, fine acidity. Things don’t get terribly flavoursome until the middle palate, where a mostly-savoury character relaxes a little on the tongue. Fruit begins to leak: grapefruit, white nectarine, very much a cooler climate flavour profile. This expands through the after palate, whose acidity shows some hardness but which nonetheless is well-shaped and straightforward. There appears a minimum of winemaking here and the consequently simple style comes as something of a relief; also, it seems well-matched to the fruit character. The clean finish is quite mineral and very refreshing.
Good value, utterly unpretentious Chardonnay.

Cowra Estate
Price: $A18
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Shaw Laughter Series Riesling 2009

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One of the great things about Riesling is the high quality frequently obtainable at lower price points. Unlike with, say, Pinot Noir, a $15 RRP doesn’t automatically equal diminished expectations. Indeed, I’ve had some cracking Rieslings over the years that have come in well under the $15 mark. All of which is to suggest my approach to this wine is not at all one of patient generosity or pre-emptive forgiveness.

Happily, this is a really good, quite delicious Canberra Riesling. The regional emphasis on flowers, talc and stone is there in abundance, coupled to rich preserved lemon fruit notes, edging very slightly towards pineapple. Aromas are a little blocky, but they present coherently and there’s a vivaciousness to the aroma profile that is most pleasing.
The palate is equally fun, with a well balanced presence in the mouth. The entry is slow to take off, but builds to a middle palate of mineral and citrus fruit notes in equal measure. The fruit character is straightforward, with perhaps a hint of mandarin, and has surprising persistence. It’s a bit simple, but so are many enjoyable things. The after palate is fruit driven, though with a drying undercurrent, and the length here is remarkable given the modest price tag and stylistic aspirations of the wine – it seems to go on and on.
A wine that hits the drinkability bullseye rather than aiming for ultimate refinement or complexity.  I like it a lot. Should be noted also the winery gives $50 of each case purchase to Camp Quality.  

Shaw Vineyard Estate
Price: $A15
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Shaw Isabella Riesling 2009

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Australia is world-renowned for its amazing, razor-sharp dry Riesling styles. So of course there’s currently a resurgence in off-dry Riesling. I jest – I think it’s great that producers are experimenting with styles, and it will be interesting to see if some regions and sites are better expressed with some residual sugar. 

To this wine then, a Canberra Riesling from Shaw Vineyard Estate and, according to the label, both Reserve and Handpicked. I’m feeling a warm glow already (or is that just the Verdelho from before?). I must admit I failed to read the back label before tasting, so was surprised at the rich, confected fruit aromas that emerged from the glass. A quick sip confirmed this as a decidedly off-dry style. The aroma profile comprises fake banana flavouring, candied pineapple and a range of other lively notes. It’s quite expressive and fun, though whether you will warm to its lolly store bent is a question of personal preference. It may also be showing its youth, and indeed some time in glass has seen the more aggressively confected aspects of the aroma blow off, to reveal fresher fruit versions of  pineapple and citrus notes, and some more floral, perhaps even mineral, dimensions too.
The palate is richly flavoured, with more candied fruits and a refreshing acid line. In an off-dry Riesling, the balance of acid, sugar and fruit intensity seems to be of the essence; here, there’s perhaps slightly too much sugar relative to the character and assertiveness of the acid, which translates to a broadness on the mid-palate. On entry, though, a lively and very fruit-driven experience, with sweetly preserved fruits and bubbly acidity moving things through to the mid-palate. Here, the palate widens and becomes really quite generous, almost relaxed, teetering on the edge of simplicity. A twist of phenolic bitterness on the after palate pulls things back into line, and balances the riper tendencies of the flavour profile, bringing a welcome freshness to the wine. Pretty decent, fresh finish.
A worthy attempt at a more “German” Riesling style, and one that has improved after several hours. From a regional perspective, I enjoy the delicate floral, talc-like flavour profile of many dry Canberra Rieslings, and it’s an open question for me (for now) whether this character adapts itself well to a moderately off-dry style. It’s certainly there in this wine, but its very delicacy sits uneasily against sweet fruit notes. I should add this wine responded exceptionally well to a robust pasta dish, its more candied fruit tendencies tamed and its structure more than adequate. 

Shaw Vineyard Estate
Price: $A28
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Windowrie The Mill Verdelho 2008

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A few years ago, I remember asking someone to whom I wanted to make a gift of some wine whether she had any favourites. Her answer was “Cowra Verdelho,” a singular response that sticks in my mind to this day. Needless to say, I didn’t hold high hopes of tracking any down. Halliday’s Wine Companion site lists just two Cowra-based producers with a Verdelho in their portfolio, of which this Windowrie is one. Further, the label lists this as a wine of the “Central Ranges,” the zone into which Cowra falls, so the fruit may not be entirely sourced from the Cowra region. No matter – this is the closest I’ve come to Cowra Verdelho since the memorable, unfulfilled request.

And hey, it’s a Verdelho alright, presenting straightforward, crisp fruit salad-like aromas. The particular fruit salad here isn’t anything fancy; it’s the salad I remember seeing (and not especially liking, though I was a fussy child) at numerous barbeques in the 80s; a bit heavy on the unpeeled red delicious apple, not much in the way of tropical fruits, and perhaps a squeeze of lemon to keep it all from browning. I quite like it.
The palate is lightly flavoured, with a rounded, hot presence that speaks to this wine’s 14.6% abv. Despite this unexpected scale, it’s curiously satisfying and certainly pleasant to drink. Verdelho is one of those wines one tends to approach without many expectations, save those relating to drinkability and simple pleasure; within that context, this delivers well and is squeaky clean. Entry and middle palate are both quite fruit-driven and mouthfilling in a decidedly hydraulic manner. The after palate shows a line of bitterness that offsets the fruit flavour particularly well. The acid seems a bit low to me, or at least overwhelmed by the mouthfeel. 
On the whole, if this is representative of Central Ranges Verdelho, I prefer the Hunter style, which seems more robust and fully flavoured. However; what’s here is tasty and very easy drinking.

Windowrie
Price: $A17.99
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Spring Ridge Merlot 2007

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There’s something to be said for a well-executed commercial style. These are wines that I often tend to gloss over, but it’s wrong of me to do so, at least in terms of my own philosophy of enjoyment. As tempting as it is to indulge in singular, ultra high quality wines whenever possible, I’m not sure they are always an appropriate choice, especially when in mixed (wine freak and normal people) company. 

For example, I was having a very fun afternoon with some work colleagues during the week, and we ended up at a typical inner city eatery that surprised me with its thoughful, diverse wine list. Of course, I immediately geeked out and suggested a bottle of Seppelt’s 2008 Drumborg Riesling which, while full of interest, is a difficult wine to approach due to its austerity. Once we had made our way through that one, the group’s next selection was a much friendlier Pepperjack Shiraz, a plush Barossa style with plenty of oak and very low stylistic barriers to entry. And it was a much more enjoyable wine, with company, on the day.

Which brings me to this wine. I feel a train wreck attraction to Australian Merlot, which isn’t renowned for stylistic coherence nor, indeeed, for elevated quality. And, to be sure, this wine won’t change any of that. What it can do, though, is provide a well made burst of enjoyment. 
The hue is ruby-like, of moderate density, and in general looks slightly older than it ought. The nose immediately signals this wine’s intent: assertively cuddly, peanut brittle oak over fresh plum fruit. Digging slightly deeper, there are hints of olives in brine, but this isn’t a wine of overt complexity. The palate is fresh and flowing, with good clarity of fruit. On entry, flavour slowly accelerates towards the middle palate. Medium bodied, there’s better integration of oak and fruit in the mouth than on the nose, which creates an easygoing, smoothed out flavour profile. The addition of some lightly spiced notes add interest. Structurally, things are very much in line with the curvy flavour profile, with enough acid and pleasingly fine tannin to add shape and a drying, very slightly raspy mouthfeel towards the back palate. Decent enough finish.
If I scored wines (which, of course, I don’t), this would sit in the mid to high eighties, as a wine of straightforward, well-made charms. It has no pretensions other than to offer accessible, cost-effective pleasure to as many tired office workers as possible as they share a bowl of deep fried something-or-other after work. As one such office worker, I’m very cool with that.

Spring Ridge
Price: $A19
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample