Indholdsfortegnelse for March - April 2017 i Winestate Magazine

HOW’S THIS FOR A HIPSTER? This is me back in the late ’70s, turtle neck, leather jacket and appropriate chin fuzz. Don’t even mention the flares and cork shoes out of the picture. Who says that history doesn’t repeat itself over the generations? With some embarrassment I found this picture while combing through archives in a lead up to Winestate’s 40th anniversary in 2018. It brought back lots of memories. Back then in Australia chardonnay was the new kid on the block (an alternative variety?) with semillon, riesling and chenin blanc being the traditional whites available at the time. For reds cabernet sauvignon was beginning to make a mark over the dominant shiraz (which still holds sway today). Other workhorse varieties at the time were grenache and mataro (mourvedre). Fortifieds…

WINE production across the world in 2016 has been estimated at 259 million hectolitres (mhl) by the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine), which, among other things collates global production and consumption data. This was about 5 per cent down on production in 2015. In real terms that 5 per cent decline is more than the entire production of Australia (15mhl globally versus Australia’s 12.5mhl production). Added to which 2016 was one of the smallest vintages, globally, in the last 20 years. Is this important? Well, yes, kind of, once you dig down a little into the data and look at the trends. What happens in France, Italy and Spain is always important. These three countries are the world’s biggest three producers, accounting for 50 per cent of global…

LAST time we left octogenarian French gastronome and food and wine writer Andre Simon enjoying his final meal on Australian shores at the Palace Hotel in Perth. It was February 28, 1964. The excellent lunch, (described previously) prepared by the Wine and Food Society of Western Australia under the guidance of president Kevin Healy, not only celebrated Simon’s departure, but also his 87th birthday. Healy had arranged for a birthday cake the size and shape of a jeroboam of champagne to be made for Simon. He was thrilled with the ingenious gift and took it home to his grandchildren to enjoy. For the return voyage Simon was again aboard the P&O ship Canberra, which was berthed at Fremantle on the way home to England. He had spent eight hectic weeks…

133 TASTED 65 AWARDED SPARKLING 4 TASTED 3 AWARDED A small flight but a good one. "Well made youthful, fruit-driven styles," agreed the judges. Pertaringa Lakeside South Australia Moscato 2016★★★★ A fine bead and beautiful lifted honeysuckle aromas with a hint of rose petals. Lovely moscato flavours of lychees and apples. $20 Zonte's Footstep Bolle Felici Fleurieu Peninsula Prosecco NV ★★★½ An apple blossom-like bouquet, good volume of bubbles and a clean, crisp and nicely flavoured palate. $18 Artwine Single Vineyard Adelaide Hills Prosecco 2016 ★★★½ Fresh apple-like aromas and a bright, well balanced palate with flavours of sweet pears underscored by lots of acid. $25 VERMENTINO 4 TASTED 0 AWARDED Disappointing group; too many watery neutral wines here. FIANO 7 TASTED 4 AWARDED Solid class. Nice savoury edge to…

135 TASTED 61 AWARDED The good, the bad and the ugly it seems here! This was one tasting that appeared to confirm the truism that "the more you pay, the more you get!" This is not always the case but it was obvious here. Good to see that winemakers were using oak as balanced enhancement to fruit, not a replacement. CHARDONNAY UNDER $15 19 TASTED 7 AWARDED The judges did not expect full flavoured wines at this price, just fresh, balanced ones without faults. There were too many wines here that were overly acidic or showed excess pressings. On a positive note most here did have fruit freshness. Deep Woods Estate Side by Side Margaret River Chardonnay 2014★★★★ Toasty lime fragrances with funky complexity. Bright tight acid driven palate with…

Pinot gris fans will find heaps to enjoy amongst the latest releases from New Zealand, with top-flight examples from Hawke's Bay, Marlborough and Waipara. Demonstrating the versatility of the country’s wine regions, the tasting also uncovered some excellent chardonnays, rieslings, sauvignon blancs, rosés, pinot noirs and syrahs. Prices shown are approximate New Zealand retail. Wines available in export markets are shown as (A), (UK) and (US). Church Road McDonald Series Hawke's Bay Pinot Gris 2016 ★★★★★ This fleshy, Alsacestyle pinot gris is full of personality. Very full-bodied (14.5% alc/ vol), it was grown at a cool, elevated, inland site and fermented with indigenous yeasts in French oak cuves. Straw hued, it is deliciously rich and rounded, with deep, ripe stonefruit flavours, gentle acidity, and impressive complexity and harmony. Drink now…

TEXTURE in white wines is a feeling in the mouth that is hard to pin down and get right. Too much, and the wine can seem bitter and coarse, while a wine with too little texture can seem thin and diluted. When you get the right amount it tastes firm, even chewy and satisfying. It is as close as a white wine gets to being described as tannic. Other associated terms include mouthfeel, phenolic, body, viscosity and astringency. The textural feel in a white can be achieved by skin contact prior to or during fermentation. The must may also have a degree of oxidative handling to increase the texture. Higher than normal alcohol levels can also add palate weight; so you need ripe grapes to achieve this and the later…

MICHAEL COOPER THERE were plenty of smiling faces in Marlborough after the bumper 2016 vintage. Not only was it a near record for grape yields - it was a near record for profitability. With the vines cropping at more than 15 tonnes per hectare on average, profits before tax soared to nearly double the long-term average. High yields are a “big ticket item” in New Zealand’s largest wine region, says Dr Damian Martin, of the Marlborough Research Centre. “Sauvignon blanc can produce really typical and intense wines in our conditions, at what would be perceived as very high yields elsewhere. With a big, healthy canopy and good weather, we can get from 100 to 150 hectolitres of wine per hectare, whereas the classic view is yields should be low, 30-45…

WITH more than 60 cellar doors and 200 vineyards, Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula is renowned for its maritime cool climate and producing some of the country’s finest pinot noir. Boasting panoramic views over Western Port Bay, the multiaward winning Red Hill Estate Winery has been in operation since 1989 and currently has 9 of its 18.5ha under vine, with Donna Stephens at the winemaking helm. Born in Ballarat and raised there and in Mildura, she didn’t launch headlong into a winemaking career straight out of school. Her first degree was a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology and Resource Management. She’d wanted to study reptiles professionally and, after graduation from uni, worked on a crocodile farm as a researcher in Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory. It was an experience she enjoyed…

111 TASTED 79 AWARDED SPARKLING 7 TASTED 6 AWARDED A strong and solid class of contrasting white and red sparkling wines. "There is a nice layered complexity in these wines with creaminess a feature," commented one judge. Blue Pyrenees Estate Luna Pyrenees Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV ★★★★★ Nutty marzipan-like complexity to the lifted nose. Rich and creamy in the mouth with great length of flavours sitting in the savoury spectrum. Has a lovely fine mousse. 3-5 $26 Blue Pyrenees Estate Dry Pyrenees Sparkling Rosé NV★★★★ A lovely wine with fine bead, good mousse, complex fruit/yeast aromas and a fresh lively palate with a confectionery note. 3-5 $21 Blue Pyrenees Estate Pyrenees Sparkling Shiraz NV★★★★ Good persistent bead and a lifted spicy black fruit nose with nice florals and good depth…

SAUVIGNON blanc dominates Marlborough’s output and also accounts for more than 70 per cent of New Zealand’s total production. So among the country’s 675 wine producers, you would expect to find at least a sprinkling of sauvignon blanc specialists focused on creating the greatest sauvignon blancs that a single-minded approach can achieve. But you would be mistaken. Europe has thousands of growers who immerse themselves in perfecting the wine of a single grape variety. Burgundy, based on chardonnay for whites and pinot noir for reds, is an obvious example. In St Emilion, some of the most prestigious reds of Bordeaux are made solely from merlot. Barolo, one of Italy’s classic reds, is produced exclusively from nebbiolo. So why does NZ have only one sauvignon blanc specialist? As a young wine…

BUENOS Aires is, was and always will be the most exciting and sophisticated city in South America. This year is a prime time to discover the Argentinian capital as the city has been designated the 2017 Ibero- American Capital of Gastronomy. It’s also a lot easier to get around these days, too, with an extended subway network, the Metrobus and 180km of cycle lanes that access key food, drink and party districts. The Centro Cultural Nestor Kirchner is a good place to start a tour of the rejuvenated city. Opened two years ago and located in a 19th century Beaux Arts post office it’s the biggest cultural centre in Latin America, spanning nine floors dedicated to poetry, art, opera and tango. The Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires (MAMBA)…

can be seen as a pro or a con. Living in a food-centric city like Melbourne means a perpetual feast of choice in terms of where to eat out, but it can also see many restaurants come and go in the time it takes to make a latte. In the last few months we’ve seen some very experienced staff finally open their own venues and have welcomed the return of one of our iconic eateries. And with these venues we can’t see any of these places going anywhere for a long time - they’re all great but they do add to the quandary of choice. Hospitality veterans Steven Nelson, Joe Durrant and Mark Protheroe have all done decent time in some of Melbourne’s best restaurants. Protheroe, an awardwinning sommelier was…

STERLING WINE AUCTIONS (JANUARY REPORT, by LYNTON BARBER) The most popular wines in Sterling auctions, those lots which get the most bids, are recorded on the Sterling websit e . Going back to January 2014, the “most wanted” from every Sterling fortnightly on-line auction are documented (see the top 100 popular lots on the Sterling website at www.sterlingwine.com.au). Rather that have another look at little Miss Popular “Penfolds Grange” and her dominance of the charts, let’s just accept she is “Queen of the Kids” and turn our attention to some of the talent trying to break into the spotlight. The “Queen’s” performance is very impressive. Sterling has sold around 15,000 bottles of Penfolds Grange. Most are hotly contested and some are sold after fierce fighting. No doubt the energy, passion…

27 TASTED 14 AWARDED SPARKLING 1 TASTED 1 AWARDED "An interesting style," said one judge. "It's seductive, soft and long." Bodegas Yllera Cantosan Brut Sparkling Verdejo Rueda Brut NV★★★ Soft earthy/yeasty aromas with a mineral thread and a seductively soft and flavoursome palate. $29 SAUVIGNON BLANC 2 TASTED 0 AWARDED No stand-outs here. VERDEJO 24 TASTED 13 AWARDED The best wines here were perfumed with some complexity while the oak aged ones tended to be more complex. "Generally this is a neutral variety," noted one judge. "Which is great for a 'lunch' wine." Bodega Hermanos Del Villar Oro De Castilla Finca Los Hornos Rueda Verdejo 2014★★★★½ Nose is a combination of bacon and smallgoods characters with a perfumed lift. Great richness, fullness and length to the palate with excellent mouthfilling…

125 TASTED 72 AWARDED OTHER WHITE VARIETALS & BLENDS 16 TASTED 10 AWARDED Obviously a mixed group with lots of really nice drinking according to one judge. "I was surprised to see pinot gris with flavour," noted another. Hill-Smith Estate Eden Valley Chardonnay 2014★★★★½ A peaches and cream nose with a nice nutty/ leesy edge. Excellent depth of firm fruit flavours with good use of oak adding complexity and a tight acid structure give it longevity. A keeper. $24 Two Churches Barossa Chardonnay 2016★★★★ Nice depth of ripe peach-like varietal fruit on the oaky nose. Soft in the mouth and full of sweet juicy fruit flavours with good acid balance. $10 Thorn-Clarke Wines Sandpiper Eden Valley Pinot Gris 2016★★★★ More of an aperitif style with a citrussy nose that has…

141 TASTED 115 AWARDED Think Marlborough – think intensely aromatic, freshly herbaceous, explosively flavoured sauvignon blancs. But this tasting underlined the diversity of NZ’s predominant wine region, yielding superb examples of sauvignon blanc (naturally), bottle-fermented sparkling, pinot gris, chardonnay, sweet whites and pinot noir. Prices shown are approximate New Zealand retail. Wines available in export markets are shown as (A) Australia, (UK) and (US). SPARKLING 6 TASTED 6 AWARDED A small class, dominated by a quartet of bottlefermented sparklings from Pernod Ricard NZ under the Deutz brand, which revealed excellent freshness, delicacy and complexity. Deutz Marlborough Cuvée Blanc de Blancs 2013 ★★★★★ Scented, complex, toasty bouquet, leading into a crisp, citrusy, lively wine, very generous and finely balanced. Full style on the palate, weighty, rich and complex, while still showing…

NEW RELEASES 253 TASTED 126 AWARDED Always a pleasure! New releases offers a great opportunity to compare wines from around the country and this tasting is no exception. It brings forward early examples of what we can look forward to. It is hard to go by the shiraz wines, across all vintages and price ranges. They consistently deliver. Although there were some disappointments, particularly in the merlot and chardonnay flights, the riesling wines stood out, offering yet again a variety that deserves much more attention. SPARKLING 11 TASTED 5 AWARDED A mixed group over a range of different styles from the dry to the sweet. Generally commercial wines but they offer nice drinking. Claymore This is Anfield Adelaide Hills Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay 2013★★★★ Lovely rich strawberry bouquet with briochelike notes.…

A wide selection of wines Wines are invited from any producer, provided that they meet the criteria of the class being judged. The class may be a regional, style or new release tasting and generally the wines must be available for consumers to purchase, although we have museum and rare wine tastings as well. Awarding scores Winestate carries out the judging using Australian capital city wine show procedures; the wines are not known to the judges. The three judges taste the wines blind and assign a score without reference to each other. Once this is done, only then do they compare scores, and if there is dissension they re-taste the wines and come to an agreement. Scores are compiled using the 20-point international system: gold is 18.5 and above; silver…

The popularity of brunch is cyclical. Forget the Sunday staples and buffets of yesteryear. For starters, Saturday brunch has become a social activity around the world. Menus are a la carte in most of the world’s brunch hotspots, featuring everything from organic meats to breakfast stuff, sushi and pulled pork tacos. Torrents of Champagne still flow, but craft beers and quirky cocktails have muscled in on the action. More importantly, the updated tradition of brunch includes all generations from retirees in ‘athleisure’ gear to Millennials in tats and tees bailing up at gastropubs. Last year saw an explosion of the bottomless brunch phenomenon, where you can keep filling up on a drink option as you eat, mainly in the US, the UK, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands. All countries with…