Jim Barry: Verticals of Florita, Armagh + McRae Wood

Jim Barry: Verticals of Florita, Armagh + McRae Wood

'We made our first (Armagh) when Sam was in my underpants'

That's Peter Barry, current Jim Barry Wines GM and Barry family patriarch, in typically blunt form. Think funny uncle telling bad jokes form, if you get what I mean.

Like his wines, Peter is an unashamedly open and approachable sort of character, very much in a pragmatic, assured, regional Australian mould. You can almost picture him in a wide brimmed hat (an Akubra if we 're typecasting), wandering through rows of Shiraz vines kicking dirt with his RM Williams.

Yet that old-school, wily farmer persona is not quite representative of the Jim Barry Wines in 2013. The business, you see, is changing, with Peter's young sons Tom and Sam now taking a larger role in the family business than ever, the framework of a clear succession plan clicking into place.

The Barry boys have followed an almost pre-ordained path to get there too, with Tom completing the same University of Adelaide Bachelor of Oenology degree that his father did in 1985 and his grandfather in 1922, with Tom spending the last few years working vintage at Jim Barry, also fitting in a season at Dr Loosen and some American sales experience.

Sam, two years younger, instead counts a Bachelor of Commerce degree on his resume, with his first European vintage coming up in Burgundy shortly. Unlike his brother, Sam's future is very much focused on the business, whilst Tom is more about making wine, their roles already (cleverly) symbiotic and sharing a  (clearly genetic) love of wine.

It's not just the family winery that the Barry brothers are focused on, with the clos Clare (little c on the clos, just to upset everyone) label their rather successful side project, pumping out excellent Clare Riesling, Shiraz and Grenache from a combination of Florita vineyard fruit (the clos Clare plot is a section of Florita) and local growers.

While it's probably a little too early to tell, I think you already can see the influence of this new Barry generation on the most recent Jim Barry releases too - the younger Rieslings tighter, the oak influence on the Shiraz less obvious, the fruit less alcoholic and ripe, All of which bodes very well for the future of this famous family winery.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to witness the evolution of the wines myself, looking at verticals of most of the premium Jim Barry wines, including the Florita Riesling, McRae Wood and Armagh Shiraz, with all three Barry men on hand (and Mum at home chiding them to tweet more).

As you can see by the notes below, it wasn't hard to appreciate such a lineup, with the Armagh, in particular, looking much better as an older wine than I expected, particularly considering that it has often been a 15% alcohol, super rich wines. 

I have no qualms then, about the high scores given out here. So much Clare Valley deliciousness and so much consistency...

The following notes are largely unedited from the day (save for a grammar touch-up) with extra notes in italics. The wines were tasted non-blind at a rapid pace but I think I got their measure.

Bracket 1 - 2013 Rieslings

Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling 2013
Sourced off a vineyard located at 480m above sea level, which is amongst the highest in the Clare.
Biting. Steely. Lime tang. Very linear. Quite backwards. Lovely lime juice freshness. Power. The shape here is much more severe than the other wines around it, which is quite surprising. Still lovely focus. 18/20 93/100+

Jim Barry Single Site Block 114 Riesling 2013
A new super-premium release sourced from a single plot of dry grown Riesling that has been bottled separately.
Very pretty. Really concentrated apple and lime juice. Perfect acidity. So fresh! A perfectly expressive, limey, essence-of-Clare style but also curranty and firm underneath. Explosion of lime flavours. Wonderful now. 18.8/20 95/100

Jim Barry Florita Riesling 2013
So much more linear again. Neutral even. A chalky chewy concentration on the back palate. Definitely more chewy. Long, chalk to finish. A slightly different shaped acidity here - more grapefruit, less lime. Will look better than the 'single site' in years to come. 18.5/20 94/100+

Bracket 2 - Florita vertical

Jim Barry Florita Riesling 2004
Petrol. Limey, custard tart juice. Very soft and I think quite advanced. Not ugly advanced but quite gentle and aged. Lime custard finish very appealing. Added acid to finish? Looks the very model of Riesling, if just a little hard. Still not quite in the prime of its life. 18/20 93/100

Jim Barry Florita Riesling 2005
Immediately more ripe and full than the 04 but also a very different wine. Definitely less classic. Fuller colour. Less classic perhaps. Maybe a little too ripe to be brilliant? big wine. Ripe orange juice fruit. Firm finish but a little shorter. Still has many years to come and going over a development hump. 17.7/20 92/100+

Jim Barry Florita Riesling 2008
Still carrying lime bath salt primary fruit. In a funny stage, the first richness of maturity over a very dry, neutral palate. Very biting acidity. Hold. This is a keeper. The extra limey drive through the finish marks this as a super wine. Yes. 18.5/20 94/100

Jim Barry Florita Riesling 2009
Hints of tangerine. Steely. Super firm acidity. Chewy phenolics. Maybe a little flat. Lots of acidity - ball of lemon soda water acidity. I came back to this and liked it much more, but still a bit uncompromising. 17.7/20 92/100

Jim Barry Florita Riesling 2010
Open. Expressive. Seems lovely and generous but maybe not quite classic. Warm year wine. Not my favourite bottle of this - it's ripe and flat and a bit dull with fatter edges. 17/20 90/100+

Jim Barry Florita Riesling 2011
A wine of acidity. Slightly lumpy palate. Endless acidity. Hold! There is excellent length here, it just needs to fill out through the middle. All components, no form right now. 17.7/20 92/100+

Bracket 3 - Makings of PB

Jim Barry The McRae Wood Shiraz 2002
Mint. Deep nose. Choc- mint licorice. Luscious, oaky, alcoholic palate. Just a hint of caramel around the edges. So much energy still! Unequivocally choc mint Clare. Very deep. Effortlessly luscious and super resolved. Long, generous hearted red. Do you need to separate the Shiraz and Cabernet? 18.6/20 95/100

Jim Barry Benbournie Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Cedar. Maturing nicely. Very linear. Super smooth and resolved. Lovely, warm hearted style. Maybe a little tart. So much Cabernet expressiveness! Lovely tannins too. Just lovely. 18.5/20 94/100

Jim Barry Pb Shiraz Cabernet 2002
Never released. A blend of the above wines.
Cedar. Maybe a little oddly caramel? Mid weight, composed. Still quite backward. Lots of tannins too. I think this is the least evolved wine of the three and curiously doesn't work as well as either wine. Odd. 18.3/20 93/100+

Bracket 4 - The McRae Wood

Jim Barry The McRae Wood Shiraz 1998
Others around me loved this wine a helluva lot more than I did.
Fully evolved. Treacly. Would have seen a heap of oak in its day. Cocoa powder oak. Has a bit of that old Australian wine plummy chocolate sameness. A fraction dried out. A good old red but I want more resolve perhaps to really impress. 17.5/20 91/100

Jim Barry The McRae Wood Shiraz 1999
Olives. Brandy. A bit roasted and volatile. Just a bit burnt and figgy and lesser in this context. Lacks fruit. Flatter. Dud bottle. N/R

Jim Barry The McRae Wood Shiraz 03
Effectively declassified Armagh as none made in 03. Looks it too.
Super sweet. Like a chocolate Mars Bar in its oak sweetness. Super smooth and lusciousness. Proper tannins too - carries its shape nicely. Still very youthful. I love the decadence of this. Too sweet? Lovely flesh and oak red fruit and chocolate sweetness. 18.2/20 93/100

Jim Barry The McRae Wood Shiraz 2009
Very modern and flashy, and blackcurrant fruity juice. Finishes quite softly, even a little sweet.  Surprisingly fragrant and lightly pressed. Too berried? Very pretty. Much more acidity in this. Grows on you. 18/20 93/100+

Jim Barry The McRae Wood Shiraz 2010
Very sweet fruited. Lots of berries. Not residual sweet or confected though. Berries in abundance. Very young and juicy. An earlier drinker but not actually that light - the tannins are fine and long. A real sleeper wine that every sip looked more finessed and clever. Very smart. Needs much more time and a good decant to open it up. 18.5/20 94/100+

Bracket 5 - Armagh

'1 get 1 out of ten Armagh wrong' says Peter Barry. He believes that the reason why the older Armagh look so good is that 'we are Riesling winemakers who don't like oxidation', noting that 'Stephen Henschke doesn't like oxidation in his reds either'

Jim Barry Armagh Shiraz 1989
Fully resolved. Black tea. Sweet fruited. Condensed milk oak. Really sweet core of fruit. Gentle and attractive, if just a little raisined in its red fruit. Not complex but lovely. Really lovely. 18/20 93/100

Jim Barry Armagh Shiraz 1994
Choc mint and treacle. Leafy with a bit of slow cooked meat wildness. A slightly simple wine and finishes a little gruff. Not profound but a good enough drink. Starting to fall away. Attenuated finish. Lesser in this context. 17.5/20 91/100

Jim Barry Armagh Shiraz 1999
Intensely flavoured. Inky and massive. Tiny dark berries. Hot finish. So huge and liqueured licorice play-doh. Maybe a bit bourbon hot but impressive concentration. Super hero weight if a little boozy. Will live for another ten years yet. So impressive in its heroic, massively oaky, massively rich flavours, without losing tannic form. Quite brilliant. 18.6/20 95/100

Jim Barry Armagh Shiraz 2006
I've liked previous bottles of this wine much more.
Grilled nuts. Even warmer and brandied. 16% alcohol?? Too warm. Has spirity, almost fortified edge. Too hot? Oak is really dominant. The core underneath looks perfect but the alcohol and oak are harder than I'd want. Hmm. 17.7/20 92/100

Jim Barry Armagh Shiraz 2009
Butter menthol oak and volatiles. Looks rather more contained and so much less oaky this vintage. Great length. Very pretty but maybe a bit blanched and mono dimensional. Still rather more restrained than the 06 before it, if a little reductive. Maybe I'd like it less sweet fruited and more structured. But a mere pup. Give it time and this should be amongst the best Armagh. Utterly delicious. 18.5/20 94/100

Jim Barry Armagh Shiraz 10
'A bit fresher' according to Sam Barry 'We think this is a perfect Armagh'. The first ever Armagh bottled only in screwcap.
Impressive. Shows its oak. But the under carriage is excellent. A restrained Armagh! Amazing. Certainly Grange level fruit quality without the Penfolds brand added tannins. Sneaky length. Very impressive, achingly young but near perfect in its huge richness and cosseting fruit. Bloody lovely.  A wow wine.19/20 96/100

Bracket 6 - Odds and ends

Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling 1999
A curio, brought out largely for trade events and not sold publically.
Evolved. Pizza shapes and tasty cheese. Lemon. Palate is fully round but a little decrepit. Falls away. Nice mid palate but not the penetration. 16.5/20 88/100

Jim Barry Florita Riesling 2012
Has that bright, unresolved, fruit sugar juiciness nose of so many 2012 Riesling. Lime tang palate with so much energy of acidity and tang. Wonderful wine really. Will make lovely old bones, if not quite a classic wine as its a little full. Reminds me of the 05 actually. 18/20 93/100+

Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling 2012
I like this. Rather more generous lime lemon fruit and fragrance. Obvious perhaps but feels more classic Clare Valley in style and with that unmistakable, lime juicy Clare edge. Just a perfectly executed Riesling really. 18.5/20 94/100

Jim Barry Benbournie Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Beautiful. Just a lovely sweet chocolate and berry Clare deliciousness. Mint, fine flaky tannins. Maybe a little boozy? Very seductive though. Not as pretty a bottle as the 02 Benbournie but more dry and classic too. Love the hints of cedar and raspberry that make this very attractive. Clare Cabernet done very very good. 18.5/20 94/100

Jim Barry First XI Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Sourced from the Jim Barry Coonawarra vineyard
Lightly volatile, rather minty and a bit severe. Hint of raisin on the finish. Lots of Cabernet punch but just a little skinny. Needs to fill out more but has potential. Certainly carries its form but needs a little more composure to really impress. 17/20 90/100

Jim Barry Armagh Shiraz 2008
Very much a product of the vintage. Swathed in sweet fruit. Lots of ultra generous fruit in that sugar plum 08 style. Decadent but mono tone in its purple fruit. So much concentration. But not classic. 18/20 93/100

Jim Barry Armagh Shiraz 1992
We seemed to get the only decent bottle of 92 floating around at the tasting. A much underrated vintage for South Australian Shiraz.
Beautiful. Like a chocolate berry milkshake. Sweetened and juicy and fully complete. Caramel and fully resolved. Choc moccha muscat. Lovely. Just like liquid wine love. 18.5/20 94/100

Jim Barry Armagh Shiraz 1990
Smoky and fully resolved. Looks big and alcoholic. A little too boozy for me, the fruit can't quite keep up, looking more good old red than great old Armagh. 16.8/20 89/100

Wendouree Cabernet Malbec 1998
A ring-in brought from the Barry family cellars. What a ring in it was too.
Moody, reserved, utterly Clare in its full minty cedar. Lovely uncompromised style, if not quite generous. Still quite perfect in its balance of power and structure. Nothing like it still around in Australia. I loved it. 18.6/20 95/100

Thomas Wines Elenay Shiraz 2011

Thomas Wines Elenay Shiraz 2011
14% Screwcap $45
Source: Sample
www.thomaswines.com.au

We can't show you this wine's face, purely as it doesn't have a label yet. It's finished, but its livery is not finalised. Released in August I believe. Worth hanging out for.

Elenay, as it is named, is a new Shiraz from Andrew 'Thommo' Thomas, the wine comprised of a 60/40 blend of Sweetwater and Kiss vineyard fruit, in what is a (theoretical) blend of barrels that didn't make the cut for either wine.

That's a curious designation actually, as I think the price more closely reflects where it sits in the Thomas Wines range - halfway between Kiss and Sweetwater. It's all a style thing according to Thommo, as said barrels didn't quite fit the Sweetwater mode and weren't quite Kiss either. It doesn't feel like a 'lips and assholes' offcuts blend.

Like so many 2011 Hunter Shiraz, this has the most incredible boysenberry purple colour. What a fabulous, distinctive colour it is too, often found in warm vintage Hunter Shiraz, yet nowhere else. Why is that I wonder?

The colour matches up with the style too - open and plum essence rich, a mountain of molten purple fruit topped off with Chocolate Oak (or a Moove as they're better) oak. It's very generous and cosseting in its purple richness, yet still with those trademark Hunter red earth tannins.

What I really like is that you can clearly see the components - it has some of the prettiness of the Sweetwater, but concentration of Kiss. The finish marks this as a wine of some quality, with a long, persistent, sweet berried and finely tannic back palate that could be nothing else but ripe year Hunter Shiraz.

A lovely Hunter Shiraz, built quite decadent, yet also dry and sufficiently tannic, the only qualm here is that it's perhaps too modern and polished for the Hunter idiom. Oh and that its best years are well ahead of it. Otherwise, dive right in!

Drink: 2014-2028+
Score: 18.3/20 93/100+
Would I buy it? Yes, yes I would.

St Hubert's Pinot Noir 2012

St Hubert's Pinot Noir 2012 (Yarra Valley, Vic)
Source:Tasting
www.sthuberts.com.au

I always feel rude handing out an average score to a wine that may well become great.

Yet the retort to that sentiment is also a simple one - great wines are nearly always great from their first inception. Or at least you can see hints of greatness. Little hints with this Pinot.

Sweet fruited and mono-dimensional, the light palate looking simple and barely-left-the-barrel oak forward. Why this was released now is beyond me - its a minimum of 12 months off any sort of drinkability, the fruit and oak simply too obvious and simple. It will get better, but otherwise a Pinot milkshake at present.

Drink: 2014-2018
Score: 15.5/20 85/100+
Would I buy it? Not yet.

Wedgetail Estate Pinot Noir 2010

Wedgetail Estate Pinot Noir 2010 (Yarra Valley, Vic)
13%, Screwcap, $25
Source:Dinner
www.wedgetailwines.com

A curious wine this Wedgetail - quite atypically delicate and fragile considering the warm vintage. It feels a little like Mac Forbes' Pinots actually, carrying that same, unforced, occasionally underpowered, form. Not for everyone I suspect, though also charming in a way.

That sense of lightness is evident just by the colour - light wine, pale colours. It smells of raspberry, red cherry, herbs and just a little volatility (as a result of a low sulphur regime I'm guessing). Taut, almost bony palate is more Chambolle than Yarra Valley with energy, high acid and unquestioned delicacy.

A little more concentration and this could be a star. Will keep an eye out for the Reserve version.

Drink: 2013-2018
Score: 17/20 90/100
Would I buy it? As a luncheon Pinot it has a place. Still want more stuffing.

Superb Marlborough Pinot: Fromm La Strada Pinot Noir 2010

Fromm La Strada Pinot Noir 2010 (Marlborough, NZ)
14%, Screwcap, $34
Source: Tasting
www.frommwinery.co.nz

What a satisfying, utterly smashable Pinot Noir this Fromm Pinot is.

I tasted it in a large line-up of more renowned (read - more expensive) goodies at a trade tasting today and it's perfection of upfront Pinot drinking made it hard not to love.

There is a certain warmth to the style here, reflecting a site that is technically better suited to Syrah than Pinot Noir (according to advice that the Fromm team received a few years back).

Yet that ripeness, generosity and low acidity just makes this more attractive, the wine full of classic Marlborough red fruit openness, but never feeling heavy or alcoholic, save for a slight confected fruit edge.

Ultimately that combination of ripeness and delicacy is to be celebrated, for it makes for a lovely, proudly-not-Burgundy Pinot of serious attraction, built for drinking over the next 3-5yrs.

Delicious wine. Representative of its region too. Highly recommended.

Drink: 2013-2019
Score: 18.5/20 94/100
Would I buy it? Yes.

Lovely Hunter Shiraz: Hungerford Hill Epic Shiraz 2007

Hungerford Hill Epic Shiraz 2007 (Hunter Valley, NSW)
14.5%, Screwcap, $55
Source: Sample
www.hungerfordhill.com.au

In less-than-classic wine writer form I drank this Shiraz out of a thermos at the ugly Sydney Swans - Fremantle Dockers AFL game last Saturday.

Whilst such conditions probably aren't the best for pickimg up details I can confirm that, even when consumed out of a plastic cup, this Shiraz still went down very nicely, which I'd call the ultimate win. Certainly a shitload tastier than the bad mid-strength football beer too...

Further, I left a glass in the bottle at home and tasted it in a more serious setup the next day. Unlike the Swans, it was still finishing strongly...

Oh and a little context - this was the 2012 NSW Wine of the Year, though the label itself appears to have been discontinued.

A deep, inky purple coloured red it is too, in true 07 Hunter Shiraz fashion. There is a warm year intensity to the fruit, which is then matched with sweet, high quality oak, resulting in an immediately very rich and oaky nose. It's not obnoxious though, just cosseting and generous. The palate is a flood of flavour, with  milk chocolate and a lovely, almost Grampians-esque plum reduction juiciness, finishing off with fine grained, prominent, oak sweetened tannins.

Still looking young and vibrant, bounding with ripe, luxuriously dense fruit, I find this sort of bold, but not fat (or necessarily alcoholic) style of modern Hunter Shiraz to be quite satisfying. I really enjoyed it. It would perhaps be even more impressive if the oak was less dominant, but it's not enough to derail things.

Yum.

Drink: 2013-2023
Score: 18.2/20 93/100
Would I buy it? Yes, I think I would

Coriole Vita Reserve Sangiovese 2009

Coriole Vita Reserve Sangiovese 2009 (McLaren Vale, SA) 
13.5%, Screwcap, $50
Source: Sample
www.coriole.com

If any Australian winery could get Sangiovese 'right', then surely it would be Coriole, one of our Sangio pioneers (first plantings in 1985). I don't thing the heat wave 2009 vintage was especially kind to Vale Sangiovese ('twas a great Grenache and Mourvedre year in McLaren Vale instead) yet this is still very solid drinking.

You can see that vintage heat via the roast almond/roast beef edges to the redcurrant fruit, the dryness evident on both nose and palate, capped off with warm year, coarse grained tannins. Those dusty tannins lifts this up actually, giving a sense of vitality to what is a trying-to-be-generous-but-not-quite palate.

Plenty of promise and savoury appeal, this is probably more open and mid palate rich than I'm describing it, yet I'm hung up on the tannins, which I quite like.

Will only get better, if not quite a satisfying drink yet.

Drink: 2016-2025+
Score: 17/20 90/100
Would I buy it? Not yet. Maybe with bottle age?

A beguiling oddity from Hanging Rock

Hanging Rock Macedon Cuvée XIV (Macedon, Vic)
$50, Cork, 12.5%
Source: Sample
www.hangingrock.com.au

There simply aren't enough unusual sparklings in Australia.

We have a few mildly odd sparkling reds (Primo Estate's Joseph, for one, may seem mainstream, but the inclusion of a spectrum of old Australian fortifieds marks it as special) but otherwise it's just Champagne emulation after Champagne emulation.

This Hanging Rock sparkling too is, technically speaking, another Champagne inspired fizz. It's a blend of Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%) grown in the Macedon Ranges, with the wine spending some 8 years, 11 months and 27 days on lees until disgorgement.

Nothing unusual there.

A little digging reveals that, on average, Hanging Rock set aside half of each sparkling vintage for reserve wine, a volume that must be eye-wincingly expensive to maintain...

Suitably, this XIV release is a blend of: 2004 (39%) 2001 (18%) and 2000 (18%) vintages, with the remaining 25% 'a blend of 1999 back to 1987 inclusive', with all components aged on lees in old French barriques for at least two years before blending and tirage.

When you thus take all that old, oak-aged reserve wine and then give it a lengthy lees maturation of its own, you're going to get one seriously complex, seriously mature wine. An old wine, yet a current release too, with all sorts of weird and wonderful, old wine aromas and flavours. It's odd, but also great because of it.

This release looks even more mature too, that reserve wine looking ever more complex, if perhaps just a little decayed.

You can see that age in the colour alone - it's full gold, looking like something from the mid 90s. A very light bead too, a further nod to the high proportion of aged wine. It smells mature too, the long lees ageing giving loads of buttered bread richness, the reserve wine too giving, honeyed, sweetly caramelled and gentle, even slightly decrepit.

In contrast, the palate is vigorously rich, super honeyed and quite heavy. Yet it's also alive and long,  with a vivacity to the finish that keeps you hooked in, finishing dry and clean.

There is so much 'going on' here that you can't help but admire it. Layers of super rich, caramel chew flavours and a sherry-like oxidative edge giving everything a complexity you can't deny, then topped off with enough acidity and life to make it palatable.

Ultimately this is more like a fortified, or a wild grower Champagne, than a typical Australian sparkling and I think the world is all the better for it.

Drink: Now. Don't delay
Score: 18/20 93/100
Would I buy it? A glass, with something very rich to eat, would make me happy. Perhaps no more than a glass though.

Is this actually New Zealand's best Sauvignon Blanc?

Is this actually New Zealand's best Sauvignon Blanc?

Today is International Sauvignon Blanc Day (#SauvBlancDay on twitter), the fourth annual celebratory 'day' dedicated solely to Sauvignon Blanc, bringing with it grape-based parties around the world (maybe).

What better day then, in context, to talk about the freshly launched new Brancott 'Chosen Rows' Sauvignon Blanc? A 'limited edition release Sauvignon Blanc handcrafted from exceptional grapes selected from chosen rows on Brancott Vineyard' (according to the press release).

More importantly, this is a wine that has been deliberately pitched as an 'icon', with the intentions clearly aimed at making this the best (and most expensive) Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc on the market. A wine described as the 'ultimate expression of Marlborough’s signature varietal' according to Brancott Estate Chief Winemaker Patrick Materman.

Personally, having seen a few icon wines in my time (and endured through the odd awkward icon launch), I am typically cynical about such a release, particularly when the pricing seemed to be more of a statement than a reflection of costs (that $70 price-tag is more than $20 above its peers after all), and the packaging and message seemingly finessed by brand managers first, winemakers second.

Yet I think that there is more to this story than just a 'statement wine'.

In fact, as Patrick explains, this is a 'winemaker created wine', with the Icon project dating back to 2008 (and indeed tracing back to Patrick himself).

'I've always been challenged why we haven't reached aspirational pricing with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc' he explains. 'How do we apply our research to creating an umbrella wine?'

The research he's talking about kicked off with the 2009 vintage, with the project dedicated to examining 'Every aspect of how we had grown and made Sauvignon Blanc in the past'

Some 14 vineyard blocks were used in those initial trials, with the blocks deliberately crop thinned right back to one bunch per shoot. Dennis Dubourdieu, Professor of Oenology at the University of Bordeaux and something of a Sauvignon Blanc expert, was also employed at this time as a consultant, spending time in the vineyard and with the winemaking team discussing philosophies.

At harvest these parcels were hand picked and kept separate in the winery, with some 40 different parcels the net result. Those 2009 vintage trial wines were never commercially released, although library samples were bottled for comparisons (the rest making its way into other Brancott labels such as the 'B' Sauvignon Blanc).

After a closer look at the different samples it was agreed that the parcels from the original Brancott vineyard (where you'll find some of the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines in Marlborough) were considered the most appropriate, and, finally, in 2010 the decision was made to focus purely on Brancott fruit.

Concurrently, the Brancott team were also working with some Kiwi research labs on another part of the project, focusing particularly on some of the elements involved with Sauvignon Blanc ageability. As a part of this process they specifically looked at thiols, an organosulfur compound that Patrick describes as a 'main driver of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.'

It is these thiols that generally contribute  to the distinctive, 'cat pee on a gooseberry bush' characters that we see so much in Marlborough Sauvgnon Blanc a character that, for many local makers, is actively avoided (on that topic, that avoidance is why many serious Marlborough Sauvignon makers are moving their top Sauvignon plantings out of the heavier, fertile alluvial soils near the Blenheim airport as these richer soils are believed to aid thiol creation).

What the Brancott winemakers - and consultant scientists - eventually derived from this research was a better understanding of the process of monitoring and measuring thiols, looking at both how thiols are created and how they age. They then isolated certain compounds that are more stable, and thus more beneficial for Sauvignon Blanc wines intended for ageing.

After more trials (the fiddling has continued with subsequent vintages), the 2010 vintage wine was finally decided to be the first commercial release, with the formula consisting of grapes picked from a few 'chosen rows' of low yielding vines on the Brancott vineyard. These grapes were then whole bunch pressed and fermented both naturally (60%) and with a cultured yeast, the wine than spending 9 months on lees (for the 2010 wine. 2011 and 2012 is closer to 12 months) largely in large oak cuves.

The resultant wine, as Patrick explains, was crafted 'with real palate weight richness in mind' unashamedly 'involving some winemaking artefact' but with freshness too. Some 3,500 numbered bottles of this 2010 release have been made, the style 'an ageworthy wine with great palate weight and texture, that retains its signature Marlborough fruit expression – its sense of place' (that's from the press release).

I tasted the 2010 Chosen Rows Sauvignon Blanc with Patrick and a few other scribes recently, the wine placed in a lineup of contemporaries drawn from all over the world, as well as in a mini vertical.

What struck me most about this Sauv was that, contrary to intentions, it really didn't get any more interesting with bottle age. Unlike, say, the more worked Dog Point (for example), which really needs more time for that winemaking to integrate (I like to drink the Section 94 at about 4 years of age), I thought that the natural Sauvignon purity was lost the older the Chosen Rows samples got. Personally, I'd release it earlier and really make an impact, particularly as that 2012 is a stunner...

Regardless, there is no questioning that this Chosen Rows is a clever wine. There is a lot of cleverness about it really, from the bespoke packaging to the great acid structure of the wine itself. Each vintage is a step up in quality too, signalling well for the future. It's already a very good wine and a few more releases should see the quality really quick into proper 'icon' territory (the 2012 is there already).

My quibble is that this is no better wine than similar established 'icons' from the likes of Dog Point, Seresin and Cloudy Bay et al. and yet the price is almost 50% higher. Looking at them side by side and those extra dollars are a little hard to quantify.

Such is life with an icon wine though...

The wines

(All were tasted non-blind and reasonably quickly. Notes as written on the day. Extra bits in Italics).

Vina Morande Sauvignon Edicion Limitada 10 (Casablanca, Chile) $25
Sourced from El Ensueño, Lo Ovalle sector, in Casablanca. Clay sand soils with low fertility and it has a cold, coastal climate. Clones 1 and 5 from Davis, California, are used. Hand picked. Low-temperature maceration is made to extract maximum aromas and then pressing takes place. Later the juice is decanted and fermented in 2,000-litre wooden vats. The wine is kept on its vats for 6 months prior to bottling. 12.7% alc. pH:3.36. TA 5.30g/l. RS 4.5g/l.

Lemon and nettle. Bottle age fattening this up. A little too much slightly sour, sweaty thiol characters, even if the fullness and intensity are very high. Some nice lime juice to finish too. A fraction weedy to really love but good. 17.5/20 91/100

Cape Point Vineyards Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (South Africa) $35
A little Semillon in the blend. A blend of wild and natural ferments. Barrel fermented in 10% new French oak.  14 months on gross lees with frequent lees stirring. 13.8% alc. RS 2.5g/L. pH 3.14. TA 7.3g/L.
Volatile, gluey, and slightly odd, the acidity raw and clumsy, if certainly carrying lots of power. A pup and maybe might recover with bottle age. But an odd, questionable bottle here ( I've had much better previous vintages of this). 15.5/20 85/100

Dog Point Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (Marlborough, NZ) $42
(Not dissimilar to this note really)
Distinctive white pepper nose. Sharply defined. White pepper and grapefruit nose. Almost Gruner like. Palate has beautiful flow, some sour grapefruit acidity and spectacular length. A little oak tannins to finish but can't detract from lemon and creamy edges. Contained and fierce acidity but quite brilliant too. 18.5/20 94/100

Cloudy Bay Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (Marlborough, NZ) $45
Machine picked. Immediately pressed and settled for 2-3 days. Wild ferment in barrel (just 8% new) with full malo. 14 months in barrel. 14% alc. pH 3.36. TA 6.7g/L. RS 3.9g/L

More passionfruit here. Passionfruit marshmallow. Looks very open, very creamy and nutty. Lots of oak artefact and wild ferment lees wildness. Generous and much flavour. But the play-doh oak and lees is almost oppressive in its hugeness. Less oaky than in previous years too. Still a very good Sauv. 17.7/20 92/100+

Brancott Chosen Rows Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (Marlborough, NZ) $70
More recognisably Marlborough Sauv here. There is nettles aplenty. Very tight and retains a little primary fruit. Super clean. Backward in context. Lees rather than barrel character. Super acidic and quite backward. Lean and clean. Has lovely purity. I'd like a fraction more wildness perhaps but clean and fresh as. A little too lean? 18/20 93/100

Henri Bourgeois Cuvée D'Antan 2010 (Sancerre, France $70)
What a lovely, essence of Sauv style this is. Varietal passionfruit. Really gentle and effortless palate. Lovely open and clear varietal nose. Purity of Sauvignon Blanc to finish. Pure, gentle clear and bright. The essence of open, intense, pure Sancerre. I'd drink this in a heartbeat. 18.5/20 94/100

Alphonse Mellot Generation XIX 2010 (Sancerre, France $70)
Flat, Oxidised and rather toasty. Looks broad and underwhelmed. Flat bottle? 14/20 79/100

Chosen Rows mini-vertical

Brancott Chosen Rows Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (Marlborough, NZ)
An unreleased wine from the Brancott vineyard. Bottled just 12 cases.

Again recognisable as Marlborough Sauv with its hint of gooseberry. Has an extra flesh and ripeness to it. Fullness. Passionfruit juiciness. Gentle and ripe and slightly sour. A little mono- dimensional. Pleasant but not profound. Tinny finish. 17

Brancott Chosen Rows Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (Marlborough, NZ)
Rather more lees action on the nose. Looks a much more worked, less standard wine. Less thiols too. I just wish the palate wasn't so linear and contained, the herbs to finish and freshness is excellent though. 18/20 93/100

Brancott Terroir Series Fume 2011 (Marlborough, NZ)
Fermented in puncheons. Was Previously Chosen Rows level fruit quality (but not sourced from the Brancott vineyard). 

Interestingly you don't see the oak on the nose as much as expected. Oak all over the palate Does on though which is creamy and cut with oak tannins. The more I look at this the more I think there is too much oak for the delicate fruit. Almost there. Lots of acidity and drive. 17/20 90/100

Brancott Chosen Rows Sauvignon Blanc 2012 Barrel sample (Marlborough, NZ)
This spent a full 12 months on lees, although this is still a pre bottling sample.
Super fresh and passionfruity, though not thiol ugliness.. Nettle and juicy but shows of structural depth. The sweetness of lees here is a lovely counterpart to the full throttle lemony acidity. Full of life but with power too. Primary. Release it now! Delicious Sauvignon Blanc. 18.5/20 94/100

Ashton Hills Reserve Pinot Noir 2012

Ashton Hills Reserve Pinot Noir 2012 (Adelaide Hills, SA)
14%, Screwcap, $65 CD
Source: Tasting

No point horsing about, let's just call this what it is - one of Australia's best Pinot Noirs. I've called previous vintages the best in South Australia, but this 2012 iteration takes it all up a notch. Magnificent. Better still, the price is still still sitting where it has been for the past five years, marking it as reasonable value (in context) to boot.

Produced from a selection of clones on the Ashton Hills vineyard, this typically receives largely new oak (as opposed to older oak for the standard 'estate' Pinot Noir) and is always a single vineyard release.

What makes this 2012 so very good is the extra degree of lightness and fragrance - it's a prettier wine than the 2010, with less alcohol heat and no jam, the profile considerably less 'dry red' and more feminine. That femininity makes this an irresistible drink too, giving a juiciness that almost marks it as a simple wine, until you realise that the cherry fruit pinosity and fine tannins linger and linger and linger. There's perhaps a little alcohol warmth, but not really enough to derail anything, the finish dry and structured but never heavy. Dear God it's a beautiful wine.

I found myself unconsciously drinking my sample of this when tasted this afternoon, which is the ultimate sign of something fucking special. I had the good fortune of trying a sample from two different bottles, opened a day apart, and can confirm that both bottles looked equally glorious (more oak richness showing on the fresher bottle, more complexity in the older).

I'm buying some, even though I have random wine in nearly every room of my house. It's that good.

Drink: 2013-2023
Score: 19/20 96/100
Would I buy it? I am.

Capital Wines 'The Black Rod' Sparkling Shiraz 2009

Capital Wines 'Black Rod' Sparkling Red 2009 (Canberra District)
14.4%, Crown Seal, $36
Source: Sample
www.capitalwines.com.au

Amongst wine writers it is seriously uncool to admit you like sparkling red. I've always thought it akin to owning up to enjoying Hanson backed in the 90s (although apparently they're all grown up and fashionable again too), with a similar expectation of uncoolness

Whilst I'm no Hanson fan, sparkling reds like this I rather enjoy drinking. My family loves 'em too, making good sparkling Shiraz an essential part of the Graham Christmas lunch. A word of warning though - sparkling red not only gets you very drunk, very quickly, but the hangovers are ridiculously cruel ( I still remember vomiting frothy red stuff up at a party a few years ago. Ugh).

Anyways, back to this red - It's a blend of Shiraz from Capital's own Kyeema vineyard with a dash of Merlot and a little Cabernet (or at least that's what my notes say).

A rich, ripe, generously proportioned sparkling red, this looks rather decadent and chocolatey, marrying up full bodied, choc-berry-licorice fruit with the softness of a decent dosage. The palate looks lighter than the nose would suggest but it's well enough to carry things off, the solid mid palate driving everything and the wine finishing sweet and softly grainy.

I can see a place for this. It's a well-made, well-judged sparkling red for drinking now, preferably whilst wearing silly hats and telling bad jokes  (Christmas in July anyone)?

Drink: 2013-2016
Score: 17/20 90/100
Would I buy it? The fam would love it. Just a glass would do me though.

Willow Bridge Fumé Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Willow Bridge Fumé Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (Pemberton, WA)
13%, Screwcap, $30 
Source: Sample
www.willowbridge.com.au

I'm intrigued about the value of 'fume' on a label. It seems to be an esoteric term, recognised more by the industry than consumers. Wine producers - does it work for you? Or does it need the addition of 'Sauvignon Blanc' to get the message across?

Anyways, this is a pretty clever example of a 'fumé' from a completely unheralded region. Simon Burnell, Willow Bridge winemaker, is deliberately pushing the estate styles in a more serious direction of late, with all of the Willow Bridge wines looking, well, more serious as a result. Good serious at that.

Natural ferment and 10 months on lees in barrel. If anything this is still a bit raw around the edges, its best another year away. Serious indeed.

There is an intensity of lemon-buttercup, fresh fruit here, capped off with lees derived richness. Still fresh and breezy though. Texturally clever palate with a finesse to that lees character and biting lemon acidity. Actually, that acidity is a bit firm, making it just a little haughty. Just needs the palate to put on some weight an all will be fine. Only a faint twang of rocky grey fruit to give away its Sauvness, the style rather taut and modern indeed.

I liked. Will like it even more when it settles down.  The freshness and clever lees work is the key to its appeal for sure.

Drink: 2013-2016
Score: 17.5/20 91/100
Would I buy it? In 12 months time, maybe.

Willow Bridge G1-10 Chardonnay 2011

Willow Bridge G1-10 Chardonnay 2011 (Geographe, WA)
13%, Screwcap, $30
Source: Sample
www.willowbridge.com.au

It's not often you see a bible reference on a wine these days. Maybe that means I'm not drinking enough biblical wines...

The 'G1-10' name here is a nod to the book of Genesis. Chapter 1, Verse 10: 'And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called the seas; and God saw that it was good'

Read of that what you will. I'm guessing that it's a nod to how pretty the 'dry land' and 'seas' are. Geographe is an attractive part of the world for that matter, with great local fruit a highlight (had some superb roadside cherries in Geographe once).

Now, this Chardonnay - it's hand picked, whole bunch pressed and wild fermented, matured for 10 months in barrel with a portion going through malo.

It's a rather full white, with pangs of Margaret River grapefruits and peaches coupled with a little of the more nutty Pemberton edge. A sunny, ripe style, yet not fat, this has a very modern, gently toasty, leesy influenced palate, with a clever balance of lees and oak weight with firm acidity. If anything this looks a little 'made' but the firm acidity keeps that in check.

Certainly sexier than the region's reputation would normally suggest, this is genuinely good stuff.

Drink: 2013-2017
Score: 17.7/20 92/100
Would I buy it? I'd drink several glasses. So yes.

Wirra Wirra 12th Man Chardonnay 2012

Wirra 12th Man Chardonnay 2012
12.5%, Screwcap, $31.50
Source: Sample
www.wirrawirra.com
Drawn from Lenswood, high in the Adelaide Hills, this Chardonnay has proven to be one of the stars in the Wirra range. After the lean 2011 this looks right on form again.

A complex modern Chardonnay it is too, with tight white peach fruit matching heavier, mealy yeast richness. That nose suggests a fatter, richer wine than the palate delivers, with a real sense of finesse and clarity about the flavours, leading to a clear soft finish (the total acidity here is highish, yet that acidity tastes natural. Win).

Clever, lean-yet-rich modern Chardonnay that carefully balances winemaking derived richness with fruit intensity. It's perhaps a fraction worked, but I can't fault the end result.

Drink: 2013-2015+
Score: 18/20 93/100
Would I buy it? On a list, with another year on it I'd be tempted for sure.

De Bortoli Windy Peak Heathcote Shiraz 2012

De Bortoli Windy Peak Heathcote Shiraz 2012 (Heathcote, Vic)
14.5%, Screwcap, $14
Source: Sample
www.debortoli.com.au

Musk sticks, boysenberry juice and berries aplenty. All confected, front of mouth stuff, with no tannins and added acid to finish.

Does exactly what it says on the box, but ultimately tastes like $14 worth of Heathcote Shiraz (and no more).

Drink: 2013-2015
Score: 14.5/20 83/100+
Would I buy it? No

De Bortoli Windy Peak Pinot Noir 2011

De Bortoli Windy Peak Pinot Noir 2011 (Yarra Valley, Vic)
13%, Screwcap, $14 Source: Sample
www.debortoli.com.au

The RRP on these Windy Peak wines has dropped by $1 and the quality seems to have wandered off with it. Admittedly these are big volume blends, I could have scored a bad bottle/batch and the hard '11 Yarra vintage isn't helping, yet this is still ordinary wine in the context of last years release.

Light, red colour. Aspirin and red fruit on the nose, with a hint of undergrowth. A thin palate with more acidity than genuine fruit, save for a flash of raspberry to soften the sappy tannins.

No joy to be found here.

Drink: 2013-2014
Score: 14/20 79/100
Would I buy it? No.

De Bortoli Bella Riva Moscato Del Re 2012

De Bortoli Bella Riva Moscato Del Ré 2012 (King Valley, Vic)
5.5%, Screwcap, $18

'Fresh, racy, tingly, über'

So says the back label on this Moscato. Nice words. True words.

It's a surprisingly serious (or at least as serious as a simple Moscato can be) wine this, drawn from proper Moscato Giallo and made without cynicism. Important distinction in the Moscato world.

Correctly fresh and grapey, this is bright and aromatic with the orange juice, grapefruit and currant of Muscat grapes. Super fresh, but not overly sweet, perfectly even and really quite long. I can't really justify higher points, but gee I like this. Best Moscato I've had in ages.

 Drink: 2013
Score: 16.5/20 88/100
Would I buy it? Yes, I think I would.

De Bortoli Bella Riva Pinot Grigio Vermentino 2012

De Bortoli Bella Riva Pinot Grigio Vermentino 2012 (King Valley, Vic)
12.5%, Screwcap, $18
www.debortoli.com.au

My, my this is a clever wine. Actually, De Bortoli's King Valley wines all seem to carry a little more intrigue, with odd wines and interesting combinations that defy their relatively low price points. Likey.

This fits the mould perfectly - a hand-picked, field-blend of Pinot Grigio and Vermentino. How often do you hear about such detail in an $18 wine?
It's varietal and interesting too, with a forward nose of hay and stones, the Grigio giving pear juice and soda water sparseness, coupling with the more richer stonefruit of Vermentino. The palate looks a little simple, yet is lightly textured. Cleverly textured really, finishing fresh and vital.

There is so much to like about the form of a wine like this, needing only a bit more concentration to make it genuinely exciting. Promising+.

Drink: 2013-2014
Score: 16.8/20 89/100
Would I drink it? Maybe not buy but would recommend

Thomas Wines Sweetwater Shiraz 2011

Thomas Wines Sweetwater Shiraz 2011 (Hunter Valley, NSW)
14.5%, Screwcap, $35
Source: Sample
www.thomaswines.com.au

With Andrew 'Thommo' Thomas currently doing a lap of the east coast with the Next Generation Hunter Valley boys, it seems only right to be opening up this Shiraz tonight.

Thommo is particularly excited about the quality of his 2011 Shiraz lineup and, judging by this Sweetwater, he's 'not bullshitting' either.

Controversially (not), the 2011 Sweetwater Shiraz is drawn from the Sweetwater vineyard at Belford, planted in 1998 on the classic red/brown Hunter loam over limestone - a dirt that's synonymous with the best Hunter reds.

Part of the secret to this wines success is also the inclusion of a little (10%) French coopered American oak, which gives a chocolatey edge that only enhances the generous, open-knit flavours.

Like many of the great '11 Hunter Shiraz (it was an excellent vintage in the Hunter. Patchy elsewhere, but very strong in the Hunter/WA. Believe the hype), this has a bright boysenberry colour that is so very distinctive. You just don't see that boysenberry purple colour anywhere else. Dead sexy.

It's a bright wine too, with jubey, purple plum fruit apparent from the get-go. Very sweet fruited and ripe. You expect this to be sweeter and confected than it tastes actually, for it smells like chocolatey, grape Hubba-Bubba. But that's the clincher - It's quite soft, the sugar plum juiciness abounding, yet still capped off with a fillip of late tannins and a red earth tinged palate that is anything but sugar sweet. Warm clime Shiraz doing its thing.

Hardly profound, but unquestionably delicious, this nails the modern Hunter Shiraz generosity and polish, without losing the earthiness. Certainly the best Sweetwater since 09 too.

Drink: 2013-2023
Score: 17.7/20 92/100
Would I buy it? I'd probably buy the Kiss Shiraz above this, but would buy a glass or two off a list regardless.

Australian Wine Review turns.. five!

Australian Wine Review turns... five

I almost forgot.

By my count, working largely on a cursory glance to last year's birthday post, this week - or last week really - is officially the fifth birthday of this blog, Australian Wine Review (or ozwinereview for short).

Without going into an Oscars style acceptance speech, I'd quickly like to take the opportunity to send out a quick thanks to everyone who makes this blog happen - from the kindly programmers and tech-type friends who've helped me out when things have gone to shit, to the (equally kindly) friends who point out when I miss an apostrophe in an 'its' or to my family and friends, for helping dispose of numerous half empty bottles (it's more annoying than it sounds). Hugs.

On that note, a massive thanks must go to the wine producers who provide one of the essential ingredients for any wine review website - the wines. Thanks to all of you for opening great bottles/sending great wine/giving up your time to show me around. Thank you so much. Big hugs.

Of course the most important person to thank is you. Thanks for reading, thanks for commenting, thanks for the nice emails, thanks for the angry emails. Just a bucketload of thanks to all of you. Even bigger hugs.

So then, erm, thank you linesman (linespeople?), thank you ball boys (ball persons?) and lets see if I can make it through another 5 years...

(Want more? Here is a two part video I did on being a wine blogger filmed last year. The sentiments haven't changed much and the issues remain the same. It's only my 'laugh lines' (ie wrinkles) that have really deepened... View the videos here and here).