Author Archives: Julian Coldrey

Tower Estate Hunter Valley Chardonnay 2007

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This no doubt seems absurd to normal people, but one of the reasons why I still look forward to tasting wine after ten or so years of considered consumption is that, over time, my tastes have changed quite dramatically, and with it my opinions on a range of wine-related things. So tasting wine isn’t all about that moment — it’s also about the whole journey. Chardonnay, for example. A few years ago, I found Chardonnay difficult to understand and enjoy, especially larger scale styles with a lot of winemaker input. I instinctively reached for the purity and accessibility of Riesling, and approached Chardonnay most comfortably from a Chablis angle.

Brookland Valley Merlot 2004

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Who first said that Merlot should taste soft, fruity and generous? It’s an oft-repeated opinion, usually trotted out apologetically in conjunction with some mass-market, sub-$15 bottle of wine. On this view, Merlot ends up a bit like that mentally challenged second cousin who turns up to all the family functions and who is at least, you know, nice.

Casella Wines [yellow tail] The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

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Why the hell not?

Very clean on the nose, and very correct too. This is textbook Cabernet, with some dusty leaf, some dark fruit and cedar oak. It’s also textbook in the sense that it feels a bit detached and clinical — if beauty relies on flaws, this wine’s aroma never quite approaches a sense of the beautiful because it’s just so correct. Not to linger too much on this point; there’s something to be said for a wine without distractions.

White Box Heathcote Shiraz 2006

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White Box apparently refers to a particular variety of eucalypt that exists in some numbers on the vineyard property. Being a design geek, I can’t help but reflect the label, far from encapsulating a “down home” environmental message, is stuck in a characterless aesthetic that would feel more at home on a Web site circa 1999. Am I the only person who thinks this?

Thomas Braemore Semillon 2008

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There have been some exciting write-ups of this wine in the blogosphere and, because I require only the slightest excuse to invest in Hunter Semillon, I ordered a few right away. This is my first bottle. The aroma shows citrus blossom, hay, wax and soap. It combines delicacy and a sense of considerable weight. There’s an underlying complexity of flavour that is unusual in young Hunter Semillon in the austere mode and, though it merely lurks in the background, this detail makes it a challenging wine to untangle. In the mouth, an explosion of acidity backed by considerable palate weight. It’s all very dry — in a chalky, minerally sort of way — creating an impression of high toned, detailed fruit flavours. There’s really good thrust through the palate, the wine almost leaping onto the middle of the tongue. With young Hunter Semillon, it can be revealing to taste one slowly, straight from the fridge through to room temperature. This one, for example, avoids becoming fat or flabby, and retains its essential character as it warms, but adds an extra dimension of power and nuance, even a little fruit sweetness, and a slippery edge to the mouthfeel. The whole remains firm and shapely, though.  Impressively, persistently long.To my taste, this is definitely one for the long haul, and I’m glad I have a few stashed away. I’ll be trying this again in about five years’ time. If you’re drinking it now, do as I did and try it with something moderately greasy like a potato, bacon and onion tart.Update: on day two, all the elements are amplified, with very intense citrus flavours, a greater sense of weight and finer acidity. This is pure quality. I suspect its mouthfeel in particular will develop beautifully with time.Thomas Wines
Price: A$25
Closure: Stelvin

Annie's Lane Copper Trail Shiraz Grenache Mourvèdre 2004

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I was hoping for a robust, rustic Clare Valley red in the traditional mould, but what I’ve got in front of me is something quite different. There’s no shortage of flavour here. On the nose, a complex mix of eucalyptus, dark fruit, slightly sauvage vegetal notes and black pepper. It takes some teasing apart, and on first sniff I comprehensively failed to understand its nuances. I’m not sure whether I actually like the aroma profile, but there’s no denying its interest and complexity.

Taylors St Andrews Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

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I’ve got a soft spot for Taylors, as much for the good value of its standard range as for the fact that I enjoyed many a good evening out on its wines before I became interested in what I drink, as opposed to being simply interested in drinking. St Andrews is Taylors’ premium label, a range I don’t have much experience with beyond the Riesling. I do enjoy a nice Clare red, though, so here goes with the St Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon from 2004.

If ever one wanted to illustrate the joys of New World winemaking, this would be a good wine to showcase. It’s just so correct and clean. A blast of pure, slightly sweet Cabernet fruit is the most prominent aroma, accompanied by varietal dust, regional eucalypt and umami galore (roast beef and gravy). Totally coherent and convincing, and not the least bit funky.

d'Arenberg The Feral Fox Pinot Noir 2007

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Not much gives this away as Pinot Noir except, perhaps, its colour and a hint of animalé on the nose. I tasted this blind and picked it as a commercial Shiraz blend, perhaps with a bit of Mataro. There’s straightforward red fruit and a good deal of sweet, vanilla and spice oak. Perhaps a bit of funky stalk? Nothing too challenging, though.

Domaine du Prieuré Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Les Lavières 2006

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I’ve popped the cork off a Pinot Noir in anticipation of a good match with roast duck this evening. The bird is resting, so I’ve a few minutes to swirl and sniff my way through this reasonably priced Burgundy from Savigny-les-Beaune. A very Pinot-esque purple/red/orange hue that is pretty and not especially dense. Colour’s one of those things I tend to gloss over a bit; with Pinot, though, I enjoy the paradox of a red wine that can often lack colour density but which, when it’s good, is intensely aromatic and powerful in the mouth. One of the charms of the variety, I guess.

A really nice aroma here. It’s pretty, floral, a bit confected perhaps, but this latter aspect goes to accessibility rather than quality. Fruit character is pretty straightforward. There’s a nice spicy edge too, and the whole is very perfumed and rewarding to smell, if not especially serious or challenging.
The palate is very pleasing. I’m getting a decent amount of astringency that appears to be whole bunch related and, being a sucker for some stalk, am enjoying it very much. It’s a light bodied wine, quite acidic, with accessible berry fruit flavour and spice. Perhaps a bit thin, the wine remains a light experience along its entire line, never filling out or becoming especially fat. But that’s ok, it seems to be a stylistic thing as much as anything else, and begs for food. There’s some complexity in terms of the flavour profile, and one would probably gain some satifaction by tasting more analytically. For me, though, this is a great bistro-style Burgundy that I’d be happy to throw back with mates over a good meal.
Update: on the second evening, a mellower wine, diminished in terms of fruit richness though still fresh-tasting. Drink now.

Domaine du Prieuré
Price: $A39.80
Closure: Cork