TN: 2003 Bidgeebong Tempranillo

Adair · Post by **Adair** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:22 pm

2003 Bidgeebong Tempranillo - 12.5%

Bright dark cherry in colour. Plums, sweet meats and spices with cedar, minerals and cool restraint on the nose. Light-medium bodied. Smooth and ripe front palate of plum, cherry, meat and spice. Favour assisted by very fine tannin and beautifully integrated acid, the latter allowing the wine to exhibit a very varietal "sour cherry" character. Superb balance. Good depth and medium length.

A classy and interesting wine, full of life. An excellent "New World" expression of this "noble" Spanish grape, true to both its Australian vines and Spanish heritage. Very food friendly. Enjoyable now, it has the balance and structure to age over the next 3-5 years. Rated Highly Recommended.

Adair

GrahamB · Post by **GrahamB** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 8:37 am

Adair

I am interested in the Tempanillo after tasting the d'Arenberg "Sticks & Stones" and the Casa Freschi "La Signora". Is the winery at Gundagai. Where did you source the wine?

Graham

Adair · Post by **Adair** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 8:56 am

GrahamB wrote:Adair
I am interested in the Tempanillo after tasting the d'Arenberg "Sticks & Stones" and the Casa Freschi "La Signora". Is the winery at Gundagai. Where did you source the wine?
Graham

Hello Graham,

I don't think I am going to be much help here. The wine I had was a passed-on freebie, although, in this case, the person who gave me the wine is one of Bidgeebong's growers in the Tumbarumba area, the majority of this particular wine coming from his vineyard. He is quite proud of this wine, as he should be.

Looking at the Bidgeebong website (http://www.bidgeebong.com.au/), I don't think this wine has been released.

With regard to comparing it to the d'Arenberg and Casa Freschi "Italian" wines, I am sure the differences will be huge, although the European flavour will still be there. Tumbarumba is much cooler than the coldest SA vintage.

Sorry I can't be of further help.

Adair

Adair · Post by **Adair** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 10:54 am

Follow up the next night:

I had the remnants of this bottle last night, about 100mL, and was still impressed. The 24 hours breathing had created greater depth and the addition of raspberry flavours. Still controlled, savoury and full of life.

Furthermore, the wine showed my 3-5 year aging estimate to be well founded. This wine will build with time, similar to that of a good traditional Hunter Shiraz, their structures being similar in profile.

Adair

sean h · Post by **sean h** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:20 pm

Are you sure the fruit is from Tumba, If it is from the grapegrower (Simon L.) I think it is he is in the Gundagai GI. Very good fruit, great region , fantastic potential, just need more small to medium winemakers to balance out the big boys.

Adair · Post by **Adair** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:08 pm

sean h wrote:Are you sure the fruit is from Tumba, If it is from the grapegrower (Simon L.) I think it is he is in the Gundagai GI. Very good fruit, great region , fantastic potential, just need more small to medium winemakers to balance out the big boys.

Hello Sean,

The majority of this wine was from a single vineyard in Humula (NSW), about 80km South-South-West of the town of Gundagai. Although I am not well versed in the GI boundaries of NSW, as it is only 50km North-West of Tumbarumba (and about 70km South-East of Wagga Wagga), I suspect it is in the Tumbarumba GI.

Interestingly, a considerable component of one of the more recent vintages of the Lark Hill Pinot Noir came from Pinot Noir from this vineyard. I am 99% sure it was the 1999 (95/100 JH) due to the ridiculously small crops at Lark Hill. A pretty good reference for this vineyard!

Adair

sean h · Post by **sean h** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 8:56 pm

Adair,
thanks for that I was thinking it was another vineyard, if it is at Humula you are quite right it is in the Tumba GI, but in a quite warmer area than most of the GI. Tumba has some great potential for wine, particularly pinot, chard and sauv blanc. The problem for the district is there is only one winemaker in the district actually making the wine, most of the fruit is sold to Southcorp, (used to make some handy wines through the Hungerford Hill range, should still be a fairly large component of Penfolds Yattarna, and into the range of sparklings) hardys etc etc. Great place for anyone who wants to make superpremium wines, but cant front the cost of land in more recognised areas

cheers
Sean

GrahamB · Post by **GrahamB** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:43 am

Adair

Somethings are just meant to be. Yesterday I went to a tasting of SIX vintages of the Langmeil 'The Freedom' and other Langmeil wines.

The Qld distributor for Langmeil had his portfolio listing for the attendees and right under Langmeil is Bidgeebong.

I sent him off to source supplies.

Graham

Adair · Post by **Adair** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:44 am

GrahamB wrote:Adair

Somethings are just meant to be. Yesterday I went to a tasting of SIX vintages of the Langmeil 'The Freedom' and other Langmeil wines.

The Qld distributor for Langmeil had his portfolio listing for the attendees and right under Langmeil is Bidgeebong.

I sent him off to source supplies.

Graham

Hahaha... excellent!

Adair · Post by **Adair** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:52 am

sean h wrote:Adair,
thanks for that I was thinking it was another vineyard, if it is at Humula you are quite right it is in the Tumba GI, but in a quite warmer area than most of the GI. Tumba has some great potential for wine, particularly pinot, chard and sauv blanc. The problem for the district is there is only one winemaker in the district actually making the wine, most of the fruit is sold to Southcorp, (used to make some handy wines through the Hungerford Hill range, should still be a fairly large component of Penfolds Yattarna, and into the range of sparklings) hardys etc etc. Great place for anyone who wants to make superpremium wines, but cant front the cost of land in more recognised areas

cheers
Sean

Sean,

You obviously know the area quite well. With regard to the winemaker, I suspect you mean Andrew Birks from Charles Sturt University - also some relation to the A.P. Birks of Wendouree fame.

Also, even previous vintages from this particular vineyard were blended into Southcorp wines.

Lastly, I can confirm that the vineyard is situationed in Tumbarumba. I am very interested in your comment about Humula being warmer than most areas in the Tumbarumba GI. Sounds like they have selected their soil well.

Thanks for your comments,
Adair

Gavin Trott · Post by **Gavin Trott** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 9:51 am

Last night I had another great temperanillo experience, 2004 Temperanillo Juven from Cascabel (Spanish wine maker).

She claims this is the closest wine yet to a Spanish wine, drink young and fresh, un oaked or virtually, all bright raspberry and cherry fruit, great 'savoury' note that cascabel always achieve, nice bright acid, just delicious and gluggable.

Adair, I think you'd like this too, sounds similar.

The Mt Majura is worth a go also!

Adair · Post by **Adair** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 10:03 am

Apparently the wine is available at the Humula Sports Club (just in case you are passing by

) for about $20 per bottle. As it is retailing at this establishment, I imagine that it would also be available at the cellar door in Gundagai.

Adair