From what I can gather, organising a wine trade show in Australia is something akin to finding sober bogans at Mount Panorama on Bathurst 1000 weekend (even when they’re limited to ‘just’ a slab a day).
So the success of the newest national festival of consumption, the Good Food & Wine Show, is rather pleasing, even if the feedback from the wine exhibitors was somewhat mixed. Crowds were huge in the Sydney event and, for those in the high traffic areas (such as the McLaren Vale stand), it sounded like a very worthwhile exercise. Interestingly, some producers actually reported making a profit from the show, particularly those who had wine to sell on their stands. A recipe for success?
I wandered around and sampled a whole range of wines, but was to busy chatting to actually pen much more than impressions. I’ve included them below, however there remains a question mark about the absolute accuracy of these notes.
Bellarmine Estate
Really enjoy the clarity of the Bellarmine whites in particular. Very fresh and high on the deliciousness.
Bellarmine Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Nettley, cool and ‘very Oz cool climate Sav’ nose. Think green pean with a hint of passionfruit. The palate matches this with real length and just a dab of phenolic dryness. Really good. 17.7
Bellarmine Dry Riesling 2008
Tightly coiled, super fresh and so pristine, with a running stream like crystalline character to the palate that is addictive. Dry, pure and delicious. 18.0
Bellarmine Auslese Riesling 2008
It’s Auslese, but it’s a very different wine to your typical German Auslese, with a much lighter and citrussy expression that is again particularly pure, but just not quite as convincing as the drier Rieslings. Should improve with some bottle age however. 17.6+
Bellarmine Chardonnay 2008
Light, crisp Chablis inspired wine, but lacks the terroir punch. This is aromatic white territory me thinks, though nice to see a restrained Chardonnay. 16.8+
Bellarmine Pinot Noir 2007
A bit awkward. Stewed meat & slow cooked nose, with a sticky, slightly awkward palate of quite high acidity. I’m not much of a fan of this wine. 15.8
Bellarmine Shiraz 2007
Pepper, pan juices and plenty of acidity, it’s just a bit lean but I like the fragrant cool climate style. 17
Bream Creek Riesling 2008
Toasty and surprising forward nose, palate is just off dry but just a bit short and in a bit of a hole at the moment. Time is all it needs. 16.5+
Bream Creek Schonburger 2008
Australia’s only Schonburger! This oddity was simple and fun, with a lychee drenched traminer style nose, but with a richer slightly honeyed palate. Simple but quite appealing. 17
Bream Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Green vegetable, overtly aromatic nose thats expressive but perhaps too much so. Very dry & long palate, with long weedy length. Not a fan of the style, but this is an excellent quality wine. 18
Bream Creek Pinot Rose 2008
Suprised that I didn’t like this actually. Light, pretty nose, slightly dull, caramel edged palate. Not quite. 15.5
Xabregas Show Reserve Chardonnay 2006
Big, oaky & malo drenched style that is just a little too much in its oaky shell at the moment, though the acid backbone is top shelf. Important plus signs with this one. 17++
Xabregas Show Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Leafy, medium bodied style that again needs some time to come together. Stewed edges just a little disconcerting. 17++
Kurtz Family Wines
Genuine Barossan reds from old vines at very realistic prices. Steve Kurtz is affable and humble too. Well worth a look (as is the details of each wine on the website. VA levels!!! Applaudable transparency http://www.kurtzfamilyvineyards.com.au/ )
Kurtz Boundary Row GSM 2005
Quite a caramelly nose which had me a little wary (it’s all old oak though, so I’ll just call this a less expressive nose), but the palate is wonderfully pure, with a hit of rich chocolatey Shiraz and Grenache fruit, if just a little too sweet. Very tasty regardless. 17.2+
Kurtz Boundary Row Shiraz 2005
Chocolatey, slightly dull oak nose, the glory here again lies in the palate, which is long & sweet fruited with just sumptuous Barossan Shira flavours. Oak still a large part of this wines presence. Oh and the price? $20. Stunning value. 17.3
Kurtz Lunar Block Shiraz 2003
Malted cola & Cadbury drinking chocolate nose, with a rich & youthful palate & just a little prickle of acidity on the back end. Developing nicely and drinking very well. High on the deliciousness again. 17.8
Kurtz Lunar Block Shiraz 2004
Another lovely & richly oaked Cocoa nose, the palate a step up over the 03 with a spicy, liquered and surprisingly savoury, sweet & sour palate. Such a classic Barossan Shiraz, in the modern style. Fair value at $40 too. 17.9+
Lake George Chardonnay 2008
Mealy, nutty, pure nose, the palate creamy, with a smidgen of bubblegum flavours and a very dry and cleverly built palate. Vgood cool climate Australian Chardonnay. 17.5
Lake George Pinot Gris 2008
Excellent red pear nose is varietal and lovely, but sadly it doesn’t translate onto the palate, which is just missing the intensity. 16.5
Lake George Pinot Noir 2006
Developing, bacony nose. High acid, authentically soil & stalks palate. Dry, nice style, but yet to convince me of the merits of Canberra Pinot. 17
Fire Gully Chardonnay 2007
The second label of Pierro, and unquestionably built in the same mould, though without that beguiling toasty richness. High on the refreshment and intensity still. 17
Pierro Chardonnay 2007
Dense & compact, with that chewy, mealy power that ‘makes’ Pierro Chardonnay. This version though needs more time to come together, as its just a little bulky at present. Still love the wine though. 18
Burge Family Olive Hill Semillon 2008
Dry, hay nd straw green fruit nose, with a dense, old vine Barossan Semillon expression that is so refreshing and unique. Lovely wine. 18
Burge Family Garnacha 2005
Volatile red berry nose, palate is dominated by alcohol heat & ends up rather hollow. No. 15
Burge Family Olive Hill Red 2006
Another, big, hot & alcohol heavy red, this is fresher, but just ends up a bit short. A product of the warm season. 16
Burge Family Draycott Shiraz 2006
It’s typically a rich and red fruit drenched wine of power and impact and this is no exception. Really ripe and full, but always with an air of savouriness. Quite drinkable really, hot finish the only turnoff. 17.4
Burge Family G3 2007
Suffering from the vintage vagaries. Quite a floral and pretty nose, backed by a mid weight, confected and with that resinous 07 vintage edge to the fruit. Struggled with this. 16.0
Willows Shiraz 2005
Sweet, plush and rather luxurious in the typically sexy Willows style. Soft, perfectly ripe and the very model of ‘drink me’ Barossan Shiraz. 17.8
Willows Cabernet 2006
Such a contrast to the Shiraz! Herbal, minty, sappy nose that seems atypical for the Barossa. Sticky, short palate also seems incomplete. Hmmm. 16.0
Willows Bonesetter 2005
Minty, formic, Grange like nose. Palate is really rich, chocolatey and oak drenched, but with firm tannins to match. Oak and acid just a little obvious, but hard to hide the class really. Very Good. 18.2
Gibsons Reserve Barossa Shiraz 2006
Hugely tannic & chocolatey red that shows mixed ripeness but still feels both dried out and confected. Will still gain some fans with its sheer impact. 16.8
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