Sutton Grange Ancestral Sparkling Rose 2012

This is an interesting wine that is produced by picking the grapes early and allowing the wine to spend only a short time on lees and bottle with a hint of residual sugar. The wine then goes through malo-lactic in the bottle; this allows the bubbles to develop.

 Sutton Grange Ancestral Sparkling Rose 2012

Very light or pale in colour but that doesn’t mean that this is a light on sparkling. The complexity is through the roof with savoury flavours and a slight chalky dry texture. There is no sulphur added at all but the wine is clean as a whistle with red berry flavours and slurp ability to burn.  I would recommend drinking this over a warm sunny day or at the start of the evening over the next two years as I don’t think it will get any better. That said it offers a lot right now.

Alcohol: 11%

Price: $30

Rated: 87
Drink: Now - 2015

Fairbank Rouge 2010

Sutton Grange and Fairbank was a horse training facility before Peter Sidwell got his hands on it. Well he bought the property for his horses but a long term friend persuaded him to take the property in a different direction. Thank god for that as the wines that come from this winery are unique in their structure and flavour profile. If you haven't tried them before buy a mix 6 pack as they are very impressive.

Fairbank Rouge 2010

The rouge is an easy drinking quaffer in style but it avoids any sweet flavours which makes it better to consume with food. The savouriness comes in the form of cherry pips, earthy twigs, spice and mushrooms. Easy to like and easy to drink with the structure hitting hard from the moment it hits my mouth. They are playful with a restraint that is lacking in so many wines at double this price point. Drink now or later this wine will handle it all.

Alcohol: 12%
Price: $22
Rated: 89
Drink: Now - 2016

Fairbank Cabernet 2006 & Syrah 2008

Fairbank wines are built to age well and these current releases are no different. In fact Fairbank is having a museum release of the 2003 wines. While I haven't tried those wines I would suspect that they are drinking well.

Fairbank Syrah 2008

The wine starts out with a dirty barnyard componant and but on the palate the flavours are savoury dusty blackberries and spice. There is a little caramel swirl action on the mid-palate on an otherwise medium bodied wine that is very long in the mouth.

Alcohol: 13.8%
Price: $25
Rated: 87
Drink: Now - 2020

Fairbank Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2006

Plumpy in the mouth, even though the merlot is only 9 percent of the blend. There are favours  of plum, leafy blackcurrant, spice and wood oven cooked beef. The flavoures are definately savoury with a hint of bitterness on the back end which makes this enchanting and interesting to drink.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $25
Rated: 90
Drink: 2016 +

Fairbank Rose 2012

I have been tasting a few rose wines over the last two or three months and this is the second best of them. Funny as the only one better is from Sutton Grange which is the premium brand from this estate.

Fairbank Rose 2012

This wine is delicate, savoury and ultra pale in colour when compared to the other wines in this category. There is a tart cherry character mixed with rose water, spice and fresh herbs that is woven on a beautifuly long and light palate. The oak provides textural elements and not any flavour profile which means the flavours are pure bliss. What a lovely change and a breath of fresh air for this style in Australia. Love it and want to drink it now.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $22
Rated: 88
Drink: Now - 2015

Icons and Emerging Icons

When people think of the Icon wineries from Australia Penfolds, Henschke and Wynns of Coonawarra are three that would come to mind. They produce wines that have the ability to age for prolonged periods and generally look better with ten years under their belt. I've tasted my way through a lot of their wines and listed below are three monumental wines. The Penfolds wine is the best Cabernet I have tried in Australia, the Henschke just beautiful, wild and not far behind the Bin 169 and the Wynns Black label Shiraz which is a fine wine to accompany their Cabernet. Below these three are two wines from wineries that I believe will join the top ranks in the years to come. They are already producing classic and spectacular wines but they have only been producing these in the last 5 to 10 years.  

Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 

This years Grange was written up as being one of the best ever but I rated this just that bit higher in terms of quality. It is classic styled with structure to burn. The aromas are captivating as they come across as chiselled yet expressive with notes of leafy black currants, olive pulp and wild herbs from a French veggie garden. These flavours are only a drop in the ocean when you compare them to what arises on the palate but they are equally enchanting. The fruit takes centre stage but there is a hint of cedar in the background and then the structure takes hold. There is a line of bright acidity running from the front palate to my tonsils which mean that the length of phenomenal. For a young wine this is the best Australian Cabernet that I have tried. As this is from the birth year of my daughter I will be buying as many as I can afford.  

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Price: $350 

Rated: 97+ 

Drink: After 2035 

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Black Label Shiraz 2010 

This is a new addition to the Wynns label and it has come about after they have invested a significant amount of time reinvigorating their vineyards. This cool climate shiraz has plenty of soft blackberry notes with spice and red-fruits adding complexity and interest. The long palate is accentuated by the medium bodied palate weight and wild components of animal hide and a creamy mouthfeel. Even though I don't think this is a long term wine like I do like the sense of it at the moment. 

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Price: Good value at $30 

Rated: 91 

Drink: Now - 2020 

Henschke Mount Edelstone 2009 

This wine was pick from a vineyard that is 97 years old which makes this something to hold in reverence. Out of all the 2009 wines from the Barossa this one comes across the most wild and reserved with notes of savoury blackberries rolled in chocolate and Asian spices. The flavours are as smooth as silk and linger on my palate for what seems like hours but it is the balance between tannin structure and brightness that is most enchanting. There is depth of flavour and food friendliness that finishes off the package of this world class wine.  

Alcohol: 14.5% 

Price: $118 

Rated: 95 

Drink: 2024 – 2040 

Paradise IV Darel Shiraz 2011 

Exotic and reserved with a bewildering array of flavours bombarding the senses, yet I must say forget about the flavours as it is the beautiful balance of sweet and chalky tannins mixed with insane acidity that is most enchanting. They take hold of my mouth and drive the flavours forward like a winged goddess taking off to save the world. At the moment the wine is too shy but after it was open for 5 days it really started to open up so I would be calm and just let it sit in the cellar. 

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Price: $45 

Rated: 93 

Drink: 2018 - 2029 

Sutton Grange Estate Rose 2010 

These guys under Gilles Lapalus have been producing some of the most interesting and highest quality wines in Australia. This wine is the best rose that I have ever tasted from Australia as it combines dry and savoury characters of raspberries with exotic flavours of Asian spices and roasted nuts. The force of the wine is beautiful with the length just phenomenal. I would love to say that it only got better as it sat open but I finished the bottle too quick to make that call, which I guess it a good thing when you think about it. 

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Price: $40 

Rated: 93 

Drink: Now or over the next few years

 

Sutton Grange Giove 2009 + American Beef Ribs

Sutton Grange is located near Bendigo but they produce very different wine that is typically associated with the region.  All of the wines that I have tried from this producer have structure at the forefront of their mind. The first planting for this winery started in 1998 and the vineyards are run biodynamically. Gilles Lapalus is the winemaker for the estate and his wines manage to combine drinkability, savoury style and insane levels of inbuilt complexity and texture.  These wines, along with many of his other wines have the best tannins and acid structure in Australia. If you are into the over the top fruit bombs then this winery is not for you but if you dream of food friendly wines of interest, then get a hold of some of the Sutton Grange wines.

American Beef Ribs

These ribs are so satisfying but they take 7 hours to cook so you will need to think ahead.  Also beef ribs aren’t that common in Australia so you will need to find a butcher that knows what they are doing.  I have only been able to find one butcher that is located an hour and a quarter from my house so I make a special trip well in advance to procure the best parcels for this dish.

 Ingredients

1 large rack of beef short ribs

4 tablespoons mustard

5 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 1/2 tablespoon chilli flakes

pepper

salt

3 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoon honey, runny

knob of butter, runny

2 tablespoon water

Rub mustard over ribs and leave over night. Heat oven to 130 degrees. Mix paprika, chilli, pepper, salt and oil together to make a firm rub. Cover ribs with rub and place on tray with the rub facing towards the sky and cook in over for 5 hours.

Mix sugar, honey, butter and water together to form a soft mixture. Take out ribs from over and place on a board.  Insert some foil in tray and place mixture on foil. Return ribs face down onto tray and cover with foil. Cook for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours and 140 degrees. 

To serve slice meat long the rib line and serve with mash potato.

Sutton Grange Giove 2009

To begin with this wine is very dirty and twiggy but over the course of four days, bobbles of tart blackcurrant, licorice stick, dried provincial herb and mint emerge. The flavours are lip smackingly dry and  are so seductive and inviting that I just want another glass to fill the void that now resides in me as I have finished tasting. Every time I went back for another sip another flavour poked its head up from the voluptuous liquid. Cherries, chocolate coated strawberries and pocketfuls of warm forest mulch added intrigue to the symphony of medium bodied flavours. The true enjoyment comes from the structure of the wine.  Imagine a thousand Swedish women or men, depending on your orientation, spooning you for all eternity! That is how these tannins make me feel! Enough said.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $60

Rated: 93

Drink: 2018 – 2029

Seppelts Benno 2006

Seppelts Benno 2006

What was 2006 like in Bendigo? I'm not sure but this wine has shut down totally.  What I got from the wine over the period that I sat with it was a nice light set of chalky tannins with nothing much else apart from a bit of alcohol heat.  While I like this wine it doesn't have the length or balance to up its score.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $55
Rated: 87
Drink: 2016 - 2024

Coriole V Mclaren Vale

So at the end of work today I decided to take home the last bits of the bottles to compare against the samples that I have been sent.  The Coriole wines were all tasted tonight but the others were tasted over a prolonged period.  Firstly I work for Coriole but I only applied for the job because I loved the wines that they produce, particularly the Sangrantino and Fiano. These tasting notes will be head to head so no scores. Wait until my article is released and I will post the full notes.

Coriole Vita Sangiovese 2007 v Alpha Box and Dice Blood of Jupiter Sangiovese/Cabernet 2007

While they both have a lovely sourness to them with an underlying earthiness the Vita takes it up a notch with its breadth and depth.  Are they Italian? Well they are brilliantly complex with loads of savoury friendliness.  These are my top eight for the country.

1. Coriole Vita 2007 $50
2. Sutton Grange Giove 2008 $50
3.  Alpha Box & Dice Blood of Jupiter 2007 $45
4. Pizzani Coronamento 2004 $120
5. Pizzani Sangiovese 2008 $25
6. Coriole Sangiovese 2010 $25
7. Castagna La Chiave 2008 $70
8. Lucy Margaux Sangiovese 2009 $60

One zero Coriole

Coriole Estate Shiraz 2009 v Wirra Wirrra Woodhenge 2010

Even though the Coriole drinks rather nice the Woodhenge has spectacular length and balance.  Is in unfair to judge against two different vintages? Well no as they release their wines at different stages.

One all.

Coriole Barbera 2010 V Alpha Box & Dice Enigma 2010

This is the hardest to judge as they both have a beautiful balance in a medium bodied style. What wins it over for me is the spread across the palate. You will have to give them a bit in the bottle

Coriole two McLaren Vale one

Coriole Tempranillo / Samual's Gorge Tempraniollo 2010

Coriole didn't even have one so they forfeited. Does it matter that Coriole focuses on the Italian varieties? Not at this stage in the game.

Two pieces all.

Coriole Sagrantino 2009 (this was a preview as it will be released in 2012)/ Oliver's Taranga Sagrantino 2009

These are both beautiful wines but the Oliver's doesn't have the tannin structure to hold itself against the wine from Coriole. If you want to drink it now or in the next 10 years you have to love tannin.

Coriole three and the Vales two.

Passing Clouds Angels Blend 2008

Passing Cloud is one of those brands that I have looked at over many years but have never bought a bottle.  This might be due to the fact that the spend most of their time making good booze and not marketing the hell out of their brand.

Passing Clouds Angels Blend 2008

This wine is more about the tannin structure than the flavours at the moment.  The tannins are nice and light with a slight chalkiness that gives them interest.  The tannins spread out over your tongue with nothing poking out at all. I love the tannins but the favour is dominated by mint, mint and mint.  This could be brilliant in a few years if the flavours flesh out.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $39
Rated: 86
Drink: not now

Seppelts Benno Shiraz 2003

Seppelts seem to produce good quality regional wines of value no matter who owns them. This was the first vintage of their Premium Bendigo Shiraz.  I'm glad they took the plunge showcasing the regions within Victoria.  


Seppelts Benno Shiraz 2003

Pure line and length straight off the bat but as my mate and I sat there on a Friday night drinking this we didn't really give it a chance to show its best.  Still, it is brilliant! Cherry cola, blackberry menthol with a hint of spicy cow hide elegantly build as the night went on.   Don't touch these for another 5 or 6 years and this will move up the ranks.  Each time I went back, I had to adjust my notes and score. It is the elegance and length that sets this apart from so many examples of this variety.  Nothing is overblown, everything is controlled.  I would expect this to be around the 95pt when it reaches its peak. I'll get back to you in a few years to let you know how it's going.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $45
Rated: 92
Drink: 2017 - 2028