An unexpected family matter recently took me on a quick side trip Down Under. To Sydney, to be exact. Although this was not a vacation, while there I had a chance to get reacquainted with a few favourite Oz wines and try some new ones. Combined with some of the wines I tasted and drank on a previous visit to Australia wine country last year, this blog is intended to give you an overview of some of the great wines now coming out of the Lucky Country, many of which we don’t see here in BC. Unlucky us. (Those that I believe you may be able get here – although not necessarily the same vintages – have an asterisk * beside their name.) Happy hunting.
Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling Single Vineyard, Museum Release 2012, Eden Valley, South Australia * ($38)
A classic ‘cooler’ climate Eden Valley Aussie Riesling, with some bottle development beginning to show. Pure, bracing acidity aligned with bright citrus and white stone fruit flavours. Will keep and evolve for another decade or more.
Tyrrell’s Wines Stevens Single Vineyard Hunter Semillon 2012, NSW *
Another classic Aussie white – bottle aged Hunter Valley Semillon, a unique signature style; rich, honeyed and rounded, yet with zero oak contact.
Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz 2013, Grampians & Heathcote, Victoria ($27)
A smooth, softer style of Shiraz from two cooler regions in western and central Victoria; very elegant, refined, almost Northern Rhone-like. Great value for the money. Note the pattern in this list of cooler climate sourced wines…
Heggies Vineyard Riesling 2015, Eden Valley, South Australia *
Detect a pattern here? Yes, I love Aussie Riesling, especially those from the Eden and Clare Valleys in South Australia, which produce the country’s best. This was another citrusy, fresh, crisp wine, with the focussed line and length characteristic of classic Eden Valley Riesling. A steal at around $25 (our dollar and the Aussie version have virtually the same value).
Head ‘The Brunette’ Syrah 2010, Moppa, Barossa Valley, South Australia ($69)
Top rated Barossa syrah from a low-yielding vineyard in the Moppa area, from a great year. Alex Head’s wine reference is Cote-Rotie (hence the sly reference to Les Cotes Brune et Blonde).
Pooley Butcher’s Hill Pinot Noir 2017, Tasmania ($59)
A top rated (97 points in Halliday’s Wine Companion, as is the previous wine) single vineyard pinot from cooler Southern Tasmania.
Katnook Estate Amara Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Coonawarra, South Australia ($50)
Harvested off a single vineyard planted more than 40 years ago in the heart of Coonawarra’s classic terra rossa soils.
McWilliams Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2015, Southern New South Wales ($22)
Great value, cooler climate chardonnay with good balance between the acidity and tropical fruit, and minimal oak. This is from the coolest climate grape-growing region in New South Wales, and it shows with elegance and length alongside pronounced acidity.
Eden Hall Eden Valley Riesling 2010 ($25)
Yup, yet another Eden Valley riesling; can’t get enough of this beautiful juice. Crips, clean, with juicy citrus fruits intertwined with bracing acidity (again). Best with shellfish, of which Australia is blessed.
Brand’s Laira Blockers Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Coonawarra, South Australia ($22)
Another steal of a wine from the home of Australia’s best, most distinctive, cabernet. Classic cassis, mint and tobacco leaf overlying creamy oak. Delicious.
Clonakilla O’Riada Shiraz 2014, Canberra District, New South Wales ($38)
A killer shiraz from one of Australia’s foremost producers, and an absolute steal compared to their rightly famous Shiraz Viognier which sells for about $120 but is certainly not worth more than 3 times the price. Fresh, smooth, elegant, balanced and attenuated shiraz from a cooler climate region. If only it was available here in BC (rated 97 points in Halliday’s Wine Companion).
On a previous trip to Australia, we visited the Yarra Valley for the fist time. Oh my, what terrific wines are coming out of this hilly, relatively cool region just northeast of Melbourne. First stop was a private visit to Timo Mayer, who makes his classic pinot noirs high up on a steep ridge in the southern Yarra, which my rental car barely made it up. The wines tasted (all Pinot Noir, Timo’s specialty and passion):
Bloody Hill 2015
The name is self-evident. Unfiltered and unfined, this was clean, fresh, bright and had a perfumed, feminine nose; complex, a bit stalky, yet pure. Great line and length.
Mayer Close Planted 2015
As the name suggests, modelled after more traditional Burgundian viticultural practices. So 25% whole bunch pressed with the stalks, and 10 months in 500 l barrels. This was savoury, with bitter cherry, stalky tannins, and spices. Rich, savoury, gamey, earthy tasting, with delicious depth and balance. Still young, as are all of these wines.
Dr Mayer 2015
This is 100% whole bunch pressed and fermented in the picking bin. A stalky nose led to herbal tea leaf and green fruits, with complex, herbaceous fruit on the palate. Dry, furry tannins and a bitter, tannic finish. This needs time to resolve and settle.
Timo’s approach takes no prisoners; this is hands-off winemaking, with minimal interference in the winery and no concessions to popular taste. The resulting wines are perfumed, aromatic, feminine, if a bit feral, and speak elegantly of their place. The antithesis of commercial winemaking to a house style.
Next stop was Giant Steps, which is owner-winemaker Phil Sexton’s homage to the late, great John Coltrane. Giant Steps has established itself as one of the very best exponents of single vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Yarra Valley, which is saying a lot given the deep competition. We tasted two vertical flights, with three vintages each of the Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay and the Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir:
Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 2011 (96 points); Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 2012 (96); Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 2013 (96)
All three chardonnays were singular, elegant, tautly balanced, pure, precise and lingering.
Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 (96); Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014 (95); Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015 (97)
The Pinots had exquisite purity, finesse and length, with great texture and emerging complexity.
All these wines are terrific examples of the best of the Yarra Valley. If you can find them here in Canada, run, don’t walk, to buy them!
My last Yarra Valley stop was at Yering Station*, which is a large winery that produces multi-tier wines of commendable reliability and quality, given the larger volumes. I tasted with assistant winemaker Brendan Hawker a selection of their wines all direct from the barrel: a great single vineyard Pinot Noir (the future Scarlett); the terrific Yarra Valley Shiraz Viognier; several barrels of straight shiraz; a varietal viognier and some elegant, impressive chardonnays. Yering Station wines are available here in BC, at least some of the entry- and mid-level lines, if not the super premium and single vineyard labels.
Some of the other wines that impressed me (most of which I can’t find here in Vancouver, sadly):
Peter Lehmann Margaret Semillon 2009, Barossa Valley
Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2015, Margaret River
Orlando St. Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Coonawarra
Pierro L.T.C. Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2015, Margaret River
Manta By Farr Chardonnay 2014, Geelong
Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2015, Canberra District
Seville Estate Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2013, Yarra Valley
Chateau Tanunda Ebenezer District Shiraz 2010, Barossa Valley
Moss Wood Amy’s red blend 2014, Margaret River
De Bortoli Noble One Semillon 2013, Riverina (botrytis dessert wine)
Australia has never produced better or a more diverse range of wines. Get them when you can.