2014 Vinteloper Project V Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso


Another left-of-cantre variety and as rare as hen's teeth in Oz is the Refosco, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso (of the red stem) to be precise as this is what distinguishes it from other sub-varieties of the species. A dark-skinned grape indigenous to north-east Italy since Caesar was in nappies, Refosco is known for its slow ripening, prominent acidity and full-bodied, robust structure with the best examples coming from the Colli Orientali (DOC) region of Friuli. 


 There was a Refosco produced by the Daylesford Wine Company in Victoria some years back named The Moonchaser but Bacchus knows where that is now. Dark side of the moon ? Now perhaps unique in Oz, the 2014 VNTLPR in its funky 500ml brown glass bottle could mistakenly be construed for a Welsh beer, given that language's propensity to lose vowels. It's an unusual marketing ploy for the production of only 408 bottles of the stuff. Still, can't get my head around the labelling as a vote getter.  

 It is interesting to note that there were always theories that similarities with the French variety Mondeuse Noir made it and Refosco one and the same but recent DNA profiling put paid to that.

 Zero intervention and as close to a natural wine as Adelaide Hills' Vinteloper has ever made, tells me that this is going to be an intriguing drop. From a single vineyard in the Murray Darling Region, probably the Chalmers, the wine is an intense ruby red in the glass. 

Warm aromas of violets, grassy notes and plums on the nose. Slight hints of almond and bramble add complexity. Plum jam, red currants and wild red berries. Really impressive fruit intensity with peppery spice. Robust yet polished, Palate is mid-weight, smoothly textured, fine tannins with prominent acid, which peaks midway tailing off to a sweet and persistent red berry finish.

There's a real drinkability factor to this wine that I didn't expect at all. No airs and graces, just plain enjoyment and more-ishness in a beer bottle. Surprisingly good.  
Source: Retail Purchase. ABV: 11.0%. Closure: Crown Seal. Price: $24.00. Rating: 90 Points. 
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Zonte's Footstep NV Bolle Felici Prosecco

The eighteenth century Italian poet and man of letters Aureliano Acanti waxed lyrical about the wines of Veneto and in particular Prosecco, commenting on its apple bouquet and fine sensory profile. He was the first to write about this ancient wine, which dated back to Roman times, then known as Puccino. Translated as Happy Bubbles, Bolle Felici is an homage to his poem Il Roccolo and a catchy name for this charming sparkling wine. 

This is the first Prosecco released by Zonte's Footstep, a blend of the traditional Glera variety (until 2009 formally called Prosecco) with a little Pinot Grigio sourced from the maritime-influenced Mediterranean climate of South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula. 

"Prosecco on the global market has had incredible uptake over the past few years, and we have seen some producers taking advantage of these shirttail opportunities," says vigneron Brad Rey. "We have produced this wine in true fashion, using 95% Glera and 5% Pinot Grigio," further commenting on the winery's first Prosecco. 

Fermented in large vats in the traditional Charmat method, the popularity of Prosecco has soared worldwide, recently overtaking Champagne as Britain's sparkling wine of choice in the battle of the bubbles. It'll be interesting to see what happens here with imports and home-grown products over the next few years.

Bolle Felici is a light golden colour with a green tinge in the glass. Florals, baked green apple, pear and musk, marzipan nuances. A delicate nose but mind inhaling those perky bubbles. 
Lemon and apple on entry with fresh, dry, grapefruit zing across the mid-palate. 
Good acidity on the mid-palate and then transitions into pear, grapey and minty flavours. Light-bodied with a nice texture that comes across soft and creamy. Light spritzy beads on the palate lift the crisp, refreshing finish.

This Prosecco provides excellent value for a fresh, versatile bubbly. With the warmer months ahead, try the Bolle Felici on its own as a party-starter or match it with prosciutto and cold melon as Brad Rey recommends for a sublime experience. Happy Bubbles is easy to enjoy and worth seeking out. 


Source: Sample. ABV: 11.0%. Closure: Cork. Price: $18.00. Rating: 91 Points. 

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2013 Express Winemakers Ribera del Frankland Tempranillo

Despite the name, Express Winemakers is not some conveyor belt, mass producing commodity wine company. Rather, as a boutique operation, it's a referral to how selected grapes and terroir express their idiosyncrasies in the final product, exactly the vision of what owners and new kids on the Great Southern block Ryan O'Meara and Pete Pedro have sought to achieve since 2011. 

The Tempranillo grapes are sourced from a vineyard in the Blackwood River Wine region, just north of Frankland, one of the five sub-regions of Great Southern and with a minimal interventional policy to the winemaking, Ryan and Pete have left the grapes and the process do the talking and I'm liking what this Temp is saying.

Under a cool label the wine is a dark ruby red colour. Its lifted aromas remind of dark sour cherries, savoury herbs, cola and red currants. 

 Fresh, juicy, plush mouthfeel of plum, tobacco and supple confectionary tastes that are held by a balanced acid structure. Slight hint of vanilla too that added interest but wasn't out of place. Just on medium weight. Powdery dry tannins that coat the palate give the wine a persistent and savoury length. It's joven in style, has a cool and suave character, is enjoyable and has loads of drinking appeal. Difficult to resist. Wine to watch. Muy bien. 


Source: Sample. ABV: 14.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $26.00. Rating: 92 Points. Website: http://www.expresswinemakers.com/

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2014 Express Winemakers Rosado

Bottle labels are often overlooked in conversations about wine but the one adorning the 2014 Express Winemakers Rosado is in a modern sense, creative and beautifully designed. The outside tells the story on the fresh, vibrant and flamboyant story inside. It's symbolic and expressive. A rosado with a Spanish theme made from Grenache and Mataro, complexity added with splashes of Tempranillo and Syrah.

A seductively stunning dark salmon colour. Appealing to look at, smell and to taste. Aromas of fresh strawberries, cranberries, assorted florals and wet rocks. 
Persistent characters of dry, savoury red fruits with a light tannic grip. Juicy through the palate as well as having a light chalk dust texture. Ends very smooth on the aftertaste with rose petal and crushed strawberry. Well-balanced acids and fruits. Nothing out of place here.  

The Grenache Mataro blend, sans the Syrah component is overlooked me thinks with its lush headiness of big spicy red fruits. This has all the hallmarks but in an albeit lighter rose style with some added complexity, impact and lift. The guys at Express Winemakers have got everything right about this one.
Fresh, perfumed, dry, textural and elegant. More-ish and utterly delicious to drink especially in the warmer months ahead. Excellent.

Source: Sample. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $20.00. Rating: 92 Points. Website: http://www.expresswinemakers.com/

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2014 Express Winemakers Summer Harvest Viognier

It's a variety that polarises opinion and I count myself in the hard to please category when it comes to Viognier. But it's thanks to this little ripper from fifteen year old vines located in the cool Karridale sub-region of Margaret River that has me all fired up. 

Produced by friends and adventurous winemakers Ryan and Pete from Express Winemakers at Porongurup in Western Australia, the guys have managed to extract the essence of the Viognier grapes by harvesting early in the season to maintain the variety's natural acidity with little intervention subsequently besides some fermentation in French oak. Their m o of allowing the grapes and terroir to tell their own story in the finished product has worked here beautifully.

The 2014 Summer Harvest is light yellow silver in colour, youthful in appearance. The nose reveals lifted aromatics of peach, apricot, nutmeg spices along with some interesting fresh sea salt nuances. 

 On a clean, fresh light- to mid-bodied palate, the wine displays apricot, peach, perfumed blossom and subtle phenolics with cleansing acidity. Well-balanced overall, it finishes with perky acid and a dryness that is altogether mouth-watering. Purity of expression and delicately flavoured, the wine doesn't have that overt oiliness that Viognier often possess and makes the Summer Harvest a pleasure to drink. I really enjoyed how this Viognier has been made with quality, freshness and flavour in mind. Recommended.


Source: Sample. ABV: 12.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $22.00. Rating: 91 Points. Website: http://www.expresswinemakers.com/

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2010 Oak Works Tinta Molle

Known up until 2000 as Tinta Negra Molle, Tinta Molle is the principal grape variety of Portugal's island of Madiera and the mainstay of its fortified wines. A cross between Grenache and Pinot Noir created over 200 years ago, the name means black soft, its origins thought to have been mainland Spain. Its similarity to the Mollar Cano variety in Andalucia and proximity to the port of Cadiz may suggest how as ships sailed to the New World, the variety arrived in Madiera and further south to the Spanish-owned Canary Islands, where it became known as Negramoll. 

The 2010 Oak Works Tinta Molle has a mid-purple colour with ruby hues. Aromas of blueberry, plum and sweet spices. Matured in French oak for 18 months giving it a smoky vanilla twang. Not a fruit bomb, there are just loads of plum and cherry flavours across the palate. Smooth texturally, mid-bodied plus wine with light, rounded tannins and nice acid line. It's soft and lightly syrupy in mouthfeel but in a good way. Dry, with some fruity sweetness and tobacco smoke that follow through to the aftertaste.

Sits more towards the Grenache spectrum than Pinot Noir, it is an interesting variety that we've all probably experienced in ports before but as a rare varietal wine from the Riverland, it's worth a try.


Source: Sample. ABV: 14.5%. Closure: Cork. Price: $20.00. Rating: 90 Points.


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2009 Oak Works Tannat

Tannat has a challenging reputation as the most tannic of wine grape varieties, having two to four times the antioxidant of most other varieties according to scientific analysis. Its thick skins are also high in polyphenols, flavonoids and a more than average resveratrol concentration, all of which give red wines their health benefits. Who needs vitamins and minerals when they are here in this red wine diet ! 

 Ask the people of the Gers département in south-west France whose health and longevity appears to be related to its consumption despite a diet rich in cassoulet, duck confit, foie gras and local cheeses.

One of Tannat's synonyms is Madiran, which is also the name of its most famous appellation in south-west France's Basque mountain country. The variety arrived in Uruguay with Basque-French immigrants in the late 19th century and is now considered that country's signature grape much in the same vein Argentina has adopted Malbec and Chile with Carmenere.   

 Beautiful violet florals, black pepper, smokey tar and blackberries announce the presence of a glass-staining, intensely purple coloured wine tinged with a light red rim.

Palate is black licorice, dry, intense and tightly structured with a polished leather texture. Vanilla and cocoa there after the 18 months in French oak. Well-balanced, complex and fruity, black fruits. Think Merlot on steroids and some extra weight and you get a picture of this expressive beast.

Grainy tannins and distinct acid flow to a generous, savoury finish and aftertaste. To be enjoyed, this big red needs to be drunk with beef or lamb dishes, it's tough going by itself. Tannins are ubiquitous but not outrageous. Assuredly, they'll be around into the next decade.

The 2009 Oak Works Tannat has aged gracefully if that can be said in the same breath as the formidable personality of this full-bodied, robust wine. A metaphysical experience.



Source: Sample. ABV: 14.5%. Closure: Cork. Price: $20.00. Rating: 90 Points.
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2014 Tallavera Grove Carillion Vineyard Estate Grown Verduzzo

Verduzzo could be considered rare in Australia with about half a dozen wineries producing this white variety here. Another variety Garganega, occupies a similar position in Australia with just as many producers and with origins from the same region in Italy. 

Traditionally grown in the Friuli Venezia-Giulia and Veneto regions of Italy, the ancient Verduzzo grape is used to produce both dry varietal wines and late harvest or passito style wines. Some of the finest examples come from the Colli-Orientali DOC Region. The grape has a challenging reputation for making wine as the flavours together with its high phenolic content exist in the skin. It has often been said that Verduzzo masquerades as a red wine such is its tannin content, unusual in whites.

Established in 1997, the Carillion Vineyard on the slopes of Mt Canobolas in Orange is one of three properties family-owned by Davis Premium Vineyards, the others located in the Hunter Valley - where the Tallavera Grove cellar door is based - and at Wrattonbully in South Australia. 

    

Mid-straw yellow colour. Fresh aromas of pineapple, nectarines and green apples with a musk-like undertone. 

 Dry and a faintly oily texture. Slightly astringent at first with a palate of green apple, black tea, chalky dry tannins and nutmeg. There is quite a bit of grip to the mouthfeel. Intense citrus mid-palate. Spicy and smooth on the finish. A well-balanced wine. Softened up more on the second evening's drinking with some interesting honey nuances present.

Ready to drink now but can see this cellaring for a few years. Good value for an exciting, food-friendly variety. 

 Source: Sample. ABV: 13.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $20.00. Rating: 90 Points. Website: http://tallaveragrove.com.au/

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2014 Tallavera Grove Rogue Series Funky Ferment Verduzzo

The Rogue Series is Tallavera Grove's cool and innovative approach to its Italian varietals or The Italian Jobs as it states on the label. Others in the Series include Vermentino, Aglianico and Sagrantino. This Verduzzo from the winery's Carillion Vineyard in Orange, has undergone six months of fermentation on skins, softening the usually astringent qualities of the grape and making the final product complex, weighty and textural.

One of four premium vineyards owned by the Davis Family, Carillion formerly known as Jokers Peak Vineyard, is situated on the slopes of Mt Canobolas in the cold wine region of Orange in the high central tablelands of New South Wales. The terroir, particularly the climate is ideal for grape growing and winemaking and the Verduzzo is surely at home here as it is in Friuli Venezia-Giulia, its traditional home.  

Before describing the wine, kudos to the wine label designer for such a striking piece of work. It is certainly an attention-grabber. Perhaps the funky refers to the label ? 
The wine itself has a light lemon gold colour. The restrained nose offers up lime blossom, citrus, cinnamon and some interesting leesy notes, which reminds me of fresh pastry. 
The first sip is dry and fresh, leads to a rich, slightly tart, light- to mid-bodied palate that bursts with crisp green apple, nectarine and Nashi pear flavours. Some biscuit and herbal notes too. 
Not as astringent as I would have first thought but the phenolics are there along with chalky-type tannins and a fine acid intensity. Because of such qualities, Verduzzo has commonly been referred to as the white for red drinkers. Easy to see why. 
It's a well-balanced, robust wine with a long spicy, stony finish and versatile enough to cope with a variety of food. Highly recommended.

 Source: Sample. ABV: 13.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $30.00. 
Rating: 92+ Points. Website: http://tallaveragrove.com.au/

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2012 Atze's Corner The Renegade

A Spanish-inspired blend of Grenache/Mataro/Graciano from the Barossa Valley that is unique in Australia.
From a small family-owned winery, only 150 cases were made by winemaker Andrew Kalleske.

Garnet brown in colour. Aromas of raspberries, plums, pepper and savoury spices are immediately appealing.

 But there was a disconnect between these and the palate where it did not deliver the goods. Whether it was just this bottle, I don't know but it didn't live up to the hype for me.

 The earthy raspberry of the Grenache, the brooding dark berries of the Mataro and Graciano's spicy tannins should have been more convincing but just couldn't go the distance. Medium bodied, subtle and slippery texture. 

 Interesting, easy and gluggable but there is better out there.  

 Source: Retail Purchase. ABV: 14.7%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $18.00. Rating: 88 Points.
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2012 Shadowfax Minnow

The Shadowfax Winery is located at Werribee, half way between Melbourne and Geelong and although too far north to be technically included in the Geelong region, it more or less is still included in that G I region. Its first vines were planted in 1998 and the winery's inaugural release of the Minnow wine was 2011, a blend more common in South Australia than Victoria.  

The attractively labelled Minnow is a quintessential autumn wine. A blend of 40% Carignan, 21% Grenache, 21% Cinsault and 18% Mataro, it invites comparisons to the reds of the south of France. Rustic yet charismatic. The thought of a cool and sunny afternoon, a patio with friends, autumn leaves and a glass or two of this delicious wine is not lost on me.

The colour is ruby red. Dark fruits, white pepper and cured meats on the nose. Savoury aromatics with some sweet licorice notes.
Light- to medium-weighted savoury wine that is all Carignan dark plum fruit and dried herbs on entry. Smoke notes reflect time in French hogsheads. A juicy smooth mid-palae of warm tang and zippy acid supports brooding raspberry, pepper, earth and meat flavours. All four varieties integrate together well and the dusty moderate tannins add to the overall enjoyment. Drinkable to the extreme. Recommended.  


Source: Gift. ABV: 13.1%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $25.00. Rating: 91 Points.
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2014 Chaffey Brothers DÜFTE PUNKT

Dufte Punkt is not a reference to the group Daft Punk and its soulless, manufactured robot music but is translated as The Aromatic Point. And it delivers on that front with loads of character and some.
Avant garde and unique in Australia, the wine is a 43/29/28 blend of Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Weisser Herold aka Kerner. What interests me - just as the Aranel component did in the Aja White Blend - is the Kerner, a 1929 German white variety that is a Riesling-Trollinger hybrid. It was bred by one August Herold in honour of one Justinus Kerner whose claim to fame among other achievements were songs and poetry about wine. I wonder what he would have thought of the Dufte Punkt ? Or Daft Punk for that matter ! 

From a single northern Eden Valley vineyard composed of limestone quartz gravel soils, the Chaffey Bros Wine Co. has manufactured a classic field blend with the Kerner coming from one of only two vineyards growing the variety in Australia. The other is located at Robinvale Organic Wines in north-west Victoria for those keen on fun facts. 

This is a wine light straw yellow, almost watery in colour.
Lime, grapey, musk and mineral quartz aromas. Some green apple action too. Very perfumed with big aromas.

 Palate is light, medium sweet grapey fruit upfront and secondary flavours of Turkish delight and lycees. Zippy acid throughout with a spicy, dry finish.

What I found very interesting is that besides being such a well-balanced blend, this is a wine where it is possible to appreciate its individual varietal components. The Riesling's mineral and citrus elements, the Gewürztraminer's spicy florals and the Kerner's texture and body. 

A funky yet refined drop. Like it. 

Source: Retail Purchase. ABV: 11.7%. Closure: Screwcap. Price: $20.00. Rating: 90 Points.
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