Aussie Wines!
Aussie Wine Reviews – with a splash of fun
Tomfoolery “Monkey Business” Cabernet Franc 2007
Posted by Alex Russell in Dec 05, 2011, under Aussie Wines, SA Reds
I met Ben “Chippy” Chipman in a Barossa trip in 2007, along with Christian Canute. They’re behind one of my favourite labels: Rusden. Yes, this is a review about a wine from the Tomfoolery label, but let me start with some Rusden stories first. You’ll see why in a moment.
So I met these guys in the Tanunda Club after getting hopelessly lost on the way. Fortunately they were patient and I will never trust another GPS in wine country. Anyway, sitting a couple of tables away from Peter Lehmann, these boys bought me lunch (legends) and then I tried their wines. I had always been a huge fan of the Barossa style, but the Rusden wines blew me away. The thing I always remember about them is their mouthwatering acidity, which was the first time I’d really come across that in Barossa reds. I loved them.
A few years later, on my 30th birthday, I celebrated by drinking their Chookshed Zinfandel (one of my favourite reds ever) and wrote up their winery in a big way in my regular column in The Beast, a local magazine in Sydney’s east. Chippy asked me if he could use it to market their products in a little place in (I think) Tasmania and apparently it sold a couple of pallets worth of wine. Very cool.
So Chippy also has a side venture here with the Tomfoolery wines, along with a guy called Toby Yap, who I haven’t met yet. Anyway, I put in an order via fax (they’re a bit old fashioned – none of this web ordering malarky) because I’d been meaning to get around to them and figured it was about time I pulled my finger out.
There are a few interesting bits in there. They do some very cool things with grapes that are normally blended away, at least from this neck of the woods. “The Courser” Carignan was something of an enlightenment for me, but tonight I’m drinking the “Monkey Business” Cabernet Franc from 2007. The bloody thing even has a wax seal! Some might find it inconvenient, but to me, a wax seal is all class.
So how’s the wine? Well, one sip and I was back in the Tanunda Club, thinking about those Rusden reds with that mouthwatering acidity that blew me away four years ago. This wine is superb, especially considering that you don’t normally see a straight Cabernet Franc – and a Cabernet Franc from the Barossa is even rarer. It’s rich, it has a nose with a lovely, luxurious but subtle oak behind it. Smell deeper and you’ll find something floral (rose perhaps?) and some of the darker berries. The palate is rich, ripe, round and… look, do I need to say it again? There’s that acidity to it that makes my mouth water like crazy. Breathe out after taking a sip and you’ll be hit by a whole new dimension of something like super rich sultanas… which is amazing. And I love it. It’s a rich style, so it needs a good steak with some relish or something like that, but tonight, I’m just drinking it. And it’s sitting at 13.5%, so that’s pretty cool too… not a hugely alcoholic Barossa red, but still something with a really interesting texture to it.
So I’m a bit in love with this wine. My girlfriend is currently out at her Christmas party tonight and I’m trying very very hard to save a glass for her, but I just don’t think it’s going to happen. Babe, if you’re reading this, it must be a fucking boring Christmas party, but hurry up and get home before this is all gone. 95 points.
Huia Pinot Gris 2009
Posted by Alex Russell in Jul 27, 2011, under New Zealand Wines
I’ve been a big fan of the Huia wines for years.
You’ll find a few wines from this winery, including an interesting take on Kiwi Sauv Blanc. About 10% goes into oak barrels, which means you don’t taste any oak at all, but it gives the wine a certain something. There’s a sensational bubbly, a brilliant Pinot Noir that’s incredibly difficult to find anywhere and an amazing Gewürztraminer that doesn’t seem to find its way into my glass as often as I’d like. All are worth buying and trying.
But my personal favourite is the Pinot Gris. I work in a liquor store and it’s a constant struggle trying to keep this in stock. Pinot Gris seems to be the “in” thing at the moment, with people moving away from Sauv Blanc and opting for less fruit and more elegance. That’s exactly what you’ve got here.
Subtle odours of pear and peach fly up your nose. It has a perfectly balanced acidity and some complexity from, I assume, a little bit of lees contact. It’s refreshing without any piercing acids and it’s super awesome and you should buy it and send me an e-mail and tell me how much you love me for telling you to drink it.
Looking for a wine to go with Thai? Seafood? Chicken and cream potatoes? Here’s your baby. 94 points.
Dry River 2009 Pinot Noir
Posted by Alex Russell in May 18, 2011, under New Zealand Wines
I’m on a few mailing/calling lists for some pretty awesome retailers (as well as being a retailer myself). This stuff is bloody hard to get. My shop gets an allocation of four bottles per year. That’s right, four BOTTLES. And it’s not cheap either, you’re generally looking at somewhere around $150ish or so per bottle. I was lucky enough to get a call from one of my favourite retailers, I paid a small fortune (although I’ll admit that I got a great price for it) and here I am, with an open bottle of expensive Pinot.
So how is it?
Worth it.
This is from Martinborough – bottom edge of the north island of NZ. And honestly, there are some brilliant Pinots coming out of there. Ata Rangi anyone? So many people are looking exclusively at Central Otago for high end NZ Pinot these days. Shame.
Neil McCallum is a fastidious winemaker – check the website to see his jottings and you’ll see what I mean. While the Pinot Noir is doing some great things for a lot of people, the Gewürztraminer and Syrah are also absolutely sensational and worth grabbing… if you can find them.
Most people will tell you to give this time, and you should listen to them. I’ve cracked this open tonight and while the fruit-forward, incredibly balanced style is so easy to drink right now, it will evolve and benefit from time. Loads of red and black cherries, not overly spicy, hints of Christmas cake and that kind of thing… it’s a belter.
I normally have a lot more to say about wines, but it’s been a ridiculously long day and this is my reward for getting through it, so I’m gonna bugger off and finish the bottle. Get one if you can. 96 points.
A couple of interesting Rieslings from Clare
Posted by Alex Russell in Apr 22, 2011, under SA Whites
I received a request to review more whites… and I can never turn down requests that require me to drink more… especially when they come from nice sources. I do drink a lot of red AND white, but I tend to drink whites when I’m out with friends and reds at home on my weekly chill out night. It’s easier to blog at home when I’m chilling out than when I’m at dinner.
So, here are a couple of whites I’ve tried recently. Both Clare Valley, both Rieslings, but both interesting for very different reasons.
Clare Valley is pretty much the home of Australian Riesling, although some in Eden Valley would beg to differ. Clare also has some sensational Shiraz and Cabernets too, but I promised I’d write about whites… so I’ll save that for another time.
Jeffrey Grosset is pretty much the King of Riesling in Australia and is known worldwide for his Polish Hill and Watervale (now labeled Springvale) Rieslings. Riesling is usually a cheaper white because it’s just so unfashionable, mostly because it has a bad image. You can get a really decent wine for $20 whereas you’d have to spend much more to get similar quality from other grapes.
The reason it’s so reasonable is because you don’t have to do much to it. The expense of oak doesn’t come into the picture so much, nor does aging. The real challenge is working out when to pick the grape, as the balance between acid and sugar is absolutely essential to the success of Riesling. So when the Grosset Polish Hill goes for around $50 per bottle, you know it’s a sensational wine! Especially since it’s the most expensive Riesling in most bottle shops apart from those with outstanding selections from Germany.
The other reason is that most people think Riesling is sweet. Mention Riesling as an option during a wine choosing exercise and the first reaction you’ll get is “I don’t like sweet wine”. Fine! So try a frigging Riesling! Most of the Australian ones aren’t sweet. There is a lot of fruit flavour through the wines, usually lemon/lime with sometimes some banana esters, but there’s generally no or little sugar.
So when I heard Mr Grosset (I’ll be formal, I respect the guy) had released a new wine, I was excited. Then I heard it was Off Dry and knew it was going to push some boundaries for a lot of people. Off Dry means that there is a bit of residual sugar in there… some sugar that hasn’t been fermented to alcohol. Most people who drink sweet wine do so because it’s cheap… but a sweet wine from Mr Grosset was never going to be cheap.
It’s a sensational wine. Zingy acid with some sweetness, although the wine never really seems “fat”. Lots of lime flavours, a bit of other summery fruit through it too (some will say hints of passionfruit, others kiwifruit… whatever) and a lower alcohol due to the fact that less has been fermented (11.5%). An intriguing new wine from the master. It will be interesting to see what he does with it in coming years. Try it with something spicy for something a little different.
Then there’s this new label from a guy called John Hughes, a self confessed Rieslingfreak. It’s clear he’s into some interesting labels and I’ve heard whispers he was involved in the R Wines project (you may have seen the Bitch Grenache, the Boarding Pass Shiraz or many others), which were all about the label. Some of the R Wines were very good. Others, not so much.
So he’s now doing his own thing, with Riesling, in Clare and having fun with labels. Is the wine very good or not so much?
It’s $20ish per bottle, 12% alcohol and is has a lovely zingy acidity. The 2010 vintage is the first and I’m intrigued by the first release being called “Number 3″… but maybe that’s what it’s all about, intrigue.
The wine is very , without being the greatest. It’s certainly good value and I think the price is about right – if it was $25 or more, I might think twice about the value for money. No one looking for a decent drink will be disappointed by this. Have it with Thai, Chinese or even Indian. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with this… will he release more? Will the labels be funky? Will I keep drinking it? Dunno, dunno and fuck yeah.
Woodlands 2007 “Margaret” Reserve Cabernet Merlot Malbec
Posted by Alex Russell in Mar 11, 2011, under WA Reds
So I’ve been hearing a bit of a buzz around about the guys at Woodlands, but I’ve never really tried their stuff. The first thing that pops into my head when I see the bottle? They ripped off the Moss Wood label!
But I tell you what… this wine is a bit of a cracker. I recently bought a mystery dozen, which often doesn’t work out in your favour, but so far has been pretty decent. More on the other wines to come.
This is a blend of two thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest split pretty evenly between Merlot and Malbec. You can read the details on their website about where the grapes come from, aspect, etc… I won’t go into all of that.
2007 was one of those awesome vintages in Margaret River. I’ve said it before, but if you couldn’t make a decent red in Margaret River in 2007, you shouldn’t be there. So I was pretty excited about trying this wine given the vintage and the buzz around.
It hasn’t disappointed. I’ve noticed some incredibly power and structure in the 2007 Margaret River Bordeaux blends. Previously I’ve thought of them as a little light, a little weak, a little watery. Not this one, it’s full bodied. Deep purple red in colour, it’s a bit young at the moment, but there are no green vegetals on the nose at all. In fact, the nose has this beautiful perfume behind the dark berries and very subtle hint of vanilla. This is more towards the red/black end of the berry spectrum, not towards the blue side.
On the palate, the structure is surprising. There’s a mouthdrying astringency from the tannins that will calm down over the next few years. It’s not a fruit bomb at all, it’s all about the texture and structure at this point, but the fruit will start to shine through in a couple of years.
I know I’m drinking this young, but I’m just trying to work out if I want to buy any for myself. And even though I’m a Shiraz and Pinot man, this stuff has caught my attention. I’ll buy a dozen and open a bottle each year… it’ll make it. 97 points.
Penfolds Bin Release.
Posted by Alex Russell in Mar 06, 2011, under SA Reds
I’m going to make my biases fully known here… I think Penfolds wines are incredibly overpriced for what they are.
So yesterday, I got to taste the new releases of the 2006 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz, 2008 Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz and the brand spanking new 2008 Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz. Once again I’m left disappointed.
The Bin 128 is a pretty decent Coonawarra Shiraz. I think there are some great Shirazes from Coonawarra. The only problem, as I’ve written before, is that wines from Coonawarra are often quite cheap! You can get a great Rymill Shiraz for around $25 and just about everything from many of the wineries falls under $30. So why would I want to pay around $38 for this stuff when it’s much the same quality? Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a perfectly decent wine… it’s just not worth more than $25.
It’s the same deal for the Bin 28, although I’m not as happy with the Bin 28 as I am with the Bin 128. I think it’s not quite finished because I don’t feel the various components of the wine are well integrated yet. The one I tasted was under Stelvin. Winemakers have learned over the years that you can’t release an unfinished wine under Stelvin as they tend to develop more slowly. Unfortunately, Penfolds is expected to release their wines around this time every year so the winemakers don’t have a choice. It has to be ready, in bottle, in time for launch. Some of them are released under cork. If you want to drink this wine now, try to find one under cork. You’re taking a slight risk in that it could suffer from cork taint, but you can always just return it to wherever you bought it. Mind you, I understand that these wines are made to age… but it’s still no excuse for the Stelvin bottles.
Despite my biases, I was excited to try the Bin 150… a new subregional Shiraz. Penfolds has been expanding the Bin range recently with a new Riesling and Pinot and some other special releases. Now, Barossa Shiraz is certainly my thing. It’s also interesting to see Penfolds doing subregional expressions after expanding to multiregional wines with things like Grange and Bin 707. For the Penfolds fans out there, you’ll enjoy this. It’s something different from the big guys. But in my mind, it just doesn’t stack up with the sensational Shirazes around the same price from the little boutique guys. They’ve also used a mix of oaks – American and French. It feels like they weren’t quite sure whether they should make this or not and then found a few special barrels and tried to blend them together. The end result is a wine that falls in the middle of the road. It’s perfectly drinkable, but it’s not worth the $75ish that most retailers will sell it for. It will suit those who are looking for an easy drink without any remarkable characteristics to it. It will please many guests, but it won’t make them sit up and go “Wow, what the hell is this in my glass? Give me more!”
So while these wines are aimed at those who want an easy drink, they’re just not for me. Of course, I didn’t taste these blind so my biases may have had an effect on what I think, but I was genuinely interested in trying them and wanted to give them a chance. I just can’t escape the fact that Penfolds is trying to recover the monetary losses that the Fosters wine group has suffered over the last few years and is charging way too much for wines that just aren’t that interesting.
Finally, if you purchase 6 bottles of these wines, you can go to a website and claim a free magnum (1.5L bottle) of a special release Penfolds Coonawarra “Claret” Shiraz Cabernet 2009 blend. It’s free, but it’ll cost you $22.55 in postage and handling. Which is pretty cheeky since most couriers and postal services charge up to $18 for a DOZEN bottles to be delivered. Paying $22 for a “free” magnum is pretty steep.
So yes, I am biased, I am completely willing to admit it… but so far Penfolds has never given me any reason to change my mind.
Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2007
Posted by Alex Russell in Mar 04, 2011, under SA Reds
Ah the famous Rockford Basket Press Shiraz. Keenly sought after by collectors and winelovers, but so hard to get.
Every time I’ve been past the Rockford winery in the Barossa, there’s a tour bus outside. For those of you who don’t know, you don’t stop into a winery when a tour bus is present because they hide the good stuff from the pissheads on board.
Now, Rockford wines are collected by wine lovers everywhere and the two most sought after are the Basket Press Shiraz and the Black Sparkling Shiraz. There are others out there too and they’re all quite decent, but these are the ones that everyone wants.
The only thing is, Rockford doesn’t invest in a web presence… so if you look for their website, there’s a polite note saying “Hey, why don’t you come and visit us?” So the other option is to get on their mailing list, but all reports tell me that you’ll have to buy some of their other wines before they let you near this stuff.
So is it worth it? Well, I managed to pick up a few bottles of the 2004 (a very good Barossa vintage) when I was in town and sell them for a very small profit to a customer through the shop when I got back. I opened a bottle and thought, for the price, it’s a bit overrated.
But just recently, I gave my old TV to one of my uni friends and told her I don’t want payment for it. She felt guilty and said she wanted to give me something, so she had a friend at a restaurant that sourced two bottles of the 2007 for her to give to me. Despite my initial feelings that the wine is a little overrated, I was very very impressed with her selection.
Now, why do I think it’s overrated? Simply because it’s almost impossible to get via retail. This wine sits belongs somewhere around the $50-60 mark. It’s certainly worth that. But since not much is made and it’s so hard to get, you’ll always pay a premium to get it. So if you find it in retail (outside of SA), you’re looking at around $100+. In my opinion, it’s just not quite there. But then, I’m fully willing to admit that I’ve only had one bottle aged 10+ years (as the back label suggests) and the others have been relatively young. I still consider myself a decent judge of a young wine though.
So look, it’s got the big Barossa spicy nose… certainly lots of pepper in there. Loads of red fruit too. Then, whack it in your mouth. There’s a beautiful juicy acidity which is becoming the hallmark of exciting Barossa wineries (see my writing on the Rusden wines). It’ll certainly last awhile. Normally when you look for wines to age, you want structure in the tannin. The tannins in this wine are incredibly fine and smooth, but they’re certainly present – look for the mouthdrying effect. The acid will also add to the aging potential. So yes, put it away for awhile, but don’t let it rot in your cellar for a special occasion. Give it the 10 years that the winemaker (Robert O’Callaghan) asks for. Use the special shoulders on the bottle to catch the fine tannins by pouring the wine slowly into your decanter. But don’t let it sit there forever. Far too many good wines die in perfect cellar conditions because the perfect occasion never seems to arrive. Give it 10 if you like, but don’t let it go much further. You’ve done well if you’ve let it go that far. 92 points, and it’s not even a great year.
Thank you Lauren and John for getting me these bottles! You’ve given me a chance to reevaluate a wine I’ve had mixed feelings about for years. I hope you like the TV.
Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cabernet Merlot 2007
Posted by Alex Russell in Feb 10, 2011, under WA Reds
I know, it’s been a year. But you missed me right? Judging by the spam comments I received offering to sell me internet traffic to my blog, counterfeit whatever and penis enlargement pills… well OK, maybe you didn’t miss me, but I’m claiming it.
Right, tonight has been an interesting night so I figured it was time to crack open a shit hot red. This one hasn’t disappointed.
Moss Wood is over in Margaret River, the famous WA wine region chosen due to the climatic similarities to Bordeaux. So in terms of reds, you’re looking for awesome Cabernet Merlot blends (maybe with some other stuff in there too).
The Ribbon Vale vineyard wines (this one and the straight Merlot) are about half the price of the top shelf Moss Wood red, but sometimes they can be pretty awesome in their own right. 2007 was an interesting vintage in WA – basically, if you couldn’t make good reds in Margaret River in that year, then you shouldn’t be in the game.
Now, Margaret River Cab blends are usually a little light – a little watery. This one has some awesome intensity. On the nose, you’ll get the typical Cabernet blackcurrant and eucalypt odours. Lashings of oak are obvious on the palate, but not on the nose. Sip it and you’ll find a wonderful, brooding, dark berry palate with a sensational acid structure that will soften, plus some tannins that will help this baby develop in the cellar. Don’t put it down for too long though – it’ll maybe give you a decade if you’re lucky. It’s drinking well right now.
Have you been disappointed by watery Aussie Cabernet blends before? Are you a Shiraz or Grenache fan who is struggling to understand what the Cabernet hype is all about? This wine should help. It’s not cheap, it’s in the mid $40s somewhere in most shops, but if you want a very safe Cabernet bet, get this. 93 points.
Castagna Genesis Syrah 2006
Posted by Alex Russell in Feb 10, 2010, under VIC Reds
At the moment, I’m on a bit of a hunt through some cool climate Shiraz from various regions, not just from Australia. Castagna is based just outside of Beechworth, Victoria. Their claim to fame is their sparkling Shiraz, also called the Genesis. The sparkling is made in very small quantity and you can only order 3 bottles at a time. This is the non-sparkling version.
Something I’ve noticed recently in the popular styles of Shiraz is that consumers want to be bowled over… they want the high alcohol, really full bodied, fruit driven wines that drink well when young (and I’ll admit that I’m partial to that too – look at my other reviews). But there’s certainly a place for the more elegant styles from cooler climates. The wines that are more about structure than they are about being a fruit bomb. This is one of those wines.
The 2006 has a dash of Viognier in it to bring the fruit flavours out a little bit and reduce the spiciness of the wine. It’s a great example of a cooler climate Shiraz and it will pick up rave reviews. It drinks well now after some time in the decanter (an hour here), but it will certainly benefit from some time in the cellar. However, don’t just rush out and buy it expecting the world’s greatest Shiraz. It’s a bloody good wine, but if you normally drink a lot of Barossa/Clare/McLaren wines, then you’ll have to be aware that this is a very different, mellow style. Once you understand that, then this wine will impress the pants off you.
So, there are some quite rich odours that bounce up your nose… richer plum, dark cherry and some evidence of very well-integrated oak. The tannins are present but absolutely seamless in the wine, so you’ve got structure to age if you want, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get a mouth-drying finish if you drink it young. The acids are quite mouthwatering. 95 points.
This is arguably the best Beechworth Shiraz around and is certainly one of the best out of Victoria. Don’t just rush out to buy it though, make sure you understand what you’re getting yourself into. And please please please decant it.
The wines are made biodynamically and there is also an interesting discussion on closures (scorew cap, cork, etc) at http://www.castagna.com.au/ (look at the page about the wines). And join the newsletter while you’re there.
Yalumba “The Cigar” Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Posted by Alex Russell in Jan 30, 2010, under SA Reds
I have a few decent connections at Yalumba so I’m lucky to get to taste just about everything they come out with. You might be familiar with their Coonawarra Cabernet called “The Menzies”, after the vineyard they established in 1987. The Menzies will generally set you back something around $50, but they wanted to release a baby version of the wine at around $25ish. This is that wine.
It’s called The Cigar after the strip of land that makes up the Coonawarra region, which is about 1.5km wide and 15km long.
So far, I’ve tried this wine on three occasions. The first time was when I was in Coonawarra in August 09 and it was pretty youthful, displaying green characters indicating that it wasn’t quite ready, but there was something there that kept me intrigued. The second time I tried it, it had just started to shake those green, vegetal characters. Today I opened up a new bottle and it’s absolutely ready to go. Perhaps they released it a bit early, perhaps I got some bottles that hadn’t developed enough… gotta love cork closures. Either way, this is a wine that’s entering a drinking window right now.
Youthful purple edge to it, with a dense inky colour. The nose displays some spice and certainly some young berries… it’s still a little closed, but you get all you need from it. The oak is present on the nose, but it takes a back seat so you don’t need to worry about that. On the palate you’ll find blackberry flavours with a slightly drying finish due to the tannins, so whack it with a decent rare or medium steak (I did!) and you’ll find a wonderful match.
So this is the first release, but this wine sure shows promise. For the price, it’s a decent Coonawarra Cabernet from a company with a great eye for detail. Grab one to try and see if it suits you. If you like it, whack it in the cellar for a short stint. 90 points
