This post is a mix of wines tasted in different settings, with many of the wines chosen by others. It’s good to mix things up a bit, in tastings and on the website. Let’s start with a line-up of Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillons at Andrew’s fine book club, 2002 – 2006.
Andrew wins these wines at golf tournaments, and generously shares them with his friends. For me, the take-away here was how unique this style is, and how consistent these wines are. Problem is that they take a long time to deliver the buttered toast and honey we love. The 2002 was showing the first signs, but even it needs another 5-8 years. Second problem is the price – about $60 these days. Most of us agreed we wouldn’t pay that much for these wines.
For something completely different, we checked out a range of Tempranillos, all served blind. I have to say that I’m not a big fan of this variety on its own, Spanish or Aussie. It’s best blended with some Shiraz, Garnacha and Mataro I suspect.
Taylors
A set of samples donated by a friend in the trade provided a chance to reassess prejudices: I’d given up on these well-priced wines from the Clare Valley some years ago, because the basic reds were fruit bombs, and the more expensive labels (Jaraman and St Andrews) had been worked too hard with extracted fruit and coconut American oak.
The Shiraz 2012 instantly reaffirmed my opinion of Taylors basic reds as fruit bombs. It’s a red that would be more at home in a jam session. Sorry, Jazz lovers. This is a 2012, just over a year old, and it’s already falling out of it corset. Not impressed, please avoid unless you enjoy that kind of thing.
The Merlot 2012 was next, and I thought it would be more jammy given Merlot’s penchant for plummy, ripe fruit. I was wrong, this was quite a different wine showing more restraint and much better balance. Enjoyable, in fact, and it continued that way for several days while the Shiraz simply fell apart.
The Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 was OK too, showing good balance of cassis fruit and fine acid, and good length, but really lacking the depth to go with it. Not bad for the money ($11 – see below)
Taylors has a new range under a semi-transparent label called TWP (Taylors Winemaker’s Project). Is this some kind of additional homework imposed on winemakers by management ? Or marketing? Anyhow, we’re back in fruit bomb territory, only the fruit is a bit more polished and more diverse – this is a Bordeaux blend. The 2010 turns out to be a $30 wine, with this label most likely meant to fill the gap between the Jaraman and St. Andrews ranges. Not worth anywhere near that money.
The Chardonnay 2012 is a surprise, better than expected, but the oak is doing most of the work here. The Clare does not produce Chardonnay of great renown, in any hands. This is about as good as it gets if you don’t mind a bit of oak – well integrated in this wine. Got better over a week in the fridge.
The Riesling 2012 is the pick of this range, and a top notch Clare Riesling. Not as much fruit as some 2012s, more restraint here, and lime fruit and wet stone minerals, great length, and fresh, zippy acid to support it all. Serious value. With exception of the TWP, these wines are just over $11 at Dan M’s
A Leasingham Bin 7 Clare Valley Riesling 2012 was more fruity, almost Germanic in its soft fragrance, we thought. A lovely wine for drinking earlier than other 2012 Rieslings, which is probably why it has won so many gongs. But there’s lots of finesse too for $17 at MyCellars.
The Pewsey Vale Riesling 2013 reinforces our view that 2013 is up there with 2012, again showing a touch more restraint on the fruit but much the same depth and length and fine acidity. $15 at Kemenys.
The Dragonfly range is made by Willow Bridge Estate in the Ferguson Valley near Bunbury, W.A. (in what is known as the Geographe Region). The Dragonfly Chenin Blanc 2012 confirms our impression that our winemakers really have no idea what to do with this variety, which produces such great wines along the Loire. Our versions tend to be non-descript fruit salad styles with a suspicion of sweetness, and so it proves once more.
The Dragonfly Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2013 offers a load of cut grass and lemon acid but not a lot else. Yes, it’s very young and may fill out but I don’t think it’ll ever make a good SSB.
The Chardonnay 2012 is a better bet and fair drinking for $12.50 at Tony’s Cellars – these wines aren’t that easy to find. The reds are better bets, I feel, the Shiraz 2012 a nice, fruity, cool climate number (isn’t Shiraz from over West underrated?). The 2011 gets 94 points from JH, and is available from Wine Selectors for $14.
The Cabernet Merlot 2012 is pretty smart and elegant, with a touch of that leafy character Merlot shows when it’s not too ripe. This wine might’ve been better with a touch more ripeness, in fact. $14 at Dan M’s.
The Woodlands Cabernet Merlot 2011 was a disappointment. This is a great year for Cab Merlot in Margaret River, and I had my hopes up after the slight letdown of the 2010 – the 2009 punched above its weight – it’s a better wine, very classy. The 2011 has too much ripe fruit and lacks the restraint to hold it in place, and the length, and acid and tannin – a real letdown for $22 at Dan’s.
And now for the piece de resistence: a HUIA Marborough Gewurztraminer 2008 (yes, I lost the bottle). Simply heaven with pork fillet in a mustard/green pepper/sour cream sauce. It was a big wine that displayed riches that are beyond most whites, from exotic fruits to hair-oil – all without exaggerating anything, and without the hard edge that this variety sometimes shows.