McLaren Vale Wines – Chapel Hill

15 08 2010

Chapel Hill Barrel

Chapel Hill has come a long way since I first remember visiting the old Chapel in the late 1980′s.  The Chapel was built in 1865 and was a Christian Bible Church and a parish school and now the central part of the cellar door and art gallery complex portion of what is the whole of Chapel Hill.

Chapel Hill Cellar Door

In this area of McLaren Vale, I suspect it is part of the Seaview subregion, there is a winery, cellar door, art gallery and what is called The Retreat.  The Retreat is a high class accommodation getaway that has function space for corporate functions, cooking classes, weddings etc.  It is famous for high profile cooking classes that all over look some of the Chapel Hill vineyards.

The Chapel

The cellar door not only provides the visitor with a large selection of wines but also seasonal produce produced at the retreat.  You can find such delights as Olive Oil, Dukkah, Verjuice and preserves.  Bring on some fresh crusty bread and I can feel a meal coming on!

Chapel Hill Art Gallery

The latest bottlings show a new direction for the labels from the 4 ranges of wines – The Foundation Series, Il Vescovo, McLaren Vale and Vicar.  The new labels look classy and puts them in good stead for the new few years.

Well I suppose I had better talk about the wines…….

2009 Il Vescovo Savagnin ($A22)

Sourced from the cooler climate Kangarilla vineyard and is my first taste of this emerging variety.  Straight away this was different as I got a restrained orange blossom aromas with nectarine and tropical fruit flavors backed with some good acid.  An interesting wine and I really want to taste more Savagnin to better understand this variety.

2009 Il Vescovo Pinot Grigio ($A22)

My experience with this variety has not been overly positive, but this wine made me think I should have a kinder mindset to Pinot Grigio.  There were hints of grass, lemongrasss and lychees on the nose and really interesting Guava flavor.  Jury still out but still deliberating.

2008 Verdelho ($A16)

A lighter style with a slight fruit salad aroma through to some melons on the palate.  There seemed to be a hint of residual sugar here in an attempt to lift the wine.  I suggest this wine would be one that a number of people either love or hate.  Does the 2008 vintage for a white wine mean this wine has not been a good seller.

2009 Unwooded Chardonnay ($A16)

Naked Chardy – I get quite concerned about this style.  In an attempt to reverse the trend of over oaked styles we have had to endure about 10 years of going the absolute opposite.  This is a good clean wine with a real nice citrus (acid) finish.  This wine is a good seller but for me bring on a balanced chardonnay that includes some oak character.

2008 McLaren Vale Chardonnay ($A25)

Straight away I could tell I was onto something here.  Barrel fermented soft wood characters mixed with some ripe fig aromas led to a spicy, creamy, yeasty melon mouthful.  I just enjoyed this wine and it was the standout white wine here.  Why would one go for so much of the average white wine in the country (alot of it labeled SB) when such a wine is offered.  The complex flavors here go well with complex foods such as a caramelized onion tart with roasted cherry tomatoes and seasoned sliced chicken breast.

2009 Il Vescovo Rose ($A22)

Made from Sangiovese fruit from their Kangarilla Vineyard (not in McLaren Vale and cooler climate).  The aromas were like smelling the red roses from my backyard (sorry I do not know the Rose variety) and flavors of sour cranberries and plenty of acid to cover the 2.1 g/L sugar.  For the Rose drinkers this wine has good structure and would be worth finding.  It would work with Chinese Fried Rice or a cheese platter on a Sunday while watching the footy.

2009 Il Vescovo Tempranillo ($A22)

This Adelaide Hills offering is a relatively soft blend of Mulberries and Cherries with not alot of tannins but has a savoury finish.  My first thoughts was this was a surprise as a number of Tempranillo wines I have been tasting are “stronger” wines and that this has a similar tannin structure of Merlot.  I am thinking a big bowl of pasta with a tomato based sauce and sitting around the table with the family to “share the spoils”.

2009 Il Vescovo Sangiovese ($A22)

Quite a difference with this wine after the last one – the aromas were almost meaty and transformed into a cherry tannin mix that wants to coat the tongue and teeth.  There are more wines of this variety popping up around McLaren Vale and I would say this wine is true to it’s variety and one to check out particularly to be enjoyed with food.

2008 GSM ($A18)

Aromas of violets, plum and some perfume from the Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre components to this wine are a good start.  The flavors show some up front sweetness (probably from the ripe fruit expected from this hot vintage) and flows through to some typical Mourvedre strength with a few tannin layers.  I enjoyed the Mourvedre tones to this wine but the fruit sweetness makes the wine a little disjointed.

2008 McLaren Vale Bush Vine Grenache ($A30)

Of course I was looking forward to this wine – it is my favorite McLaren Vale grape.  I was not disappointed from this offering from vines planted in 1926 and 1959.  All the red fruits combined with nutty and complex spice nuisances from the old wood barrels this wine has been aged in.  Oak plays a supporting role to such lovely fruit that anybody who comes to McLaren Vale should try this wine style.  Bring on the slow cooked lamb shanks and there is no way I would share this wine with you.

2009 McLaren Vale Mourvedre ($A30)

Here was where I was blessed – this wine was bottled but not available at the time of my visit.  Due to comments on their Facebook page I knew this wine was around – so I asked and Amelia (cellar door manager) organised a bottle for me to try.  I am so glad I was awarded this favor as the wine was a pleasure.  This variety either on it’s own or as a blender brings serious stuff.  There are wonderful floral and mulberry aromas and flavors with lovely complex spices and dry, dry tannins.  The tannins are so dry that it seems like they are drying your teeth.  The 15% alcohol was not noticeable either on the nose or palate, which also indicated there is complexity here.  The wine needs more time to settle down, but I can see it lasting many years in the bottle – if we let it.  I am thinking of a marinated kangaroo stir fry, with some gamey complexity, as a wine match.

2008 McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon ($A30)

An interesting mix of smoky blackberries and blackcurrents on the nose.  The flavors are mulberry based fruit with licorice complexity and drying tannins.  This wine probably suffers from being the next in the lineup after 2 such wonderful wine (for my palate).  This wine stands the McLaren Vale Cabernet test well, but it is not my favorite variety at the moment.  As I drank this I could see a big bowl of Hoisin Beef with Singapore Noodles complementing the wine and vice versa.

2008 Parsons Nose Shiraz ($A16)

An interesting play here – a lower price wine with an unusual name, in an attempt to bring in more sales.  A certain well known wine writer has given this wine a 92 point score, so it sparked my interest, even though the 2008 vintage was at best challenging.  Straight away I got the unusual scent of blueberries with some star anise and cinnamon.  There is a particular shiraz clone that give some blueberry character, so I guess this is it.  The flavors were dark plums and I was very happy there was no stewed fruit or over oaked character.  I do not rate this as a 92 point wine, however this is quite good everyday drinking, so I guess it has met the criteria.  Bring on plated of different BBQ’d sausages smothered in onions.

2008 McLaren Vale Shiraz ($A30)

Wow – a very interesting roasted almonds aroma combined with some of the blueberries I mentioned above, just draw me in.  The flavors are just what one expects from classic McLaren Vale Shiraz – almost sweet plum fruit combined with the cedar oak with tannins from both the oak and the grapes themselves.  What more can I say but pass on the plate overlapping rump steak and use the wine as the “vegies”.

Wines not tasted

Vicar Shiraz ($A60) & Devil Tawny Port ($A30)

The Vicar is only available for tasting on weekends and the Devil was just being bottled.  I have previously tried these wines (before I took notes) and they both are good wines with a following that means selling these wines at the cellar door is not difficult.


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Lonely Grape TV Episode #46 – Chapel Hill Cellar Door

12 08 2010

Check out my latest tasting video where I get to enjoy a Chardonnay and a Grenache from the impressive Chapel Hill stable.  I filmed this at their equally impressive cellar door.


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Lonely Grape TV Episode #45 – Tim Geddes Wines

3 08 2010

Shane here again. This week I taste 2 wines from Tim Geddes Wines Seldom Inn label. His wines can be described as “stong wines”. I hope you enjoy this review as much as I did filming it.


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McLaren Vale Wines – Rosemount Wines

26 06 2010

Firstly, I need to make one thing clear.  I was a fan of this facility being Seaview Estate – in the late 80′s I visited this cellar door many times and I visited the old Seaview Glenloth Winery a number of times also.  When I came back to the Vale (about 2.5 years ago) I was upset that the Seaview Cellars had a name change.  I though Penfolds bought Seaview and Rosemount – it felt like it was the other way around.  Call me old fashioned but for me this old facility on Caffrey Road will always be Seaview to me.  Now I got this off my chest I can talk about the winery and the wines.

Rosemount Wines Cellars

This cellar looks like it is a facility to store wines as the Ingoldby Road winery now makes the wines.  The facility has extensive gardens for the kids to run around in or to have a picnic.  Inside there is the old huge vats and a barrel room that looks like it is set up for functions.  In this area is quite often an art display.  The tasting area has an area for the kids to do some drawings and general seating – where one can be served a cheese platter or some nice brewed coffee.

Not all the Rosemount wines are available for tasting as there is a large number of wines.  It was good to see some cellar door only wines as there is a limited reason to visit this cellar door to buy wine – discount liquor stores can sell their wines at a discount compared to the cellar door prices.

Note that the prices are volume related so the prices below are set as (1 bottle price / 6 bottle price / 12 bottle price).

2009 Diamond Label Sauvignon Blanc ($A16/$A13/$A11)
This Adelaide Hills wine is typical for variety with very herbaceous and cut grass aromas that lead into passionfruit and gooseberry flavors.  Not really my style but I could see a lot of people liking this wine.

2009 Twilight Harvest Unoaked Chardonnay ($A20/$A16/$14)
This limited distribution wine (cellar door and restaurant sales only) is quite aromatic for an unoaked chardonnay the palate has good acid and all the flavors expected from the variety – melons and peach.  I would still rather an oaked Chardonnay.

2009 Show Reserve Robe Chardonnay ($A22/$A17.60/$15.40)
Now we are getting somewhere – the 3 months of oak treatment makes a distance difference to the wine.  The wine is currently slightly dominated by the oak and probably needs some more time to integrate with the grapefruit flavors.  The finish is long with some good tangy acid.

2009 Limited Release Adelaide Hills Chardonnay ($A30/$A24/$A21)
There is some classy french oak treatment here.  The aromas have a real lemon peel with an underlying nuttyness – very pleasant.  The flavors are well balanced with stone fruit (maybe nectarines) instead of the expected melons and lovely oak right through the palate with a lovely oak finish.  This was certainly the best of the white wines with the complexity here would go well with a variety of foods so why not match it with a Chinese or Thai banquet.

2008 Vineyard Series Ripe White ($A20/$A16/$A14)
Here is a late harvest Riesling that is only available at the cellar door (due to the limited quantities made).  There was a real citrus aroma with some aged, slightly oxidative characters showing through.  The palate was not as sweet as I expected and one can tell there is some good Riesling fruit here and such a good acid finish for a late harvest style.  I suspect this wine is the product of of the hot 2008 vintage.  Drink very cold and very young.

2009 “O” ($A18/$A14.40/$A12.60)
This low alcohol (7.5%) slightly carbonated Moscato has turned into a large volume marketing success for Rosemount.  Served on ice (even at the cellar door) is just a refreshing drink that tastes just like grape juice.  This is a classic drinking with friends wine – I used to call this a veranda wine, and not really a food style.

2009 Ruby “O” ($18/$A14.40/$A12.60)
Served so cold it is difficult to get the full aromas for this wine but the flavors are something else.  The 5% Shiraz added to this wine makes such a difference – it creates a typically Shiraz (red grape) notes to the sweet grapey flavors.

2008 Vineyard Series Ripe Red ($A20/$A16/$A14)

A Cabernet, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir and Muscat blend that has a relatively high level of sweetness and is served cold.  I would suggest this needs to be drunk very cold as this wine just shows over ripe “porty” characters.   This is a big pass for me and my palate.

2009 Twilight Harvest Grenache Shiraz Viognier ($A20/$A16/$A14)

Another wine with residual sweetness and is made to be served chilled.  The aromas are cherry and red fruits (raspberry) dominate.  The flavors show an initial hit of red Grenache fruit that transitions into some Shiraz based black fruits.  There is enough tannins here to leave a drying effect even though there is a lot of sugar here.  I can see a large number of people liking this wine, but again not for me.

2006 Show Reserve McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre (($A22/$A17.60/$A15.40)

This blend of 47% Grenache, 47% Shiraz and 6% Mourvedre is one of my favorite styles.  The aromas start with quite strong red fruits with some underlying strength from the Mourvedre and the toast oak.  The flavors start with the expected red fruits and then layers of depth come on through.  Nuances of cinnamon combine nicely with the oak tannins.  The finish was softer than I expected but it was lingering.  I keep thinking of a caramelized onion tart with roasted cherry tomatoes.

2005 Show Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz ($A22/$A17.60/$A15.40)

The wine has seen both American and French oak and shows all the aromas typical for McLaren vale Shiraz – mulberries, spice and even some coffee.  The flavors continue with mulberries and blackberries but has a slight bitter finish.  Seeing this is a 2005 wine the bitterness will probably remain – unfortunately a pass for me again.

2008 Show Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon ($A22/$A16.60/$A15.40)

This wine has been in bottle for about 6 months and my first thoughts were that this wine would be quite young.  My suspicions were correct this wine has lots of strength and would do well with a number of years before opening.  I was particularly pleased there was none of vegetative characters I quite often find with Coonawarra Cabernet.  The aromas were complex with blackcurrent, licorice and nutmeg.  The flavors are black fruit dominate  with very dry dusty tannins.  Too early to tell the best food match but I suspect that some lamb with a good mint sauce may be close.

2007 Show Reserve McLaren Vale Traditional ($A22/$A16.60/$A15.40)

An unusual blend with 83% Cabernet, 9% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot.  I got cassis aromas and some plum from the Merlot.  The blackberries and plum continue in the flavor regime with some spice and layers of tannins that give the wine a wonderful length.  This wine also needs a number of years before showing it’s best.

My next post will have reviews on the dessert wine, port and the Flagship wines.


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McLaren Vale Wines – Yangarra Estate

20 06 2010

Yangarra Estate is an organic and biodynamic vineyard that concentrates on winemaking in the vineyard and then minimal winemaking interferences.  Wines are picked based on flavor and not on laboratory results.  The small wine batches from each section of the vineyard are kept separate to ensure blending options and the native yeasts are used to ferment the wines instead of things from the packet.  Even barrels are chosen for subtlety and not for any any overpowering influences.

Yangarra Estate Cellar Door Decking

The cellar door overlooks a grassed area that is next to a creek which my son had a great time playing around while dad was wine tasting.  I could see this area being suitable for a picnic – bring a basket and get some good wine there ready for you.

Yangarra Estate Cellar Door Views

The winery has the latest in technology but they are trying to reproduce what is done in the Old World of wine.  The crusher is a de-stemmer that even has a blower that is there to remove any shriveled berries.  I am told that the conveyor is just a clean set of rolling berries.  The numerous vats all have heating and cooling to ensure the temperature can be maintained no matter what the ambient temperature.  The vats also have a mechanical cap plunger that can be moved from one vat to another – that is almost cheating.

Yangarra Estate Vats showing Cap Plunger

I admit that I did not enjoy the white wines – too soft for me.  The red wines are another thing, as I am sure you will see from my descriptions below.

2008 Chardonnay ($A18)

The aromas where restrained (possibly as the wines were cold and it was a cold day).  The flavors were dominated by melons with good acidity (giving a minerality mouthfeel) and an inherent creaminess (from lees stirring).  The wine is un-oaked and no malolactic fermentation so it is an unusual chardonnay where the fruit is just left to it’s own thing.  I am thinking of sitting on an island in Queensland eating a seafood platter with a glass or so of this.

2009 Rousanne ($A28)

This wine is all about the minerals and citrus fruits.  There is a excellent long acid finish and leaves the mouth feeling like you have been licking a lump of stainless steel dipped in lime juice – I think I would prefer the wine instead.  The acid would cut through the fat of a creamy sauce so I recommend a creamy poached chicken breast served on a bed of fresh and crisp blanched beans.

2009 Viognier ($A25)

Green apples was the only real aroma I could determine here.  By this time I could see a theme for the Yangarra whites – let the fruit do the talking with a lovely long acid finish.  Quite restrained and elegant.

2008 Mourvedre ($A28)

Bringing this wine up to the nose brought a smile to my face and the word “WOW” to my lips.  It was such a different wine.  I tasted this wine with a group of people and I took note of what each person was saying about the aromas.  The list was the smell of fruitloops and milk, perfume, rose, creamy, cooked garlic and thick balsamic vinegar.  What a range of aromatic delights.  My comments about the flavors were cranberries and bitter cherries.  This is a smart wine that I am sure will age and it would be interesting to decant the wine and taste progressively over 1 to 2 hours.

2008 Grenache ($A28)

My favorite grape variety did not disappoint all the red fruits one expects backed up with a savory finish.  Bring on a plate full of garlic marinated BBQ’d lamb chops (thanks to Michelle for the suggestion) and a bottle of this – I would be in heaven.  Don’t ask me to share!

2008 Cadensia (Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre) ($A28)

Again I applaud the Cadensia project, where McLaren Vale winemakers are showcasing the unique McLaren Vale grenache based wines under this name.  The aromas are wonderfully complex with the red fruits of the grenache, some perfume and a creamy finish.  On the palate starts with the red fruits (cherries dominated) again and complexes into freshly roasted beetroot and lavender.

2008 Shiraz ($A28)

Oh this is just what one thinks about when you hear the term McLaren Vale Shiraz from Blewitt Springs area.  Concentrated, strong mid palate, plum and red fruit character and the hint of Blewitt Springs peatyness.  Bring on some char grilled kangaroo with a side of bush tomatoes seasoned with saltbush flakes.

2007 Iron Heart Shiraz ($A80)

As one would expect based on the price, this wine is a significant step up from the above wine.  There is an increase in aromatics with some more obvious oak and blackberries.  The flavors are a meaty combination of a plum/blackberry conserve with even a licorice and meaty finish.  The flavor is lasting and bring on the osso bucco with a bottle of this and I would be happy – but not happy to share.

2007 High Sands Grenache ($A90)

If I though the Iron Heart was a memorable wine then I had to hold onto my head when I tried this as I thought my head was going to explode.  An expression of my favorite grape variety where there is just so much happening!  The old old bush vine grenache from the highest part of the vineyard makes something I believe everybody should try just to see how good Grenache can be.  Aromas of red fruits and creme caramel moves through such a concentrated mouthful of red and black fruits, chocolate and fennel with such a lovely savory finish.  My words almost do not do justice to this wine.


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McLaren Vale Wineries – Petagna Wines

6 03 2010

I had tasted Paul Petanga wines at the 2009 Vale Cru tasting at the Victory Hotel, however I could not remember too much about the wines as they were one of the last tried on the day.  I tried about 45 wines that day and my palate was totally stuffed by the end of the day.  I hooked up with Paul on Twitter and so I though a new investigation into Petagna Wines was required.

The vineyard and winery shed are located just off South Road near the Victory Hotel, right in the Sellicks Beach sub region of McLaren Vale.  His vines were planted in 1998 and are made up of 2 different Shiraz clones (1654 and 1127).  The vines are carefully tendered by Paul – I am sure he knows each vine by name.

One quickly gets a sense that Paul is doing things his way in the vineyard and the relatively small shed that acts as the winery.  Quickly I felt very comfortable with Paul and his surroundings just like I was a long term friend.  Paul is obviously very proud at what he is doing and likes the opportunity to talk about it – we are tared with the same brush and at times it was difficult as we were talking over each other.  I need to work on my listening skills.

The names and some of the wine labels are different in a good sort of way – see for yourself.

Diavolo

Petagna Wine has a web site – which at time of writing is under construction, but it has Paul’s contact details.

So I do not repeat myself during the reviews I need to explain a theme in the wines.  Firstly, they are massive wines but have lovely complexity and structure.  These wines need time, both in the bottle and a decanter before serving, to ensure you get the best from Paul’s investment.  Secondly, the grapes have all come from the Sellicks Hill sub-region of the McLaren vale area.  If you ever want to understand the differences in the wines from this region, then these wines are a great start.  Thirdly, I will mention Muskiness on the nose of all the wines – this is not a stale smell but that you get from those pink musk lollies I can remember from my youth.  Fourthly, the wines have relatively little free sulphur dioxide (approximately 7 ppm free compared to a normal level of about 30 ppm).  Contact with air is encouraged with these wines – Paul even “splashes” the wines about every few months.  Fifthly, the food matches are all strong flavored foods such as slow cooked meats or game (except for the Rosato).  Sixthly, the wines see considerable oak time (about 3 years except for the Rosato), this oak is normally older oak (more than 3 years old) so the oak influence is not as strong as first expected.

2006 Valletta ($A25)

This wine is a Grenache & Shiraz blend that has been in barrel for 3 years.  Time has been kind to this wine infusion.  Well the musk lolly smell is here and I cannot remember smelling this quite the same before so it is such a surprise.  An aniseed infusion into the dark fruits here with a vanilla hit on the back of the nose.  The palate shows darker fruits than I expected from a Grenache based wine but this is not what draws you to the wine – the strength but elegance is absolutely intriguing and so is the fennel based finish to such a blend.  I was concerned with the 3 years in oak, but I should not have as it is just part of the wine.

2006 Dio ($A40)

A Grenache (70%), Shiraz (30%) and Mourvedre (10%) blend and what another joy.  Dio means God – there is nothing more behind this name that it is the sister wine to Diavolo, which means Devil.  Here we have the musk lolly smell, with more obvious red fruits (red currents) and the familiar fennel linger on the back of the nose.  Paul tells me this wine has a relatively high volatile acid level which would also increase the “funkyness” on the nose.  Again, this is a big wine but has a silky finish that includes a real floral and perfume element which I would expect comes from the Mourvedre.

2006 Piombo ($A45)

The Piombo is a single vineyard Shiraz from Paul’s vineyards.  The musk and fennel elements are here again but this time combined with blackberry and leather, with the fruit components seem to be “lifted” above the more subtle elements.  The palate is an explosion of black fruits with fennel and cardamon that just sticks around creating a long long after taste.  Plenty of acid here to make this wine well structured and I just want to consume steak when I think of this wine.

2006 Diavolo ($A40)

The Diavolo is the flagship wine (I like them all so much so I am not so sure this needs to the flagship) and I say bring on the Shiraz Cabernet belnds (70%:30%).  This blend was an Australian concoction to use Shiraz to fill the middle palate of Cabernet Sauvignon.  These wines seem to disappear as we all became obsessed with varietal based wines ie going from an Australian Burgundy to a Cabernet Sauvignon.  Good to get rid of the “Burgundy” labels but did we have to go away from the blends that worked so well?  I should get back to this wine – the usual black fruits here with fennel and vanilla components.  On drinking I thought here is the minty Cabernet showing us the way.  Boy was I wrong – Paul showed my some of the 2007 Shiraz from the same vineyard (still in oak) and this was very minty.  The mintyness was so strong that he only uses less than 5% of wine from this vineyard in the blend or it overpowers the whole wine.  There is plenty of complexity, with the black fruits, mintyness, silky tannins that the wine feels almost viscous and had a lingering mouthfeel as well as lingering flavors.

2006 Rosato (price not determined)

This wine has not been bottled as yet (probably due to cash flow constraints) and was another bolt out of the blue.  The wine is light in colour, but showing some brown tinges (maybe oxidative) and was served cold.  When Paul asked me it I wanted to try something different, there was no way I was expecting this!  The nose showed real mushroom, barnyard stinkyness with hints of strawberries.  My mind went straight to the word “feral” to describe it – somewhat old world.  I was not sure I should drink it when I first saw it, but the smell told me something different was happening here – so I tried it.  Again a surprise, here was a cold infusion of red fruits with a dry finish that I was drinking rather cold!  I could say no more that to inquire – “What the hell is this?”  Again the answer was not as expected – this wine is mainly Grenache with some Chardonnay added.  Paul also told me he has given some of this to his beer drinking friends on a hot day and they have come back for more – this concept was the driver for the wine.  Paul wanted to make a wine that he would like to drink at the end of a long hot day – instead of having a beer.  All I can say is that if I could buy a few botles of this I would be saying pass the Rosato


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McLaren Vale Wine – d’Arenberg Wines (Part 2)

23 01 2010

d"Arenberg Road Sign

This is part 2 of reviewing the wines from d’Arenberg Wines – they have far too many wines for 1 tasting.  Part 2 does not cover them all either – I will just have to go back this week to try the remainder of the wines at the cellar door.

The cellar door area also has a collection of vintage winery and vineyard equipment, which can make for interesting viewing.

Vintage Vineyard Equipment

2008 The Feral Fox Pinot Noir ($A30)

Made from Adelaide Hills fruit with lots of red fruits (particularly strawberries) on the nose and palate.  The palate also showed sour cherries and soft tannins with quite a long finish.  I am not normally a Pinot Noir fan however this one that could change my mind.  Well done d’Arenberg team.

How about duck breast with sweat & sour cranberry chutney to go with this wine?

2006 The Custodian Grenache ($A18)

True to the variety this grenache shows lots of red fruits (both on the nose and palate).  On drinking it also showed red current flavors, silky smooth tannins and an interesting sour cherry/tannin finish.  As readers will know I have a thing for McLaren Vale grenache and this could quite easily be a frequent visitor to my home bar.  Bring on a big plate of Broccoli Beef Noodle Stir Fry to have with the wine.

Also note that d”Arenberg has released a museum release of a series of three 2002 Custodians from separate vineyards that fave different soil types – the $60/pack is very reasonable for a museum release.  I will do a video tasting of this 3 pack in the coming weeks.

2006 The d”Darry’s Original Shiraz Grenache ($A18)

This wine has been made now for many vintages (the 2006 is the 64th consecutive vintage) and I remember about 25 years ago the wine was not very popular even though the quality has always been high.  Today this has turned around with the original “Red Stripe Wine” being a big seller.  Also note this wine is frequently available in bottle shops for less than the above price.

The nose is a marriage of pepper, spice, cedar (from the oak), and red fruits.  The palate has sour cherries dominant red fruits with pepper running down the palate onto the long finish.  At this price point (and possibly cheaper) the 2006 vintage Red Stripe is punching above it’s weight!  I am thinking of wood oven fired pizza to bring out the best in the Red Stripe.

2006 The Footbolt Shiraz ($A18)

A typical shiraz nose of black fruits and pepper.  The palate is an infusion of plums blackcurrants with a good acid length combined with soft tannins.  I have also seen this wine cheaper at liquor stores and particularly at the lower price is a good buy.  Try a grilled skirt steak to complement the wine.

2006 Cadensia Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre ($A25)

The Cadensia project is a McLaren Vale initiative to promote the region’s Grenache and Grenache based blends as regional champions.  I applaud this initiative and I believe McLaren vale Grenache is a joy for the initiated.

There was a little alcohol tingle on the nose (indicating reasonably high alcohol), some perfume from the Mourvedre enveloped around plum characters.  As expected spicy stewed plums dominate the soft palate with grainy tannins on the lingering finish.  I like this very much – even better with a steaming bowl Beef & Black Bean Sauce.

2007 The Twenty Eight Road Mourvedre ($A25)

Mourvedre is not normally produced as a varietal wine but instead blended such as the previous wines.  Thus the Twenty Eight Road is one of the unusual items that d”Arenberg is known for.

Perfume on the nose is the character normally found with this variety and it is here in spades.  It is a dry wine but the palate shows almost sweet fruit compote of cherries and plums combined with integrated oak into a lingering finish.  If this is what straight Mourvedre is like then we should make more of it!  How about trying it with Beef Bourguignon?

2005 The Sticks and Stones Tempranillo Grenache Shiraz ($A29)

Not just unusual names but also unusual blends.  The earthiness typical of Tempranillo comes through on the nose.  As for the above wine the palate shows a fruity sweetness with the spiciness expected from Grenache and Shriaz and finishes with long fine tannins.  A big plate full of pan fried mushrooms with a vina cotta reduction would be a treat to have with this wine – bring it on.

2007 The Cenosilicaphobic Cat Sagrantino Cinsault ($A29)

First of all the definition of Cenosillicaphoba is the fear of an empty glass!  I have not tried Sagrantino before – so I was looking forward to this – even before I heard the name.

An unusual fruity nose and the sweet fruit palate is shown again with red fruits (predominately cherries) with grainy tannins on this long finish.  This wine was by far the biggest wine so far on the list – lots of fruit and tannins and probably needs more time to bring together.  When ready let try a slow cooked beef with red wine, garlic and rosemary.

2006 The Ironstone Pressings ($A60)

I found the nose a little closed but had hints of cherries, plum and chocolate.  The palate was multi layered – a fruit layer of intense red cherries, plums with spice overtones.  The next layer has herbs and flowers with the final layer of minerals, tannins and good acid.  The wine needs many years of maturation to be at it’s peak – whenever you drink it then please decant and let breathe for a few hours before serving with a Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Maderia Sauce.

2006 The Dead Arm Shiraz ($A60)

The nose was a little closed – maybe the bottle was only opened for a short period.  There was hints of pepper with plum and cherries.  Rhe red fruits (plums and cherries) continue on the palate with essences of licorice and black olives.  Lots of oak tannins that are almost chewy.  Another wine that needs a considerable amount of time and please decant and let breathe for a couple of hours before serving with Individual Beef Wellingtons.


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McLaren Vale’s Lonely Grape TV Episode #10

17 11 2009

Thanks for joining my review of the 2007 Five Geese Shiraz and the 2007 Marius Symposium Shiraz Mourvedre (see my blog review of Marius Wines).

Both wineries do not have a cellar door.  Marius Wines can be found at www.mariuswines.com.au and Five Geese Wines at www.fivegeese.com.au.

The tasting was conducted in the Freerange Gallery in McLaren Vale with the Art of Wine photographic exhabition of James Hook’s work – on display until 5th December 2009.

Thanks to James Hook for digital copies of some of his photos and to the Freerange Gallery for their patience while I was filming.


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