Coonawarra Visit

[Michael McNally]

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Despite two weeks home isolation following my visit, I had to wait until work finished for the year to finalise my write up.

Coonawarra Day 1 - 12 September 2020

Summary (Wine Notes Follow)

Day started sunny, but clouds and showers had arrived by the time I arrived at my first stop.

Ottelia Wines
Located in the Coonawarra township next to the general store. Melissa, who is half of the husband and wife team that run Ottelia + Fodder Wine and Food sat me at my own table and talked me through the wines. Fascinating range of wines from Coonawarra and surrounds. I noted that she was opening wines and pouring etc left handed and she showed me her right arm which had been caught in an auger (wine crusher) and was very nearly amputated. Lovely chatting with her about the wines and the story of Ottelia. All the wines were quality (notes below) with the standouts being the Mt Gambier Pinot Noir and Padthaway Graciano. Great start.

Realising that I might need a notepad, I stopped at the Coonawarra General Store. They didn’t have notepads for sale (pretty eclectic shop) but they gave me one of their A4 pads to use - no charge.

Redman Wines
One of the regulars at the wine show I pretty much knew what to expect from Redman. The not Dan Redman brother took me through the wines. Not as talkative as Dan (who does the Brisbane Roadshow) but nice to see the unsurprisingly 70s setup of the cellar door. Their Cab Sauv/Merlot is the standout wine.

Stopped at the General Store to have a coffee and browsed through their little bottle shop while I drank my coffee. Weird range of wines and vintages with some stuff back to 2000.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate
Luke, their Cellar Door Manager, took me though the range and the 2018s are very strong. The regular White Label Shiraz is a belter. Really relaxing chat with Luke who was happy to chat as I was (again) the only patron. After the tasting he showed me the winery under the cellar door. Recommended Zema for the gap I had before lunch.

Zema Family Wines
Luke had said I should tell Emily he had sent me, which is always a nice way to start. They have a new sparkling Merlot which was interesting. Solid wines, but kind of confirmed for me why I hadn’t put them on my ‘must see’ list.

Lunch at Fodder
I could rave about this place forever. it wasn’t too busy when I arrived at 12.15. Dish after amazing dish came out until 2.15 (I had to ring and postpone my visit to Majella - there was no way I was prioritising a tasting over this food). I will do a separate post with the pictures and the menu. I only wish I had had time and tummy space to fit in dessert. I had a glass of the Graciano and bought a bottle to take home. I decided during this meal that this wouldn’t be my one and only trip to Coonawarra. I have to bring Yasmin to this place.

Katnook Estate
Made it for my 2.30 appointment at Katnook. Talked with Naomi about the sale of the business to Accolade (also owners of Stonier, Houghtons, Knappstein and others). Looks like it will be a god fit. Tasted through most of the range. I liked the Caledonian, but at $55 there is batter wine out there and their flagship wines are overpriced and lack interest for me.

Majella Estate
Had time to squeeze in Majella before my next appointment. Nice to finally visit the place I have been buying wines from for more than a decade. Unfortunately Bruce was out of town and it was Prof’s birthday so he was nowhere to be found, but Marie took me through the wines. I liked the 14 Maleea and the 2019 Sparkling Shiraz shows promise.

Bowen Estate
Final appointment of the day was at Bowen. Only three wines (as always) and they are already sold out of the 2018 Cabernet so were showing the 2011. I bought a bottle of the Chardonnay to have with my cheese and crackers. Ros recommended that I stop at Patrick of Coonawarra on my way back to town.

Patrick of Coonawarra
Janet took me through the wines and we talked about Stewarding (she did the Halliday Challenge this year). Really good range of wines with high quality across the board. I haven’t really paid them much attention at the Roadshow, but will from now on. I left with a bottle of the Riesling to take home and a bottle of the 2014 Estate Shiraz to have with my steak.

Peter Thompson Wines
After visiting the Butcher for steak (and Janet at Patrick had recommended the chilli cheese Kransky) I went to Peter Thompson Wines and his daughter (I forgot to ask her for her name) took me through the wines. Very good range of wines all with some age and good VFM. Interesting hearing about how they are building a brand and how they have got to where they are. Bought a bottle of the 2014 PTW Cabernet to have with my steak.....

So day one concluded after 9 wineries and an amazing lunch, some great chats about wine and COVID and life. In my element indeed.

Tasting Notes
Ottelia
2019 Riesling (Mt Gambier) - good acid balance. Citrus. Lemon pith. Good persistence. Would age. VVG
2019 Pinot Gris (Limestone Coast) - lovely bubblegum/rose water aromatics. Gentle pear. Quite neutral palate.VG
2019 Chardonnay (Mt Gambier) - Shy leafy nose. Some stone fruit on the palate, but quite citrusy. Nice length. VVG
2018 Pinot Noir (Mt Gambier) - nice nose with truffles and mushroom. Light to medium-bodied. Bright, Savoury. Food style. VVG
2017 Sangiovese (Limestone Coast) - Dry red nose with a touch of char/tar. Savoury red berry fruit. VVG
2019 Graciano (Wrattonbully) - Great nose of florals and cherry. Amazing colour (purple/red). Bright cherry fruit. Super juicy and some complexity. Savoury. Great food wine. Ex
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra) - the only Coonawarra wine. Light nose but typical cassis. Medium bodied food friendly style. VVG

Melissa explained that John had started his winemaking career with an Italian winemaker at Montrose in Mudgee and that had a lasting influence on the way he makes wines and the styles he produces.

Redman Wines
2020 Riesling - lemon/lime. Nice nose. VVG
2017 Shiraz - Nice, maybe a bit light weight? VG
2016 ‘Last Row’ Shiraz - Bit of varnish on the nose. Fruity, bloody plummy style. VVG,
2017 Cabernet - Definite vegetal edge to the nose with green capsicum there. Medium-bodied. G
2018 Cabernet - Riper and fuller on the nose and palate. Nice tannins but still shy for me. VG
2018 Cabernet Merlot - This is better. More Bordeaux style nose. Good fruit. Nice tannin. Nice finish. VVG

Wynns Coonawarra Estate
2020 Riesling - Good release. Lemon pith and bath salts. VVG
2020 Chardonnay - Lean but not austere. Mainly citrus with some stone fruit. VG
2018 Shiraz - Juicy. Very drinkable. Bodes well as the 2018 vintage benchmark. VVG
2017 ‘The Siding’ Cabernet - Very good with nice silty tannin. Good entry level Cab. VG
2018 ‘The Gables’ Cabernet - Next level with darker fruit and more palate weight. Good VFM. VVG
2018 Black Label Shiraz - Beautiful fruit forward wine with oak really in the background. Juicy and full. VVG/Ex
2018 Black Label Cabernet - Varietal nose. Good mouthfeel and medium to almost full body. Very varietal. Needs time, but pretty approachable now. Ex
2007 Glengyle Vineyard Cabernet. Graceful nose. Dried/aged beef. Fruit still there but the highlight is the beautiful tannin. VVG
Pedro Jimenez - Wow. Great wine. So complex and clean. Toffee, caramel, roasted nuts. Everything. Brilliant

Zema Estate
2020 Rosé - Shiraz. Nice. Clean. G
2018 Sparkling Merlot - Savoury cherry flavours. VG
2016 ‘Cluny’ Cab/Merlot. Very dry and not offering much. Claret style. G
2016 Shiraz. Peppery and dry. Savoury. VG
2016 Cabernet - Easy drinking medium-bodied. VG
2015 ‘Family Reserve’ Cabernet - More intense fruit with real tannin pucker. Dry. VVG

Katnook Estate
2019 Riesling - Nice light lime/lemon. Good acid . VG
2018 Chardonnay - Citrusy and nutty. Nice length. VG
2018 Malbec - Nice. God fruit. Nothing notable. VG
2017 Merlot - VG
2017 Shiraz - Juicy, Moreish. VVG
2017 Cabernet - Straight up, nothing terribly exciting. VG
2017 Sparkling Shiraz - bit dry and simple. VG
2017 Caledonian Cab/Shiraz VVG
2018 Amara Cabernet - Very dark fruit. Bit of char. VG
2014 ‘Prodigy’ Shiraz - black fruit. Slightly acidic - VVG
2014 ‘Odyssey’ Cabernet - again the acid sticks out and unremarkable for $110. Neither flagship has the depth or intensity to justify the $$$

Majella
2019 Riesling - Quite austere and dry - VVG
2020 Rosé - Very Provençal in style. Dry. Food friendly. VVG
2017 Merlot - Cherry fruit. Bright. Slight acid imbalance. VG
2016 Shiraz - Juicy, chewy and slightly too acidic. VG
2017 Cabernet - Dark fruit. oak support. Better balance. Good length. VVG
2014 Malleea Dark intense fruit. Noticeable acid. VVG/Ex
2019 Sparkling Shiraz - Full bodied. Low dosage fruity and dry. VVG

Bowen Estate
2019 Chardonnay - good fruit, but not overblown. Length restraint. VVG
2018 Shiraz - Plush fruit. Good oak. VVG
2011 Cabernet - bit thin. G

Patrick of Coonawarra
NV Mother of Pearl Sparkling - very respectable and drinkable bubbles. Insane QPR. VVG
2020 Riesling - had this last night at Pipes too. Very vibrant. Rose’s lime cordial. Gorgeous acid. Future looks great. Ex
2014 Aged Riesling - A little lanolin on the nose. Lovely complexity. Honey. Long. Ex
2019 M.O.P. Rosé - Lovely field blend. Dry. Very food friendly. Again very good QPR. VVG
2015 M.O.P Shiraz - soft, juicy easy drinking. VVG
2014 Estate Shiraz - Lovely plummy nose. Some oak there. Fruit is plush and soft. Tannin support. Good length. Ex
2014 ‘Joanna’ Shiraz - step up in intensity. Hint of nail varnish. deep fruit. Balanced. Ex
2016 Estate Cabernet - earthy, full-bodied and complex. Ex
2014 ‘Home Block’ Cabernet - Classic Cabernet. Balanced. Long. Complex. Ex
2012 ‘Grande Reserve’ Cabernet - next level tannin. Soft. Full fruited. Ex
2010 ‘Jessie’ Botrytis Riesling- gorgeous colour. Lovely apricot and honey scents and flavours. Bright acidity. Good sticky! Ex

Peter Thompson Wines
2018 Silex Riesling - Nicely balanced citrus. Lime. VVG
2018 Silex Chardonnay - good fruit mainly citrus but some stone fruit shining through. VVG
2018 Silex Pinot Noir Rosé - Very good fruit. Savoury, mouthwatering. VVG
2014 PTW Shiraz - Full-bodied. Great fruit. nice balance. Oak in support. Length. QPR high. Ex
2014 PTW Cabernet - Lovely complex nose of blackcurrant and dark cherry. Cherry and milk chocolate fruit. Furry tannins. Lovely finish. Ex

[Michael McNally]

Coonawarra Day 2 - Friday 13 September 2020

Summary (tasting notes below)

Brand’s Laira
Started the day at the brand new million dollar tasting facility at Brand’s Laira. Due to be officially opened next Wednesday after the original opening was delay due to some virus thingy. Naomi took me through the extensive range of wines and chatted. Now owned by Casella, the parent company has really looked after the staff during Covid. They have an extensive range and their mid to high end wines are all high quality. The 2018 Blockers Chardonnay is excellent for an entry level wine ($28). I walked away with a bottle of the ‘cellar door only’ August Tide Dry Red. Great start to the day.

Leconfield
Next appointment was at Leconfield. Another newish cellar door. Kerrie took me through the wines and we discussed the challenges that life can throw at you. It was interesting hearing her story and how she ended up back where she started after a brief stay in Brisbane (hence the story). An excellent Riesling and the Cab Franc was really interesting. They had a back vintage of the Riesling available (the 2010) so I walked away with one of those.

Balnaves
Was early for my appointment with Balnaves. Lovely setting with a tasting room with a deck overlooking a pond. Young Ellie (Granddaughter of Doug and Anette) made me welcome despite having a challenging morning with some cows. Lovely chatting with her while we went through the range. Great wines across the range. The Tally was probably the best value of the big flagship wines I tried across the two days. They had lots of back vintages for sale at the current cellar door prices and I had been so good so far, I let myself order six wines….. Ellie recommended the home made beef pies at the General Store for lunch.

Drove back up to the General Store and managed to snag the last pie. I sat down to eat it at the counter and found out how small Coonawarra/Penola is. Bruce Gregory from Majella came in and I said G’day. I also asked him if he had a son named Jared as I had discovered that the notepad they had given me yesterday has “Jared Gregory Year 7” on the back. Turns out his son Jared (now adult) was the guy who had been serving me at the Store. Nice guy. Bruce left and before I had finished my pie, Dan Redman, Jo Brand (Brand and Sons) and another familiar face from the Roadshow had all come and gone. Nice!

Jack Estate
The first place I had made an appointment with. Conrad took me through the wines and we talked about how he came to be there (from South Africa) and covid and cricket. I had never heard of this producer before and was impressed by their wines. Massive production and storage facilities making wine on contract. Really competitive pricing for the estate range and the flagship range. Conrad is a fan of adding older material to wines to give them complexity. He had a 2014 Cabernet that was part of the ‘Second XI” – the wines that weren’t selected for the flagship range and hadn’t been bottled but had remained in barrel. And interesting slightly oxidised style. I ended up getting six of those (at $10 p/b) and six of the estate and flagship wines. Interesting.

Whistle Post
I had time before my appointment at Parker at 3pm to go to Whistle Post wines. They are in the middle of building a huge new Barrel Hall and function space in the fork where the Penola bypass starts (opinion is fiercely divided about the benefits of the bypass and what it has done to local business in Penola). Anyway, went through the range pretty quickly with the son, whose name I didn’t get. Nothing really excited me about any of the wines though they were pretty reasonably priced and nice to see people making a straight Cab Franc.

Parker Coonawarra Estate
Next appointment was at Parker. Plenty of history from the original family purchase through to the modern day owners. Erica has been there for many years and was happy to keep pottering while serving wines, leaving me space and answering questions in a laid back fashion. Really good range of wines, particularly their high end wines. I ended up walking away with the Single Batch Wine Cabernet/Montepulciano and a 95 Block Cabernet. They lost a fair few vines to the bypass……

Raidis Estate
Final stop of the day (after dropping my car off and walking back) was Raidis. Steve started taking me through the wines while he tried to remember a task that he knew he had to do but couldn’t recall. Discussed the way they had changed when covid first hit. Interesting chat and they are doing better than I expected many of the smaller players would be. Good range of wines with the standard cabernet excellent (and I walked away with one).

Walked back to my lodgings via the butcher (Emily from Zema Estate said hi). I spent the evening reading as was too buggered after two full on days to transcribe my notes. Went to bed reflecting on two fantastic days immersed in cellar doors and wine.

Tasting Notes

Brand’s Laira
2019 ‘Old Station’ Riesling (CDO) – One bottle had been open for two days but Naomi insisted on opening a fresh one so I tried both. The older bottle showed more body and depth. Lemon/lime good fruit. Nice length. VVG/Ex
2018 Blockers Chardonnay – Stonefruit nose. Good depth but not buttery. Great length and complexity. Ex
2020 Rose – Strawberries and cream nose. Savoury. Light. VVG
2015 Blockers Shiraz – dark cherry nose. Lighter style easy drinking. VVG
2015 ‘Old Station’ Cab/Shiraz (CDO) Blackberry and plum. Juicy fruit. Nice tannin. Balanced. VVG/EX
2015 Blockers Cabernet – Blackberry. Varietal nose. Good tannin for entry level. Typical Coonawarra Cab. VVG/Ex
2014 ‘August Tide’ Shiraz (CDO) – Classic ‘Dry Red’ nose. Juicy fruit. Complex. Soft tannin. Some kirsch. Nice long finish. Ex.
2014 ‘Tall Vines’ Shiraz (CDO) – Bigger, drier, more restrained. Prefer earlier wines. VVG
2018 ‘1968 Vines’ Cabernet (CDO) – Vibrant floral expressive nose. Intense fruit. Balanced.Long. Nice tannin. Needs time. Ex+
2015 ‘Stentifords’ Shiraz – Vibrant nose. Cherries and cream. Medium-full glossy cherry fruit. Pucker. Long. Ex
2015 ‘171’ Cabernet – Blackberry, chocolate, earth. Gorgeous tannin. Still vibrant without overt acidity. Ex.

Leconfield
2019 Riesling – Lemon/lime. Dry. VVG
2018 Chardonnay – Citrus but a bit buttery. Pretty ‘old school’. VG
2019 Cabernet Franc – Juicy soft fruit balanced with some leafy complexity. Ex
2019 Reserve Shiraz – striking purple color. Soft fruit. VVG
2018 Cabernet Merlot – Deep nose and good cherry/blackberry fruit. Firm tannin, nice length. Ex
2018 Cabernet – good cabernet fruit. Not particularly remarkable. VG
2016 ‘Sydney’ Reserve Cabernet – Intense. Next level tannin. Not sure it justifies the $80 price tag.

Balnaves
2018 Chardonnay – Some citrus and cream. Refreshing. Clean. VVG
2020 ‘Cheeky Red’ – Strawberries and cream. Savoury. Dry. Interesting. VVG
2018 Entav Clone – Cab dominant blend. Beautiful nose. Lovely tannin. VVG
2017 ‘The Blend’ – Merlot dominant (68/30/2PV). Dark fruit. Juicy and fresh. Ex
2018 Shiraz – Again juicy, fruit dominant, light on tannin. Quaffable. Ex
2016 Cabernet – Classic Coonawarra Cab nose. Blueberry fruit. Lovely supporting French oak. Ex
2013 ‘The Tally’ Reserve Cabernet – Gorgeous nose. Complete and intense. Mouth-filling and vibrant. Ex/Brilliant
2019 Sparkling Cabernet – Really good. Dosage is just right. Great tannin. Ex

Jack Estate
2018 Estate Chardonnay. Citrus and melon. Light on its feet but complex. Nice acid balance. Ex
2015 ‘Mythology’ Chardonnay – Struck match. Buttery full fruit. Full bodied but balanced. Nothing cloying and finishes clean and long. Ex
2015 Estate Shiraz – Floral. Dark fruit. Very fruit driven. Juicy almost. Good acid balance. VVG/Ex
2015 Estate Cabernet – Classic Coonawarra Cab nose. Savoury, dry palate. Very balanced. Nice finish. Ex
2013 ‘Mythology’ Shiraz – Touch of varnish on the nose. Great fruit. French and American oak. Ex
2013 ‘Mythology’ Cabernet – Classic nose. Mouth-filling tannin. Nice length. Needs food. Ex
2014 ‘Barrel Selection’ cleanskin – Slightly oxidative adding darkness and depth. VVG

Whistle Post
2018 Chardonnay – A little light and unremarkable.
2019 Rose – Pinot Noir. Strawberries. Dry. Some grip. VG
2016 Merlot – Dark cherry. Good nose. Some length. VVG
2017 Cab Franc – Nice nose. Blackcurrant and black cherry fruit with a bit of spice. Great tannin. VVG
2016 Cabernet – Very dry. Not a lot of give. Tannic. VG
2013 Reserve Cab – Darker and deeper than the Estate. A bit of length. VVG

Parker Coonawarra
2017 Chardonnay – Melon and citrus. Some depth. Good fruit. High QPR. VVG
2019 Rose – Juicy, fruity, some residual sugar but just dry. VG
2016 ‘Interloper’ Cab Malbec – Soft juicy approachable. Easy drinking but with some structure. VVG
2018 Shiraz – Juicy, fruit-driven. Minimal oak. Minimal tannin. VVG
2018 Cabernet – ‘Dry red’ nose. Lacks varietal definition. VG
2018 ‘Terra Rossa’ Shiraz – Juicy, fruit-driven Shiraz. Cherry and dark berry flavours. Nice tannin. VVG
2018 ‘Terra Rossa’ Cabernet – Tobacco and leafy cassis nose. Blackberry fruit. Good varietal palate. VVG
2018 ‘Small Batch Wine’ Cab Montepulciano. Amazing colour. Plum pudding and fruitcake nose. Fantastic palate of ripe fruit balanced by the savoury finish. Ex
2016 ’95 Block’ Cabernet (26.5%PV). Delicious floral Bordeaux nose. Slippery. Glossy, seamless fruit. Some earthiness from the Petit Verdot. Brilliant
2014 ‘First Growth’ – Deenose. Gorgeous. Mouth-filling cabernet fruit. Intense and deep, but vibrant. Tannin to die for. Will live forever. Brilliant.

Raidis Estate
NV ‘Emma’ Sparkling – Bright and not sweet. Good texture. VVG
2019 ‘The Kid’ Riesling – VVG
2020 ‘Cheeky Goat’ Pinot Gris – Had some nice texture. VVG
2020 Saignee Rose – Good texture and fruit. Serious pink stuff. VVG
2019 ‘Red Project’ Field Blend – medium to full bodied. Dry. VVG
2014 ‘Wild Goat’ Shiraz (2016 sold out) – Fresh, juicy and some spice.
2016 ‘Billy’ Cabernet – Quality Coonawarra cabernet from start to finsh. Good length. Ex
2018 ‘Kefi’ Cabernet – Deep cassis/blackberry. Complex. Mushrromy/earthy. Good tannin. Ex
2014 ‘The Trip’ Cabernet – Intense, full on. Long and balanced. A bit exxy at $100. Ex

[phillisc]

Michael, many thanks for the great notes, many resembling my impressions of the October trip. Parker will be a standout in the future with Andrew Hardy at the helm. Makes fabulous reds.
Going back in April, can't wait.

Cheers Craig.