McLaren Vale 6 August 2016

[Waiters Friend]

G’day

I visited four wineries in McLaren Vale today. That may not sound like much in a 6 hour period, but I ended up getting fairly in-depth with all four, and buying a case at each (for shipping back to WA). I spent the time discussing the wines in detail, and taking notes (below). Fortunately, I was spitting, as a) I was driving, and b) I probably would have bought more; regardless, 36 wines in a 6 hour period is a reasonably good effort in my humble opinion.

Maxwell Wines

This winery is a long-time favourite of mine – I first visited Maxwell 21 years ago, when the cellar door was in a different place entirely. Back then, the Ellen Street Shiraz was the flagship – these days, there’s a couple of wines higher up in the hierarchy. I was looked after by the delightful Helen, who was reasonably knowledgeable about the wines, and happy to talk in detail.

The 2015 Barrel Fermented Verdelho sees 6 months in one and two year old oak. It shows a creamy palate texture as a result of being on lees, and otherwise shows pineapple and guava.

The 2015 Adelaide Hills Chardonnay is a wine I had been looking forward to trying. It sees 10 months in French oak, and then a further 8 months batonnage (I think that’s right). It’s a pale yellow in colour, with white peach, nectarine, and a touch of lemon. It’s got some palate weight and considerable balance. I was not disappointed.

The 2013 Lime Cave Cabernet Sauvignon has been a long-time favourite, but I have not seen too many recent vintages. Apparently 2013 was a pretty wet year in McLaren Vale, and the wines will not be as long lived as a result. This is from vines planted in 1972, and spends 24 months in (30% new) oak hogsheads. It’s deep purple red in colour and quite bright in the glass. It’s got big mulberry, blueberry, blackcurrant and vanilla, with the fruit dominating some grippy tannins on the palate. Needs a couple of years.

The 2013 Ellen Street Shiraz (14.5% alc) is from vines planted in 1952. It sees 24 months’ oak as well, but this time mostly American. There’s ripe plum, raisin / Christmas cake and toasty vanilla. It’s medium bodied, with drying and grippy tannins, and a medium to long finish. I had the 2009 recently, and I am hoping the 2013 will evolve in a similar fashion.

2013 Eocene Shiraz is a variation in style. From vines planted in 1996, it spends 20 months in French oak, but only 20% new. It’s a little more closed than the Ellen Street, but still shows some of the plum & plum pudding you might expect. Medium bodied and length only, and drying, grippy tannins with supporting oak.

2013 Minotaur Shiraz is the flagship wine. It sees 50% new French oak, and is altogether a bigger animal. Big ripe plums, some vanilla and cedar, savouriness with a hint of mocha. Mouthfilling and palate coating balanced by good acid. The tannins are big now, but should soften with a couple of years’ age. A very long finish, and I am looking forward to opening one of these in 5 years or so.

I then went for a short drive to check out the area and ended up in McLaren Flat. I was considering dropping in at Yangarra, but got sidetracked and instead visited……

Gemtree

Gemtree is an organic and certified (2011) biodynamic producer, who also has an interest in tempranillo. Some of the wine names reflect the biodynamic philosophy.

2015 Moonstone Savagnin (13% alc). Like some producers, this got planted when people thought it was albarinho. Unlike some producers, it stayed in, and produces a very clean and drinkable unwooded white. It’s a pale yellow and initially looks like a Riesling, with lemon citrus and some orange blossom. It’s filled out by some nashi pear. It’s a light bodied, high acid wine with a clean finish, and makes good summer afternoon drinking.

2016 Luna De Fresa Tempranillo Rose (12.8%). Luna De Fresa means ‘strawberry moon’, and this is a fitting name for a salmon coloured wine that only sees 7 hours on skins. It hasno residual sugar, and is intended to emulate similar wines from Provence. There’s bright fresh strawberry, guava and kiwi fruit, and the palate shows a little texture over the acidity. I enjoyed this more than I expected.

2016 Luna Temprana Tempranillo (13%) Luna Temprana means ‘early moon’ and is intended to reflect the mostly unoaked ‘joven’ style (it sees a small quantity of old, large oak for the malolactic fermentation only). Surprisingly, there’s some structure underneath the overt dark cherries – there’s also some dried herbs in evidence. The savoury palate is supported somewhat by mild tannins. I enjoyed this more than I expected, too.

2014 Luna Roja (red or blood moon) Tempranillo (14.5%). It spends 10 months in older oak puncheons. This is more of what I was expecting from a tempranillo – red purple in colour, big ripe cherries and savoury tobacco and tar notes. The cherries flood through the palate as well, with high acidity, and lots of fine tannins. It’s a medium bodied wine only.

2015 Cinnabar GSM (15%). 8 months in old oak. It shows raspberry, red fruits, and is not overly tannic. It’s not my style, possibly because of the high Grenache content.

2013 Uncut Shiraz (14.5%). This is unfiltered and unfined, and spends 18 months in (50% new) French oak. There’s ripe dark fruits, some coffee grounds, chocolate, and savoury (oak?) notes. The tannins are chunky, with good supporting acid, and a long finish, despite being only medium bodied. It’s described by Gemtree as being “quintessential McLaren Vale”, and it’s a very good wine indeed, especially for $25.

2013 Ernest Allan Shiraz is a step up in quality from the Uncut in terms of richness and weight. This possibly derived from the more extensive oak treatment – 20 months in 80% new oak. Otherwise, I found the wines somewhat similar (and I bought both).

2014 Stage 6 Scarce Earth Shiraz. (14.5%). Scarce Earth is a McLaren Vale initiative, which I believe relates to the soil that individual vineyards are planted on (please correct me if I am wrong). This wine is more savoury and elegant than the previous two wines, with less voluptuous fruit and more restrained oak. The tannins are fine but persistent, and, with the acidity and fruit balance, contribute to a lovely mouthfeel. And the bank balance diminished again…….

Kay Brothers Amery Vineyard

This winery was established in 1890, and it shows in the large timber gracing cellar door. There’s a sense of history here that reminded me a little of Tahbilk (without the underground cellars). All of their wines are basket pressed (including the sole white), as they do not produce the volume to warrant investment in air bags.

2015 Muscat Blanc. Almost transparent in colour. This was definitely something I wasn’t expecting, and it was almost gewürztraminer – very perfumed, with musk and lychee. There’s a little texture from lees. It’s light bodied but very refreshing – high acid without being too acidic, and generally in balance.

2013 Mataro (14.5%). Smoky notes, with lifted florals (especially violets), juicy fark berries, and some earthiness. The palate is medium bodied, with licorice, fine grained tannins, and good length.

2011 Ironmonger Cabernet Shiraz (14.5%). 70% Cabernet, 30% Shiraz. A big nose, with tobacco, mint / eucalypt, clove, chocolate, coffee and plum. It’s quite tannic, and has strong supporting acid over stewed dark fruits, and has a full mouthfeel.

2012 Cuthbert Cabernet Sauvignon. Blackcurrant, tobacco, toasty oak, spice (inc clove). Mouthfilling but surprisingly well balanced, with more blackcurrant on the palate over grippy tannins.

2014 Shiraz (14%). Older oak, and a medium bodied wine. Stewed plums (almot a conserve). Very spicy, cloves and chocolate. It’s mouthfilling, with good supporting tannins, and some savoury notes. The fruit and acid wash over the palate, and lead to a long finish. I had originally intended to buy quite a few of these (VFM) but then I was shown the next three wines, and the number reduced.

2011 Hillside Shiraz (14%). Despite the poor vintage, this is a quality wine. A full nose of rich plums, spicy oak, and more of the flavours that keep appearing in the notes so far – savoury, mocha, spice. The palate has good supporting acid, Christmas cake / raisin, and fine well-integrated tannins.

2013 Block 6 Shiraz. The pinnacle of Kay Brothers wines, and sensational. French oak. Deep purple colour. It’s a bigger and younger version of the Hillside, lots of red and dark fruits, slightly less spicy but more savoury and meaty. It’s a full bodied wine, with everything in balance – fruit, acid, tannins, and nothing dominating.

Sparkling Shiraz NV. A blend of 2007 and 2008 base material. Reasonably big, and moderately rich, with all the things you would expect in a big sparkling red - possibly similar to the Rockford.

I then ventured to D’Arenberg for a late lunch. Alas, the Verandah is closed for renovations, so I didn’t stay – instead, I headed for ……..

Coriole

The restaurant here is also closed for renovations. The cellar door, however, was quite busy, and I joined the throng. Part of the reason for selectin Coriole is the Italian varieties they produce, but in the end, I went for a couple of whites, and their upper-end reds. The Italian reds are predominantly made for early drinking.

2015 Fiano. Pale yellow in colour. Lots of citrus, orange blossom, unripe pear, and red apple. Clean acid works with a slightly waxy texture, leading to a medium finish.

2015 Chenin Blanc (12.5%). Pale yellow in colour. The nose is all green apple, guava and a little passionfruit. The palate is surprisingly mouthfilling, with red apple and cleansing acid. Could age.

2010 “The Optimist” Chenin Blanc. 15% of this wine was barrel fermented. It’s well developed – yellow gold in colour and honeyed, toasty characters like a Hunter Semillon. It’s quite a mouthful, too, with honeydew melon, honeysuckle, lanolin, and toast, without being oily. Good palate weight.

2016 Picpoul (12.5%). Pale yellow. Almost Riesling like with lemon, citrus, a bit of talc and minerality.Quite high acid, with lemon curd and a pleasingly clean finish. Medium weight and length.

2015 Barbera (14%). Red purple. Big jubey red and black fruit. Some vanilla from new oak. High acid and lots of fruit washes over the palate. Tannins are modest.

2015 Sangiovese (14.5%). Coriole planted their first sangiovese in 1984. This is red / purple, with a a simple but bright cherry nose. There’s no obvious oak, and high acidity. The finish is short.

2015 Nero (D’Avola) (14%). Described by the cellar staff as “lamb in a glass”. It is herbal (dried rosemary, sage and thyme), and savoury (almost salty). There’s ripe fresh blueberries, high acid, moderate tannins and it is refreshing. It’s the best of the three Italian reds in my opinion.

2014 “Dancing Fig” Mourvedre (60%) Grenache (25%) and Shiraz (15%). 14.5% alcohol. It’s purple / red with with blueberries and fresh cherry dominating the nose. There’s also some fresh plum, and a slight medicinal note. The palate has grippy tannins, blue fruits, reasonably acidity and some savoury notes. Normally I would be excited at the prospect of a mourvedre dominated blend, but this didn’t do it for me.

2014 Estate Grown Shiraz. (14.5%). This is also made in a ‘drink early’ style. It’s purple, with fairly simple plummy fruit. It’s medium bodied, with high acid, some spicy oak, and a sharp finish.

2014 Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon (14.5%). Bigger and slightly more complex than the Shiraz. Blackcurrant, vanilla, tobacco, some savoury notes, big acid, and drying tannins. It’s medium bodied, and slightly longer on the finish than the Shiraz.

The tasting sheet indicated that this was where we would finish – the remaining Reserve wines were ‘not for tasting’. Fortunately the staff had other ideas. Guess where my money went? We kicked off with two single vineyard Shiraz.

2013 ‘Old House’ Shiraz (14.5%). Savoury oak and palate. Bigger fruit and more structure than the previous wines, some herbs and greater length. The 2013 ‘Willunga 1920’ was a less ‘obvious’ wine but showed more elegant and subtle power. It has lashings of ripe red fruits across the palate. I suspect this will be the better of the two, but will put this to the test in a few years’ time.

2012 Vita Reserve Sangiovese (14.5%). This is a step up from the previous sangiovese. It’s spicy, savoury with a slightly earthy nose, alongside dark cherry and a little olive. The front palate is very good indeed, then the wine disappointingly stops short, with no back palate whatsoever.

2012 Mary Kathleen Cabernet Merlot. A rich nose of blackberry and ripe plum. Lots of cedar, vanilla. The grippy tannins support the flood of fruit across the palate (especially the mid palate). It’s a big wine, but with elegance, and a medium to long finish. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

We even got to try the $100 a bottle flagship – the 2012 Lloyd Reserve Shiraz (14.5%). This wine is from 6 rows planted in 1919. It’s dark and brooding, with a complex nose of cedar, dark fruits, a little coffee. It’s savoury and slightly earthy. There’s great structure, and a superb balance fruit and acid, with well integrated tannins. Not surprisingly, it finishes very long.

And the bank balance diminished again…….

You will notice the number “14.5%” pops up almost repeatedly. A couple of decades ago, this would have been 15.5%, and it’s good to see the reduction. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the level of knowledge among cellar door staff was high (very high in a couple of cases), and that they are willing to invest the time in discussing the wines in detail with customers. Also good to see that spittoons were available at all four wineries.

Finally, I was happy to find a decent eatery in McLaren Vale within walking distance of my motel, so I could finally enjoy a glass after 6 hours of spitting. The Barn is delightfully set up, and expertly run with a great combination of friendliness and efficiency. It has a modest ‘by the glass’ list, and also has a separate Wine Room, where you can select your bottle from quite a range of (not only) McLaren Vale wines (it also includes fridges with white wines) – it’s a mini bottle shop within the restaurant. Lots of dark timber and tea lights completed the mood. The Chapel Hill 2010 “The Chosen” Gorge Block Cabernet Sauvignon was the accompaniment to my kangaroo, and the rest of the bottle is sitting beside me now.

Cheers
Allan

[Scotty vino]

Great write up Allan. Very extensive !
Pity you didn't get to Yangarra but I can honestly say I've made the same error at my first attempt and ended
up at Gemtree. Not a bad thing at all.

[Waiters Friend]

I have just realised that I have a few new grape varieties from my SA trip, to put into 'alternative' tastings in WA. Picpoul, muscat blanc, vermentino, savagnin, fiano, sagrantino, mencia. All of these in 'shiraz territory - McLaren Vale. Lovely wines, and possibly unique in the Australian context.

I also tried some more, barbera, nero d'avola, sangiovese, but I bought (mostly) whites. The concept of Italian red varieties is all very well, but in most cases, were promoted as "drink now" wines = we need cash flow. They were generally lean, sometimes thin, and just one dimensional. That's a shame, if you're looking for wines that look like the Italian and Spanish wines they are emulating.

So, should McLaren Vale continue to push the alternative varieties? Although I tried 60 wines in 36 hours, and purchased accordingly, I am looking at the boxes stacked in the corner and realise I have purchased (apart from a few of the alternatives in the first paragraph) shiraz, shiraz and more expensive shiraz.

I realise that McLaren Vale needs to do more than Shiraz to differentiate itself from other markets (the Hunter has done similar) but if you're going to go for continental varieties then a) do them well, and b) promote them well.

Cheers
Allan