With the majority of the Maralinga Wine Society in attendance, another meeting was duly constituted in the Barossa last weekend, the fourth annual trip to the region in 18 months. I flew in from Melbourne and Biggles flew in from Sydney, the other five were already in Adelaide.
The timing of this trip was based around the limited opening of the Greenock Creek CD which occurs this time of the year, just after release of the new vintage. So an appointment was duly made, together with a number of other less well know CDs, none of which we had visited before. Accommodation as usual at Mt McKenzie, with transport by the ever reliable and affable Brendan from Barossa Valley Tours.
Drove up the hills route on Thursday night, with a stopover at the Stanley Bridge Tavern at Verdun for a quick counter attack. Three of us had a rather delicious Teusner Mataro with a couple of steaks and a pie. A brief drive by the brother’s joint at Romney Park for a wine pick-up then on to Mt McKenzie.
Notes, photos and other comments follow. Some of the notes are a bit brief unfortunately, I was struggling to keep up.
Day One
Kellermeister
The group getting ready to hit the first CD for the weekend! Lively bunch aren't we
All Kellermeister whites are from Eden Valley. Tasting using Riedel Vinum shiraz glasses
The CD at Kellermeister
Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot $28
Pale pale straw, served in large glass, apple, fresh acid,
2010 Dry Grown Shiraz $35
Deep red purple, lifted red fruits, some spice, seems disjointed in the mouth
2012 The Wombat General Eden Valley Riesling $22
Very pale, almost no colour, some lemon, bit flabby, some toastiness,
2012 The Rambling Ruins Pinot Gris $22
Bright pale straw, some citrus, passion fruit, soft acid
2011 The Funk Wagon GSM $27
Medium salmon purple, very soft, nice red fruits,
2012 The Curtain Raiser Tempranillo $27
Pale purple, some mint and slight aniseed, thin mouthfeel, pronounced legs,
2011 Ralph's Original Shiraz Cabernet $27
Mid purple, bit of licorice, black fruit, some oak aromas, red fruits, some soft chalkiness,
Threefold Farm series
2011 Missy Moo Mataro $45
Darker salmon purple, some brooding dark fruits, tannin, some acid, black fruits,
2012 The Firstborn Shiraz $45
Mid purple, some jamminess on the bouquet, tannins, but soft fruit, short finish
Icons Range
2010 Black Sash Shiraz $65
Black purple, some oak on the bouquet, some black fruits, full mouth feel, nice tannins, good structure, voluptuous, great length
We then fortunate that Kellermeister had put on a special tasting for us, so out to the barrel shed to taste some wines from barrel
2010 Wild Witch Shiraz $85
Deep black purple, smells tight, some oak, full mouthfeel, black fruits, tannins, but somewhat approachable,
2012 Wild Witch Shiraz (from barrel, Eden Valley component)
Deep black purple, floral character which dissipated after a short while, blue fruit character, softer tannins (not in barrel as long yet),
2013 Wild Witch Shiraz (from barrel, EV again)
Med black purple, blue fruits, bit raw compared with 2012, more restrained, perhaps a little stalky,
Charles Cimicky
Building dates from 1972, built by Charles Cimicky and father. Unfortunately there was a snafu with the appointment, they weren't ready for us and all of the wines were in the fridge. Lots of cupping of Riedel glasses in hands required.
2010 Saint C Cabernet Shiraz $40
Deep purple, blackberries, good fruit, tannins,
2010 Shiraz Mataro $45
70 Mataro, 30 Shiraz
Mid purple black, beautiful nose, black fruits, tannins,
2009 Reserve Shiraz $60
Red black, bouquet a bit flat, but generous mouthfeel,
2010 Durif (not from the fridge) $65
Black red purple, black fruits, tannin but not huge,
Blind tasting
(2012 Shiraz, probably the Autograph)
Purple, fresh bouquet, great fruit, good mouthfeel, very enjoyable
After a slow start and cold wines, it turned into a very enjoyable visit, tasting some very good wines and visiting the underground barrel room.
Enjoyed a casual lunch at the Lyndoch bakery, followed by some meaty purchases at the Lyndoch butcher. Steak for dinner!
We had ended up staying at Kellermeister and Cimicky much longer than our schedule and by now we were running seriously behind, so we had to pass on Schild Estate unfortunately and hop in the van for a trip from Lyndoch up to the High Eden
Mountadam
Spent a pleasant hour or so with David Brown who has owned Mountadam for about eight years. Took me about 3 minutes to suggest I would like to buy the house. It was built by David Wynn and has stunning views over the High Eden.
NV High Eden Pinot Chardonnay
Straw colour, bit phenolic, some lemon,
2012 EV Riesling
Pale straw, citrus, lemon, acid,
2012 Barossa Chardonnay
Pale straw, apricot, some citrus, acid, little oak, no malo
2011 EV Pinot Gris
Pale yellow, tropical fruit, some lemon, acid,
2011 High Eden Estate Chardonnay
Pale yellow, some oak, full on buttery, reasonable acid though,
2010 was a big medal winner in UK/Europe
2012 High Eden Estate Chardonnay
Pale yellow, more refined than 2011, better fruit?, some oak,
2009 High Eden Estate Chardonnay
Slight green tinge, some buttery malo character, nice acid, very drinkable at present
2010 Barossa Shiraz
No new oak, big seller,
Salmon red, soft fruit bouquet, little bit of plum, spice, soft fruit palate
2009 Barossa Cabernet Merlot
Salmon red, soft plum fruits, soft red fruits on palate,
2009 High Eden Patriarch Shiraz $30-35
Deep red purple, bit of spice, reasonably approachable,
2009 High Eden The Red (Bordeaux blend) $30-35
Red purple, beautiful red black fruit bouquet, still got some way to go, good fruit
Day 2
Day 2 on Saturday started with a mandatory visit to the famers market in Angaston. The joint was rockin’ by the time we got there about 9am, so we bought some provisions for lunch and that night’s dinner.
Greenock Creek Wines
Being able to visit the GC CD was the basis for the timing of B4, so we were looking forward to seeing what they had to offer.
Tasting was with Jarrod, with ISO glasses. Very intimate space, we pretty much filled it up. Low ceiling, low doors etc (more later) GC tend to use American oak for long life wines, stelvin closures apart from the Roennfeldt Road series.
Outside cellar door at Greenock Creek, getting the lowdown from Jarrod
You can get an idea of the size of the CD tasting room
2012 Cornerstone Grenache $29
Salmon red, bit of cherry, savoury, 15.5%! Fresh fruit feel, little bit of sweetness, 80yo bush vine grenache,
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon 24yo vines $38
Non Barossa style, more Bordeaux, 24mth 3yo french Red garnet, leafy, slightly vegetal, attractive, light red fruit, acid,
2011 Alice's Shiraz 15acres, 24mth in 3yo American oak, about approachability, dark intense fruit, not as much spice as the 2010, bit of milk chocolate, vanilla 15% $30
Dark red purple but thinish rim, black fruits, big tannins, fine grained, slightly sweet, some vanilla, milk chocolate?, length
2011 Apricot Block Shiraz, bigger structures style wine, some on hill, some on flat, blocks picked separately then blend, prunes, figs, chocolate, bigger dryer style, 8-10yrs min, 3yo amer oak 24mths, $38
Deep red purple, beautiful nose apricot??, great structure in the bouquet!! approachable red black fruits,
2011 Seven Acre Shiraz , 24mth 3yo Amer oak, $48
Mid red purple, beautiful bouquet, red black fruits, some dustiness, lighter palate than the Apr Block, good structure,
2008 Roennfeldt Rd Shiraz 3yrs new Amer oak, 2yrs in bottle before release $192 16.5%
Dark purple blood red, lifted alcohol, Christmas cake, some port characteristics, chewy, some sweetness, tannins, fruit though, big wine, big wine style, not my favourite style, could not drink much of this.
Probably deserves a couple more comments. A very big wine, good structure, great fruit, but to me totally undrinkable. Would it ever get there? Maybe ... 25+ years? Almost a VP style it was that alcoholic and rich. Robert parker has a lot to answer for.
2008 Roennfeldt Road Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% 3yrs new French, 2yrs bottle $192
Med red purple, slightly porty nose, new wood, some plums, blue fruits, good mouthfeel, not as big as the bouquet, slightly more approachable than the shiraz
Well, I have to say the group was somewhat underwhelmed by the Greenock Creek wines. Maybe it was the vintage (mainly 2011), and the two Roennfeldt Road wines from 2008 series were not our thing either. On the other hand, Phillip White is a big fan, his tasting notes were on display at CD.
The visit was capped off (literally) by 6’ 4†ol’ dumbo here, realising I had left my daypack in the tasting room, raced back in forgetting about the low door and promptly almost scalped myself .... ouch!!
Laughing Jack
Tasting with Shaun Kalleske, and yes, we went through a discussion on the various branches of the Kalleskes in the Barossa
Shaun now has a new winery just next door to Tscharke’s, well set up. He still has a few things to do, eg establish a CD, and we tasted in a barrel shed. Riedel shiraz glasses
2012 Jack's Shiraz, just racked out of barrel into tank, not adjusted 50/50 fr amer, seasoned oak, 12%new maybe, 14-14.5%. $20
Deep red purple, plums, some black fruits, chalky tannins, but softish,
2012 Moppa Hill Shiraz, just racked out of barrel into tank, sandy orange clay, underlain by ironstone, some sandstone, newer oak, 14.5%, $28 first release
Black purple, aromatic, some florals, some black fruits, berries, plush fruit mouthfeel,
2009 Old Vine Moppa Grenache, released as four yo wine $45 mainly fr oak, 14.5%, 51yo vineyard, 60-70 cases made
Mid red purple, wide rim, briary red black fruits, some tannin,
2010 Moppa Block Shiraz (release next year), 14.5%, 100%fr oak, 50% new $60ish
Deepish Red purple, wide rim, beautiful black fruits, oak,
2010 Vintage SV Shiraz from Moppa Hill vineyard, fortified
Black red, syrupy,
All in all, a great experience with Shaun.
Yelland & Papps
We had lunch at a table on the lawn with a couple of bottles from CD, it was a beautiful day and everything was right with the world.
Tasting followed lunch
2012 Devote Roussane $35
Pale pale straw, some lemon, stone fruits, fresh fruit, seems like a great summer drink
2011 Delight Vin de Soif GMS Carignan $20
Salmon pink, spicey nose, pepper, soft fruit, pleasant enough drink, uncomplicated
2011 Delight Shiraz $20
Medium salmon red, pepper on the nose, soft fruit
2010 Devote Old Vine Grenache $35 20% new fr, rest old
Salmon red, fabulous bouquet, nice red fruits,
2010 Divine Grenache $75
Bright deep salmon, briary fruit, some acid, soft tannins,
2011 Devote Greenock Shiraz $35
med grey purple, spicey nose, pepper, soft fruit,
Flaxman Wines
Then a bit of a drive back to near High Eden to visit Col Sheppard at Flaxman Wines. Very attractive tasting area that Col has set up complete with pizza oven, nearby pond, views to die for. It was a beautiful late afternoon and we spent a enjoyable hour or so, just soaking up the moment and enjoying the wines.
2008 Riesling $35
Straw yellow, minerality, some citrus, some kero nuances, still good acid,
2012 Riesling $25
Pale straw yellow, intense bouquet, some lemon, citrus, acid,
2011 Drone Blend GMS $25
Trying to make something about same weight of a Pinot Salmon red, spice, pepper, red fruits,
2012 Paladin Shiraz $18
Salmon purple, 3/4 yr old oak, spice, some red fruits, beautiful fruit in the mouth
2011 The Stranger Shiraz Cabernet 60/40 Bv/EV $35
Medium deep salmon purple, Cabernet nose, good tannins, balance, acid,
2010 Mataro $35
Deep red purple, tannins, fruit, v enjoyable
2010 Estate Shiraz $45, 25%new fr, 25% second use fr, rest older fr
Near black purple, beautiful black fruit nose, some oak,
2011 Estate Shiraz $45 (not released yet)
Dark red purple, savoury, pepper, good fruit again,
2010 Shhh Cabernet Sauvignon $35
Red purple, cassis, ripe tannins, fine,
NV Sparkling Shiraz 3 vintages, 13mths on lees, Great nose, Mark says that not bad (he doesn't like sparkling reds!!)
2012 Dessert Semillon (cordon cut)
Straw yellow, bit of green tinge, Candy on the nose, fresh, not too cloying
2010 Shiraz VP fortified with 20yo brandy spirit 17.5% <Greenock Ck!!
Red purple, (no further notes ... d'oh)
A great tasting with Col
Day 3
Red Art Rojomoma
To start the last day for the weekend, we visited Bernie in her “lady-cave†in the shed out the back of their house, complete with lounge chairs, pool table, dart board and some old records!!
2012 Rose $18
Pale salmon, hints of Shiraz nose, fresh, dry
2012 Chiaro lighter bodied shiraz $22
Mid red purple, bit of stewed plums on nose, light fruit
2008 Grenache Shiraz 80/20 $30
Light red purple, plums, bit of spice, nice fruit, savouriness,
2008 Tempranillo $30
Mid red purple, bit of a hole on the end palate
2004 Petit Verdot $36
Deep red purple, black fruits, violet characters, chalky tannins,
2008 Cabernet $30
Deep red slight purple, bit of stewiness, chocolate?, quite fresh fruit mouthfeel, some acid, not much oak apparent,
2006 Shiraz
Deep purple red, vanilla, more oak apparent, silky tannins, some acid, great fruit,
2010 Shiraz $30
Purple near black, beautiful black fruit bouquet, some acid, black fruits,
2006 Raj's Pick Shiraz $57
Red purple black, black fruits,
Lunch was at Casa Carboni’s in Angaston, an Italian restaurant/cafe that has been there for about 10 months. Lunch was preceded by a cooking demonstration from Matteo who showed us how to make pasta and accompanying sauce, which we then ate for lunch! Delicious stuff!!
Peter Lehmann
We had organised a “Taste of Masters and Stonewell†so Bronny Lowke took us off to the private tasting room for a very enjoyable tasting.
Here we are at the start:
2008 Wigan Eden Valley Riesling
Straw with tinge of green, some kero notes, still fresh acid, some complexity (even though a bit cold), length of flavour, lime,
2008 Maragret Barossa Semillon
Bright gold, bit of green, acid but not harsh, elegant fruit
2011 Lot #2 Stonewell Road Shiraz
Deep purple red, beautiful red black fruits, beautiful fruit mouthfeel, acid, soft tannins
2009 Eight Songs Shiraz
Deep purple red, beautiful mouthful,
2010 Mentor Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon
Purple blood red, tannins, blackberries,
2009 VSV Orrock Shiraz Murraytown in the south Flinders
Deep cherry red, spice and chocolate, supple fruit, bit chewy as well,
2009 VSV Ruediger Cabernet Sauvignon
Black red, black fruits on the bouquet, little bit of mint, tannins, beautiful red black fruits
2010 VSV 1885 Barossa Shiraz
Deep red black, dark chocolate, fine tannins, fruit structure,
2008 Stonewell Shiraz
Deep black red, plums, great fruit,
2009 Black Queen Sparkling Shiraz
Deep red black, some sweet fruit on the nose, beautiful fruit, great drink
This is the damage at the end
We were due to visit Artisan’s as a last stop for the weekend, but as on Friday, time had gotten away from us. It was a great tasting at Lehmanns. Now it was back to Mt McKenzie and a drive back to the airport for the trip home (thanks to John who was DD). Another great weekend exploring some unfamiliar labels as well as some well know ones. All the CD personnel were very helpful and accommodating. As you can see, the weather was kind and the scenery was often exceptional. The Barossa looks pretty good this time of year. Food, company, transport, organisation all great as usual. Reckon we should start marketing these trips, they have been that good!!
T1 (Tassie) and B5 beckon!
