Appellation Australia

It has been a while since I’ve had a look through the always interesting records of searches used to find this site. Here are some that I have spotted over the last month or so.

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Mid-last year I attended a dinner at the Mixing Pot restaurant in Glebe where quite a number of interesting wines were opened. I had blocked the event from my memory due to the painful memory of being delivered up to date scores from the Ashes via mobile phone by one of Her Royal Majesty’s subjects. With the recent victory in Brisbane, I can again talk briefly about the wines at the event without nearly as much trauma.

Giaconda Nantua Les Deux Chardonnay/Roussanne 2000 - All buttery, oaky and herbal on the nose. Watery, short and an element of alcoholic harshness on the finish. 82/100

Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon 1996 (Magnum) - Served blind and nobody picked it, the touch of butter had people leaning towards Chardonnay. Youthful and closed, not showing much secondary development as yet. A bit of acid yet to integrate but otherwise good structure. Has a very long life ahead of it in magnum format. 89/100

Tomboy Hill “The Tomboy” Chardonnay 2003 – A rather pleasant nose. Smoky oak is nicely integrated. Bit of acid sticking out but it should come together. I liked it, but it needs some time. 87/100

Tomboy Hill “The Tomboy” Pinot Noir 2003 - Good flavour, spicy but not stalky. Fairly full bodied for a Pinot. Perhaps lacking a little length. Worth another look. 88/100

Pegasus Bay “Prima Donna” Pinot Noir 2001 - Savoury, smoky and spicy. Great balance, structure and length. Will prosper with a few years of bottle development. 91/100

Fattoria Di Petroio Lenzi Chianti Classico 1999 - Quite an intense nose - Dusty, earthy and savoury. Medium bodied palate that was well structured but just lacking anything much to make it stand out. Great value as it apparently cost something like $9 at auction. 87/100

Enzo Boglietti Barbera D’alba 1995 - Slightly brown tinged. Full bodied and concentrated. Others at the table were not impressed with the level of brett in this and I had to agree. I don’t mind some brett, but this was overpowering the qualities of the wine. 83/100

Querciabella Camartina Toscana 1996 - Nice intensity of fruit, but a touch short on the finish as well as some forward tannins and intrusive oak which may both integrate with more time. 88/100

Joseph Phelps Insignia 1987 - Mulberry, some mint, cassis. Elegant and silky on the palate with a hint of sweetness. At its peak, but this bottle would have held for some time. 91/100

Seppelt Drumborg Cabernet 1985 - Sourced directly from the winery in 2004, but sadly not showing well. I believe that fill levels and so on were good (as to be expected from a museum release), but this bottle was not showing well. Menthol on the nose and a very unpleasant character that I couldn’t quite pick on both the nose and palate that did eventually blow off a little bit, but what remained was uninspiring at best. 78/100

Moss Wood Special Reserve Cabernet 1990 - Really nice intense nose - tar, berries, cedar and a bit of a brambly character. Good length and plenty of life ahead. 92/100

Katnook Cabernet 1990 - More intense nose than the 97 (with mocha, cassis and mint) but let down by the palate which was a bit short and dry. 86/100

Katnook Cabernet 1997 - Somewhat closed on this showing - tight nose of blackberries, mocha and cassis. Palate is similarly tight but the length is good and the tannins provide some good structure. Will flourish with more time 88/100

Wynns Centenary 1991 (Magnum) - Still showing signs of youthful fruit - cherries, blueberry and spice. Very good balance on the palate. Not yet at its peak based on this magnum. 90/100

Lake’s Folly Reserve Cabernet 1994 - Tobacco and violets and some leathery Hunter-osity. Elegant medium weighted mature palate. 92/100

Yalumba “The Menzies” 1996 - Pickles, tomato leaf and lead on the nose. Palate is disjointed, unpleasant and finishes short and hard. 82/100

Squawking Magpie Cabernet Merlot 2002 - Nice enough, but rather out of place in this aged cabernet lineup. Fresh, vibrant fruit and some decent texture on the palate. Just a touch oaky at this stage. 87/100

Happs Three Hills Cabernet Franc 1999 - Leafy, dusty and herbaceous under ripe characters. 85/100

Mitchelton Print Shiraz 1992 - Spicy, minty and quite vibrant youthful blackcurrant and berry fruit for its age. 88/100

Moulin De Duhart 2000 - I thought this was thin, weak, bitter and lacking in balance. Ready to drink now and I can’t see it developing into anything of note. 85/100

Faber Vineyard Riche Shiraz 2001 - A rather large wine, but unlike the Teusner I didn’t think it had signs of balance at this stage of its life, with some very prominent oak and very ripe fruit. 86/100

Teusner Albert 2003 - Concentrated, rich, silky and powerful without being overtly jammy or over-oaked. I recall thinking that a bit of bottle age will do wonders for it - it did have the structure to age very nicely. 89/100

Baileys Vintage Port 1973 - A birth year VP for one of the attendees. No notes but I think I recall it being rather decent. Very vaguely recall asking for a second splash so it must have been alright. Not Rated

Midnight “Special” Blend MV - This was a blend of the dregs of the Albert, a fair whack of the Vintage Port, and various assorted Cabernets including the maligned Drumborg. Ugh, needed to come with some sort of health risk warning. It gets 50 points for showing up and also -25 points for showing up. 25/100

Conclusion: We had some good wines and some not so good wines, but I think everyone had a good time. My wine of the night was probably the Moss Wood with the Lake’s Folly, Insignia and Pegasus Bay coming close behind.

There was no theme chosen for this small, informal get together by four of us last Saturday. I had a very good time thanks to some great company, food and wine.

Bruno Michel “Cuvee Rebelle” Extra Brut NV (Champagne, France):

On the nose were breadcrumbs, apple, floral scents and a pinch of earth. Very easy to drink on the palate, with good balance between fruit sweetness and acidity and decent length. A pleasing enough way to start the night.

86/100

Weinkellerei Der Pfarrkirche Alsheimer Rheinblick Riesling Auslese 1976 (Rheinhessen, Germany - AP 4 372 082 75 79):

A deep amber-copper colour. The nose took a while to come together but when it did there were some nice aromas of marzipan, apricot and roasted almonds as well as some wax and petrol. The palate is balanced and had a medium sweetness to it, across its touch-short length. I really enjoy getting to try obscure wines that I will probably never see again, how many bottles of this could possibly be left? Thanks Christo!

87/100

Wolfberger “Grand Cru” Pfersigberg Gewurztraminer 1997 (Alsace, France):

There were a few concerns over the nose of this on opening but we thought it was alright and by the time it was served it was confirmed to be fine. Subtle spices, musk, lychee and floral aromas on the nose. There is a touch of alcohol induced heat on the palate as well as some sightly unbalanced sweetness. There is good weight and length to the palate, but perhaps just lacking some balance and points of interest.

87/100

Bass Phillip “Reserve” Rose 2004 (Gippsland, Victoria):

A cloudy, dark pink in colour. The nose is fairly confronting and is sure to be a bit of a love/hate proposition - stalks, rhubarb, earth, strawberry, violets and some sawdusty, toasty oak. I really enjoy the savory flavours and texture on the palate which is also to me, quite clean in comparison to the nose. Well balanced and I think there are plenty of things to enjoy about it, but only if it sounds like your kind of style.

89/100

Mitchelton “Print” Shiraz 1996 (Goulburn Valley, Victoria):

A youthful, sweet fruited nose of blueberry, raspberry, mushroom, pepper and some background oak. I quite like the restrained palate weight and dusty tannins. Still looking pretty primary, it seems to have the balance and structure to continue developing over the next few years.

89/100

M. Chapoutier “La Mordoree” 1994 (Cote-Rotie, France):

Captivating. Complex aromas of game, earthy undergrowth, pepper and spice, tobacco, grilled meats and smoke. Medium weighted with aged complexity and depth of savoury flavors. Outstanding balance across the length of the palate into a lingering finish. This bottle I feel was drinking at its peak.

94/100

Capercaillie “The Clan” 2001 (Barossa/Coonawarra/Orange):

80% Cabernet, 10% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot. Tobacco, pencil shavings, bramble as well as some low level Brett style complexity. Medium bodied and easy to drink, having good balance. A nice wine without doing anything to stand out as being great in any aspect.

88/100

Glaetzer “Amon Ra” Shiraz 2005 (Barossa Valley, South Australia):

I could happily smell this wine all night long. Entirely captivating just like the Chapoutier, but in a totally opposite manner - totally saturates your nose with aromas of licorice, chocolate, raspberry, cherry, tobacco, blueberries and floral notes. So luscious and ripe, and with velvet like texture on the palate. Firm tannins and background classy use of oak provide much needed structure for this immense wine. I doubt my one bottle will last anywhere near long enough for me to find out how this will age as it is just so approachable and pleasurable right now.

94/100

Rudolf Muller Muller-Burggraef Reiler Sorentberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 1994 (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany - 375ml - AP 2 598 172 08 96):

A deep golden amber colour similar to the 1976 opened earlier. Intense nose of caramel popcorn, ripe peaches, apricot, cinnamon, raisins and noticeable botrytis influence. The palate is lacking ever so slightly in acid profile to rein the incredible intense sweetness in and take the step from brilliance to genius. Inspirational length and really very delicious. This half bottle was as ready as it was ever going to be to drink.

94/100

Poor attendance at the Sydney Good Living Wine Show late last month meant that the master classes that were going to cost from $25 to $75 were opened to those who did attend, at no charge. I went to this Champagne tasting, the Shiraz class led by Huon Hooke and a tasting by Buller of their range of fortified wines (up to the Calliope Rare Muscat and Tokay) matched to a range of handmade chocolates.

Gauthier “Grande Reserve” Brut NV

A subdued nose of pear, plum and a hint of yeast and toast. The palate is easy to drink and shows good balance between fruit and acid, but it finishes short and lacks character and depth.

84/100

Gauthier “Special Bottle” Brut 1999

The nose is again fairly subdued with lime, apple and floral notes initially and some honeyed aromas with a small amount of time in the glass. The palate has better intensity and slightly more depth than the NV bottle but still really lacks the character to make it a great wine rather than a good wine.

87/100

Lanson Black NV

This bottle lacked the vitality and freshness on the nose that was enjoyed in the last bottle that I had at the Cullen and Moss Wood tasting. The nose is soft and gives off scents of yeast and some apple. The palate is crisp, light and driven by acid.

85/100

Lanson Rose NV

Reserved nose of light strawberry and rose petals. There is a slight rounded sweetness to the palate that follows all the way into the medium length finish. No excitement and no real depth of flavour, but it is easy to drink and many would find it delicious.

85/100

Lanson Gold Label 1996

The first wine that exhibits layered aromas on the nose - grapefruit, lime, toast, light honey and some florality. The palate is concentrated with satisfying mouthfeel and a core of acid driving the wine into a finish with excellent length. Drinking well now, but I think it will get better with time.

91/100

Lanson Gold Label 1990 (from magnum)

Much better than the bottle we had at the Winestar Lanson dinner last year. Some honey, yeast, gingerbread and brioche as well as acacia flowers. Lovely palate depth and length with acid that is restrained but carries along the whole length of the wine into the long finish. Seemed as though it is drinking at its peak right now.

90/100

Lanson 1976 (from magnum)

A very fine bead. An intriguing nose of honey, walnut, figs and citrus peel. Brilliantly complex palate with depth, balance, intensity and a stunning core of fresh acidity providing focus and structure. Simply superb.

94/100

Giaconda is one of the biggest names in boutique Australian wineries, especially for their Chardonnay. While they were not the first wine producer in Beechworth in Victoria, winemaker Rick Kinzbrunner has certainly put it on the wine lovers map as an area with massive potential.

With this in mind, some friends and I set out to try four vintages of each of the four top wines produced by Giaconda to see if the wines live up to the hype (leaving out the two “lesser” wines Nantua Les Deux and Aeolia Roussanne and second label McClay Road wines, some of which I talked about here). From the cellar door, new releases of the Chardonnay are $98 AUD, Shiraz $80, Pinot Noir $67 and Cabernet Sauvignon $55.

At the end of the evening, we also tried a few assorted other wines that were not related to Giaconda at all.

A Champagne to begin -

NV Gosset Grande Reserve Champagne - (from magnum)

Some toasty notes to the nose, with a hint of apricot and hazelnut. There is alright intensity of flavour on the palate but it is broad, lacking focus. There is some harshness on the finish disrupting the line and length of the wine.

84/100

Chardonnay -

1997 Giaconda Chardonnay

A rich nose, with complexity that draws you into the wine - intense aromas of honey, slightly floral honeysuckle, roasted nuts, lanolin and mellow butterscotch in the background. A luscious, delicious palate that has good texture and very good length, as well as a vein of acid bringing the richness into balance. Drinking brilliantly and at its peak. My favourite wine of this flight.

94/100

1999 Giaconda Chardonnay

This was darker in colour than the 1997. Initially the nose was fairly muted with some honey, after some time in the glass this fell over, descending into oxidised, spirity aromas. The palate was similar, starting off with a lack of character and the heading downhill. A bottle that was not a good example would be my presumption, although Oliver rates this as already past its drinking window - so maybe not.

80/100

2001 Giaconda Chardonnay

Initially asparagus and onion skins on the nose that blew off to reveal an ungenerous, reclusive nose. The palate is soft and lacks depth, finishing alcoholic and sharp. Not very pleasant.

83/100

2004 Giaconda Chardonnay

A light straw-yellow in colour. Has a tight but interesting nose that exhibits restrained peach, minerals, citrus and honeysuckle. The palate has scintillating focus with brilliant balance as well as lingering flavours and length that cannot be faulted. Excellent now, and could well be breathtaking in a couple of years with some additional complexity.

94/100

Pinot Noir -

1998 Giaconda Pinot Noir

A murky red colour with bricking around the edges. Nose showed signs from the beginning of being over the hill and descended into vinegary territory with time in the glass. The palate is dry, tannic and dead.

NR/100

2000 Giaconda Pinot Noir

Capsicum dominates the nose initially, with stalks, briar, vegetables, pepper and floral notes coming through after letting the wine breath. The palate is clean, but lacks the depth and texture of good Pinot Noir. Almost to be expected, it finishes short and watery - completing the disappointment.

80/100

2002 Giaconda Pinot Noir

The nose opens with interesting smoked meaty and gamey aromas, with background scents of cherry and raspberry. Unfortunately the palate doesn’t deliver on what I thought was a promising nose. The length is alright and it seems balanced, but looking past that, it is devoid of character or interest. Drinkable, but it needs to be much more than that for the price level.

86/100

2004 Giaconda Pinot Noir

The least murky in colour of the four Pinots. The nose expresses dark cherry, violets, briar and spices with some earth and gamey notes also being hinted at. The palate is again elegant but too simple, without texture or depth. The best wine of the Pinot Noir flight, but still a letdown.

88/100

Cabernet Sauvignon -

1999 Giaconda Cabernet Sauvignon

A nose of restrained blackcurrant, smoky notes along with a slightly funky undergrowth element to it. The palate is elegant and at the same time complex, with tingling, teasing flavours across the length of the wine. Classy texture with well integrated tannins providing backing and structure. Very enjoyable and my favourite Cabernet from this tasting.

92/100

2000 Giaconda Cabernet Sauvignon

Tobacco, blackcurrant/cassis, with some hints at floral notes as well as some more funkiness. The palate is elegant, but in this case it lacks complexity, texture and the overall impressive structure of the ‘99. Will drink nicely over the next couple of years, but I don’t think it’ll get a whole lot better.

88/100

2001 Giaconda Cabernet Sauvignon

Corked. Slightly dusty nose, with a palate that has been stripped of fruit.

NR/100

2003 Giaconda Cabernet Sauvignon

The nose is quite reticent, revealing only some smoky, dusty and tobacco styled aromas. The palate is classy, restrained and with good structure. At odds with some critics, I found this to be enjoyable and well worth taking a look at.

89/100

Shiraz -

1999 Giaconda Warner Vineyard Shiraz

Lots of spice to the nose, pepper, cinnamon, briar and Chinese five spice powder. There is also some crushed pepper flavours on the palate. Finishing just a touch short, the palate is otherwise balanced and flows along a focused line.

90/100

2000 Giaconda Warner Vineyard Shiraz

Nice complexity on the nose of this wine with pepper, lavender, tobacco smoked meat and bacon fat. The palate is a little bit up and down across the slightly short length, lacking focus - but there is a vitality and intensity to the flavour that almost makes up for its shortcomings.

91/100

2001 Giaconda Warner Vineyard Shiraz

A reserved nose of Chinese five spice, violets and earth. The palate is elegant but seems to lack some backbone and structure as well as being generally unexciting.

87/100

2002 Giaconda Warner Vineyard Shiraz

Black olives, restrained black pepper, earth and spice with some nicely integrated cedary oak in the background. Structurally excellent on the palate with a superb length and a rich depth of flavour that really took this up a level. Intense and youthful but also showing balance and class. Delicious to drink and I think sure to get better with additional age, one of my favourite red wines of the night.

93/100

The others -

2000 Du Tertre (Bordeaux)

Ruined by heat damage (cooked) at some point in its life.

NR/100

1990 Domaine Deletang Montlouis “Les Batisses” Moelleux (Loire Valley)

An enticing nose of light honey, honeycomb, citrus fruits and apricot. The palate is soft and rounded, lacking in focus as well as intensity. The intensity may build with time in the bottle, but I don’t know that this will reach greatness.

87/100

2002 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz (Barossa Valley)

A concentrated yet approachable nose of licorice, blueberry, some cherries as well as undertones of citrus zest with some chocolate oak influence neatly playing a supporting role. A velvety, plush and deeply fruited palate that demands drinking and not necessarily thinking. Still in its youth, but I think it is so balanced and smooth that it is drinking perfectly well at the moment with the potential to change with age, but perhaps not improve depending on how you like your wine.

92/100

NV R L Buller Calliope Rare Liqueur Muscat (Rutherglen)

Simply stunning. Coats the sides of the glass for some time after each swirl. Dark orange maple coloured with flicks of golden yellow throughout. An intoxicating, intense nose of raisins, burnt brown sugar, maple syrup, orange peel caramel and more. Viscous and unctuous palate with incredibly rich sweetness, depth and complexity and yet it is somehow fresh and balanced at the same time. A finish that seems endless. A brilliant experience.

I tried this again recently alongside the Buller Rare Tokay and while they were both superb, the Muscat was a level above the Tokay.

97/100

The conclusion -

The Chardonnay can be brilliant and from two of the wines that we tasted, it deserves its place among the very top Australian Chardonnay.

The Pinot Noir was lackluster and the vintages we tried were disappointing to say the least. The ‘04 looks headed in the right direction, but it is expensive considering that not a single person at the table was wowed by any of them.

The Cabernet Sauvignon was good and the price seems reasonable for the better vintages.

Shiraz could well be the future star. I thought it consistently good and the ‘02 was a special wine (I have also tried the ‘04 which was brilliant).