2001 LECONFIELD Coonawarra Shiraz-S.A.

[Attila]

Tasting Note No.21

Winemaker Paul Gordon has done a great job with this one at Leconfield. It is certainly my favourite wine out of the new releases tasted. Grapes picked from low yielding vines, this wine underwent partial barrel fermentation. It spent 16 months in new American and 1-2 year old French oak. Alcohol is at 13.5% vol.
Colour very deep, Ox blood red. Lovely peppery and fruity nose. Very young but I could tell it will be exotic, gamey and beautifully scented in 5 years time. Good freshness and vibrant shiraz fruit on the palate. Excellent and sweet mouthful of plums, dark cherries and blackberries perfectly balanced by smooth vanilla oak. Very much like a young wine from the Northern Rhone. Controlled and focused winemaking with an impressive and long finish. It is already a nice and round drink with considerable power, will age effortlessly for 10 years. It cost AU $30 and is very good value. I liked it a lot.

2001 LECONFIELD Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

Apparently only half of the released wine bottled under cork, I tried a screwcapped bottle. Alcohol is at 14% vol.
Colour black cherry red. Lot's of fresh cassis and capsicum on the nose. Fresh, lively and persistent fruit on the palate. Excellent and pronounced cabernet fruit with admireable purity, very clean and delicious. A well balanced, medium bodied red, a classic Coonawarra cabernet. It needs 2 more years to settle, will last 8 more in the bottle. Impressive and ripe tannins. It is good drinking and right on the money at AU $30.

2003 LECONFIELD Coonawarra Old Vines Riesling

It's a riesling release I liked. Alcohol is at 12.5% vol.
Colour clear bright. White peaches, melon on the nose. Quite fragrant. Concentrated and dry on the palate, even SUPER DRY with a long finish. It has all natural acid, I've been told. Very fresh and persistent. A match made in heaven with oysters. Needs food, a little demanding when drunk on it's own. Medium bodied and balanced. Drink it now for it's vibrancy and life. It cost AU $17.50 and it's worth it.

2002 LECONFIELD Coonawarra Chardonnay

Colour golden hay. A barrel fermented wine. Lot's of melon fruit and vanilla oak on the nose. The palate is silky and quite full bodied with ripe fruit, very well balanced and succesful, but the oak is everywhere! A style very popular years ago but not with me. It's actually the best chardonnay I've seen from this producer for years but it lacks the style and character I'm looking for in an outstanding chardonnay. It will appeal to some at AU $20.

2001 LECONFIELD Coonawarra Noble Riesling 375 ml

Grapes harvested from 6 rows of 21 years old vines. Raisined grapes with concentrated sugar levels were picked late.
So, I'm surprised at how light this dessert wine is. No Mosel or other German characters here and the sweetness level barely reaches Spatlese in my book. Very light and somewhat unexciting, this riesling actually finishes almost DRY. Not enough sweetness, concentration and botrytis influence here for my money, so I don't see it as good value at AU $21.50. May be if it was a 750 ml bottle? I guess the money is going towards the limited production here. Don't over chill this one and don't have anything too sweet to eat with it.

Tasted:November 2003.

[Guest]

I tried the 2001 range of Leconfield reds and was very impressed after some ordinary efforts in recent years.

I think Leconfield will be a winery to watch in future years as Paul "Honeybunny" Gordon takes full control over the viticulture and making for the entire Richard Hamilton group. Expect the Richard Hamilton wines to step up a notch as well.

If you see it anywhere grab some of the 1999 Rouge Homme LCR Shiraz, a serious wine by any standards. Was $34 CD but has been tipped out by Southcorp around the $20 mark retail. This was of course made by Paul in his previous life as the Rouge Homme winemaker.

Good to see penetration of screw caps into the Leconfield range. As elsewhere, they've proved popular with knowledgable consumers.

Ed