Appellation Australia

This is from the Yarra Valley in Victoria and is a blend of 81% Chardonnay, 14% Viognier and 5% Sauvignon Blanc. There is also a “Red Hat” blend that I didn’t get the chance to try. The marketing angle is quite clever with the two wines in the range easily identifiable and a link to the Shelmerdine family’s past as hat manufacturers. I did find the label to be a little bit “busy” for my personal liking, but it may appeal to others more.

Tasting Note: Stonefruit, apricot, lots of peach and a mealy, spicy oak character aromas comprise the nose. It possesses good intensity of fruit flavour on the front and mid palate, although it fades slightly at the finish. Even though the wine is 13% alcohol, there is still a hint of some heat to the nose and certainly a little bite of alcohol on the finish - perhaps this is the (typically high alcohol when ripe) Viognier influence showing through? It’s an interesting wine for sure, but I’d want to see it around at a lower price than the RRP to recommend trying it.

Score: 85/100 Drink: 2007-2008
Price: $17.99 AUD RRP
Source: Winery Sample
Producer Website: http://www.hatwines.com

In November of last year a tasting was held to compare two of Australia’s most prominent Cabernet Sauvignons. It was expected that we would see two very different styles of Cabernet with the family owned Mount Mary from the cool Yarra Valley in Victoria and the corporate giant Southcorp owned,
Penfolds 707 Cabernet from the warmer Coonawarra and the Barossa Valley in South Australia.
The first dinner was Cullen and Moss Wood and I wrote about it here.

The tasting was as follows, in order served;

Pol Roger NV:
This bottle was cellared for 3 years after release. Citrus, touch of yeast, apple, pear and toasty development. A balanced and delicate palate with lovely restrained, focussed fruit intensity. This was ready to drink now.
88/100

St John’s Road Eden Valley Riesling 2005:
Opened with a fair bit of sulphur which was difficult to get past, but there was some light honey, lime and toast lurking in the background. The palate was soft and dilute across the mid-palate, lacking much to get excited over.
83/100

Penfolds Yattarna 1996:
Corked, just slightly - but enough to ruin the experience for me.
NR/100

Mount Mary Chardonnay 2005:
Pears, grapefruit, passionfruit, florals and minerally slate on the wonderfully pure nose. The palate is structured, balanced and elegant - it is already lovely to drink, but this is going to be sensational with time. Drink now if you like them young, but otherwise check back in 5+ years.
93/100

Mt Mary Quintets 1986:
Aromas of briar, tobacco, leather, violets and crushed rocks. Good depth of flavour, with elegance and balance but not a whole lot of complexity or texture/mouth-feel to it. This bottle was drinking at, or just past its peak.
90/100

Mt Mary Quintets 1990:
A nose of tobacco, blackcurrant, blackberry and cedar. Excellent structure to the mouth-coating palate, with tannins still prominent at this stage. There is the potential to improve over the next 6-7 years from here. I took a quarter of the bottle home and it was holding up very well the next evening.
91/100

Mt Mary Quintets 1991:
Cinnamon, liquorice, aniseed, rhubarb and cherry aromas on the nose. A mature, structured palate with components well integrated at this stage and the fruit holding up well. This bottle has reached its peak but I think it would have held its plateau for a number more years.
89/100

Mt Mary Quintets 1993:
Some smoked meats, chocolate and brief whiffs of capsicum comprise the nose. Good texture to the palate, but there are some bold tannins poking out and a flash of bitterness on the back palate. I still found enjoyment in drinking it but it was one of the weaker vintages on the night.
86/100

Mt Mary Quintets 1994:
The nose opens with pepper, roasted vegetables, violet and some artificial citrus type notes. Palate shows green, bitter tannin and oak flavours smothering the thin fruit. Couldn’t see this coming together with more bottle age, but others had more hope for it.
82/100

Mt Mary Quintets 1996:
A nose dominated by intense red cherry, raspberry, rhubarb and cedar. Very youthful and richly fruited on the palate, but with the tannin structure and depth of fruit behind it to indicate that this could be superb with some more time. While it provided some pleasure to drink now, it will improve over the next 10 years and maybe more.
92/100

Penfolds Bin 707 1986:
A weedy, pumpkin and dill dominant nose. The palate lacks cohesion, with tannins standing out and some acidity on the mid-palate throwing the line right off. The more that I tasted this as it sat in the glass, the less that I liked it. This bottle was quite youthful but I doubt it would have ever found balance.
81/100

Penfolds Bin 707 1990:
Restrained nose of tobacco, black fruits and a touch of American oak backing. The palate was quite fleshy and showed some richness to the fruit flavour. Dipped away at the end of the palate, finishing a bit short, but otherwise the balance was good and this had the stuffing to improve for another 5 years.
88/100

Penfolds Bin 707 1991:
Black cherry, blackberry, pomegranate and some nicely integrated oak aromas. There is good balance and length to the palate with the structure and depth of fruit to continue developing well over the next 6 to 7 years. This was probably my favourite wine from the 707 line up on the night, with the depth of fruit and the integration of the oak the deciding factors.
91/100

Penfolds Bin 707 1993:
Briar, tobacco and red currants as well as noticeable oak and volatile acidity that ruin the experience on the nose slightly. The palate is well fleshed out and has decent length but not a great amount of depth or complexity. Enjoyable drinking, but not for the long haul. Drink now.
87/100

Penfolds Bin 707 1994:
Cassis/blackcurrant and oak aromas form the restrained nose. Good texture and mouth-feel to the palate, but lacks depth and anything else much to provide a wow factor or to make me want to drink it again. Could well get better given some extra time as it may just be in a slightly quiet phase, but on the night it was no better than very good.
88/100

Penfolds Bin 707 1996:
A dark, brooding nose of cassis, cedar, vanilla and cola syrup. There is a great deal of richness and sweet fruit on the palate but there is also firm structure through some monumental tannins. Allow it time to rest, as of now it is too youthful and forceful at 10 years of age, come back in another 10 and it may still need more time. Could be headed for greatness.
92/100

Rausan Segla Margaux 1996:
A welcome change of pace after some of the full on 707s. Savoury, earthy and meaty with a bit of brett styled complexity and blackcurrant undertones. Elegant and showed very good balance. Tannins are still evident but they are nicely woven into the rest of the elements. Very good now and I think this bottle was only 2 or 3 years away from hitting its peak.
89/100

Orlando St Hugo 1998:
Smoked meat, blackberry, tobacco and cedar from the French oak. Tightly knit palate structure with tannins providing good structure that should bode well for aging this wine. Fairly bold primary fruit flavour and a medium length finish. Give it at least another  5 years as it is too young now.
89/100

De Bortoli Noble One 1998: Two 375ml bottles from the same source which made for an interesting comparison.
Bottle 1: Weak apricot and marmalade with a touch of botrytis. Palate is flabby and lacks acid. Finishes short, dilute and disappointing. No identifiable fault. 80/100
Bottle 2: Wow, what a difference. There is much more intensity and swirling aromas to the nose, still with plenty of apricot and botrytis but with another layer of tropical fruit and honey. The palate shows a similar difference with greater richness and intensity of flavour and a much better acid structure, although perhaps needing a touch more acid to be fully balanced. Good length and delicious to drink. 89/100

Sealed in screwcap, 13.2% alcohol.

Smoky red cherry, mocha, raspberry, a touch of stalk and some cedar in the background of the nose. The palate shows a lovely balance between savoury elements and fruit sweetness. A medium level of flavour intensity with well integrated tannins and acid leading into a lingering finish.

I think it is drinking wonderfully well now and is probably around its peak between now and 2008. This is a serious Pinot Noir but given that it is available under $20AUD, it is a seriously good deal as well. The current release, 2005 is even better!

Score: 89/100 Drink: 2007-2008

To balance the night of French legends that I spoke of in the last post - it was decided that we should come together again in early April to have a dinner that would be a tribute to some great Australian wines.

We gathered at Restaurant Atelier at Glebe - another restaurant with an excellent reputation.

We again selected the degustation menu as we find that it is best to space out the amount of time that you spend with each wine, and this is easier to do with multiple small courses of food.

The degustation menu is decided two days prior to the booking, to take into account what fresh produce can be obtained and it consisted of the following courses;

Sourdough Bread, EVOO, Balsamic & Tapenade, Échiré Butter
Chilled Spiced Lentil Soup & Roquette Oil
Duck Egg ‘ATELIER’ w Goat Curd Soubise, Unpasteurised Ocean Trout Roe
House-Made Black Pudding with Foie Gras, Seared Scallops and Parsnip Puree
Zucchini Flower filled with Prawn, Crab and Bill, Fillet of King George Whiting, Sauce Vierge
Rare-Roasted Gauler River Pigeon, Confit Cabbage, King Mushrooms
Seasonal Selection of Cheeses, House-Made Lavosh, Sourdough.
Sauterne Custard with Lychee Gastrique
Caramelised Almond & Praline Soufflé

It was interesting to note the similarity in some dishes to the menu at Marque (the Egg, Black Pudding, Rare Pigeon and Sauterne Custard) - but while they sound similar, the difference in flavour profile was quite pronounced for some of them.

I would say that if I were to cast a critical eye on the food (and I guess I am), it was of excellent quality and taste - but it probably didn’t quite have the depth of flavour or excitement that the food at Marque did. Some members of the party were not impressed with the Pigeon dish saying it was too rare. It is very rare and that gives a certain texture to it that you may or may not like, but for my tastes it was fine.

The service was smooth and well executed and Julian the sommelier was right on top of things when handling our wines. The glasses were alright but not great (bring your own if you are bringing special wines) and the number of decanters provided was good. The chef (Darren Templeman) was also able to produce some good looking (and apparently tasting) dishes for a member of our party who has a very long list of foods that he is unable to eat.

And the bill? $110 total per person including the 7 courses ($75), bread, cheese ($8), corkage ($8 per bottle), coffee ($5) and gratuity. I think for a degustation of this quality, you would have a hard time doing much better than that.

I think that Atelier is among the top level of restaurants in Sydney and if I were to rate it, I would give it 94 points including a couple of extra points for the value.

So, with that out of the way - let’s talk about the wines. 19 bottles opened and each one a classic wine from mostly classic vintages. Our 19 bottles were from 11 different wine regions in Australia, showing that regions outside those two or three that are currently in fashion can still make great wines. They performed as follows -

Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 1996 - (Clare Valley, South Australia):
A mid-gold colour. Nose is comprised of butterscotch and lemon meringue, as well as some honey characters after some time in the glass. Length was good, but some overt acid on the palate disrupts the balance. Seemed a bit over developed, holding up alright but was apparently not nearly as good as another bottle consumed by two others at the table late last year and not a patch on the ‘96 Grosset Watervale I had recently. 87/100

Tyrrell’s “Vat 1″ Semillon 1994 - (Hunter Valley, New South Wales):
Rich nose of lanolin, honey and a small amount of toast. Palate is of medium intensity and has excellent mouth-feel, balance and length. A very good wine and it was consistent with a bottle that I had last year at a Tyrrell’s tasting. Drinking well now for my tastes, but should hold for some time. 92/100

Giaconda Chardonnay 2002 - (Beechworth, Victoria):
Nose has good intensity - toasty, spicy and caramel oak, citrus, nutty and minerally/flinty characters. What I really enjoyed about this wine was its texture and mouth-feel. It has very good length with excellent structure. It should develop very well over the next 5-7 years. 93/100

Leeuwin Estate “Art Series” Chardonnay 1987 - (Margaret River, Western Australia):
Good complexity on the nose - toasty oak, marmalade, oranges, honey and grapefruit. Palate has good depth, but there is a note of tartness on the finish just disrupting the line slightly. Sits in between the two bottles I have had previously, one better (see here) and one worse. It was still an excellent wine and did deserve to sit in on a dinner of Australian legends. 93/100

Bass Philip “Reserve” Pinot Noir 1997 (375ml) - (Gippsland, Victoria):
I was truly in the minority at my end of the table, but I really liked the complex nose on this - stems, sappy, earthy, mushrooms and a bit bloody and gamey. I did not like the palate so much, there was some tartness and some aggressive stalk characters disrupting the finish. 88/100

Bannockburn “Serre” Pinot Noir 1998 - (Geelong, Victoria):
Nose shows stalks, cherry and earth as well as being a bit alcoholic. Palate was simple and somewhat one-dimensional, but I thought it was smooth and had good balance and carry. It wouldn’t surprise me if this took on some complexity with additional age. I preferred the aromas of the Bass Phillip, but would take the palate of the Bannockburn. 89/100

Mount Mary “Quintet” Cabernets 1986 - (Yarra Valley, Victoria):
Corked - musty and totally stripped of fruit on the palate. How can people say that they would miss the “romance” of cork? NR

Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 1995 - (Margaret River, Western Australia):
Youthful in colour. Nose has elements of violets, cedar, cassis and iodine. The palate is brooding and powerful yet beautifully balanced with all the elements present and working together. Excellent tannin structure and bound to be even better over the next 10 years. 93/100

Wynns “John Riddoch” Cabernet Sauvignon 1982 - (Coonawarra, South Australia):
This was the backup bottle for the corked Mount Mary. Mocha/chocolate, plum, earth and some capsicum (but in the background rather than the foreground “essence of capsicum” of the previous bottle I had generously been given the chance to try). The palate shows superb focus, depth and length. A remarkable wine that will live for years to come (bottle/cork variation pending). This was my Wine of the Night for drinking tonight. 95/100

Cullen “Diana Madeline” Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2001 - (Margaret River, Western Australia):
A last minute ring-in for the 1996 Cullen DM. Alcoholic heat on the tight nose as well as some violet and cherry aromas. A tannic palate that culminates in a harsh acidic finish. Just a development phase or falling to pieces, I suspect probably the former. 87/100 on this showing.

Penfolds “Grange” Shiraz 1972 - (South Australia):
Corked - One of the worst cases of TCA that I have ever experienced initally - and almost unbelievably it got worse with more air - I was unable to reuse the glass that this was poured into. NR

Penfolds “Grange” Shiraz 1978 - (South Australia):
Furniture polish as well as the furniture itself on the nose. Palate is acidic, tannic, lacks fruit and has a bitter finish. This bottle was way past its best. 78/100

Henschke “Hill of Grace” Shiraz 1986 - (Eden Valley, South Australia):
The brett police were out early on this one but I wasn’t getting any. Dark chocolate, sour cherry, leather and sweet fruit on the nose. A still youthful palate showing some tannins sticking out a little bit. The palate was getting better and taking on weight with additional airtime. A lengthy finish. Just needs to come together a bit on the palate. 93/100

Henschke “Hill of Grace” Shiraz 1990 - (Eden Valley, South Australia):
Nice complexity on the nose. Cherry, raspberry, blackberry and very well integrated oak. Palate has good structure but is powerful and intense as well. Perhaps maybe just a touch of acid sticking out on the palate to disrupt what is otherwise a wine with a very long life ahead of it. 90/100

Penfolds “Grange” Shiraz 1990 - (South Australia):
Primary, rich nose of sweet caramel, chocolate, plum, spices and American oak. Good intensity on the palate, tannins are prominent but are of high quality. Excellent length. Very young and needs a significant amount more time to really strut its stuff. 93/100

Penfolds “Kalimna Block 42″ Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 - (Barossa Valley, South Australia):
A vibrant nose of spice, raspberry, earth, tobacco, cedar, dustiness, cassis and restrained oak. The palate is very classy, elegant yet it has superb depth and intensity of fruit, wonderful balance and a long, unbroken line and length. It may not be a pure expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, but it is a pure expression of Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon. Needs 10, maybe 15 years to be at its peak and could be one of the all time classics at its peak. My Wine of the Night for potential and just all around class. 96/100

Brokenwood “Graveyard” Shiraz 2000 - (Hunter Valley, New South Wales):
Very closed, very hard to judge. Some liquorice, violets, blackberry on the nose. The alcohol was showing through on the palate. I was excited to taste this, but it really felt a bit lacklustre. I would not touch another one for 5 years. 88/100

Jim Barry “The Armagh” Shiraz 1991 - (Clare Valley, South Australia):
The backup bottle to replace the ‘72 Grange. From a single vineyard in the Clare Valley. A nose comprising pepper and spice, hazelnut, mulberry and chocolate. The palate has a certain vibrancy to it. Very good, long finish. Really enjoyable. 91/100

De Bortoli “Noble One” 1984 - (Riverina, New South Wales):
Nose shows a bit of promise with apricot, botrytis characteristics and sultana. The palate is disjointed, alcoholic, spiky and finishing short. Disappointing for one of the legends of Australian dessert wine.80/100

Yering Station (Yarra Valley) -

“Yarrabank” Sparkling 2001 - Yeasty nose with citrus, cherry, and some earth. Palate strikes an excellent acid balance that is crisp and refreshing while not being acid dominant. Good mouth-feel and good palate length. Ready to drink for my tastes, but should hold for a few years. 89/100

“E.D” Rosé 2005 - The best Rosé that I tried at this event. The E.D stands for “Extra Dry”. Showing raspberry, strawberries and cherry on the nose. The palate matches the name in dryness. It actually exhibits some depth and structure on the palate, I would still be drinking it within a year of bottling, but it is slightly more interesting than your average easy drinking Rosé. 88/100

“Yarrabank” Creme De Cuvee NV - Not a wine that I have tried previously, but it left me with a good impression. Not sure of the exact composition of this, but nose suggests that it has a strong Pinot Noir component. A nose showing strawberry, cherries and pink fairy floss. Palate is creamy, and only shows a hint of sweetness that is balanced by acid. It was an interesting, slightly different sparkling wine. 87/100

Marsanne Rousanne Viognier (M.V.R) 2005 - Lemon, lime, spices and apricots on the nose. The palate is well balanced. I would drink this in its youth over the next year or two while it retains its fruit vibrancy. 87/100

“Late Harvest” Pinot Gris 2004 - The nose leaps out at you with some concentrated honey and apricot characters. An intense sweetness to the palate, perhaps a little bit too much sweetness to be balanced. With the right food to foil the sweetness this could be quite good. Mostly late-harvest grapes, but a small amount were Botrytis affected as well. 87/100

Shiraz Viognier 2004 - A spicy, floral nose. Viognier does not dominate, but just contributes to the floral lift on the nose. Palate is silky smooth. It doesn’t have the depth or structure of the highly regarded Reserve Shiraz Viognier, but should be nice drinking over the next year or two. 87/100

Chardonnay 2004 - Fruit driven nose of grapefruit, peach and some apples. Palate is medium bodied and pulls up slightly short on the finish. Best to drink this over the next 1 or 2 years. 86/100

“Mr Frog” Chardonnay 2004 - A new low priced wine in the Yering Station range. It has tropical fruit and primary grape notes showing on the nose. Palate lacks interest and finishes rather short. 83/100

Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 - Leafy, herbal, sappy green nose. The palate is thin and finishes short. 80/100

Yarraloch (Yarra Valley) - A brand new producer and based on their “Stephanie’s Dream” Chardonnay, one to watch out for. Wines are made by Sergio Carlei.

“Stephanie’s Dream” Chardonnay 2004 - Lovely minerality, tight and focused but with good flavour intensity as well. Exhibits very good length. I really like this! It’s not a bargain at $40AUD, but it does justify the price. 91/100

Arneis 2005 - Citrus and slightly perfumed nose. It is vibrant and crisp with zesty acid on the tight, focused palate. Not bad at all. 87/100

Shelmerdine (Heathcote / Yarra Valley) -

“Merindoc” Shiraz 2004 - A barrel sample of the first release of this single vineyard Heathcote wine that was made by Sergei Carlei from Carlei estate. Inky black in colour - a big, brooding, powerful wine that at the same time shows some balance and class. This wine has a strong nose of truffles, earth and violets. It is still very young and primary, but it is shaping up very nicely indeed. I’ll be keeping my eye out for it when it is released later this year. 91/100

“Heathcote” Shiraz 2004 - Minerals, pepper and just a hint of floral elements and apricot from the Viognier (3%). Palate has good flavour. Nice, but seems like it will be best enjoyed in its youth.88/100

“Yarra Valley” Chardonnay 2003 - Elegant in style - flinty, minerality, just a deft touch of oak and malo-lactic influence. Mouth feel is good but perhaps just a bit broad. Will drink well over the next 3-4 years. 88/100

“Heathcote” Merlot 2004 - Fruit driven nose of plums, berries and spice. Has a vibrant palate with medium intensity and a medium length finish. Will be best over the next few years. 87/100

“Heathcote” Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - Not too bad but fairly oak dominant and tannic at present. Would be leaving this a couple of years to see if it comes back into balance with the fruit. 86/100

“Yarra Valley” Sauvignon Blanc 2005 - Grass and herbs on the nose with a mild, mid-weighted palate. Crisp finish but lacks interest. 85/100

“Yarra Valley” Pinot Noir 2004 - Thin, bland and uninspiring. There are some vegetal notes on the palate. 80/100

Punt Road (Yarra Valley) -

“MVN” Chardonnay 2004 - Subdued oak that is dominated by the quality of the fruit. A little bit of flint and some funky spice. Has an elegant palate with focused power. Will benefit greatly from 2-3 additional years in bottle where it will take on some more complexity and open up. 90/100

“Botrytis” Semillon 2004 - Obvious Botrytis influence on the nose along with apricot and honey. Treads a fine line between sweetness and acidity on the palate, but pulls it off. Has a very good concentration of flavours on the palate. 89/100

“MVN” Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 - Once again the quality of fruit outshines the oak. The nose comprises red and black berries, spices and just a hint of mint. The finely structured palate entices with elegance rather than power. Give it 5 years in bottle to show what it is capable of. 89/100

Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 - Berries and violets on the nose. The palate has good tannin and oak structure. Good value for money in the mid 20 dollar area. This wine will repay cellaring in the short term. 88/100

Shiraz 2003 - Spice, pepper and some background oak. Powerful fruit is evident on the palate, but slightly out of balance. 87/100

Pinot Noir 2004 - Cherry, plum and some smoke. Mouth-feel is nicely textured but pulls up short and should probably be in the next couple of years. 87/100

Chardonnay 2004 - Some flint and slate - no evidence of oak. Elegant, drink now style. 87/100

Merlot 2003 - Plums on the nose. The medium-bodied palate has no character and really lacks anything to rise above an ordinary every-day drinking wine. 86/100

Sauvignon Blanc 2005 - Grass and passionfruit comprise the nose. The palate is lean and lacks intensity with an abrupt early finish. 86/100

Pinot Gris 2005 - Spicy nose but otherwise not showing much. The palate finishes short and dilute. 84/100

Oakridge (Yarra Valley) -

Chardonnay 2003 - Very buttery and oaky along with hints of squeezed lemon on the nose. Medium length and lacks complexity on the palate. 86/100

Sauvignon Blanc 2004 - Distinctive, powerful nose of herbs, spice and some sweat. Palate is medium bodied and reasonably crisp. 85/100

Pinot Gris 2005 - Very rich and into the realm of an overpowerful mouth-feel. I would struggle to drink more than one glass of this. 84/100

Killara Park Estate (Yarra Valley) -

Sauvignon Blanc 2005 - Freshly cut grass on the nose. Palate is medium intensity but thins out towards the finish. 85/100

Chardonnay 2004 - Nose was completely mute, couldn’t get anything from it. Rich, toasty and broad on the palate. 83/100