canberra

Two countries, and less familiar fortifieds

~ Richard ~ Leave a comment

2013 Clonakilla Vintage (fortified) 18%
Canberra district, Shiraz

One of the curio Clonakilla small batch releases – I never knew this one existed, until I found it at auction recently. No surprise that it quality all through; good fruit and very well made.

Blackberry, very clean spirit and designed for balance not brute force; seductive chalky/ talcy tannins; palate has red fruits veering into black; not a blockbusting tannic monster; yet with the authority and gravitas of super-ripe shiraz with clever skilful spirit.

So its relatively soft but a delight; but maybe more in an LBVP style. I see a long holding pattern but no real improvement.

Drink to 2032, 91 points.

2001 Taylors quinta Vargellas Vintage Port 20.5%
A vintage port from a single site in Portugal, from a (generally) undeclared year. These can be terrific bargains.

Very crumbly cork (alas) and plentiful sediment when filtered (albeit no drama). Deep ruby colour, with some bricking. There’s the appropriate complex Portuguese mix of red, dark and more here, especially blueberry plus some dried green herbs too. Spirit is mellow, integrated and the wine is approachable. Palate is relatively soft, savoury and simpler than expected; dark cherries and blueberry (some of my weaknesses) with sweet spices. Easy, pleasurable drinking, and no need to wait – its on a holding pattern and I cannot see improvement ahead. But VFM and fun even though I purchased it many years ago.

Drink to 2030, 91 points

Two Oz rarities

~ Richard ~ Leave a comment

2011 Clonakilla Riesling Auslese 10%
Canberra District, screwcap (half bottle)

Light gold colour, apple, baked apple, sweet spice, stonefruits. Still fresh, with a viscous, honeyed, textured palate, peach, dash of apricot, limes, and persistence. Clonakilla’s Rieslings (from winemaker Tim Kirk) are under-appreciated, and this sweet wine (from a very wet year) surely has some complexing botrytis.  I previously reviewed this wine in 2019, and it has surpassed my expected lifespan; albeit the descriptors and score are pretty similar. Very smart, and supports a recommendation to seek out the unusual small-batch releases from Clonakilla.

Drink to 2031, 93 points

1998 Gehrig Vintage Port 18.1%
Rutherglen

Good, cork, lots of sediment; developed colour but decent for age. Not the first Rutherglen producer that comes to mind for the style, but spices, chocolate and mocha, sweet fruit (100% Shiraz) and sweet brandy spirit with some dried fruits (orange peel) in the mix. Luxurious and a little alcohol heat forgiven with the fruit concentration, as everything was in a delicious drinking window.

Drink to 2033, and 92 points.

2011 Clonakilla Riesling Auslese 10%

~ Richard ~ Leave a comment

Canberra district, screwcap, half-bottle.2011 clonakilla riesling auslese

From a “small batch release”, perhaps I had some spare cash then, and invested in a few bottles from this notoriously wet year in most of Australia (white wines fared better than red wines).

Clonakilla is famed for its Shiraz-Viognier red wine, but its Rieslings are convincing too (as are those from nearby Helms’s). But a late-harvest Riesling from Clonakilla is a rarity. And a fair amount of botrytis is suspected.

The wine is a light-to-medium gold colour, showing lime florals, white flowers, and some less overt ripe apricot and mango; the quite viscous – and sweet- palate is beautifully fresh and balanced, lime juice and spice notes finish with a cleansing citric twang to add interest to its hedonism. This dessert wine absolutely cries out for a fresh fruit platter.

Plenty of life; drink to 2025 and 93 points.