The WA Fine Wine Road Show Part Two

Last week I posted a short introduction and about 20 tasting notes from the West Australian Road Show. If you have not read the first part, it can be found here. The tasting notes continue.

Evan and Tate is a winery that I don’t have much experience with but have mixed feelings about, that’s based on past reviews and my own limited experience. This tasting did little to change my mind.

Evans and Tate 2001 Shiraz has a nose that I found rather pongy. On the palate the wine had a supple consistency and is fruit driven with lots of sweet cherry fruit but with a slight metallic after taste. Many people would find this wine attractive for its primary fruit but I couldn’t get my head around it although I have my suspicions. Not rated.

Evans and Tate 2001 Cabernet Merlot sells for less than $20 and has dusty leafy notes and sweet cassis aromas. The palate is intensely fruity with blackcurrant, plums, chocolate and tobacco leafy flavours which are ably supported by a big fine grained tannic backbone that finishes dry. Its muscular in weight, has a supple consistency which is consistent with the strong obvious fruit and tannin structure. An agreeable complexity completes the package and makes this a very enjoyable fruit driven wine that great value. Rated as Recommended with **** for value, it’s drinking well now but will hold for a few years.

Evans and Tate 1999 Redbrook Cabernet Sauvignon has a RRP of $50. Inky dark purple in colour the nose was tight but did show some dark black fruit and iodine characteristics with a touch of menthol. This is a full bodied wine with bountiful drying tannins with deep obvious fruit and balanced acid. All the components seem to be there but it will be a long time before they all blend together. The flavour profile of blackberry, blackcurrant, plum and a herbaceous leafy taste seems a little “forced” or push to the limit but it is still an ‘interesting’ wine with an agreeable complexity. Rated as Highly Recommended with ** for value.

Leeuwin Estate is one of the most respected in WA and all their wines are normally very well made.

Leeuwin 2001 Art Series Shiraz has a RRP of $32. Loads of rich dark chocolate which is provided by the obvious fruit contribute to an ample weight wine with a persistent finish. Tannins are fine grained and provide a supple consistency to a ‘moreish’ wine with a plain complexity but never the less is very enjoyable, smooth and easy drinking. Rated as Recommended with ** for value, it’s ready to be scoffed now.

Leeuwin Estate 2001 Siblings Shiraz has a RRP of $25. Although I did try this wine I will not rate it. Enough said!

Leeuwin Estate 1999 Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon has a typical Cabernet nose of sweet red berry fruit, leafy notes and a hint of chocolate. Loads of dusty tannins and pure persistent fruit provide sweet raspberry/red current fruit which is underpinned by savoury leafy flavours and a line of chocolate that goes right through the palate. The wine is medium in weight, has a firm consistency with a solid, layered almost elegant structure and an agreeable complexity. Rated as Highly Recommended with ** for value it should peak after 2005.

Killerby 1999 Shiraz which is a back vintage was available for tasting. This winery uses marketing to good effect and milks awards, trophies and points for all they are worth however based on the limited few wines I have tried over the years their wines have never excited me greatly. Unfortunately this was the only wine in their line up I was able to try. Plums, chocolate and a very unusual fruit flavour that I could not identify (possibly rhubarb) are found on the palate. The wine is ample in weight, well made with fine grained tannins, balanced acid and pure fruit. It’s technically perfect and James Halliday would be impressed with its cleanliness. Structure is layered and complexity is agreeable; it’s a nice wine with good persistency and would have mass appeal. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, the rating may improve as it matures in the next few years.

Moss Wood is a winery with an impressive reputation and deservedly so. The stand was manned by Jason, the young and enthusiastic assistant winemaker that had given me the winery tour last February. During that trip, I tried some blended tank samples and on this day I retasted the finished product.

Moss Wood 2001 Ribbon Vale Merlot sells for around $29 and this wine has received mixed reports from those who tasted it at the road show. A few people like my mate Murray raved about it but I can’t see why. The nose was slightly lifted and a bit alcoholic. Tannins are smooth, the acid is lively and the medium weight fruit is persistent with a savoury profile, however to my taste there was an almost green character to the wine. Rated as Agreeable with ** for value.

Moss Wood 2001 Ribbon Vale Cabernet Merlot sells for around $29 and is a blend of 60% CS, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. It has a sweet fruit driven aroma with roasted almonds, blackcurrant, milk chocolate and mint on the nose. This is an attractive youthful well made wine that at first sight appears simple but it’s deceptive and needs just two things; a bit of time and food to show its best. Tannins are smooth, the acid fresh, combining with the medium weight fruit to form a very firm wine with a solid structure with some elegance and an agreeable level of complexity. Palate flavours are savoury cherry, chocolate and mint that finish with good persistency. Rated as Recommended with *** for value it should be left for a few years.

Moss Wood 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon sells for around $80. An attractive and complex bouquet exuding fresh sweet berry fruits, truffles and other berry aromas all of which were subtle and ranged right through the spectrum from sweet to savoury and a touch of oak; all of this in an understated fashion. Tannins are ultra fine and drying, acid is very youthful and the pure persistent medium weight fruit balances out the other components which are all showing well now but will be much better in time; in short it’s a baby.

A wave slowly builds across the palate filing every part of the mouth with a wonderful array of berry flavours, plums and chocolate which lingers for minutes. There is some elegance to the layered structure and together with the intricate well developed complexity it could best be described as a ‘rich and ripe refined classy drop’ which is rated as Excellent with *** for value and that rating should increase around 2008 and beyond. Not inexpensive but worth buying!

Xanadu used to have a large range of wines but it’s now positively enormous with the takeover of Normans. As I had tried most of their wines in February there were only two new releases for me to taste.

Xanadu 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon has a RRP of $27. There is nothing subtle about this wine with its impenetrable dark purple colour. It’s a big wine with masses of fine grained dusty drying tannins youthful acid and deep obvious ripe fruit with good intensity which is there but below the tannins at present. It’s a bit of a beast and needs time to settle down but it is worth buying and cellaring. It has a well developed complexity from the ripe fruit with its earthy after taste, a firm consistency and a very solid structure. It’s currently rated as Recommended with **** for value but that’s only because of its youthful nature. Given time, it should be a big teeth staining ripper.

Xanadu 1999Langan Estate Reserve is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc (70%/20%/10%) which will have a RRP of $65 when it’s released in November. The wine is made from 25 year old estate grown vines that are cropped at 1 to 1.5 tonnes per acre. Its dark purple which is no surprise as it’s left on skins for a month and has an inky black nose with some interesting nutty nougat nuances. There is a huge intensity of flavour without excessive weight showing ripe savoury mulberry, chocolate, mint and earthy truffles with a drying finish that lingers for almost as long as the wine was left on skins. It’s full bodied but has a layered structure that still retains some elegance and should be seamless given time; the complexity is refined and it’s a classy well made drop. It drinks well now because of the beautiful fruit but as it has all the components to age, it should take on added complexity with time as it peaks about 2007 and beyond. Rated as Excellent with *** for value. 

Howard Park is a winery with a big reputation but despite now having tried a number of vintages of a various labels from this winery, for the life of me I can not understand why. For the record, I went up to their stand with a completely open mind and was determined to try and look for the best in their wines but I still came away disappointed. The Mad Fish range is inexpensive but based on my past experience with this label there are better wines for the price. The value of the varietal range certainly is not impressive and as much as I have tried to appreciate their icon wine it represents poor value even on the odd occasion when I have rated it well. Maybe I just don’t understand this winery and their wines.

Howard Park 2001 Leston Shiraz comes from Margaret River fruit and has a RRP of $35. The wine is sealed with a ROTE seal and has been designed for early consumption. It has a ripe fruit driven nose with some earthy notes. Tannins are there but not overly noticeable and provide enough backbone to support the young acid and mid weight balanced fruit. There is some elegance to the structure and the complexity is agreeable with upfront ripe dark berry fruit and chocolate underpinned by a layer of savoury cherry flavour. An easy drinking well made wine with some subtlety, its rated as Recommended with ** for value.

Howard Park 2001 Scotsdale Shiraz hales from Great Southern fruit and has a RRP of $35. The wine has a similar nose to the Leston but is more earthy and not as fruit intense. The sweet upfront fruit of cassis/blackcurrant is underpinned and off set by a fair amount of acid, in fact the acid seems to stick out a bit at this stage. The wine is ample in weight with a supple consistency and agreeable complexity. Whilst there is nothing wrong with the wine I don’t get it. Rated as Agreeable with ** for value.

Howard Park 2001 Leston Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Margaret River fruit and has a RRP of $35. The bouquet shows mocha, leafy notes and sweet cassis which flows through to the palate as sweet cassis, leafy tobacco and a green finish. An ample weight wine with solid structure which is provided by plenty of drying powdery tannins, youthful acid and obvious fruit; the complexity is agreeable but it’s a bit simple for the price point. Rated as Recommended with ** for value.

Howard Park 2001 Scotsdale Cabernet Sauvignon is made with Great Southern fruit and has a RRP of $35. This was my pick of the varietal line up. The nose was musty earthy notes over some good fruit and subtle oak. The flavour profile shows some interest with sweet and savoury waves of flavour but the finish was not as persistent as it could be for this price point. The wine is medium in weight with a firm consistency, solid structure and an agreeable level of complexity. It has nice balance and structure and just need about another three plus years to show its best. Rated as Recommended with (only just) *** for value.

The final winery I visited at the WestAustRoadShow was Frankland Estate, a name I won’t forget in a hurry after having been put in my place with a severe talking to by the winemaker. On the plus side, the wines are all statistically consistent and the wines are worth considering if you have not tried them.

Frankland Estate 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon has a RRP of $22. A fresh fruit driven bouquet showing smoky oak, sweet cassis and herbaceous notes; I did initially pick up on some medicinal notes too but it was not as noticeable on the second bottle. The wine is medium in weight with smooth tannins that provide a supple consistency with youthful acid and the structure is consistent with the style; there is some elegance to the wine. On the plate the wine is a typical cabernet with a sweet attack, savoury chocolate that adds some contrast and a good length leafy finish. I did detect a slight metallic edge but the winemaker thinks I am smoking dope on that one. Rated as Recommended with *** for value. To me, the least impressive wine in their line up.

Frankland Estate 2001 Shiraz has a RRP of $25. A rich nose with good clean sweet fruit flows onto the plate as plums, spice, pepper which form an interesting flavour profile. The wine is medium in weight and although the tannins are smooth with a supple consistency, the structure is solid and the complexity agreeable. A well made wine that is food friendly. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, its drinking well now.

Frankland Estate 2000 Olmo’s Reward is a Bordeaux blend and has a RRP of $31.55. This wine was the pick of their line up, the bouquet shows some restraint despite its apparent fruit driven nature with chocolate and earthy notes. Ample in weight with a solid structure, there are loads of mouth coating drying tannins and some obvious deeply seated fruit to back it up. Complexity is more than agreeable with a sweet attack which quickly turns savoury with chocolate and tobacco flavours that finish dry and with good length. This is a well balanced and constructed wine that needs time and is currently rated as Recommended with *** for value but that rating should improve as the wine matures around 2007. 

Overall the show was very good and there were some excellent wines with very few disappointments. The one downside is that in many cases the value is not as keen as wines from South Australia.