Tried and tasted: 37 Australian wines old, new & even bluey from Bibendum

Best’s ‘peg-toothed’ 19th century vineyard: Great Western, Australia

Following on from my review of Liberty’s Australian portfolio (here), here are my highlights from Bibendum‘s recently boosted Australian range, most of which I managed to taste at the company’s ‘A Matter of Taste’ event in February.

Of particular interest among the new listings were Tasmania’s Josef Chromy, one of the Tamar Valley’s most exciting producers and, from Great Western, Bests who make a ‘back to the future’ return to these shores.  Says export manager Jonathan Mogg, the fifth generation family producer has gone back to its roots – “we’ve flipped it 180 degrees and are now focused entirely on Great Western…we’re not taking fruit from the river [Victoria’s irrigated wine regions to the north].” 

Josef Chromy Pepik Riesling Sekt NV (Tamar Valley, Tasmania)

This cheeky take on the German fizz spends 12 months on lies.  With 13g/l of residual sugar it’s an all too drinkable off dry style – vivacious, applely, floral and fun, but with a fine crisp finish.

 Josef Chromy Delikat SGR Riesling 2012 (Tasmania)

A lovely weight of honeyed citrus fruit and floral lift to this spatlese style (60g/l residual sugar), well teased out by a slatey, mineral undertow of acidity.

Josef Chromy Chardonnay 2011 (Tasmania)

Lots of cordite/gun flint on the nose and palate; tight with bright, zesty lime beneath, floral lift too.  A little skinny on the finish – will open out with time in bottle?

 Josef Chromy Pinot Noir 2010 (Tasmania)

A fine boned Pinot with a piquant savoury edge to its crunchily fresh red cherry and currant fruit; lively, lifted, very Tamar.  Lovely.

Madfish Grandstand Sauvignon Blanc 2012 (Great Southern,Western Australia)

A flinty, nettle style with crisp acidity but a food-friendly texture too (an element of this wine was aged in old oak barrels).  Good.

Madfish Grandstand Shiraz 2010 (Great Southern,Western Australia)

Though a little reduced on nose and palate, this is an attractive, grippy, savoury style – very peppery with an edge of bacon fat.  Promising.

Howard Park Flint Rock Chardonnay 2011 (Mount Barker,Western Australia)

An energetic, intense Chardonnay, with plenty of limey drive, a lick of cashew and a salty, flinty, mineral undertow.  Very good.

Howard Park Flint Rock Pinot Noir 2010 (Mount Barker,Western Australia)

A dark, earthy, savoury Pinot with fleshy plum and beetroot.  A fine fretwork of ripe but present tannins, carries a long finish.  Very well done.

Howard Park Riesling 2011 (Mount Barker, Great Southern,Western Australia)

Built for the long haul, this is classic Great Southern in its firmness of structure – great acid backbone – grapefruit and lime; long, focused, mineral and bone dry.

Howard Park Chardonnay 2011 (Great Southern/Margaret River,Western Australia)

With a little under half (47%) Margaret River fruit, this is a richer, plusher,more concentrated Chardonnnay than the Flint Rock, with classic Gin Gin clone dried pear and grapefruit.  Spicy oak is present but well integrated within its folds of fruit.  Enjoyable now but will show more savoury complexity with a couple of years bottle age.

Howard Park Leston Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (Margaret River,Western Australia)

A rich, deeply fruited and perfumed nose and palate is densely packed with cassis and mulberry fruits.  The oak is a little heavy at the moment, but nothing time won’t fix given the concentration of the fruit and suppleness of the tannins.  Patience required.

Howard Park Abercrombie 2009 (Great Southern/Margaret River,Western Australia)

I’m a big fan of the Abercrombie – a 100% Cabernet – which, since the winemaking tweaks of 2008 (click here for details) really flies.  Ever so perfumed, it beguiles from the get go with its cedar, cassis and floral nose, all of which notes follow through on a graceful but firm, bright-fruited, juicy palate.  A fine sheen of tannins lends wonderful fluidity and length to the finish.  Terrific.

Marchand & Burch Chardonnay 2011 (Great Southern,Western Australia)

The Marchand & Burch label is a collaboration between Howard Park’s owners Jeff & Amy Burch and Burgundy’s Pascal Marchand.  Sure enough, this Chardonnay is quite different from the Howard Park pair.  Less pacy, more rolling, it’s not in such a hurry to make an impact, which lends it a fluid, seamless quality where fruit (fleshy and fresh white peach) and oak are beautifully integrated.  Very well balanced, this is a long-limbed, slow burn Chardonnay which washes over you.  Very good.

Marchand & Burch Mount Barrow Pinot Noir 2010 (Mount Barker, Great Southern,Western Australia)

An intensely perfumed Pinot with succulent, juicy red cherry and plum, (pine) forest floor and hints of mocha oak;  textured tannins bed down a long finish and bode well for mid-term ageing.

Best’s Great Western Riesling 2011 (Great Western, Victoria)

Incredibly pretty, this palate-tingling off dry (14g/l residual sugar), wonderfully perfumed number shimmies it way over the palate, revealing lime blossom, juicy bell clear lime – lovely life, line, lift and length.  Gorgeous!

Best’s Concongella White 2011 (Great Western, Victoria)

Concongella is Best’s HQ within Great Western and has been since 1866 when Henry Best planted the original 22 hectare Nursery Block (pictured top) from which this wine comes.  I visited in 2010 and the old, red gum slab and beamed cellar door (pictured) also functions as a museum – it’s very atmospheric. The minimalist description derives from the fact that said block is a field blend – home to an almost Heinzian 39 varieties of which eight remain unidentified!  All of which explains why this wine is so hard to pin down – refreshingly so – it’s not one thing or the other, though it does have an old vine textural quality, dryness and minerality, to its sweet and yet not mandarin and peach nuanced palate.  Makes its own shape – highly individual!

Best’s Dolcetto 2010 (Great Western, Victoria)

Made from a dozen rows of Henry Bests original 1891 plantings and grapes from 1971 plantings grown from cuttings from the original vines, this bursts with varietal flavour – liquorice, cherry, tea leaf and violets; it’s a little earthy too.  Tons of character.

Best’s Pinot Noir 2010 (Great Western, Victoria)

This is a soft, sweet, earthy style of Pinot Noir and, while I personally prefer a little more precision and structure (especially acidity), it’s an engaging wine with softly fleshy (slightly baggy) stone fruits, forest floor and hints of chocolate and liquorice.

Best’s Old Clone Pinot Noir 2010 (Great Western, Victoria)

Best’s Great Western has some of the oldest Pinot Noir vineyards in the world, though it transpired that the vineyard is mostly Pinot Meunier. Best’s Old Clone Pinot Noir was first picked and labelled as Old Clone by previous winemaker Adam Wadewitz in the 2006 vintage and was made from 11 rows planted in 1987 but derived from the best performing French Pinot Noir clone originally planted by Best in 1868.  Now this is more like it, with lovely freshness and lift.  More tightly structured too with its bright redcurrant fruit; smudgy (think graphite) tannins lend expansiveness and minerality to the finish.

Best’s Old Vine Pinot Meunier 2010 (Great Western, Victoria)

In the last decade, Best’s Great Western Pinot Meunier has only been made in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2010; in other years the fruit goes into the Best’s Great Western “Young Vine” Pinot Meunier (which was also made in 2010). The Old Vine is a quantum leap on the 2010 Young Vine Pinot Meunier – a really exciting wine – something of a journey. A not so prepossessing earthy, mossy nose swiftly and surprisingly gives way to a remarkable intensity of violet perfume which, in the mouth evolves creamily (chocolate violet creams) through the mid-palate, unleashing a fine underlay of sous bois and pine needles through the long, resonating finish.  Love the levity with intensity.  Unique.

Best’s Great Western Bin 1 Shiraz 2011 (Great Western, Victoria)

The second cool climate Shiraz to rock the Royal Melbourne Show when it scooped the Jimmy Watson Trophy for best young red wine (click here for details of the first) and what can I say, it rocks, which is not a word I use often.  And this from a highly challenging, wet vintage.  Knock out aromatics (white pepper, cracked black pepper) assail the nose and long, lingering, sweet but succulent blood-plum palate.  A ringing finish steals over the tongue and back and forth or so it seems.  Ring-a ding-ding – an uber-drinkable, finely honed, wonderfully intense Shiraz.

Kilikanoon Mort’s Block Riesling 2012 (Clare Valley, South Australia)

Classic Watervale, this is a beautifully perfumed Riesling with lime blossom and musk to its pure, intensely concentrated, long thrust of lime and minerals.

Kilikanoon Prodigal Grenache 2009 (Clare Valley, South Australia)

Two sixty year old Watervale Grenache vineyards produce the fruit for this complex Grenache. Its sweet red fruit and cinnamon spice is deftly offset with darker liquorice spice and a bitter, herbal edge of Campari. Tannins are ripe but present, Very good.

Kilikanoon Blocks Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (Clare Valley, South Australia)

In this beautifully balanced vintage, Cabernet is a real star and this is no exception, with its fine cedar and floral perfume and inky, intense, cassis and fresh blackcurrant-driven palate. Lovely length and animation.

Kilikanoon Oracle Shiraz 2009 (Clare Valley, South Australia)

It may be dense, dark, rich and tarry, but the opulent Oracle has no shortage of fire in its belly. Coriander seed and liquorice spice bring lift and piquancy; fat roasted chesnuts lend a smoky, savoury quality. Best broached with a huge hunk of protein if patience is not your virtue.

Tim Adams Foxlee Single Vineyard Riesling 2012 (Clare Valley, South Australia)

Tim Adams perhaps scooped the bargain of the century when he acquired Leasingham Winery from Constellation Wines (now Accolade), together with its cellar door, 4500t production capacity winemaking kit and the 300 acre Rogers vineyard.  No doubt it’s been helpful to expand and differentiate his range, which now encompasses the Mr Mick wines made at the Mr Mick (former Leasingham) winery, also single vineyard wines like this one which is aimed at the on-trade (Tesco sell Adams’ rock solid Clare Valley range).   Hyper-oxidative handling pre-ferment makes for a Germanic style with notes of dill and juicy citrus fruit.

Tim Adams Fairfield Block Semillon 2011 (Clare Valley, South Australia)

Seemingly less oaky than the straight Tim Adams Semillon though it’s sourced from the same vineyard, this subtly waxy wine has a lively thread of pure, zingy lemon juice.

Tim Adams Bluey’s Block Grenache 2009 (Clare Valley, South Australia)

There’s a classic touch of confection – boiled sweet – to the nose but it’s balanced in the mouth thanks to its vivacious, bright red fruits and a lick of spice. Well made.

Mr Mick Riesling 2012 (Clare Valley, South Australia)

The value-driven everyday Mr Mick range was inspired by Mick Knappstein, who was Adams’ mentor when he started out .  Sure enough, this is generous on nose and palate with its musky nose and juicy lychee fruit  – round and aromatic.

Mr Mick Tempranillo 2010 (Clare Valley, South Australia)

I recall first visiting Adams in 2004 when he excitedly showed me his first Tempranillo.  He is more than happy that the grape has lived up to its potential in Clare and this is a great, modestly priced example with juicy blackberry fruit and liquorice spice; nice fluidity and intensity.  Very well done.

Mr Mick Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2010 (Clare Valley, South Australia)

And another great 2010 red – what a year!  Very intense with stacks of blueberry lift.  Lovely fruit, supple tannins; good bang for buck.

Mr Mick Shiraz 2010 (Clare Valley, South Australia)

Again, good 2010 intensity with balance.  Easy as she goes tannins launch and sustain the spicy fruit with aplomb.

Battle of Bosworth Puritan Shiraz 2012 (McLaren Vale, South Australia)

This unsulphured ‘joven’ style unoaked Shiraz is plush, plummy and generally yummy. Fruit and fresh, it’s very drinkable.

 Chateau Tanunda Marsanne/Viognier/Roussanne 2012 (Barossa Valley)

Only 14% of this wine sees (French) oak, of which 3% is new, which (doubtless with early picking) accounts for this Barossa white’s fresh, lively palate of well-defined quince and apple.  Good. 12.5%

The Colonial Estate Explorateur Old Vine Barossa Shiraz 2010 (Barossa Valley)

Rich and well concentrated black berry and cherry fruits, juicy plum and a subtle edge of tar.  Well balanced.  Very well made.

The Colonial Estate Émigré 2010 (Barossa Valley)

This blend of Grenache, Mataro, Shiraz and Cinsault leads with Grenache on its confected red fruits and kirsch nose; in the mouth the Grenache lends a heady damask rose florality, while the other varieties bring plenty of spice; long persistent.  Good.

The Colonial Estate Mungo Park Single Vineyard Barossa Shiraz 2010 (Barossa Valley)

Sourced from a gum tree edged vineyard of 80 year old Shiraz in Moppa in the Northern Barossa Valley, while densely concentrated with muscular black fruit and savoury black olives, eucalyptus notes add lift and length.  Velvety ripe tannins make for a broachable if powerful wine.