Winter Wines

Hentley Farm The Beauty 2010

The growing season for 2010 in the Barossa was specular as it didn’t reach the temperature highest that occurred in 07 to 09 allowing more even ripening. What it also gave was a chance to produce fresher wines with greater balance and longevity.

This wine surprised me as it is only medium bodied yet retains the richness that is normally associated with this region. What is equally surprising is the fact that this is a Shiraz Viognier blend but it doesn’t have the overt apricot flavours. Rather the Viognier adds a slipperiness to the mouth feel making this so easy to drink. Complexity is not an issue as the flavours of blueberries, dark chocolate, blood plums and vanilla bean just keep powering through from start to finish.  Barossa pride is written all over this.

Alcohol: 14.4%

Price: $55

Rated: 94

Drink: In ten years

Paradise IV Chardonnay 2011

The wines from Paradise IV are made by an unassuming superstar.  By that I mean he is a school teacher during the day but a wine wizard at night. It could be that Doug is waiting to see how this winemaking thing works out.  Well if this wine is anything to go by, he can expect to sell out everything year in year out without much of an issue.

This wine starts out really restrained yet it is the inbuilt complexity and structure of the wine that is most mesmerising at this stage of its development. The acidity of the wine seems to allow everything else to appear perky and light, even though the flavours are rich. This is so unlike every other Chardonnay in Australia which makes this a truly unique offering.

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $40

Rated: 94

Drink: Give it five years

Spinifex Esprit 2010

Peter Schell seems to be able to craft highly region wines that taste nothing like his counterparts in the area and this wine is no different. It is made from some obscure varieties but it doesn’t really matter as it tastes so yummy.

To begin with the wine tastes of cincault as it is crunch and savoury with a floral element jumping out of the glass but it is soon joined by an earthy dirty aspect on day 2. For the next two days flavours of blackberry and spice jump on board with a little smoked licorice and raspberry adding freshness. I could drink this now it is so good but it would equally thrill with 8 years in the cellar.

Alcohol: 14%

Price: $35

Rated: 90

Drink: Now - 2025

BK Wines Skin n Bones Pinot Noir 2011

On the front label of this wine just below the Skin n Bones it says 256 days.  I’m not sure what this means which gets me thinking, is that how many times Brendon proposed before kirsty, his wife, said yes to him or could it be the number of hugs she gave him while they were setting up their own winery and incurring a massive amount of debt without the security net of working for another winery? Well, no it turns out that 256 is the number of days that this wine has been in contact with its skins.  Just to put that in perspective, most wineries ferment for 14 days on skins before they press them off and tuck them to bed in a barrel.  The use of extended skin contact brings with it some extra risks but if used well can result in added flavour, texture and structure. What running through my mind is how does the penny fall for this wine?

Brilliantly from start to finish as it is a little more savoury than you would expect but it still retains flavours of cherry and spice.  What happens once the fragrant liquid hts your mouth is something to behold and the tannins are beautifully melted onto the flavour whilst still adding texture and enjoyment. This is a wine to savor when it has a few years under its belt.

 Alcohol: 12.5%

Price: $30

Rated: 90

Drink: 2015 and beyond

Kalleske Rosina 2012

How do you make rose? There are a few ways but I will elaborate on two types.  Firstly, the traditional method of picking the red grapes specifically for rose, meaning that they are picked earlier with lighter flavours and higher acid. The grapes are then de-stemmed and crushed when they arrive in the winery. The skins are allowed to stay in contact with the juice only for a short period before they are pressed off into either barrels or stainless steal. The wine is then bottled when the maker thinks the wine is ready. The second way to make rose allows the winemaker to get ride of some juice to improve the quality of their normal label. During the initial fermentation the winemaker bleeds off a proportion of juice to increase the skin to juice ration which increases the flavour, colour and intensity of the finishing wine.  The bled off material is then transferred to tank before bottling. Generally this style of rose has an abundance of flavour but lacks acidity and dryness.

Kalleske Rosina 2012

This wine is vibrant in colour with deep and dark rose coloured hues. On the nose I can smell strawberries and cream with a little spice coming up the rear.  Once the wine hits my palate the sweetness of the strawberries moves toward an Allen's strawberries and cream lolly. In fact, the easy to follow flavours make a good impact on the front of my palate before a pole of acid cuts through. I could see this working really well at the start of summer, when the weather hits 35 degree which they are expecting a lot of this coming year as we move from La Nina back to El Nino.  The long term forecast indicated that Australia is set for temperatures similar to 07, 08 and 09.  I will be drinking more rose this coming year to quench my thirst.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $18
Rated: 83
Drink: Over summer

Louis Jadot Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru 2009

Echezeaux is a sub region within Cote du Nuits in Burgundy which is one of the hottest properties in the Pinot market.  The total amount of vines is low, 40 hectares, for the number of owners, 88.  The Grand Echezeaux district is the top of the lot with only a small percentage of the 40 ha reaching the quality level. Generally, the wines from this area are loaded with structure with fruit and wild gamey flavours and need 10 years in the cellar to show well.

Louis Jadot Grands Echezeaux Gran Cru 2009

The first thing I notice about this wine is the level of restraint in the flavour profile when you compare it to the Aussie versions. The wine starts out with a little spice and morello cherries before a touch of warm earth cuts in.  What I couldn't look past was the way the wine expanded in my mouth, both with flavours but mostly with a huge tannin backbone that was perfectly balanced with the wine and the world.  There were no holes in the way the wine experience smothered my tongue, it was just pure bliss. 

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $500

Rated: 96

Drink: 2020 - 2040

Importer: Red + White

Castagna La Chiave 2009 + Arancini

Recently I have tasted my way through a fair amount of Sangiovese based wines and I have come up with a top 6.  Two of these wines are made by Julian Castagna which is a huge accolade for such a small winery.  What is his secret? I think it has something to do with Julian’s ability to manage his vineyard which he does along biodynamic practises. Is it biodynamics? No because I have tasted many wines that are produced from organic and biodynamic vineyards but they don’t stack up to Julian’s wines.  Julian some how manages to cram more flavour, balance and structure out of his grapes without letting the alcohol levels creep up. This man is a magician to put it simply.

Arancini

These little orange risotto balls are similar to suppli but they originated from Sicily. You could serve these as an entrée or place them of a bed of rich tomato sauce as a main if you wish. I served this as an entrée which matched the lightness of Julian's wine brilliantly.  

Ingredients

Large pinch of quality Saffron

250 ml dry white wine

100 g butter

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

600 ml quality chicken stock, warm

1 handful of thyme

220 g arborio rice

60 g parmesan, grated

50 g mozzarella, cut into little cubes

breadcrumbs

vegetable oil for deep-frying

Leave saffron in the wine, while you prepare the onions and rice, for the flavours to seep out. Melt butter in a large deep pan and add onions and garlic. Cook until the onions go soft and then add in the rice and thyme.  Cook for 1 minute and add in the wine and saffron.  Stir frequently until the wine is absorbed and then add the chicken stock a cup at a time.  Always have enough moisture to cover the rice.  When the rice becomes creamy take the pan off the heat and add in the parmesan. Stir until the cheese is mixed through and then spread out the mixture on two trays and refrigerate for 3 hours. 

Heat the oil in a deep pan until it is very hot, 180 degrees. Roll the rice mixture into tight little golf size balls with a piece of cheese in the centre and then roll in breadcrumbs. Lower balls into the oil and leave until they become golden in colour. Pull them out and place on a paper towel before serving. 

Castagna La Chiave 2009

Light body? That is a roger so you will have to be careful what you serve this with. I had to leave this open for a few days so the sweet oak could move from taking centre stage to a more reserved back stage.  Once it did then the enjoyment factor raised a few levels. On day three cherry balm, cinnamon, polish wood and dry roasted herbs were the main players with dried cranberries being the support actress along with a bit of spice. The wine is fine almost like it is clothed in a luxurious silk suit but it doesn’t have the gorgeous factor like its Sangiovese/Shiraz brother. For such a tough year in Beechworth, this wine has so much going for it that I dear ask what the 2010 wine will be like.

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $75

Rated: 91+

Drink: 2017 - 2025

Gembrook Hill Estate Pinot Noir 2010

The wines by Gembrook Hill are made by Andrew Marks and Timo Mayer which makes this winery one to get involved with. The winery runs with a very hands on style which ranges from hand picking and pruning to hand sorting which increases the quality of the wines.


Gembrook Hill Estate Pinot Noir 2010

Mineral and crunchy red fruits is the main feature of this wine but everything is coiled up like a tiger, that it took a while to start to show its true colours.  The flavours hop joyously over my tongue like a group of fairies frolicking in the sunshine on a warm summers day. The wine is so frangant yet the palate is structured with masses of acid holding the flavours in a state of divine vibrancy. What is holding this wine back is time in the bottle and all you need to do that is stash them away.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $55
Rated: 91
Drink: Give it 5 years

Vinea Marson Rose 2011

This winery is located in Heathcote, Victoria, where Mario focuses on more savoury styled wines than is normal for the region. How he does this, I have no idea but the few wines I have tried from this maker are all of very good to exceptional in quality.  Out of all the roses that I have tried from Australia, this wine is the lightest in colour and is in my top 3 best Australian roses.

Vinea Marson Rose 2011

Well slap me in the face and call me Betty. This wine is so dry and food friendly it is scary.  There is a beautiful texture about this wine that is so mesmerising. It almost feels like I am drinking a milkshake as the flavours of sour cherry, cranberry sauce and black pepper coat my mouth before the flavours change. After reviewing this wine, I ended up just sitting down to enjoy what this wine brought to the table. There are not too many roses that really satisfies but this one does with plenty of juice still in the tank.

Alcohol: I didn't put it in my notes but from memory it was low. (13%)
Price: $29
Rated: 87
Drink: Now or over the next few years.

Hentley Farm The Beast Shiraz 2010

Hentley Farm in located just behind Seppeltsfield winery on an old dirt road which makes them prime for high class wine production. Given this fact, I have never tried one before as I thought their wines were aimed at the American market which generally are too sweet for my palate.

Hentley Farm The Beast Shiraz 2010

Man this is a big boy but it does so with a degree of structure and restraint that I don't normally see in this style of wine.  The flavours of blueberries, spice and bitter chocolate are very enticing,but it is the acidity and fluffy tannins that leads the enjoyment show.  The flavour and tannins pair well which makes then hard to pull apart making the wine feel seamless and seductive. This is the sort of wine that looks great in the heart of winter with a nice earthy meaty meal in front of you with the fire blazing in the background.

Alcohol: 15%
Price: $80
Rated: 92
Drink: 2018 - 2035