Frogmore Creek Riesling, Delatite Traminer, Ninth Island Pinot Gris, Castle Rock Riesling, Seresin Sauvignon Blanc, Tightrope Walker Chardonnay, Shanahans The Old Dog Shiraz + more
A terrific variety this week, from delicate whites to barnstorming reds.
We’ll start with one of the best Rieslings I’ve had in a while, and I drink a lot of Rieslings.
The Frogmore Creek Riesling 2013 is one of the more affordable Rieslings from Tassie, and it’s the kind of wine you find more and more charms in when you immerse yourself. An object lesson in stylish, elegant Riesling that is tightly wrapped around a subtle but lovely core of citrus fruit and chalky minerals. 95 points, BUY. $19 at Dan M’s.
Essenze Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2013 – The 2012 was a better wine. This one is pretty ordinary fare but nowhere near as ordinary as the Stoneleigh. Acceptable in an emergency. 88. NOT CONVINCED. $11 to $13 at Dan M’s.
As much as I wanted to like the Momo Pinot Gris 2013 (made by Seresin), I wasn’t convinced. It’s a very short wine with all the flavour crammed into the middle, a bit like a passenger train with all the passengers in the middle carriage. 89. NOT CONVINCED. $19 at Wineonline
Sydney International Wine Competition 2014
We went to the public tasting that follows this comp –
of several hundred wines
The story is that the SIWC only gives awards to 10 – 15% of the wines submitted. About 2,000 wines were submitted, so that leaves about 200 – 300 wines. This includes wines from overseas, which adds extra interest. Here’s how the awards are organised:
HIGHLY COMMENDED AWARD WINNERS – Judged with Food. These are the finalists that fall in approximately the 10.1% to 15% percentile range of the total entry.
BLUE-GOLD AWARD WINNERS – Judged with Food. These are the finalists that fall in approximately the top 10 percentile range of the total entry.
TOP 1OO WINES AWARD WINNERS – Judged with Food. As the name implies, these are the 100 highest pointed of the Blue-Gold Award winners but with aggregate scores adjusted to ensure Consumers have a choice of TOP 1OO wines in each of the Style Categories.
TROPHY WINNERS – In their several specialised areas, the Competition’s 24 Trophy Winners, amongst our galaxy of vinous stars, represent the elite wines of the annual Competition. Yes, being vinous and a star, entirely possible.
Wynns The Siding, Dandelion Riesling, d’Arenberg’s Original red, Leconfiled, Illuminati Riparosso and lots more
As usual, an eclectic collection of fascinating wines
Wither Hills Pinot Gris 2013
Big and round and full of flavour – pears and peaches and more, a good wine with rich pork and Asian dishes. A touch more acid and length would’ve made it perfect. 91 points. BUY. $15 at Kemenys.
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Chardonnay 2013
Not a bad wine but not an exciting one. They’ve eased off the oak a bit, so it no longer dominates, but there’s still not a lot of Chardonnay flavour here. That said, the wine is pleasant enough, has polish and length and balance and was going to make a BUY at the $13 we bought for. For $17, we’re NOT CONVINCED. 89 points. $17 at Dan M’s.
Saint Clair Pinot Noir, Dandelion Sauvignon Blanc, Thorn Clarke Riesling, AIRDE.450 and Vinatero from ALDI, Hidden Labels from Kemenys and Cape Mentelle Shiraz
Ravenshead Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc 2013. This maybe a label made for Kemenys by the ubiquitous Laryy Cherubino. It’s one of the most delicate Savvies we’ve ever tried, ideal for oysters or fish like whiting and sole. It’s well done in that style, bit a bit underdone for my liking. 89 points. Not Convinced. $13 at Kemenys. If you buy 6, they throw in a free bottle.
Devil’s Ridge Block 33 Sauvignon Blanc 2013. A marvellous wine, delivering class and finesse way above its humble station. Not a distinctive savvy but a lovely, fresh and crisp fruit salad style with great length and balance. Just the thing for everyday drinking with just about any white meat, or pleasing your friends at the next barbie. 92 points. BUY. $10 at Kemenys.
Ravenshead Margaret River Chardonnay 2012. Same name, same price, different label. This is pretty much the opposite to the Savvy: big, rich and ripe, some hints of orange perhaps from the oak, smooth mouth feel, a real crowd pleaser with high marks for sheer drinkability. 92 points. BUY. $13 at Kemenys.
Paxton, The Lane, Tomich Hill, Mitchell, Tim Adams, Heirloom, Abel’s Tempest, Chalk Hill and Devils Ridge Polish Hill Riesling
The top wine over this set of tastings was the Devils Ridge Polish Hill Riesling 2013
Finding wines like these is exactly what Best Wines Under $20 is all about. Pale brass with green tinges, a nose of citrus blossom and lime. Tightly wound palate serving up limes and minerals, with hints of talc and bath powder. Great restraint here, and a fine acid backbone. Polish Hill finesse, classic Riesling, will improve for years. Made by the Wilsons, don’t know how the guys at Kemenys prized this out of them. 94 points. Back up the ute. $10 at Kemenys.
Devil’s Ridge Block 10 Barossa Valley Shiraz 2011
Here’s a red that also hits our bull’s eye: a rich, soft Barossa Shiraz with lovely sweet fruit and surprising polish (not Polish). Typical of this vintage, the wine has more elegance than most of the macho Barossa Shiraz brigade. The sweet fruit suggests some Grenache in this, but it doesn’t say, nor does it say who made it. Who cares? No one will complain about this at your next BBQ. On second thoughts, I’d only share this with my best mates. 92 points. $10 at Kemenys.
SC Pannell Tempranillo Touriga, abel’s tempest Pinot Noir, Yalumba Old Bush Vine Grenache, Evans & Tate Chardonnay
We shared some interesting wines with family and friends over Christmas and New Year.
Brand’s Laira Coonawarra Chardonnay 2012. This tends to be a straight, clean wine with white peach and honeydew melon characters, and a hint of cashews. Unmistakably Chardy, full-bodied but not blousy, nice, smooth and round in the mouth. 92 points. BUY. $14 at Dan M’s.
Evans and Tate Metricup Road Chardonnay 2012 is another brand owned by McWilliams, and just as clean-cut. Like all 2012s we’ve tasted from Margaret River, it is generous, forward and has a lot of fruit. Faint hints of orange here which you sometimes get in Chardonnay, but well balanced with nice line and length. 93 points. BUY. was 2 for $30 at Vintage Cellars briefly but is now $17.60
Franklin Tate Estates Margaret River Chardonnay 2013 – this is the new label of the Tates, one half of the Evans & Tates who sold out to McWilliams. Another good drinking Chardy, soft and smooth and polished, ready to go despite its relative youth. 3 in a row, and no grapefruit! 91 points. BUY. $12.30 at Dan M’s.
Xanadu Cabernet 2008, St Hallet reds, Jacobs Creek Riesling, Cow Bombie, Mountadam Chardonnay, Sons of Eden Freya
A pretty mixed bunch this time, but never a dull moment. Some terrific Rieslings – Sons of Eden Freya Eden Valley 2012, Claymore Joshua Tree 2013 and Frogmore Creek 2013.
Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 was briefly on special at Kemenys for $25. This is one of the purest expressions you’ll find of the Cabernet variety: fragrant bouquet of dark berries with just a touch of pencil shavings oak, layers of ripe dark berries on the palate with depth and length and real finesse on the finish where mature flavours combine with the finest tannins. Medium bodied. 14%.
This wine won the trophy for best mature red at the recent National Show, and Halliday gives it 96 points. We thought it was a touch too pure and would’ve seen a bit more slate and earth complexity, so we give it 95. $30 at Kemenys. Still a bargain.
Annie’s Lane Riesling 2013. Clare Riesling on the generous side, quite forward and full-flavoured, one for enjoying while you wait for the more austere 2013s to open up. 91 points. BUY. Often on special for $10 but not today. $12 at Jim’s Cellars.
2013 Great Australian Shiraz Challenge winners reviewed – Pepperjack Shiraz 2012, Ingoldby Shiraz 2012
These comps often throw up surprises, and so it was on this occasion
Do the results mean the judges had a bad day? Or do they prove our premise that there’s no relationship between quality and price in Australian wine?
This year’s outright winner of the 2013 VISY Great Australian Shiraz Challenge is Pepperjack Shiraz 2012, a commercial red made by Saltram (part of TWE) that is on regular discount for less than $20. It’s usually a great big steak and eggs Barossa Shiraz, fairly typical of the obvious reds that tend to win at wine shows because they stand out like dogs’ balls. The 2012 is only 14.5% but this line often runs into 15 or more.
Saltram Pepperjack Shiraz 2012 – $17 at Dan M’s
It opened with a lot of promise, a big plum pudding nose and sweet, spicy, slightly porty, dark chocolate fruit on the palate. Quite attractive in a big and forward kind of way. Later on, it came up a bit inky, but the opulence of the fruit kept it in its place. Made for drinking soon. Best Shiraz in Australia? Not on your life but it will please the crowds. 92 points, and it’s a BUY at this price. More >>
Last Horizon Pinot Noir 2012, Mountadam Chardonnay 2012, Murray Street Shiraz 2010, Teusner Shiraz Grenache 2012
A really interesting bunch this week, with some samples from ALDI stirring things up a bit.
Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2012 – $13 at Dan M’s
The label says 2012, the website says 2011. Loved the 2011 (still do) but the 2012 isn’t in the same class – less flavour, less generosity and complexity. It confirms our impression that 2012 wasn’t a great year for savvy in NZ. 87 points. Not Convinced
Mountadam Barossa Chardonnay 2012 – $15 at Winelistaustralia
This is the High Eden Chardy’s little brother, and it’s not that convincing: it doesn’t offer the rich fruit you’d expect from an unoaked Chardy, nor the generosity of body. It’s delicate and shy, and JH says ‘it needs to build complexity with time in bottle.’ He gives it 93, and we can only wonder why. We’re giving it 88 points, and suggest a rethink of the style. Not convinced. More >>