2015 Green Man Wines Vermentino

Another release from the team at Green Man in Central Victoria and it's a corker, even though it is under screw cap ! Biodynamically grown, dry farmed, hand crafted with little intervention it was awarded a silver medal at the 2015 AAVWS in the crisp, fresh and dry Vermentino Class. There is another category for fuller-bodied ones. 

The 2015 is pale yellow in colour with very attractive aromas of florals, nashi pear and bathroom perfumes.

It feels crisp and zingy on the palate with a green apple, lemony lift through the centre.

Tastes fresh and vibrant with a talc-like texture of nashi pear, green apple and bitter herbs. Aromatic, dry and slatey. 
Has the length, good structure and plenty of character.

It's a beautifully balanced mid-weight wine, the lemon acidity keeping it seamless throughout. On the finish a subtle lemonade-like sweetness adds interest. Not hard to enjoy. Delicious drinking. 

Source: Sample. ABV: 13.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $33.00. Rating: 92 Points. 

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

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2014 Head Wines Nouveau Red

The Head Wines Nouveau Red is one of those intriguing drops that had me in a quandary. It's easy to drink, perhaps too easy straddling that grey zone between being an excellent quaffer and a good premium wine. And that's where the dilemma lies. 

Without over-thinking things, this blend is vibrant and bright purple in colour. Un-oaked Touriga Nacional (60%) and Montepulciano (40%) from Marananga in the Barossa Valley. Portuguese and Italian varieties that may be unique as a blend. Where else but here ?

Earthy, meaty, fresh cherries, burnt toffee and rose petal florals. An utterly fascinating and inviting bouquet.

Fleshy and fresh throughout the palate. More towards a light than medium bodied palate with juicy sweet fruit. Plum, cherry and licorice flavours. Light tannins, well balanced. Savoury cherry and chocolate finish of decent length. Crunchy and vibrant. Flair and passion. 

Good value for a quaffer/premium wine. Find it. Recommended.

Source: Retail Purchase. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $19.00. Rating: 91 Points. 

Website: http://www.headwines.com.au/Home

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2012 David Treager Maranoa Verdelho

The Maranoa brand takes its name from an historic farming property near Nagambie in central Victoria. Winemaker David Treager knows Verdelho like the back of his hand, crafting dry styles since 1990 to national and international acclaim.

This current release is a light green coloured wine. Engaging fresh tropical fruit aromas of guava, melon, pineapple and honeysuckle. 
Minerally, punchy and spicy upon entry. Not a fat wine but has a generous flavour profile that again reminds of a grapefruit, melon and guava fruit cocktail. Slight creaminess through the mid-palate. 

Crisp, balanced, approachable acidity drives through the palate and adds to the intense mouth-filling characteristics of the Verdelho. 
A little hot mid-palate but it doesn't take away from the overall enjoyment of this dry, mid-weight wine. There's a persistent spicy, lime and melon finish that really satisfies. 

There's a lot to like about this underrated variety that deserves more attention here. 

Source: Gift. ABV: 14.7%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $18.00. Rating: 90+ Points. 

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

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2014 Tahbilk Nagambie Lakes Roussanne

Used as a blending component with Marsanne and Viognier since 1998, this is Tahbilk's first varietal release of Roussanne.

The colour is light yellow to green. Lifted aromas of nectarine, herbal green tea and fragrant wild flowers, lime blossom comes to mind. 

Palate is herbaceous, pear, citrus and a light drizzle of honey. Silky mouthfeel but without much elegance. 

Taut, bracing acid kick from the get-go but then pulls up short.
Light-weight wine bordering on thin and somewhat bland and underwhelming, which wasn't what I was expecting. 

Source: Cellar Door. ABV: 12.8%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $16.95. Rating: 85 Points. Website: http://www.tahbilk.com.au

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2015 Coriole McLaren Vale Picpoul

The first commercial release of this white variety in Australia from one of the trailblazers in alternative varieties, Coriole in McLaren Vale. The winery had bragging rights when it planted Australia's first Sangiovese in 1985 and now adds another string to its bow.

Picpoul de Pinet has its own Appellation, the white wine only cru of the Languedoc region and holds a rare status in France: a varietal-labelled wine ! Picpoul (Blanc) is one of the lucky thirteen permitted varieties in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the name translating as 'lip-stinger' in the local Occitan language owing to its high natural acid content. So, the variety has it going on and now, it's our turn to get our lips stung !

This release is pale, clear yellow with greenish highlights.

Lifted aromas of lemon blossom, green leaves, pear and a subtle crushed rock minerality. Riesling-like aromatics on the nose. 


Adding interest to those aromatics was some suggestion of salty sea air, perhaps a reflection of the maritime climate of the grape's origins in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. 

Delicate and juicy palate with a lemony, peppery zing. Does in fact have some 'lip-sting' to it but in a subtle, lean sort of way. Dry, crisp with a little briny action going on too. Although not a complex wine, there's a lingering brightness and freshness that is attractive. On the light-side of medium-weight with an aftertaste of apple skin and gentle minerality. Think a cross between a crisp Riesling and a textural Marsanne and you wouldn't be far off. A good find that appears to be well-suited to its new McLaren Vale environs. 

Fascinating to watch how this first release Picpoul develops especially after having received a bronze medal at the recent AAVWS in the other white aromatic light to medium-bodied variety class.  

Limited amounts at the cellar door and if you're lucky, a perfect 'go to' wine for summer seafood dishes.

Source: Sample. ABV: 12.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $25.00. Rating: 91 Points. 

Website: https://www.coriole.com

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NV Zonin Prosecco

The Zonin family has a long heritage of winemaking and today is Italy's largest private wine company and a significant player on he European stage. Headquartered in Gambellara in the Vicenza province, the company's Zonin Prosecco brand is one of the most popular ones in Australia at present.

This pale yellow-coloured, Glera-based wine with its greenish tinge is enhanced attractively by persistent perlage and a fluffy mousse. 

Aromas of pear, light lemon notes and florals are followed by a soft palate delivering baked green apple, peach and almond. The fine spritzy beads are dry, aromatic and zingy in the mouth. Soft creamy texture to the overall palate. Finishes smooth and refreshing.  

A quality bubbly in a delicate, uncomplicated sort of way. Good on its own or even as a basis for spritzy summer cocktails. Widely available and excellent value.

Source: Sample courtesy of UMM Communications https://umm.com.au 
ABV: 11.0%. Closure: Cork. Price: $12.00. Rating: 89 Points. 
Website: http://www.zoninprosecco.com

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2015 Cherubino Pemberton Laissez Faire Field Blend

Larry Cherubino's second vintage of this quaddie, a Pinot Grigio, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Gris and Riesling field blend, the grapes of which were harvested at the same time with limited intervention in the subsequent winemaking process. 

Sauvignon Gris - a pink-berried mutation of Sauvignon Blanc - has mysterious origins in the Graves region of Bordeaux where it flirted with extinction thanks to phylloxera, somehow surviving only then to be used in blends ! Gratitude indeed. Seriously, it goes by an old local name, Fié or Fié Gris as well as Sauvignon Rosé. 
The variety's existence in Australia is unknown other than Larry Cherubino's Pemberton vineyard and finding good information on the variety here has been frustrating. It is different to its more illustrious relative in that it is less ferocious aromatically and less crisp but more round and textural in the mouth. 

Brancott Estate in New Zealand's Marlborough region has produced a varietal Sauvignon Gris since 2013 as have a few others wineries over the ditch. The variety has a long history in Chile with many producers making varietal wines from it than anywhere else. 

Sauvignon Gris Grapes

Visually, an attractive pale gold colour with delicate aromas of pear and nectarine underlined by hints of rose water, lime and talc.

A soft and gentle palate begins with poached pear, melon and rose water building to delicate stone fruit and herbal notes. 

Dry talc-like tannins supported by some crisp acid make this a well-balanced, very drinkable wine. 

Generous mouthfeel that gives way to a smooth and savoury fruit finish.

Nothing out of place here in this intriguing blend. Recommended for something different to be enjoyed over the warmer months.

Source: Sample. ABV: 12.9%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $25.00. Rating: 91 Points. 

Website: http://buywine.larrycherubino.com.au/home/index.cfm/welcome/

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2014 Cherubino Pemberton Laissez Faire Field Blend

An Alsatian recipe of Pinot Grigio, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Gris and Riesling from the Pemberton region in Western Australia.

A passionate advocate for Australia's largest wine region - Western Australia's Great Southern - Larry Cherubino started his own winery business in 2005. His portfolio now has an extensive five-tier range of wines from sub-regional and single vineyards, among which the Laissez Faire is one, a reference to the uncomplicated, non-interventionist approach to winemaking.    

The Sauvignon Gris component interests me as a variety rare in Australia at present. Sourced from the Channybearup Vineyard in Pemberton, it adds a touch of texture and finesse to the blend.

In the glass the wine is pale yellow with pinkish hues in colour.

Aromas of lemon and pear predominantly with a suggestion of passion fruit, rose petals and mineral nuances.

A soft, light and bright palate of lemon, pear, pineapple with talc-like tannins. The blend creates a subtly-flavoured wine with balanced dry acidity. A hint of sweetness at the tail end makes it interesting.

The first of this blend with these varieties to be produced in Australia. Juicy, good length and easy to drink. 











Source: Sample. ABV: 13.0%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $29.00. Rating: 90 Points. 

Website: http://buywine.larrycherubino.com.au/home/index.cfm/welcome/

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2014 Gapsted Wines Limited Release Petit Manseng

Where has this grape been hiding ? How come we haven't heard more of it ? If there was ever a variety that has flown under the radar in Australia, it is Petit Manseng. Considered an uncommon variety here, its major plantings are located in north-east Victoria and the Riverland regions with sundry other producers scattered throughout the mainland states.

Known for its intense flavours and natural acidity, Petit Manseng is a lesser known grape even in France from where it originates. This white variety flourishes and is highly regarded in the Jurançon AOC of south-west France, which interestingly was one of the first wine appellations to be declared in France.

History documents its existence since the mid-1500s and records that it holds an auspicious position in the history of La Belle France. The future King Henri IV (1553-1610) who was born in the town of Pau, was christened with the wine. It is a practice that continues with local baptisms to this day. Petit Manseng also grows in the Spanish Basque countryside over the border and in Uruguay where with the Tannat variety it arrived with French Basque immigrants in the 1820's.

Situated in Victoria's high country, awarding-winning Gapsted Wines source their grapes from the King and Alpine Valley, the winery having the distinction of pioneering the P M variety in Australia in the mid 1990's.

Their 2014 release is light copper with green tinges in colour.

Exotic aromatics of nectarine, lime sherbert, jasmine and cinnamon. Intense and perfumed and inviting.

Palate is a well-structured, light to medium on its feet and long. Peaches, honeysuckle, quince and pineapple all compete on the palate. Tangy, light chalky mouthfeel and fresh. Off dry with bright acidity through to a soft crisp finish of lemon and green apple. Not obviously sweet, the balance and definition provided by the natural acidity and light tannins. 


Captivating, sumptuous, delicious with little here to dislike. A wine of presence and high interest. Superb drinking now that would match a range of different cuisines well. Could also cellar for a few more years. A ripper. Move over Sauvignon Blanc, you're got more competition.

If this unique and underrated variety gets more traction here, Petit Manseng has the potential to be the next big white wine variety in coming years. 

Source: Sample. ABV: 12.9%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $25.00. Rating: 93 Points. 

Website: http://gapstedwines.com.au

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2015 Oliver's Taranga Vineyards 'Chica' Mencia Rosé

Mencia is a red variety that reigns supreme in the Bierzo appellation of the Galicia region in Spain's north-west corner. Once thought to be genetically linked to Cabernet Franc, research now suggests it is identical to the Portuguese variety Jaen from the Dao region, brought to Spain it seems by religious pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. Previously a variety of minor importance, Mencia has now started to gain serious attention both within Spain and abroad for its potential to make quality wine. 

Oliver's Taranga Vineyards grow the only commercial plantings of Mencia in Australia and this hand-picked and foot-trodden Mencia Rosé is their second go at it after the success of the 2014 vintage. Made by the chicas at the cellar door, winemaker Corrina Wright says that "We are still learning every year, and while the vines are still juvenile, we decided to get our whole cellar door team on board to learn more about the winemaking process - and as such the ‘Chica’ Mencia Rosé was born!" 

A very attractive crimson purple colour in the glass. Don't be deceived by its colour. It may say 'fruit bomb' but it's quite the opposite. Fresh floral, strawberry and redcurrant aromas. Some bramble and mineral hints, which give the wine a likeable wild dry earthiness.

Lively and tasty palate of cranberry, pomegranate and watermelon flavours. Light-bodied, marked by a nice balance of crisp acid and dusty, fruity tannins. Delicious to drink with a great spicy sweet sour tension going on all the way to the finish. Dry, flavoursome and easy to drink. With more vine age, it'll be interesting to see how this turns out in a few years. It's got the potential to be one of our best rosés. 

I really liked this wine. With the Rosé Revolution in some sort of holding pattern at the moment and needing a shoot in the arm with warmer weather ahead, you'd be bonkers not to give this a go for an enjoyable and intriguing take on rosé wines, Recommended chilled.   

Source: Sample. ABV: 11.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $24.00. Rating: 92 Points. Website: http://www.oliverstaranga.com/

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2014 Amato Vino Margaret River Bastardo !

Bastardo ! You can't help but love the name and sound of this variety. It could be a marketer's dream in the competitive Australian wine environment but the issue is that little of this red grape is grown here and what does usually is blended away. Regions such as Margaret River, South Australia's Barossa Valley and Riverland are its main growing areas.      

In another less 'flamboyant' guise the variety is known as Trousseau. An ancient variety native to the Jura region in eastern France, it has more recently made its mark in Portugal particularly Madeira, the Dao and the Douro Valley as a grape permitted in the production of Port wine. It has a somewhat checked reputation with irregular yields and suspect grape quality and I was amused reading Oz Clarke's paraphrase of an old Portuguese adage, which said that to plant Bastardo is an excellent way to make a grower poor. Perhaps the utterances of frustrated growers all over Portugal after unsatisfactory vintages of the variety saw their curses catch on as the variety's name !      

In the glass this wine has deep cherry red colours. Initially stinky then after considerable swirling the nose's boldly redolent aromas send out dark red fruit, geranium, cough medicine, black pepper and wet earthy notes. This was Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side with the coloured girls going do da do da do da do do do ... Apologies to those with a p c inclination but the bouquet was not what you could call perfumed. Different, challenging, compelling, yes. 

What can you expect from a natural wine that has had no filtration, added preservatives, matured on skins for six months and has been fermented in clay amphora vessels ? Brad Wehr, the winemaker behind amongst others, the Amato Vino label has a reputation for doing quirky and expressive wines of quality. With only 300 bottles produced of the Bastardo in 640 ml craft beer bottles, this is surely one Australian rarity. 

The quite different palate delivers sour dark cherry, pipe tobacco, gamey flavours and licorice, which gives it a light sweetness. Generous, sweet and savoury mid-palate qualities. Tight structure wrapped around medium tannins and a sour acidity almost a slight bitter, mineral twang to it as well. A little high on the heat however. Light-to-mid weight wine with a decent length. Enjoyable, yes. 

From an unfamiliar, left field variety produced in an avant-garde way, this fascinating wine should reward the adventurous oenophile.  

Postscript. The 2015 Amato Vino vintage of the variety resorts to the name Trousseau.

Source: Retail Purchase. ABV: 14.2%. Closure: Crown Seal. Price: $30.00. Rating: 89 Points. 

Website: http://amatovino.com.au/

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