Author Archives: Julian Coldrey

Tyrrell's Vat 1 2007

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Having tasted a couple of other current vintage Private Bin whites in previous weeks, I was interested to see how the flagship Vat 1 fared in 2007. The Belford and Stevens wines seemed broader and more approachable than usual. Very pale with excellent clarity. The nose is an interesting mixture of high toned, almost powdery citrus fruit with waxed pears and more generous tropical notes. Good complexity. It’s quite expressive and certainly attractive; whether it’s especially “typical” is another question. The entry is gentle and builds, both structurally and in terms of intensity, towards the mid-palate. Here we have a forward mix of lemon/lime notes with hints of the tropical fruit shown on the nose. Acidity is certainly lively and it provides really good flow through the palate, but stops short of the sort of searingly intense structure seen in Hunter Semillons of a more classical bent. Flavour extends well into the after palate, and the wine’s length is extremely impressive.Rather than criticise this wine for what it isn’t, I’ll celebrate its pleasures: here we have an approachable, sophisticated young wine of good structure and length. As it sat in the glass, I could detect hints of the honeyed pleasure to come, but I’d say this is a medium term cellaring proposition at most — nothing should stop you enjoying this wine now.Tyrrell’sPrice: $A35Closure: StelvinDate tasted: February 2008

Krinklewood Verdelho 2007

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I seem to end up drinking more Hunter Verdelho than I intend to, partly because they are often keenly priced and, well, there. This one is no exception, and has the added advantage of originating from a biodynamic vineyard. Straightforward, juicy fruit salad aromas with the faintest hint of herbal astringency on the nose. There’s no significant complexity but there’s sufficient volume, which is the point with a wine like this. The entry is immediately flavoursome, with more Verdelho fruit salad riding a slightly slippery, glycerol influenced mouthfeel through to a generous, flavoursome middle palate. Acidity is gentle but present enough to add some firmness to the wine’s otherwise easygoing palate. Unlike many Verdelhos, this wine shows well controlled phenolic bitterness — enough to cleanse the palate without disrupting the sweeter fruit notes. A nice lift of slightly medicinal flavour characterises the finish, and the wine has decent length, tapering slowly to a close.This is the nicest Verdelho I’ve had in a while. Its combination of mouthfilling flavour and perfectly balanced bitterness is delicious and fun. Drinks well and is great value.KrinklewoodPrice: $A16Closure: StelvinDate tasted: February 2008

Domaine Trapet Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Ostréa 2005

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A village-level wine whose name apparently has something to do with the oyster shells found in and around its source vineyards.Piercing, complex and focused aroma profile comprising elements of cherry/plum, red fruits and a lovely stalky/sappiness. It’s just delightful to smell this wine and, although it has remained relatively static over the last couple of hours, its inherent complexity carries it well, and I’m continuing to enjoy each sniff very much. There’s some underlying oak that plays a well judged supporting role.Straight from the bottle, this wine tasted a little thin and bright on the palate, but it did not take long (thirty minutes at most) for the fruit to fill in. Entry is rich and flavoursome, introducing not only ripe fruit but the two key pleasures of this wine: structure and texture. No doubt there are gorgeous, ripe fruits and what appears to be whole bunch complexity here, but with each sip I keep coming back to the clearly defined acid framework and the powdery phenolics (including fine, ripe tannins) that create significant textural interest on the tongue. For all the fruit ripeness, it’s only a medium bodied wine, yet full of intensity and flavour. The after palate shows good line, but there’s a sudden drop as the finish kicks in, somewhat mitigated by the fact that this slightly subdued finish possesses more than satisfactory length.This is my kind of wine, and is drinking better now than some of the other 2005 Burgundies I’ve tasted recently. Elegant and alluring. I’d like to see it with a couple of years on it, though, primarily to experience the wine’s texture as it softens.Domaine Trapet Père et FilsPrice: $A66Closure: CorkDate tasted: February 2008

Skillogalee Chardonnay 2005

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I don’t remember trying a Chardonnay when I was last at cellar door, but the empty bottle in the recycling bin proves there is indeed one in the Skillogalee range. According to the winery’s web site, there were 400 cases made from 1ha of mature (25 year old) vines. The nose is a throwback to the (some might say bad) old days of quite generously oaked Chardonnay, expressing as it does a whack of spicy, slightly varnishy oak ahead of more subtle Chardonnay fruit. I sat with the wine all evening and the oak continued to show prominently and ahead of any fruit-derived aroma. The palate is a continuation of this theme, with spicy, smoky and broad oak dominating reticent Chardonnay fruit of the yellow peach variety. I’m not opposed to a more worked style of Chardonnay that uses oak as a key flavour component, but a certain intensity of fruit needs to be present to provide balance, and I didn’t feel it was quite there in this wine. There’s some buttery richness that is, I presume, derived from malo, and acid is pretty soft. Finish is unremarkable.I wasn’t super impressed with this wine, as I kept wishing the fruit would step up more assertively to the oak treatment. As it is, a wine for lovers of spicy oak rather than Chardonnay fruit.SkillogaleeCost: $A20Closure: StelvinDate tasted: February 2008

Jacques Cacheux & Fils Vosne-Romanée Aux Réas 2005

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Onwards with the Burgundy tastings. Here we have a village level wine from Vosne-Romanée.On pouring, I thought this wine was faulty, so funky were some of the smells emerging from glass. But it wasn’t — it’s just on the wilder side of Pinot, and perhaps all the better for it. Complex aromas of pepper, stalk, sous-bois and bright red strawberry fruit intermingle on the nose, but these descriptors may give false impression of my certainty — it’s a subtle, changeable nose that has evolved a fair bit through the evening. Quite expressive and beautifully perfumed.When I first sipped the wine, I found the acid overwhelmingly assertive. This subsided after an hour or so to reveal a still-bright but more balanced palate. Entry is lively and immediate, with acidity registering, followed quickly by sweet, plummy red fruit. Complexity builds towards the middle palate, where notes of pepper and spice become quite prominent. There are also smoky, meaty edges to the flavour profile, as well as a bit of vanilla oak. I wouldn’t call this a “clean” wine, but it’s funky and interesting in the most positive way. Body is medium, as is intensity. The wine continues well through the after palate, with a slightly confected note emerging towards the back of the mouth, lingering on through a finish of good length. I must say, I do like this wine a lot. It has changed a fair amount through the evening, gaining weight and body whilst not losing its fundamentally bright profile. I enjoy the slightly wild flavours too — squeaky clean fruit bombs can get boring after a while. There’s definitely a few years in this wine yet, but if you must drink now, do decant for a couple of hours, or at least sip slowly.Jacques Cacheux & FilsPrice: $A55Closure: CorkDate tasted: February 2008

Giesen Sauvignon Blanc 2007

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I remember when I first tasted this wine, in the late 90s. I came a bit late to Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, you see, but the Giesen gave me an inexpensive taste of what it was about. It continues to be my favourite “reliable” example of the genre, and as 2007 has been talked up in the Marlborough, I was interested to taste this wine over the weekend.
As is typical with this wine, somewhat explosive aromas of cut grass, passionfruit and other astringent fruits leap from the glass. This is a wine that bursts into the room with all guns blazing. It’s piercing and characterful and gloriously vulgar. It’s also, within the context of the style, balanced and attractive.
The entry shows tingly acid and a sourness that carries through to the mid-palate. Within this light bodied wine, there are intense flavours that mirror the nose, along with a somewhat scouring mouthfeel. There’s a deceleration towards the after palate, and the finish is an echo rather than a substantial continuation of the wine’s flavour, but by that time, you’re ready for another sip anyway.
No great complexity of flavour, then, but it’s a hugely enjoyable wine that exists at the more outré end of the stylistic spectrum for “budget” Sauvignon Blancs. Personally, I don’t see the point to the softer, more rounded wines that are crafted for maximum acceptability but, to me, represent a denial of terroir and style.
GiesenPrice: $A15Closure: StelvinDate tasted: February 2008

One Tree Hill Shiraz 2003

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I don’t know anything about One Tree Hill. I don’t think the bottle I consumed has anything to do with Scaffidi Wines, which uses “One Tree Hill” as a label on some of its products. The back label identifies it as a Hunter Valley wine made “under the supervision of Len Evans.” It happened to be on sale for $5 at the local First Choice. I’d be interested to know more about its origins.
A dense purple-red colour, still youthful. The nose initially showed dominant raisin-like notes and assertive vanilla oak. Then some complexities: prunes, fresher red fruit, some black pepper and clovey spice. If you can get over the dried fruit notes (which, I admit, aren’t always to my taste), there’s some good intensity here. It is not, however, a lightfooted aroma profile.
The entry shows a slippery-slidey mouthfeel that lands on the mid-palate with more vanilla oak, raspberries, dried fruits. Quite intense, yet clumsy and oak heavy too. Low in acid and tannin, this wine’s structure steps back to place full bodied fruit at centre stage. The after palate is spicy but tapers quickly to a short-ish finish.
I’m not going to complain too much over a $5 wine, especially one that is full of flavour. The flavours, though, seem stressed, perhaps a result of the very dry 2003 vintage in the Hunter. Those raisin/prune notes, as well as the assertive oak, don’t mesh well with my sense of Hunter Shiraz or, more broadly, of what I enjoy drinking. On the other hand, this is very clearly not an industrial product, showing character (including what one might classify as faults or markers of a difficult vintage) and generosity. Perhaps one should be grateful for that fact alone.
One Tree HillPrice: $A5Closure: CorkDate tasted: February 2008

Clos Salomon Givry 1er Cru 2005

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Givry, located in the Côte Chalonnaise, is often regarded as a “value” appellation and lacks the lustre of villages located within the Côte d’Or. Given the words “value” and “Burgundy” are rarely seen together, I’m willing to give this wine the most generous of chances. Expressive, pretty nose of florals, deep red and black fruits, a very slight sappy edge and some exotic incense-like character. There’s a lack of definition to the fruit that detracts ever so slightly, but one receives adequate compensation through the amount and attractiveness of the flavours that are there. The entry is deceptively slippery, as it takes a few moments for the wine’s acidity to register. Once it does, though, relatively intense fruit flavours sizzle within the wine’s medium bodied palate. There are quite masculine berry flavours mixed in with vanilla and spice oak, plus a hint of earth/mineral. Most of the wine’s fruit weight is currently sitting towards the front of the palate, as the acid tends to take over as the wine progresses towards the after palate. The fruit hangs on, though, and re-emerges on the finish as a lingering, prickly sweetness that persists through a wash of acid and tannin. I think some time for the acid to subside will see the fruit fatten up and sit more evenly through the wine’s line. Even as it sits in the glass, the fruit is thickening and gaining weight and complexity. For all that, it’s drinking pretty well now.This is a very tasty wine that shows clean winemaking and attractive fruit. To be critical, the fruit is slightly clumsy, lacking the poise and structure of the best wines. This is not an overly intellectual wine. Drink now or drink later; the choice is yours, but I’ll be leaving my remaining bottles for 2-3 years before retasting. Good value for what it is.Clos SalomonPrice: $A38Closure: CorkDate tasted: February 2008

Skillogalee Riesling 2007

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Another from the variable (for Riesling, at least) 2007 vintage in the Clare Valley. Skillogalee tends to sit a bit “out there on its own,” stylistically, and I happen to enjoy many of its wines a great deal. This wine may come as a surprise to those who are more accustomed to the style of neighbouring Mitchell, for example, or any number of other more austere Rieslings from the area. A relatively rich colour; hay with a bit of light green, excellent clarity. The nose is equal parts lemon juice and sweeter, tropical fruit (tinned pineapple springs to mind). You don’t need to work hard to get smells from the glass, and the aroma profile is indulgent rather than crisp and piercing. The entry shows sizzly, textured acidity and slightly fuller body than one might expect.  The mid-palate is as much textural as it is flavoursome, with more rustic acidity and some phenolics sitting alongside citrus and pineapple fruit, plus some bitter herbs. Acidity is  a tad unintegrated. Flavour isn’t the most intense I’ve ever experienced, nor is there significant complexity, but it’s present and tasty. The after palate brings a focus on the fruit, which drives a nice line through the middle of the tongue. The wine dies a bit on the finish.Not everyone will like this wine, I imagine, especially if your taste runs to the dryer, more austere Clare Rieslings. And it’s not the best Skillogalee Riesling I’ve had, being perhaps a tad obvious in fruit flavour and coarse in acidity. But it’s a tasty wine, fresh of mouthfeel and with easy fruit flavour. I’d pair this with Chinese food, as I’m about to on this Chinese New Year’s evening.SkillogaleePrice: $A22Closure: StelvinDate tasted: February 2008

Christophe Vaudoisey Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2005

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Same producer as for the Bourgogne Rouge tasted earlier this week, but a decided step up in grape source. This wine is from the 1er Cru Les Caillerets vineyard in Volnay. A more youthful, purple colour than the lower wine, good clarity. The nose is really interesting. There’s definite complexity here, mixing plums, a sort of floral yet spicy candied fruit character with a hint of sous-bois and perhaps a tiny bit of brett too. It’s seamless and smooth, if a little understated. The palate’s entry shows really fine, firm acidity that underlines the wine’s flavour profile and creates good movement through to the mid-palate. The flavours here are a replay of the nose, and there’s a tightness (without any sense of brutishness) to the wine that suggests it may take some time to find its proper expression. Sweet and sour cherries, some foliage, minerality — good intensity — again seamless and elegant, a wine with self-confidence. The after palate displays a hint of oak as tannins start to dry the tongue and prepare for a finish of good length. It’s too early to fully enjoy this wine, but what’s here is promising. I will revisit it in a few years’ time. I’m about to sit down to dinner and will be interested to see how it responds to food.Christophe VaudoiseyPrice: $A58Closure: CorkDate tasted: February 2008