Yes, we should celebrate the end of the longest lockdown ever – we’ve had so little to celebrate in recent months. We can have friends around at last and share a meal, up to 10 if they’re double vaccinated. So we put together a list of wines fit for modest and not so modest celebs; we’ve gone outside our usual boundaries here, but you can keep the leftovers for Christmas.

MODEST

Deep Woods Harmony Rose 2020 / 21 – 2 for $20 at Vintage Cellars. This is a bargain at its usual price, and steal at this price. Great for lunches and picnics in the sunshine.

Brokenwood Cricket Pitch White 1.5L Magnum 2018 – $24 at Jim’s Cellars. I’m not a huge fan of this wine, but a magnum at this price must come in handy for Freedom from Lockdown and Chrsitmas / New Year celebrations.

Brown Bros Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Meunier NV – $15 at DM’s (member special). This is consistently among the top bubbles around $20, and a steal at this price. I’m grabbing a 6-pack for Christmas / New Year.

Robert Oatley Signature Series Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum 2018 – $45 at Nicks. A big bottle of classy red from one of our favourite places, big enough to share with friends.

Grosset Gaia Magnum 2016 – $175 at Kemenys. Top notch Bordeaux blend from Jeffrey Grosset at Clare.

AIX Rosé Jeroboam – Aix en Provence – $189 at wine experience. Jeroboams are also called double magnums since they hold 3 litres. Big enough to impress friends and neighbours.

Black Label Champagne Brut NV Magnum – $119 at DM’s. It’s a big name champagne from one of the oldest houses in a big bottle. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, 50, 30, 20. The style is fresh and crisp (no malo), with green apples and lemons tempered by warm bready notes and 4 years in the bottle.

Seppeltsfield 1992 Para Liqueur Tawny – $135 at Seppeltsfield. Almost 30 years old, and always a rich delight.

Bouvet Saphir Saumur Brut Vintage Methuselah – $325 at Nicks. Yes it looks expensive and it’s not from Champagne, but from Saumur down on the river Loire. A Methuselah holds 8 standard bottles, and a Champagne in this format would come with a $2000 price tag – if you could find one down under.

IMMODEST

It’s time to let loose, go OTT, make a splash … and here are some great wines to do that with. On a practical note, magnums and bigger bottles demand a premium because they’re made in tiny volumes. Standard size bottles are both cheaper and more practical, but this is not the time to worry about these minutiae is it?

Fancy Bubbles

Billecart-Salmon Reserve Brut Champagne Magnum – $199 at Nicks. This is one of the better, more individual champagnes from a smaller house focused on quality.

Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV Jeroboam – $500 at Wine Experience. This is one of the finest non-vintages Champagnes you can buy, and the bottle will impress friends and family.

Bollinger Special Cuvee NV Jeroboam with timber box – $600 at the champagne shop. This silky, seamless, superb Champagne is my personal favourite.

Bollinger Rosé NV Jeroboam – $750 at the champagne shop. We can only wonder why it costs $150 to add a bit of pink to a bottle of wine, but it’s a big bottle.

Reds

Argiano Brunello di Montalcino Magnum – $215 at Winesquare. The first Brunello I ever tasted was in Cologne with an old school friend and my best mate Reg from down under. I can still taste it, and Reg still raves about the wild pigeon we had with it. Review at the link

Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Jeroboam 2008 – $500 at Nicks. Review at the link

Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape Magnum 2016 – $550 at Nicks. Review at the link

Penfolds RWT Barossa Shiraz Magnum 2012 – $599 at Nicks. A lot more affordable than a a magnum of Grange

Sweet Treats

Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese Magnum 2019 – $229 at Winesquare. The length of a Riesling magnum is something to behold, and the wine is a joy to drink.

Chateau Rieussec 2006 Magnum – $359 at Winesquare. Top flight Barsac, the twin of Sauternes, 15 years old. Mouthwatering.

Seppelt Para Liqueur 1947 – $490 at JIMURPHY. You can buy a 100-year old Para but a thimble-full will set you back $800. By comparison this is still on the sane side of the ledger, at almost 75 years of age, and probably just as sticky.

Chasing the best quality /price ratio between $20 and $50

You can read Part 4 HERE, Part 2 HERE, and Part 1 HERE

After completing part 2 of this series last year, I looked forward to doing this sequel with great expectations. This time, the disappointments outnumbered the great surprises, and any kind of consistency among the various reviews still eludes us.

Looking at Huon Hooke’s list of top 2019 chardies from Australia – in order of ranking – we find the $17 Blackstone Paddock from Aldi sitting at number 33, just below the $175 Penfold’s Yattarna on number 32. I tried to get a sample at 3 different Aldi stores but no luck. 3 strikes and you’re out.

On Huon’s list of Best Chardonnays in Margaret River, we find the $25 Domaine Naturaliste Floris Chardonnay 2019 nestled comfortably in 6^th place, between the $100 Fraser Gallop Palladian and the $80 Moss Wood.

The 2019 was our top Chardonnay under $25, and one of the best under $50, but it’s long gone. Sadly the 2020 isn’t in the same lofty class. The Discovery 2020 is also underdone. Shame. Is it the vintage?

WILDCARDS

Miles from Nowhere Chardonnay 2020 – $10 at Kemenys (as a secret label). Scores 95 points at the Real Review:  ‘Scents of summer leap out of the glass, stone fruit, nectarine, peach and apricot. Noble reduction, sweet spices, ginger blossom and acacia, super-fine acidity and a slight phenolic grip adds intrigue. A myriad of layers keeps me coming back to this wine. 95 points, Amanda Yallop.

This wine didn’t grab me as much as it did Amanda, but it’s terrific value for money even with our score of 92 points.

The $17 Blackstone Paddock from Aldi is another wildcard. The 2019 picked up trophies for best Chardonnay and Best White at the 2020 Margaret River show. Huon Hooke has been beating the drum for this wine for years – here’s his review of the 2020: ‘Light, bright yellow hue, with an intense grapefruit aroma, very typical Margaret River chardonnay, the palate bright and zesty, intense and alive, with great energy and drive, the acidity balancing a subtle twist of sweetness, before a medium-length finish. A smart wine at an eye-widening price.’

THE SHORTLIST UNDER $30

One of our best picks this year was the Scorpo Aubaine Chardonnay 2019 – still on offer for $28 at Nicks. There’s plenty of flesh on its bones, especially for a Mornington Peninsula chardy, and lots of flavour. The fruit is white peachy, the oak nods toward cashews, there’s a soft touch of struck match. It’s a vibrant chardy, full of life and flavour. Perfect pitch.  96 points. You’d be hard-pushed finding a better chardy for less than $50.

The brilliant Hoddles Creek Estate 2019 has long gone, however. It was a stunning chardy for the money ($20), richer and more full-flavoured than usual. It was a warm year, and I suspect Franco d’Anna allowed more malolactic fermentation than usual.

The Hoddles Creek Estate 2020 is back to the clean, restrained style of the 2018, which I thought would build flavour and character in bottle. I was wrong: It sat on the knife’s edge for a time and then fell over to the lean and mean side.. Gary Walsh likes the 2020 better than the 2019. I have my doubts but bought 6-pack to see what happens.

The first time we tasted it a few months ago, the Kumeau Village Chardonnay 2020 came across as more low-key than the 2019 I love, yet a second bottle we opened this week was much more convincing, full of vibrant energy and tension, yet still with that seamless, silky texture that makes this label a stand-out. No struck matches here, and no oak chips or grapefruit pips to spit out, just a gorgeous Chardonnay that will become another favourite. 94+ points. $19 at Kemenys or DM’s.

Jancis Robinson likes it too: ‘Surprisingly rich nose. Fine, appetising, crisp palate with just a little chewiness still evident at this point. There’s a suggestion of sweet grapefruit juice. Really clean, fresh and long. 16.5 / 100.’

Another wine that impressed us in 2021 is the Isabel Chardonnay 2019 – $25 at DM’s. It’s from a New Zealand winery owned by Dan Murphy’s, so you won’t find it anywhere else. They often run a $25 member offer on this wine, which knocks 4 off the usual price. I liked the 2018 a lot, but it will take another year or two for the oak to calm down. The 2019 is just as rich, round and intense with the oak less intrusive. (95 points)

BEST CHARDIES OVER $30

The price is creeping up but Oakridge still offers great value compared to most of the fancy contenders out there.

The Henk 2019 is fast selling out – you can still get it at Cloudwine for $33. The nose promises finesse and polish, with aromas of white peaches and cashews, and a palate that unfolds like a fan made of the finest silk. After a day or two in the open bottle, it shows more depth and intensity yet the finesses remains. A modern Chardonnay master class. 96 points.

Willowlake 2019 – $32 at MyCellars where the freight is free for subscribers on any quantity (promo code BWU20). All the chardonnays in the Vineyard Series are made the same way, so they tend to be very similar. Willowlake is a tad more crisp and nervy, and shows more citrus and notes of green apple. Needs a bit more time to settle down. 95 points.

The Hazeldene Chardonnay 2019 – $32 at DM’s – is yet another option, which I haven’t tried. MB at The Wine Front likes the ‘minerally tang, great and pretty appley character underlying. It’s firm too; time to burn. A great impact here. Serious and stern and complex. It’s emphatic about Australia’s modern, high quality chardonnay credentials. 95+ points.

Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2020 – $36 at Summer Hill Wine. The Braijkovich family makes world-beating Chardonnays from its vineyards at the western outskirts of Auckland. When entered in blind tastings overseas, critics and winemakers often think they’re drinking drinking Corton-Charlemagne or Meursault.

Here’s a recent blind tasting of Kumeu River against top class Burgundies reported by Decanter, and by Jamie Goode at Wine Anorak. Lisa Perotti-Brown from the Wine Advocate said: ‘If you can taste history, duty, and family pride in a glass, it’s there in the Kumeu River Chardonnays … now producing some of New Zealand’s greatest Chardonnays, not to mention the world’s.’

The Real Review’s Bob Campbell describers this wine as ‘a rich, textural and silken chardonnay with tree fruit, peach, nectarine, toast and brioche flavours. A seamless wine with a backbone of bright acidity helping to drive a lengthy finish. A stylish, polished chardonnay. 94 points.

Grand Dame of British Wine critics Jancis Robinson says of the 2020 Estate Chardonnay: ‘Lightly but not excessively reductive on the nose. Already quite expansive on the nose with beautiful impact on the palate: citrus, blossom and really neat acidity without much astringency. Elegant and racy – almost lightweight on the mid palate and then it is impressively persistent. A thorough delight already. 17/20 points.’

Here’are JR’s reviews for the other KR chardies, which range up to $100 in price. The good news for us is that only a single point on JR’s scale separates the most expensive wine (Matè’s Vineyard Chardonnay at 17.5) from the least expensive (Kumeau Village at 16.5). Keep in mind that top class Burgundies cost between $500 and $1000. Also keep in mind that JR is a very hard marker.

James Suckling and Nick Stock give Matè’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2020 a perfect score of 100 points.

Image source: Cam.Doughlas MS.com

Toolangi Pauls Lane Chardonnay 2019 – $37 the Winepress. Last year’s wine was spoilt by excessive sulphide notes (struck matches) which are the products of ‘reductive’ wine making techniques designed to prevent oxygenation. In the 2019 these characters are reduced and allow the stone fruit and gentle oak to shine . Great length and great style. 96 points.

The Dexter Chardonnay 2019 – $38 at betterbythedozen is vibrant in the usual refined framework, with pitch-perfect balance of white peach fruit, pencil shavings oak and the finest acid. Great depth of flavour and a long finish. A classy Chardonnay from the Mornington Peninsula. 96 points.

What about Dappled Chardonnay, the star performer from last year? Shaun Crinion didn’t send me a sample, and it seems other reviewers including the Winefront didn’t get one either. Shaun told me it was a tiny vintage that sold out fast. I found some at Cellarspace for $40 a bottle but didn’t buy any since the wine would most likely be gone by the time I reviewed it.

Shaun says ‘the season produced a beautifully fragrant wine with white flowers and citrus aromas with complex grilled hazelnuts, mille-feuille and hints of flint and smoke. The palate is precise and textured with white stone fruit flavours and citrus mineral line. While absolutely delicious now, as I have seen with the 2017’s this wine will blossom with time and patience.’

There are a few bottles of the single vineyard Dappled ‘Champs de Cerises’ Chardonnay 2020 left at fivewayscellars and Wine Decoded, for about $50.

So how is the 2019 Chardonnay fairing? The wine I gave a rave review and 96 points? It’s one of best Aussie Chardonnays I’ve tasted, regardless of price, the complete package with wonderful energy and tension, a wine that shows more class every time I open a bottle. I’d rate it 97 points now. I wish I’d bought more than three 6-packs.

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS

You can read Part 2 HERE, and Part 1 HERE

Confessions of a Peripatetic Wine Tragic

With summer just around the corner, we’re taking a deep dive into cellaring wine, using my own experience of over 4 decades. We’ve finally created the perfect cellar on a shoestring in our new home. Along the way, we blow up a number of myths dished out by the experts on the rules of wine storage.

‘If you’re going to cellar, you need to find a way to keep your wine below 17 degrees Celsius, but ideally between 12 and 15 degrees. If you go above this range, factor in that your wines will develop at a faster rate and are unlikely to cellar long-term.’

That’s the advice from Campbell Mattinson in James Halliday’s Wine Companion. The advice from other experts is a little less prescriptive but they all agree that a constant temperature of around 15 degrees is ideal. That’s absolute rubbish, as I’ve proved over 4 decades of maturing wines in less than ideal conditions. I have 30 year-old reds in perfect condition that prove my point.

For various reasons, the last two decades of my life have been unsettled. I’ve lived in 7 different homes, some owned, some rented. The worst of these for wine storage was a second-story flat in Balmoral. I lived in that spectacular part of the world for almost a decade, with my precious wines tucked into a large hallway cupboard, and taking up all the space under 2 beds in the spare room.

My first cellar in our Avalon house almost met the ideal temperature specs; it was mostly underground, south-facing, below the main bathroom under a concrete ceiling. Alas, access was through a manhole in the wall, and inside it was so squeezy that a jockey would’ve struggled.

The reason was a huge rock that occupied most of the space. I chipped away at it for a while, but it felt as futile as digging an escape tunnel out of Stalag 13 on my own.

The other option was to dig some dirt out from around the rock. That proved a little more productive, and eventually I’d dug out enough dirt to make room for some banana boxes stacked on their sides – remember those rough and heavy hardwood things? They held about 15 bottles and cost nothing at the fruit shop.

Luxury

The next Avalon house sat on a concrete pad, and had a brick garage. I covered the windows and doors with foam, and bought a small eggnishner. It was a leap into wine hyperspace – I had plenty of room I could walk around in without bumping my head, and a straight concrete floor.

Things went downhill from here. The next house at Bilgola had a huge underground area built into the hill, facing south, which was so wide open that the southerlies went straight through it. I was buying most of my wines from wineries at the time, and used the wooden and cardboard boxes they came in to provide a buffer against the weather.

To my surprise it worked for the 5 summers I was there – up on a hill enjoying cool breezes. Then came an old block of flats at Cremorne Point, which had a south-facing garage of solid double brick construction. That worked when the weather was dry, but water leaked in after heavy rain.

Tough Love

Next was the second-floor flat at Balmoral, one street away from the promenade. It was an old block of 4 flats, solid double brick, small windows, well insulated from the elements. This would really test my theory that it was more important to protect wine from sudden changes in temperature than keeping it at a constant 17 degrees, but all my wine was on the line here.

Of course I thought about storing my wines at Kennards or the Wine Ark, but their facilities were expensive and a long way from home, and I preferred to spend the money on more wine. I have to admit to a few sleepless nights during hot summers at Balmoral, when the inside thermometer nudged 25 degrees.

One concession I made was upgrading my wine boxes to industrial strength, so I kept hunting for the right kinds of boxes in the DM stores on the lower North Shore. However, the best boxes by far came from Calabria Wines in Griffith, and I used them for my most precious wines. More here including pictures.

The Black Diamond

Some 5 years ago Tracey’s wonderful mum went into aged care in Berry, south of Sydney, after enjoying a full and active life.. It was a sad time but at long last, Tracey said YES to a question I had asked her almost 17 years before. We were married on a cloudless summer’s day at the Silos winery near Berry, with our mum watching and crying with joy.

We decided to rent in Thirroul, a beachy suburb of the Illawarra, the halfway point between Berry for visiting mum and Sydney where my kids lived. If we liked Thirroul, we planned to buy there.

It was the first time we’d lived in the same house; until then we were just spending weekends together. That arrangement had worked like a treat for nearly two decades, and we both wondered if living together full-time might kill the magic. It didn’t (but it had its moments).

Most of the wine went under the stairs in the house we moved into, the rest into the laundry. It was a modern house with air-conditioning, which we only used during heat waves.

After a while, we found that Thirroul didn’t really grab us. So, after our mum left this world (fortunately before the world was turned upside down by a virus), we decided to move to further south. We’ve always loved the South Coast, especially Kangaroo Valley, where our mum used to live. Yet, we really love the water and the beach. We decided to rent in Kiama to get to know the place before we bought.

No Country for Tall Men

The house near the top of Barney Street had a perfect little cellar, built into a steep hill, double brick, concrete ceiling and a dry dirt floor. The only challenge was a ceiling height of 5 foot, which wasn’t a good match for my 6 foot 4 frame. Getting the wine boxes in there was a backbreaking effort, on par with my first cellar in Avalon, the one with the big rock in the middle. Only this time I was 40 years older.

Our wines were getting older too, and I have to confess that they’d survived in better shape than I had. Ullages on old reds don’t come much better, do they?

I dug some of the floor out to gain more height but soon struck bedrock. Tracey bought me a small metal stool so at least I could sit down. She took pity on me, I think, emerging daily from the cellar looking like a pained pretzel. I ended up channeling Quasimodo, getting around dragging the metal stool behind me. The things we do for the love of wine!

Is there anybody out there?

We must’ve looked at close to 100 houses, and not a single one came with a cellar or a suitable space for one. What on earth is wrong with people? Are they really happy to drink 2-year-old reds that burn the enamel off their teeth? And 6-month-old Rieslings or Semillons that would make great paint strippers?

We decided to cast the net wider and ended up buying a much bigger house than we planned, just across the border in Shellharbour.  It’s walking distance to the emerging marina at Shell Cove and to the old village, harbour and beaches. There was no cellar, but the garage was big enough to serve as a ballroom when the lockdown was over, so we decided to build a cellar in one corner of it.

Our builder suggested a commercial cool room, which we had made-to-measure by Campbelltown Coolrooms. The walls were made of 100mm thick, floor-to-ceiling polystyrene panels sandwiched by powder-coated steel. Tracey was thrilled that she could choose the Surfmist colour to match the walls. But, just after the materials were delivered, greater Sydney went into lockdown, and for reasons known to no one, Shellharbour was included. So, our builder couldn’t come in from Berry to install the thing. Bummer.

Tracey isn’t one to take no for an answer, so she hunted around for a cool room installer. Not easy to find, as it turned out. Over the next 10 weeks she spoke to as many tradesmen. 9 of them promised to pop in and quote but never turned up or didn’t even bother to return her calls or texts.

Meanwhile our entire cellar lived in the sitting room, and the weather was beginning to warm up …

Stairway to Heaven

The problem was that all the tradies in lockdown (or maybe their wives) had decided to fix all those things around their houses that they’d ignored for years. In the end we found Laurence, a builder from south of Nowra who called when he said he would, came when he promised, and did a perfect job despite some bits and pieces missing from the material CC had supplied.

The result resembles a sleek white bank vault. Temperature is stable and slow to change, with no need for air conditioning, which translates to a huge saving in electricity. The wines sit on 5 sets of $50 shelves, up to 6 boxes per shelf (36 bottles), so our 800 bottles have left enough room for an extra 400. There’s also room for a 6^th set of shelves should we ever need it.

The salient points:

• Total Capacity: just under 1300 bottles
• Total cost including racks and installation: $3650
• No electricity needed, and nothing to break down or wear out
• We’ve proved over 4 decades that constant temperature control is overkill.

And who needs humidity control in the age of the Stelvin closure? And do I really need to put my wines on display? Only if I want to impress friends and neighbours.

• I could let the boxes go now that the environment is controlled, but why? Most of our wines are 6-packs of the same wine, with labels on the boxes.

Ready-made options

• Grand Cru 290 – $4300 for a 92 bottle cabinet / fridge – ‘you cannot be serious’

Vintec 1000 Bottle Walk-in Wine Cellar – $24,000 at Harvey Norman. More details at Vintec. Fancy pull-out shelves, multiple temperature zones, air-conditioning, humidity control etc.

Underground Spiral Cellar – capacity unknown, $42,000 at thisiswhyimbroke. The name of the site says it all, doesn’t it?

If money is no object, there are of course many more fancy options

5 Luxury Homes With Exquisite Wine Cellars

MORE READING 

The Rough Guide to Cellaring Wine in a Hot Climate – A Survival Guide for Apartment Dweller

17 Homemade Wine Cellar Plans You Can Build Easily. If you have some suitable space, some of these ideas might make the last weeks of the lockdown more rewarding. Please note that I haven’t had time to check the details.

HOW TO BUILD A WINE CELLAR IN A WEEKEND, with lots of pictures.

Penfolds launches $168,000 wine – Gago gone Gaga? I was reminded of this ludicrous leap into wine hyperspace back in 2012, when I read about Penfolds’ latest leap into eccentric creations that have little to do with wine or the legendary Max Schubert.

The latest offer is a $95,000 bespoke music cabinet with a valve amplifier and a Penfolds-branded turntable. Apparently Max was a music lover. Is that so? He’s been dead almost 30 years, and now someone remembers that he loved music?

What’s the Occasion?

We’re celebrating 70 years of Grange. ‘Only seven individually crafted pieces have been produced globally (I think they mean in toto),’ says Penfolds, ‘paying homage to the “all in one” console design from the 1950s – the same decade Grange was first created by Max Schubert.’

‘As if a symphony (sic), parallels are drawn between the creation of a blend and the marriage of voice and instrument. Inside, wine lovers are welcomed by the rare “White Capsule” release Grange magnum duo of vintage 2010 and 2017. Hidden within the wine console compartment that also houses a suite of luxury accessories including a hand-blown Grange Decanter, crafted by leading Australian glass artist and designer, Nick Mount.’ More Here

You’d think they could afford a competent copywriter or proof reader, wouldn’t you? And what’s so special about the white capsule?

From Rolex to Citizen

Max worked for Penfolds his entire life yet Penfolds didn’t show much appreciation for his enormous contribution. As Richard Farmer reminds us, ‘The loyal servant of Penfolds had always hoped his farewell would be celebrated in that old fashioned way with a good watch. A Swiss Rolex was to be his pride and joy but he just got a Japanese Citizen, and for the rest of his life there was not even a free case of his masterpiece every vintage.’

This slap in Max’s face is staggering. He retired in 1975, just before the Penfold family sold out to Sydney brewer Tooth & Co. Max had to wait years for recognition, which came much later in the form of the inaugural Maurice O’Shea Award, an Order of Australia, Decanter magazine’s Man of the Year in 1988, and an Australia Day Citizen Award in 1991.

From Grand and Gaudy to Cheap and Chintzy

For decades, Penfolds (these days owned by TWE) has milked Max’s name for all it’s worth. The great man has been so much more valuable dead than alive. The milking has seen highs and lows – the latter finding their ultimate expression in wines made for Chinese New Year. More in Max’s Collection & Tribute Range – Why is Penfolds Trashing a Great Australian’s Name for a Fistful of Dollars?

More recently, the Chinese New Year offering has gone up-market with a magnum of Bin 389 in a special box. It’s over $300. Some Bin 389 with your dim sums, Sir? Here are the tasting notes from Penfolds’ website:

‘Balance of the sweet (cabernet) and the savoury (shiraz). Possesses what has now often been referred to as a black forest cake 2018 vintage flavour profile. Darker fruits – closer to that of a black cherry liqueur than a crème de cassis component of Kir. Flavours of roasted beetroot – a venison sauce beetroot reduction … similar texturally to a congealed sweet fat (a custardy emulsion/film – not a grainy paste). Oak and tannins absorbed. Both are certainly present, yet not at all demanding their own space on this Bin 389 stage. Substantial, intense.’

I’m not making this up, I swear. ‘ … similar texturally to a congealed sweet fat (a custardy emulsion/film – not a grainy paste) … ‘ Who writes this garbage? And what are they smoking? Or vaping?

Here’s Campbell Mattinson’s review from The Wine Front: ‘It’s a showy Bin 389 or perhaps by that I mean that the oak shows quite a bit. It’s also warm through the finish. It’s substantially flavoured, a bit ferrous, a bit meaty, with coffee, toast and dark chocolate notes adding beef to blackberry, blackcurrant and gum leaf. It has the substance and the structure to age well, if not superbly. I tossed up between 93 and 94 here and, after revisiting many times, finally settled on the former, though it was a close-run thing. It’s not quite as compelling as I expect Bin 389 to be, but its quality is still high.’

Ho Hum. Campbell had to work very hard to avoid telling us that this bin 389 is disappointing and overpriced. Maybe better served with red bean buns? Or maybe use it as a present for someone you want to impress, and have some Chinese rice wine instead?

It was my birthday, the 29^th of July, the first birthday in the middle of a lockdown, and I felt like spoiling myself in addition to the pressies fromTracey and the kids. So I ordered a 6-pack of Oakridge VS Henk Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 from Grays, one of the last sources I could find that had stock left after a rave review and a 97 points score from Huon Hooke.

The order confirmation promptly arrived in my inbox, saying ‘here’s a copy of your invoice.’ They also sent me a $10 ‘Welcome to Grays’voucher, with a note that said: ‘Dear member, welcome, we’re so excited you’ve decided to join Grays! Assuming that you’re a Grays novice, here’s a quick intro to what you can expect.’

Dear member? Assuming you’re a Grays novice? I’ve ordered wine from this outfit a number of times over the years, so why don’t they know me?

Is there anybody out there?

On August 3, I received another voucher, this time for $40. I bit more generous, I thought, how nice. Then I wondered why I hadn’t seen a dispatch notice for the wine I’d bought, so I checked to make sure I hadn’t overlooked it. No, I had not.

I sent an email to Grays Customer Support, and their computer shot back a support ticket number and this note:

‘Thanks for contacting the Grays support team. We have received your request and will be in contact within 2 business days.For answers to Frequently Asked Questions, why not browse our Help Centre on the link below? https://www.graysonline.com/content.aspx?block=FA Regards, Grays Support Team.’

My first thought was: why would it take up to 2 days to answer the simple question: when will you ship my wine? I buy a lot of wine from a number of wine merchants, and they respond promptly on the same day.

I thought I’d cheer myself up with that $40 voucher, and looked around the site to see if they had more good chardies. Yes, they did: they had the 2018 Henk chardy, a real favourite in our house but long gone from retail. Yet here it was, so I grabbed a 6-pack and headed for the checkout to see if the deal was real. The landing page said it was, so I copied the voucher number into the box and clicked the GO button.

It refused. When I looked for reasons why, I saw a tiny note under the voucher box that said ‘please enter a valid number.’ I double-checked the number but no go.

Don’t let me down

A second email followed later that day, this time from a lady called Charmyne. It said: ‘Hi Kim. I am sorry to hear you haven’t received your order. Please allow me to look into this matter as I need to liaise with this concern internally. I’ll get back to you within 1 to 2 business days or as soon as I receive an update. My apologies for any inconvenience it may have caused you.’

I tried to envision Grays’ warehouse somewhere in Sydney’s west, where they sell anything from wine to babies’ toys to garden furniture to electronics and trucks. Maybe they’d upgraded it to compete with Amazon, where they have small armies of casuals rushing around filling orders, and getting told they don’t need to return the next day if they hadn’t filled enough orders.

Or maybe they were all locked down at home, and left a skeleton crew of casuals at the warehouse.

‘Hey Fred, do you know where they keep the wine around here?’

‘Haven’t come across it, mate. Behind the garden furniture? Or the trucks maybe?’

‘Mm, I’ll go and have a look.’

‘Please don’t get lost. We still haven’t found Frank and Louise.’

Help me if you can, I’m feeling down

The two days passed without incident, and without another message from Charmyne. All I got was a note from Grays asking if I wanted to complete the order I had started (for the second 6-pack).

I picked up the phone to customer service, worked through the options, waited for half an hour listening to 56 repeats of ‘we’ll be with you shortly’, no advice on place in the queue, no time estimate when someone would help – nothing.

I hung up and sent an email to customer service instead. Yes, you guessed it: the computer’s response was prompt, identical to the first one, accompanied by another support ticket.

Two days later, we went through the same pantomime, though this time the phone lady offered a call back if I pressed 1. I did, but I’

m still waiting. I fired off another email to customer service, with the words ‘appalling customer service’ in the subject box, and a third robotic email came back …

Tell me Why

It was now August 7, about 10 days after this painful affair began. I thought of calling Grays’ head office and ask to talk to the guy in charge of grayswine, but decided against it. I didn’t have more time to waste; instead I found boss man Greg Fitzsimmons on LinkedIn and sent him a message about my experience, supplied my email address and offered to tell him what happened.

Nothing came back yet, every day since they welcomed me, I got at least 3 emails offering me anything from fancy watches, jewelry, chainsaws, laptop computers, hand-made rugs, water purifiers, cool gel mattresses, Para Port, Tiffany & Co Solitaire rings, and Natural Stone Bathtubs and Basins.

And every other day, an email would remind me that I hadn’t completed that order for more wine, and that my voucher was running out on August 16.

The Long and Winding Road

I sent another email to customer Support on Tuesday August 10, not expecting a real answer. By now I was curious to find out how much longer these people could keep up this cruel charade.

On August 13, my lucky day, an email from Charmyne arrived. Was she perhaps the only real person in this game of drones? It said:

‘Unfortunately, we have been advised by the vendor that this item is no longer available due to a stock discrepancy. As such, I will be organising for you to be issued with a full refund of the item and any subsequent freight charges. The refund of 203.94 will be processed back to the registered payment method for this invoice. Please allow up to 10 business days for the refund to be processed and for the cleared funds to reach your account. Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this has caused you.’

I sent this response: ‘Charmyne, in the one and only email I received from a real person at Grays (I think) you promised to look into this on August 3. That was 10 days ago, and 5 days after I ordered the wine. Now you tell me you can’t fulfill the order, and you’ll take another 10 days before I get a refund? This is appalling customer service, no it’s the opposite of customer service – it’s an absolute disgrace.’

From me to you

This time her response was swift. ‘I’m sorry to hear that you were not totally satisfied with your recent interaction with Grays. We are always striving to improve the service that we offer to our customers and so we appreciate you taking the time to provide us with this feedback. It has been forwarded to the appropriate department head so that we can address the issues you have raised. Thank you and I hope that you decide to try us again in the future.’

Dream on Charmyne. Not a sausage from Grays 3 weeks later. Clearly you folks at Grays live in a different world from most of us mortals, a world where we wait patiently for our turn, which may never come. A world where you talk to customers when you feel like it, which is not often. A world where no one seems to care, where support is a foreign concept, and where customers are dispensable.

What could I salvage? I could write a blog post, and share it with my subscribers. I could find out how to make that $40 voucher work for the Henk Chardonnay 2018. Love that wine, but I’d have to go through another interminable session on the phone. Let’s check if it’s real, I thought – just as well I checked, because it was another mirage that vanished when you got close to it.

Kim

Whites

Secret Label Margaret River Chardonnay 2020 – $10 at Kemenys. I’m always on the lookout for a decent $10 Chardonnay. It’s mission impossible most of the time, but we’re in luck here. This wine is made by a Margaret River winery that’s nowhere near anywhere, and it hits all the right notes: ripe peaches and nectarines, a whiff of oak on the nose but the oak knows its place, the palate is soft, round and mouth-filling. Perfect drinking over the next 12 months.

Rapaura Springs Sauvignon Blanc 2020 – $11 at Liquorland. Strong on the aromatics, not all that tangy but crunchy enough, with a clean line of acid to keep it all neat and tidy. Very morish.

Hidden Label Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2020 – $12 at Kemenys. The wine is made by Darryl Catlin who used to make the savvies for Shaw & Smith; now he makes wine for Sidewood, also in the Adelaide Hills. Similar quality at half the price.

Hidden Label Adelaide Hills Pinot Gris 2020 – $12 at Kemenys, this is the sibling of the previous wine, just as well made and just as much of a bargain.

Hidden Label Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2020 – $13 at Kemenys. It’s either Tomich or Sidewood, both good wineries, and the wine is a winner and a serious bargain. Check Tony Love’s review at the link. 94 points.

Tar & Roses Pinot Grigio 2020 – $17 at Summer Hill Wine. Full-bodied style that delivers a lot of luscious flavour for the money. Rich and round, ginger and Turkish delight, hard to resist, serious value. 93 points.

Kumeu River Village Chardonnay 2019 – $19 at Kemenys. A soft and seductive chardy from this great winery north-west of Auckland, as seamless as Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. It’s just a gorgeous mouthful of fruit and nuts that keeps you coming back for more. Bob Campbell calls it a ‘pour me another glass texture’. I bought a dozen of it, and have only 3 bottles left. Kemenys is about the last source of the 2019. 94 points.

K1 by Geoff Hardy Gruner Veltliner 2019 – $22 at MyCellars, where the freight is free for subscribers on any quantity. This is a deceptive variety with a very light footprint. Ethereal almost. It mixes floral and savoury characters with hints of green apples and fennel. It opened up over a couple of days, revealing pears and minerals. 93 points. It’s different, and interesting.

Tahbilk Grenache Mourvedre Rose 2020 – $17 at Kemenys. Cherries and raspberries with a squeeze of pomegranate. Close to perfect pitch, sharp price. 94 points.

Cullen Dancing in the Moonlight Rose 2020 – $22 at Kemenys. Gorgeous wine, as you would expect from Vanya Cullen who is one of Australia’s best winemakers, at a modest price. The vineyard is certified organic, and the wine is a blend of all the red varieties grown at Cullen. 94 points.

Reds

Secret Label Margaret River Cabernet Merlot 2018 – $10 at Kemenys. Another giant-killer from that winery that’s nowhere near anywhere. A real smooth talker. Won the Trophy for Best Red Blend at the National Wine Show of Australia 2019. 92 points.

Colinas De Lisboa Red Blend 2018 – $12 at DM’s. A Portuguese red made from Castelao; Camarate; Tinta Minda; Touriga Nacional. It’s different, it’s gentle and elegant, couldn’t be more different from our Barossa fruit bombs. At barely 13% alcohol, it’s easy on the gums and on the head the next morning. 91 points.

Shingleback Red Knot Shiraz 2019 – $12 at DM’s. These guys make good reds in McLaren Vale; this is an impressive red for the money that serves up ripe, juicy fruit on a vibrant palate, a lick of oak and a fresh acid backbone. 92 points. Will please crowds.

Secret Label Clare Valley Shiraz 2019 – $14 at Kemenys. Seductive red at a give-away price. Check my review at the link. Bargain Buy.

Luccarelli Negroamaro – $15 at Wine Sellers Direct. Another soft, seductive rustic red variety, this time from its home in Puglis at the heel of the boot that is Italy. A lockdown is an opportunity to explore new varieties and flavours. 92 points.

Calabria Private Bin Montepulciano 2019 – $15 at the winery. This family winery has gone from strength to strength, and recently bought the McWilliams operation in Griffiths. The wines under the private bin label are full-of-flavour and Italian charm. Real bargains, grab some of their Nero d’Avola while you’re there. 92 points.

Majella the Musician Cabernet Shiraz 2018 – $17 at Kemenys. They hit the bull’s eye this vintage, with a rich, full-flavoured classic blend of Cabernet and Shiraz. Dark fruits do the talking, with oak in the backseat. Medium-bodied, smooth with fine tannins on the finish.. Perfect pitch. Will improve for years. 94 points, serious value. 5 golds and 2 tropies, plus wine of the year from Winestate with 97 points.

Naked Run The Aldo Grenache 2019 – $19 at MyCellars. A new ones for me, made by Steve Baraglia of Pyikes from ancient vines. 95 points and a rave review from Jane Faulkner at the link. Grenache and some of its blends are comfort wines, aren’t they? So soft and slurpable.

Turkey Flat Butcher’s Block Red Blend 2017 – $20 at Summer Hill Wine. This is an old favourite, a Grenache Shiraz Mataro (Mourvedre) that still delivers in spades at a bargain price. So much flavour crammed into a bottle – dark cherries and blackberries, pepper, spices and charcuterie, licorice and earth, not too big and heavy, great line and length. 95 Points. Serious bargain.

Vasse Felix Filius Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 – $20 at Winestar. Every now and then, you come across a wine that far exceeds your expectations. This is one of those, a perfect Cabernet: cool and classy, dark fruits polished with fine oak, medium weight, silky texture, real finesse, great line and length, perfect pitch. Already good drinking but the balance will see it live for years. Made from Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon, a bucket of Malbec and a drop of Petit Verdot. 96 points. BUY.

Sons of Eden Kennedy Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre – $22 at Nicks. Power and Polish. Perfect pitch. I don’t know how these guys do it at this price level. Nicks’ review is on the money. 95+ points.

Geddes Seldom Inn Grenache 2018 – $23 at MyCellars, where the freight is free for subscribers on any quantity (promo code BWU20). The fruit for this red comes from old bush vines near Blewitt Springs, not far from Yangarra. The area has the highest altitude, highest rainfall and coolest winters in McLaren Vale.
Bush vines they might be but Tim Geddes has turned out a polished performer here, smooth as silk and not one hair out of place. Under the glossy surface, we find plums and red cherries in a medium-bodied frame, good length and balance, drinking well already but will keep for a year or two. Perfect pitch. 95 points. Underpriced!

That’s my review from months ago. Meanwhile The Young Gun of Wine has published the results of a Grenache tasting, where this wine came third among a lot of fancy labels costing 3 and 4 times as much. It was Steve Webber’s (de Bortoli) top wine of the tasting. His take: ‘Spice, grace, perfume, gentle tannin, pinot-like.’

Bubbles

Seppelt The Great Entertainer Sparkling Shiraz NV – $10 at DM’s. New label, haven’t tried it but it’s hard to see how you could go wrong with this wine from the oldest maker of this style at this price.
Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz Nv – $20 at Windirect. The EOFY sale makes this rich and ripe red bubbly irresistible. Alexia Roberts at Penny’s Hill is turns out stunning McLaren Vale reds every year, but keeps a low profile. She’s pitched this crowd-pleasing bubbly just right – it’s opulent and wholly seductive but has enough discipline to get away with it. 93 points.

Dessert Wines

Buller Premium Fine Muscat 375ml – $9.50 at Dan M’s. A great example of the Rutherglen  Muscat style. It’s fairly light on its feet but hits all the right notes of raisins, toffee and honey. 93 points. Serious bargain.

Campbells Rutherglen Topaque 375mL – $18 at Dan M’s. My favourite Tokay anywhere near $20, just pips the Morris model at the post with a tad more flavour. These are just gorgeous dessert wines at give-away prices. 95 points.

SPECIAL WINES

Pirie Sparkling NV – $25 at Kemenys. One of our best sparkling wines made down under, from the apple isle. Masterful, and a bargain at this price. Check Halliday’s review at the link. 95 points.

Oakridge Local Vineyard Series Henk Chardonnay 2018 – $34 at Jimurphy. I prefer the 2018 to the 2019 at the moment since it’s richer, rounder and more full-flavoured. As good as it gets for me – be quick though, this is the last source I can find. 96 points.

Turkey Flat Grenache 2019 – $32 at Wine Experience. I haven’t tried this vintage but Gary at the Wine Front has: ‘It has a lovely perfume that’s kind of warm and comforting. It smells of brown spices, dried flowers and herbs, golden fruitcake, raspberries and poached strawberries. It’s juicy and ripe in fruit, but earthy and shot through with sweet spices and orange peel. Tannin is a little gritty and grippy, and the finish is long, saline and stony. It’s a really good wine. It will be better with a few more years under its belt.’

Wynns Black Label Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 – $33 at Winestar. I’ve opened a few older black labels in recent months, and confirmed what bargains they are. We enjoyed a stunning 2006, and a 2009 that surprised us since it’s not seen as one of the better vintages. The 2013 is the most youthful and full-flavoured, rich, dense and concentrated but not heavy. The seductive cassis fruit is backed by subtle pencil shavings oak, good line and length, and fine tannins on the finish. Classic Black Label with years in front of it. 96 points. Bargain.

The famous black label and the winemaker behind it: Sue Hodder

If Max Schubert and John Vickery had been making wine in Germany, John would be the more famous of the two by far. Why? Because John made the best Rieslings down under for decades, and Riesling is the King of wine in Germany.

John’s career makes a fascinating story since it reflects the evolution of Australia’s table wine industry with its colourful characters and mad excesses. Leo Buring hired John Vickery straight out of Roseworthy College in 1955. In those days, most wine grapes in the Barossa, Eden and Clare valleys were produced by growers who sold them to the few wineries that existed then. Winemakers like John Vickery had access to the best material, and he earned his early stripes here.

Over the years, John’s attention to detail and obsession with cleanliness in the winery became the stuff of legend, and having to ship the newly made wines to Leo Buring’s bottling plant in Redfern in 4000 litre steel railway carriages must’ve given him nightmares. Despite these obstacles, he made Rieslings in the sixties and seventies under the Leo Buring label that served as benchmarks to other winemakers for decades.

John Vickery was a genius with Riesling, but few people know that he made the reds for Lindemans’ Coonawarra operations from 1974 to 1980. He won a Jimmy Watson Trophy for the 1980 St George.

Lindemans

Leo Buring also owned a vineyard called Florita, which was planted to the Sherry grapes Palomino and Pedro Ximinez. Sherry was the most popular wine down under in the 1950s and early sixties, and Leo Buring sold his under the Florita Fino label.

Leo died in 1961 aged 85, and Lindemans CEO Ray Kidd bought the company. Ray foresaw the market turning toward table wine early on, and had created Ben Ean Moselle in the late fifties when he was winemaker at Lindemans’ Corowa winery near Rutherglen.

Ray Kidd told me that Hamilton’s Ewell Moselle was the market leader of this new, slightly sweet, low alcohol wine style that was becoming ever more popular ‘with the ladies’. It was made from Pedro Ximinez and Verdelho, believe it or not; Ben Ean was a blend of Hunter Semillon and South Australian Riesling.

The Classics

In the early seventies, the farsighted Ray Kidd had begun laying down some of Lindemans’ best wines in the cellars of the company’s Nyrang St, Auburn (Sydney) headquarters. Lindemans Nyrang Hermitage and Auburn Burgundy paid an interesting tribute to the company’s location and vast cellars.

In the eighties, Lindemans began releasing some of these wines in regular tranches. There were two levels of releases: Classic and Fine Aged Premium. The Classics were expensive but included the great Hunter Semillons made by Karl Stockhausen, alongside the Reserve Rieslings made by John Vickery – all from that golden era which produced wines like none before or since. Here’s a later piece from Chris Shanahan on this topic, with more details.

The real bargains were found among the FAPs, though: I remember buying loads of a 1967 Hunter River Burgundy, a lovely soft red that had been eclipsed by its more muscly 1966 and 1965 siblings. To me, the 1967 was a classic Hunter Shiraz: soft, sweet and earthy, medium bodied and smooth, light on its feet yet perfectly balanced. We drank it over the next ten years, and every bottle was a delight.

The program was such a success that Ray Kidd wanted to expand the cellars at Auburn but the cost accountants at Philip Morris put an end to that idea. In 1986, they decided to move the cellars to Karadoc and just leave the offices at Auburn Street.

Wineries Rebirthed

In the early nineties, with Lindemans sold to Heinz and CEO Ray Kidd retired, John Vickery was making Riesling once again: this time for Richmond Grove. This shingle used to adorn a Hunter Valley winery that fell into the corporate meat grinder and ended up in the hands of Orlando Wyndham, who moved the cellar door to Chateau Leonay in the Barossa.

This must’ve been a strange déjà vu for John Vickery who made wines for Leo Buring here decades ago. He just got on with the job as usual, and made more splendid Rieslings there until he retired in 2009. Vickery was one of the early champions of the Stelvin cap, and his classic steel capped Rieslings helped other winemakers see the light.

Wine Makers Revitalised

In 2014 John Vickery was once again making Riesling, under yet another label: his own. He was 82, the same age another Barossa Great was when he died  the year before – Peter Lehmann. As it happens, Peter’s youngest son Phil is helping John with the making of these new Rieslings. Phil is the chief winemaker at WD Wines, which is owned by the Hesketh family in Adelaide.

It was Robert Hesketh who financed Peter Lehmann decades ago after Saltram fell into the hands of Dalgetty. The new owners told Peter to cut Saltram’s growers loose, but he told Dalgetty to jump and started Masterson Wines which later became Peter Lehmann Wines. He took the name from a mad gambler in a Damon Runyon story. More on that below.

I guess Robert lured John Vickery out of retirement in 2014 by offering to give him his own label. Just as he did in the old days, John made Rieslings from The Clare and Eden Valleys – one brand, two labels, recently joined by ‘reserve’ labels. He and Phil Lehmann made some great wines together, until Phil left in 2018 to focus on his own label ‘Max & Me’, and his new winemaking contracts with Mountadam and Eden Hall.

Andrew Hardy took over as chief winemaker at WD Wines, and Keeda Zilm now makes the Vickery Rieslings, with John looking over her shoulder. John is 88 now, and still going strong. He won some 50 trophies and 400 gold medals for his employers in over 50 years of winemaking. What a life, and what a legacy.

Photo credit: John Krüger

Footnote

The Masterson label came about because Peter Lehmann was a great fan of Damon Runyon’s Guys and Dolls stories from the 1920s and 30s. They featured gangsters, gamblers and other characters of the New York underworld, and Sky Masterson was one of these: a gambler willing to bet on anything.

The final twist in this stoy is that my Dad was a mad keen fan of Damon Runyon’s stories. I loved them too, despite reading them in their German translation (I grew up in Germany). It boggles the mind how a writer can capture New York slang in a German translation but this one had succeeded. I’d love to find a copy of the book somewhere.

Additional Reading

The Rise and fall of Ben Ean Moselle, via The Conversation

Lindemans – Death By a Thousand Cuts. What’s left? Low Calorie Confections and Fairy Floss

John Vickery – Riesling Meister, People of Wine. Really comprehensive insights and images by photographer Milton Worldley

Florita — the story of a vineyard, by Chris Shanahan

The Gallipoli Art Prize

You can check Part 1 of this series HERE, Part 2 HERE, and Part 4 HERE

Looking for the Sweet Spot on the Sane Side of the Price Scale

PLEASE NOTE: I’ve turned this list upside down so it now starts with our shortlist, and some context. Below our top list, you’ll find the top chardies from the Wine Front, Real Review and James Halliday.

Most of us aren’t swimming in money, which tends to limit our capacity to buy $100 bottles. The good news is that the law of diminishing returns sets in early on the price curve – around about $20. The Hoddles Creek Estate from the Yarra Valley has been the standard setter here for some time, and it can hold its head high in more exalted company.

The Scorpo Aubaine Chardonnay from the Mornington Peninsula sets a new standard for under $30 chardies (see below). It makes the Vineyard Series chardies from Oakridge look a tad expensive, at prices now heading for $35 a bottle. They’re good chardies though. Beyond $30, the difference in quality becomes hard to see. For example, going from the 2018 Henk to the 864 Funder & Diamond 2017 at twice the price is not a dramatic leap but more of a baby step. And the steps get smaller beyond that point.

The BWU$20 Shortlist

As usual. all the wines listed here are available at the time of writing. The reason Dappled Chardonnay is missing is that Shaun Crinion sold his tiny production within weeks of the 2019 release around the middle of last year.

Hill-Smith Estate Eden Valley Chardonnay 2019 – $18 at Nicks. A business class wine at an economy class price. This wine comes from Hill-Smith Family Vineyards, which is the umbrella name for the thriving family business known as Yalumba. It’s got a lot going for it apart from the modest asking price; Nick’s review is on the money as usual. 94 points.

Kumeau River Village Chardonnay 2019 – $19 at Kemenys. I admit to having a soft spot for this wine from the northern suburbs of Auckland. It’s just such pleasant drink, soft and round and gentle and seamless, with a silky texture that makes it slip down the hatch too easily. 94 points.

Hoddles Creek Estate Chardonnay 2020 – $20 at MyCellars. Finer and more restrained than the 2019, which packed a bigger punch. I’d have picked this as coming from Beechworth, it’s so neat and linear and squeaky clean. Stone fruits touched with subtle oak and faint spices, excellent balance and great line and length. Just needs time to put on some muscle. 94+ points.

Beechworth Estate Chardonnay 2018 – $25 at Nicks. 30% new French oak, 10 months on lees, light to medium bodied, white peaches and a touch of apricot kernel, almonds and oatmeal. Vibrant, clean and linear in the Beechworth manner, this wine put on weight over 3 days of tasting, and became richer and rounder. A remarkable transformation. 95 points.

Scorpo Aubaine Chardonnay 2019 – $28 at Nicks. A great chardie from the Mornington Peninsula. It has enough flesh on its bones, the fruit is white peachy, the oak nods toward cashews, there’s a soft  touch of struck match. It’s a vibrant chardy, full of life and flavour. A second bottle was a knockout. Perfect pitch. 96 points. This is the new joker in our deck; you’d be hard-pushed finding a better chardy for less than $50. I’ve ordered another 6-pack.

Isabel Marlborough Chardonnay 2019 – $28 at DM’s. The fruit is stronger than the 2018, classic stone fruits and almonds; it’s a big mouthful, and the oak is a touch less heavy here. Less obvious struck match funk too. Well integrated already, and good drinking but will improve over the next year or two. 95 points.

Hill-Smith Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2018 – $28.50 in a 6-pack at Just Wines. This wine is more complex than its Eden Valley sibling, and much harder to find. There are white peaches, nectarines, a hint of struck match, a twist of lemon and classy almond oak. The integration is seamless, with great finesse a creamy texture and minerals on the finish. Has more in the tank as well. 95+ points.

Hidden Label Special Reserve Chardonnay 2016 – $29 at Kemenys. Tyrrells Vat 47 that hides behind this bland label, and it’s made in the modern style adopted by Tyrrells in recent years: delicate, restrained, lots of finesse at the expense of full flavour. Hunter Chardonnay in a Yarra Valley costume. It’s a decent wine, if not generous enough for my old-school taste. 94 points.

Oakridge Vineyard Series Henk  Chardonnay 2018 – $34 at Jim Murphy’s or Grays. The 2018 is just about all gone, but I dug up a couple of sources. It’s a little bigger than most of David Bicknell’s chardies, perfect weight in my view. Just gives it bit more body to fill out the perfect frame. Classic stone fruits, oatmeal and hazelnuts, good depth of flavour that lingers. What a terrific Chardonnay! 96 points.

Oakridge VS Henk Chardonnay 2019 – $32 at Cloudwine or $33 at MyCellars where the freight is free for subscribers (promo code BWU20). See Huon Hooke’s review at the link. To me it’s finer, fresher and crisper than the 2018, full of vibrant energy, a bit nervy at this stage, just needs another year or so to settle down. 95 points heading for 96 in my book.

Merricks Estate Chardonnay 2018 – $33 at Nicks. As fine as spun silk, the class stands out right from the first glass, delicate stone fruits and just the right touch of oak, and that hint of apricot kernel that you see in great white Burgundies. Slippery texture with a touch of cream, stunning wine from the Mornington Peninsula. 96 points.

Domaine Naturaliste Floris Chardonnay 2019 –  $30 at Wineseek. This wine has sold out rapidly, and this is the last source I can find. It was $25 at MyCellars, and I hope you grabbed some there in the last few weeks. They tell me there’s no more stock available – the 2020 vintage will be out next.

Is the 2019 worth $30? Yes, but it’s no longer the bargain it was. Huon Hooke’s review nails it better than I can: ‘Very light, bright yellow colour. A reserved bouquet of subtle smoky, nutty and toasty nuances; gentle sulfides. The palate is round and soft, rich and fleshy, with tremendous depth and density. The acidity is energising and the palate superbly penetrative and lingering. A top chardonnay.” – 96 Points & 5 Stars 

Tyrrells Belford Hunter Chardonnay 2015 – $34 at Kemenys. Another Hunter Chardonnay from the old firm, and another modern style though with a bit more flavour. Gets 95 points from both Gary W at TWF and from James H. Check the reviews and the bling at the link.

Dog Point Chardonnay 2018 – $34 at Summer Hill Wine.  I haven’t tried the 2018 yet, but have been impressed by previous vintages. Bob Campbell MW at the Real Review says it’s a ‘Very stylish chardonnay with purity and power. Tangy, vibrant wine with citrus, green apple, oyster-shell, ginger and baguette crust flavours. A bright, youthful, high-energy wine that gives a nod in the direction of Burgundy. 96 points.’

Dexter Mornington Penisula Chardonnay 2019 – $35 at Nicks. This is a work of art, with all the elements fitting together like the precision parts of a classic Swiss watch. White peaches and cashews, superfine oak and minerals, seamless with a big S, intense flavour, terrific length, a fine line of grapefruit my only slight quibble. Otherwise pitch-perfect Chardonnay and a serious bargain. About as good as it gets at any price. 96 points.  

Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay 2019 – $43 at Winestar or $47 at MyCellars where the freight is free for subscribers on any quantity (promo code BWU20), and where you’ll find 3 reviews for this wine. 96 points and big raves from all. I don’t rate it that highly and much prefer the 2018 which has more tension, complexity and finesse to my mind. I found the 2019 riper, rounder and less interesting. 93 points. Maybe I had an off day, or mayby the wine did.

The ABC of Aussie Chardonnay – Background & Context

You can skip this section if you’ve read Parts 1 and 2 of this series

Chardonnay is a very different style of white wine from the aromatic varieties Riesling, Sauvignon Blance, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer. Serious Chardonnay is made like red wine: fermented and stored in small oak barrels, usually a mix of new and one- or two-year old. Like good reds, Chardonnays tend to improve for up to 10 years.

In the eighties, when local Chardonnay became available in greater volume, it soon became the new white everybody wanted to drink more of. The most popular style was the big sun-drenched, gutsy kind of chardy full of ripe peaches, as smooth as butter, with toasty oak riding shotgun.

The early naughties saw a backlash in the form of the ABC movement – Anything But Chardonnay. Drinkers began looking for more finesse in their chardies, and a new generation of young gun winemakers was ready to push the pendulum to the other side. The new model was Twiggy, not Jane Mansfield. Some of the wines were mean and lean, anaemic and emaciated, others offered a bad acid trip.

Gunflint and Woodsmoke

The  return to sanity was a gradual one, with the malolactic fermentation the main sticking point. The ‘malo’ is a secondary fermentation that turns mean, green malic acid into the softer lactic acid that gives chardies a rich, creamy texture. The young guns abhorred the buttery chardies of old and tended to avoid ‘the malo’ and the offending diacetyl, the compound responsible.  They also picked their fruit earlier to reduce ripeness and increase freshness.

The malo doesn’t just produce butter and cream  mind you, it also adds complexity. To make their chardies more fascinating, the young guns used wild yeasts, barrel fermentation and months on lees combined with batonnage, a French term for stirring settled yeast lees back into the wine. That only worked up to a point, so these days many winemakers allow the malo in a small proportion of their chardies.

They discovered new tricks such as sulphide notes that make us think of struck matches. These are the result of ‘reductive’ wine making techniques designed to prevent oxygenation. The UK’s queen of the grape Jancis Robinson provides more detail in ‘Struck-match wines – reductio ad absurdum?’. She has a point: in last year’s survey, a number of wines we tasted were spoilt by this artefact, and one highly rated wine was rendered undrinkable.

The result of these contortions and unnatural acts are altered states which, like radical plastic surgery, have rendered old favourites unrecognisable. Tyrrell’s Chardonnays from the Hunter, once loved for their generous proportions, now present as delicate cool climate wines, barely touching 13% alcohol. The First Creek wines of Liz Silkman follow the same style.

A few weeks ago, I saw two Chardonnays from McLaren Vale with an alcohol rating of 12.5%. They cannot be serious, I thought. Why don’t they make big sunny, generous chardies in a place that’s perfect for making big ripe and generous wines? Why are all these winemakers still in love with Twiggy?

Yes, there’s still a way to go.

Top Chardonnays at the Wine Front, Real Review and James Halliday

The 3 amigos at The Wine Front have published their Chardonnay Review for the year 2020. After my huge survey last year of many expensive but underwhelming wines on TWF’s top list, I had no desire to repeat the exercise. For one thing, many of the top-rated wines on this year’s TWF list are no longer available, and consistency is not a big feature – this year’s list.

The prices for the top Chardonnays listed by TWF range from $50 to $150. That’s getting up there, although you could argue that white Burgundies from Montrachet range in price from $1,000 to $10,000. I would argue that these bottles are luxury goods not wines.

As always, we look for a sweet spot in the price range, a place where quality and cost intersect to best effect. In Huon Hooke’s top list of 2019 Chardonnays I found a joker in the pack: the Oakridge Henk Chardonnay 2019. It came third in a strong field, at a fraction of the price of the main contenders. This is the kind of joker we love to see, and you can buy it for just $32.

Here’s Huon’s tasting note: ‘Bright, light colour, with a cashew nut aroma, attractive underlying complexities which continue through the palate. Intense and refined, precise and direct with long-lasting flavour and real finesse. A delicious wine. Pure fruit drives the wine magnificently. Great line and length. My pick of the 2019 Oakridge chardies. 97 Points.’

I didn’t think my sample was worth 97 points, but it had all the positive elements Huon mentions. It’s finer, fresher and crisper than the 2018, full of vibrant energy, and just needs another year or two to settle down. 95 points heading for 96 in my book.

The Real Review’s top list of 2019 Chardonnays

98 POINTS

• Flametree SRS Wallcliffe
• Cullen Kevin John

97 POINTS

• Oakridge LVS Henk
• Mewstone d’Entrecasteaux Channel
• Deep Woods Estate Reserve
• Tolpuddle
• Lake’s Folly Hill Block
• Vasse Felix Heytesbury
• Fraser Gallop Paladian
• By Farr GC Cote

96 POINTS

• Domaine Naturaliste Floris
• Soumah Single Vineyard Hexham
• Paralian Adelaide Hills

There’s a second joker in Huon’s pack: the Domaine Naturaliste Floris, which you can buy for $25. I got hold of a bottle, and loved every mouthful. Our Wine of The Week, without hesitation. See my review below.

The Wine Front’s 2021 list of best Chardonnays

97  POINTS

• 2018 Giaconda Chardonnay,
• 2018 Fraser Gallop Estate Palladian Chardonnay
• 2018 Cobaw Ridge Chardonnay
• 2018 Pierro Chardonnay

96+ POINTS

• 2018 Soumah Equilibrio Chardonnay
• 2018 Sorrenberg Chardonnay
• 2018 Savaterre Chardonnay
• 2018 Dappled ‘Les Verges’ Chardonnay
• 2019 Entropy Chardonnay
• 2019 Penfolds Reserve Bin 19A Chardonnay
• 2016 Bell Hill Chardonnay, 2018 Cloudburst Chardonnay

These Chardonnays cover a price range from $50 to $100+. The only joker I saw here was the Collector Tiger Tiger 2017 Tumbarumba Chardonnay in the 96 points group. The 2017 is long gone, but you can buy the 2018 for $33. I grabbed some, given the good reviews from JH (97)and HH (95), but found it simple, lacking ripeness, concentration, texture and other redeeming features. Huon mentions positive notes of Parmesan, which got up my nose. I also got a whiff of unripe fruit in the mix that left a faint sour note. Underwhelming.

James Halliday’s Top Chardonnays 2021

The Wine Companion’s 2021 list has also seen major changes in the pecking order: Gone are Moss Wood, Deviation Road, Ochota Barrels, Penfolds Reserve Bin A, Evans & Tate Redbrook, Flowstone Queen of the Earth, GC by  Farr, Fraser Gallop, Robvert Oatley’s Pennant, Garagiste Terre Maritime and Toolangi Paul’s Lane. That’s 3/4 of the list. Here’s the latest:

99 POINTS

• Penfolds bin 144 Yattarna 2017
• Leeuwin Estate Art Series 2017

98 POINTS

• Shaw & Smith Lenswood 2017
• Shaw & Smith M3 2018
• Giaconda 2017
• Clyde Park Block C 2019
• Singlefile The Vivienne 2017
• Vasse Felix Heytesbury 2018
• Tolpuddle 2018
• Giant Steps 2019
• Hoddles Creek Roadblock 2017
• Mount Mary 2018

The joker in Halliday’s pack is the Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay 2018. That vintage is a cracker but long gone by now; the 2019 sells for a moderate $45 but impressed me less than the 2018. It scores 96 points with CM at TWF, James Suckling (Nick Stock) and Nick’s.

You can find  Part 4 of this Odyssey HERE

I’m often astonished how the media tease sensational headlines from trivia, while they ignore the elephant in the room. And so it is with Covid vaccines.

In April 2021, the European Medicines Agency’s safety committee declared that unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine from Astra-Zeneca.

The Committee reviewed 62 cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and 24 cases of splanchnic vein thrombosis reported in the EU drug safety database by22 March 2021. In this total of 86 cases, 18 were fatal. Given the millions of doses of this vaccine administered so far, the risk of these adverse events is very small.

It’s difficult to compare the adverse events of this vaccine to other vaccines in common use, since cause and effect are generally difficult to establish with accuracy. So I checked a couple of drugs in widespread use for Adverse Events to put the blood clots in perspective, and this is what I found:

‘Daily Aspirin Linked To More Than 3,000 Deaths Per Year, Scientists Warn.’ This was the headline in the Huffpost in 2017. People have long been advised to take daily-low dose aspirin to prevent blood clots. The Oxford Vascular Study, which recruited over 3,000 participants, found that people aged 75 and over with a history of heart attacks or strokes were at the highest risk of death from low-dose aspirin.

A retrospective analysis of data on paracetamol‐related exposures, hospital admissions, and deaths found that between 2007 and 2016, there were 95,668 admissions with paracetamol poisoning. Some 200 deaths were registered, and over 1800 cases of Toxic Liver Disease. Paracetamol overdose is the most common cause of fulminant hepatic failure in the USA (40% of cases), and paracetamol overdose is by far and away the number one reason for liver transplants.

Aspirin and paracetamol are over-the-counter drugs, so what about prescription drugs? ‘Benzodiazepines (benzos) were involved in more drug-induced deaths in 2016 than heroin and methadone combined,’ the ABC reported, ‘but you would be hard-pressed to find any stories warning of their dangers on the front pages.

Aspirin and paracetamol are both over-the-counter drugs, so what about prescription drug? ‘Benzodiazepines were involved in more drug-induced deaths in 2016 than heroin and methadone combined,’ the ABC reported, ‘but you would be hard-pressed to find any stories warning of their dangers on the front pages.’ Deaths from opiods, heroin and methadone number around 20,000 a year in the USA. Valium and Xanax are popular benzos.

Prescription Drug Safety

The bigger picture is this:  Misuse, under-use, overuse of, and reactions to therapeutic drugs alone result in 140,000 hospital admissions a year in Australia. The report at the link estimates that as many as 150,000 health care associated infections (in hospitals mostly) occur down under each year, some of these caused by Multi-drug-Resistant Organisms like golden staff. Infections with MROs are much more difficult to treat, and tend to have poorer outcomes for patients. More HERE.

Reliable data on deaths from prescription drugs are hard to come by in Australia, but US data suggest that every year 128,000 people die from drugs correctly prescribed to them.

Putting that number into perspective, deaths from correctly prescribed drugs in the USA exceed the combined number of deaths caused by traffic accidents, opioid-heroin-cocaine overdoses, homicides and firearms. Causes of death in the USA are:

We do have some much bigger problems in medicine than a few blood clots caused by vaccines. No doubt more adverse events will come to light over time but, for vaccines that were rushed into production, the current adverse events are surprisingly small in number.