Tag Archives: Eden Valley

Yalumba Viognier Eden Valley 2008

Posted on by
Reply

Wonderfully refreshing and complex, this is miles away from the screechingly acidic honeysuckle toffee you so often get in viognier at this price point. Glowing golden green in the glass, I suddenly found myself remembering what it was like to lick buttercream frosting off of the metal stand mixer beaters when I was young: there’s a brief, sharp flash of alloyed brightness that quickly folds itself into a lusciously textured, lemon-rind and salt water taffy hugeness that is barely contained within a hulkingly big, disproportionately sized wine that thankfully stops just this side of gaucheness. On the nose, the aromatics remind me of Osage orange and bitter white flowers; there’s also a subtle hint of freshly churned butter as well as a suggestion of something akin to marjoram.I’m very impressed with this wine, but I will that it stops just short of greatness: there’s some tension in the outsize-osity of the finish that is uncomfortably close to a beer gut spilling over the waist of daggy polyester trousers, I’d say. For all of the wine’s charms, it could do with a bit less ripeness, a bit less flab, and a bit more minerality – but still, could you possibly have expected better for the price?Yalumba
Price: $13
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Retail

Flaxman Sparkling Shiraz NV

Posted on by
Reply

Disgorged in 2009. This is essentially the same wine as the Karra Yerta Sparkling Shiraz previously reviewed on Full Pour, so one might wonder the point of writing it up. Two reasons: firstly, it’s an excellent sparkling red worthy of some air time, and secondly, I’m kind of curious of my impressions the second time around.

That fabulous purple mousse that makes me want to squeal with delight (in a manly way). Liqueurous nose showing ripe cherries, spiced oak, chocolate and some lees influences.  Subtle and complex, it gives more as one puts more into it. It’s an earthy aroma profile that seems, somehow, artisanal in that it’s not squeakily, soullessly clean. 
The palate shows a similar complexity of flavour profile, though this bottle is less lively than the Karra Yerta I looked at in December, and consequently lacks a little pizzaz in the mouth. No matter, lots going on for sure; dark berry fruit flavours, savouriness, oak, tannin; this is a mile from the simple, sweet sparkling red some might be familiar with. Medium bodied, emphasising elegance and shape rather than outright power. Beautiful, cotton-wool finish of great finesse and delicacy.
Quality red bubbles. Fans of the style would do well to seek it out.

Flaxman Wines
Price: $A35
Closure: Crown seal
Source: Sample

Flaxman Shiraz 2007

Posted on by
Reply

This one’s certainly got me thinking. I was quite partial to Flaxman’s 2007 Stranger, largely because of its luxurious flavour profile and mouthfeel. This, by contrast, is an entirely different beast. For starters, it is made from estate grapes hailing from a dry grown vineyard at the top of the Barossa Ranges (so says the back label). Very Wuthering Heights (Kate Bush, not Emily Brontë). More meaningfully, it is quite distinct, stylistically, from its cheaper sibling. 

Quite savoury on the nose, some twiggy, brambly notes sitting alongside dark berries that present in a restrained yet liquorous manner. There’s an element of sous-bois and dirt to the aroma profile, a little unexpected perhaps but also quite interesting. The oak influence, such as it is, consists of a mocha-like note that remains subservient to the fruit aromas. I found it slightly hard going at first, its charms subtle, but its seduction has proved surefooted; an hour in and I’m enjoying the aroma very much.
The palate is equally coy, initially hiding its plush fruit behind a veil of savouriness. On the minus side, there’s a hardness to this wine’s flavour profile that, through an evening’s tasting, never quite disappears. But wow, what impressive length and structure. In a top year, I’m sure this wine would be quite remarkable; as it is, it’s still all quality, and transparent in a way many wine lovers will value and be fascinated by. Fabulously intense berries and coffee on the mid palate, with tannins that are both abundant and velvet smooth as the after palate gathers steam. And again, a satisfyingly extended finish, full of rich fruit flavour and textured tannins. There’s a lot to enjoy here.
A really worthwhile wine. 

Flaxman Wines
Price: $A45
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Karra Yerta Sparkling Shiraz NV

Posted on by
7

It’s Christmas day and I’m taking time out between preparing lunch and relaxing to note my reaction to this wine, just opened and to be consumed with the main meal (in my case, confit of duck). 

A joyous gush of mousse, quite electric in its vibrancy and pleasingly voluminous. I can’t help smiling at the lurid purple of many sparkling Shiraz wines; this one had me grinning like the Cheshire Cat. This isn’t a tits-out style, though. The nose is subtle, showing spice, tart blackberries, a hint of fortified wine, some aged characters and a general impression of complexity combined with fresh berry juice. 
The palate is equally measured, showing real elegance despite the fizz. Mercifully, it’s not a sweet wine; in fact, the savouriness of the flavour profile combined with chalky, abundant tannins creates quite the opposite impression. It’s all quite intense; more blackberries, spice and various oak-derived flavours mix on the middle palate. Riding above it all is a clean juiciness that smoothes over the wine’s sophisticated framework, ensuring you could just as easily linger over each sip as slam it down fast, per your mood or the occasion. 
Very glad to have the opportunity to taste this wine on a special day of the year; I believe only twenty cases exist. Make haste. And Merry Christmas to you all.

Karra Yerta Wines
Price: $A35
Closure: Crown seal
Source: Sample

Yalumba Hand Picked Barossa Shiraz + Viognier 2001

Posted on by
Reply

Dusty roasted cocoa nibs come to mind, backed with the residue of children’s fruit leather that was forgotten underneath the front seat of a minivan for months: dusty-sweet with faint memories of summertime. The taste, however, seems at odds with the way the wine smells, brightly acidic and with a midpalate reminiscent of a general store pickle barrel, the wine is strangely fascinating, with a spiky, velvety texture that spreads out to a long finish of patent medicines and schmoozingly-textured tannin. This is a real odd duck of a wine: far from elderly, it seems to be holding on just fine eight years after harvest. I’m not sure if I like it, but I respect it: this is a fairly crowded category (South Australian shiraz) and this is one of the most unique bottles I’ve tasted. It’s not jammy raspberry motor oil, it’s not archaeo-funky Rockford, and it’s not Côte-Rôtie light, but something entirely other. I imagine this would pair very well with Japanese food that features grilled mackerel and other umami-intensive foodstuffs: there’s a certain cogency nere with savory, grilled, fishy, salty foods that’s intensely appealing once you get over the shock of it not being like something you’ve had before. Whoever made this wine should be damn proud of what they’ve achieved here. Yalumba
Price: $28
Closure: Cork
Source: Retail

Flaxman Riesling 2009

Posted on by
Reply

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

Karra Yerta Eden Valley Riesling 2009

Posted on by
2

ev riesling 09.gifThe Karra Yerta vineyard has a flavour that is partly Eden Valley but otherwise all its own. This is the third vintage I’ve tasted and there’s a striking family resemblance between the wines. The 2008 was full and soft, communicating a luxuriant plushness while remaining in the mainstream of Eden style. The 2005 was austere and acidic, clearly built for the long haul, and what one might consider a more typical wine of the region. This most recent edition is different again, yet its core of pastel, shimmering fruit is all Karra Yerta, clearly showing the terroir of this special vineyard.

A most interesting range of aromas — watermelon, apples, lychee, cut grass, spice, lemon — seem to glisten and evolve from the glass like shiny scented pillows. There’s excellent complexity and cohesiveness for such a young Riesling; this is absolutely ready to drink now as a striking aromatic white, although I’m quite sure it could take a good deal of bottle age if one likes that sort of thing. 
A wallop of acidity announces the palate in no uncertain terms; this is definitely a young Riesling, but it’s not undrinkably tart as some can be. Instead, its fine texture and delicious sourness present alongside quite rich, full fruit flavours of a similar character to the nose, but for more prominent apple and lemon flavours. The middle palate is strikingly intense, yet what I like most is the shape and flow. Generous flavour is contained within a couture-like silhouette that cuts a dashing figure through the mouth. Everything’s in line, flowing as it should, with perfect control. An intriguing note, savoury and spicy in equal measure, kicks through the after palate before a sour, delicious finish of very impressive length rounds it all off. Indeed, this seems to go on and on for ages.
I don’t pretend to be an objective taster by any means, so although this is a quality wine made by a passionate producer in tiny quantities, it all comes to nought, because drinking this is like falling in love. Nothing else matters. 

Karra Yerta Wines
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin

Mountadam Barossa Shiraz 2007

Posted on by
Reply

A blend of Eden and Barossa Valley fruit, this wine makes a great case for itself through a combination of peppery, cooler climate characters and that luscious fruit for which Barossa Shiraz is renowned. 

You know you’re in good hands when you smell this little number, as assertive black pepper rides racily atop juicy blackberry and plum fruit. It’s delicious to smell, in the way a fruit-based dessert smells delicious as it approaches readiness in the oven. No great complexity as such, but it almost says “who cares?” as it caresses one’s nostrils with generous flavour. The palate is in no way a let-down after this tease, as it reveals a generous gush of ripe fruit early on entry. Medium bodied, there’s a spicy lilt to the middle palate that is a refreshing foil to the generous, eager blackberry fruit running underneath. Oak is a mere support act, and I appreciate the unforced, casual character here. This wine knows it is destined for barbeques and weekday evenings across the country, and never undersells these occasions. Delicious plum fruit rides the after palate through to a spicy, surprisingly long finish. 
I purchased this wine for under $A15 and, at the price, it is a bloody bargain. 

Mountadam
Price: $14.25
Closure: Stelvin

Karra Yerta Shiraz Cabernet 2006

Posted on by
6

This wine (and winery) defines boutique in many respects. A limited run production of 170 cases, made by James Linke from Eden Valley and Barossa fruit, then blended by Pete Schell to create this quite outstanding little number. When I asked the engaging Marie Linke the intent behind this wine, her answer was “a good home brew, for ourselves, but plans change.” And how.

I tasted this over two days, and recommend a good decant at the very least if drinking now. The nose is almost provocatively complex, with notes of gunpowder, barbecued meats, five-spice, lavender, mulberries and cocoa powder. It sounds cacophonous but it’s more like a plaid wool blankie: textured and comforting. The aroma profile softened overnight, not becoming less complex but simply settling into its groove, less puffed out, more sophisticated. If there’s a hint of volatility, it works well to lift into and penetrate the nostrils. 
The palate has shown an even greater transformation with time. At first, unexpectedly bright red fruit shoots down the mouth, accompanied by the same savouriness as in the aroma, falling away a bit on the after palate. A couple of hours later, it fills out significantly, gaining weight and elegance at the same time, and losing the slightly disjointed construction I saw at first. The next day, now, it has melted into a thing of beauty, a limpid pool of dark richness that seems to dissolve onto the tongue with an impossible sense of control. The fruit flavour has gone to dark cherries, with a range of other flavours (including sappy oak) that resist being teased apart from one another. The slinky mouthfeel is a highlight here; tannins are almost excessively fine and ripe. 
This is a “fall in love” sort of wine; distinctive, beautiful. I’m not going to resist.

Karra Yerta Wines
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin

Irvine Springhill Merlot 2006

Posted on by
Reply

From one of the few makers in Australia focusing on Merlot as its signature red grape comes this affordable wine made from a blend of Eden and Barossa fruit. I’ve enjoyed previous vintages of this label very much.

Nice nose, a little muted perhaps, showing a mix of bouncy dark berry fruit and leaner, more vegetal notes that strike me as varietal rather than unripe. It’s not quite in the olive spectrum as I have found some Merlot to be, but is definitely on the funkier side, all of which is a relief because one sometimes dreads the simplicity of this grape, in particular at the “value” end of the price scale. As it is, good to smell — not enough volume though — with a subtle thread of bubble-gum oak.
In the mouth, surprisingly well structured, with spiky acidity and loose-knit tannins very much at the fore. In fact, the fruit never quite attains sufficient intensity to match the firm structure, such that there’s an element of imbalance; it’s like a fantastically detailed underground cave which should house a raging river but which is instead graced with a lazy stream. Still, one can’t have it all, and the flavours on offer are most attractive, despite their reticence. Ripe plum and blackberry, some powdery vanilla, and a hint of the vegetal note observed on the nose. It’s not complex, but neither is it facile. 
I’m wishing for more oomph but each sip brings good enjoyment nonetheless. Good food wine.

Irvine Wines
Price: $A17.09
Closure: Stelvin