Yarra Valley Visit 2013

Posted: May 22, 2013 in Australia, Uncategorized
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Oakridge 864 Charlie's Block

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Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria  

 

Overview: Chard freaks and pinophiles all love the Yarra Valley, the self-proclaimed Burgundy of Australia. During a recent visit to the Yarra I found the diversity in Chardonnay styles quite impressive. Thus I have compiled a list that could be seen as a veritable best of the best of Yarra Valley Chardonnay (that is if anyone takes what I write to be serious of course).

Tasting notes:

 

Innocent Bystander Chardonnay 2011: A fresh, uncomplicated Chardonnay that displays nice stone fruit characters and subtle oak. A good every day Chardonnay.

Score: 16/20

$20/bottle

 

Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 2011: A complex, flinty nose with a party-in-your-mouth palate of nectarine, peach, underlying citrus and lovely oak tones.

Score: 18/20

$40/bottle

 

Giant Steps Tarraford Vineyard Chardonnay 2011: A more restrained style, toasty oak and citrus on the nose. Elegant grapefruit characters, mouth filling and classy.

Score: 17.5/20

$40/bottle

Colstream Hills Chardonnay 2011: Nice stone fruit on the nose supported by subtle oak, lingering grapefruit on the palate and great acidity.

Score: 17.5/20

$35/bottle

 

Coldstream Hills Deer Farm Chardonnay 2011: Flinty, toasty nose with a fantastic minerality, citrus and stone fruit with a great, creamy mouth feel.

Score: 18/20

$45/bottle

 

Coldstream Hills Rising Vineyard Chardonnay 2011: Awesome nose (the wine not mine) complex notes of struck match with a fresh palate of honeydew melon and citrus. Well integrated oak and great acidity.

Score: 18/20

$45/bottle

 

Yeringberg Chardonnay 2011: Toasty nose with a salty, austere palate with nectarine characters, zippy citrus and lingering finish.

Score: 18.5/20

$50/bottle

 

Yeringberg Chardonnay 2009: Oak more evident on the nose, toasty and nutty with a creamy mouth feel and grapefruit flavours.

Score: 18/20

$60/bottle

 

Oakridge 864 Charlie’s Block Chardonnay 2011: This wine displays layers of complexity, subtle, complex sulphides, toasty oak, elegant minerality, grapefruit and nutty characters. A real winner, probably my favourite overall.

Score: 18.5/20

$72/bottle

 

Oakridge Denton Vineyard Chardonnay 2011: So funky this wine could play jazz sax, flinty nose, citrus and white-fleshed nectarine characters with a fresh, clean acidity.

Score: 18/20

$38/bottle

 

 

Oakridge Guerin Vineyard Chardonnay 2011: More Chablis in style, restrained citrus and grapefruit with a mouth-watering minerality.

Score: 17.5/20

$38/bottle

 

Final Say: Sorry pinophiles, Chard freaks won this week.

 

For any questions or feedback feel free to email me on spittingoptional@gmail.com

 

Out of Step Sauvignon Blanc 2012 Review

Posted: May 15, 2013 in Australia
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OOSSB

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Out of Step Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Vintage: 2012

Style: Lightly oaked, dry white

Country: Australia

Region: Yarra Valley, VIC

 

Overview Ask a wine wanker to try a Sauvignon Blanc and they will groan and writhe in disgust. Like children they will turn around from the proffered glass and screw their face up shouting, ‘No! Yucky!’ Ask a wine wanker to taste a barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc and they will clap their hands together with glee, more than happy to oblige. For a long time now, in Australia and Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc has been made into a fresh simple style but as popularity in Sauv Blanc drops winemakers are forced to try something different, something to win the wine wankers back. This wine does just that, oak contact, wild yeast fermentation and partial malolactic fermentation makes this wine a cut above the one-dimensional Sauv Blancs that flood the market.

Sauvignon Blanc is the grape primarily used for the wines of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé in France. Some but not all of the wines from these regions are fermented in oak. The wines from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are generally more complex and aromatic, something that winemakers in Australia are now trying to replicate.

 

Tasting note: Lifted aromatics of capsicum, cut grass and slight passionfruit initially on the nose but given time in the glass an elegant flintiness and toasty characters become more apparent. A lean, citrus driven palate with a nice, soft mouth-feel from that partial MLF and subtle tropical flavours of pineapple. A great acid structure leaves the wine lingering on the palate leaving it fresh and clean for the next sip.

 

Final Say: Wine wankers rejoice! Here is a great, complex and elegant Sauv Blanc that will complement food, not overpower it with pungent B.O. $20 a bottle.

 

Score: 17 out of 20

For any questions or feedback feel free to email me on spittingoptional@gmail.com

King for a Day: Adventures in the King Valley

Posted: May 8, 2013 in Australia
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KVW_logo

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Region: King Valley, Victoria  

 

Overview: Italian and Spanish varieties are relatively new to Australia and while some regions are still finding their feet with how to handle these varieties the King Valley has well and truly mastered, conquered and are the trail blazers of traditional Italian style wines here in Australia. Below are some of the highlights that I recently tasted while visiting the King Valley:

 

Tasting notes:

 

Chrismont La Zona Prosecco NV: Fresh nose and fruit driven palate, a lovely powdery texture with characters of almond and fennel.  17.5/20

$22/bottle

 

Chrismont La Zona Pinot Gris 2012: Chrismont have a crack at making both styles from this variety, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris, what I like is that both are definitely in the traditional styles. This Gris has a nice custard apple characters on both the nose and palate, a great creamy mouth feel and clean acid. 16.5/20

$26/bottle

 

Chrismont La Zona Tempranillo 2011: Soft, medium bodied wine, lovey notes of cherry cola and white pepper. Gentle tannins round out this wine. 16/20

$26/bottle

 

Sam Miranda Sparkling Shiraz/Durif 2008: Some aged tones and aldehyde on the nose. A palate of spice and plum. A nice juiciness, this would make a great BBQ wine. 16/20

$35/bottle

 

Sam Miranda Riesling 2008: A good aged Riesling to be had here. Quite toasty on the nose with characters of lemon and kerosene on the palate. 16/20

$20/bottle

 

Sam Miranda Mothers Little Helper Sangiovese/Shiraz 2010: An interesting blend, smoky overtones with characters of black olive and crushed herbs. 16.5/20

$25/bottle

 

Dal Zotto Pucino Prosecco NV: Super dry and elegant. Talc and white flower characters with a clean, finish and linear acidity. 17.5/20

$18.50/bottle

 

Dal Zotto Pinot Grigio 2012: Custard apple on the nose and palate with additional flavours of pear and almonds. Lovely freshness and texture with a lingering acidity. 16/20

$22/bottle

 

Dal Zotto L’immigrante Barbera 2008: This wine just about wins me over by default just  it retains those distinct varietal characters of Barbera whilst also showcasing the winemaker’s finesse. Violets, blueberry and cola upfront and in your face but supported by vanillin oak. 17.5/20

$85/bottle

 

Pizzini Verduzzo 2012: Creamy, apple characters with an interesting flintiness and talc on the finish. 16.5/20

$22/bottle

 

Pizzini Rosetta 2012: This rosé has lifted characters of raspberries and confectionary but crisp and dry on the finish. 16/20

$17.50/bottle.

 

Pizzini Il Barone 2009: Quite juicy for the age, cassis, plum, blackberry, black olives and crushed herbs with nice oak tones of pencil shavings and cedar. 18/20

$45/bottle

 

Final Say: Forget Game of Thrones, make yourself King and give this great region a visit.

 

For any questions or feedback feel free to email me on spittingoptional@gmail.com

 

Peel Estate Chenin Blanc 2010 Review

Posted: May 1, 2013 in Australia
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Peel

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Peel Estate Chenin Blanc 2010

Vintage: 2010

Style: Off-dry, oaked white

Country: Australia

Region: Western Australia

 

Overview I will keep it brief this week, no waffling on or wine wanker angst. Chenin Blanc is a versatile grape that can be used to make a dry wine, an off-dry wine or a sparkling wine. This wine falls into the category of off-dry meaning that there’s a touch of residual sugar left in the wine. This touch of sweetness helps tame spicy food while the acid will keep it fresh and clean. Matured in oak, this wine has an added level of complexity which will aid in cellaring. Despite the higher alcohol level (14.5%) the wine is elegant and refined on the palate.

 

Tasting note: Flinty characters on the nose due to complex sulphides as well as aromas of straw and jasmine flowers. There’s a lot happening palate wise, green apple, custard apple, citrus and white flower nuances. A creamy mouth-feel with good acid balance and subtle oak.

 

Final Say: $25 a bottle and a great addition to spicy food. Caution: don’t touch yourself downstairs after handling the chillies, the wine does nothing in this case.

 

Score: 17.5 out of 20

For any questions or feedback feel free to email me on spittingoptional@gmail.com

Barwang Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Review

Posted: April 24, 2013 in Australia
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Barwang

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Barwang Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Vintage: 2010

Style: Mid-full bodied red

Country: Australia

Region: Hilltops, NSW

 

Overview: It’s not easy being green… This week I tasted the wine in this review and another Cabernet Sauvignon dominant wine that was twice the price of the Barwang Cabernet and reminded me of how divisive Cabernet Sauvignon can be. The more expensive wine was a 2005, well awarded (in its youth) but the aging process had not been kind to this poor senior. The reason was the ‘green’ character that causes many an argument between wine writers and show judges. This ‘green’ edge may have been less apparent when the wine was young, masked by youthful Cabernet characters but as those bright flavours have dropped away with age all that is left is a sappy, bitter wine, best served to people you don’t really like but insist on inviting you over for dinner parties.

In comparison the Barwang had a pleasant leafiness which added to the elegance of the wine but did not stray into the ‘green’ realm and displayed far more finesse than the more expensive wine. That being said the Barwang would be best enjoyed over the next 1-2 years, don’t bother with cellaring.

 

Tasting note: A nose of plum and blackberry, these two characters feature also on the palate with a touch of cassis and menthol complimented by fine tannins. Overall the palate is very elegant, and refined due to the cool-climate influences of the Hilltops.

 

Final Say: Leafy but not green, this wine has escaped Kermit’s curse. The price of this wine differs greatly; I’ve seen it as cheap as $11.99 and as dear as $18 a bottle.

 

Score: 17 out of 20

For any questions or feedback feel free to email me on spittingoptional@gmail.com

M. Chapoutier La Ciboise Blanc 2011 Review

Posted: April 17, 2013 in France
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m-chapoutier-la-ciboise-blanc-cotes-du-luberon

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M. Chapoutier La Ciboise Blanc 2011

Vintage: 2011

Style: Un-oaked White

Country: France

Region: Luberon, Rhone Valley

 

Overview: This white from Luberon in the Rhone Valley is a ménage à trois of Grenache Blanc, Vermentino and Ugni Blanc (also known as Trebbiano). Sounds sexy, huh? Well it is, especially for the price. As with many European wines this wine displays great texture. This texture is often obtained by ‘lees’ contact. Lees is the dead yeast and other particles that drop out of solution from the wine after fermentation. There are two types of lees, Gross Lees (yucky, as the name suggests and is sometimes known and Heavy Lees) and Clean or Fine Lees. Clean or Fine Lees can be used to stir through white wine to give the wine texture and a complex nuttiness. This process is known as Lees Stirring (der) or Sur lie which means ‘on lees’.

So there you have it, not only does yeast excrete in your wine to create alcohol (its far more complex than that but I’ll leave you with that image) but after its dead its corpse can be stirred through it by a sadistic winemaker. Poor yeast.

 

Tasting note: Elegant aromas of talc, white flowers and almonds. A refined, classy palate including characters of white nectarine, talc and jasmine. Finishes with clean acidity. The texture added via lees stirring makes this a great food wine.

 

Final Say: $13 bucks a bottle! Need I say more?

Score: 17.5 out of 20

For any questions or feedback feel free to email me on spittingoptional@gmail.com

Barone Ricasoli Chianti 2011 Review

Posted: April 10, 2013 in Italy
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Barone Chianti

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Barone Ricasoli Chianti 2011

Vintage: 2011

Style: Medium bodied red

Country: Italy

Region: Chianti

 

Overview: While this wine lacks some of the complexity that other Chianti’s have it is a great introduction to the variety Sangiovese and Chianti as a wine. It can also be said that in life sometimes all you need is the simple things. That being said you do not often hear anyone saying that they need Paris Hilton or Brynne Edelsten, other than those seeking mental euthanasia. The fruit charecters are lifted and in your face and there is an under-ripe, ‘green’ character but with food this becomes imperceptible.

Overall it ticks all the boxes for the price point and is a pleasant, uncomplicated drink.

 

Tasting note: Great colour, vibrant ruby hues. A dusty nose with lifted cherry and flint. The fruit characters vie for attention on the palate, cherry, strawberry and rhubarb with light undertones of cinnamon and menthol. A touch under ripe but clever food matching will mask this.

Final Say: As mentioned, if you are looking for an introduction into Chianti than look no further. $25 a bottle.

 

Score: 16 out of 20

For any questions or feedback feel free to email me on spittingoptional@gmail.com

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