April Wines of the Month: sophisticated & smashable Australia

Sorrenberg’s Barry Morey: a blend of Australia and fine Burgundy in name and deed

How spoiled am I for choice this month?  March was my Big Australian Month in terms of the number and diversity of wines tasted.  After three weeks tasting my way around South Australia and Victoria, followed by the Langton’s Classification tasting back in London, it has been incredibly tough to single out my Wines of the Month from the 400 or so I’ve had the pleasure to try.   I’ve gone through my list and gone with the heart – a couple of wines which still bring an instant smile to my face.  

Sorrenberg Chardonnay 2014 (Beechworth, Victoria)

Amber nectar in the works – 2015 Chardonnay barrel samples looked super promising

I tasted over a hundred Beechworth wines during my two day visit.  Long enough to convince me that Chardonnay produces its most compelling and consistent wines (which will surprise no-one who has tasted its most famous example, from Giaconda).  The Giaconda Chardonnays I tasted from barrel and bottle impressed me greatly, but the one that brings the widest smile to my lips is this Chardonnay from Barry and Jan Morey.  The couple have an intensity about their work yet a lightness of being which shines through in their wines (including Australia’s most famous Gamay, to be written up in a future post).  Fruit power and persistence wed to winemaking excellence – an ability to harness oak, lees and malo to great effect – mark out the best Beechworth Chardonnays.  The Sorrenberg excels in all three, with a subtly dried honey and nougat accented nose and palate and great sweep to its shapely, but very lithe white peach and poached pear fruit.  Insinuating, ripe, grapefruity acidity makes for lovely intensity and persistence of flavour and, with not a hard edge (of acid, oak, alcohol) in sight, it has a beguilingly soft and yielding character.  Great generosity, without feeling heavy. In a word, ambrosial.  The fruit comes from the Morey’s original 1984-planted House block and 2005-planted Rhino block, both of which are certified biodynamic.  At 560m and 595m, they are among the region’s higher sites.  The House block is on granite and transitional Stanley mudstone red soils with quartz, while the Rhino block’s granite produces wines of greater nervosity.  It was naturally fermented in French oak barrels, 25-30% new and underwent a complete malo-lactic fermentation.  During its first 10 months in barrel this beautifully balanced Chardonnay was lees-aged with batonnage, then spent a further 8 months in oak prior to bottling with minimal  filtration. 13.4%. Sorrenberg wines are imported by Les Caves de Pyrene who have a shop for retail sales; the 2011 vintage is £32.50 at Lay & Wheeler.

Rockford Frugal Farmer 2014 (Barossa, South Australia)

Skins from the Rose (right) are co-fermented with the Frugal Farmer’s Mataro and Grenache

While the Sorrenberg is as sophisticated as they come, this co-fermented blend of Grenache and Mataro over Alicante Bouschet skins (frugrally recycled from the Alicante Bouschet Rosé) exudes rustic charm.  I guess the name gave that one away!  It’s very much in the new breed of highly drinkable, aromatic, lower alcohol light but interesting Australian reds (for which I have a penchant). Early-picked Grenache and Mataro bring vivid red berry and cherry fruit, a touch of crunchiness even, to a super-drinkable palate with not a hint of confection.  Rather, spicy Mataro and Alicante Bouschet notes abound, while the Grenache lets rip on the Imperial Leather and floral aromatics.  A rub of sand papery tannins adds a welcome touch of grip, holding onto the flavours and giving a bit of line and length. So smashable but quite serious too.  It sells for AUS$22 at the Rockford cellar door.  Lucky Barossans!