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Tag Archives: Chardonnay

McLaren Vale Wine – Foggo Wines Part 1

Saturday, 04 August 2012 23:09
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Foggo Wines Cellar Door

One of the joys of the large number of cellar doors in McLaren Vale is the unearthing of the different or unusual.  Some small makers differentiate themselves by small scale winemaking techniques or different varieties.  In this case Herb and Sandie have their own patch of McLaren Vale where they are fiercely determined to do things their own way.  From old vines that are dry grown (others would irrigate) to fermenting in oak where the barrels are turned on their side with the top knocked out.  When fermenting is over the tops are returned and the barrel is then used.  The main point of difference is the age on the wines – the wines are kept and aged at the winery until Herb believes the wine is ready.  They do the cellaring for us.  I am sure their accountant does not like this but I believe they do not care.

Anyway we should talk about the wines…..

2005 Wooded Chardonnay ($25)
Straight away I was concerned about a 2005 Chardy – I was initially thinking that they could not sell the wine and that was the current vintage available.  Then I found out that the wine spent 5 years in oak and the oak varied from 5 years old up to new oak – now I was concerned that I was going to taste a wine that was so full of oak that I was going to be drinking splinters.  Well I was wrong on both counts.  The wine was held back and released when the winemaker considered it was the correct time plus the wine was so much more about balance than I was expecting!  The aromas were a complex mix of peach stone as well as the peach fruit and an interesting whiff of pear.  The flavors started with peaches and some underlying cream that helped provide an interesting mouthfeel to the wine.  The finish had an acid zing so it was not flabby at all.  The overall view was the wine was not over oaked.  This is unashamedly a complex wine that is desperately in need to food when drunk – and it should not be disappointed.

N/V Sparkling Grenache ($18)

I was so interested in this wine and was met with something different again.  The wine is made in a Rose style from 1920 planted vines.  At this price the wine is made in the Charmat method – but this is of no concern.  The aromas were dominated by glaciated cherries, raspberries and chocolate covered lollies – how different.  There is some age flavors apparent that added to the complexity of the red fruits, the light oak touch and the dry finish.  Very interesting use of the Grenache grape.  Again a food wine but would also be suitable as the Sunday session tipple.

2006 Old Bush Vine Grenache ($30)

There is an emphasis on the dry grown old vine grapes here and not the least showing up as 15.8% alcohol.  This alcohol is not apparent in either the aromas or flavors so there is plenty of both to pull this off.  The wine shows cherries and raspberries with nice oak influence plus interesting florals into a complex mix.  The age is evident with the wine and I expect that the wine needs to be drunk now.
2007 Old Vine Shiraz ($30)The wine is made from the grapes from 96 year old vines that were dry grown.  Here is the concentration you expect from such a pedigree and the glass is full of plums, blackberry, pepper and hidden in the depth of that glass is hints of smoke.  The age on the wine is just right and perfect to drink now with big slabs of beef.

Wild Thing Shiraz Cleanskin ($15)

A younger wine and it shows with lifted black fruits and an cardamon aromas with the clean fruits of blackberry and dark cherry.  This is a cellar door popular champion.

Foggo Wines Red Dodge

2006 Red Dodge Shiraz ($35)

Named after the red Dodge Barrel truck that sits outside the front of the cellar door when not in use.  This red is made in a contrasting style to the Old Vine Shiraz where American oak is used.  One can pick the sweet American oak influence on the aromas and flavors.  The wine has a level of freshness I was not expecting from a 6 year old wine.  There is berries and more berries with an interesting floral finish.  Worth checking out to compare between American and French oak influenced wines.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($30)

This 100% Cabernet was open fermented in stainless steel, foot tread and then cold soaked in French oak.  The aromas showed herb characters with blackcurrent and dark chocolate.  The grapes for this were definitely as there was no green capsicum tones.  The flavours were black orientated – blackberry and chocolate with cedar based tannins.

2005 Hebertus Reserve Shiraz ($50)

Made from the fruits from 75 and 97 year old vines and the wine was aged in 4 year old French oak this wine has the aromas of plum and dark chocolate one expects from good McLaren Vale Shiraz.  The flavours were exactly the same as for the aromas that just showed a seamless experience for the consumer.

N/V Myriah Sparkling Shiraz ($35)

This is the wine that just brings me back again and again – a non vintage bottle fermented Shiraz.  The aromas show a fruit depth but is moves over for for the layers of chocolate and a myriad of spices.    there is a velvety mouthfeel that gives up the flavours of the plum and pepper of the Shiraz and the licorice of the blended aged material.  Bring on a serving of roast turkey with cranberry sauce and pleas leave the bottle.

Next week check out my review of Foggo Wines sweet wines.

McLaren Vale Wine – Wirra Wirra (White Wines and Sweet Wines)

Sunday, 22 July 2012 22:36
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Greg Trott had a vision – one part of the vision is now shown in the Wirra Wirra legacy (Greg is now deceased) and the other was for his beloved McLaren Vale.  His views can be summarised in the below inscription.

Greg Trott Inscription

This week I will review the White Wines and the Sweet Wines.  Next week I will review the red wines and the cellar door in general.

2011 Scrubby Rise Sauvignon Blanc Semillon and Viognier ($15)

Interestingly the Semillon was dominate here, both with the aromas and the flavours. So this wine is all about the grassiness and hay with just a hint of the tropical fruits that warmer climate Sauvignon can bring. Not the most complex of wines, but this is not what the Scrubby Rise range is for – this is a drink now on a sunny Sunday afternoon with friends.

2011 Scrubby Rise Unwooded Chardonnay ($15)

A short lived wine that just does not give you a sense of wanting to come back for more. For me I am not enjoying the unwooded Chardonnay movement – give me a little Chardy oak every time!

2011 Hiding Champion Sauvignon Blanc ($22)

From the Adelaide Hills and is definitely a step up. There are green passionfruit and grassy aromas with a finish of wet hay. The flavours are typical with all the passionfruit and grass finish. There is an interesting melon character on the mid palate which makes me think there is a little Chardonnay added.

2012 The Last Watch Riesling ($20)

An Adelaide Hills offering that shows florals (mainly honeysuckle) and the acidity of green apples on the nose. Flavours show a little residual sugar with florals and lingering citrus acids. This wine is a lot softer than the Clare Valley Rieslings that I am enjoying at the moment and I suspect many people will enjoy it.

2008 The Last Watch Riesling ($20)

Great to see a winery keeping some Riesling back for a few years and actually having it for tasting so many people can experience the difference a few years can make to this classic white wine. The nose I’d dominated with lime rind aromas. The flavours show he slight kerosine, developed citrus peel on the mid palate with a pleasant finish of lemon rind. This is a good example of a slightly aged wine and will not appeal to all – but it does to me.

2011 The 12th Man Chardonnay ($31.50)

Made from Adelaide Hills fruit and yes, there is oak involved. The aromas were based around clean melon and cedar oak balances all wrapped up in an interesting bacon fat sensation. The oak is not overpowering on the rest of the flavours. The acid levels are excellent and the whole deal just lingers for so long. Yes folks this wine is so much better for the oak treatment.

2011 Mrs Wigley Grenache Rose ($18)

The fairy floss aroma made me think this wine was just going to be about the sugar. How wrong I was. The flavours showed some bitterness but this actually added complexity to the wine. The spiciness of the Grenache comes through as well. From a difficult vintage this wine will appeal as soon as the warmer weather kicks back in.

N/V The Anthem Sparkling Shiraz ($27.50)

The result of 7 different vintages being blended with some Vintage Port added to give that final touch.  Aromas of licorice, a gambit of spices and a sense of depth.  Flavours of spiced plum with hints of licorice and a real richness on the back palate (from the Vintage Port).  This wine was brought back after production being ceased – all because of the drinking public demand.  We are richer for this change.

2010 The Empire Series Botrytis Semillon ($30)

A 500 mL bottle filled with goldness from Adelaide Hills fruit.  All the apricots one expects but there is a hay aroma indicating the Semillon heritage.  The palate is not cloying even though there is a lot of sugar here.

2007 Sparrows Lodge Vintage Port ($28)

Packaged in a 375mL bottle.  Half of the wine was fortified while still on skins and the other half after pressing – adding complexity.  The wine is all about licorice and alcohol.  Lots of flavour here and lighter than expected.

N/V The Empire Series Muscat ($30)

In a word – luscious!

McLaren Vale Grape Condiment – Zimmermann Wines Verjuice

Monday, 16 April 2012 23:56
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A quick quizz – what is the oldest known condiment?

The answer is – crushed mustard seeds mixed with crushed unfermented grape juice.

It is speculated that the unfermented grape juice would have had to be high in acid to mix with the mustard.

Zimmermann Verjuice

Verjuice is the juice from unripened grapes that has not been fermented and thus this early condiment base was Verjuice.  This juice can be used for many culinary devices.  I use it as part of a salad dressing (mixed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar), sauce or gravy base (use it to deglase the pan after cooking meat and then reduce for a jus or gravy) or a baste when roasting meats.  I have also used it as a drink base mixed with soda water to produce a very refreshing summer drink.

How does it taste, I hear you ask.  Well this one is made from Chardonnay grapes.  It has the aroma of apples – both Granny Smiths and Jonathon’s but more like an apple pie as opposed to the fresh fruit.  As expected the high level of acid dominates the palate with a slight sour taste (like unripe apples) and just a hint of sugar.  The palate is left clean and refreshed after tasting it.

Maggie Beer has raised the profile of Verjuice and this offering will work well over a number of uses.  At the going price around $15 for a 500mL bottle I think everybody should have a bottle of this in their fridge.

McLaren Vale Wine – Tintara (part 1)

Saturday, 03 March 2012 17:02
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It has been a couple of years and a couple of ownership changes so I thought it was time to check out this iconic McLaren Vale winery.

In the last couple of years this once major player in the McLaren Vale wine scene has been stripped of it’s unique position with the 2010 vintage this 9,000 t winery only processed 500 t and leaving many grape growers high and dry.  I am very glad to hear that under new management this years vintage they are looking to process around 2,000 t.  My love of McLaren Vale Grenache also made me interested to see that there was no Grenache on their tasting list and even more horrified that their 2007 Reserve Grenache was being sold as a Cleanskin for a considerable markdown on the previous $70 price tag.  So it looks like a bit of a claw back still for this wonderfully placed facility.

Tintara Road Sign

I was also ready to see a new range called HRB or Herritage Reserve Bin.  This range is interesting as the winemaker is given the opportunity to work with premium fruit from different Australian wine regions and use them in blends to produce the best wines possible.  This makes me interested in these multi regional blends and I am sure this helps give interesting work for the winemakers.

Hardys HRB D644 2010 Riesling ($A33)

Made from both Clare and Tasmanian fruit and showed some class straight away.  There were aromas of minerality and lemon rind with flavors of classical Riesling – lemons and steely acid (that minerality again).  The finish was softer than I thought it would have with the acids involved – then it hit me.  The acids are somewhat masked with a small amount of residual sugar.  A number of people have remarked to me recently that the strong acid finish put them off Riesling.  A number of people seem to expect that Riesling is also sweet.  In this case the wine has elements of both that would make the wine appealing to many.  I was one of that many!

Hardys Oomoo 2011 Sauvignon Blanc ($A18)

This Adelaide Hills wine that has only been released for about a month was the surprise white wine for me.  If I was asked to make a guess where this wine was from I would have thought it was from Margaret River in Western Australia.  This wine has a lot of the  characteristics I remember from my days checking out Semillon Sauvignon Blancs from this southern WA region.  Green apple aromas with a little tropical juice leads to flavors of grassy (hence the Semillon reference) and some passionfruit.  At this price the Sauvignon Blanc drinkers around should really check this one out.

Hardys Oomoo 2008 Chardonnay ($A18)

Another Adelaide Hills offering that has had some oak treatment – but not too much.  Peachy aromas with a smattering of nutty oak mirror the flavors.  The oak was not overwhelming and added the complexity Chardonnay really needs.  Should be available at many outlets – at this price what not.

Hardys HRB D648 2009 Chardonnay ($A33)

A Pemberton and Adelaide Hills blend shows significant elegance with peach and ginger dominating both the palate and nose.  Quite a classy wine that has Burgundian qualities where fruit is not the driving quality but a sense of terroir.  The use of oak is again very clever and I would recommend this wine very highly to those that like Chardonnay but also to those that say they do not like Chardonnay and need a Chardy lesson.

Reynella 16 year old Rare Old Tawny

A classy wine that comes from the blending stocks of Chateau Reynella.  A large number of classy fortified wines have come from this stable consistently for decades.  This wine does not disappoint with a mouthful of spiced raisins with a subtle nuttiness that just fills the mouth with each sip.  There must be plenty of acid with the wine as even though there is significant sugar with each bit the mouth is cleansed and ready for the next installment.  I have seen this available for about $20 and thinks it is a steal at this price.

Next week I will review the Tintara red wines.

McLaren Vale Wine – Genders Wines

Sunday, 05 February 2012 23:24
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For a number of years I have been unashamedly a fan of Genders Wines in McLaren Vale.  The whole of the vineyard and winery work is undertaken by the one and only Dianna Genders.  When one finds out about her heritage you just know there is McLaren Vale wine flowing through her veins.  On her mothers side there is the Pridmore line – the first female winemaker in the Vale.  Her father planted grapes and a few wonderful King Charles Oaks on the property next to the McLaren Vale sports grounds.  One of the vine clones is just known as the “Genders Shiraz Clone”.  Dianna’s father was somewhat of an innovator where he introduced the first tractor into the vineyards (instead of horses) and the first mechanical pruner to do most of the pruning work.  From the outside the winery looks like it was deserted and run down.  A number of people indicate they did not even know there is a winery there.

Dianna’s wine making philosophy looks toward keeping small volumes of grapes separate in the winery to allow maximum opportunity for blending options. As Dianna does all the vineyard work she understands every vine on the property.  There is 3 varieties planted – Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.  The grapes are not crushed but de-stemmed.  The winery also has the first 2 prototypes of the Potter Fermenters, so there is a sense of history here as well.

Genders De-stemmer

If you cannot find these wines but are interested then I suggest you check out the Taste McLaren Vale web site (www.tastemclarenvale.com.au) as we usually deal with these wines.

2008 Genders Chardonnay ($A20)

At 12% alcohol, the use of french oak and wild yeast ferments, this is not your normal McLaren Vale Chardonnay.  In fact it is more like a White Burgundy!  The aromas are strongly based on quince and lemon rind when you first fill the cold liquid.  As the wine warms the presence of green apples and creamy melons comes through.  The flavors are not the usual fruit based you expect from Aussie Chardy.  There is a creamy texture to the wine that compliments the crisp apples and lemon rind.  The whole experience leaves almost a nutty after taste that lingers and lingers.  If more Chardonnay was made like this then there would be less of a Chardonnay wine glut.

2005 Shiraz ($A40)

This wine is made from the Genders Clone Shiraz that exists on just 13 rows.  I have seen this wine a few times and I continue to bask in it’s difference.  The aromas are almost black and blue.  The black from dark berries and the blueness from flowers maybe Violets.  Combined with hints of smokiness and dustiness from the oak.  The flavours mirror the aromas with the black and blue tinges.  The acid levels are spot on so the palate is cleansed with each mouthful.  The lasting impression I take from this wine is the tannins.  There is a strength but elegance to these tannins that just make me wonder how well this wine will be in another 5+ years.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ($50)

We were fortunate to taste this wine before it is released or even labelled.  The blackcurrent is evident with all the florals and blueness that seems to come from the vineyard.  As the wine develops in the glass, and believe me the hour the wine needs to open up is worth every minute, menthol’s and eucalyptus tones develop.  The flavours follow the same path.  The blackcurrent fruits with blue edges and the interestingly strong but elegant tannins that comes from the smart use of oak – both new and old wood has seen this wine.  When this wine is released later this year I suggest you find where to get some.

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