Adelaide Hills/Barossa Trip

[roughred]

This all actually relates to a quick trip we took late last year. Went to the trouble of writing it up and never posted it for some reason.

Recently had a week meandering through SA. The shitty weather took care of any plans I had for golf, hiking and other activities so we took in a few (read lot!) more Cellar Doors than originally planned. Started in Hahndorf stayed the first night in The Manna Hotel. Have come to learn after travels through a good number of regions that 'Historic Village' is code for tourist trap jam packed with craft, confectionary and fairy shops. Hahndorf did not disappoint. The Manna was nice enough but basically just a room overlooking a carpark so we looked for something a little more appealing the next night. Enter Longview at Macclesfield. Great little self contained apartments set in the vineyard up a winding bush track. They failed to mention the adjoining owners house when pitching it to us, but it didn’t prove too much of a distraction. Also just minutes from The Three Brothers Tavern in Macclesfield which offers great meals a goodly step up from standard pub grub. Also might add that I forgot the GPS which was a blessing in disguise...lots of nice driving to be had through the Adelaide Hills, and would have been a shame to miss it all by taking the most direct route in every instance.

The Lane
Not a great start. Crowded restaurant made for a very uncomfortable CD environment. I love winery restaurants, but not when they come at the expense of Cellar Door. The girl behind CD obviously knew her stuff, but couldn’t hear much over the din immediately behind us. Soldiered on through a few wines, SB was great, a couple of hard sinewy Shiraz Viognier blends that didn’t appeal. The 07 Ravenswood Lane Shiraz was a very smart wine, and I preferred it by some margin over the top shelf 07 Renunion Shiraz. Big and somewhat confusing range...some good, some bad and hard to get a fix on this winery.

2008 Block 10 Sauvignon Blanc
2007 Ravenswood Lane Chardonnay
2005 The Lane Beginning Chardonnay
2007 The Lane Viognier
2006 Off The Leash Shiraz Viognier
2005 Ravenswood Lane Shiraz Viognier
2007 Ravenswood Lane Shiraz
2007 Reunion Shiraz
2007 19th Meeting Cabernet Sauvingon

Nepenthe
The visit to Nepenthe was punctuated by incredible thunder, lightning and hail...all very dramatic. Appealing Sauvignon Blanc. Must be said the soft acids and textured mouthfeel of most Adelaide Hills SB’s offer welcome respite from the searing acids and acute greenness of the majority from over the ditch. 06 Ithaca Chardonnay was perhaps a touch heavy handed, but otherwise pleasant. Red’s were hit and miss. Tempranillo, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir did a lot to convince me that Shiraz is the red grape for the hills. The Rogue (CSM) blend was chunky and smart value, as was the 05 Shiraz. The 07 Gate Block Shiraz was another step up again. Spicy, refined, ripe and long. Part of the McGuigan/Australian Vintage empire but from what I can gather they are essentially left to their own devices.

09 Sauvignon Blanc
06 Ithaca Chardonnay
07 Charleston Pinot Noir
05 The Good Doctor Pinot Noir
05 Tempranillo
06 The Sirens Zinfandel
05 Shiraz
07 Gate Block Shiraz

Hahndorf Hill
Funny little set up. A relative newcomer with only a handful of wines available. They had the curious habit of setting new XL5’s for every wine we sampled...would have been happier with just the one decent glass. That said a pleasant Sauvignon Blanc, a passable Pinot Grigio (passable being the highest possible rating on my Pinot Grigio meter) and a hell of a good 2005 Shiraz. Fragrant, spicy, a hint of grilled meats through the middle, and worthy of the $29 price tag. One to watch.

2008 Sauvignon Blanc
2008 Pinot Grigio
2005 Shiraz

Petaluma
Fair bit on tasting, so chased the toothpaste with an 07 Croser. Seemingly much fuller than previous releases, and maybe a little more one dimensional. BW Mill whites were lacking in fruit intensity, save for a smart relatively dry 08 Gewurz which was on offer for $75 per six pack. Petaluma Project Co wines were interesting. Red’s were good across the board with the 05 Coonawarra the standout.

07 Croser
08 Bridgewater Mill Pinot Grigio
09 Bridgewater Mill Sauvignon Blanc
08 Bridgewater Mill Gewurz
09 Hanlin Hill Riesling
08 Petaluma Project Co Riesling
08 Petaluma Project Co Chardonnay
07 Petaluma Chardonnay
07 Petaluma Viognier
05 Petaluma Merlot
05 Petaluma Coonawarra
07 Bridgewater Mill Shiraz
06 Petaluma Shiraz

Longview
Never been much of a SB fan, but some of these Adelaide Hills offerings hit the mark. The 09 Whippet Sauvigon Blanc was pretty flash in terms of quality and value. Funny names unfortunately could not redeem the Blue Cow Chardonnay or Fat Goose Semillon, and The Mob Zinfandel didn’t excite much either. However the Devil’s Elbow Cabernet and Yakka Shiraz were all class with the Devil’s Elbow the best Adelaide Hills Cab we came across by some margin.

07 Iron Knob Riesling
09 The Whippet Sauvignon Blanc
05 Fat Goose Semillon
06 Blue Cow Chardonnay
05 The Mob Zinfandel
06 Devils Elbow Cabernet Sauvignon
07 Yakka Shiraz

Henschke
Very much on song across the board. Pick of the whites for mine was the 09 Julius Riesling, delicate with citrus florals and talcy notes. Of the reds I couldn’t go past the 07 Abbot’s Prayer, a svelte wine that is just perfectly put together. Contender for red wine of the trip. Wasn’t too taken by the 06 Tappa Pass. A big extracted red somewhat at odds with the rest of the range.

08 Louis Semillon
08 Cranes Chardonnay
08 Croft Chardonnay
08 Innes Pinot Gris
09 Sauvignon Blanc
09 Julius Riesling
09 Green’s Hill Riesling
09 Joseph Gewurz
07 Henry’s Seven
07 Johann’s GSM
06 Keyneton Estate
07 Abbot’s Prayer
06 Tappa Pass Shiraz
08 Muscat of Tappa Pass
08 Noble Semillon

Rockford
Whites didn’t grab me, but a lot to like about the 09 Alicante Bouchet. 06 BP Shiraz long sold out but the 06 Rod & Spur impressed me very much, as did the 02 VP they were kind enough to open. Big and jammy in the lush decadent Aussie VP style.

07 Eden Valley Riesling
05 Semillon
08 White Frontignac
09 Alicante Bouchet
04 Moppa Springs GSM
06 Rod & Spur Cabernet Shiraz
06 Rifle Range Cabernet
02 Vintage Port

Charles Melton
The Rose of Virginia was perhaps a product of the vintage, full and broad, and for me lacking the appeal of past vintages. 06 Cab was very good (06 Cab in general was an unexpected highlight). 06 Shiraz was full and generous, if a little straight forward. Very tempted by the 06 Richelieu...gorgeous floral example of old vine Grenache, but when it came to spending the hard earned it had to be the 06 Nine Popes. A hell of a lot going on with this wine, and up there with the 98 for mine. Rose aside a very strong line up of wines.

09 Rose of Virginia
06 Richelieu Grenache
06 Cabernet Sauvignon
06 Shiraz
06 Nine Popes

Peter Lehmann
A winery very much in the groove. The 04 Wigan Riesling was hands down the white of the trip, and deserving of every accolade that has come its way. In context a bargain. As a standard offering the 06 Cab is incredibly smart value and should be snapped up when on special. The single vineyard series were interesting, and I like the sensitive handling of what are essentially big ripe reds. They all come across as balanced and relatively subtle. I had a preference for the Southern Flinders and the Light Pass Shiraz.

The 06 Futures was very fragrant, with sweet jubey red fruits, cuddly oak, and very fine tannins. Perhaps too clean and well put together to really peak my interest but nice just the same. The Eight Songs did not grab me, coming across as a little jammy and coarse. The Mentor has to be one of the most under rated reds going around; fine, elegant, long ripe tannin structure and a monty at the price. All that has been written about the 04 Stonewell is on the money in my opinion. Multi faceted with ripe fruits balanced by savoury earthy notes, and well judged oak. Once again in context a relative bargain. All capped off by excellent Black Queen Sparkling Shiraz which was ripe without being overtly sweet, clean, fine and persistent with ground spice and anise adding interest. Good stuff all round and great CD staff deserve a mention also.

2004 Wigan Riesling
2004 Margaret Semillon
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Mudflat Shiraz
2006 Southern Flinders Shiraz
2005 Burdon Greenock Shiraz
2007 Light Pass Shiraz
2006 Eden Valley Shiraz
2006 Ruediger Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 The Futures Shiraz
2007 Eight Songs Shiraz
2005 The Mentor
2005 Black Queen Sparkling Shiraz

Gibson
Always liked Gibbo’s reds - oak always seems to play a major role, but it’s well judged, and the wines generally have the fruit stuffing to match. The 04 Isabelle blend was looking a little tired, perhaps a touch oxidised. Past bottles have been much better. The 05 Wilfreda Rhone blend has really hit its straps. Meaty and chewy with dense red fruit characters and length to match. Also enjoyed the 06 Dirtman Shiraz quite a bit. It’s funny...with so many steering clear of American Oak you can come to appreciate it more when used well, as was the case with The Dirtman. They were kind enough to open an 05 OVC Barossa Shiraz which for mine contends with anything we sampled on our trip. Perhaps more obvious and immediately appealing than the Stonewell we had enjoyed just previous and so dense and jam packed with black fruits and grainy fruit tannins that it’s impossible to fault. Once again capped off by great CD service.

2004 Isabelle Cab Blend
2005 Wilfreda Rhone Blend
2006 The Dirtman Shiraz
2006 Gibson Reserve Shiraz
2005 Barossa Old Vine Collection Shiraz

The Willows
Low key affair making some great wines. Highlight for mine was the 2006 Cab. Fragrant and minty, with a hint of eucalypt, damn near elegant for a Barossa Cab. I liked the Bonesetter in that it seemed an old school ‘reserve’ wine, and nowhere near as approachable as many we had tried. Tannins were still raspy and drying, but undoubtedly has the chunky fruit to match. Would love to see it again in 12-18 months.

2008 G7 Grenache Shiraz
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Shiraz
2006 Bonesetter Shiraz

Two Hands
A little disappointing for mine. Across the board the reds were a little hot and sour edged, and lacking in fruit intensity. As a disclaimer they are pretty well on to 2007 and even 2008 vintage reds across the board, and it’s fair to day they suffer in comparison to 05 and 06 wines available elsewhere. 2007 Ares was solid with a dense flavour profile, but no more appealing than many reds that can be found for $50-$60 at neighbouring wineries. Did enjoy the Fly by Nighter VP which offers some reasonable value.

2008 Brave Faces GSM
2008 Gnarly Dudes Shiraz
2007 Bad Impersonator Shiraz
2006 The Bull & the Bear Shiraz Cab
2006 Max’s Garden Heathcote Shiraz
2007 Lily’s Garden McV Shiraz
2007 Bella’s Garden Barossa Shiraz
2007 Barney’s Block McV Shiraz
2007 Ares Shiraz
2006 Fly by Nighters VP

Torbreck
First time I have sat down to a full range of Torbreck, and I must admit to being impressed at the wines. Can’t justify the prices for my own drinking pleasure (at least not very often), but hard to argue with the strategy when they go so quickly. The best of the line-up for me was The Pict. Earthy, truffly, savoury black fruit characters with fruit tannins woven through the wine. A very elegant, natural mouth feel and minimal oak influence. Not particularly new or old world in appearance, just a bloody good wine. Also loved The Gask. Eden Valley and Adelaide Hills Shiraz seems to have fared much better in 07, and The Gask is opulent, fleshy and long and a great representation of EV Shiraz. I found just a little heat poking through on The Factor and The Descendant, but in fairness one tends to look for such things with these big rich reds. The RunRig was warm and spicy with layers of blueberry and blackberry fruit, and a full seamless mouthfeel. Decadent, rich and very much in balance. The girls at Cellar Door were great. Didn’t get much info on the wines, but my wife got a great dissertation on where to buy the best shoes, the best restaurants, the best looking footballers and a number of other equally important matters.

2008 Juveniles
2006 The Steading
2006 The Pict
2008 Woodcutters Shiraz
2007 The Struie
2007 The Gask Shiraz
2006 The Factor Shiraz
2007 Descendant SV
2006 RunRig SV

Greenock Creek
Little Joe was behind CD, about 5ft 5’ of barely containable energy and didn’t half mind a bit of a natter. Went through the full range less the Roenfeldt Roads and a couple of Back Vintages as well. Yep, some of reds were a bit over the top for me, but that said I found a lot I like too. The 07 Cab is something to behold, and I really enjoyed the 08 Cornerstone Grenache and 05 Apricot Block. Great service, some outstanding wines, and an individual approach to winemaking which I appreciate.

2008 Cornerstone Grenache
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Alice’s Block Shiraz
2005 Seven Acre Shiraz
2006 Seven Acre Shiraz
2005 Apricot Block Shiraz
2006 Apricot Block Shiraz

Murray Street Vineyards
MSV really seem to fly under the radar, which surprises as they make a number of high quality wines. Interesting take on a Cellar Door. Modern decor, possibly distractingly so, and tastings take place at plush couches, with a very pleasant young girl behind Cellar Door sitting down for a chat intermittently. Might be just the thing for some customers, but I would hazard a guess that just as many find it a bit uncomfortable. More power to them for trying something different though.

Wasn’t taking detailed notes at this stage but nothing really grabbed me at the entry level. Fell completely head over heels in love with 06 Sophia. Full, voluptuous fruit held in place by fine, pliant fruit tannins and comparatively fair value. The 06 Benno Shiraz Mataro was certainly the more masculine of the two top flight wines, and despite being the junior partner in the blend, the earthy flavour profile and sinewy tannins of the Mataro are certainly driving this ship. Will be interested to look at this again in a few years time. Winemaking and pricing are both fairly ambitious, though quality is near enough in most instances.

Turkey Flat
Don’t hear much about the Turkey Flat whites but both the Chardonnay and the Butchers Block Rhone Blend were smart wines. By this stage I was probably starting to form pre-conceptions about the 07 vintage but the Grenache was fine by any measure. Quite floral, medium bodied with nice fruit intensity. Butchers Block Red was meaty (maybe the power of suggestion in the name?), 07 Shiraz perhaps a step down on recent years, but still comparatively good value. Again, didn’t taking detailed notes.

Visited another couple that didn’t merit a write up. Couldn’t get into Vintners, though 1918 was very much on song the night we were in. The ‘world famous’ pizzas at the Roaring 40’s has quite a collection of accolades, though I’d go with good not great. The more is more approach to pizza’s is something that seems uniquely Australian. Blond Coffee over the road also deserve a mention for...err...bloody good coffee.

All up it was clearly a great time to tear through the Hills and Barossa with the quality of the 05 and 06 vintages on full and flagrant display. May have to sell a kidney to get the credit card back under control, but after this week they were probably on the way out anyway.

[chillwrx]

Great notes, thanks!

[AndrewCowley]

Fantastic write up. Many thanks.

[Julio G]

Nice write up.

Encouraged to hear that the 2007 Abbot's Prayer was on song - an earlier vintage was one of the wines that sparked my interest in wine generally. Would you say the 2007 is a keeper? It was a difficult vintage in SA as a general rule.

[roughred]

Nice write up.

Encouraged to hear that the 2007 Abbot's Prayer was on song - an earlier vintage was one of the wines that sparked my interest in wine generally. Would you say the 2007 is a keeper? It was a difficult vintage in SA as a general rule.

Hard to say, Henschke are usually pretty conservative with drinking windows. The 07 AP was a little more forward than usual, so maybe 8-9 years out from vintage. Henscke often surprise me in 'difficult' vintages.