Just me drinking a GSM and wishing my Friends out there a great and above all else a safe Xmas.
Just me drinking a GSM and wishing my Friends out there a great and above all else a safe Xmas.
I have just had the pleasure of finishing the book entitled “Unearthing – a social media journey through the history of the Dead Reds wine group”. The pleasure was in the reading not in the finishing. Until quite recently, I have been watching the Dead Reds group and their activities through social media from a distance. As the Lonely Grape blog and now the Taste McLaren Vale web sites have been my musings – with using social media as a way of getting known into that big world out there, I thought this was going to be an interesting read.
Interesting it was as the book outlines the use of social media standards of Twitter and Facebook to get conversations going about the group and thus interest being raised in their functions. What i was not expecting was outlining the use of Skype to have a social event compared in Adelaide by somebody in Darwin. Spreading the word about their cause was also conducted by a number of bloggers – the same as I am doing here.
The charm of the book really lies in the mastery that is Charlie – Helen Robinson who has the ability to turn all these social media efforts into a number of gatherings where like minded people get together. She shows that just having a Facebook account and a Twitter account with blogs etc, does not mean that people will break down your door to be involved with or purchase your product. No, it is more about the conversations and how you engage people. This simple yet key element makes all the difference – the difference between just another Facebook page, as Charlie says “to have the ability to fill a room”.
I take my hat off to Charlie, she has a spark that has taken a social media experiment to a working group of people that not only gets together on a semi regular basis but also raises money for charity.
The book is for sale for $35 and message me if you are interested in a copy and I will direct you to Charlie.
Brick Kiln was established in 2001 when Alison and Malcolm left Fox Creek Wines and joined a partnership with fellow Adelaide people and some Canadians to form the Nine Gums Vineyard Partnership. The vision of the partnership is to make a wine to the same level of the Fox Creek Reserve at an affordable price. The eight hectare vineyard in Willunga has Shiraz planted progressively since 1996 (by previous owners).
Their cellar door has only recently been opened in the Red Poles Restaurant and Art Gallery on McMurtrie Road, McLaren Vale. The wines are available for tasting from 12 noon to 4 pm Wednesday to Sunday each week.
On the 7th January 2012 Brick Kiln are having a special tasting between 5 and 7 pm – with special guests, wines and maybe some music as well. I may even see you there!
2011 Pinot Grigio ($A16)
Made from grapes from the Sabella Vineyard near the Red Poles cellar door facility and was made by Linda Domas who does her thing at both the Dennis Wines and Parri Estate facilities. I have tasted the Sabella made Pinot Grigio as well as having tried Linda’s offerings over the last couple of years. So I was looking forward to this wine. What I got was a suitable offering that had aromas of grapefruit and lime zest that went to flavours of pear with citrus inspired acid. The mid palate was particularly good. I can see many people enjoying this crisp seafood wine or maybe just on it’s own, but I am still struggling to see what has people excited by this variety.
2011 Shiraz Rose ($A16)
Another Linda Domas offering and made by fruit from the 9 Gums Vineyard. It is all that one expects from a Shiraz rose. The typical red fruit and almost creamy aromas followed by a clean refreshing palate of red fruits, with some extra body from the Shiraz fruit. Not sweet but not fully dry either so it should appeal to many people, particularly during the hot days of summer.
2009 Sparkling Shiraz ($A18)
One of my favorite wine styles when done well so I was looking forward to tasting this offering from the 9 Gums Vineyard. The beginnings were looking good, with aromas of blackberry, dark and ripe plums with oak derived elements. The flavours were unfortunately a little one dimensional as it was only about the plums. The tannins were almost non-existent which lead to the wine being quite short – in other words the flavours just stopped very quickly when you drink the wine. I am probably spoilt by such wines as the 2006 Thope Sparkling Shiraz, but give me a bottle of this any day.
2008 Shiraz ($A20)
The wine was made by Phil Christiansen who is making quite a name for himself making small volume wines for many labels in McLaren Vale. Matured in 65% American oak with the remainder in French oak. The aromas started a little stinky even barn yardy with the coconut one expects from the American oak and the plum you expect from McLaren Vale Shiraz. The tannins are smooth to make what is a good effort from what was a difficult year.
2008 The Grove Shiraz ($A35)
All the best fruit of the 9 Gums Vineyard was saved for the best French oak. I thought the aromas were somewhat short but the flavour profile was a different thing all together. The flavours were an integration of dark plum fruits, good acid levels and smooth soft tannins that provide you with a structured trinity of flavour. I suspect this wine will improve over the next couple of years.
I was first introduced to Inkwell with the Vale Cru wine tasting at the Victory Hotel a couple of years ago and I was hooked straight away. There is a sense of interest that there is a grape grower and winemaker who was born in America, California to be exact and now has a property on California Road. The vineyard also has some Zinfandel which is the workhorse grape of California. Anyway that is enough about places other than the wonder that is McLaren Vale.
The vineyard in question sits between McLaren Vale and Willunga and has a number of soil types with ironstone clays imparting a minerallity to the final product. The vineyard has had Shiraz, Zinfandel and Viognier. I found out today that some of the vines have been grafted with Grenache, Mourvedre and Cabernet. I look forward to how these new additions will come along over the next few years.
This blog is written after a wine tasting showing all the wines produced by Inkwell at the home of the winemaker (Dudley) on 27th November 2011. This was a wonderful event that was enjoyed by about 10 hard core Inkwell Wines fans.
Inkwell Tasting
Anyway, I should discuss the wines…..
2009 Viognier
This wine is starting to show it’s age with toasty aromas starting to overtake the fruit character. There is some apricot kernel and slight honeysuckle also on the nose. The fruit of apricots is fading but there is a good acid structure here.
2010 Viognier
this is just sensational and showing that the Viognier from the vineyard can age gracefully. There are aroma elements of honey, apricot that lifts right out of the glass. The flavors show the hint of apricot and other stone fruits that is expected but there is a mouthfeel one does not expect from a white wine. This was my favorite white wine from the Inkwell stable.
2011 Viognier
A fraction of the wine was barrel fermented and some Sauvignon added. This variety shows an oiliness and that was apparent here – more than the others. I get the apricot kernel here but there is floral notes as well. The flavors shoes the same elements as the aromas with a textural element that was not seen before. In saying that though there was something I just did not enjoy about this wine.
2004 Shiraz
the word for this wine is course- the tannin and fruit structure are both course. There is pepper, vanilla (from the American Oak) and black fruits. This wine is probably at it’s best, however given a choice I would give this one a pass.
2005 Wild Thing Shiraz
Hold the phone – this wine was different from second one. The difference was between 10 and 15% of Grenache (sourced from an adjacent vineyard). Boy what a different this Grenache makes! The aromas were dominated by by the redness of Grenache but the structure of Shiraz. There is spice and a sense of nuts from the oak treatment. I admit I was hooked on this wine from the first smell. I went back to the wine after tasting all the rest to see if the intrigue was still there – and it was.
Inkwell Reds
2005 Shiraz
The theme for this vintage was vanillin oak with dark satsuma plums wrapped around the roadway gravel. The subtlety here is that the tannins are much finer than with the previous reds. The vines showing some their journey as they get a little older.
2006 Rebel Rebel Shiraz
Here we move directly into the darkness of the plum with the flavors of soft licorice. The American oak influences are less obvious here and the soft tannins continue here. This is classy and was considered by many at the tasting as the wine of the lineup.
2007 Shiraz
Here was the first wine that I tasted from the Inkwell stable and it is my favorite straight Shiraz. The glass is just full of lifted satsuma plums, soft licorice and fruit sweetness with those fine tannins here in abundance. It still has a life ahead of it but really good drinking now. Structure, structure and more structure with that deep minerallity on show.
More Inkwell Reds
2008 Shiraz
Picked on the night that the oppressive heat wave of the vintage started and their timing was impeccable. Pepper abounds in the sweet fruitiness of the dark almost black plum and blackberry. Chocolate is lingering around the glass and the mouth. The tannins are here to the point that m teeth were furry and my palate dried off. Still needs some time in the bottle to see it’s best.
2010 Shiraz
Yet to be released as the wine has not been considered to be right for the market as yet. The aromas and flavors were a little clumsy but one can see quality fruit here – some fruit sweetness combined with good French and American oak influences. I agree not ready now but I am looking forward to when it is.
2010 Deeper Well Shiraz
Now this is interesting. Dudley has always had problems with releasing wine earlier that he would like for optimum wine quality but not early enough for cash flow. So the 2010 vintage provided the opportunity to take the best 2 barrels wine and bottle them separate with the intention of cellaring for release 5 years after the vintage. This wine is certainly different from the above wine. Here was floral notes (particularly violets) and very distinct dark plum on the nose. I got raspberries with the expected plums and chewy but fine tannin structure. These tannins have a quite drying effect on the finish. I expect this will be a beauty in 2015.
2010 Inkling
The Inkling is an experiment to produce a lighter red style so this is a blend of Shiraz (with a couple of buckets of Viognier added) and about 15% Zinfandel added. The introduction of the Zinfandel has made such a difference with fresh red berries mainly cherry and cherry ripe (with the influence of American oak providing the coconut influence). I could also see this wine being slightly chilled. I watch this wine with interest.
2009 Primitivo
I have not had many Zinfandel based wines so this was of interest. And interesting it was. In 2009 most of the grapes were fried with the heat and were of no interest to process. A small section of the vineyard was found with suitable tasting grapes even though the vines had shut down and the grapes were not maturing ant further. A last minute decision was made to pick these grapes as they “tasted OK”. The resultant wine can be best described as drinking strawberry and blackberry jam with a creamy finish – talk about different. I can see this wine appealing to many but also not appealing to others. Why not give it a try and let me know what you think.
2010 Primitivo
In my journey of Zinfandel wines this could not be more different. The wine is like drinking a red wine but tasting a jammy malt, chocolate milk drink (like Milo for the Aussie readers). This wine has seen only American oak and there is tannin structure here but I have never tasted such a profile. It was so interesting I was offered an open bottle to take home with me to try I did so with the same results so my tasking experience was consistent. For those that know me can attest
The first thing you notice is this interesting vineyard as part of suburbia. This fully organic certified vineyard and winery is settled amongst the housing estates of Onkaparinga Hills and Hackham. One certainly does not expect a vineyard in this location.
Grancari Estate Vineyard
To my knowledge they are one of only two fully certified organic growers and wineries in McLaren Vale. Many others are in the certification regime but have not been fully certified as yet.
The owners Rino and Gretta bought the property after the 2008 Ash Wednesday bush fires and have set about enjoying one of their hobbies being growing and making wine. They have progressed this hobby to have their own processing facility and now a small scale bottling unit so they can be the masters of their own work. So much for a hobby with a reasonable vineyard holding of both Shiraz and Grenache vines, a storage shed and a winery that acts as a barrel store and an overflow for their bottled wine storage.
Grancari Estate Winery Equipment
The property had 6 acres of neglected Grenache vines and since they have had the property they have built their home and added 2 lots of Shiraz vines for a total of 6 acres of Shiraz. A 12 acre lot would be considered a full time allotment for many people. There is even a row of pine trees around the outside of their property partly to ensure there is no over spray of chemicals from the surrounding properties.
Grancari Estate Barrel Store
From this lot they produce between 50 and 60 tonnes of quality fruit, of which some is sold and the remainder is made into wine. At this stage their philosophy will be to make enough in the coming vintage to match what they have sold from the previous vintage.
And now their wines……..
2011Cheeky Wombat Rose
Not a lot of aromas here, even as the wine started to warm in the glass. Lots of the red fruits one would expect from Grenache. Lots of raspberries and an interesting mouthfeel that seems to be like a creamy texture. I was expecting the wine to be reasonably sweet, and I was wrong (not for the first time) as the wine was off dry. A pleasant drop that should be drunk young and cold on a summers day.
2010 Sparkling Grenache
Now I was excited – a Sparkling Red made from my favorite grape, Grenache. I will admit I have never had a sparkling Grenache before. I will admit my mouth was salivating directly before trying this wine. I was not sure about it directly as the wine was a little dumb. The carbon dioxide of the bubbles as the wine was opened masked any character of the wine. My faith was quickly restored as the glass started to show the typical red fruits from Grenache plus the earthiness that is typical of sparkling red. The palate not only showed the red fruits, but also some clean tannins (indicating good use of oak in the base wine). I think I have found another sparkling red for this Christmas.
2009 Old Vine Grenache
What interesting aromas – I got a little fairy floss and pork fat to start with and then over time the Grenache redness came through in spades. The wine also needed time to get the best from the flavors – please give the wine this time or use an aerator to move it along. in this case time provided one with a fruit profile that has red and black fruit and has hints of spices and I am so glad that the wood takes a back room view to allow this fruit to do it’s thing. At 16% alcohol the wine is not shy but there is lots of fruit here so the relatively high alcohol does not cause bitterness. I had this with a variety of Thai dishes and I thoroughly enjoyed both.
Grancari Estate Vineyard
2008 Shiraz
Very aromatic that needs time to open up for it’s best. Powerful dark fruit aromas with some interesting sweetness, which probably comes from American oak. There is oak and spice mix here but the aromas are dominated by fruit. Power continues in the flavor profiles and mainly fruit power. The acid and tannins are soft and interestingly only a little spice. The ripe fruit from the heat of the 2008 vintage takes over. this wine showed it’s best when it was opened and left to breathe for over an hour – do yourself a favor and give this wine time.
2009 Shiraz
From the same vineyard as the above wine and so different – showing what variation different vintages can have on the final product. This wine has class and is more restrained and elegant than the 2008 version. The aromas show essence of Shiraz with some licorice oak hints. The flavors are plums seeped in chocolate, licorice, cardamon, cinnamon with a restrained oak presence. Needless to say that I like this wine!
2009 Low Preservative Shiraz
I have had a few low preservative wines before and I have not always enjoyed them. I was not sure what I was going to find with this one. I was so surprised! This wine has lots of character – more than I was expecting. Lots of dark fresh fruit aromas and quite a dark mixture of flavors. Depth of the Shiraz plum with some oak – that was the difference. Normally low or no preservative wines have no oak maturation (as wine may have problems with spoilage without this preservative). I also got some Mocha and a spice mixture. If you have issues with the preservative in red wine, but you like a full bodied red then this is one wine you should check out.