Indholdsfortegnelse for May - June 2017 i Winestate Magazine

AS YOU READ THIS EDITORIAL I am penning the interesting developments of a very late vintage around Australia, likes of which we have not seen for a few years, like the “old normal,” said one winemaker after years of early harvests. This year many have cooled their heals waiting for vintage to start, some three, even four weeks, later than usual. What does this mean for the future? Not a lot. Let’s see what happens in the next few years, but in the meantime let’s enjoy some fabulous fruit from some regions and maybe some questionable ripening from others. In the meantime we have the pleasure of tasting another bumper crop of West Australian wines, this year thankfully without fires and Adelaide Hills where chardonnay is carving out a niche…

“AS a 120 pound (54kg) lightweight, the difference between two glasses of 9 per cent, 12 per cent and 14 per cent alcohol wine is dramatic, believe me,” a government consultant told me recently. “I actively seek out the 12 per cent or lower range so I can enjoy having two glasses of wine instead of just one.” She wondered whether reviews of wines could routinely include their alcohol levels. The fact is: wine can get you drunk. The New Zealand wines I’ve tasted recently have ranged from 5.5 per cent to 15.5 per cent alcohol by volume. So why isn’t their alcohol strength usually mentioned in reviews? “There is a bit of a silent conspiracy in wine writing,” according to UK commentator Jamie Goode. “We talk about the varieties…

STEREOTYPES take decades to die and many never do. Munich positively encourages its “laptops and lederhosen” image, smug in its status as the hi-tech and high culture capital of Germany. But few places skewer the Bavarian capital’s addictive blend of the old and the futuristic better than Mixed Munich Arts, a booming cathedral of techno that matches its rivals in Berlin. Opened three years ago in a derelict power plant, the vast concrete halls not only play host to ear-splitting house, hip-hop and electro, but also to classical concerts, art exhibitions and a gourmet restaurant packed with the city’s leading suits. Reinvention is a common thread everywhere you look. Traditional Bavarian restaurants, apart from tourist traps, are becoming thin on the ground. Yet most visitors still want to order a…

It’s not every day that, in an ‘Old World Wine’ country like France, a new national classification of wine is created. In 2009, the VIN DE FRANCE denomination was launched to allow winemakers more flexibility, such as blending across different regions of France and including grape varieties on the front labels, whilst remaining unmistakably French. The French Appellation system has certainly evolved over time, but it left little possibility to develop new wines or make the most of what combining different regions had to offer. The category, according to the director of ANIVIN DE FRANCE (the VIN DE FRANCE National Trade Organisation), Valérie Pajotin, not only allows for this flexibility in labelling but encourages innovation amongst producers in order to design new wine profiles. Winemakers have the opportunity to experiment…

ONE of the country’s most revered chefs has opened in Crown, his first Melbourne outpost. A classically trained chef has opened his first solo venture in our inner-north and a much-loved St Kilda restaurant has expanded to open a second venue in the city. There’s never a dull moment in the Melbourne dining scene and the last few months have highlighted this once again. Award-winning chef David Thompson, who has been awarded Michelin stars at his London restaurant Nahm, opened Long Chim in Melbourne’s Crown complex in February. After the success of the Long Chim concept in Perth, Singapore and Sydney, he has been warmly welcomed by tourists moving through Crown and the local Melbourne dining audience. The name Long Chim means to sample and taste, and the menu is…

IN Hong Kong there is no shortage of famous chefs putting their names to restaurants in a bid to attract Hong Kong’s ever-curious diners. Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver have both opened outposts that are (still good) continuations of their respective restaurants, Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen and Jamie’s Italian, for example. However, one of Tuscany’s greatest exports Enrico Bartolini has teamed up with Hong Kong restaurant groups Dining Concepts to create Spiga, an upscale 1950s-style trattoria complete with a 350 reference wine list picked by sommelier Maurizio Severgnini. Known for his four Michelin-starred restaurants in Milan, Bergamo, Castiglione della Pescaia and Venice, Bartolini has dreamed up an entirely new concept with Spiga, offering his signature osso buco and vitella tonnato, as well as a plethora of his homemade pasta and…

SPARKLING 3 TASTED 1 AWARDED One nice fresh and lively example of a prosecco style. See Saw Balance Orange Prosecco 2016 ⋆⋆⋆⋆ Very fruity aromas with lemon overtones. Fresh, bright and light in the mouth. Very refreshing; a good example of style. $25 PINOT GRIS/ GRIGIO 8 TASTED 6 AWARDED "This group was all over the place," according to one judge. "Some great examples showing structure and texture but there were others that reflected the 2016 rushed vintage missing the hot alcohol but also missing any fruit characters." Cooks Lot Allotment 666 Orange Pinot Gris 2016 ⋆⋆⋆⋆1/2 Very appealing powerful varietal aromas of greens peas with savoury notes. Very youthful palate with crisp fruit and a firm finish. Good with food, especially oily fish! $22 See Saw Orange Pinot Gris…

LATE HARVEST 4 TASTED 2 AWARDED The better wines here showed good balance between the acid and the vibrant fruit. Lake Chalice Sweet Beak Marlborough Late Harvest Riesling 2015 ⋆⋆⋆1/2 The nose is a zesty complexity of honeyed, perfumed and floral fragrances. Attractive sweet fruit palate. Good acid balance. $18.99 NZ K1 by Geoff Hardy Adelaide Hills Autumn Harvest Riesling 2016 ⋆⋆⋆ Elegant botrytis nose; toasty, honeyed and citrussy. Generous luscious flavour profile. $20 OTHER SWEET WHITES 7 TASTED 4 AWARDED A mixed bag both in varietals and results. "Fruit expression is important here,” said one judge. "It is okay to be sweet but this needs to be balanced by acid and depth of flavour." Umamu Estate Cane Cut Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc 2014 ⋆⋆⋆⋆ Honey fruit aromas on the…

If you love Central Otago’s perfumed, silky reds, don’t miss the several, five-star pinot noirs in this tasting. There is also a striking example of Hawke's Bay syrah; two standout rosés; and plenty for white-wine lovers, including some top-flight sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot gris and gewürztraminer. Prices shown are approximate New Zealand retail. Wines available in export markets are shown as (A) Australia, (UK) and (US). Terra Sancta Bannockburn Central Otago Rosé 2016 ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ Lovely now, this floral, bright pink rosé was made from estate-grown pinot noir. Full-bodied, it is vibrantly fruity and smooth, with a surge of fresh, ripe strawberry, watermelon and spice flavours, a hint of apricot, and a basically dry, long finish. $28 (A) Terra Sancta Jackson’s Block Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2015 ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ This classy, finely textured…

DREAM PAYS OFF COONAWARRA winemaker Sue Bell dared to dream and it has paid off. On December 1, last year, she reached out to wine lovers through a Pozible crowdfunding campaign to raise money for an off-the-grid solar system for her Bellwether winery. By January 20, this year, she had reached her target, a whopping $30,000! “If I have learnt anything whilst establishing Bellwether it is that you need to say out loud what you would like to happen and then it has a much better chance of becoming reality,” she says. Bell is interested in becoming more self-sufficient and environmentally-friendly, and going solar is in keeping with her community-minded spirit. Her historic winery in the old Glen Roy shearing shed, boasts an area for art displays, concerts, a kitchen…

“MEDITERRANEAN wine” is being touted by some as a “thing” after the latest Vinisud exhibition - a trade fair focused on wines from the Mediterranean area(!). We’re constantly being told we should be adopting a healthier lifestyle - indeed a “Mediterranean lifestyle” and “Mediterranean diet”, including plentiful vegetables, olive oil, grains, fruits, seeds and natural nuts. So it makes perfect sense to include Mediterranean wine in such an eponymous lifestyle, surely (whatever that means)? Summer holidays of sun, sea and sand is the time-honoured Brit cliche for the Med. Why has no-one thought of this before? If it catches on in Europe, or rather the chillier, northern bits of Europe which are nowhere near the Mediterranean Sea, the concept could bring together a hugely disparate group of regions, producers, styles,…

WORLD-FAMOUS wine connoisseur, gastronomer, prolific writer and octogenarian, French-born Andre Simon was on his way home to England aboard the P&O ship Canberra. It was February 1964, and he had just spent four hectic weeks in Australia and two in New Zealand gathering information for a book on wine, and also meeting as many members as possible of the branches of the Wine and Food Society in Australia and NZ (he had founded the parent society in London in 1933). His mind must have been full of new impressions and memories of people and places, smells and flavours. Each night, whatever happened, he wrote up his notes of the day’s events. On at least one occasion he was heard tapping away at his typewriter from 5am to 7am, not feeling…

SPARKLING 3 TASTED 2 AWARDED One simple, pleasant, quaffer and one more complex leesy style. Umamu Estate Margaret River Sparkling Chardonnay 2005 ⋆⋆⋆⋆ Powerful and complex aromas with some obvious yeasty autolysis. Complex creamy palate with a mouthful of toasty aged flavours. $63 Sandalford Western Australia Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV ⋆⋆⋆ Subtle yeasty/green apple bouquet. A brut style of palate with crisp and delicate flavours. $35 RIESLING 15 TASTED 12 AWARDED Very strong class. Here we see regional citrus intensity based on clean crisp acidity in an attractive austere style. Alkoomi Frankland River Riesling 2016 ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ 2016"Loved the nose," enthused one judge. It's all lifted limes and floral fragrances. Tight palate with a really good structure and loads of citrussy flavours. Clean fresh finish. $24 Trevelen Farm Estate Great Southern…

SPARKLING 7 TASTED 4 AWARDED A few nice drinks in this mixed group of both dry and sweet styles. Colli Euganei Fior d’Arancio DOCG Veneto Spumante 2015 ⋆⋆⋆⋆ Nice example of spumante with its fresh and lively aromatic nose and sweet Turkish Delight-like flavours with some decent mousse. $16 Fantini Farnese Gran Cuvee Italy Sparkling Rosé NV ⋆⋆⋆ Bright pink and smelling of raspberries with a sweet, bright, clean and simple palate. $20 Schild Estate Barossa Valley Sparkling Shiraz 2015 ⋆⋆⋆ Very oaky style that has blue fruit fragrances and flavours with good structure and texture. $25 Steels Gate Single Vineyard Yarra Valley Blanc de Blanc 2013 ⋆⋆⋆ Pleasant bready bouquet and broad brioche-like flavours with citrussy acidity. $39.95 OTHER WHITE VARIETALS & BLENDS 13 TASTED 5 AWARDED Although there…

WINE is all about aroma and I first wrote an article for Winestate back in 2013 on this fascinating subject. The sheer diversity of smells continues to astound me; and what made me decide to write about aromas again is a recent call from a UK firm which produces and sells smells! These kits and samples are mostly for the identification of faults, but I think they are also important for identifying and becoming familiar with lesser recognisable aromas. Gooseberries, for example, is an aroma associated with sauvignon blanc but it is rarely encountered in our diet in Australia so it would be unfamiliar to most of us. Some of the floral aromas such as violets are hard to imagine, unless you are a florist. But this UK company (FlavorActiV…

THE Eastside Grill acquired its liquor licence on the day we fronted up at the latest addition to the Kensington St eating precinct in Chippendale, aka Hippendale. But the New York-style grill with Japanese overtones has been buzzing from its late January opening date. Owned by the Greencliff Group, helmed by Dr Stanley Quek, the visionary behind the inner city area’s revival, the interior alone scores a solid wow on entry. Chris Wilks, of Giant Design, has teamed bare brick walls, heritage arched windows, a leather panelled bar and a custom-made brass chandelier with a 10m mural by Caratoes, the famed Belgian street artist based in Hong Kong. Designed to evoke the edginess of NYC’s Meatpacking District, the artwork showcases the Big Apple by night dotted with the city’s yellow…

STERLING WINE AUCTIONS (MARKET REVIEW, by LYNTON BARBER) We’ve all fallen for the magnum story. It’s a big thing, rare and special, and valuable, too, because it ages the wine better and slower. Over the years the “big thing” wine bottle story has become synonymous with the term “collectable” and paying a significant premium because, after all, a magnum is the same volume as two regular bottles. Double magnums at three litres and imperials at six litres are both truly rare and special, proven by the gasps and squeals that accompany the opening of such magnificent vessels. The perfect centrepiece for a show cellar display or a venerable birthday the biggest guns fit the magnum “value” story but are best disregarded because of their rarity (and near impossibility to freight…

SPARKLING 7 TASTED 5 AWARDED A solid well-made group of wines offering approachable, drinkable sparklings more for drinking now rather than for cellaring. Tomich Wines Sparkling M Adelaide Hills Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV ⋆⋆⋆1/2 Pleasant easy drinker with good freshness, big bubbles, obvious pinot aromas and crisp fruit flavours. $22 K1 by Geoff Hardy Adelaide Hills Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay NV ⋆⋆⋆1/2 Elegant red currant-like fruit aromas which are echoed on the delicious and very flavoursome palate. $35 Bird in Hand Nest Egg Joy Adelaide Hills Sparkling Pinot Noir 2010 ⋆⋆⋆1/2 Very fresh for a 7-yearold! Has a lemony nose and citrussy flavours with complexity of buttery nutty notes. $79 Artwine Estate Single Vineyard Adelaide Hills Prosecco 2016 ⋆⋆⋆ Lifted perfumed green apple bouquet with pleasant light citrus flavours.…

Hawke's Bay (the focus of a separate tasting) dominates wine production in the North Island, at least in volume terms, but the smaller regions also produce highly rewarding wines, red and white. In a tasting that attracted a diverse array of varietal wines, the panel discovered outstanding examples of chardonnay, sweet white wine, pinot noir and syrah, backed up by impressive bottlings of up-andcomers, such as albarino, arneis and montepulciano. Prices shown are approximate New Zealand retail. Wines available in export markets are shown as (A) Australia; (UK) and (US). SPARKLING 1 TASTED 1 AWARDED Palliser Estate Methode Traditionnelle 2013 ⋆⋆⋆⋆ Finely scented, this is a Martinborough blend of chardonnay (56%) and pinot noir (44%). Very crisp and lively, it has citrusy, appley, yeasty flavours, showing excellent freshness, complexity, harmony…

Brygon Reserve Lion’s Lair Reserve Western Australia Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Lovely passionfruit aromas with just a hint of green grass characters. Light and simple in the mouth with fresh melon flavours. $18.99 Millon Wines P: 02 9955 2008 E: jsawyer@micaaustralia.com.au www.millonwines.com.au Boulder Bay Rosé 2016 Lively, pale pink Northland rosé, from syrah grown on Moturoa Island, in the Bay of Islands. Floral, with fresh, vibrant watermelon and spice flavours, very good depth and a slightly sweet, finely balanced finish. $25 Moturoa Island Wine Co Phone: 021843758 Email: paul@boulderbaywines.co.nz Web: www.boulderbaywines.co.nz The Collective Wine Company It’s Pronounced Mudgee Mudgee Rosé 2016 A lovely light pink wine with a slightly closed nose and very soft palate impression; gently sweet with a light tannic finish. $16 The Collective Wine Company Phone: +61 2…