Vinoculation

A cool, drizzly night in Christchurch was rapidly transformed into a raging furnace thanks to an over-exuberant heating system at the Treasury Boardroom in the George Hotel. Alas, mediation ensued and ambient temperatures reached a comfortable level for those with three layers of clothing.

2000 Kreglinger Vintage Brut will always set a smile on your dial, courtesy of Andrew Pirie, so the night was off to a good start. After a half-hour introduction to Tasmania’s wine regions, history and state of affairs, it was time to attack the wines. The first flight saw two vintages of Elsewhere Vineyard Riesling - the 2002 and 2005 - with some antipasto accompaniments. The ‘02 was presenting slightly better, with bush honey, pine forest and pineapple pith aromatics fortified by the beginnings of fusel characters on the palate. Still fresh with an uplifting finish, this is an off-dry style and going through a transitional phase that will reward another five years in the cellar.

On to flight two. From beneath a dense cloud of complimentary sulphides emerges the 2005 Winstead Riesling bouquet; spring flowers and saccharine citrus, especially paw-paw. The palate sweetness is heavily restrained by bracing acidity that demands a worthy foodmatch (in our case crab on toast with saffron aioli was entirely worthy). Long, pure and clean finish. Superb.

Steve Lubiana’s 2006 Stefano Lubiana Riesling started with a subtle, lemon infused nose backed by mineral qualities. A fair dollop of lemon and lime rind palate fruit counters the reticent aromatics, augmented by zingy acidity that directs this down a drier path, honeyed finish notwithstanding.

Do rieslings brood? The 2006 Brook Eden Riesling does. Coax this little number and you may be lucky enough to discover sweet mandarin and ripe apple. Again, persisting in this off-dry style, the acid profile is broader in this case and not so tight. This leads to a more texturally generous finish - bordering astringent - that leaves plenty of flavour for the tongue to muse over.

I don’t know whether it’s a particular cooper, I don’t know whether it’s a particular wine style, but despite my aversion to heavily oaked chardonnays (and my pompous attitude towards a fickle public that prefers licking trees in their wines over sucking on tropical fruits), there is a character in the odd bottle that wins me over. At the onset of the third flight for the evening, the 2005 Freycinet Vineyard Chardonnay was such a wine. It’s sweet butterscotch one minute, then melting butter the next. Then there’s the fruit. Peach, rockmelon and a smorgasbord of fleshy stonefruits that quietly arouse on the nose before exploding to dangerous intensity on the palate. There’s none of that fat, leesy, flat and creamy texture either; this is all about sprightly acidity and juicy fruit-driven texture that leaves a felicitous imprint on the finish. A chardonnay full of flavour - and oak - that operate in an engaging relationship that can only benefit from time. Lots more time. Sensational.

The 2005 Brook Eden Chardonnay displayed cashew and nectarine that partner on a nutty, tending biscuity nose. Not so much a core of fruit, but melon fruits awash on the palate with acidity less obvious. Restrained and drinking well now, the acidity catches up on the paw-paw finish to end with tenacity.

In comparison, the 2006 Dalrymple Chardonnay smelled of rockmelon and honeydew, with a hint of vegetation. Oak plays second fiddle to the fruit, though the marriage isn’t as legitimate as the previous two chards. The acidity is racy and the palate fruit citrus, almost inclined in a riesling direction. The finish lacks oomph or showy character, though it is well balanced and agreeable.

The food match for these wines was a carpaccio of big-eye tuna with marinated mooli, grapefruit, honeydew melon, toasted pinenuts and citrus vinaigrette. Full of unique, interesting flavours and presented like one of my failed attempts at sushi sashimi, it matched the Dalrymple well though it may have proved more appropriate with the rieslings.

The last flight and much anticipated by this time of the evening saw two cabs rear their heads. Two very different cabs, borne of completely different heritage and style. The first was a 2004 Craigie Knowe Cab Sauv, that had a nose of blackberry, raspberry liquorice, maraschino cherry and coffee bean. Delightful nose, that evokes more character with every sniff. The fruit is gently wrapped into coarse, broadcast tannins that build on the finish without overwhelming. Medium bodied with a supportive undercurrent of acid, this cab needs a decade before revisiting. Poised to be memorable.

The dark, handsome, incredibly well-dressed 2000 Domaine A Cab Sauv saunters into the room, attracting admiring gazes from everyone. It starts with his nose. Small, concentrated, dark berry fruit with lots more happening; there’s mojo baby. When I taste this wine, I imagine that a large group of sexy, female, scantily clad, virginal microbes are having an epic pillow fight in the midst of Peter’s carefully nurtured grapes, such is the nature of the round, polished, waxed-edge mouthfeel. This is the epitome of seamless. Balanced is such a philistine, paltry word for the crafted aritisianship of this stasis blend. Am I waxing lyrical? You bet I am. Unequivocally Tasmania’s best cab, and one of the best from Australia full stop. 95 points.

Though people had their hands busy cradling these cab elixirs, time was found to gobble up the venison satays with blackcurrant and cassis compote. Simple, tasty, delicious. A milky sorbet with praline chocolate washed down with a 2005 Wellington Iced Riesling was the perfect way to finish an epic evening of Tasmanian fulfilment.

Stay tuned for the Tassie pinot noir write-up in a fortnight…