Clairault Wines Estate Chardonnay 2013

I’ve never heard of these guys but it was an eye opener to taste their wine. The grounds of the winery are beautiful and look like they have been constructed with precision in mind.  

 Clairault Wines Estate Chardonnay 2013

 Oh so refined and restrained with flavours just poking their head out before running and hiding. This is built for cellaring and is beautifully woven together. There are hints of white nectarines, brown pears and just ripe peach with grapefruit and freshly ground spice. Whoever is growing this or putting this together should be given an award as the price of this wine is low but the quality is up there with the top in the country. Love it and bought a 6 pack for the cellar.

 

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $38

Rated: 94 +

Drink: start in 2019

 

Deep Wood Estate Winery Harmony Rose 2014

I have never tried a wine from this estate but was keen to try them as they were just around the corner from the house we were staying in Dunsborough. The winery is fantastic with a real sense of beauty and style about it.

Deep Wood Estate Winery Harmony Rose 2014

This is a mix of Shiraz and Tempranillo and was fermented on Chardonnay lees. This sounds all good but has resulted in a really sweet rose style wine with a big up front flavour that fades very quickly. The palate is a little hot and confusing but I do get some strawberries and herbs.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $15
Rated: 81
Drink: Now

Vineyard 28 The Alternative Arneis 2014

This wine was pressed straight to tank and allowed to undergo fermentation. It spends a total of 4 week in contact with lees before it was cleaned up and bottled. Easy winemaking and easy drinking. 

Vineyard 28 The Alternative Arneis 2014

Not really showing much and what it showed was dilute in nature. There was a hint of runny pears and a touch of spice on a narrow palate. The palate feels rounded which suggests that I would be consuming this over the next few years. There needs to be a high degree of acidity to pull this wine together but otherwise it is drink at its peak now. 

Alcohol: 
Price: $20
Rated: 83
Drink: Now - 2017

Echo Beach Cabernet Merlot 2011

I'm reminded of the song from Martha and the Muffins when I drink this wine. Here are the first few lines.

I know it's out of fashion
And a trifle uncool
But I can't help it
I'm a romantic fool
It's a habit of mine
To watch the sun go down
On Echo beach, I watch the sun go down

From nine till five I have to spend my time at work
The job is very boring, I'm an office clerk
The only thing that helps pass the time away
Is knowing I'll be back at Echo Beach some day

Echo Beach Cabernet Merlot 2011

Typical Margaret River nose in a medium bodied style that has those lovely leafy blackcurrant notes mixed with bay leaves, plum and spice. Lovely and lovely is the two words that come to mind. Great value booze.

Alcohol: 14%
Price: $16
Rated: 84
Drink: Now - 2016

Thompson Estate Locum Cabernet Merlot 2010

Thompson Estate was established in 1994 with the first vines being planted in 1997. The family run Estate has vineyard holdings in the Wilyabrup district which means that this is high quality wine area. The Estate has 44 acres of vine with the majority being planted to Cabernet, Chardonnay and Merlot. Bob Cartwright, of Leeuwine Estate, takes these grapes and crafts them into some high quality wines which gets released at prices that are at the cheaper end of the spectrum.

Thompson Estate Locum Cabernet Merlot 2010

Savoury and medium bodied with a great entry on day one of blackcurrants, plums and everything that reminds you of a summer dessert. The cedary oak is already in the background and the light tannins provides a nice counter point. On day one I had this as a 87 point wine and I was ready to get out the credit card but on day three the flavours had started to peel off the palate so it had moved to an 83 point wine. I would use this as a quaffer as I wait for the big guns to mature in the cellar.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $25
Rated: 87/83
Drink: Now - 2015

Echo Beach Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2012

The Echo Beach label comes as a result of the hardship that the Australian wine industry is going through at the moment. This style is the quintessential Margaret River blend with torte flavours and mouthwatering acidity. What is better is the price as it is cheap as chips.

Echo Beach Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2012

The wine is crisp with flavours of lemon grass, tinned passionfruit, ripe melon and lemon cordial. The easy flavour roll along nicely along my palate and slip down without much effort. There is tortness running along the middle of the wine up until about the mid-palate before the wine fades away. The complexity level is really good for a wine at this price so if you enjoy this type of blend then get some now.

Alcohol: 12.1%
Price: $17
Rated: 83
Drink: Now - 2015

Fraser Gallop Parterre Chardonnay 2011

The Margaret River is producing some of the best value and best quality Chardonnay in Australia. This estate only produces single vineyard wine with an emphasis on the traditional French varieties. The Parterre label is the crème of the crop for Frasor Gallop and epitomises what the estate can do best.

Fraser Gallop Parterre Chardonnay 2011

Forget about the aromas as the wine has so much power it is a little overwhelming. Think flavour, acid, texture and balance and you will be about right. For the first three days I struggled with the wine but on day four the elegance came through and I was on the right track. On the back label they say to keep it for 5 to 7 but I say 7 to 10 before you open them. This is the sort of wine that is very French with moment of Australia thrown in, with a price tag so cheap it is scary.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $30
Rated: 93++
Drink: 2019 - 2027

Larry Cherubino Ad Hoc Wall Flower Riesling 2012

The quality of Riesling is growing in Australia with a lot of the top winemakers really getting behind the variety. This wine comes from the Mt Barker area in Western Australia which experiences warm dry days in summer with cold and wet winters.

Larry Cherubino Ad Hoc Wall Flower Riesling 2012

Alcohol: 11.5%

Price: $21

Rated: 86

Drink: Now - 2020

Double take Chardonnay style again

BK Wines Swaby Chardonnay 2010

This vineyard seems to produce full bodies chardonnay's year in year out that can take a fare amount of wine-making influences. This wine is that and a little more as elegant flavours of smoked nectarines and nut encrusted grapefruit comes riding around the mountain of tonguing fun. The depth and breath of flavour is beautiful and it all finishes with a wedge of freshness. mmm.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $38
Rated: 90
Drink: 2016 - 2024

Fraser Gallop Estate Parterre Chardonnay 2011

I can't think of another region that has such a strangle hold on top quality wines from one particular variety as Wilyabrup does. This wine has massive amounts of power but it is stored up and waiting to unleash itself.  The acid frame of this wine is big which allows flavours galore to tumble down but it is the texture of the wine that adds extra bonus points. It is light yet mouth coating and thick.  It is that sort of twisted mind bender that sends me spinning and I love it.

Alcohol:13.5%

Price: $31

Rated: 93+

Drink: 2018 - 2026

Interesting wines for spring

First Drop The Big Blind 2010

This wine comes from the Adelaide Hills so it is streets away from the Shiraz based wines that 1^st Drop produces yet it is the first wine I wanted to sample when these came across my desk. The colour of the wine is very light but the savoury flavours come rolling down the glass into my mouth with drive and attention. To start with there is plum and spice covered in dirty Christmas cherries and pipe tobacco.  These Medium bodied flavours continue along the palate but they are melded nicely to a smooth yet mouth-filling amount of fun loving tannins.  The structure, flavour and acidity of the wine, all fits together nicely and makes for a high quality experience as soon as the cap is cracked.

Alcohol: 14%

Price: $30

Rated: 88

Drink: Now – 2017

Wild Duck Creek Estate Sparkling Duck #6 NV

Around Christmas time, I get a hankering for quality Sparkling reds. In fact my Dad and I polished off a dozen Joseph Sparkling last year between December 1st and the 24^th.  The Joseph is in my view the best quality sparkling red in Australia but the Wild Duck Creek is only a smidge behind in terms of quality but bucket loads behind in terms of price. This wine has spent three years on lees before being released and is a blend of Shiraz heading right back to 1993. The flavours of this creamy and luscious wine is pure Heathcote with things like mint and plum hanging around in abundance nonetheless they take second fiddle to the Dutch chocolate, spice and leather. The flavours fill the mouth and inch their way along coating serious goodness as they go. It’s the sort of wine that would normally be sweet but this version is bone dry which takes up the quality level up a notch.

Alcohol: 15%

Price: $45

Rated: 93

Drink: Now – 2020

Woodlands  Chloe Chardonnay 2011

Woodlands have been growing some of the best Chardonnay in Margaret River for decades but they have been selling those grapes to other wineries and it is only now they have been putting the wine out under their own.  In 2011 Western Australia experienced a nice and easy cool vintage which produced wines with beautiful acidity backbones. This wine is that to a tee but here there is an amazing rich flavour spectrum of roasted nuts, peach, yellow nectarine and spice all coiled up which will be ready to go once they are given a little time in the bottle.  The palate is like being fed at night with a blind fold on as it is exhilarating and engaging at the same time. You know what I’m talking about…..don’t you? Try it and find out.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $70

Rated: 93+

Drink: Give it 5 years before opening them

Patritti Marion Vineyard 2009

South Australia has a stranglehold on top quality Grenache Shiraz blends but they are normally very expensive if they come from 100 year old vines. This wine comes from an ancient vineyard in Marion which is 15 minutes drive south of the heart of Adelaide. It is a vineyard that I have driven past so many times and have always wondered where the grapes went. Now I know and I will be buying this wine so I can serve it to friends and family.  Why you ask? Well this vineyard has a huge story.  You will have to head to Patritti’s website as I would take too long to run through. Now back to the wine. The aromas of the wine are ultra-spicy and savoury with hints of red lipstick and old school humbugs thrown in.  On the palate black fruits take center stage with an abundance of pulsating tannins kicking in. This wine is not a big baller but it does have plenty of flavour and structure to hold its own in a blind line up yet it shines the most when it sits by itself with some food which is what I think good wine is all about.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $18 A stupidly low price for the quality

Rated: 88

Drink: Now - 2017

Woodlands Margaret 2010

Best value Cabernet in Australia?

Woodlands Margaret 2010

This took so long to open up, I had almost written it off. On day one it was like looking at a new born baby and trying to work out, with some accuracy, what type of employment they will end up enjoying. When the wine did open up all the colours of the rainbow opened out with a few love birds chirping in the background.  This wine reminds me of a life less stressed and hectic as everything seems to slow as I sip the savoury nectar from the glass. The palate weight is pitched at medium body and the flavour spectrum combines the 3 components perfectly.  Now all it needs is time.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $45
Rated: 94
Drink: 2022 - 2033

 

Carpe Diem Vineyards Sangiovese 2009 + Bangers and Mash

The biggest surprise of 2012 goes to finding this little winery that churns out high quality regional wines with a difference. These guys focus on all things Italian with a Margaret River twang woven into the fabric of each wine.

Bangers and Mash

I wanted to pair this wine with a food that my dad used to eat when he was growing up. It would be brilliant if I went through the process of how to make your own sausages but I am going to cheat for this recipe. Go out and find the best butcher in my area, Barossa Fine Foods is the only one for me, and buy whatever you like.  For this meal I bought some duck and veal sausages which paired brilliantly with an indulgent mash.

Indulgent mash which you may need to only eat every now and again

1 kilo waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into segments

300 g butter

100 g cheddar cheese, grated

Slowly cook the potato in hot but not boiling water. This may take an hour to an hour and a half depending on the potato type and the size of the segments but it is important to not heat the potatoes quickly as that releases the starches which results in a gluey textured dish. Once the potatoes are cooked drain the water and fold in butter while the potatoes are hot.  Mix in cheese and serve with sausages placed on the bed of potato.

Carpe Diem Vineyards Sangiovese 2009

How should I describe this wine? Well I’m not sure as it feels familiar with the wine being medium bodied and savoury yet there is something else. It could be this textural element that combines with the wonderful flavour of plums, sour cherries, spice and an element that makes me feel like I could crunch down on the wine. Maybe that it, the wine feels like it should be served with a fork and a spoon.  That would look rather funny though. I’ll put it out there that if you grab a bottle of this, you will feel like you have discovered something special.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $27

Rated: 89

Drink: 2014 – 2021

Woodlands 2012 Vintage Roundup

Woodlands Vintage Roundup 2012

With vintage 2012 now put to bed, its time to look back over the last 4 months and the wines it produced.

While 2012 showed a second ‘la nina’ pattern (wet cold conditions) in the east, Western Australia had another warm dry vintage.

In the winery we we able to pick both Woodlands vineyards at optimum ripeness, with only the last four to five tonnes being picked with rain approaching.

In terms of vintage weather, at Woodlands we do not believe ‘the hotter the better’. Very hot early vintages in Margaret River can ripen sugar before tannin, leading to rough astringent tannins. Our 2012, in comparison to warmer vintages such as 2007 and 2011, has softer finer tannins as a result of the summer being warm and dry, but never too hot.

With all the wines now resting in barrel, we now turn our attention to bottling our 2011 wines, and trying to stay out of the infamous Margaret River rain!

 

Image from Margaret River wine

Woodlands Vintage Report 2012

Woodlands Vintage Report 

Woodlands Chardonnay Barrels

Vintage T-Shirts

Mr. Gamba

So far things are extremely well, dry weather, hot days and cold nights. We've heard there's a bot of rain coming Monday so crossing our fingers...

We've also picked a bit of Nebbiolo and Sangiovese! Watch this space!

Carpe Diem Vineyards L'Attimo Riserva Speciale Nebbiolo 2009

One of the most rewarding parts of writing for an overseas wine magazine is receiving a lot of samples from wineries that I have never heard of. When a Nebbiolo from Margaret River came across my desk I was intrigued so I had to find out some information about the winery.  The husband and wife team have been making wine in Conegliano, which is a sub-region of Veneto, for a while now but they moved over to Margaret River in 2001.  The region of Conegliano is renown for its Prosecco wine and an education system that has produced many top tier oenologists. If you have never tasted a wine from Carpe Diem then you are missing out on something special. 

Carpe Diem Vineyards L'Attimo Riserva Speciale Nebbiolo 2009

I had to let this sit for 24 hours before tasting it as it is so bound up like a ball.  Once it opened up there was a gorgeous flow of dirty roses wrestling with roasted meat unfurling in front of me.  There was hints of spearmint, sarsaparilla, green herbs and armpit sweat but it was the tannins that was most alluring. These tannins are some of the best in the country, right up there with Castagna and Sutton Grange. They spread out on my tongue, proving texture while holding the flavours in my consciousness and uplifting my mood.  Its the sort of wine that brings a smile to your face. This is a very serious Nebbiolo and requires major cellaring to show if full potential. 

Alcohol: 13.8%

Price: $80

Rated: 91+

Drink: 2017 - 2032 

Woodlands Chardonnay 2012

Andrew Watson from Woodlands explained that "Today marks the last day of Chardonnay for Woodlands Vintage 2012.  Crops appear to be similar to last year - Woodlands was just under 7 tonnes per hectare, whilst the region generally has been returning around the 10 tonnes per hectare.  This increased crop may explain the lower sugar levels this vintage - most wineries have been reported picking fruit at 12.5% maximum, rather than higher levels being easily reached in other vintages.  Natural acidity looks ideal, and there was no disease reported either - it looks to be another classic Chardonnay vintage for Margaret River.

Our Chloe was picked yesterday - one half crushed and the other whole bunch pressed.  Disaster was averted when the forklift broke down with one press loaded to go - many thanks to the boys at Mako forklift servicing!

Once the juice settles it's time to think about yeast - with all the yeast around (wild, cultured and otherwise) a mystery message appeared on our whiteboard yesterday."

Woodlands joining vintage diary

Woodlands is one of the oldest vineyards in the Wilyabrup sub-region of Margaret River. They first started making wine in the late 70s but prominence came in 1981 with their first release of the Andrew Cabernet. Due to family commitments the Woodlands brand stopped for sometime but they have truly burst back onto the market. Two years ago I drank copious amounts of their Margaret River Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc Merlot blend which are both highly drinkable and sophisticated wines at ridiculously low prices.

Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2011

I love it when a region embraces a particular style of wine and really makes it their own.  That is definately the case with this blend in Western Australia. In terms of this style compared to the straight varieties from the Adelaide Hills or the Hunter valley, I would say that this style is a little more reserved, sophisticated and in many examples provides additional texture when compared to the Adelaide Hills versions.  Whereas the Hunter Semillons need decades to show their potential when the western Australian blend looks good from the beginning and will age in the medium term.

Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2011

The wines magnus opus opens with snow peas and lemons before letting the big band action of guava, violets, spice and apple crystals blows you away. This is the sort of wine you sit back in a large arm chair and let the waves take you to a place in the cosmos. On the journey into outer space there will be a brilliant textural component that seduces your taste buds, with a waxy type of character, before a zippy acidity takes over leaving your mouth dripping with saliva.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $18
Rated: 90
Drink: Now - 2016

Houghton White Classic 2011

Houghtons is one of my favourite wineries from Western Australia but it is the reds that I have in my cellar.  The white wines that I have tasted have all been fresh and lively and I have never bothered to put them away.

Houghton White Classic 2011

You get a huge amount of wine for your money here.  The wine starts out rather exotic with guava and peach juice kicking off the show but it then moves to the fresh flavours of lemon zest and lemon twist. The lemon twist is a little bit sweeter and it really plumps up the mid palate.  The finish is a bright core of acidity and not much else.  The length of the acidity is beautiful but the flavours on your tongue resemble the shape of a shovel.  At $8 a bottle this is a bargain and I'm sure many bottles of this will be drank over summer. Here is cheers to a deserving icon quaffer wine.

Alcohol: 13%
Price: $8.99
Rated: 83
Drink: Now  - 2018

West Cape Howe Styx Gully Chardonnay 2009

Many people would be serving chicken on Christmas day so I thought I would taste a few Chardonnays that could match this festive bird.  You will need something with plenty of flavour if you are thinking of using a creamy sauce.

West Cape Howe Styx Gully Chardonnay 2009

Massive attack of flavours flow from the bottle. My tongue is left assaulted after the creme brulee, toasted hazelnuts and peach and pineapple sorbet leave my mouth.  This is the sort wine is for people that love the heavily worked wines in the ripe end of the spectrum.  While I did like the wines quality it didn't creep up the whole of my palate. 

Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $24
Rated: 85
Drink: Now to Christmas 2013