Boomtown Winemakers Co-operative White 2016

Established in 2014, Boomtown is a co-operative winery based at the old Castlemaine Mill in Central Victoria. It's a 'less is more' philosophy of a group of young winemakers intent on making small batch, natural wines using wild yeasts and minimal chemicals from grapes sourced from various Victorian regions. 
The White here is a blend of Pinot Gris from Bendigo, Sauvignon Blanc from the Pyrenees with Riesling and Viognier from Heathcote. The percentage of each variety is not stated on the label.

Pale straw yellow colour.

High in the aroma stakes. Florals, grass, apricot, melon and guava.

Nectarines, nashi pear, apricot flavours and nettle give the palate a layered and textural character. The wine is not overly oily but has a rich and dry feel to it.

Finishes with a nice kick of acid and a good slatey, herbal length. 

Medium weight blend with lots of interest, brightness and drinkability. Good find here.

Source: Retail. ABV: 11.4%. Closure: Cork. Price: $30.00. 
Rating: 89 Points. Website: https://www.boomtownwine.com.au

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2015 Yetti and the Kokonut Sercial

Sercial is a light-skinned Portuguese grape variety better known for its role in making some of the world's finest dry Madeira fortified wines. Minimal amounts of Sercial are grown in Australia, the grapes here coming from the Eden Valley. 

This wine is a product of winemaker friends Dave Geyer and Koen Janssens from the Geyer Wine Co. My guess is that Dave is the Yetti and Koen, the Kokonut on their quirky label but that's besides the point with this unfiltered, sustainably-produced wine.    

Mid-yellow gold colour with slight cloudiness from the skin contact. It's the archetypal orange wine.

Fresh pine needles, prune, honey, apple and almond-like aromas. Subtle, not overly perfumed.

On a light-bodied palate there are flavours of crisp yellow apples, apple cider and stewed prunes.

Dry, good acid and grippy tannins with a smooth and brine-like savouriness to the finish.    

Good wine, certainly left of centre and different from the usual suspects. 

Source: Retail. ABV: 11.6%. Closure: Cork. Price: $38.00. 
Rating: 90 Points. Website: http://geyerwines.com.au

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2015 Cape Jaffa Wines Riptide Red Blend

An inspired, perhaps unique blend of 70% Viognier and 30% Shiraz that comes in a Riesling-type bottle. 
The juice of the Viognier is blended with the skins of Shiraz prior to fermentation to achieve a bright red wine with purple hues.

If you were blindfolded, you'd swear it was a white wine in the glass.

Apricot, blackberry, a little blueberry with scents of celery. Somewhat quirky but very interesting aromatics going on here.

Dry, light bodied with fine, soft tannins and a silky textured mouthfeel. Despite the dominance of the Viognier, the lesser amount of Shiraz gives the palate an elegant plush feel with its dark fruit and vanilla character. Lingering stone fruit flavours on the close. 

Another high bar set by the creative winemakers at Cape Jaffa Wines. Ground breaking, envelope-pushing, cutting edge, hip and chic. Give this one time in the fridge for maximum freshness and enjoyment. Recommended.  

Source: Sample courtesy of Cape Jaffa Wines. ABV: 14.5%. 
Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $29.00. Rating: 90+ Points. 
Website: https://www.capejaffawines.com.au

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2015 Cape Jaffa Wines La Lune Field Blend

Cape Jaffa is a biodynamic vineyard and winery situated on the unique and isolated Mount Benson region of South Australia's Limestone Coast wine zone. One of the first of the wineries established in the region, it enjoys a moderate maritime climate and terra rossa soils that are ideal for viticulture. La Lune is Cape Jaffa's premium wine portfolio that it cultivates by the moon's cycles and what it says expresses a sense of place in the vineyard with its unique terroir. 

This wine captures a vineyard or three inside a bottle with no less than eleven varieties in this vinous concoction. Containing predominantly Chardonnay with portions of Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, the winery indicates that the percentage of these will vary according to what is ripe on the day and what will balance with the Chardonnay. The other varieties it adds are the pale juice of a few red varieties plus small portions from an experimental block.


At a time where Australian winemakers are doing weird and wonderful things with grapes, the old practice of the field blend is also steadily making its mark here. It's a good antidote to the boredom often experienced with single varietal wines and the 2015 La Lune is an engaging and compelling example. 

  

The straw yellow colour distracts from what you are about to experience in the glass.

At first a smoky malt scent then peach, apricot, orange, pineapple, lemon rind, citrus blossom, passionfruit and pear. Heavily perfumed and complex aromatics that are worth the price of admission ! 

A texturally powerful palate is packed with generous stone fruit flavours, slatey saline minerality and some herbal action. Through the mouth there is some grip, light crunchy tannins and acid zip to drive things along.  


Medium bodied with a soft unctuous mouthfeel. Mouthwatering drinkability to this wine.

The savoury, fresh tropical fruit finish lingers long after the final sip. 

Better sum for its parts. Creative, well made, cerebral yet fun to drink especially over summer. 

Easily go another bottle. Should bring additional appeal with a year or two in the cellar.

Source: Sample courtesy of Cape Jaffa Wines. ABV: 14.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $42.00. 
Rating: 93+ Points. Website: https://www.capejaffawines.com.au

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Zonin ICE Spumante Demi Sec NV Prosecco

Zonin is Italy's largest Prosecco brand in Australia and this new release is timed for Christmas and the summer holidays. More on the medium sweet Moscato style wine than last year's release of the dryer NV Zonin Prosecco, it is designed to drink on the rocks.

Pale straw yellow colour with a well defined mousse and fine perlage. Notes of lifted pear, citrus and light herbs on the aromatics.

Palate flavour is golden delicious apple and lime, which underlines the refreshing acidity. Pleasant aftertaste of honey and pear.

Without the rocks the wine lacks that extra zingy edge to it. Serve in a large stem glass as an aperitif on a warm summer's evening.

Good value bubbly available from Dan Murphy's and BWS.

Source: Sample courtesy of UMM Communications https://umm.com.au ABV: 11.0%. Closure: Cork. 

Price: $12.99. Rating: 88 Points. Website: http://www.zoninprosecco.com

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2016 Mallaluka Wines Riesling

Whoa, this is not your average classical style of Riesling here. It doesn't have those citrussy fruit characters, that flinty minerality or zippy acidity the wine is renown for. Naturally fermented with no additives but sulphur dioxide has given this small batch Riesling from the high, cool climate Yass Plains a beguiling interest.

Mallaluka winemaker John Leyshon explained, "It is a skin fermented Riesling. We treated half the fruit in the traditional way (whole bunch press then fermentation in stainless steel under CO2). The other half we fermented as whole bunches in a pot for about 3 weeks, then pressed into stainless steel under CO2."  He continued, "After about a month we blended the two to produce an 'orange' wine. "We are very happy with the result."

It appears as a vibrant yet cloudy pale yellow colour in the glass.

There are lifted aromas of spicy raisin, apple cider and candle wax.


Through to the mid palate it offers a feisty blend of sour apple, honey scents, ginger and crunchy tannins after which the length fades somewhat but this was something I was prepared to overlook, it was so good.

Palate is juicy and textural. It has a smooth mouthfeel throughout that provides a lovely drinking experience. The only caveat is that the wine needs food like turkey or pork and as it's close to the holiday season ...  

Should find much appeal with the adventurous, the explorers, the boundary pushers and the dreamers. It's out there, idiosyncratic and not what you'd expect from a Canberra Riesling. Will cellar for 5+ years.

Source: Sample courtesy of Mallaluka Wines. ABV: 11.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $27.00. 
Rating: 92 Points. Website: http://www.mallaluka.com.au

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2016 Mallaluka Wines Rosé

Mallaluka Wines is a boutique operation at Yass in the cool climate Canberra Wine District. Vineyard plantings began in 2004 on the deep granitic soils of the Yass Plains, northwest of Canberra.. 

This small batch rosé is naturally-fermented and is produced from Pinot Gris, Sangiovese and Cinsault (60/35/5). Not often does Pinot Gris get the lead role in a rosé but here skin fermented Pinot Gris is combined with Sangiovese and Cinsault to produce an eclectic, dry and grippy wine.

Light salmon pink in colour.

The nose is dominated by pear with red cherry and strawberry aromas and a whiff of dry herbs.

These flavours combine on a texturally silky palate with some light grainy tannins and juicy acidity to go with the well-balanced red berry and pear flavours. Fresh and vibrant with a long and savoury finish. 

Winemaker and ex-Clonakilla alumni Sam Leyshon manages to get the sum of its parts to work together nicely. Although it is not a complex wine by any stretch, the drinkability and interest factors are high here. Enjoyably different. 

Source: Sample courtesy of Mallaluka Wines. ABV: 12.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $27.00. Rating: 90 Points. Website: http://www.mallaluka.com.au

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2014 Pizzini Pietra Rossa Sangiovese

This wine is a blend from three vineyard sites and was formerly known as Pizzini Sangiovese but now has a label that alludes to the iron rich soils of the King Valley.   
Four percent of Canaiolo, another Tuscan red variety is added to deepen the vibrant brick red colour of the Pietra Rossa. One of its other qualities is that it helps soften the tannins of Sangiovese in much the same way as Merlot does to Cabernet Sauvignon.   

There is a smokiness and earthiness to the bouquet along with red currant, sweet black cherry and savoury spices typical of the variety.  

A plump, immediately sweet palate of crunchy red cherry, blackberries and savoury tannins. Cloves and star anise. More on the lighter side of medium here. Combines the sweetness and savouriness well but a green edge to the finish with a slightly metallic taste affected the score.   

Source: Winery. ABV: 13.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $25.00. Rating: 89 Points. 
Website: http://www.pizzini.com.au/pizzini/

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2015 Farr Rising Gamay

I'm a big fan of Australian Gamay. The 2015 Farr Rising Gamay from Wine By Farr at Bannockburn near Geelong is in that category. Hand-picked, foot stomped and matured for eight months in old barrels.

Right off the bat this wine is a cloudy garnet colour in the glass. 

Fresh and perky aromas of ripe red cherries, peppercorn and game with some stalky, forest floor scents to add interest. 

It's dry, light to medium weight, silky in texture, bright and crunchy.

Full of cherry, earthy, savoury flavours with a dusting of cranberry tannins. Really strikes a chord with its balance of bright fruit, juicy acidity and savoury undertones that persist to the finish. 

Nick Farr has crafted a delicious and compelling cool climate expression of Gamay. Highly Recommended.

Source: Gift. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Diam Cork. Price: $36.00. Rating: 93 Points. 
Website: https://www.byfarr.com.au

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2015 Clonakilla Viognier Nouveau

Designed for early consumption this is a youthful, fresh, lean take on Viognier from Clonakilla.
Picked early, tank fermented and bottled early, the Nouveau is a more restrained new kid on the block than its fuller-bodied older sibling.

Straw green colour in the glass with floral aromas, melon, pine and herbal fragrances.

There is both fruit and savoury flavours on the palate. Light apricot, fresh green apple and cinnamon. Crisp in texture with a stoney and zippy acidity running.through the mid-palate. Soft acid, dry, savoury finish. 

Winemaker Tim Kirk has nailed the essence of the Viognier grape. Sheer drinking pleasure.

The 2016 has been released so if finding the 2015 has been difficult, do yourself a favour. 

Source: Winery. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $25.00. Rating: 90 Points. Website: http://www.clonakilla.com.au

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2015 Blackjack Major's Line Tempranillo

Named after the route Major Thomas Mitchell took through Victoria in 1836. This is the second release of Blackjack's Tempranillo produced from Heathcote Region grapes. 

Attractive ruby red colours.

Lifted cherry, tobacco, sweet red berry fruits and herbal aromas. Fresh, rounded and has a savoury edge that I like with this variety.

Flavours of black cherry, cola, cloves and tar. Chewy tannins. Medium bodied with refreshing acidity and a pleasing length. Easy drinking. Spaghetti bolognese comes to mind. Good wine.

Source: Winery. ABV: 13.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $22.00. Rating: 89 Points. Website: https://blackjackwines.com.au

                                                                  
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