Appellation Australia

Clonakilla is a well known, but still relatively small winery in the Canberra region, close to Australia’s capital city.

I had a less than ideal experience with one of the wines that I purchased last year from the cellar door and I wrote to the winery expressing my concern over the problem that night and to see if he had received any other reports of problems. The next day I had a response from Tim Kirk (winemaker/owner) acknowledging the issue and giving me a detailed rundown of the steps they were taking in the winery to prevent the problem occurring again. He should also be commended for taking an approach to make the situation right without me asking him to do so.

It amazes me that the attitude of some wineries is that customers almost seem to be too much of a hassle to deal with. In a industry where we read numerous reports of producers struggling with the over-availability of wine and other issues, it seems like it would make sense to ensure the customer is happy and remains loyal. Some wineries just don’t get it, there is a massive amount of brilliant wine out there and the amount that I can afford to buy is the tiniest of percentages, it makes it a lot easier to decide where my money is going to go when the winery shows loyalty to the customer, realising that it is not a one way street. You may be able to sell out of your wine every vintage and this year, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be able to the next year, or the year after when I’ve moved on to buy from other producers.

So a big “well done” to Clonakilla and Tim Kirk, you will have my loyalty in the years to come and I’m sure the loyalty of many others you have dealt with.

Fast Facts: Variety: Pinor Noir Region: Canberra Region Country: Australia Winemaker: Rob Howell Closure: Cork Alcohol: 13% Cost: $18AUD Source: Cellar Door Purchase Winery Website: Jeir Creek

The area surrounding Australia’s capital city Canberra has a small but ever growing number of wineries. Jeir Creek was established in 1984 and they make a wide range of wines, including a very good botrytis Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blend. I visited their cellar door late last year and picked up this bottle as part of a clearance to make way for the 2003 vintage Pinot Noir.

The region is probably best known for the Clonakilla winery and their world-class Shiraz/Viognier blend, but there are plenty of other small makers doing interesting things in this cool climate environment. It is well worth a trip to visit some of these makers, being only 3 hours drive from Sydney. It will be very interesting to see what wines come out of the region in the years ahead.

Tasting Note: A slightly cloudy appearance with a translucent blood red hue. Sour cherry, earth, Chinese five spice and a slight floral lift. The palate exhibits cherry, well integrated oak and some stalky characters with good balance from the start through to the lingering finish. Lacks the depth though to rise above being better than very good. Still, it’s rather enjoyable to drink and is certainly right up there as one of the better Pinot Noirs I’ve tried under the $20 price point.

When to Drink: While I suggest that it is at or close to its peak drinking now, it is not at all on the edge of falling over and will probably hold the peak for the next couple of years.

Verdict: There is plenty to like about this wine at under $20, although I think it just sneaks back up above $20 when not being cleared out. It does show that the region has something to offer wine enthusiasts and I would still have been happy to have bought it at the regular price. 88 points.