TN: Sydney international Wine Show - Top 100 tasting
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:22 pm
2011 SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL WINE SHOW - TOP 100 TASTING - Menzies Hotel, Sydney (9/04/2011)
These are notes from the public tasting for the 2011 Sydney International Wine Show Top 100 wines and Blue-Gold winners. That makes about 200 wines available in two sessions (whites & reds) totalling 5 available hours. Numbers are limited to about 120 people per session; it’s a pour-your-own affair with everyone (mostly) doing the right thing concerning pour sizes and table access. I was a steward at the show itself back in October 2010; it was interesting to taste the pick of the 2000-odd wines originally entered in the competition. I didn’t attend the Trophy-awarding lunch in February, nor did I make a particular beeline for the trophy winners at this tasting (which weren’t specifically identified in the tasting note catalogue, interestingly).
Nothing was decanted, but working along the tables of wines – arranged more-or-less in ascending order of palate weight – the later wines in each session will have had more air, except for the times when a second bottle was opened, obviously. So it’s a bit hard to categorise, except to say most wines had some exposure to air prior to tasting. Everything was at ambient 21C, and usual with mass tastings/judgings. I picked what I hoped were the highlights out of each class (numbers against Class headings)
Of course, the judges selected these wines by tasting them in some detail with appropriately-chosen food, so you can expect some unusual results just tasting them solo; sometimes something very dull by itself comes alive with a mouthful of food. Still, we do what we can.
First Session – Whites.
Class 1 – Sparkling (10 wines), and Class 2 – Aromatics (17)
Best Sparkling trophy went to Nautilus Mrlborough Brut NV, Best Oz Sparkling to the Sir James Tumbarumba 2000 (see my TN on 7-Feb-11). Best Aromatic trophy (& Best White of show) was Lawson’s Dry Hills Riesling 2008. I still think NZ has the off-dry riesling style better worked out than Oz, but both coutries tend to struggle with gewurz. The two Spy Valley wines were outstanding.
Class 3 Sauvignon Blanc (19)
Best Sauvignon trophy went to Intrepid Marlborough 2010. There was a heap of these Saint Clair SBs entered into the show – at least half a dozen, so I just checked out 2 of the 3 that made it to the top wines to check for any discernable difference between them. I certainly wasn’t going to taste all 19 sauvignons (exclusively NZ) on the table…
Class 4 Lighter-bodied Dry Whites (21)
The trophy here went to Saddlers Creek Hunter Semillon 2005. The class had lots of semillon-sauvignon blends, along with the odd chardy and pinot grigio.
Class 5 Medium-bodied Dry Whites (22)
Class 6 – Full Bodied Dry Whites (17)
Nearly a third of this group was pinot gris, which I studiously avoided…
Class 7 – Rose (8)
Best Rose trophy went to Warner Estate Frog Belly Rose 2010. Who’s got time to taste a bunch of rosés?
Session 2 – Reds
Class 8 – Pinot Noir (24)
The entry list was dominated by kiwi wines, and every one of the 24 wines awarded was a New Zealander. Of the ones I tasted below, there was a certain unanimity of style, notwithstanding some fairly minor differences across regions. The Best Pinot trophy went to the Lamont 2007 – see note 18-Oct-10. Most of these retail in Oz for $30-$50ish; you can scarcely buy a decent burgundy for that, so perhaps the similarity of style works in the wines’ favour, though it hardly offers the ultimate pinot experience. Overall, I was just a little disappointed with the wines tasted.
Class 9 – Lighter-Bodied Dry Reds (26)
A mix of wines here, including the Elephant Hill Hawkes Bay Syrah 2009, which picked up 3 trophies; Best Light Red, Best Red, Best Wine of show. Should have tasted it instead of the wine below!
Class 10 – Medium-Bodied Dry Reds (42)
Big class, predictably, although the line between medium and full-bodied is pretty thin. Trophy went to Birds of a Feather Humming Bird Shiraz 2009 (some Cellarmasters proprietary virtual brand, I think. Oops, bit embarassing, that).
Class 11 – Full-Bodied Dry Reds (37)
Notwithstanding a 2 hours gap between the white & red brackets, a lot of wines have passed the palate by the time you get to the full-bodied reds. And there are a lot of them, so you should be selective…
Class 13 Fortified Wines (5)
Two stand out classics tasted below, of which the Tokay took the Best Fortified trophy.
Terrific tasting. Interesting to recall how many big name wines entered in the competition (see my notes Oct 17-22, 2010) made no headway with the judges. And also to taste some of the wines here today and know they’ll improve with food. Judges comments on the wines are on http://www.top100wines.com
Posted from CellarTracker
cheers,
Graeme
These are notes from the public tasting for the 2011 Sydney International Wine Show Top 100 wines and Blue-Gold winners. That makes about 200 wines available in two sessions (whites & reds) totalling 5 available hours. Numbers are limited to about 120 people per session; it’s a pour-your-own affair with everyone (mostly) doing the right thing concerning pour sizes and table access. I was a steward at the show itself back in October 2010; it was interesting to taste the pick of the 2000-odd wines originally entered in the competition. I didn’t attend the Trophy-awarding lunch in February, nor did I make a particular beeline for the trophy winners at this tasting (which weren’t specifically identified in the tasting note catalogue, interestingly).
Nothing was decanted, but working along the tables of wines – arranged more-or-less in ascending order of palate weight – the later wines in each session will have had more air, except for the times when a second bottle was opened, obviously. So it’s a bit hard to categorise, except to say most wines had some exposure to air prior to tasting. Everything was at ambient 21C, and usual with mass tastings/judgings. I picked what I hoped were the highlights out of each class (numbers against Class headings)
Of course, the judges selected these wines by tasting them in some detail with appropriately-chosen food, so you can expect some unusual results just tasting them solo; sometimes something very dull by itself comes alive with a mouthful of food. Still, we do what we can.
First Session – Whites.
Class 1 – Sparkling (10 wines), and Class 2 – Aromatics (17)
Best Sparkling trophy went to Nautilus Mrlborough Brut NV, Best Oz Sparkling to the Sir James Tumbarumba 2000 (see my TN on 7-Feb-11). Best Aromatic trophy (& Best White of show) was Lawson’s Dry Hills Riesling 2008. I still think NZ has the off-dry riesling style better worked out than Oz, but both coutries tend to struggle with gewurz. The two Spy Valley wines were outstanding.
- 2007 No. 1 Family Estate Cuvée Remy - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
{cork} Intense nose of yeast and bread, with a slight cheesiness. More citric and youthful on the palate than I expected, with crisp, fine bubbles, a quite creamy txture, with medium weight and a medium-length finish. Very tidy indeed. - 2008 Crossroads Riesling Medway Vineyard Awatere Valley - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough, Awatere Valley
{screwcap, 11.5%} Very Mosel-apples on the nose. Definitely off-dry, with a light body and only medium acidity, leading to a rather soft though still citric palate, but with a rather short finish. Probably a good wine with Asian food, but doesn’t really shine by itself. - 2010 Pewsey Vale Vineyard Riesling Prima - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley
{vino-lok, 9.5%} Soft and floral nose of musk and bath-powder. The palate is rather diffuse for me; too low in acid to develop much complexity. It’s not overly sweet (off-dry), but a short finish and the rather nebulous palate make it something of a disappointment. - 2009 Spy Valley Riesling - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
{screwcap, 12.5%} Youthful nose of chalk, lemons and steel. The lemon-curd and apple flavours have an off-dry sweetness to them, there’s a load of tangy acid which positively sparkles on the palate, and although it’s only light-bodied it’s fresh, lively and balanced, leading to a persistent, long clean finish. Excellent. - 2008 Lawson's Dry Hills Gewürztraminer - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
{screwcap, 14.5%} Standard nose of roses, pot-pourri and flowery aromas. There are more musk flavours on the palate, rich spiced fruits and ome tingly acid that sits on the tip of the tongue. There’s a trace of sugar here, it’s medium weight on the palate but finishes rather warm in a way that suggests the alcohol doesn’t really fit with the rest of the wine. Decent enough, but a very short-term drinker, and not something I’d really seek out. - 2009 Spy Valley Gewürztraminer - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
{screwcap, 13.5%} Rose petals and perfume. Refreshingly minerally palate, barely off-dry, with tangy acid, musk flavours, medium-bodied weight and a persistent medium-long finish. A gewurz that’s light on its feet and with some complexity to it. Still drink it soon, but it’s quite satisfying.
Class 3 Sauvignon Blanc (19)
Best Sauvignon trophy went to Intrepid Marlborough 2010. There was a heap of these Saint Clair SBs entered into the show – at least half a dozen, so I just checked out 2 of the 3 that made it to the top wines to check for any discernable difference between them. I certainly wasn’t going to taste all 19 sauvignons (exclusively NZ) on the table…
- 2010 Saint Clair Sauvignon Blanc Pioneer Block 11 - Cell Block - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
{screwcap, 13%} Lifted gooseberry aromas, slightly sweaty. Light-medium palate, dry, gently persistent, with nicely balanced acid. Mainstream and predictable, but well done. - 2010 Saint Clair Sauvignon Blanc Pioneer Block 21 Bell Block - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough, Wairau Valley
{screwcap, 13%} Earthier aromas than the Block 11 wine, tending here more toward tangy pineapple / yellow fruits rather than green. It’s a dryish palate, but quite sweetly fruited anyway. Medium-weight, with a medium length finish, with the acid holding on to the end; a little more interesting than the previous wine.
Class 4 Lighter-bodied Dry Whites (21)
The trophy here went to Saddlers Creek Hunter Semillon 2005. The class had lots of semillon-sauvignon blends, along with the odd chardy and pinot grigio.
- 2009 d'Arenberg Roussanne The Money Spider - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
{screwcap, 13.5%} Turns out I tasted this back in February. For whatever reason, it seemed a little more attractive today. Mid-yellow colour. Faintly sweaty nose of pears and white-fleshed fruits. Hints of earth and leaves. It’s medium weight, with a phenolic aspect reminiscent of grape skins. Finishes a bit thick and warm. OK but not exciting. - 2010 Tinpot Hut Grüner Veltliner - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
{screwcap, 13.5%} Rather neutral nose of sweat and earth, although youthful. Hints of beans, Rather anonynmous palate, with a little grapefruit flavour sitting on the front of the tongue. Light-medium body, but a bit vague and diffuse to be of much interest. Hasn’t the acid to promise a very long life either. A little disappointing. - 2010 Tower Estate Sémillon - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
{screwcap, 11.5%} Rather closed nose, despite the room temperature. Light lemon aromas, such as they were. Freshly acidic palate; typical Hunter character. Crisp, bone-dry, light-medium body. Lemon/citrus flavours, medium-long finish, helped by mouth-watering acid. Decent wine, lacks a little excitement. Three more years will help.
Class 5 Medium-bodied Dry Whites (22)
- 2009 Chapel Hill Savagnin il Vescovo - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
{screwcap, 12.5%} Rather dour nose, with a vague steely aroma and not much else. The palate offers a dash of neutral white flower/petal flavour, steely acid, and a dry, crisp light-medium body. Would show considerably better chilled, and probably with shellfish or salad. Not something you’d seek out based on this tasting. - 2008 De Bortoli Chardonnay Reserve - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
{screwcap, 12%} Subtle nose. Tones of cheese, melon, sweat and oak. The palate is a finely cut, acid-driven affair, sitting squarely on the mid-palate, medium-bodied, and with pretty classy chardonnay fruit flavours. A dry, refined wine all round. - 2009 Howard Park Chardonnay - Australia, Western Australia
{screwcap, 13.5%} Oaky, nutty nose. Intense. Polished grapefruit flavours, cedary but creamy-textured oak, but moderately strong acid keeping it all fresh. At least medium-bodied, with weight of fruit right to the back palate and a long finish. Pretty impressive all round; built on power not subtlety. - 2008 Laurance of Margaret River Chardonnay - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
{screwcap, 13.5%} Mainstream cool-climate chardy; subtle oak, nuts, melon, even a dash of peach. Slightly soft acid but avoids flabbiness. Medium-weight, with some richness on the mid-palate. Stylish wine that should have 2-3 years of improvement in it. - 2008 Voyager Estate Chardonnay - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
{screwcap, 13.3%} The trophy winner for best Medium-bodied White. Subtle aromas; grapefruit, subdued oak. Really contained and neat on the palate; subtle oak supports white-fleshed fruit flavours. Medium-weight and length of finish; the sheer balance of all the components leaves the whole thing making a rather anonymous impression just now. Another 3-4 years ought to see it blossom nicely. - 2008 Yalumba Viognier The Virgilius - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley
{screwcap, 13.5%} Overt peaches, pears and apricots on the nose. The sweet fruit flavours on the palate are accompanied by a spicy accent and subtle oak, but they don’t quite keep it subdued enough for me. Objectively dry maybe, but the flavours are remarkably sweet and tropical, and the medium-bodied flavours all seem to cluster together at the tip of the tongue. I accept the style is legitimate, but I find it rather extreme.
Class 6 – Full Bodied Dry Whites (17)
Nearly a third of this group was pinot gris, which I studiously avoided…
- 2008 d'Arenberg Chardonnay The Lucky Lizard - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills
{screwcap, 14%} Warm and cuddly chardonnay bursting with tropical fruit aromas. Oak chips in on the palate (no pun there). It’s a bit simple and formulaic; medium-full bodied with a short-medium length finish that at least avoids overt heat or sweetness. Good commercial chardonnay for immediate drinking. Pass for me. - 2008 Giant Steps Chardonnay Sexton Vineyard - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
{screwcap, 13.5%} Yeast, cheese, nuts and oak aromas. They blend nicely together. A worked palate, dryly phenolic, that isn’t overblown. A bit soft for flavour on the back palate, otherwise the balance is pretty good. Fairly intense palate, medium-full bodied, integrated acid. A solid Yarra chardonny which continues this winery’s consistent offerings. - 2008 Stella Bella Chardonnay - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
{screwcap, 13%} The trophy winner for Best Fuller-bodied White. Melon and grapefruit aromas with a leesy note. Packs a pretty big whack of flavour on the palate; full-bodied ripe fruits are supported by savoury oak. Rich, ripe, full-bodied but not steroidal; needs some time to develop and fulfil its potential. Medium-long finish. Worthy trophy winner, this. - 2010 Westend Estate The Boxer - Australia, New South Wales
{screwcap, 13.%} . A blend of roussanne and viognier. Youthful nose of lanolin and candlewax. Musk flavours are a bonus on the palate, along with a somewhat chalky texture. Medium-full bodied, the finish is surprisingly persistent, but it doesn’t really extend beyond the mid-palate. Cries out for food.
Class 7 – Rose (8)
Best Rose trophy went to Warner Estate Frog Belly Rose 2010. Who’s got time to taste a bunch of rosés?
- 2008 Laurance of Margaret River Rosé - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
{screwcap, 13.5%} Syrah-based. Bright blush pink. Discreet bubble gum nose preceeding a dry & crisp palate of bitter cherries. Light-bodied, but a serious wine nonetheless.
Class 13 -Dessert Wines - Unfortified
- 2008 De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Sémillon - Australia, New South Wales, Big Rivers, Riverina
{375ml, screwcap, 10%} Standard extra-gloopy apricot/marmalade sticky. Palate needs a big chill to make up for the soft acid. I see I tasted this back in Feb; verdict unchanged. - 2008 Orlando Sémillon Gramps Botrytis - Australia, New South Wales, Big Rivers, Riverina
{375ml, screwcap, 9%} There’s a touch of smoke and lime poking through the heavy apricot/botrytis characters here. Very sweet, honeyed flavours dominate; there’s some acid to hold things up, but the wine remains camped on the tip of the tongue. Medium-full bodied. At its usual reasonable price, it’s serviceable rather than memorable. - 2008 Konrad Sigrun Noble Two - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
{375ml, screwcap, 9.5%} Blend of riesling and sauvignon blanc. There’s an attractive lychee / sauvignon tang about the aromas here. It’s sweet on the palate, but still crisp and defined. Medium-bodied. There’s honey-rich fruit, medium-sweet, but still these green flashes of flavour give extra dimension. Long, clean finish. This is very good. - 2009 Trinity Hill Viognier Noble Gimblett Gravels - New Zealand, North Island, Hawkes Bay, Gimblett Gravels
{375ml, screwcap, 12.5%} There’s plenty of viognier on the nose here, and not much botrytis. Spicy pear aromas. Manages some lifting acid which helps the length of finish; sits largely on the front palate, so the balance is a little out of kilter. Is rather dense, and not too sweet either, but somehow just doesn’t catch fire for me. - 2000 Westend Estate Sémillon 3 Bridges Golden Mist Botrytis - Australia, New South Wales, Big Rivers, Riverina
{375ml, cork, 10%} Museum release. Deep gold. All copper, bronze, butterscotch and caramel on the nose, and indeed the palate; it’s developed to the point now that some oxidation is creeping in. It’s still quite sweet but losing freshness fast. Sadly, it’s merely aging rather than gaining complexity. Drink up.
Session 2 – Reds
Class 8 – Pinot Noir (24)
The entry list was dominated by kiwi wines, and every one of the 24 wines awarded was a New Zealander. Of the ones I tasted below, there was a certain unanimity of style, notwithstanding some fairly minor differences across regions. The Best Pinot trophy went to the Lamont 2007 – see note 18-Oct-10. Most of these retail in Oz for $30-$50ish; you can scarcely buy a decent burgundy for that, so perhaps the similarity of style works in the wines’ favour, though it hardly offers the ultimate pinot experience. Overall, I was just a little disappointed with the wines tasted.
- 2009 Delegat's Pinot Noir Reserve - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
{screwcap, 13.5%} Soft strawberry fruits on the nose. A touch of sour cherry arrives on the palate. There’s a lick of biting acid too; this is no fruit bomb. Sublte oak, light-medium bodied, overall a decent youthful pinot that I imagine would work very well with food. - 2009 Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir Reserve - New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
{screwcap, 14%} Bright garnet. Fuller nose of dark chocolate and black cherries, along with a faint reductive note. The palate is quite big and velvety-textured; and not too fruity. Oak is well under control. It’s all rather primary at the moment; medium-bodied, with a medium-long finish and needs 3-4 years to open up somewhat. I gather the price is highly ambitious, well north of $200… - 2009 Grasshopper Rock Pinot Noir Earnscleugh Vineyard - New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
{screwcap, 14.1%} Generous chocolatey nose, with a touch of leafy green. The palate is sweetly ripe however, with moderate acid and soft powdery tannins. It’s light-medium bodied, with a medium length finish, but fails to make much impression from the mid-palate back. Straightforward effort. - 2008 Highfield Estate Pinot Noir - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
{screwcap, 14.5%} Intense and jammy red-fruited nose. Despite the alcohol, the palate has some lightness to it, but the flavours are all very one-dimensional at the moment. Does finish dry and savoury, but sits too much on the front palate to be more than a short-term wine. - 2008 Judge Rock Pinot Noir - New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
{screwcap, 13.5%} Raspberry fruits on the nose, with a hint of meat. Nice balance of bright acid and simple fruit on the palate here; not much tannin, and has most presence on the front palate. A bit simple, but I can see it picking up with food. - 2009 Lowburn Ferry Wines Pinot Noir Home Block - New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
{screwcap, 14%} Sweet strawberry and cherry aromas; no green here. Subtle oak, soft acid on the palate. Well-enough balanced on the palate, light-medium weight, shortish finish. Pleasant enough short-term wine. - 2008 Villa Maria Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Southern Clays - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
Cherry/plum aromas. There’s a touch of smoke too on the palate, with grippy powdery tannins and a generally savoury texture. This is the least overtly fruity of the 7 pinots I tasted. Soft presence on the back palate. Medium weight and finish; again, a decent shorter term wine that might show some more interest over the next 3-4 years.
Class 9 – Lighter-Bodied Dry Reds (26)
A mix of wines here, including the Elephant Hill Hawkes Bay Syrah 2009, which picked up 3 trophies; Best Light Red, Best Red, Best Wine of show. Should have tasted it instead of the wine below!
- 2008 Elephant Hill Syrah Reserve - New Zealand, North Island, Hawkes Bay
{cork?, 13.5%} Nose of pepper, spice and smoke. Spicy on the palate too; very cool-climate in its general aspect. There are fine dusty tannins but then things are trickier; it seems to sit only on the front palate, and the finish is rather short. Light-medium body, but also feels rather thin; the warmth of the texture isn’t matched by the generosity of the flavours. Not a cocktail wine, that’s for sure; wants food to show its best. - 2007 Freeman Vineyards Secco Corvina Rondinella - Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Hilltops
{screwcap, 15%} Made in the Amarone style. Baked fruit aromas; prunes, raisins, liquorice; even smells hot. Huge gritty tannins assault the palate; it’s full bodied although not especially dense, and dry too, but just seems too extreme. Pretty brutal – how it got into the light-bodied class I don’t understand. Interesting to try an older vintage a little later in the tasting. - 2008 Lerida Estate Merlot Cabernet Franc - Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District
{screwcap, 12.9%} Plummy merlot notes waft along on a vanilla bed. It’s youthful, with lots of powdery tannins. Somewhat cooler-climate in style, it’s fresh but not unripe; the red berry flavours are quite generous. Only a medium length finish, but everything seems nicely in balance; the whole adds up to more than the sum of the parts; a good achievement, especially with two vareities that Australia doesn’t generally do well. - 2009 St Hallett Touriga Nacional Cellar Door Release - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
{screwcap, 14%} Here’s a novelty. Youthful nose, kind of sweaty, just smelling sort of…grapey, somehow. Not quite carbonic aromas, but almost like a red version of mascato. Light, maybe a little cherry-like in its flavours? Definitely light-bodied. Enough acid to keep it fresh, but really needs a decent chill and it should sing with antipasto, for instance - 2008 Trinity Hill Syrah Gimblett Gravels - New Zealand, North Island, Hawkes Bay, Gimblett Gravels
{diam, 13.5%} Rather closed, just a touch of blackberry and smoke on the nose. Light-medium body, rather low-key on the palate with a bit more white pepper than the nose indicated; a few less-than-ripe grapes in here maybe? The wine is built on acid and spice, and has only a short-medium length finish. Just a touch disappointing. - 2009 Trinity Hill Syrah - New Zealand, North Island, Hawkes Bay
{screwcap, 13.5%} Faintly earthy spiced aromas with some soft red berries. Delicate palate, with simple curranty fruits and minimal tannin. Well enough balanced, but only because everything is pretty low key. Entry-level NZ syrah, even out of Hawke’s Bay, is always going to be pretty thin stuff.
Class 10 – Medium-Bodied Dry Reds (42)
Big class, predictably, although the line between medium and full-bodied is pretty thin. Trophy went to Birds of a Feather Humming Bird Shiraz 2009 (some Cellarmasters proprietary virtual brand, I think. Oops, bit embarassing, that).
- 2007 Bremerton Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Langhorne Creek - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek
{cork?} Classic Langhorne Creek nose of mint and eucalypt. Sweet menthol palate with soft futrry tannins, medium-body, plenty of mid-palate richness, but rather singular in its flavour profile. Medium-length finish. A love-or-hate wine, but authentic none-the-less. - 2009 Chapel Hill il Vescovo - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
{screwcap, 14%} Light cherry nose, not much else. No oak. Quiet palate, dry, dusty and savoury but with little character. Soft fine tannins. Bit dull. Spice it up with pasta. Or put it in the sauce… - 2004 Freeman Vineyards Secco Corvina Rondinella - Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Hilltops
{screwcap, 15%} Interesting to compare to the 2007 tasted earlier. This is a bit more settled, with some development, but still briary and liquorice-like. There are prune flavours too – it’s not unlike a big zinfandel. It makes a big hot impact on the front and mid-palates; maintains the baked profile of the younger wine but has settled a bit and lost some of the aggression. Not really developed in the true sense of the word, it’s just aging at the moment. - 2008 Juniper Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
{screwcap, 14.5%} Pure youthful currant/cassis nose, along with that green olive/herbal tinge that screams Margaret River. A mass of fine powdery tannins frame ripe fruit and subtle oak. It’s solidly medium-bodied, with a medium-length finish. Too young to show much complexity now, but ought to blossom nicely for 5-10 years. - 2009 Lerida Estate Lake George Shiraz/Viognier - Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District
{screwcap, 14.9%} A coolly black-smelling shiraz. Graphite and coal. The viognier is just detectable as an exotic apricot lift on the nose, but it doesn’t really intrude. Oak is subtle here; the palate is warmly ripe with black fruit and tastes youthful and warm. A couple of years may give another dimension, although I recall the (higher alcohol) 2006 growing staler as it aged. I’d drink this over 3 years maximum, which is pretty short given it costs A$60-ish. A nice wine if someone else is paying… - 2008 Long Rail Gully Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District
{screwcap, 14.7%} In trying not to restrain myself to tasting only wines I’d heard of previously I sampled this, only to discover later it picked up a ‘Wine of Outstanding Quality (not Champion or Reserve Champion)’ Trophy, which I think means it was considered the third best wine of the show. The youthful nose presents lovely dark cassis/blackberry/iodine aromas, rich and ripe. The palate adds a dash of violet, vanilla bean, tar, black fruits; they all combine to give a polished mouthfeel, framed with fine dusty tannins, and a medium-full body. The only disappointment is a slightly too short finish; perhaps a little aging will help this, but I wouldn’t be too confident. Probably at peak within 5 years. - 2009 Serafino Lagrein Bellissimo - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
{screwcap, 14.5%} First taste of this grape for me. Cheerful plum/mulberry aromas. All fruit nose. Plummy-flavoured palate offers soft dusty tannins and generally low acid. The some spiciness to the texture, although it’s hardly a wine of great personality. The rather shortish finish seems to coalesce around to tip of the tongue. Fair novelty wine, but that’s about all. - 2006 Yalumba Shiraz The Octavius - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
{cork, 13.5%} Standard Octavius, which is to say nose of coconut/dill and vanilla, with some red raspberry fruit cowering underneath. Blueberry flavours, sweet varnishy fruit, dense texture, lots of fine tannins and oak flavours. I’d call it close to full-bodied; it’s interesting to see the alcohol being wound back, which helps the freshness. Plush luxury cuvee which, if past vintages are a guide, is best drunk in its first ten years of life.
Class 11 – Full-Bodied Dry Reds (37)
Notwithstanding a 2 hours gap between the white & red brackets, a lot of wines have passed the palate by the time you get to the full-bodied reds. And there are a lot of them, so you should be selective…
- 2008 Brand's Laira Cabernet Sauvignon Blockers - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
{screwcap} Ruby red. Essence of cassis/vanilla/coconut on the nose. Extracted palate, with worked fruit, masses of fine tannin, but there’s a fragility to the flavours here for me. Medium-full bodied, but for me only short-medium length of finish. I seem to be eternally disappointed by Brands Laira wines; not so the judges, since this took the trophy for Best Full-Bodied Red. I guess it flew when paired with the beef. Your mileage may vary, as they say. - 2006 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
{screwcap, 14.5%} A bit reticent on the nose. Plums, coal, violet aromas; these also appear on the palate along with some quality vanilla oak. The palate is pretty closed too; there’s some presence on the front palate, but it otherwise doesn’t make a huge impression on the tongue (although there’s some palate fatigue in here now). Overall pretty big and ripe, not over-the-top – a lot of Oz wineries who don’t owe their entire existance to Robert Parker seem to be moving back towards more traditional styles of red wine. This has a medium-length finish, and should be a better drink in another 5 years. - 2008 Fox Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
{screwcap, 14.5%} Generous blueberry fruit & classy vanilla oak. Plush palate with soft tannins and fairly low acid. Plenty of flavour for youthful drinking; it’s more McLaren Vale than cabernet, if that makes sense. A bit simple in its flavour profile; there’s certainly no leaf or herb to it, but it’s kind of cuddly and should be good for 5-8 years. - 2008 K1 by Geoff Hardy Shiraz Gold Label - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills
{screwcap, 14.5%} Big coconut nose. Big red fruits. Rather more warm climate Barossa impression than the cooler Adelaide Hills, but there you go. In the end, the softly velvety red berry fruit struggles to overcome the big american oak tannins. Full-bodied, medium length finish. Something of a brute which needs a few years to soften, but I expect the fruit to lose out to the oak flavours in the very end. - 2008 McWilliam's 1877 - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
{screwcap} McWilliams’ flagship wine pays tribute to the traditional cross-regional cabernet-shiraz blend. This is the classic mix of chocolate and vanilla aromas, laced with oak. It’s a big, handsome palate, rent with strong powdery tannins, covering all the palate effectively, and not showing too much oak flavour. Rather hard acid too; obviously intended for the long haul. Rather primary at the moment, full-bodied. I’ve no experience with this wine with age on it, so won’t predict a future. - 2006 Taylors Shiraz St Andrews - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley
{screwcap, 14.5%} Generous, but slightly green/menthol-tinged nose. Becomes something of a typical Clare minty red on the palate. The palate has a rather varnishy, almost slimey-textured feel to it – something to do with the oak? (or just me at this late stage?) Fine tannins seem unobtrusive, but remain persistent; the finish is medium-full bodied and reasonably persistent. This is ususally a medium-term drinker; this seems in line with tradition. Godd wine without really scaling the heights. - 2008 Vigneti Zabù Impari Sicilia IGT - Italy, Sicily, Sicilia IGT
{cork, 14%} Big sweet blueberry nose. Rather rubby-tasting palate initially, becoming losse-knit and rustic, but still pretty rich and flavour-stuffed. Chewy grape-skin tannins seem the main textural element here; there’s not much acid evident. It may be a lesser-known grape, but this is made fully in the international style; full-bodied, medium length finish, rather warm and baked, almost sweet residual flavours. Doesn’t really lead you on to another glass.
Class 13 Fortified Wines (5)
Two stand out classics tasted below, of which the Tokay took the Best Fortified trophy.
- N.V. Morris Muscat Old Premium Rare - Australia, Victoria, North East, Rutherglen
{500ml, screwcap, 17.5%} Burnt caramel and butterscotch aromas. Syrupy but acidic palate, hugely rich in its molasses flavours, rather than too sweet. Amazing length of finish built on richness of flavour, not alcoholic heat. Staggeringly good. - N.V. Morris Tokay Old Premium Rare Liqueur - Australia, Victoria, North East, Rutherglen
{500ml, screwcap, 18%} A little lighter and more tea-like than its accompanying muscat; the honey/caramel/olive aromas/flavours are a bit more restrained. Tastes developed but fresh, sweet yet clean and not at all cloying. Endless persistence on the palate, and a worthy trophy winner.
Terrific tasting. Interesting to recall how many big name wines entered in the competition (see my notes Oct 17-22, 2010) made no headway with the judges. And also to taste some of the wines here today and know they’ll improve with food. Judges comments on the wines are on http://www.top100wines.com
Posted from CellarTracker
cheers,
Graeme
