QWine Reviews - Australian Wine Reviews: March 2020

Tuesday 31 March 2020

Patrick Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Coonawarra Cabernet from Patrick ticking the boxes.

In a word - yum. Lazy night in kinda wine. And the way things are shaping up for the next little while, you can wash away your worries with a glass or two of this. A wonderfully refreshing wine.

Beguiling freshness leaps out from the glass of this seven year old Semillon.

Alkimi The Good Earth Syrah 2016

I often get asked what I enjoy drinking and Yarra Valley Shiraz/Syrah is near the top of the list. It's medium bodied profile is so easy to gravitate to. This wine from Alkimi has always struck a chord with me. I've often bought it from winemaker Stu Dudine and I've been known to take it camping. It's such a great slurp on a cool night by the fire.

Quite a spicy Fiano from McLaren Vale's Hastwell and Lightfoot.

Wes Pearson is a considered winemaker. Spend some time with him and his precise palate and analytical approach to wines is captivating. He produces a small range of wines with this polarising Fiano part of the line up.

d’Arenberg d’Arrys Original Shiraz Grenache 2017

Great drinking here from d'Arenberg. A wine that comfortably sits in bargain territory.

Grenache Shiraz Mataro is such a lip smacking blend when done well and this release from Bondar falls in to that category very easily.

Bondar Rayner Grenache 2019

Get on board with Bondar - seriously well crafted wines. This Grenache is a beauty.

Slow Grown Shiraz made to slip slow. And damn, this slides down all too easily.

Wooing Tree Blondie 2019

Blondie is what you get when you want to make a white wine when you only have red fruit to play with. A terrific wine that's perfect for long lunches and warm days.

A bit of old school Chardonnay here to wet your whistle.

A tidy Central Otago Pinot Gris.

Can I ask a favour that you support small business?

We are living in some pretty extraordinary times and circumstances at the moment and the struggle is real for a lot of people.

Having been on the ground in McLaren Vale and in the Barossa Valley these last two weeks as well as the Hunter Valley a few weeks prior, there is much uncertainty about what the future holds.

I've spoken with numerous growers and winemakers and it's very clear the concern is far reaching - more than many people suspect.

Like the small family run winery which just received a $30 000 invoice for bottling. This same business has lost numerous wine orders in the last week due to the closure of restaurants and key accounts. This same business has invoices to pay for fruit delivered by growers which arrived in recent weeks and has already been processed. These growers rely on these payments to get by. Wineries like this need income to pay the growers. But we don't see the growers. They are faceless, but without them, there is no product.

Bondar Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2018

Adelaide Hills Chardonnay executed beautifully.

There's a great line of acidity in this McLaren Vale Fiano that sits behind the fruit.

A number of people have asked me what was the best Pinot I came across during my recent trek through New Zealand. Well, here it is. Sublime and then some.

The Moonlight Race is named after a waterway not far from the vineyard. Here we have a beautiful savoury Pinot Noir.

Barbera Rosé. Until now, I can't say I've had one.

Burn Cottage Vineyard Riesling Grüner Veltliner 2017

The explosion of fruit in the mouth from this exciting blend is something else. Wow!

The big gun Cabernet from d'Arenberg but this edition comes across a bit forced.

Pizza and pasta night kinda wine. Such an easy drink to kick back with.

Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Mansons Farm Pinot Noir 2015

This is only the second release of this superb Central Otago Pinot Noir. Perched on the hill at the cellar door, you can see out to the vineyard, a stone's throw away.

Stunning. Just stunning.

From the Central Otago sub region of Bendigo comes this Pinot with a little more heft. This is the first Pinot made off this site by Mt Difficulty after signing a 20 year lease.

The Central Otago 2018 vintage was the hottest summer in 50 years bringing harvest three weeks early.

From the Central Otago sub region of Lowburn comes this excellent Chardonnay.

Super delish Riesling. Those who don't drink a lot of Riesling should turn their head this way.

Meerea Park Alexander Munro Semillon 2011

A stunning aged Semillon which shows age delivers immaculate wines from this variety. Alexander Munro is the flagship label for Meerea Park.

A great McLaren Vale Shiraz hands down. Quite different yet so engaging. Dive in here - terrific buying for $25.

Sourced from Wrattonbully, just up the road from Coonawarra, this is a Shiraz with great depth and presence sure to please. Terrific value it must be said.

A spicy McLaren Vale Shiraz where a thread of blue fruits runs deep.

Roaring Meg is a stream that runs into the Kawarau River and feeds the hydro electric plant just outside Cromwell. Named after an 1860s barmaid with a fiery temper, I'm told she was the local prostitute of the day as well. There you go. This Pinot doesn't have a temper nor does it sell itself off.

Roaring Meg is a stream that runs into the Kawarau River and feeds the hydro electric plant just outside Cromwell. Named after an 1860s barmaid with a fiery temper, I'm told she was the local prostitute of the day as well. There you go. This Chardonnay doesn't have a temper nor does it sell itself off.

Rusty Mutt Vermilion Bird Shiraz 2014

McLaren Vale Shiraz to sweep you off your feet. This Vermilion Bird has wings that will help you fly to higher places.

Well, this made me take a step back and lurch forward once again. If you dig GSM blends, this is pretty damn good.

Another controversial name for a wine with some tongue in cheek humour as only Chester Osborn knows how. A fully charged McLaren Vale Shiraz (94%) has been brightened up by the presence of Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne (3/2/1%).

Earlier this week I was invited to attend the Nanny Goat Benchmark Tasting hosted by winemaker Alan Peters-Oswald, Mike Bennie and the distribution team at Mezzanine.

Three flights of Pinot Noir were explored benchmarking Nanny Goat's Central Otago Pinot Noir against other reputable labels from around the globe.

A great Montepulciano from a small producer.

A big, inky wine not for the faint hearted.

A spicy Barbera from Langhorne Creek.

The going is good for this $16 Chardy. Hunt around and you'll find it a little better too.

This Pinot Shiraz had me scratching my head. It came across angry and stern initially but loosened up on day two of tasting.

There was something about this Chardonnay that I just couldn't pin down.

Yarra Valley Chardonnay done well is a fabulous drink. This release from Warramunda Estate sneaks into that category.

The bones of a good Yarra Valley Syrah are here but it doesn't follow through on early promises.

Carrick Billet Doux 2018

Of all the wines I tasted on my recent trip to New Zealand, this was one of a few that left a big impression on me and really opened my eyes to where Central Otago Pinot can go. Translated, Billet Doux means 'love letter', and, I think I'm in love.

I tasted this with winemaker Rosie Menzies and it was hard to ignore her love for this Pinot.

A fun time kind of Pinot from Central Otago producer Carrick.

An interesting wine, and compared to the 100% barrel fermented Chardonnay, this is tight and tense.

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