Lonely Grape TV Episode #27 – McLaren Vale vs Barossa Grenache

23 03 2010

Check out my tasting of a Barossa Grenache (Smallfry 2007 Grenache) and McLaren Vale Grenache (Olivers Taranga Vineyards 2007 Grenache). Guess which wine I thought was the better one!


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : Mclaren Vale, wine

Linfield Road Wines

20 03 2010

This is the second of 2 cellar doors I visited on my recent Barossa trip .  Williamstown is on the southern edge of the Barossa and it is the way I travel to Tanunda and the other parts of the Barossa.

This is definitely a family affair with a real sense of history here.  The Wilson family grape growing business started in 1860, by Edmund Major Wilson and that makes the 2010 vintage the 150th vintage on the property.  They have 2 rows of extremely low yielding Shiraz with the remainder of the vines between 30 and 60 years old.  The current incumbents of this history are the 4th and 5th generations of the Wilson Family.  Since 2002 they have been making their wine under the Linfield Road label.

They have seen a need for quality meeting place for the locals so they are filling that need with their “Friday Unwind” nights once a month during the warmer months with Food, Music and Art – plus of course wine.  The view from their cellar door area is wonderful with vineyard on one side and forest to the other.  Check out their website that includes details of coming events.

2008 “The Steam Maker” Riesling ($A18)

The offerings from 40 year old vines are made into this wine.  The nose had some developed kerosene aromas with hints of apple still coming through and the flavors were lighter than expected but the citrus base was coming through plus the acid was obvious.  I felt this wine was just entering the “dumb phase” ie going from the up front fruit phase to the developed phase – so I would like to try this again in about a years time.

2009 “The Dear Nellie” Unwooded Semillon ($A15)

Straight away I knew this wine was going to be my favorite white wine here.  There is an abundance of lemon aromas and flavors with a wonderful tangy acid and lemon/lime zest finish.  Uncomplicated and yet complex and just made to eat with fresh seafood – you know the big plate of cooked but not peeled prawns and bugs with lots of seafood sauce and big bowls of lemon water (to wash your hands).  Very messy but bring it on!

2004 “The Dear Nellie” Chardonnay ($A12)

A 2004 Chardonnay???  Is this here because they cannot sell the wine?  Questions I posed to myself – but after trying the wine, who cares.  The wine was surprisingly fresh and the portion of wooded material (this wine is the last of their wooded whites) set the wine well.  The cedar tones of the oak combined with melons and citrus peel on the nose and the flavors followed with the oaky citrus mouthfeel working well.  The wine’s freshness combined with the richness of the oak treatment means that it would work well with Bruschette.

2005 “The Dear Nellie” Chardonnay ($A12)

I have always thought that Chardonnay needs some oak treatment to get the best from the variety.  This wine just strengthened this long held view.  The wine had closed aromas and the flavors showed the expected melon characters – but while I was drinking it I could not help but feel there was something missing.

2006 “The Monarch” Merlot ($A22)

The founder of the family vineyard, Edmund Major Wilson, was a butterfly collector – so the name of this wine is dedicated to the founding father’s hobby of collecting Monarch Butterflies.  The wine is true to variety with plums and cherries, with a slightly bitter finish.  Unfortunately, this wine did not improve my view of straight Australian Merlots – just not for me.

2005 “The Slab Hut” Merlot Cabernet Shiraz ($A22)

While the main cottage was being built James Wilson lived in a simple Red Gum Sleeper Hut – that is still on the property today.  The wine is 60% Merlot, 30% Shiraz and 10% Cabernet.  Again, like the straight Merlot, this wine was not for me.

2005 “The Black Hammer” Cabernet Sauvignon ($A22)

The name comes from that James Wilson was a partner in the local blacksmith.  Back on track with this wine with the black fruit aromas and flavors one expects from Cabernet.  The fruit characters are reminiscent of a dark fruit cake.   There is not a lot of oak flavors so definitely no oak monster on the palate here, however there is a good acid length here.  I am thinking red current glazed lamb loin chops would work well with the fruitiness of this wine.

2005 “The Stubborn Patriarch” Shiraz ($A25)

Scottish Captain Andrew Wilson was “dismissed” when he refused to call out “God Save the Queen” when captured the British.  This wine is made in reference to this ancestor’s stubborn nature.  I found the aromas quite closed with the flavors kicking in nicely.  The mouth is full of plums, raisins and black fruits.  The oak is well integrated and the palate finishes with soft tannins.  Hard to go past a steak going well with this wine.

2005 Edmund Major Reserve Shiraz ($A65)

2 rows of 100 year old vines, producing at a quarter of a tonne per acre.  The wine is let sit in new french oak for 2 years to get enough character to off set the concentrated fruit from the old vines.  The nose is just oh so concentrated fruit with the cedary tones of the oak.  The flavors are just complex layers of plums, black fruits, oak with plenty of acid length.  This is a wine to savor in another 8 to 10 years with a meal if Beef Wellington.  The complexity and texture of the pate in the dish would go well with the layered complexity of the wine.

2008 Ratifia ($A22 350 mL bottle)

This different wine sparked my interest – a wine made from Riesling pressings and before fermentation is completed neutral grape spirit is added to achieve 16% alcohol.  The product has an unusual tropical aromas with lifted fruit flavors (apricots and peaches).  There is some bitterness of the alcohol here but it is almost masked by the sweetness (which is not cloying).  I can imagine this wine being popular at their wine food & music evenings.

2006 “The Man About Town” Fortified White ($15)

To start a fortified wine can be a long journey, to get the old complex wines, so here is a method to sell some young wine while starting down the path of the classic tawny styles.  On this basis they only draw off enough wine to bottle a few dozen at a time when needed.  The aromas and flavors are reminiscent of butterscotch and caramel and as expected the overall mouth fell and viscosity are lighter than the classical tawny style.  Some nice aged cheddar cheese and share this wine with a few friends would be good.  I would like to see the offerings in about another 5 years to see how the fortified wine blending goes.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : wine

Collective Barossa – Barossa & Eden Valley Family Wineries Cellar Door

13 03 2010

I know this is a Blog about McLaren Vale but I strongly believe that we should look at wines and wineries outside our region – if for no other reason but to see what others are doing.  This visit to the Barossa was motivated by 2 other things.  Firstly, I have considered opening a cellar door on behalf of a select number of small McLaren Vale producers and I was curious how Collective Barossa was set up.  Secondly, Marie (the person behind this new cellar door) and I have been conversing on Facebook and did want to meet this person.

Collective Barossa with Marie

I am very glad I did visit as it was great to catch up with Marie and the wines were very good.  The 4 family based wineries are:-

  • GUMPARA WINES: Established 1999. Annual production 500 cases.Vineyards : Light Pass/Stockwell. Situated: Light Pass.  Gumpara Blog.
  • KARRA YERTA WINES: Established 2006. Annual production 350 cases. Vineyards: Moppa/Kalimna/Eden Valley. Situated: Flaxman’s Valley.  Karra Yerta Wines web site, blog and Facebook Fan Page.
  • KURTZ FAMILY VINEYARDS: Established 1996. Annual production 4000 cases.Vineyards : Light Pass/Stockwell. Situated: Stockwell.  Kurtz Family Vineyards Web Site.
  • SMALLFRY WINES: Established 2005. Annual production 1200 cases.Vineyards : Eden Valley/Vine Vale. Situated: Angaston.  Smallfry Wines Web Site.

I highly recommend their blog and facebook fan page to find their location and to get to know these small wineries.

The cellar door is inviting – when you find it.  At the time of the visit there was no real signs showing where they are.  As a side note another visitor during my time there was to assist in working with the council to get sign approvals.  Marie, who holds the fort on most occasions is a real down to earth character and know it is her doing that not only was I there for the visit, but it has ensured that I will return on my future Barossa visits.  Te cellar door is also the front of a German Museum that will provide interest to many a visitor – particularly to those with partners and kids that don’t want to taste wine.

Collective Barossa Cellar Door

It should also be noted that not all wines from the 4 wineries are available at any 1 time.  I tried 12 wines on this visit.  Anyway, I should talk about the wines:-

Karra Yerta Wines

2009 Eden Valley Riesling ($A25)

This is what Riesling is all about limes and some lemon with an uplifted perfume nose and acid that just goes on all day! Oh how I love this wine style – Eden Valley just makes some classic Riesling.  Everybody should be drinking this wine to just understand how good Riesling can be.  Take some of this and just eat it with lashings of fresh seafood.

2006 Eden Valley Riesling ($A25)

Can Eden Valley Riesling age I hear you ask.  Don’t let me influence you – just try some of this wine and it will do all the talking.  The wine has just come out of the “dumb phase” where one is not sure – to this infusion of kerosene, citrus peel, quince and again great acidity.  If you are not convinced after tasting this wine then aged whites are just not your thing.  The wonderful layered complexity of the wine means it would match up well with any creamy sauced chicken dishes.

NV Sparkling Shiraz 2009 Disgorged ($A35)

Hold the fort – if I was impressed with the Rieslings then this wine just blows me away!  They disgorge only 20 dozen each year of this unfiltered, bottle fermented ripe red and black fruit with an aged component to it.  Not a sweet wine and the tannins really combine well with the rest of the wine to leave your mouth feeling great and asking for more – and who would I be to not comply!

2006 Shiraz Cabernet (A$25)

Firstly it is good to see a wine with a little more age on it that the normal 2008′s I normally see.  Secondly, a big plus on the old Shiraz Cabernet blend – so many wonderful wines were made from this blend in the 80′s only to be put on the back burner when the varietals of the 90′s came through.

The nose showed a little green capsicum herbaceousness on the nose combined with lots of good blackberry style fruit.  The palate is just an infusion of blackcurrents, blackberries and mulberries with the gentleness of the oak coming through.  What a stunner and I am surprised at the price point for this wine.

Gumpara Wines

2008 Old Vine Semillon ($A18)

Straight away the lemongrass hits you before you can even get your nose to the glass and then red apples combined with peas adds to the intrigue.  On the palate you get pears and almost honey wafts though and then a good citric acid lengthy finish.  Some of the vines for this wine are 90 years old and they are dry grown.  This would be one of the best Semillons I have had since I tried their 2007 Semillon last year.  The wine would age gracefully but I am not sure I can leave it alone.

2006 Reserve Shiraz ($A32.50)

26 months in American oak and it shows with vanillian characteristics everywhere, but the wine is not over oaked for me.  There is wonderful Mulberries and cherries here all wrapped up in the oak spiciness and I like it!   Classy wine that has a number of years ahead of it – as long as you can keep your hands off it.  Bring on a thick juicy Wychwood Meat rump steak – don’t worry about the side dishes, just the steak.

NV Tawny Grenache ($A32.50)

A note on these fortifieds – they are in a beautifully shaped 500 mL and also can be purchased in a wooden boxed 3 pack.  I have one of these on display near my home bar.

Oh – not much else I can say.  A deeply coloured blend of creamy raisins wrapped in toffee on the nose and honeyed and spiced apricots with a almost grainy tannin finish.  Not a sweet finish as the spirit washes it all away.  You bring this and I will bring a plate of vintage cheddar cheese and afterwards some glacied ginger (a dedication to my departed grandmother who just loved glacied ginger).

NV Liquor Semillon ($A32.50)

This wine looks like honey and that theme follows all through the wine.  You can smell and taste quince and figs to go with the honey.  To round off the flavors are pear and slightly burnt caramel.  Layers of yummyness here.  You bring this wine and I would be there with some Woodside Cheese Goats Brie with water crackers and thinly sliced pear and nashi.

NV Liquor Frontignac ($A32.50)

A glass full of the most lovely and complex raisins, prunes and liquid fruit cake!  There is a creamy mouthfeel here.  This wine really needs to go with a full flavoured sweet tart or a Christmas Pudding.

Smallfry Wines

2009 Eden Valley Cabernet/Grenache Rose ($A18)

Nice rose coloured wine that does not disappoint.  Rose petals and figs on the nore and the flavors are floral with typically Grenache red fruits.  A very pleasant wine that makes me want to break open a bottle or three with some of my friends on a Sunday afternoon.

2008 Late Harvest Riesling ($A15 375 mL bottle)

Cut canes and thus raisining some of the fruit during the 2008 heat wave lead to this wine’s existence.  The wine is just like drinking a slightly sweet but higher viscous white grape juice.  It would match well and/or in a chocolate and orange trifle smothered with whipped cream.

Kurtz Family Vineyards

2005 Boundary Row Shiraz ($A24)

Wow a 2005 red as the current release.  I was looking forward to this straight away.  The wine did not disappoint.  As the wine gets close to you nose you get a sense of the red fruits (mulberry, raspberry and the usual plums) wrapped in an envelope of white pepper.  The flavors are mulberry and plums with pepper, spices and a hint of violets.  This just says bring on another steak!


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : wine