2010 Bream Creek Vineyard Late Picked Schönburger

This is certainly an esoteric drop if there ever was one. Claimed by Bream Creek as the only stickie made from Schönburger in the world, it is nonetheless an elegant, botrytis-free example of a dessert wine. 

Pale yellow to green in colour. Intriguing aromatics include rose petal, fresh citrus, honeysuckle blossom and spicy mandarin peel. Subtle musk and honey notes as well. Medium dry wine and on the lighter side of medium-bodied. Smooth texture of candied or glazed fruits. Cumquat, lychee, grapefruit and apricot.

There is sufficient refreshing acidity to keep the wine balanced overall, which leads to a finish of sweet fruits and powdery phenolics. While deliciously sweet, the palate is not mawkish with the finish still fresh enough with citrus acidity to keep it from cloying. Not as luscious as I thought it would be and doesn't have that oomph factor. Good.  

Source: Retail Purchase. Alcohol: 9.5%. Closure: Screwcap (375ml). Price: $25.95. Rating: 89 Points.

Website: http://www.breamcreekvineyard.com.au/index.php

2011 Bream Creek Vineyard Schönburger

A rare variety in Australian vineyards, Schönburger is a hybrid from Pinot Noir (its mum), Chasselas Rose and Black Muscat. Developed in the late 1970's in Germany, this pink-skinned variety with its naturally low acidity is now more at home in the vineyards of Southern England where the cold climate suits cultivation well. Other plantings occur in British Columbia and the north-west states of America.

The acclaimed Bream Creek Vineyard on Tasmania's picturesque east coast was planted in 1973 during the resurgence in the island's viticulture making it one of the state's oldest commercial vineyards. Another milestone followed as Viticulturist Fred Peacock introduced Schönburger to the cool maritime climate of Bream Creek in the 1990's making it the first commercial planting of the variety in the Southern Hemisphere. There are now other plantings on the island as interest has increased amongst growers.

Schönburger Grapes

There is a green hue to the pale straw yellow colour in the glass. 
Lifted lychee, rose petal florals, yeasty bread and musk aromas. Fresh and clean. A line of soft lime acid cuts through a medium-bodied, smoothly textured off-dry palate. Grapey, subtle spice and tropical fruit flavours as well. There is a little spritz and a light dusting of tannins. Good length with chalky phenolics at the tail end. Not as pungent as a Gewürztraminer to which it could be compared or even a Pinot Gris, but rather more delicate. Will complement a variety of Asian-type cuisines. A refreshing and enjoyable find. Recommended.

Source: Retail Purchase. Alcohol: 12.4%. Closure: Screwcap.     Price: $20.90. Rating: 91 Points.

Website: http://www.breamcreekvineyard.com.au/index.php

2010 Kalleske Florentine Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc

A classy wine harvested from low yielding mature single block Chenin Blanc vines at the Kalleske's property in the Barossa Valley. Named after the first daughter of founder Johann Georg Kalleske who migrated to Australia from Prussia in 1838, the Florentine is entirely wild yeast vinified, half fermented in a mix of Russian and Hungarian oak hogsheads with the rest in tanks. The wine that has been certified organic / biodynamic.    

The 2010 vintage is straw yellow in colour. Intriguing aromas of lemon curd, honeysuckle and cut green apple followed by notes of kerosene and barrel oak. There's a creamy almost oily texture to the palate supported by a line of crisp citrus acidity. Enough components to start a fire ! Some spice and mineral character at the back end that remain on to a lingering dry finish. A layered, generously flavoured, medium-bodied example of an underrated variety. Recommended. 



Source: Retail Purchase. Alcohol: 12.0%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $19.00. Rating: 91+ Points.

Website: http://www.kalleske.com/index.html

2010 Lark Hill Canberra District Gruner Veltliner

Given as a Christmas present and inadvertently left in the cellar until recently. Strange as I'm onto these emerging varieties pronto. Despite my reservations as to its viability, it had shown signs of graceful ageing, which the variety can do. Moreover, the reviews of Australian Gru's are often of current vintages, rarely of ones with a few years under their belt and this one didn't disappoint after some aeration. 

This hallmark and widely-planted Austrian variety whose genetic parents are Traminer and the obscure variety St. Georgener-Rebe was pioneered in Australia by the certified biodynamic Lark Hill Winery after Jancis Robinson M W identified their high-altitude vineyards in 2002 as the perfect terroir for its planting. Their first vintage of G V in 2009 was also the first one produced in Australia. There is a bullish forecast now too that the Adelaide Hills is the go-to region for future production of quality fruit with its good ripening days and cold nights.

Golden green straw hues to this dry wine. Immediately, intriguing fig, lime and tobacco aromas. Expect a rich layer of honey, minerality, lemon, nuts and a feint creaminess to the palate. An aged Chardonnay or Riesling comes to mind. There is an oily texture underpinned by the Gru's hallmark acidity, which is peppery and spicy. Full-bodied but close to being fat, maybe too many Big M's while in the cellar ! Complex and rich with a tangy aftertaste. Exciting alternative to the Sav Blancs and P G's of this world. This is more than some trendoid, fly-by-night curiosity but will become the future big thing in whites.

Source: Gift. Alcohol: 12.5%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $45.00. Rating: 91 Points.

Website: http://www.larkhillwine.com.au/

2011 Mount Majura Vineyard TSG Tempranillo Shiraz Graciano

Rioja varieties Tempranillo (43%) and Graciano (16%) team up with a 41% Shiraz component to make up this unique and exciting blend. From elevated vineyards and reportedly from a difficult harvest, this  
is a wine of surprising complexity and class. 

An attractive light crimson red colour with a fragrant bouquet of black plum, cherry cola, pepper and sweet spice. Light to medium bodied. Fleshy red and black fruits form the luscious core and there are some mineral notes, which I like. Fine grained, supple tannins provide support and lead to a long silky finish. 

Soft, spicy and generous, this is a deliciously savoury wine that could easily take an ice bath and still drink beautifully. This is Mount Majura's fourth vintage of this intriguing blend and definitely a wine to watch in the future. Try with tapas or mezze dishes. A Qantas Business Class wine. Highly Recommended.

Source: Winery Sample. Alcohol: 13.0%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $30.00. Rating: 93 Points.

Website: http://www.mountmajura.com.au/index.html

2012 Mount Majura Vineyard Graciano

A variety used largely in Rioja blends, playing a minor component to its more illustrious amigo Tempranillo, Graciano is native to this northern regions of Spain but is also found in the southern Jerez region.  
Its disadvantages are its low yielding, late ripening capacity and susceptibility to downy mildew, which may explain why it hasn't really taken off in Australian vineyards as other newer red imports have over recent times. 

The seventh vintage of this popular variety from the trailblazing Canberra winery Mount Majura comes from a cooler growing season. 

Dark ruby red, almost purple colours. Wild and brooding nose of lifted fresh blackcurrant, roses, spicy licorice and briary aromas. This light to medium bodied wine offers a smooth Merlot-like texture of ripened mulberries, bitter chocolate notes and fine graphite tannins. Additionally, bright acidity a hallmark of the variety keeps things light, holding the wine throughout its journey. Lingering savoury finish. Better on the second night. 

A rich wine that should age well into the short to mid-term but it needs a bit of air time in a big glass to appreciate the nuances. I like the rustic, old world character to this distinctive, food-friendly variety.

Source: Winery Sample. Alcohol: 12.0%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $25.00. Rating: 91 Points.

Website: http://www.mountmajura.com.au/index.html

Dandelion Vineyards Legacy of the Barossa 30 Year Old Pedro Ximenez N V

A white grape variety that is the foundation of sherry and other fortified wines from the south-west Spanish region of Andalusia, Pedro Ximenez (Pedro or PX) was brought to Australia in 1832 by that entrepreneurial figure James Busby. The variety has had to endure some confusion here with its non-identical twin Palomino, also used in the production of sherry. When blended with the latter, Pedro adds sweetness to some sherries but on its own produces wines that are considerably sweet and complex in character

Ripped out years ago in favour of mainstream varieties, Pedro Ximenez is now a rarity in Australia. It does well in warmer climes such as the valleys of the Swan, Clare and Barossa and Victoria's Rutherglen region. This wine is Barossa born and bred from a solera dating back to 1944 when present vigneron Carl Lindner's family first fortified the wine. With vines averaging 30 years of age - some that are even older - the partnership of local vignerons and the heirloom vines that make up Dandelion Vineyards, are a true legacy of terroir, history and family.  

A translucent bright copper brown colour in the glass. The nose is all perfumed aromas of fruit cake, coffee beans, roasted nuts and butterscotch that are enticing and warming to the nasal synapses. 

The palate attacks with lively, big time rich fruit cake flavours, coffee and caramel. Juicy dates, sultanas and figs are underpinned by a citrus lime acidity. It is quite intense yet has a refreshing edge to it that balances the wine beautifully. Tangy in the cheeks. Orange marmalade and a light honey middle. Very fine tannins throughout, syrupy and no cloying sweetness. 

An unctuously smooth texture overall with a long, dry persistent finish makes this Pedro an extraordinary drinking experience. Concentrated, seductive, luscious and classy. 

Source: Winery Sample. Alcohol: 19.0%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $30.00. Rating: 95 Points.

Website: http://dandelion-vineyards.myshopify.com/

2012 Mount Majura Vineyard Tempranillo

The Tempranillo has become Mount Majura's signature wine ever since it was first harvested in 2003. The oldest vineyard in the Australian Capital Territory, Mount Majura enjoys a continental climate similar to Rioja and Ribera del Duero and its vineyard sites sit upon volcanic soils unique to the Canberra District. All the right conditions that winemaker Frank van de Loo says suit the variety and reveals the character of the terroir.  

From a cool, wet simmer the 2012 vintage is.a brooding, seductive beast. Bright crimson appearance, tightly bound at first then opens up with aromas of mint, black cherry and raspberry flavours, dried herbs and white pepper notes. The palate shows up varietal characters of ripe red current, cherry cola and earthy savouriness. Finely grained tannins wash across the tongue. Medium-bodied with a long, dark and savoury finish. Velvety texture and elegantly structured. Drink now to 2018.

Winemaker Frank van de Loo is one of the original members of TempraNeo, a collective of Tempranillo producers from six contrasting Australian regions who have been inspired by Spain's most widely distributed red variety and its potential to produce characterful versions in the Australian context.   

Source: Restaurant Wine List. Alcohol: 13.5%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $42.00. Rating: 91 Points.

Website: http://www.mountmajura.com.au/index.html

2010 Bleasdale Vineyards Uncle Dick's Cellar Malbec

In 2010 Australia's second oldest family-owned winery Bleasdale celebrated 160 years of continuous production, a traditional going back to its original founder Frank Potts.

Uncle Dick has some ripper wines in his historic rat-infested cellar. He was the youngest son of founder Frank and his collection offers up a treasure trove of value-driven wines, including the delicious ball buster, Red Brute Sparking Shiraz. Such was his generous character that postage is thrown in for free on carton orders of a dozen.

His Malbec is lighter than the Second Innings version. Bright garnet to purple in colour. An attractive nose of violets, raisins and dark fruit aromas is followed by a texturally smooth palate displaying round plummy, dark cherry and blackberry flavours. Some notes of pepper and spice. Well-balanced and very easy to drink. Uncle Dick has fashioned a wine that drinks far better than its price would suggest.       A real bargain buy.

Source: Winery Sample. Alcohol: 13.5%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $8.95. Rating: 88 Points.
Website: http://uncledickscellar.com.au/flash/

2010 Bleasdale Second Innings Langhorne Creek Malbec

As a pure varietal wine, Malbec is underrated. Present in Cabernet or Shiraz blends but largely forgotten or unappreciated, it wasn't until the rivers of Argentinian Malbec started to hit world shelves that we sat up and took stock. Since 1961 Bleasdale has been a leading Australian producer from its historic Langhorne Creek vineyards in a region and terroir where it has done particularly well, winning a swag of awards.  

Contrary to the sad happenings in the Ashes cricket, this Second Innings is not a disappointment. An inky intense purple in colour once poured. Opens up with a perfumed bouquet of blackberry, plum, violet and smokey oak. Some hints of anise and black olive, which I liked. At the front end the palate is dry, medium-weight and savoury. Pleasing earthy dark fruit flavours swathe the middle order. It's not a fruit bomb as such nor has it been visited by the oak monster. Well-balanced backbone of ripe tannic acid, fruit and oak flavours. A smooth and soft texture to finish at the tail end.

I'm a fan of varietal Malbec and its underrated Bordeaux stablemate Petit Verdot. This vintage makes an excellent quaffing wine, value-driven and flavoursome. It's big, opulent tastes are approachable, satisfying and healthy given the presence of polyphenols, antioxidants found in abundance in red grape varieties such as Malbec. So you get to enjoy the wine in the knowledge it is beneficial to heart health. Recommended as an alternative to Shiraz or to ponder over what has gone wrong in England.

Source: Winery Sample. Alcohol: 13.5%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $15.00. Rating: 89 Points.
Website: http://www.bleasdale.com.au/

2012 Woods Crampton Barossa Valley Mataro Rosé

Effectively a Barossa Valley field blend composed of 91% Mataro with a smidge of Grenache and Shiraz, this is an unconventionally dark rose thanks to the Mataro's colour. Bright clear ruby red to a light purple in colour it appears more of a light Pinot Noir or a Gamay than a rosé. Wild yeast fermented in large oak puncheons with six months on lees make for a velvety texture.   

Aromas of savoury plum, sweet spices, freshly cut violet fragrances and gamey, leather notes. Complex nose. Rich raspberry jam and spicy blackberry dominate the palate. Boiled lollies, earthy tones and a mineral edge add further to the mouthfeel. Lingering savoury finish. 

Essentially a dry rosé, it is more fruit driven and with bitey heat prominent on the back end, didn't make for an enjoyable overall experience. A different take on the rosé theme and for someone who prefers the paler, dryer Provencal styles, this one is too rich and weighty.   

Source: Retail Purchase. Alcohol: 13.5%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $19.00. Rating: 87 Points.

Website: http://woods-crampton.com.au/

2010 Valhalla Wines Rutherglen Durif

Australia does Durif so well that I'm amazed there hasn't been a blog post until now. The variety has been planted in the Rutherglen Region of North East Victoria since the early 1900s and has become its flagship wine, the suitability of the terroir producing hefty full-bodied, highly tannic wines ripe for extended cellaring.  

Durif is a cross between Syrah and an ancient, now virtually extinct French variety Peloursin, created in the 1880s by a nurseryman Dr Francois Durif at the University of Montpellier. So pleased with the outcome, he boldly named the grape after himself. He would turn in his grave to find out that the variety is scarcely grown in France today !  

Established in 2002 Valhalla Wines is a boutique family-owned winery dedicated to producing handcrafted, premium wines from environmentally sustainable techniques and practices. The Valhalla name is a tribute to owner and winemaker Anton Therkildsen's Danish heritage and to the Norse mythology he is so passionate about.  

A dense almost opaque crimson in appearance. Dark chocolate, tobacco, stewed damask plum and leather comprise the brooding aromas. The palate is awash with concentrated spicy black cherry and plum with tongue-coating tannins to boot, all balanced by a fresh line of acid. There is a long, intense and strangely smooth finish. An iron fist in a velvet glove ! Has its fair share of power and grunt with a firm texture and mouthfeel throughout. Everything from go to whoa about this wine is dark, the colour, the black fruits, its savoury liquorice and peppery earth notes. But there is also passion from the people involved in making this wine and the other Rhone Valley varieties in their portfolio, who are dedicated to tradition and innovation.   

Beware of this brooding youngster. It's not a sprinter but is built along the lines of a marathon runner. Drinking well now but this will be a beast of a wine if you can wait ten years. Highly Recommended.

Source: Winery Sample. Alcohol: 13.8%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $30.00. Rating: 91 Points.
Website: http://www.valhallawines.com.au/

2010 Madfish Magaret River Carnelian

Another recognisable wine label from the Burch family-owned Howard Park winery, the Madfish brand represents 20 years of fine quality wines produced from grapes sourced from the Margaret River and Great Southern Regions of Western Australia.

The Carnelian variety however may not be as well known to the average punter but like all grape varieties has its own individual story to relate. It mercifully has nothing to do with that horrible Culture Club song Karma Chameleon (rhyming with the chameleon part). Rather, it is one of the so-named Olmo Grapes produced in 1972 by pioneering viticulturalist and geneticist Dr Harold P. Olmo from the University of California, Davis, a cross between Grenache and an earlier crossing of Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Designed to grow in warm climate states such as California, Texas and Hawaii believe it or not, it appeared the uptake was so slow that coverage worldwide today is minimal. It was thanks to the venerable Dr Olmo who visited Western Australia and worked at its Department of Agriculture that eventually allowed the Carnelian variety to secure its only small foothold in the west and indeed Australia, according to a winery spokesperson. But this is where the story gets somewhat interesting.

With only a handful of wineries now as its last bastion, Carnelian was originally planted in the belief it was Sangiovese, a case of mistaken identity made in a vine nursery. Howard Park went ahead planting cuttings only to release the 'real' identity in later vintages. The winery persisted when results were promising and has done so up until this vintage. Although not as controversial as the Carmenere/Merlot mix up in Chile or our own Albarino/Savignin fiasco of a few years ago, it still goes to show that accidents do occur in the wine identification process. Where was Dr Olmo when he was needed ? As an aside, Sangiovese has yet to make a real impression in WA as it has in eastern states.    

There is a great vivid purple colour with crimson hues to this Carnelian. Dark chocolate, violet flowers, herbs and fresh blackberry aromas lift from the glass. The palate reveals dark plum, pepper and aniseed liquorice tastes. Some mint nuances too. Firm powdery tannins, toasty oak spiciness and fresh acidity round out a well-balanced palate. Smooth texturally but intense and rustic. Walks the line 
between medium and full-bodied. Juicy, fleshy and plump - but in a good way !

More Grenache with the luscious dark fruit jamminess than Cabernet Sauvignon, whose flavour profile it was intended to emulate originally, this Carnelian is a powerful wine from the west. Priorat wine on the Margaret River you could say. Experience or lay down a few bottles before this rare varietal and sadly last vintage becomes confined to the annals of history. Available at the cellar door and online. Recommended.

Source: Winery Sample. Alcohol: 14.5%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $20.00. Rating: 90+ Points.
Website: http://www.burchfamilywines.com.au/products/brands/madfish/default.aspx

2012 Chalk Hill Vermentino

Vermentino has been widely touted as the next big thing on the white wine circuit in Australia. This McLaren Vale example is Chalk Hill's second vintage and while the young vines do not deliver an existential experience in the glass, they do show up some good varietal qualities.

Pale quartz yellow with green hues in colour. Smells of the sea shore after a rain storm. Some notes of refreshing grapefruit and green olives aromas. Minerally talc aromas in the mix. Dry and medium bodied with a soft fennel and green apple palate. Soft texture with a nice splash of lemon acidity. Approachable, bright and cheerful with a mineral finish.     
A well balanced wine throughout and a good entry-level example if you haven't tried the variety already.

Source: Retail Purchase. Alcohol: 11.0%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $15.00. Rating: 87 Points. 
Website: http://www.chalkhill.com.au/

2009 Best's Great Western Concongella Vineyard Dolcetto

Dolcetto is an early drinking style variety and rarely does it make great wine so it was a real delight to experience one with a little bottle age.

Part of central Victoria's Grampians Wine Region, Best's Great Western has the oldest Dolcetto vines in Australia ( the 1860's Nursery Block) and the oldest outside Italy. Sourced from these and the 1971 cuttings from the original, the 2009 is akin to drinking history.  

In the glass it is darkly coloured crimson in colour with a light pink meniscus. On the nose, dark dry fruit and liquorice aromas are enhanced by herbal and tree bark undertones. Prunes, walnut and mushrooms comprise the main flavour profile.The palate is still texturally smooth. Light to medium bodied with dry astringent tannins and a moderate lick of acidity. Overall, a well-balanced good food wine.

Sure, its youthful fresh upfront fruit character had faded considerably but it had morphed into a different, more complex creature. 

Source: Restaurant Wine List. Alcohol: 12.5%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $22.00. Rating: 88 Points.
Website: http://www.bestswines.com/