Barossa Valley Trip May 2013 Incl. Rockford Black Magnum
Posted: Tue May 14, 2013 11:40 am
I've just spent 5 days in the Barossa with a mate, tasting the fabulous wines and enjoying a few games of golf. It started on Wednesday morning with a round of golf at "The Grange East Course" in Adelaide. I must say that it is a beautiful Golf Course. It was redesigned a few years back by Greg Norman. I'm not really a fan of his Golf Courses except for the Glades, but this place is a delight. Local knowledge is really needed but we enjoyed ourselves all the same.
By the time we got to the Barossa and settled into our digs, we really only had time for one winery. So we decided on Torbreck. I've always been a bit of a fan and it is one cellar door that everyone should visit as they normally put all of their wines except the Laird, on tasting. I didn't take notes and might be a year out here and there but here are my impressions.
We started with a few whites, 2011 Woodcutters Semillon, 2011 Viogner and the 2010 Steading Blanc. The Steading Blanc was about the most interesting but in all honesty, none of these are to my liking. That's not to say they were poor wines, just not my thing. Onto the reds:-
2011 The Juveniles. GSM (unoaked). I have not had a 2011 Grenache based wine that I have enjoyed yet. I say yet as I'm sure it will happen. Just way too much white pepper for me.
2009 The Steading GSM. This was more my speed and displayed nice fruit/oak balance and overall was quite a good wine. I bought a Magnum.
2012 Woodcutter's Shiraz. A couple of posters on here have said this is quite a good wine. I agree, but only to a point. Fairly good VFM but nothing overly memorable.
2010 The Kyloe Mataro. A really good wine that for the price ($29) is worth a look. I liked it and bought a couple of bottles. Lots of nice black fruit and slightly chalky tannins.
2011 The Fish Shiraz. I also was quite impessed by this as well. We were told that about 15% of the fruit was from the top end wines that weren't produced in 2011 (The Descendent, The Factor, The Runrig etc). Nice floral nose that doesn't seem to have been affected by the cool wet vintage like some of the Grenache wines. All the money raised from this goes to charity so I thought it wise to get a couple of bottles.
2011 The Struie Shiraz. I remember being told on my last visit to the cellar door that this would be a standout wine for 2011. I can say that it is. As I said above, all of the grapes from the premium lines went into this as they weren't made. It shows. Quite a bit of fruit power intertwined with a nice firm backbone of fine tannins. Oak is well handled and the rather high (for the vintage) alcohol of 15+% is not noticeable at all. A fine wine from the vintage.
2010 The Gask Shiraz. Now we were starting to get into the good stuff. Very refined and elegant for such a young wine. Eden Valley fruit. Very nice.
2010 The Celts Shiraz. This is picked by Dave Powell and his boys. The vineyard is adjacent to the cellar door. Bit more of a bruiser the Gask, but still very good all the same. At the same price point I preferred the Gask.
2009 The Factor. Stunning wine that had obviously been open for a couple of days. Very approachable, silky tannins and high quality oak.
2009 The Descendent. I was always under the impression that this had a splash of Viogner in it. Hard to tell with this wine and as with the Factor, so approachable young.
2010 The Run Rig. The tannins were slightly more prominent in this one. I enjoyed the previous 2 more but this is also an exceptional wine.
2010 The Fling Fortified Shiraz. Not my thing but this was sensational. I was trying to lick my glass but thankfully Rachael poured me a little more! I have never had a fortified Shiraz this good. A couple of bottles headed my way.
We were also lucky enough to be given a taste of the 2008 The Laird Shiraz. Words can't describe how big and powerful this wine is. Massive oak, massive fruit and the length is endless. No doubt will get 99 or 100 points from the Wine Advocate. I for a minute thought it was slightly fortified.
What surprised me the most about the Torbreck wines was the approachability of the young premiums. I've never encountered it before there. Great tasting.
The next morning it was our day to tee it up at Tanunda Pines in the Rockford Black Magnum. After a good brew and a couple of Barossa pork and fennel sausages on Apex bread rolls with relish, we headed out onto the course. Sadly things didm't go to plan and we both putted like Stevie Wonder. Nothing went our way. When I hit a shot out of a greenside bunker and it hit the pin 6 inches from the bottom of the pin and ended up 20 feet away, I knew it wasn't to be. We still really enjoyed the day and it was great to have a game with Robert O'Callaghan himself and Andrew Ramsey. The course itself was in fantastic condition and the greens were reasonably quick as well. If you're down that way and want a game of golf, by all means head to Tanunda Pines. It's a real challenge. As Robert said, whatever your handicap is at Tanunda, you'll be able to play to it anywhere else. I'd have to agree.
After golf it was off to Ballycroft Wines for a private tasting with the owner/winemaker Joe Evans. Joe's passion for wine and life (and the Barossa in general), is not matched by many. The quality of his wines are matched by few as well. Another group turned up and it really is a small world as one of the lads is good friends with Rens, so it was nice to have a chat with Graham. The wines themselves were amazing.
2010 Ballycroft Small Berry Cabernet. The grapes from this wine are the only non estate grapes to go into the Ballycroft wines. Joe gets the grapes from Langhorne Creek. He should not stop making this wine as it was one of the best wines I drank all week. Approachable in it's youth, but just chock full of beautiful black fruit and quality oak. He is almost sold out of this and at $33 it is an absolute steal. I took another 6 pack off his hands as did my mate Phil.
2010 Small Berry Mataro. Sadly (for the consumer) this is now sold out but Joe was kind enough to open a bottle from his stash. Once again, a stunning wine. Full of beautiful fruit, nice oak and with a really good tannin structure. This should travel well for many years yet and along with Gomersal Wines Mataro, a standout for the style. Glad I got some months ago with my mail order.
2010 Small Berry Shiraz French Oak. A beautiful nose on this wine and the palate doesn't disappoint either. Nice powerful dark fruit with wonderfully integrated French oak. Silky tannins and a real treat. My pick of the two Shiraz's.
2010 Small Berry Shiraz American Oak. For some reason I found this wine a little bigger than the French Oak version. Same vineyard (although different part of it) and the same time in oak. Lashings of chocolate and coconut along with nice dark fruit make this the Yang to the French Oak's Yin. Wonderful wines the pair of them.
The hospitality that Joe afforded us was the best we have ever experienced in the Barossa. After our magnificent tasting, we were invited in for dinner. Not only does Joe make a decent wine, he also is a dab hand in the kitchen as well. I can't thank Joe and Sue enough. It is well worth tracking down Joe's wines as they are breathtaking.
After a good sleep and a manageable hangover it was off to Charles Melton on Friday morning. I normally have lunch there but after a big home cooked breakfast we just weren't that hungry. The home baked pies here are about as good a pie as can be had anywhere. The Wines:-
Brut Peche Made predominantly from Grenache but has small percentages of other grapes including Pinot Noir! I'm not sure if this is a NV or actually a vintage wine. I took a bottle to our Brisbane Grenache Offline last year and remember not being that enamoured with it. My memory served me correctly as this didn't do much for me. A bit to sweet and it really needed to be a bit drier.
2013 Rose of Virginia. I've often said that this is our benchmark Rose. The 2013 does not disappoint. Great balance, just the right amount of sweetness and finishes quite long for a Rose. Excellent.
2011 Father in Law Shiraz. I'm sure this used to be a Clare/Barossa blend but the cellar door salesperson didn't say anything and I forgot to ask. Anyway, not a bad effort at all. Smooth and a more drink now style compared to CM's other Shiraz labels, it is a commendable effort for not much money.
2010 The RIcheleu Grenache. The two other times CM has produced this wine it has been a single vineyard 100% Grenache. Not this vintage. According to our trusty salesperson, it is approx 25% Mataro. The Grenache is still single Vineyard though. Maybe only just medium bodied, the Mataro component has done nothing to hurt the wine. Very enjoyable. I always get a few of these.
2010 Nine Popes. I stopped buying this a few years back as I thought there was better value around. When I first started buying this it was only just over $40, now it is almost $65. While it is an exceptional wine, no question, I think there are similar quality GSM's around for a lot less money. 2010 is one of the better ones I've had the last few years. Just a touch more body than The Richeleu, it does have a nice suppleness about it. I was tempted to get a couple but resisted.
2010 Cabernet I'll be honest and say that I really enjoy Barossa Cabernet. This is a really good wine that just lacked a touch of something. Not sure what, but it just didn't have a wow factor. Nice wine though.
2010 Grains of Paradise Shiraz. A single vineyard wine, it is a quality drop. Is it worth the money? It's debatable. Quite restrained but certainly in the medium body spectrum. I found it more earthy than the Voice of Angels. Nice fruit.
2010 Voice of Angels SHiraz. Also a single vineyard wine, also a quality drop. I found this more fruit driven than the Grains of Paradise, with less noticeable oak.
2008 Sparkling Shiraz. Not being a big red bubbles drinker, I'm always going to compare them to Rockford Black Shiraz (which I think is the pinnacle. but I'm a poor judge on this). This lacked a bit of body and was a little sharp. May get better so I grabbed one for Janine as she loves red bubbles.
Not my favourite cellar door experience this week but still worthwhile all the same. Still the best Rose I've had.
After Charles Melton it was on to Rockford for our Stonewallers appointment. Kristian looked after us and always does a fantastic job. I was disappointed at first that the 2005 SVS wines had not been released. But after tasting the 2010's all that went away.
2010 Eden Valley Riesling. I'd say this is the best Rockford Riesling I've had. I'm told the 2012 is even better. A bit of oiliness at first but it blows off and turns into a really drinkable wine. Nice now - should only improve.
2012 Disgorge Black Shiraz. According to my wife, the best Black Shiraz yet. Not my thing but the quality is obvious compared to everything else I've tried. The only thing that comes close if the really old Seppelts like the one Nick brought to our last Brisbane offline. They are a different style, but quality all the same.
2009 Moppa Springs GSM. This has been our house quaffer for the last 3 or 4 years. It's always so approachable but does improve with 4 or 5 years in the cellar. A decent vintage that reminds me of the '06.
2010 Rod and Spur. The best one of these since the '05 for me. I enjoyed it and a few years in the cellar should see it really singing. The tannins are still a little harsh but should settle down nicely.
2010 Rifle Range Cabernet. I'll be honest again and say that I often prefer this to the Basket Press. This is probably the best young Rifle Range I've had. Silken tannins, rich red and black fruits and just a hint of toasty oak make this a must buy for me. And plenty!
2010 Basket Press. This is without doubt the best young Basket Press I've ever had. Along with the Rifle Range and Rod and Spur, Rockford have really nailed the 2010 vintage and is a feather in the cap for Ben Radford and co. Silky smooth, it is almost seductive in it's power. Should last for years as well.
2004 SVS Flaxmann Shiraz. My pick of the two SVS in 2004 (Hoffmann is sold out). Elegance and power all in the same bottle. Immense to say the least.
2004 Shiraz VP. I enjoyed this a whole lot more than I thought I would. So smooth and had plenty of length. It just seemed to go on forever.
I always enjoy going to the Stonewallers room as I've always been treated extremely well there. The 2010 wines are exceptional which seems to be the case with most of the 2010's I've tasted so far.
Next it was out to Gomersal Wines for our yearly jaunt with Barry White (aka Bazza). Over the years I've been out to Gomersal many times and nowadays it is no longer a tasting, rather a big drink with Barry. The only new wines there were a 2102 Eden Valley Riesling (very very nice), a 2011 Shiraz which is bottled under a different label as Barry said he didn't think the first barrels were quite good enough for his label, and a 2012 Shiraz Rose which I didn't have a taste of.
2011 Shiraz. I can't remember the name of this wine but it is a bit of a surprise. Nice and soft and fruity with little influence of tannin and oak. It's a drink now style, but at the price it's a steal.
2009 Gomersal Shiraz. Just about the best 2009 Shiraz from the Barossa that I've had. When you take the price into account ($25), it's an absolute cracker. Spent 3 years in oak but doesn't show excessively at all. No alcohol heat either. It drinks so well now but should age for 10 years in a canter. Barry bottled me a few Magnums as 2009 is my young fella's birth year and if the cork holds, I'm confident it'll hold up no worries at all.
2008 Mataro. Along with Ballycroft, this is the best example I've had. Supple tannins, nice oak management, subtle spice and rather fruit forward.
2009 Mataro. This wine hasn't been released to the public yet and really needs a year or two to settle a bit. I preferred the '08 but maybe in a couple of years it might be different.
2008 GSM. A big wine but also elegant. A bit of spice and lots of red and black fruits, oak is in balance and lets the fruit be the main player. Delightful wine which should age well for a GSM. Basically equal parts Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro. The best Shiraz Barrels go into this and it shows. Quality.
Barry did give us a bottle of his unreleased 2009 GSM but as of yet, we haven't had a chance to drink it. I'd suggest with the quality of the Shiraz (the best shiraz goes into his GSM) and Mataro it should be exceptional. Once again Barry and Gabrielle's hospitality was amazing. It could of got ugly if we didn't have to get back to our apartment to get ready for the Rockford dinner. Oh and thanks to Gabby for the lovely cheese platter! But seriously, if you are in the Barossa, get out and see Baz, you won't forget it!
Next up was the Rockford Dinner and presentation. We didn't bother the scorers this year but Phil did manage a nearest the pin. We won a few skins so some wine is heading our way as well. These nights are just fantastic. I've been playing in the golf day for 3 years now and I've met some wonderful people. It's great to catch up, but also meet new friends. The food is always sensational and the Rockford staff do a great job in keeping everybody happy. My only disappointment is that I missed desert and the Corden Cut Semillon desert wine as I was too busy socialising! The wines served were great as always. My sincerest apologies to Joe for spilling some Black Shiraz on his nice silk shirt! The night starts with hors d'oeuvres and current Black Shiraz. This year because of the beautiful weather we all gathered outside under the stars. This was much nicer than being inside the Chateau Tanunda hall. We then sat down in the hall to entree's and a glass of 2009 (I think) Local Growers Semillon. Then onto mains (which was Beef Cheek - yum!) and a 2005 Rifle Range and 2002 Basket Press. I love the Rifle Range but tonight the Basket Press was the star of the show. I'm not sure how much I drank, but by the state of my head the next morning, it must have been way to much. It really is a great night. The whole event is run to perfection. The fact you can get cheaper rooms at the Novatel, get bussed to and from the dinner and get given a specially labelled and boxed bottle of museum Rifle Range make it a unique event that I can highly recommend to any golfers that are Stonewallers or know a Stonewaller. I'll be back with bells on next year.
After waking up Saturday morning with a monster hangover that Panadol and Berocca were not really making a dent on, we headed to the Barossa Farmers Markets for a Bacon and Egg roll and some very strong coffee. It is a bit of an institution in the Barossa and last year we got to have a chat with Maggie Beer! Some of the local produce and smallgoods is amazing and armed with my list from Mum and Janine I filled a small cooler with local products. It's a fun morning and you always run into a few people from the golf day.
We went back and had a bit of a Nanna nap before we headed to Burge Family Wines. I've often enjoyed Rick's wines but never been to the cellar door. The '05 Grenache Michael bought to our Grenache offline was very good. We were greeted by Libby who was nice enough to give us a bit of a tutorial on Tawny's. This was great as I had little understanding of the process was literally zero. Actually I even really enjoyed a couple of samples as well. The wines I tasted were all very good and in the cellar door there is a decent amount of back vintages for sale as well.
2008 Clochemerle Grenache Zinfandel Shiraz Souzao. I'd class this as a good BBQ wine but not much else. An interesting blend but failed to impress me too much.
2010 Olive Hill Mouvedre Grenache. Nice wine that has a bit of spice, some nice fruit and restrained oak. Not a real keeper but should be good for a few years.
2009 G3 GSM. This was more my style. Soft and luscious for a young GSM, it reeked of quality.
2010 Garnacha. This I liked and left with a few. Not overly confected like some Barossa Grenache but a bit more subtle and complex. A bit of a hit of acid and spice I thought, but it went down quite well. Should age well as well.
2008 Draycott Shiraz. From very old vines and more of a bigger style to the other wines. Lots of dark fruit, a bit of chocolate bullet and a long finish. I've often said that the 2008 vintage in under rated. If the grapes got off before the heat wave or just into it, the wines seem to be fantastic. This was no exception and at $32 is a bit of a steal. Left with a few of these and a couple of '06's as well.
We then did the Tawny thing and like I said it was a real eyeopener. Can't that Libby enough and we left happy.
Next it was off to the Artisons of the Barossa cellar door. I think this is a must visit for anybody doing the Barossa. Sure, you don't get to taste every wine from the 7 wineries (that's too many wines anyway!) but there are enough on tasting to more than satisfy anyone. We were lucky enough to be served by Greg Hobbs from Hobbs of Barossa. He had some interesting things to say and a real down to earth bloke. A very enjoyable afternoon. I didn't try all the wines on tasting as for me there were just too many and limited myself to the ones of interest. The order we tried them in may not be correct as these are just recollections.
2012 John Duval Plexus White. A nice way to start the tasting. Nothing too complex but enjoyable.
2012 Massena Barbera. This was a delight. I don't think it is a wine to age, rather it's a drink now proposition. Just so soft and luscious. Only light to medium bodied, nice bright colour the fruit just jumps out of the glass. Didn't seem to have any oak, just a real fruit driven wine. Lovely.
2011/12 Massena Moonlight Run GSM. I honestly can't remember if this was an '11 or a '12. If it was an '11, it's the best GSM I had from that vintage. It didn't seem to have the white pepper that so many I've tried had. Actually it was nice and soft with oak only a minor detail. The fruit is up front but not over the top. Once again, a perfect BBQ wine.
2011 Schwarz Dust Kicker GSM. Another decent example from 2011. Once again, a great BBQ wine. Neither of the above 3 wines were big and complex, just really easy drinking.
2010 Spinifex Bete Noir Shiraz. Probably the best nose of all the wines we tried here. Full of fragrant florals and beautiful dark fruits and a lick of spice and earthiness. Just Lovely. The palate was good though I expected more after the sensational nose. It had a bit of earthiness and while the fruit is good, it lacked an X factor. Having said that, I'm going to get some of this as it holds an interest because of the nose. Perhaps it was just in a dumb phase wine occasionally exhibits?
We were then treated to a few of the Sons of Eden wines. I hadn't tried many of their wines and walked away extremely impressed. Not all of the following wines were on tasting, we just got lucky that they had a couple more open:-
2011 Kennedy GSM. Another decent example of 2011 although the pepper was lurking. Easy drinking and the Kennedy is the only SOE wine I'd tried before and I've always been very impressed.
2011 Zephyrus Another good result for the vintage. It did seem to me at this stage that Shiraz seems to have done much better than other varieties in '11, although I've yet to try a Cabernet from '11. This has just a dash of Viogner in it although you'd hardly know, it was just that smooth and didn't have that apricot nose at all. Plenty of dark fruit and spice. Nice.
2010 Remus Shiraz. Wow, what a nice wine. Another example of just how good 2010 can be. A bit of cherry and sweet oak on the nose, the palate is just so long and rich. Should last for years and years. Elegance a plenty here. I'm really starting to dig Eden Valley Shiraz. It seems to have a touch more elegance than the Barossa in general, but not quite the fruit purity.
2010 Romulus Shiraz. A much bigger wine and slightly more oaky. Lots of biscuity coconut and lashings of dark fruit with a hint of chocolate bullet. These 2 wines reming me of the 2004 Rockford SVS wines. One from Eden Valley and one from the Barossa. Very different but both incredible wines. When the Credit Card allows, I'm most certainly tracking these down.
Then Greg Hobbs presented his wines.
2010 Shiraz. From near 100 year old vines. It's actually hard to believe this comes from the Eden Valley as it so big and opulent. Lashings of high quality French oak and lots of dark fruit dominate along with the hint of spice and chocolate. But it also had a way of saying drink me now as well. Hard to describe but an epic wine that is built to age well and be ready for a special occasion in say, 20 years time!
2010 Gregor Shiraz. Greg said this was an Amarone style of wine, which I've had little experience with. This was a little smoother and a tad easier to drink now than the Shiraz. The fruit has eaten the new French oak up and neither dominates the other. Once again, dark fruits with a hint of cherries and Chocolate. I also got a hint of coffee on the palate as well. Exceptional wine.
The Artisons cellar door is a beautiful building as well. The tasting platters looked great and it was nice to see one of the winery owners in serving up the wines. Greg Hobbs seemed like a real decent fella who was really passionate about his product. While his wine is not cheap, it is exceptional.
That was it for wineries for us. I did miss a few I wanted to get to like Sieber Road and Rusden, we had one of the better wine tasting years as far as I was concerned. We headed straight from Artisons to Angaston for a Roaring 40's Smokey Pizza. These Pizzas are probably the best Pizza I've ever had and every year I make sure I get there to have one. With a bottle of Rockford Rod and Spur, they are just great.
We ventured back to Tanunda Pines on Sunday morning for another round of golf. The weather held and we enjoyed it immensely. I'm sure the winemakers would have been cheering the rain on Saturday night as the golf course was quite wet. We then went to Lobethal to the BierHaus for lunch and to sample the house brewed beers. Lunch was just perfect and the joint was jumping. I'd forgotten all about Mother's Day so promptly jumped on the phone and called Mum! As for the beer, I'm not a massive beer drinker but did enjoy trying the different styles available. The tasting paddle is a great idea as it lets you try all 7 beers on tap. After lunch and a relax it was off to the airport to fly home and face the Credit Card bills!
We had a great time this year again and can't wait to get down there again soon. It would have been nice to catch up with a few forumites, maybe next year. We were a bit spoiled this year. We got to have a great talk with Robert O'Callaghan, Joe Evan's exceptional wines and hospitality, Barry White's always funny take on things, Greg Hobb's great wines, Burge Family's Tawny lesson and just the overall friendliness of the Barossa. Look out next year!!!
Cheers
Ian
By the time we got to the Barossa and settled into our digs, we really only had time for one winery. So we decided on Torbreck. I've always been a bit of a fan and it is one cellar door that everyone should visit as they normally put all of their wines except the Laird, on tasting. I didn't take notes and might be a year out here and there but here are my impressions.
We started with a few whites, 2011 Woodcutters Semillon, 2011 Viogner and the 2010 Steading Blanc. The Steading Blanc was about the most interesting but in all honesty, none of these are to my liking. That's not to say they were poor wines, just not my thing. Onto the reds:-
2011 The Juveniles. GSM (unoaked). I have not had a 2011 Grenache based wine that I have enjoyed yet. I say yet as I'm sure it will happen. Just way too much white pepper for me.
2009 The Steading GSM. This was more my speed and displayed nice fruit/oak balance and overall was quite a good wine. I bought a Magnum.
2012 Woodcutter's Shiraz. A couple of posters on here have said this is quite a good wine. I agree, but only to a point. Fairly good VFM but nothing overly memorable.
2010 The Kyloe Mataro. A really good wine that for the price ($29) is worth a look. I liked it and bought a couple of bottles. Lots of nice black fruit and slightly chalky tannins.
2011 The Fish Shiraz. I also was quite impessed by this as well. We were told that about 15% of the fruit was from the top end wines that weren't produced in 2011 (The Descendent, The Factor, The Runrig etc). Nice floral nose that doesn't seem to have been affected by the cool wet vintage like some of the Grenache wines. All the money raised from this goes to charity so I thought it wise to get a couple of bottles.
2011 The Struie Shiraz. I remember being told on my last visit to the cellar door that this would be a standout wine for 2011. I can say that it is. As I said above, all of the grapes from the premium lines went into this as they weren't made. It shows. Quite a bit of fruit power intertwined with a nice firm backbone of fine tannins. Oak is well handled and the rather high (for the vintage) alcohol of 15+% is not noticeable at all. A fine wine from the vintage.
2010 The Gask Shiraz. Now we were starting to get into the good stuff. Very refined and elegant for such a young wine. Eden Valley fruit. Very nice.
2010 The Celts Shiraz. This is picked by Dave Powell and his boys. The vineyard is adjacent to the cellar door. Bit more of a bruiser the Gask, but still very good all the same. At the same price point I preferred the Gask.
2009 The Factor. Stunning wine that had obviously been open for a couple of days. Very approachable, silky tannins and high quality oak.
2009 The Descendent. I was always under the impression that this had a splash of Viogner in it. Hard to tell with this wine and as with the Factor, so approachable young.
2010 The Run Rig. The tannins were slightly more prominent in this one. I enjoyed the previous 2 more but this is also an exceptional wine.
2010 The Fling Fortified Shiraz. Not my thing but this was sensational. I was trying to lick my glass but thankfully Rachael poured me a little more! I have never had a fortified Shiraz this good. A couple of bottles headed my way.
We were also lucky enough to be given a taste of the 2008 The Laird Shiraz. Words can't describe how big and powerful this wine is. Massive oak, massive fruit and the length is endless. No doubt will get 99 or 100 points from the Wine Advocate. I for a minute thought it was slightly fortified.
What surprised me the most about the Torbreck wines was the approachability of the young premiums. I've never encountered it before there. Great tasting.
The next morning it was our day to tee it up at Tanunda Pines in the Rockford Black Magnum. After a good brew and a couple of Barossa pork and fennel sausages on Apex bread rolls with relish, we headed out onto the course. Sadly things didm't go to plan and we both putted like Stevie Wonder. Nothing went our way. When I hit a shot out of a greenside bunker and it hit the pin 6 inches from the bottom of the pin and ended up 20 feet away, I knew it wasn't to be. We still really enjoyed the day and it was great to have a game with Robert O'Callaghan himself and Andrew Ramsey. The course itself was in fantastic condition and the greens were reasonably quick as well. If you're down that way and want a game of golf, by all means head to Tanunda Pines. It's a real challenge. As Robert said, whatever your handicap is at Tanunda, you'll be able to play to it anywhere else. I'd have to agree.
After golf it was off to Ballycroft Wines for a private tasting with the owner/winemaker Joe Evans. Joe's passion for wine and life (and the Barossa in general), is not matched by many. The quality of his wines are matched by few as well. Another group turned up and it really is a small world as one of the lads is good friends with Rens, so it was nice to have a chat with Graham. The wines themselves were amazing.
2010 Ballycroft Small Berry Cabernet. The grapes from this wine are the only non estate grapes to go into the Ballycroft wines. Joe gets the grapes from Langhorne Creek. He should not stop making this wine as it was one of the best wines I drank all week. Approachable in it's youth, but just chock full of beautiful black fruit and quality oak. He is almost sold out of this and at $33 it is an absolute steal. I took another 6 pack off his hands as did my mate Phil.
2010 Small Berry Mataro. Sadly (for the consumer) this is now sold out but Joe was kind enough to open a bottle from his stash. Once again, a stunning wine. Full of beautiful fruit, nice oak and with a really good tannin structure. This should travel well for many years yet and along with Gomersal Wines Mataro, a standout for the style. Glad I got some months ago with my mail order.
2010 Small Berry Shiraz French Oak. A beautiful nose on this wine and the palate doesn't disappoint either. Nice powerful dark fruit with wonderfully integrated French oak. Silky tannins and a real treat. My pick of the two Shiraz's.
2010 Small Berry Shiraz American Oak. For some reason I found this wine a little bigger than the French Oak version. Same vineyard (although different part of it) and the same time in oak. Lashings of chocolate and coconut along with nice dark fruit make this the Yang to the French Oak's Yin. Wonderful wines the pair of them.
The hospitality that Joe afforded us was the best we have ever experienced in the Barossa. After our magnificent tasting, we were invited in for dinner. Not only does Joe make a decent wine, he also is a dab hand in the kitchen as well. I can't thank Joe and Sue enough. It is well worth tracking down Joe's wines as they are breathtaking.
After a good sleep and a manageable hangover it was off to Charles Melton on Friday morning. I normally have lunch there but after a big home cooked breakfast we just weren't that hungry. The home baked pies here are about as good a pie as can be had anywhere. The Wines:-
Brut Peche Made predominantly from Grenache but has small percentages of other grapes including Pinot Noir! I'm not sure if this is a NV or actually a vintage wine. I took a bottle to our Brisbane Grenache Offline last year and remember not being that enamoured with it. My memory served me correctly as this didn't do much for me. A bit to sweet and it really needed to be a bit drier.
2013 Rose of Virginia. I've often said that this is our benchmark Rose. The 2013 does not disappoint. Great balance, just the right amount of sweetness and finishes quite long for a Rose. Excellent.
2011 Father in Law Shiraz. I'm sure this used to be a Clare/Barossa blend but the cellar door salesperson didn't say anything and I forgot to ask. Anyway, not a bad effort at all. Smooth and a more drink now style compared to CM's other Shiraz labels, it is a commendable effort for not much money.
2010 The RIcheleu Grenache. The two other times CM has produced this wine it has been a single vineyard 100% Grenache. Not this vintage. According to our trusty salesperson, it is approx 25% Mataro. The Grenache is still single Vineyard though. Maybe only just medium bodied, the Mataro component has done nothing to hurt the wine. Very enjoyable. I always get a few of these.
2010 Nine Popes. I stopped buying this a few years back as I thought there was better value around. When I first started buying this it was only just over $40, now it is almost $65. While it is an exceptional wine, no question, I think there are similar quality GSM's around for a lot less money. 2010 is one of the better ones I've had the last few years. Just a touch more body than The Richeleu, it does have a nice suppleness about it. I was tempted to get a couple but resisted.
2010 Cabernet I'll be honest and say that I really enjoy Barossa Cabernet. This is a really good wine that just lacked a touch of something. Not sure what, but it just didn't have a wow factor. Nice wine though.
2010 Grains of Paradise Shiraz. A single vineyard wine, it is a quality drop. Is it worth the money? It's debatable. Quite restrained but certainly in the medium body spectrum. I found it more earthy than the Voice of Angels. Nice fruit.
2010 Voice of Angels SHiraz. Also a single vineyard wine, also a quality drop. I found this more fruit driven than the Grains of Paradise, with less noticeable oak.
2008 Sparkling Shiraz. Not being a big red bubbles drinker, I'm always going to compare them to Rockford Black Shiraz (which I think is the pinnacle. but I'm a poor judge on this). This lacked a bit of body and was a little sharp. May get better so I grabbed one for Janine as she loves red bubbles.
Not my favourite cellar door experience this week but still worthwhile all the same. Still the best Rose I've had.
After Charles Melton it was on to Rockford for our Stonewallers appointment. Kristian looked after us and always does a fantastic job. I was disappointed at first that the 2005 SVS wines had not been released. But after tasting the 2010's all that went away.
2010 Eden Valley Riesling. I'd say this is the best Rockford Riesling I've had. I'm told the 2012 is even better. A bit of oiliness at first but it blows off and turns into a really drinkable wine. Nice now - should only improve.
2012 Disgorge Black Shiraz. According to my wife, the best Black Shiraz yet. Not my thing but the quality is obvious compared to everything else I've tried. The only thing that comes close if the really old Seppelts like the one Nick brought to our last Brisbane offline. They are a different style, but quality all the same.
2009 Moppa Springs GSM. This has been our house quaffer for the last 3 or 4 years. It's always so approachable but does improve with 4 or 5 years in the cellar. A decent vintage that reminds me of the '06.
2010 Rod and Spur. The best one of these since the '05 for me. I enjoyed it and a few years in the cellar should see it really singing. The tannins are still a little harsh but should settle down nicely.
2010 Rifle Range Cabernet. I'll be honest again and say that I often prefer this to the Basket Press. This is probably the best young Rifle Range I've had. Silken tannins, rich red and black fruits and just a hint of toasty oak make this a must buy for me. And plenty!
2010 Basket Press. This is without doubt the best young Basket Press I've ever had. Along with the Rifle Range and Rod and Spur, Rockford have really nailed the 2010 vintage and is a feather in the cap for Ben Radford and co. Silky smooth, it is almost seductive in it's power. Should last for years as well.
2004 SVS Flaxmann Shiraz. My pick of the two SVS in 2004 (Hoffmann is sold out). Elegance and power all in the same bottle. Immense to say the least.
2004 Shiraz VP. I enjoyed this a whole lot more than I thought I would. So smooth and had plenty of length. It just seemed to go on forever.
I always enjoy going to the Stonewallers room as I've always been treated extremely well there. The 2010 wines are exceptional which seems to be the case with most of the 2010's I've tasted so far.
Next it was out to Gomersal Wines for our yearly jaunt with Barry White (aka Bazza). Over the years I've been out to Gomersal many times and nowadays it is no longer a tasting, rather a big drink with Barry. The only new wines there were a 2102 Eden Valley Riesling (very very nice), a 2011 Shiraz which is bottled under a different label as Barry said he didn't think the first barrels were quite good enough for his label, and a 2012 Shiraz Rose which I didn't have a taste of.
2011 Shiraz. I can't remember the name of this wine but it is a bit of a surprise. Nice and soft and fruity with little influence of tannin and oak. It's a drink now style, but at the price it's a steal.
2009 Gomersal Shiraz. Just about the best 2009 Shiraz from the Barossa that I've had. When you take the price into account ($25), it's an absolute cracker. Spent 3 years in oak but doesn't show excessively at all. No alcohol heat either. It drinks so well now but should age for 10 years in a canter. Barry bottled me a few Magnums as 2009 is my young fella's birth year and if the cork holds, I'm confident it'll hold up no worries at all.
2008 Mataro. Along with Ballycroft, this is the best example I've had. Supple tannins, nice oak management, subtle spice and rather fruit forward.
2009 Mataro. This wine hasn't been released to the public yet and really needs a year or two to settle a bit. I preferred the '08 but maybe in a couple of years it might be different.
2008 GSM. A big wine but also elegant. A bit of spice and lots of red and black fruits, oak is in balance and lets the fruit be the main player. Delightful wine which should age well for a GSM. Basically equal parts Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro. The best Shiraz Barrels go into this and it shows. Quality.
Barry did give us a bottle of his unreleased 2009 GSM but as of yet, we haven't had a chance to drink it. I'd suggest with the quality of the Shiraz (the best shiraz goes into his GSM) and Mataro it should be exceptional. Once again Barry and Gabrielle's hospitality was amazing. It could of got ugly if we didn't have to get back to our apartment to get ready for the Rockford dinner. Oh and thanks to Gabby for the lovely cheese platter! But seriously, if you are in the Barossa, get out and see Baz, you won't forget it!
Next up was the Rockford Dinner and presentation. We didn't bother the scorers this year but Phil did manage a nearest the pin. We won a few skins so some wine is heading our way as well. These nights are just fantastic. I've been playing in the golf day for 3 years now and I've met some wonderful people. It's great to catch up, but also meet new friends. The food is always sensational and the Rockford staff do a great job in keeping everybody happy. My only disappointment is that I missed desert and the Corden Cut Semillon desert wine as I was too busy socialising! The wines served were great as always. My sincerest apologies to Joe for spilling some Black Shiraz on his nice silk shirt! The night starts with hors d'oeuvres and current Black Shiraz. This year because of the beautiful weather we all gathered outside under the stars. This was much nicer than being inside the Chateau Tanunda hall. We then sat down in the hall to entree's and a glass of 2009 (I think) Local Growers Semillon. Then onto mains (which was Beef Cheek - yum!) and a 2005 Rifle Range and 2002 Basket Press. I love the Rifle Range but tonight the Basket Press was the star of the show. I'm not sure how much I drank, but by the state of my head the next morning, it must have been way to much. It really is a great night. The whole event is run to perfection. The fact you can get cheaper rooms at the Novatel, get bussed to and from the dinner and get given a specially labelled and boxed bottle of museum Rifle Range make it a unique event that I can highly recommend to any golfers that are Stonewallers or know a Stonewaller. I'll be back with bells on next year.
After waking up Saturday morning with a monster hangover that Panadol and Berocca were not really making a dent on, we headed to the Barossa Farmers Markets for a Bacon and Egg roll and some very strong coffee. It is a bit of an institution in the Barossa and last year we got to have a chat with Maggie Beer! Some of the local produce and smallgoods is amazing and armed with my list from Mum and Janine I filled a small cooler with local products. It's a fun morning and you always run into a few people from the golf day.
We went back and had a bit of a Nanna nap before we headed to Burge Family Wines. I've often enjoyed Rick's wines but never been to the cellar door. The '05 Grenache Michael bought to our Grenache offline was very good. We were greeted by Libby who was nice enough to give us a bit of a tutorial on Tawny's. This was great as I had little understanding of the process was literally zero. Actually I even really enjoyed a couple of samples as well. The wines I tasted were all very good and in the cellar door there is a decent amount of back vintages for sale as well.
2008 Clochemerle Grenache Zinfandel Shiraz Souzao. I'd class this as a good BBQ wine but not much else. An interesting blend but failed to impress me too much.
2010 Olive Hill Mouvedre Grenache. Nice wine that has a bit of spice, some nice fruit and restrained oak. Not a real keeper but should be good for a few years.
2009 G3 GSM. This was more my style. Soft and luscious for a young GSM, it reeked of quality.
2010 Garnacha. This I liked and left with a few. Not overly confected like some Barossa Grenache but a bit more subtle and complex. A bit of a hit of acid and spice I thought, but it went down quite well. Should age well as well.
2008 Draycott Shiraz. From very old vines and more of a bigger style to the other wines. Lots of dark fruit, a bit of chocolate bullet and a long finish. I've often said that the 2008 vintage in under rated. If the grapes got off before the heat wave or just into it, the wines seem to be fantastic. This was no exception and at $32 is a bit of a steal. Left with a few of these and a couple of '06's as well.
We then did the Tawny thing and like I said it was a real eyeopener. Can't that Libby enough and we left happy.
Next it was off to the Artisons of the Barossa cellar door. I think this is a must visit for anybody doing the Barossa. Sure, you don't get to taste every wine from the 7 wineries (that's too many wines anyway!) but there are enough on tasting to more than satisfy anyone. We were lucky enough to be served by Greg Hobbs from Hobbs of Barossa. He had some interesting things to say and a real down to earth bloke. A very enjoyable afternoon. I didn't try all the wines on tasting as for me there were just too many and limited myself to the ones of interest. The order we tried them in may not be correct as these are just recollections.
2012 John Duval Plexus White. A nice way to start the tasting. Nothing too complex but enjoyable.
2012 Massena Barbera. This was a delight. I don't think it is a wine to age, rather it's a drink now proposition. Just so soft and luscious. Only light to medium bodied, nice bright colour the fruit just jumps out of the glass. Didn't seem to have any oak, just a real fruit driven wine. Lovely.
2011/12 Massena Moonlight Run GSM. I honestly can't remember if this was an '11 or a '12. If it was an '11, it's the best GSM I had from that vintage. It didn't seem to have the white pepper that so many I've tried had. Actually it was nice and soft with oak only a minor detail. The fruit is up front but not over the top. Once again, a perfect BBQ wine.
2011 Schwarz Dust Kicker GSM. Another decent example from 2011. Once again, a great BBQ wine. Neither of the above 3 wines were big and complex, just really easy drinking.
2010 Spinifex Bete Noir Shiraz. Probably the best nose of all the wines we tried here. Full of fragrant florals and beautiful dark fruits and a lick of spice and earthiness. Just Lovely. The palate was good though I expected more after the sensational nose. It had a bit of earthiness and while the fruit is good, it lacked an X factor. Having said that, I'm going to get some of this as it holds an interest because of the nose. Perhaps it was just in a dumb phase wine occasionally exhibits?
We were then treated to a few of the Sons of Eden wines. I hadn't tried many of their wines and walked away extremely impressed. Not all of the following wines were on tasting, we just got lucky that they had a couple more open:-
2011 Kennedy GSM. Another decent example of 2011 although the pepper was lurking. Easy drinking and the Kennedy is the only SOE wine I'd tried before and I've always been very impressed.
2011 Zephyrus Another good result for the vintage. It did seem to me at this stage that Shiraz seems to have done much better than other varieties in '11, although I've yet to try a Cabernet from '11. This has just a dash of Viogner in it although you'd hardly know, it was just that smooth and didn't have that apricot nose at all. Plenty of dark fruit and spice. Nice.
2010 Remus Shiraz. Wow, what a nice wine. Another example of just how good 2010 can be. A bit of cherry and sweet oak on the nose, the palate is just so long and rich. Should last for years and years. Elegance a plenty here. I'm really starting to dig Eden Valley Shiraz. It seems to have a touch more elegance than the Barossa in general, but not quite the fruit purity.
2010 Romulus Shiraz. A much bigger wine and slightly more oaky. Lots of biscuity coconut and lashings of dark fruit with a hint of chocolate bullet. These 2 wines reming me of the 2004 Rockford SVS wines. One from Eden Valley and one from the Barossa. Very different but both incredible wines. When the Credit Card allows, I'm most certainly tracking these down.
Then Greg Hobbs presented his wines.
2010 Shiraz. From near 100 year old vines. It's actually hard to believe this comes from the Eden Valley as it so big and opulent. Lashings of high quality French oak and lots of dark fruit dominate along with the hint of spice and chocolate. But it also had a way of saying drink me now as well. Hard to describe but an epic wine that is built to age well and be ready for a special occasion in say, 20 years time!
2010 Gregor Shiraz. Greg said this was an Amarone style of wine, which I've had little experience with. This was a little smoother and a tad easier to drink now than the Shiraz. The fruit has eaten the new French oak up and neither dominates the other. Once again, dark fruits with a hint of cherries and Chocolate. I also got a hint of coffee on the palate as well. Exceptional wine.
The Artisons cellar door is a beautiful building as well. The tasting platters looked great and it was nice to see one of the winery owners in serving up the wines. Greg Hobbs seemed like a real decent fella who was really passionate about his product. While his wine is not cheap, it is exceptional.
That was it for wineries for us. I did miss a few I wanted to get to like Sieber Road and Rusden, we had one of the better wine tasting years as far as I was concerned. We headed straight from Artisons to Angaston for a Roaring 40's Smokey Pizza. These Pizzas are probably the best Pizza I've ever had and every year I make sure I get there to have one. With a bottle of Rockford Rod and Spur, they are just great.
We ventured back to Tanunda Pines on Sunday morning for another round of golf. The weather held and we enjoyed it immensely. I'm sure the winemakers would have been cheering the rain on Saturday night as the golf course was quite wet. We then went to Lobethal to the BierHaus for lunch and to sample the house brewed beers. Lunch was just perfect and the joint was jumping. I'd forgotten all about Mother's Day so promptly jumped on the phone and called Mum! As for the beer, I'm not a massive beer drinker but did enjoy trying the different styles available. The tasting paddle is a great idea as it lets you try all 7 beers on tap. After lunch and a relax it was off to the airport to fly home and face the Credit Card bills!
We had a great time this year again and can't wait to get down there again soon. It would have been nice to catch up with a few forumites, maybe next year. We were a bit spoiled this year. We got to have a great talk with Robert O'Callaghan, Joe Evan's exceptional wines and hospitality, Barry White's always funny take on things, Greg Hobb's great wines, Burge Family's Tawny lesson and just the overall friendliness of the Barossa. Look out next year!!!
Cheers
Ian
Good wine though, I enjoyed it. RunRig 2010 is a lovely, but tannic beast, needs some time for sure.
