The Canberra Diaries 2010

The following notes come from a short (but intense) wine tasting trip taken during this years Canberra district harvest festival.

On this particular mission the aim was to try new vintages and new releases from some likely Canberra producers.

What was most surprising was how many wineries were still showing the same vintages as a year ago, reminding perhaps just how challenging it is for small producers in developing wine regions (given that the Canberra district is very much a wine region in it’s infancy, even though wine has been produced in the district for 160 years).

Regardless, I’m happy to report that quality was reassuringly high and several new discoveries made the 700kms (in one day) worth of driving worthwhile.

Lark Hill

Sunny skies at Lark Hill

Set on the ridge above Lake George, Lark Hill has a somewhat cooler climate than much of the rest of the district, with wines that are typically drier and more defined than many of its Canberra brethren. Lark Hill has also been certified biodynamic since 2008 and was one of the first wineries in the country to be receive full certification.

One of the other attractions for Lark Hill is the brand new Gruner Veltliner, one of only two in Australia, which was unfortunately sold out on this occasion, though it is reputedly an impressive wine.

The estate also has some other news, with the recent installation of a 10kw solar power plant that now supplies all of the electricity for the property, with the remainder fed back into the grid.

Given the generous government grants currently available and the favourable (government subsidised) prices for selling back the residual power, the winery will be proudly power bill free (and making a power profit) within 4 years, whilst also producing all their power via renewable energy.

Apparently it is quite a considerable investment to setup this sort of power arrangement, but with results like that it makes a powerful case – for both sustainability and financial reasons – that any winery should consider.

Lark Hill Riesling 2009 ($30)

Beautifully perfumed with a lemongrass and almost tropical nose over a vibrant and full palate. Excellent mid palate zip and natural acids. Full and flavoursome dry Riesling in a delicious style. Lovely. 18.5/94

Lark Hill Fledgling Sauvignon Blanc 2009 ($25)

Crisp, green grassy nose over a dry and quite lean palate. Nose promises much, palate is too dry and falls away a bit. Crunchy and fresh but a smidgen hard and dry for me. 16.8/89

Lark Hill Chardonnay 2006 ($35)

Looking a little flabby (in this context at least) with mildly astringent oak and straw like development. Palate is quite blunt and a bit stern, with a cheesy finish. Not quite a fan. 16/87

Lark Hill Pinot Noir 2005 ($30)

Still yet to be convinced by a Canberra Pinot and this isn’t the wine to change my mind. Chewy and just a bit horsey, this has big bones for a Pinot but falls away at the finish. 16.3/88

Lark Hill Shiraz 2003 ($35)

Dried out and tannic with limited flesh on a very dark palate. Not a bad wine though, for it is actually carefully delineated and dry. To my palate this would have been a better wine a few years back. 16.5/88

Lark Hill Exaltation 2003 ($45)

A blend of Cabernet, Shiraz and Merlot, this is savoury and layered, dried and interesting in a quite refreshing, old world, quasi Italianate style. Dry and leafy, with olive tapenade characters and subtle layers of herbal fruit. Maturing nicely. Really enjoyed this. 17.8/92

Lark Hill Auslese Riesling 2008 ($35)

10.5g/l TA, 120g/l of sugar

Those are some amazing numbers for an Australian wine and this is suitably a top shelf stuff. Squat and powerful, beautifully balanced wine that is very firm and densely structured, topped with beautiful honeysuckle fruit. Absolutely stunning wine. Real success. 18.6/95

Eden Road

The old Kamberra winery. Eden Road cellar door on the left

Whilst Hardys (now Constellation) pulled out of the Canberra district in 2007, they left behind a wonderful legacy of grapegrowers, winemakers and facilities.

Eden Road are one of these beneficiaries, producing their wines in the old Kamberra winery (a facility shared between several producers) and setting up their cellar door in the old Kamberra outlet next door.

As producers, Eden Road have already had a major win, with the 2008 Long Road Shiraz winning the 2009 Jimmy Watson Trophy. Yet the operation itself is very much in it’s infancy, which shows (I think) in the rather simple wines.

Whilst I wasn’t obviously floored by the wines, there is no question that Eden Road is a winery to watch.

Eden Road ‘Long Road’ Canberra Riesling 2009 ($18)
Dry, very dry, sherbety and citrussy, if just a bit lean. Palate is clearly varietal but lacking the stuffing for real high marks. 15.8/86

Eden Road Tumbarumba Pinot Noir 2008 ($25)
Interesting wine this, if purely for the implications for Tumbarumba. A searing dry wine with big Pinot flavours and a very firm backbone, this had quite a bit of sappy flavour and some meaty chunkiness. Quite a (good) surprise! 17.3/91

Eden Road ‘Long Road’ Hilltops Shiraz 2008 ($18)
Winner, 2009 Jimmy Watson Trophy

3-4% Viognier in this, which definitely helps give it an aromatic lift and some juiciness. It’s quite a plush and perfumed wine, with mid palate meatiness and a light finish. Smooth, ripe and quite easy going, it’s a good clean commercial wine but not of real trophy quality. 16.5/88

Eden Road ‘Long Road’ Hilltops Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 ($18)
I much preferred this to the Shiraz, thanks mainly to it’s firmer, full chunky fruit and proper palate intensity. Hearty red wine at a very respectable price. 17/90

Brindabella Hills

The old Brindabella Hills Cellar Door. New one directly opposite

I was very impressed by the wines on my last visit, though in this instance everything felt very tight and light. Would like to retry several of these with more bottle age.

Brindabella Hills Riesling 2009 ($25)

Brisk, lean & citrussy Riesling with prominent acids dominating everything. Very tight, fine and crisp, if far too dry for immediate consumption. Just needs some time. 17.3/91+

Brindabella Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2009 ($18)
Carries a rather similar nose to that of the Riesling, surprisingly enough, with a nose of lemon and citrus peel on a very long palate. Nicely delineated but just a smidgen light for high points. 16.8/89

Brindabella Hills ‘Brio’ Sangiovese 2008 ($20)

Brunello clone Sangiovese. Sourced from a neighbours vineyard at Hall
Beautiful clean aromatics of cherry fruit. Palate is sweetly oaky, cheerful and forward, but seems a little simple and oak driven. Should improve with bottle age, but just a little one dimensional at present. 16.5/88+

Surveyor’s Hill

New Surveyor’s Hill cellar door. A common theme in Canberra (new sheds)

With a bright new shed and a few new wines this place just oozes potential. One to watch in the coming years, particularly for the production of Mediterranean varieties.

Surveyor’s Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008 ($20)
New wine for Surveyor’s Hill and it’s welcomingly bright and fresh. Sweetly oaked and full fruited, this is ripe, polished and smooth, though rather un-Canberra in style. In fact, it is almost like a Barossan red given the plush flow of ripe fruit and tannins.

Regardless, this was very likeable and should be even more so with further bottle age. 16.8/89+

Surveyor’s Hill Sweet Touriga (2008 blend)
A new vintage blend for this fortified and much more balanced sweetness this time around. Love the dry tangy Touriga varietal character and balanced acidity through the finish. Rather tasty actually. 17/90

Clonakilla

A very brief stop, principally to try the first wine below. I wasn’t disappointed. Sell all your furniture. Sell your kids too. Just don’t miss out on the Syrah below.

Clonakilla Syrah 2008 ($75)

So meaty. Brightly meaty. Like classic Rhone meaty. Fragrant yet masculine style that’s big and rich but not hearty, more sinewy than that. Taut palate with no hard edges, just lots of tannin and spice. Pulls well through the finish too. Even better than the 08 Shiraz Viognier (in my view). 18.9/95

Clonakilla Vintage Fortified Shiraz 2007 ($28)

Sourced from a component of the 2007 O’Riada, it doesn’t actually taste much like Canberra Shiraz at all, but it is a wonderfully elegant and sweetish ‘dry’ VP style. Really more-ish, though not for the long haul. Awesome options wine. 17.4/91

Tallagandra Hill

Tallagandra Hill. Another newish shed

It’s quite a trek from Murrumbateman to Tallagandra Hill, so I’d suggest combining the trip with a visit to Grazing whilst your there (they have a clever wine list, without even touching on the high quality Capital wines on the menu :)).

As for the wines, the two Cabernet based reds were very high quality indeed (I bought some of the last wine)

Tallagandra Hill Shiraz Viognier 2007 ($21)
Simple and candied style with sweet purple fruit and plenty of sweetness. Light and commercial. 15.9/86

Tallagandra Hill Cabernet Franc 2006 ($19.50)
Rubbery and already quite developed, falling away on the back palate. Simple. 15.8/86

Tallagandra Hill ‘9 Barrels’ Shiraz/Cabernet Franc 2008 ($?)
Big step up here. Reasonably firm but perfumed, this seems richer and heavier than the components would suggest. Perfume and guts. Good stuff. 17.3/91

Tallagandra Hill Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc 2008 ($35?)
If done right, Canberra can make great Bordeaux blends. Helm can do it very well, as can (obviously) this winery. A lovely mid weight Cabernet in the black licorice style. Big & chocolatey whilst still retaining its acidity. Very drinkable and very good. 18.3/93