Vinoculation

Normally I’m the one skiting to Mum and Dad about the exclusive winemaker tasting I’ve just attended, or the super-cult rare wine I’d just been privy to, but now the tables have turned for once. I’m sure that the folks enjoy just as many (if not more) experiences to those that I tend to rave on about; they’re just a little more reticent in their revelry.

 In any case, here are the highlights of one that was made public to me:

2000 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
A clear winner for white of the night, despite our chardonnay (ABC) reservations. Sensational wine. Developing beautifully and will live for a long while. Wonderful mouthfilling and full-bodied wine, and yet refined and elegant. Flavours of mixed citrus, light butterscotch and well integrated oak are present right through the tasting experience and linger for a long time. It handled the home cooked spicy Thai chicken soup with consummate ease. This bottle wasn’t from our cellar (thank you Dr Jazz as always) and we can be pleased that we have a small stock for future special occasions.

2005 Felton Road Pinot Noir
There is no doubt about this vineyard - just keeps on producing beautiful and flavoursome pinots that are used as our benchmark when tasting others. I can’t remember ever being disappointed in any Felton Road wine, and we have been drinking them since 1999. Lovely rich fruit with great depth, floral and mineral flavours, integrating beautifully with the oak, with the wine showing continuous improvement since its release. It will be a long-keeping wine for sure, but we won’t have much left in ten years time I suspect. We had this wine in between entree and main and just savoured its delights in its own right. Serve with great confidence but only to those who appreciate it - it’s a cracker!

1979 Baileys Bin 28 Cabernet Sauvignon
Many years ago I procured two bottles of this from auction in the days when I was building up some instant stock of old reds. The first bottle I took along to a dinner party with relative unknowns about six years ago, although we knew the hosts and knew that he was very much into his old wines and had a collection of his own. During the night, our host opened the bottle and decanted it for a while, and during the main course, he discretely passed a new glass with a tasting in it and asked me to check that I was happy with it. He stood back and waited, knowing damn well (he had snuck a taste out in the kitchen) what my reaction would be. An amazing wine (I have no notes from that event but I remember it well). He whispered in my ear that this wine was not going around the table…and it turned out through his amazing ability to deceive that he and I and our respectives shared the whole bottle. The other four guests would not have known white from red really, so this was a very sound outcome.

That left one bottle and it has winked at me since that night, my only fear being the thought that this bottle had a high shoulder level. It’s been one of those wines that I thought I would open on a special occasion, but how many people don’t get to see that special occasion. So I decided that this bottle had to go with the Dinner for Six.

This wine was almost life changing - it is without doubt one of the greatest wines we have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. If I ever find even one bottle around the traps, I don’t expect I will be beaten in bidding for it. Simply unreal. Here was a 28 year-old wine (older than my grown-up children) that had so much life, with beautifully integrated classic cabernet fruit flavours, chocolate, leather and no sign of oak (it had obviously done its job a long time ago). It was, quite simply, a joy to drink. The flavours of the cabernet lingered and lingered, reaffirming my great love for this variety over any other grape when it is at its best. It was impossible to imagine how a wine could taste better - different maybe - but not better. Did it go well with the char-grilled thick-cut veal cutlet on brown butter garlic mash, with preserved lemon and oregano? You better believe it!

The wine was produced from fruit grown in the Taminick Valley, Victoria.

1997 Primo Estate Joseph Moda Cabernet Merlot
This wine had to follow something very special, and it did so quite capably. Fortunately, it had a totally different style and taste, although still predominantly a cabernet with just 10% merlot. It’s the Italian (Valpolicella) winemaking style (Amarone) that Joe Grilli employs that makes this brand a very different wine to drink - the grapes are picked and air-dried on racks for weeks before being crushed, creating wine with great concentration and depth of flavour.

This wine was no exception. Strong fruit flavours with quite concentrated characters, perhaps hints of over-extraction but not in an unpleasant way. Quite dry, tannic style typical of many of Italy’s own wines, however the fruit flavours give hints of its Aussie heritage. Lovely wine and very well matched to the back end of the delicious main course.

Notes by Glen Marriott.

When I think of South Africa and wine, I think of big, bold, slightly jammy reds and playful, austere Chenin Blanc or sophisticated and delicate Sauvignon Blanc. Chardonnay is not one of the varietals I associate with the hot barren plains or maritime climates of South Africa. However the few Chardonnays I have tried from South Africa have been good… very good. Then I came upon a phenomenon which I would have to put in my top 3 chardonnays I have ever tasted.

2004 Springfield Estate “Methode Ancienne” Chardonnay
Approximately 3 vintages in every 10 vintages produce a drinkable wine using this method (methode ancienne), which involves pressing the grapes straight into barrel and leaving it, never touching it, until the wine is fed - unfiltered and unfined - to bottle. The 2004 was one of the great ones.

Viscous pale straw in colour and appearance.

The nose opened all coconut and caramel, with pineapple and hints of campfire wood smoke. Is this Mersault? Then lemon rind and fresh white peach appeared, accompanied by star fruit and star anise spice. The aroma profile developed over the next half hour, going through a wonderful baked apple pie with a baking bread, yeasty hint and a waxy aroma that was delightful.

From the nose I was expecting a warm, enveloping, cuddly yet complex palate. A quick sip and I was thinking oaky Chablis (!), a contradiction no doubt. The acidity is high and tingling giving the wine a wonderfully fresh initial palate. Then an intense and complex mid palate takes over, offering an array of warm butter on toast, with apple and caramel. Minerality abounds, fortified by a long, undulating finish that has grapefruit and lime. The alcohol is very present, but in the form of a warm, comforting blanket rather than overpowering or disjointed heat. Forty-five seconds later and the flavour profile was still lingering.

A sensational Chardonnay!

The marketing dude from Taylors was over in New Zealand recently and being the moron that I am, I mucked up dates for their luncheon. My punishment? Delivery of seven Taylors wines to taste through, along with a damn snazzy cap and the usual marketing paraphernalia.

Anyway, here are my notes:

2005 Jaraman Riesling
Light straw colour. Clean, lemon-lime nose with hints of honey. The palate is domineered by sour lemon – bordering pulpy – with unkempt acid that deteriorates to a soft, bland finish. A poor riesling and not recommended. 80

2005 Jaraman Chardonnay
Light amber colour. Pleasant nose of nuts, melon, nectarine and a lick of oak. Warm and round mouthfeel with acid spikes; palate fruit lacks definition. Acid-retentive finish and green, pithy persistence. Barely scrapes through with a pass. 84

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Inky and youthful with a mauve hue. Rich bouquet of brooding power; blackcurrant, lavender, violets, a hint of leather and cooked tomato. Berry fruit lines a focussed palate profile, broadening out as gummy tannins emerge on the finish. Structurally cohesive, augmented by judicious acid, and texturally yummy. Pretty impressive stuff. 90

2005 Shiraz
Blood red. Raspberry liquorice, plum, eucalypt and cedar indicate a nose of fruit less darker than usual, with encouraging complexity for such a young wine. Youthful acidity streaks beneath cherry and mulberry fruit, the tannins fleshy and subtly grippy. The finish is layered with raspberries and more raspberries, trailing off to leave a sweetly satisfying aftertaste. This is a Taylors Shiraz quite unlike I remember, perhaps indicating a cooler vintage and more restrained oak handling. Appealing, as ever, at the bargain price level. 88

2004 Jaraman Shiraz
Dense red with a ruby edge. Nose of a bramble patch graveyard; macerated, masticated, viscid berries. There’s some chocolate, freshly ground black pepper and liquorice too. Coax this one – it starts out sulky. Considerable weight in the mouth, amplified by concentrated palate fruit. The fruit intensity dies away on the finish, leaving fine-grained, ripe tannins and a residual fruit sweetness. Won’t be a classic, but admirable nonetheless. 89

2004 Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon
Impenetrable blood red with fine, ruby edge. Predominantly a stewed fruit nose, with shallot, tobacco and coconut oak. A nose that certainly keeps organs capable of blood engorgement rather dysfunctional. Lots of weight, richness and generosity in the mouth, fortified by trademark acidity that underpins blackberry liqueur fruit. Another sweet fruit finish with chewy tannins. Luckily the performance in the mouth makes up for the nose (said the bishop to the actress?), but I won’t be rushing out for this one. 87

2002 St Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark, tending dark-medium red at the edges. The nose is pure cabernet; lifted florals, cassis, wet forest smells and cinnamon. There’s also an intriguing hint of pastille fruit resembling kumquat conserve. Elegant, medium to full bodied, with a generous kick of tactile dark cherry flavours. Seamless from front to back. Powdery tannins finish with verve and help escort a caramelised aftertaste. Good chop and bodes well for future ageing. 91

His name is Theo. He’s the winemaker for Crater Rim, based out of Omihi in Waipara. He was in store tonight, with his cousin Ben who handles distribution (ex-Fosters and a top bloke). Until then, I’d only tasted the Crater Rim wines once - maybe twice - since I’d been in New Zealand, without giving them so much as a second glance. Until now.

I intentionally scrutinized the wines tonight, knowing that having Theo around would create the usual favourable bias as happens in such situations. Most will know my relationship (or lack thereof) with Sauvignon Blanc, so I’ll utter the next sentence of blasphemy as quietly as I can. 2007 release - just been bottled; tropical ester nose, time spent on lees, all Waipara fruit, fantastic texture, a great sauv. There, I said it (and I expect a flood of abuse as people lecture long tirades re my hypocritical standpoint).

The ‘06 Waipara Riesling was poured next, further testament to the region’s status of groundzero for riesling in New Zealand as far as I’m concerned. Whilst not possessing the intense, tongue-fizzing flavour of a Pegasus Bay, at the pricepoint it punches well above its weight. They’ve adopted the medium sweetness style, with creditable sugar/acid balance, pleasant texture and lively frut aromatics.

I then had the chance to try the two pinot noirs they produce; one a blend of Canterbury (Burnham) and Waipara fruit, the other a single vineyard pinot from their Omihi Hills block. Both wines fulfil what they set out to achieve. The blended pinot is full of a huge, intense, ripe fruit nose (bordering on Merlot-ish) with more palate fruit and ripe, fleshy tannins; seriously gluggable and the cheaper crowd pleaser. The single vineyard Omihi pinot has a 30% whole bunch input, offering a more reticent nose; aromatic, floral, dark berries and earth. The palate flavour profile is consistent with the nose, the tannins finer grained than the blend and the finish more savoury. Classy effort that is sure to develop with more time in the bottle.

With promise of a Beerenauslese yet to come, expect great things from Crater Rim in the future.

2005 Loosen Dr L Riesling

Having changed significantly since our last encounter in 2006, this wine continues to impress with subtle Mosel elegance. Showing more pronounced paraffin and fusel characters than remembered, aromas of passionfruit, pine and ripe apples evolve with time in the glass. The charactersitic low alcohol level (8.5%) ensures the mouthfeel remains silky soft, accompanied by a delectable level of residual sweetness. Initial grapey hints give way to more subtle flavours of lime and delicate peach, finished off with a refreshing burst of balanced acidity. Very drinkable; a pity it was the last one in the cellar.

The perks of a new job alongside Max. Here is my take on the wines from the weekend.

2006 Gibbston Valley Pinot Gris

Brilliant light straw in colour, this wine is elegant in the glass. Initial hints of biscuity malt give way to a more lingering nuttiness, combined with intense floral and stone fruit aromas. Aldehydic characters develop as a result of the high (14.9%) alcohol content, although not significantly reducing the overall wine quality. Pleasant acidity and minerality results in a balanced mouthfeel, that is refreshing with reduced lingering oiliness. Unfortunately the high alcohol leads to an uncomfortably warm finish, which lingers for some time. An aromatically elegant wine betrayed by brutish alcohol levels. Better serve this one with food!

2006 Rockburn Pinot Noir

An attractive rich red colour, with hints of crimson and purple. Lifted aromas of cherries and vanilla overlay subtle notes of red current and toasty oak. Light and fresh on the palate, a lingering dryness develops from good tannin structure. Red berry flavours dominate, integrating well with alluded vanilla characters. Refreshing acidity results in a somewhat tart finish, ensuring a single taste is never quite enough. A well handled carefully made wine, well worth a second look.

2004 Viking Wines Grand Shiraz Cabernet

Deep inky red in colour, the aromas of this buxom wine burst forth from the glass at the fist sign of a swirl. The nose is dominated with intensely concentrated berry fruit aromas of boysenberry and wild blackberry. Old vine cut mushroom notes combine well with spicy oak, to add complexity and depth. The initially reserved palate develops with time, providing flavours of raspberry and subtle liquorice. Smooth velvety tannins help develop a good savoury finish, although there is some potential for slight bitterness. Put this one to sleep for at least few more years to be truly rewarded, if you can wait that long mind you.

Every month the wine store I work at here in Vancouver takes inventory; a long and laborious process. Nonetheless, the rewards are apparent upon completion of said task. The whole team finishes up and then goes to one of the staff members’ houses for a meal and copious amounts of liquid libations. This Monday did not dissapoint.

My Taiwanese colleague Yiha and her long-time partner Tom, who is a travel writer amongst many artistic talents, had put together a fine spread. We had pig’s feet, which were gelatinous and superb, ox tail soup with a kick to it, a Taiwanese beef stew with tofu (which rocked), among other things. If nothing else this meal completely wiped the slate clean between me and tofu; it is delicious if done correctly by an expert. The real curio factor of the meal came in the form of the century eggs; opaque, red albumin, with the yoke showing hues of green-to-grey-to-black. They looked decidedly unappetizing. My stomach turned as I tried to build up the courage to try one. Alas, the texture was like boiled egg and the flavour was like fine blue cheese; I enjoyed it but I won’t be rushing to Chinatown for cartons of the stuff.

The wines we drank with the meal were as enticing and mouthwatering as the food we shared:

2001 Zilliken Kabinett Riesling
From the Mosel, this was a lovely combination of fresh lemon acidity and a touch of residual to balance. The nose consisted of wet moss and stones with a touch of floral apple blossom and kaffa lime. The finish was delicate and lipsmacking at the same time.

2006 Felton Road Block 1 Riesling
Again this wine had minerality, with a slight petro-diesel kick. Fresh tropics filled the bouquet. The wine was fleshier than the previous and a touch sweeter; slightly spritzig too. It was slighty candied - almost like a toffee apple made with a granny smith - the finish lingering and fresh, leaving us salivating, wanting more.

2005 Neudorf Moutere Reisling
This was slightly more petrol and a little musty/reductive straight out of the bottle. This mustiness cleared and what took place was a wonderful transformation into a wine that expressed what riesling can do on clay in New Zealand. Not as sweet as the Felton, it exuded delicate class and fresh acidity with impeccable balance. I loved it, but the room was split, half prefering the Felton and half the Neudorf.

1993 Zilliken Spatlese
This wine was a step up entirely. On the nose, it was like opening a fresh can of tennis balls that were soaked in kaffa lime pie and fresh currents. The wine drank like it was only in bottle a few years. Zilliken have by far the deepest wine caves in the Mosel. Because of this their wines are kept very cool and at an extremely even temperature all year round. The result are wines like this one, with great minerality, balance and playfulness which makes them delightful throughout their considerable lifespans. This one will go 20+ years under the right conditions.

We then moved on to some reds starting with:

2004 Woodward Canyon Syrah
Woodward are known for highly priced and excellent Cabernet from some of the oldest vines in the Napa Valley. They also make a great syrah with fruit from the Columbia Valley. Lush and full on the palate with dark fruits and fine black pepper on the nose, this wine exuded class and was simply delicious. Gives great Aussie shiraz a run for its money though in a more restrained style, with excellent oak integration and balancing acidity to cut any jamminess. Yummo.

There were other wines, including a corked Seven Hills Merlot from Washington State and a 1997 Aliagnico from Tuasai which was stunningly grippy and playful but I stopped taking notes and just enjoyed the world of wine alongside the company.

Cheers!

Over the last few weeks, summer has really kicked off here in Vancouver. The sun is out, the wild blackberries are beginning to ripen on the vines around my home and the sea is just warm enough to swim in. Considering that the last summer I had was more than two years ago, I’m loving it.

Now, with great weather comes great responsibility….. to drink great wine that is. A recent evening comes to mind. Last Friday a group of friends converged for an evening of serious wine quaffing and blind tasting bliss. The evening started with:

2002 Martinborough Vineyard Chardonnay
Oaky and a little flabby but it was a good lead; just paled in comparison to what followed.

1999 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
Nice but nose slightly muted; palate balanced and superb.

2002 Sea Smoke Ten Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
Very intense wine from ten clones. Extremely enjoyable but showed the art of skilled blending more than being about place and regional expression. (I am being picky about some truly fabulous wines)

2002 Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir
I picked it as a Rudy Baeur wine so got region down and vintage.

1994 Paul Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle
Oh yes, the wine of the night for me. Just unreal - this is why I drink wine. All secondary/developed flavours with old, musty, dried yet delicious residual fruit. Wonderfully balanced.

2003 The Foundry Syrah
From Cape of Good Hope. It is the side project of the winemaker from Myrlast. The wine was good but too young with fruit covered by fine yet generous and apparent oak. (again very picky - any one of these wines could be the star of many other evenings)

1993 Allan Michelot Nuits St George Les Vaucrains 1er Cru
An interesting wine that I thought was syrah for sure. Big tannins with light colour - almost Nebbiolo-like in aroma and structure but not quite. Interesting but not amazing.

2004 Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes 1er Cru
A young negotiant wife and husband team ( lucien le Moxine) making everything from 1er Cru to Cote de Charlonnise and Village Beaune. A stunning wine and my close second for the night. Lush fruit; forward yet subtle, long, balanced and complex. Just great pinot expressed flawlessly.

1999 Neudorf Vineyards Moutere Pinot Noir
I was dissapointed and admittedly it’s hard to follow the previous wine; no faults but it was going through a muted non-expressive stage. It didn’t show what great Neudorf is supposed to be like. Oh well.

2002 Porter Creek Hillside Vineyard Pinot Noir
Good concentration and lovely oak with fruit interplay. I was a little inebriated to pay close attention.

1997 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon
Lovely and a touch of class to an already fantastic evening.

I would recommend any of these wines if you can get your wine-loving paws on them.

Enjoy!!

I’d stopped in at work tonight for a brief couple of minutes on my way out to dinner. I was in the back room, jotting down some notes, when I hear a familiar voice in North American twang from the shop floor. I poke my head out and, sure enough, it’s Claudia Weersing. The ever-radiant, beautiful, modest and kind Claudia Weersing. The same Claudia Weersing who is married to Mike Weersing. The same Mike Weersing of Pyramid Valley.

“Ahhhhhh”, I hear you all mutter. That place. But it’s not like Pyramid Valley is well-known. Those fortunate enough to have been privy to the charismatic charm of Mike Weersing and his sextastic range of Growers Series wines will nod knowingly, with corners of mouths shaping grins at such expressions of overt reverie for the man by yours truly. Others are no doubt bewildered, but intrigued nonetheless.

I’ll try to sum it up in 50 words or less. Mike is a Californian who cut his teeth with vintages in Burgundy and has worked at Coldstream in Australia with Halliday. He searched everywhere (worldwide) for his prized clay/limestone soils. He found them in the Pyramid Valley, a tiny region inland of Waipara. High density planting (10,000+vines/ha), low fruiting wire, select clonal selection, pinot noir and chardonnay. Oh, it’s fully biodynamic too.

The vines were planted in 2000 but the region is so marginal (not without its share of establishment hiccups too) that the vines off the Pyramid Valley vineyard haven’t really thrown a proper crop yet. However, there were some miniscule parcels of fruit procured from the ‘06 and ‘07 vintages, set to be released as super cult, rare wines in the future. Do not watch this space for release details - no chance I’m telling you.

All is not lost though. In the meantime, Mike has been growing fruit on select vineyards from around Marlborough and making some very special wines. Claudia just happened to have some tasting bottles open in the car tonight (call it serendipity) so I was treated to a quick sample of the new releases. The verdict? Buy them and find out.

• 2006 Pyramid Valley Kerner Estate Pinot Blanc
• 2006 Pyramid Valley Hille Semillon
• 2005 Pyramid Valley Eaton Family Pinot Noir
• 2006 Pyramid Valley Lebecca Riesling

Check out their website at www.pyramidvalley.co.nz and be quick to join their mailing list, before it’s closed and you’re relegated to a waiting list.

There is an excellent montepulciano made from Marlborough. This is not it. Peppered steak, tar and smoky, black cherry nose leads to a thin, disjointed, sour cherry palate. Sour acid reverberates with green tannins on the finish. Serve with cheap and nasty Italian - if you must - but best to avoid.