Author Archives: Julian Coldrey

Domaine aux Moines Savennières-Roche aux Moines 1995

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A mature, deep golden colour.

On the nose, a powerful, almost off-putting, aroma of overripe fruit. Initially, oxidised characters were dominant, but the longer it sits in glass, the fresher it seems to get. The most flagrantly aged notes have receded to expose some youthfulness, although there’s no mistaking this as an older wine. Sharp tropical fruit, honey, a more savoury note (perhaps related to oxidation), but with a whole range of complexities too, floral and sherbet-like in character

In the mouth, excellent, resolved acid forms a great backbone. Although the acid is quite prominent, it is wholly in balance, and adds freshness to the flavour profile. Notes of sharp tinned pineapple vye with floral honeysuckle and a sort of waxy dimension. As with the nose, it’s complex beyond easy description. Impressive intensity of flavour, and satisfying length of palate. Mouthfeel is a highlight, being relatively full and waxy.

As with other aged wines, and aged whites in particular, this will be matter of taste. The other half took an immediate and unswayable dislike to it. I rather like it, though. It seems to be getting younger as the evening wears on. Whilst I’ve not quite come to terms with the more oxidative aspects of this wine’s flavour profile, there’s a lot to like in its complexity and structure. I’d be interested to taste another bottle and understand if this one is suffering from excessive oxidation.

Domaine aux Moines
Price: $NA
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: September 2008

Bannockburn Shiraz 1998

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This wine’s legend precedes it. For those not aware, the back label summarises its story: after hail destroyed Bannockburn’s 1998 estate Shiraz crop, a whole range of other wineries sent in their Shiraz grapes for inclusion in this wine. Hence the South Eastern Australia appelation. A real one-off cuvée and the sort of vinous curiosity that’s arguably more interesting to think about than taste.

The nose shows a flamboyant aroma profile of equal parts soil and aged leather, with some stale spice thrown in. To be honest, it comes across as a little funky and not especially clean, but to my taste these aren’t issues per se. Whatever your tolerance for wilder aromas, there’s no arguing this wine makes an immediate statement.

Good weight on entry, with slightly DMS-like blackcurrant fruit and good presence overall. Some stalky overtones establish the character and style of the wine. It seems full bodied at this stage. The mid-palate feels lush and resolved, but just as one relaxes into things, the after palate introduces quite drying tannins. These attenuate the wine’s nascent expansiveness and pinch its sense of scale. So its line is akin to a wedge, narrowing as it approaches the finish, and hollowing out somewhat in terms of fruit weight too. The finish feels a little “inside out,” as it’s dry with a notable absence of fruit weight.

Not an especially elegant wine, and perhaps past its best. I’m glad I tasted it, though. Wines like these add a welcome note of quirkiness to the local wine scene.

Bannockburn
Price: $NA
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: September 2008

Château Moulin Riche 1996

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This is the second wine of Chateau Léoville Poyferré and, without wanting to spoil the fun, is bloody good. I’m on to my second glass now, and the aroma profile keeps refining its silhouette, shifting from one version of itself to the next.

It opened a bit stinky, perhaps seaweedy, with wisps of cedar and other complexities coiling around each other. After a while, the stink has blown off, leaving pencil shavings and berry fruit elegance behind. It’s all highly sniffable, and remarkably complete purely in terms of its aroma. The palate doesn’t disappoint, as it carries forward many threads from the nose while adding significant textural interest. Smooth and subtle on entry, the wine builds flavour towards the mid-palate, which is medium bodied at most. There’s more blackcurrant and cedar here, perhaps a hint of leathery bottle age too but no more than a hint. If it never quite realises the degree of intensity one might have expected (or desired), there’s delightful compensation in the integrated, luxurious tannins that creep up from behind and delicately claw their way on to the tongue. Decent, fruit-driven finish with a suggestion of tertiary sweetness (which I’m a sucker for).

An excellent, balanced wine that’s all about style.

Château Moulin Riche
Price: $NA
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: September 2008

Tyrrell's Vat 5 NVC Shiraz 2003

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This label seemed to disappear from the Tyrrell’s portfolio after the 2004 vintage. I recall reading something about damage to the NVC vineyard, but the details escape me. In any case, I have enjoyed it on numerous occasions, and the vineyard seems to impart an earthiness that’s quite regional and perhaps even more prominent than in some other Hunter wines.

A forthright, savoury nose of wet earth, cooked meat, an iodine-like note and concentrated, slightly stressed fruit. It’s deep and dark, and bulkier than many of its regional siblings. In the mouth, intriguing despite dimensions that extend towards clumsiness. Savoury berry fruits flood the mouth on entry, and are joined on the mid-palate by assertive minerality and an equally assertive, astringent mouthfeel. Despite the benefit of a few years in bottle, this wine is still vibrantly primary, with rustic acidity and chunky tannins key to its current balance. The after palate and finish are puckeringly dry.

To be critical, the fruit is slightly dead tasting, and the overall impression is one of heft rather than elegance. Still, it’s a clear view into vintage conditions and perhaps all the more interesting for it. In fact, if you ever find yourself facing a bottle of the 2003 and 2004 NVC Shiraz, they provide a great insight into how vintage conditions can influence a wine’s character. Personally, I loved the 2004 wine. Not a renowned red wine vintage in the Hunter by any means, 2004 nevertheless gave birth to a light, funky, elegant NVC Shiraz. I wish I had more bottles of it.

Tyrrell’s
Price: $A30
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: September 2008

Bouchié-Chatellier Pouilly-Fumé La Renardière 2004

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An altogether excellent friend recently sent me a few wines to try, in the spirit of education and vinous exploration. I hadn’t intended to write any of them up, but this one surprised me and suggested a few notes were in order.

Quite a luscious nose showing tropical fruit and some honeyed apricot, offset by a solid streak of high toned flint. An interesting balance between overripe fruit notes and the sort of minerality one usually associates with ultra-dry wines in the Australian context.

This theme continues through the palate. On entry, lots of ripe flavour and a slippery mouthfeel, though with enough acid to ensure a sufficiently fresh impression. Though certainly influenced by some residual sugar, the fruit character reminds me of preserved lemon: sharp citrus character by way of pungently savoury syrup. This sits on top of a shard of flint that adds detail and shape to the wine’s line. Good density through the after palate, and a good lingering finish.

Interesting style that worked well for us as an aperitif. It would also suit canapes well, and I imagine would cut through a degree of oiliness thanks to the minerality. Wines like this help to remind me that, although it’s great to revisit favourite styles, there’s a tremendous diversity of wine just waiting to be tasted.

Bouchié-Chatellier
Price: $NA
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: September 2008

Lake's Folly Cabernets 2006

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In amongst Max Lake’s considerable oeuvre is a slim volume of memoirs, richly recounted and highly enjoyable. It colours my view of the Lake’s Folly wines. It’s tempting to view wine solely in terms of what’s in the bottle but, perhaps inevitably, knowing something about its maker, the vineyard from which it came, regional history, and so on, makes for a more complete experience. The difference between wine evaluation and wine appreciation, perhaps. In any case, Max Lake’s memoirs are a nice view into what he originally set out to do with this label, and where it sits in the grand scheme of Australian wine.

A striking, pungent nose showing tobacco leaf, raw spice, fragrant cabernet fruit, sweet earth and a whole lot else besides. It’s really quite complex and distinctive — no doubt too distinctive for some tastes. Certainly not one for Cabernet purists. Very flavoursome entry that starts cool and savoury, but quickly reveals a wider range of flavours. There is a core of moderately sweet dark fruit around which revolve a number of high toned notes: some vegetal, some earthy, some oak-derived. As with the nose, complexity of flavour is a standout. The wine is medium bodied and full of interesting textures, from detailed acidity to ripe tannins that seem to land on the tongue in silty globs. The latter become a gorgeous influence on the after palate, and help flavour to persist with good intensity through a decent finish. It’s young but very well balanced and extremely drinkable now.

This is quite a funky number and, looking back over my impressions of the 2005 Cabernet, perhaps more immediately accessible than its predecessor. I probably prefer the 2005 but this is a lovely wine, full of personality.

Lake’s Folly
Price: $A50
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: September 2008

Clonakilla Viognier 2006

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I hope I’m not alone in feeling a daggy sense of anticipation whenever a favourite winery’s newsletter drops into my mailbox (virtual or otherwise). Clonakilla’s gets the heart racing more than most. The Spring 2008 edition is now here, and, as someone always in search of an excuse to celebrate, I thought I’d open a bottle of Clonakila’s 2006 Viognier.

A rich, unctuous nose, thick with apricot (part kernel, part syrup), fresh vanilla ice cream and a little astringency. It seems quite responsive to temperature, showing lush opulence when relatively warm. I remember tasting a Petaluma Viognier with Chris way back when and it smelled of raspberry coulis — this wine has the same richly acidic fruit flavour. It’s brassy, no doubt, but controlled, too.

The palate is deceptively austere compared to the nose, although it’s still true to its variety. This perceived austerity derives from the wine’s acid structure, which is (happily) assertive in the context of such a luxurious style. So, a crisp entry, lively and fresh. Movement to the mid-palate is quite controlled and precise — one can feel acid reaching down either side of the tongue as an altogether more slippery component drives down the centre line. Soon, we’re in decidedly plush territory, the mouth awash with crisp apricot kernel and vanilla, plus some fresh phenolic bitterness as a background note. Good impact, impressive intensity. Flavour complexity is decent, but I’m fascinated most by the three dimensional texture of this wine. There’s no drop-off in intensity through the after palate, and the finish is quite long.

I suppose most wines are subject to personal preference and taste, and this is no different. I still struggle to understand where Viognier fits in my life as a wine style. Despite all that, this wine is all quality and is, quite frankly, delicious. From memory, it’s a broader wine than the 2005, but no less enjoyable.

Clonakilla
Price: $50
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: September 2008

Moss Wood Semillon 2003

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One from the cellar.

Shy nose with hints of cream, astringent herb, grapefruit and a touch of tropical richness too. I’m smelling an aged dimension to the aroma profile in the form of light toastiness, but it’s still quite primary. A pretty, complex whisper of a nose.

The palate shows greater generosity. A cool, crisp entry that bristles with fresh acid texture. You’d never know this wine had already spent several years in bottle. Steely acidity carries astringent citrus flavours through the mid-palate without significant pause. Here, mouthfeel shows a softer, creamier face, without subverting the wine’s significant structure. Intensity is quite impressive, and there’s some complexity of flavour too, although it’s all quite austere in profile and, consequently, challenging to describe in terms other than “flint” or “mineral.” A pleasant lift through the after palate precedes a long, clean finish. It’s in these last stages that some fruit weight finally appears, and it is of the grapefruit and citrus pith variety.

The last bottle I tried, perhaps two years ago, showed quite differently. It was more generous, softer and quite luscious, and the winemaking treatment (battonage, etc) was clearly evident. I wonder if this wine is going through a phase, or perhaps there’s some bottle variation at play? On the basis of this example, I’d be looking to check on its progress in two to three years’ time. I don’t have a lot of experience with this label, though, so others’ insights are welcome.

Moss Wood
Price: $A30
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: September 2008

Tyrrell's Single Vineyard Old Patch 1867 Shiraz 2007

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The renowned GW called my attention to the trophy recently awarded to this wine at the 2008 Hunter Valley Wine Show. Congratulations, Tyrrell’s. What better excuse to taste it now?

A deep, dark purple hue, dense and inky. I really didn’t get anything from this wine for the first hour or so. It’s so tight. I must admit, I shook the bottle up before pouring my second glass and, after some further mistreatment in the glass, I’m smelling a range of aromas. First, black pepper and spice, then blackberry, clean and deep. A bit of sappy oak, then aniseed and ripe brambles round things out. It ends up being quite distinctive and characterful, but it’s not a wine that reaches out to you. Not right now, anyway.

The palate shows an interesting mix of elements, all tied to a core of assertive but integrated acid. Despite its primacy, somehow the acid feels unforced and already it sits within the overall context of the wine, rather than apart from it. But back to the entry, which is dark and alive with tart, clean blackberry flavour. Things open up as the wine moves confidently through a medium bodied mid palate, and it gathers quite remarkable intensity of flavour along the way. There’s some fruit sweetness and savoury spice, all of which is currently subservient to acid. I love the way it widens in the mouth, creating an impressive sense of scale without any hint of heaviness or excess. In fact, the whole wine strikes me as architectural in the precision of its form. The finish lingers well, although it lacks a sense of weight that, I imagine, will come as the acid softens.

This is a very clean, characterful wine, and its quality is undeniable. It’s also an infant. I suspect it needs a few years, if not decades, to blossom and reveal the full spectrum of its personality. It is completely different in style from the 4 Acres, being a much darker, more brooding wine, less exuberantly fragrant and expressive.

Irrespective of whether you like this wine, it’s nice to be given the opportunity to taste the fruits of remarkable vineyards (or sections therein) that would otherwise disappear into larger production labels. Viewed from this perspective, the Old Patch and 4 Acres wines are an instant lesson in Hunter Valley Shiraz, its common character but also the range of styles that exist within its ranks. Perhaps the outmoded “Burgundy” nomenclature was appropriate in ways we’re only now beginning to see.

Tyrrell’s
Price: $A35
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: August 2008