NV Baileys of Glenrowan Founders classic topaque 17%

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Baileys is a winery we detour to when travelling along the Hume Highway from Melbourne. Just out of Glenrowan, the visits I recall have largely been during summer heatwaves where the eucalyptus oil is heady in the air, or during winters when rain is lashing along. In both situations, the winery is a welcome relief.

For sentimental reasons (written about earlier) I have a longstanding affection for the luscious fortifieds and traditionally-styled bold  ferrous reds of Baileys. Harry Tinson’s legacy is respected by talented winemaker and custodian Paul Dahlenberg. So I should like the wine.

nv-baileys-topaque

Topaque is the revised name for the Australian fortified Tokay. Unusually for this young, fortified muscadelle style, the wine is sold in normally sized 750ml bottle (rather than the more common 375ml or 500ml). Its an amber colour, with a khaki rim; malt and digestif biscuit dominate the aromatics, with a touch of sea, seaweed and iodine adding to the intrigue. It is rich and inviting. But that’s where the highlight reel tails away; the palate displays ample but simpler butterscotch characters. While there is no doubting its sweetness, it’s a bit of a letdown after that bouquet, and overall something is missing. There is some rancio from wood aging; there is ample acidity to cut through the sweetness; I’ve struggled here and ultimately concluded that the bottle is a bit stale (a batch or storage issue); as the result does not match other tastings of this wine over the past two months.

It still represents excellent VFM, and many will appreciate this wine more than I did.

Drink now, but this bottle only merits 85 points

2008 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Clos Habert 13%

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From a small appellation opposite Vouvray, this is Chenin Blanc, but not what we are familiar with in Australia. Chris Kissack’s site is a tremendous resource.

Here, Chenin blanc is typically grown in warmer regions; and contributes fairly anonymously in blends where its acidity helps. There are some exceptions (Coriole, Peel Estate, and from New Zealand, Millton) but it’s a slender set of resources. Chenin blanc formerly was a mainstay of Houghton’s White Burgundy (which blossomed with a few years age), and I recall a truly striking 1981 St Leonards botrytis version.

Chidaine has a huge reputation, and I purchased this wine for a bargain price (under $40) a few years ago.

2008-chidaine

This wine is an exceptional experience; lemon to light gold in colour, it presents an exciting, exotic set of aromas and flavours. Quince, pineapple rind, ripe red apple, lime juice, yellow pear and freshly cut grass are all present,  It’s meshed with perhaps 20 g/l residual sugar which is swallowed by the balanced, refreshing acidity. Lastly, that set of flavours hangs around with a honeyed, thick, textured mouthfeel.

A fabulous match with varied cuisine (many Asian dishes,  fish, white meats) this VFM wine will kick goals for many more years.

Drink to 2030, 95 points

Morris Cellar One Classic Liqueur Muscat 17.5%

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It’s been a while; juggling two new casual positions has been wearing; and a few intended posts have fallen victim to photographic mishaps, lost notes and wine faults. Hectot Lannibal will return in October with another Stoney Goose Ridge new release.

In the meantime, here’s a tasting note on a wine that is actually available for purchase!

Morris is a longstanding Rutherglen winery, recently offloaded by Pernod Ricard and acquired by Casella. I strongly hope that David Morris can continue to produce the full-bodied red wines including the memorable Durif, the amazing VFM Shiraz and other specialties, plus the plethora of fortified wines – Aperas (sherry styles) , Topaque (Australian tokay styles), Muscats in a range of calibres (and prices) and a vintage fortified.

“Classic” is the 3rd tier of quality hierarchy employed by most Rutherglen fortified makers; entry level is Rutherglen, then Classic, then Grand; “Rare” is the classification at the summit. These have longer barrel aging (generating more concentration) Finally the wines endure the judgement of peers; the wines are assessed for quality and adherence to style parameters, so the higher classifications tend to be older, richer, more concentrated.

More information about the classification system  is here.

A useful opportunity at the Morris cellar door is to taste through the range side-by side from Classic to Rare, then try to exercise purchase restraint. I seldom escape with  less than one dozen mixed bottles each visit.

Given that Morris makes a quality Classic Muscat at a lower price, the Cellar One Classic Liqueur Muscat is an “alternate” higher priced version (500 ml for $35 with a generous 20% discount for Morris wine club members), what is the story? My judgement is it’s a young wine but made from a blend of “better” vintages, and demonstrates alignment of fruit density with freshness, pointing that “classic” is a worthy, and broad-ranging classification level, not a poor relation.

morris cellar one muscat

It’s a clean bright light amber/khaki colour, with visible legs; as well as the typical raisin aromas and other dried fruits, there are voluminous scents of fresh rose petals and jersey caramel, the fortifying spirit seems neutral allowing these varietal characters to shine. Oak is not directly noticeable in this style, although it contributes to the rancio characters and a grainy, finely woody acidity. In this sweet fortified wine, bright flavours dwell in the mouth, coating all parts persistently while the acidity means the wine retains vibrancy and the imperative for further tastes.

Not meant to be cellared; exposure to this style should lead to a legion of new converts; and merits a merry 91 points.

another Champagne masterclass

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I wrote about a tasting of Champagnes in December 2015, and once again the Bureau du Champagne and Sommeliers Australia hosted another enlightening tasting in late June.

Kate McIntyre MW and Wiremu Andrews led the way, with tulip glasses (not flutes) correctly deployed, and a cunningly selected cross-section of Champagne presented.

Wines were served in brackets of two, with part of the exercise to determine what the underlying themes were. This was impossible for me; my Champagne consumption is limited by budgetary consideration to less than one bottle each month, so familiarity with house style is theoretical (and some house styles are on the move).

Participants were encouraged to concentrate on structural aspects (such as acid profile, phenolics and oak) rather than merely aromatic and flavor descriptions. This required severe concentration, but was rewarding. Given Champagne winemakers have variables such as reserve wines, MLF options, oak maturation, dosage, and time on lees, it’s no surprise that trying to unravel blending decisions and assess outcomes while compensating for confounding effects from glassware and serving temperature is problematic. And in the real world, a further complication exists – food matching, which vastly impacts appreciation.

Too often Champagne is merely used as an introduction to the “serious” wines at a tasting – it warrants much much more attention.

fizz masterclass jun 2016

Bracket 1; same cépage but different houses (Pinot Noir predominant)

  • NV Canard Duchene
  • NV Bollinger

Bracket 2; same house, different cépage (Chardonnay predominant)

  • NV Delamotte Brut
  • NV Delamotte Blanc de Blancs

Bracket 3; Vintage 2006

  • 2006 Moet & Chandon
  • 2006 Mumm

Bracket 4; same house NV vs Vintage

  • NV Pol Roger
  • 2004 Pol Roger

Bracket 5; Rosé , saignée vs red wine addition

  • NV Pommery Rosé (saignée)
  • NV Jacquart Rosé

No worthy notes, but the Delamotte Blanc de blancs was a revelation for me. No poor wines here, but it all depends on what you look for and prefer (elegance vs power; what kind of mouthfeel). I left with renewed appreciation of the blending art of Champagne; constructing a wine from lots of moving parts, and an (expensive) determination to drink more Champagne

Stoney Goose Ridge new release – Hipster’s Reward®

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Hector Lannible, CEO of Stoney Goose Ridge presents the latest wine from this progressive company.

Use it or lose it. 2016 Hipster’s Reward® is another new wine in our world-beating portfolio.  This is an entirely natural, “orange” wine. Except that orange doesn’t do the wine justice, It’s very dark, slightly cloudy and fascinatingly petillant.  Another slam-dunk hole-in-one from Stoney Goose Ridge!

This wine was no accident. One of our winemakers was relieved of his duties for completely understandable but persistent over-indulgence of our company’s numerous fine products. The consequence was that necessary preparations were incomplete, and the orange wine is the result of benign neglect. No additions – machine harvested Palomino, Trebbiano and Gordo on a fruit day, bottled on a flower day. Many companies would dispatch the wine for distillation, but Stoney Goose Ridge is much more alert to commercial potential.  We push the envelope outside the square. For this knockout wine, we stepped up to the plate and kicked a winning goal.

Depending on domestic take-up frenzy, we anticipate significant export potential into the ongoing future time-frame period.

Our orange wine is proudly green- the bottle is recyclable, the label is made from Australian hemp, the seal is natural cork, topped with beeswax..

We’ve snookered the competition, and hit them for six. Although we already know that with our trusted branding, customers will leap at the chance to purchase this collectable, we have an extensive campaign targeted at this key demographic, utilising our social branding network including Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram and numerous other media and apps.

We don’t care about critics except when they blow our trombone, but Hipster’s Reward® has already been blogged about locally by Jane Holliday, Jenson Olivier, Helen Hook, Maxine Ellen, Nic Stork, Cam Madison, Tom White, Gary Welch and Philip Ritchie, and internationally by Janice Robertson, Robin Parkin, and Tom Akton.  Plus lots of chirps and chatter. It’s been described as the ants’ knees and bees’ pants. Need I say more? Stoney Goose Ridge smashes another touchdown, redoubled in spades.

Stoney Goose Ridge continues to support our distribution chain in the usual pioneering way with rebates, merchandising incentives, promotional and volume discounts, POS, BOGOF and so on.

When we hit the bullseye, the dominoes fall like a pack of cards. Game, set and match– checkmate!

2016 Hipster’s Reward® is available now with an RRP of $16.95, and the definitive classic crafted SGR back label is appended below.

  • Not drygrown, no additions, indigenous yeast, au naturel.
  • Unfined, unfiltered, feng shui bottled.
  • Recyclable bottle, natural cork, biodegradable hemp label, beeswax.
  • MSG free, gluten free, GM free, no milk or nut traces.
  • Suitable for vegans. Carbon offset.
  • Drink in modulation.

 

2007 Heggies “242” botrytis Riesling 8.1% (screwcap)

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From the Eden Valley in South Australia, this remarkable wine achieved 242 g/l of residual sugar, hence the “242” on the label.

I have not been a fan of the dry Heggies Riesling, usually finding it a bit clumsy, although bottle age usually helps.

This wine is however, something special.

2007 heggies

It has a deep bright gold colour, and powerful aromatics of apricot, passionfruit and lime. The palate is super-lush, and mouth-filling with some lemon-peel candiness, backed by the ripe apricot marmalade flavours, ripe red apple and dried pear. There is some almond-meal semi-nutty character as well (highly unlikely to be from oak).

This wine is intense, lingering, cleansing and delicious, with the monster botrytis not diminishing varietal character. Complex, and damn fine. Botrytis is generally a nuisance in Australia, and this wine is a lovely expression of care in the vineyard, and the winery successfully transiting into bottle. Age has charmed, not harmed.

Drink to 2025, 94 well-deserved points

Snippets from the cutting room floor

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Here are several wines enjoyed in the last few months that haven’t shown up in this blog – not terribly thematic but  too good  to ignore – no scores, but assume a minimum 94.

NV Krug Rosé Champagne

Confession time again- due to problems with oxidation, and poor VFM, I ceased purchasing rosé champagnes many years ago. A tasting class late last year rekindled my interest in this complex style.

Krug is fully priced, and this wine is available if you have a lazy $500. But it’s fantastic. Apparently 2006 base vintage plus reserves back to 2000. 59% PN, 33% Chardonnay, 8% P Meunier, partial mlf on 2/3 parcels, 7 g/l residual). PN Fermented on skins, uses small oak casks.
Red fruits- strawberry, raspberry, candied glace fruits, and some lemon too; not merely the overt bread/dough/pastry of most Champagne There is some complexing light vanilla (oak) and the palate is a very fine layered, textured style. It is delicate but there is tension and power to spare, and even some tannin. Beautifully constructed, I cannot really imagine a better example of this rosé style, and no rush to drink this.

2002 Salon Cuvee ‘S’ Les Mesnil Champagne  Blanc de blancs

no malo– disgorged early 2014
Brisk, energy, drive! Acidity will propel this for many more years.
As it warmed, the initial reticence uncoiled, showing ripe apple, some slightly browned sugar, cinnamon stick, crystallized lemon, and light yellow honey. The palate had the immaculate pure citric drive plus minerals, and was just astonishingly fine. Length was amazing.  Revisit in at least 5 years for an even better result. But it costs around $750.

2002 Ayala Blanc de blancs
Honey, citrus, some earthy oyster mushroom age characters; high and clean acidity, lots of minerals, energetic.
From an excellent year, but not a producer I’m familiar with; this was all class, and one to watch for.

2000 Mt Mary Triolet 13%
Vineyard plantings are 75% Sav blanc; 20% Semillon, 5% muscadelle
Mainly old oak, for around 11 months, lees stirring etc. $42.50 on release
Bright clear yellow colour; toast, honey; abundant fresh lemon, and some “juicy fruit” tones.
Grapefruit on palate, fresh, long, delicious – A super Yarra Valley wine that improved over a few hours before fading

2005 Mt Mary Triolet, diam cork
Sauvignon blanc, Semillon and a dash of muscadelle, this Yarra wine has proven cellaring ability.
Lemon colour, and amazingly fresh; passionfruit, gooseberry, tropicals; plus grapefruit and some spiciness from oak. Hard to describe, but has fruit freshness, oak and some honeyed aged complexity. At a lovely stage which should hold for at least another five years. Outstanding. Fruit drive, zippiness and complexity.

2007 Nigl “privat” Riesling 13.5%, screwcap!
From Kremstal in Austria.

Still pale in colour- with a mystery floral bouquet of green apple, nettle, lime. It’s ferociously acidic, yet balanced on the youthful layered palate; there is some grip, and waves of dense zesty refreshment, and nervousness. Complex grass, green and red berry flavours. Unmasked, its identity makes sense, but impossible -blind- to identify this with certainty as Riesling – it’s a high acid yet high alcohol white, quite unlike Australia, Germany or Alsace.  Very highly recommended; prospects are excellent for another 20 years.

2004 Crawford River Riesling , screwcap (Henty, Victoria)

Outstanding. A pull of lime but the undertow of acid pulls us back to Victoria.  Great length, minerals and a compulsion for “more!”. Another 20 years of superb drinking in prospect. Battles with Seppelt Drumborg as Australia’s most consistent outstanding Riesling producer. There are flashes from Tasmania sometimes, from Great Southern sometimes, Canberra sometimes, and the Peter Lehmann Wigan.

2009 Hardy (Eileen Hardy) chardonnay 13%, screwcap
Outstanding. Fruit from Tasmania.
Still a pale lemon colour, it exudes ripe nectarine, lemon peel and a touch of smoke. The palate is rich, alive with stony flinty characters, with a background of classy lightly nutty oak. The fruit flavours are stonefruit – white peach plus some grapefruit. With its abundant natural Tassie acidity, this wine has years of drinking enjoyment ahead.

2004 Seppelt St Peters Shiraz (screwcap)
Outstanding wine. Its a dense dark ruby colour, so fragrant and layered; pepper, dark cherry, blackberry, raspberry.
There is fine-grained tannin on the fleshy, voluptuous palate, and more dark fruits while the finish lingers, and continues. Concentrated without being ridiculous. This Grampians wine is drinking brilliantly, and should maintain this form for another ten years – conservatively. Easy gold medal. Irresistible, and a lesson in balance,

 

Plus some chardonnays tasted blind in a line-up of 20. Instant gold medal scores to

  • 2013 Oakridge 864 F&D (Yarra Valley)
  • 2014 Vasse Felix Heytesbury (Margaret River)
  • 2014 Penfolds 14a (Adelaide Hills)

They sell for about $60 per bottle, but vividly demonstrate the beauty of modern Australian Chardonnay across 3 different States, and provide wonderful complex drinking now and over at least the next five years.

Seppelt Port siblings

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Seppelt Commemoration Port (Oscar Benno Seppelt) 20%

Blended from selected reserves of – Barossa – Para liqueur 1933 to 1980.

Commemorating the 100th anniversary of OBS’s birth in 1873, this is one of the series (there was a large family) and I gather this bottle was released around 1990, as a “premium” release. Internet searches have not been illuminating!

It was unusually sealed with a normal cork (not a stopper) and has thrown a very heavy crust. It’s a recent auction purchase. After bottling, this tawny style will change very little, but certainly needs aeration after its extended time in bottle, and a very careful decant.

In the Seppelt Para house vein, the colour is a brilliant glowing amber with a khaki rim. Myriad flavours; coffee bean, vanilla bean, nuts (more almond than walnut, but both are present).

nv seppelt ob

It seems relatively dry, a marvel of blending old material with fresher wines “selected by the directors”; savoury and delectable on a gloomy winter night. The inherent acidity makes another taste inevitable.

Drink now (but will not collapse); 90 points as a drink, more if history is valued.

 

Seppelt Commemoration Port (Leo Renato Seppelt) 21.5%

Blended from Para liqueur port vintages 1933 to 1972.

Not unexpectedly, there is little difference in colour, aromatics and flavours. This wine tastes slightly “brighter” with its fruit profile displaying some citrus peel nuances as well as those mentioned above, and perhaps the weightier mouthfeel of the marginally higher alcohol -but we are well into the realm of variation between individual bottles

This wine nudges up to a score of 92 points, with the key word “yum”.

 

Now we are six (months into 2016)

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Six months into 2016 and it’s time to update the cork taint hall of shame – 8.4% so far  this year, and the offending wines are listed.

As usual, these are wines I have opened, from my own cellar, and do not include wines I’ve assessed as too old, so the appalling headline number is understated. The following wines provided zero drinking pleasure.

  • 2000 Grongnet Special club champagne- corked – credited by the importer
  • 2002 Guy Castagnier clos st denis -corked- replaced by importer with 2011 Pierre Amiot Gevrey Chambertin les combottes 1er
  • 1987 Moss Wood special reserve cab sav – corked – replaced by winery with 2013 Moss Wood Cab Sav
  • 2007 Dirler Riesling Kessler heisse wanne – oxidised
  • 1997 Louis Sipp GWT Osterberg -oxidised
  • 1998 Zind-humbrecht Pinot Gris clos Windsbuhl – corked
  • 2007 Dirler Riesling Kessler sgn- corked
  • 2003 Huet Le Mont demi-sec – oxidized

Alsace continues with its dreadful record of corks interfering with enjoyment of wines.

And worryingly, the few replacements I’ve obtained disappointingly do not provide fair compensation for carefully cellared wines from well-regarded vintages. Certainly a replacement is better than nothing, but the replacements were not of similar calibre to the discarded wines.

2001 Zind-humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal SGN 12%

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Is 15 years too old for an Alsace SGN?

Thankfully the cork had not influenced the wine.

According to the Hugel vintage chart, 2001 in Alsace was special for late-harvest Pinot Gris.

For once, the usual informative vintage and wine notes from Zind-humbrecht (from a Coe Vintner’s site) have been truncated, so I’m missing some background. I understand that the site Clos Jebsal is particularly favourable for late-harvest and botrytis styles – and this wine contains 168 g/l of residual sugar.

2001 zh pg sgn

The wine’s colour is amber with some copper tints.

The bouquet exudes freshness, tropical fruits, glace fruits, marmalade, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean. The palate is yellow peach, nectarine and  and mandarine. It’s viscous, textured, balanced, and ripples with vitality. The complexity of the bouquet and palate really sets this wine up as special.

97 points, drink to 2025.